US2281303A - Container - Google Patents

Description

April 28, 1942. I w R, ox 2,281,303

CONTAINER Filed March 2, 1940 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UEN-ZIT'ED STATES? FFICEE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved container especially intended for the packaging of merchandise.

Since the development of jvariousplastics suited to the packagingof goods, the use of suchmaterialhas spread ,rapidlyas the valueof a transparent containerindifierent new fields hasbeen quickly recognized. An. objectof the present invention, therefore, isito provide a novel container of this kind for cigarettes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container wherein the tips of the cigarettes will be visible vat one .end of thepackage at least, and wherein .thecontainer may be conveniently loaded and sealed.

Still another object. of the invention. i e-p vide a container embodying, ameans wherebythe container maybe easily, and, quickly opened to permitready'. access to thecigarettes.

A'further object of theinvention is to provide acontainer .whereinthe operation of openingthe container will cause a flap -,t o bedefined,

which flap will normallyserve to prevent accidental lossof cigarettes'from the package.

And the invention-seeks, asastill further obe ject, .to provide acontainer which will be neat and attractivein appearance and which may be produced economically.

Other. and incidental objects. of the invention will appear during the course of the following description of the invention, and in the draw- Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the body of the container is formed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the containerbody as well as the cap employed, the parts being detached.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the container is loaded.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the container loaded and sealed.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the container is opened.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the manner in which cigarettes may be extracted from the container.

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the cap.

In the drawing, I have shown my invention embodied in a container for cigarettes and will so describe the device. However, as will be appreciated as the description proceeds, the invention may be embodied in containers for various other commodities such, for instance, as

candy, chewing gum or other articles of merchandise, and .I do not, therefore, wish to be limited in this regard.

In Figure ,1, I have. shown an oblong blank ID at one v end of which-is a flap. while, at the lower margin of the ,blank appropriate slits ,de-

fine flaps 1-2 and 13. At the upper margin of the blank is a ,more ,or less narrow lip M and formed at thebase of said lip is a shoulder I5. Preferably, the blank I0 is formed of suitable plastic material possessing the necessary resiliency anclcapable of being sealed either by heat or an appropriate cement. Several so-called plastics are available and choice may depend upon which is bestsuited to the purpose. For

certain adaptations of .the invention, however, foil, paper or other suitable material may be found expedientand, as .wilLbe appreciated, by properly printing a sheet of the material, several of the blankslll may be fashioned therefrom, simultaneously.

.As SeeninFigure-Z of thedrawing, the blank i0 is. folded toproduce a rectangular containerbody I6, the ends of the blank being connected by .th'efiap [I securedeither bythe application of heat ,or ,bycement, astound. expedient. Thus, as wilLbe noted, the lip M'is disposedtoextend about the upperend of the container-body while the flaps. l2 and [3 provide side and edgefiaps atthelower end of'thebody.

In. conjunction with the bodyflfi, Iprovide a rectangular cap ll, shown in detailin Figure 7 of the drawing. This cap is provided with a side wall l8 and a top wall 19 and is molded as a complete unit preferably from plastic material of the character previously noted although,

however, other materials may be employed if possessing similar qualifications. In any event, it is intended that the cap shall be a moulded unit. Furthermore, the cap is preferably transparent, which may or may not be true of the body l6, depending upon choice. By forming the cap I! of the same material as the body it, however, it is conceivable that, if so desired, the cap and body may be moulded as an integral structure, thus eliminating the blank It. Similarly, for certain adaptations of the invention, it may prove advantageous to mold the cap and body separately.

Formed in the side wall I8 of the cap at one end thereof are guide grooves 20 defining an intervening tear band 2| which terminates at one end in a tab 22 free at its outer extremity. Thus, the tab may be readily grasped for tearing the band 2| from the cap and, as will be noted, the grooves 2Q are joined at the base of the tab and at the end of the band opposite the tab by like grooves 23 so that the tear band may be easily torn free of the cap. In some instances, it may prove advantageous to form the band 2! somewhat thicker than the walls [8 and I9 of the cap in order to provide additional strength in the band itself so that the band may be certain to tear free Without breaking and, of course, as the cap is a moulded unit, the increase in the thickness of the band may be added either at the inside or the outside of the cap, as found desirable. Formed on the top wall IQ of the cap, medially rib 24 which extends across the plane of the grooves 23.

It is now to be noted that the cap I! is shaped to snugly fit over the lip I4 at the upper endof the body l6 resting against the shoulder l at the base of said lip. Heat may be applied for connecting and sealing the parts or an appropriate cement may be used. Thus, the cap will eifectively close the container at its upper end. As suggested in Figure 3 of the drawing, the container is then filled or loaded with cigarettes, when the flaps l2 and iii are folded down and sealed, either by the application of heat or an appropriate cement, to produce the finished package shown in Figure 4. As will be observed, the upper ends of the cigarettes project into the cap I! and are readily visible and, if so desired, the construction at the upper end of the container may be duplicated at the lower end thereof, in lieu of the flaps l2 and I3, so that the container would be provided at both ends with caps through which the ends of the cigarettes could be seen.

To open the container, the package may be held as suggested in Figure 5 of the drawing, when thetab 22 is grasped and the band 2| torn free. As will be perceived, this operation will also serve to free the adjacent end portion of the top wall I 9 of the cap I! to provide a flap 25 stifiened by the rib 24 to normally lie against the ends of the cigarettes therebeneath. Accidental loss of cigarettes from the package will thus be prevented. However, as suggested in Figure 6, the flap 25 may be readily flexed back when one or more cigarettes may be conveniently grasped and withdrawn from the package. As will be observed, the removal of the tear band 2| serves to appreciably shorten the side wall l8 of the cap beneath the flap so that the upper thereof, is a longitudinally extending stiffening ing folded for closing the body after being filled,

and a plastic cap moulded as a preformed imperforate unit to mate with the body and shaped to fit over said lip united therewith by the application of heat, said cap including a side wall having spaced guide grooves indented therein to define an intervening tear band terminating at one end in a tab free to be grasped for manually tearing out said band.

2. 'A cigarette container including a pliable container-body embodying a blank fashioned to provide a lip at one end of the body and flaps at the opposite end of the body capable of being folded for closing the body after being filled with cigarettes, and a plastic cap moulded as a preformed imperforate unit to mate with the body and shaped to fit over the outside of said lip and secured thereto, the body being shorter than the cigarettes whereby corresponding ends thereof project into the cap and the cap being transparent for displaying said ends of the cigarettes to view.

3. A cigarette container including a containerbody, and a plastic cap moulded as a preformed imperforate unit to mate with the body and shaped to fit over one end thereof hermetically sealed thereto, said cap being provided with a top wall and a side wall which latter is provided about one end portion of the top wall with substantially parallel moulded guide grooves therein connected at their ends by moulded transverse guide grooves to define an intervening tear band terminating at one end in a free moulded tab joined at its base with the band at one of said transverse grooves, whereby the tab may be pulled for tearing the band free to be severed at its ends from said side wall at said transverse grooves and along its longitudinal edges at said parallel grooves and release said end portion of said top wall to provide a retaining flap overlying the ends of cigarettes therebeneath.

WILFRED R. FOX.

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