US2347719A - Container - Google Patents

Description

May 2,' 1944. E; 0. THEN 2,347,719

CONTAINER Filed July 8, 1959 INVENTOR MJZ Patented May 2, 1944 CONTAINER Edward 0. Then, Newark, N. J assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 8, 1939, Serial No. 283,465

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a two-part hinged tablet box or container and has particular reference to an improved construction which provides for easy opening of the box.

An object of the invention is the provision of a two-part hinged tablet box or the like wherein the cover part is retained on the body part by a floating pintle hinge and wherein pivot projections formed on the cover part rest on the upper edge of the body part adjacent the hinge and thus provide fulcrum points on which the cover may be easily rocked by pinching the rear edge of the box so that the latter may be readily snapped open with one hand.

Numerous other objects andadvantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box embodying the instant invention, the view showing the box being snapped open, the view showing the outline of a portion of a hand in such operation of pinching the box.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the box shown in Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sections taken substantially along the line 33 in Fig. 2 and showing the cover of the box in different positions, and

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially along the line 55 in Fig. 3.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing illustrates a tablet box which includes a sheet metal body member H and a sheet metal cover member l2 which is retained on the body member by a hinge l3. The body mem-- her is preferably of a one piece die drawn construction which comprises a rectangular shaped fiat bottom wall section having a surrounding upright and continuous side'ivall which includes a front wall section 16, a reaz wall section ll, and a pair of connecting side wan sections l8. At the corners these wall sectionsare curved or rounded as indicated by the numeral IS.

The construction of the cover member I2 is similar to the construction of the body member I l and preferably includes a semi-flattened, dome shaped top wall section 2| which is surrounded by a continuous depending and integral flange 22. The flange includes a front wall section 23, a rear wall section 24, and a pair of connecting side wall sections 25. The corners of these wall sections are rounded as at 26 to fit the body member.

At the rear of the box the cover member 12 and the body member I I are hinged together in a floating pintle hinge. Such a hinge includes a pintle 3i which is tightly retained in a long hinge lug 32 formed in the rear flange wall section of the cover [2. The ends of the pintle extend beyond the ends of the lug 32 and are engaged in a pair of outwardly projecting hinge lugs 33 formed in the rear wall section I! of the body member.

The body member hinge lugs 33 are vertically elongatedin order to allow the pintle free vertical movement therein so that the hinge will be of a floating character. With this hinge construction the cover may be readily hinged back out of the way to gain access to the interior of the box.

When the cover member 12 is in closed position on the body member it preferably rests on the front edge of body wall section I6 and is locked against inadvertent opening. This locking featurg is effected by a pair of small interlocking bosses 35, 36 which are pressed outwardly from the front wall sections l6 and 23 of the body member I I and the cover member l2 respectively.

Provision is made for readily opening the box by pinching the rear edges of the cover and the body members together. For this purpose there is provided a small integrally struck indentation or inwardly extending projection 4| in the cover member l2 adjacent the juncture between its top wall 2| and each side wall 25 thereof. There are thus two of these projections, one on each side of the cover, and they are spaced equally forward from the hinge l3. When the cover is in closed position these projections rest on the upper edge at the rear of the side wall sections 18 of the body member. The projections 4| could be formed in the body side wall sections 18 if desired and thus have them engage against the edge of the cover member with the same operating effect.

Hence when the rear edge of the box is pinched, the hinge pintle 3| moves down in the elongated body lugs 33 and this action rocks the cover member around its fulcrum or pivot projections 4|. With this rocking movement the outer catch boss 36 in the front wall section 23 of the cover member snaps out of locking engagement with the inner catch box 35 of the front wall section l6 of the body member ll. At the same time the pintle 3i seats in its lugs 33 with the result that the front edge of the released cover is moved up and away from the body member and into an initial or partially opened position. From this initial position it is an easy matter to complete the opening by swinging the cover up and over on its hinge pintle into full open position. This gains entrance to the box interior but by reason of the initial opening step the contents of the box are not scattered around as might be done if the box was suddenly fully opened.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A hinged tablet box and the like comprising a one-piece body of substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners and having upright parallel front and rear walls and parallel side walls all of substantially uniform height throughout, a one-piece cover corresponding in shape to said body and having a semifiattened domed top wall and depending parallel front and rear walls and parallel side walls which slip over said body walls to close said box with a releasable frictional engagement, a floating hinge connection between the rear cover and body walls to provide relative vertical movement between said rear walls, and an integrally struck indentation extending inwardly from said cover adjacent the juncture between its top and a side wall and in a rear portion thereof, said indentation constituting an inwardly projecting fulcrum of relatively small area engaging the upper edge of the ad jacent body side wall, so that when said body and cover are pinched together rearwardly of said out, a one-piece cover corresponding in shape to said body and having a semi-flattened domed top wall and depending parallel front and rear walls and parallel side walls which slip over said body walls to close said box, a complementary interengaglng releasable frictional connection between the front walls 01' said body and cover and a floating hinge connection between the rear walls thereof to provide relative vertical movement between said rear walls, and a pair of oppositely disposed integrally struck indentations extending inwardly from said cover adjacent the juncture between its top and side walls and in. a rear portion thereof, said indentations constitut' ing opposed inwardly projecting fulcrums of relatively small area respectively engaging the upper edges of the opposed body side walls, so that when said body and cover are pinched together rearwardly of a said indentation the cover rocks on said body side walls on said fulcrums within the limits of the vertical movement of said floating hinge connection to release said connection between the front walls of the body and cover and to effect initialopening of the cover.

EDWARD 0. THEN.

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