US2638210A - Display box for decorated easter eggs - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1953 G. c. SPARKS DISPLAY BOX FOR DECORATED EASTER EGGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 20, 1949 INVENTOR. ge C. Sparks Geor BY May 12, 1953 G. c. SPARKS 2,638,210

DISPLAY BOX FOR DECORATED EASTER EGGS Filed Oct. 20. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

1i BY Georgga C. Spar s dingy.

Patented May 12, 1953 OFFICE DISPLAY BOX FOR DECORATED EASTER EGGS George Ci Sparks, Chadds Ford, Pa.

Application October 20, 1949, Serial No. 122,507

My invention relates to a new and useful decorated Easter egg box for self-service selling and has for one of its objects to provide a highlydesirable package of this character that will hold a decorated egg firmly in place for shipping and display purposes with the chances of damage to the egg or its decorations reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package for a decorated Easter egg consisting of a box proper or container having a window or sight opening in one or more contiguous panels, for example, the front or top or both, said window or opening preferably having a sheet of strong transparent material disposedacross it to keep out foreign substances and prevent persons touching the egg while permitting an unobstructed view of a large part thereof, and a cradle, rack or floater assembled within the container to maintain the egg in a substantially rigid position.

Another object of this invention is to construct a foldable Easter eg container comprising a box or receptacle produced from box board or other suitable material and consisting of a bottom, sides or ends with inturned top flaps having handle receiving slots in the region of the folds between the sides or ends and their respective top flaps, back and front walls foldable from the bottom and provided with inturned wings for securement to the sides or ends, 'a top closure foldable from the front wall and having an inturned lip for insertion between the top flaps and the back wall, said front and top closure having an. aperture covered with a sheet of transparent material, and a box board handle having depending portions with enlargements on their ends, said depending portions being slidably mounted to permit projection and retraction of the handle and said enlargements being constructed to allow them to be inserted in the slots under certain conditions and thereafter act as stops to prevent accidental withdrawal of the handle.

At .the present time many articles are sold in what are known as self-service stores where patrons inspect the goods displayed, select whatever is wanted and carry the same to a cashier for payment. It is one object of this invention to provide a package especially adapted for the above type of stores in which the goods are well protected against foreign matter and direct handling although the packages are capable of being stored on top of one another and the contents of all packages at the front of a shelf will be visible.

Another object of the invention isto provide 1 Claim. (01. 206-4514) a cradle that will hold a candy egg at both ends along narrow or restricted lines within the container or receptacle, said cradle comprising a bottom wall, upright ends having apertures, the upper edges of which include flexible gripping elements, and outturned leaves which engage the sides or ends of the container or receptacle to properly locate the cradle and supported article and prevent shifting thereof.

Another object of the" invention is to provide a box for a decorated .Easter egg that may be easily and quickly packed therein and then be visible from top to bottom, on one. side, and the decorations will be protected during handling of the packaged article.

A further object of this. invention is to provide means for holding the decorated egg confection out of contact with the walls of the container so that the decorations will not be damaged and said container will not be blemished by grease from the confection thus furnishing a package which is always neat in appearance.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention apper-tains may understand. how to make and use the same I will describe its construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the decorated Easter egg box'embodying my invention.

I Fig. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal sectional view with the handle left in elevation and the outline of an Easter egg shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the container blank on a reduced scale.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the cradle.

Fig. 5 is also a similar view of the handle. I

to said back by the score or fold lines l6, side or,

end walls I! defined relative to the bottom I! by score or fold lines 18, said side or end walls havins. flaps l9. defined relative to said side or end;

walls by score or fold lines 2!) and in said fold lines intermediate the ends thereof are slots 2| having angular ends that extend into the flaps.

In addition to the elements last above described said blank and foldable container include a front 22, side wings 23, a top closure 24 and a lip 25. The front 22 is defined relative to the bottom 12 by the score or fold line ft, the wings 23, similar to those designated M, are defined relative to the ends of said front 22 by the score or fold lines 27, the top closure N is defined relative to the front 22 by the score or fold line 23, and the lip I 25 is defined relative to the top closure Ed by the score or fold line 29.

A sight or window opening is formed in the panel comprising the front wall and top closure, but could be restricted to either .one of said front wall or top closure, and a sheet 3! of stron transparent material, such as Cellophane is disposed across said opening.

