US2649194A

US2649194A - Case for a package of cigarettes

Info

Publication number: US2649194A
Application number: US54801A
Authority: US
Inventors: John F Babbitt
Original assignee: ROGERS IMP S Inc
Current assignee: ROGERS IMP S Inc; ROGERS IMPORTS Inc
Priority date: 1948-10-15
Filing date: 1948-10-15
Publication date: 1953-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1970-08-18

Description

Aug. 18, 1953 Filed Oct.

Zhwentor JOHN F. BABE/7'7 (Ittorneg Patented Aug. 18,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASE FOR A PACKAGE OF CIGARETTES Application ctober'15, 1948, Serial N 0. 54,801

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a container or enclosing device having a cover articulated therewith, generically termed a case for receiving and storing a package of cigarettes or the like.

To provide a useful, enduring and appealing case for receiving a full commercial package of cigarettes, protecting the contents thereof when full and the remainder thereof as cigarettes are withdrawn, a construction wherein the cover of the case is automatically normally retained closed and means for expeditiously swinging the cover to the open position in response to a squeezing force applied by a human hand to the front and back members of the case, is the main object of this invention.

Another object of this invention consists of providing a construction wherein the object stated in the preceding paragraph can be accomplished and supplied to the users at a low price.

Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description presented in terms of the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment and as concisely stated in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, drawn to full size scale and adapted for use in connection with a standard package of twenty cigarettes, of my case disposed in a figure that represents a human hand that has applied a squeezing force thereto and oriented the cover to the open position.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the case. The full lines show this case with the cover closed in normal position while the broken lines indicate the sides of the case and the cover thereof operated to open and expose the interior or contents of the case substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the case with the cover shown in the open position.

Figure 4c is an elevation of Fig. 3 along line 4, i of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a fragment of the top portion of Fig. 4 modified to show especially the relation of the axes when the case is closed or in normal state.

The six pieces that comprise the entire container or case are the body 5, cover 6, operator bar 7,

rivets

8, 9 and pintle 9A.

A rectangular unit of sheet metal having resilient properties, preferably of the non-ferrous group, is employed to provide the vertical Walls and bottom member of body 5. This unit before 2 being bent into the U-shaped form illustrated is notched at four places along the longitudinal margins thereof to locate corners H), II. This bending is performed after the unit has been formed into a channel by simultaneously bending the longitudinal portions of the margins of the unit to provide flanges l2, I2; 53, I3 and I4, is which ultimately constitute the vertical end walls of the body while the base of the channel functions as front [6, back H and bottom I 8 thereof. It must be especially noted that the front, back. and bottom portions, when considered individually, remain substantially integrally rigid at all times, the upper portions of the front and backv members can be readily moved toward one another by flexing at the corners l0 and H. When the body is formed into said U shape it is left with" the front and back members spread outwardly beyond parallel vertical lines so as to provide a latent force, after assembly, for normally retaining the cover in the closed position as explained hereafter.

A unit of sheet metal is pressed to provide cover 6. The lower rear edge is fashionedwith three. tongues, the two narrow ones, when curled, provide eyes 2Q, 20 for pivotally embracing the rear section of operator bar 7 While the broad central tongue is curled to provide eye 2| that embraces pintle 9A. The end portions of this pintle are also embraced by

eyes

22, 22 integral with back member I 7 thereby providing a hinged articulation. Each end of operator bar I is curled to freely embrace projecting ends respectively of

rivets

8 and 9 that are located respectively in sections I3, E3. The end of each rivet may be rolled over the exposed side faces of the eye associated therewith.

As the case is completely assembled the front and back members of the body are moved from the spread state, adverted to above, to parallel relation as shown in full lines of Fig. 2 and normally retained in this state by operator bar 1 by reason of the construction explained in the preceding paragraph. Thus, it will be perceived that the latent spring force of body 5 biases the cover to the closed position as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Since the axis of

rivets

8 and 9, the pivotal center of the eyes of the operator bar, are disposed materially below axis of the articulation of the operator bar with the cover, the latter is retained under definite tension downwardly when closed, thus effecting a snug contact with the top edges of body when in a normal state and without the use of some latching device.

The physical embodiment of my invention disclosed herein is the form presently moving in commerce. However, it is to be understood that the body and cover may be formed from a sheet of plastic material or moulded into component parts from suitable materials which, when assembled, would constitute another embodiment of this invention; also that my case may be reorganized so that the cover will be responsive to squeezing pressure applied to the end or narrow walls instead of to the front and back broad walls or members in which instance these end members are to be regarded as front and back walls, especially in terms of the appended claims. ,And further, in the event a non-resilient material should be chosen from which to make the body element, a resilient member could be incorporated into the structure to supply the latent spring force necessary for producing a workable device of the character disclosed herein. Other modifications of and departures from the above disclosures can be freely made and yet fulfill the objects and advantages of this invention as primarily stated, therefore, I wish to be limited only by the terms of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A container for a package of cigarettes comprising a body of resilient material having a bottom from which spaced front and back walls extend upwardly, said front wall having side flanges extending rearwardly from the side edges thereof, a unitary cover arranged in a horizontal plane across the top of said body and having a peripheral flange extending downwardly and embracing the upper edge portions of said front Wall and said side flanges, means pivotally connecting the rear edge portion of said cover to the upper edge portion of said back wall on a horizontal pivotal axis located below said peripheral flange, a pair of headed pins carried by said side flanges respectively and extending inwardly therefrom on a common horizontal axis near the upper ends of said side flanges, a U-shaped wire element having eyes formed at the ends thereof and encircling the shanks of said pins, and means pivotally connecting the bridge portion of said wire element to the rear portion of said peripheral flange on a horizontal axis located above the 2,649,194 .i ii p i pivotal axis of said cover whereby, upon pressing the upper end of said front wall toward-s said rear wall, said cover is rotated by said wire element from a horizontal or closed position to a vertical or open position.

2. A container for a package of cigarettes comprising a body of resilient material having a bottom from which spaced front and back walls extend upwardly, said front wall having side flanges extending rearwardly from the side edges thereof, a unitary cover arranged in a horizontal plane across the top of said body and having a peripheral flange extending downwardly and embracing the upper edge portions of said front wall and said side flanges, means pivotally connecting the rear edge portion of said cover to the upper edge portion of said back wall on a horizontal pivotal axis located below said peripheral flange, means carried by each of said side flanges extending inwardly therefrom on a common horizontal axis near the upper ends of said side flanges, a U-shaped wire element, the free ends of said wire element being pivotally secured to said last-named means, and means pivotally connecting the bridge portion of said wire element to the rear portion of said peripheral flange on a horizontal axis located above the pivotal axis of said cover whereby, upon pressing the upper end of said front wall towards said rear wall, said cover is rotated by said wire element from a horizontal or closed position to a vertical or open position.

JOHN F. BABBITT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Aug. 9, 1878 Great Britain Dec. 3, 1931 Number Number