The container blank it is folded so that the front, back and end walls project upwardly from the bottom and the wings l5 and 23 are turned in and secured, as by pasting, to the respective adjacent end walls. The flaps it can then be folded inwardly, the top closure swung down- Wardly and the lip 25 inserted between the rear ends of said'iiap and the inner surface of the back wall. 1

i In order that the individual package may be easily transported a handle 32, of the same or similar material as the container, consists of a blank 33, Fig. 5, so fashioned that said blank and the resultant handle comprise a handheld 34 and legs 35 defined relative to one another by the score or fold lines The legs 35 are folded-on the score lines so as to project at approximately right angles to said handheld and ontheouter or terminal ends of said legs are formed the enlargements Bil which extend beyond opposite side edges of the legs as square shoulders 38 and the edges of the enlargements between their respective shoulders are curved convexly. The distance between an edge of :a handle leg 35 and the outer end of a shoulder extending from the opposite edge of the same handle leg is approximately the same orslightly less than'the overall length of a slot 2i. This construction permits the handle, as a whole, to be tilted to one side and the shoulders on one side of the handle inserted in the slots and the handle then tilted to the opposite side to cause the other shoulders to enter the slots. Thereafter the handle legs will occupy the main straight portions of thelegs and the shoulders will underlie solid portions of the flaps i9 when the handle is extended as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said handle may be retracted by pushing the legs thereof inward into the interior of the container until the handheld rests on the top closure.

A cradle or floater 39, also of box board or similar material, consists of a blank lit, Fig. 4, so fashioned and scored that said blank and the resultant cradle comprise a base (if, end panels l2 defined relative to the ends of said base by score or fold lines lt, and leaves M defined by score or fold lines t3, and leaves di l defined relative to the panels, said leaves projecting from both sides of said panels, by the score or fold lines d5. Each end panel d2 has an aperture 46, one edge of which is the case M of the cradle structure and is straight while the opposite edge is'curvilinear. Said curvilinear edge has a plurality of -spaced slits extending 4 therefrom into the body of the panel to form flexible gripping elements or fingers ll. Since confection eggs are made to simulate real eggs and are larger at one end than the other, one aperture 46 is made larger than the other to accommodate the different sized ends of the confection eggs.

After a decorated Easter egg, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,is properly placed upon the cradle base "M, the end panels t? are turned upwardly until the ends of the egg project through the apertures in said panels and the flexible gripping fingers 4 engage the top surface of the egg ends under a slight tension due to the inherent resiliency of said fingers. The leaves it are then turned outward relative to their respective panels and can then be inserted into the container which said cradle snugly fits.

With the parts thus assembled the Easter egg is retained out of contact with the walls of the container so that grease will not be deposited on the wall surfaces which might mar the appearance of the package. The packing does not require the use of a wrapper or shredded paper and therefore expedites the packing operations thus lowering the cost of packaging.

For display purposes the packages can be placed on top of one another on shelves, counters and the like with the sight openings outward and the contents will always be visible to prospective customers. When one is purchased the handle can be pulled up and the package carried thereby. This provides a very attractive article, especially for children and, particularly if the container is fashioned so that the walls diverge-upwardly andthe outer surface is printed in imitation of a chip, straw or other type of basket.

If desired, crease or fold lines may be provided whereby the box body or container unit can be collapsed into a relatively flat parcel while the cradle and handle are not in place but without detaching the wings iii and 23 from the side or end Walls ll. One of the crease lines 49 extends through the centers of the flaps :9, end walls '91 and bottom 52 and the others are two V-shaped crease lines lit extending from separated points in the line 29 to the adjacent corners of the bottom l2. After the top closure 24 has been opened and the flaps i9 turned out so as to lie in the same plane as the end walls H, the bottom, end walls and flaps are folded inward on the crease lines fit and 542 to collapse the structure into a relatively compact parcel for shipping and storing purposes.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

A decorated Easter egg box for self service ng the inner surfaces oi. the end walls with f the base resting on the bottom wall of the container unit, said panels being spaced from thenif'eiid walls and apertured to receive the ends o fuan Easter egg, inturned flaps projecting from t upper edges of the end walls and substantially idging the spaces between the end walls ax; e adjacent end panels, the container unit ha g slots formed in the folds between the en is and their respective flaps, said slots term ting in angular end portions within the material of the flaps, and a handle consisting of a handheld with legs projecting at right angles herefrom, said legs having enlargements on elir terminal ends which enlargements extend {b nd opposite side edges of the legs to form sli ers and have convexly curved underneath ed from one shoulder to the other on the same the distance between an edge of a handle le'g d the end of a shoulder extending from the opposite edge of the same r 6 handle leg being approximately equal to the overall length of a slot including its angular end portions, said handle legs being slidable through 'the slets within the spaces between the end UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date --'-"1291,805 Tatum Jan. 0, 188* 1,505,292 Wickes Aug. 12, 1924 l,8d5 ,268 Morris June 28, 1932 2,019,250 Collins Oct. '29, 1935 2,034,809 Grant Mar. 24, 1936 2,157,954 Gould May 9, 1939 2,442,980 Lewis June 8, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 502,283 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1939

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