US2796190A

US2796190A - Record container

Info

Publication number: US2796190A
Application number: US468884A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl S Tupper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-11-15
Filing date: 1954-11-15
Publication date: 1957-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1974-06-18

Description

June 18, 1957 s. ruPP I 2,796,190

RECORD CONTAINER Filed Nov. 15, 1954 2 heets-Sheet- 1 i 'jfl EQBL STUPPER '2 "'26 E' I INV TOR f Qe/cwdhv June 18, 1957 E. S. TU PPER Filed Nov. 15, 195 4 RECORD CONTAINER 2 Sheeis-Sheet 2 RECORD CONTAINER Earl S. Tupper, Upton, Mass.

Application November 15', 1954, Serial No. 468 884 1 Claim. (Cl. 220.-31)

This invention relates generally to. a box-like container and cover, and more particularly to an easily operable container for recipe cards or other types of records.

The main object of the invention resides in the provision of a container or holder for record cards such as recipes or others and which is formed entirely of two separable parts; a body portion and a cover adapted to be pivotally connected thereto owing to structural parts forming integral portions of the body and cover members.

Another object of the inventionresides in the provision of a container for record cards which is formed entirely of two separable parts a body portion and a pivotally mounted cover therefor, and wherein both the container and cover portions may be formed entirely of relatively rigid plastic material, the body portion and cover being integrally formed during production with cooperating parts for hingeable connection.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a container for recipe cards or other record cards wherein a plurality of such containers may be conveniently stacked upon one another for compactness in storage and shipping and wherein they undersurface of one container cooperates with the upper surface of the container directly below to maintain the containers in stacked arrangement.

Another feature of the invention resides in a positive type of engagement between the cover and container members when the structure is in closed condition.

Another end of the invention resides. in the; provision of a container and cover which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages of the. invention will hereinafter; appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in the appended claim.

Accompanying this specification are drawings showing a preferred form of the invention wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention with the cover portion in closed position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the cover in an open position and containing a plurality of recipe cards or the like disposed within the body portion of the container;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary and enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the plane 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the plane 44 of Figure 1 showing in phantom the open position of the cover;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view partly in section of the cooperating portions of the container cover members;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the plane 6-6 of Figure 5 showing the cooperating parts in engagement with each other;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary bottom perspective view of hired States Patent 0 Patented June 18, 1957 the container shown partly broken away and illustratingthe peripheral ridge. formed in the bottom wall for the purpose of facilitating stacking;

Figure 8 is a front viewshown partly in elevation and partly in section of a pair of containers and covers stacked one on top of the other; and

Figure 9-is an enlarged; vertical sectional view of a portion of Figure 8 showing cooperating structure for stacking.

In accordance with the invention and the preferred form shown and more particularly to Figure 1, a con-- tainer and cover combination is generally indicated by numeral 10 for record or recipe cards including a boxlike container portion 11' and a cover 12.

Both the container body portion 11 and the: cover- 12 are formed of hard, substantially inflexible plastic such as polystyrene or other suitable plastic material having similar physical characteristics and is integrally formed. with cooperating parts by means of which cover 12 may be pivotally connected to container body portion 11 with out the addition of any other fastening means as will hereinafter appear.

Container body portion 11 includes a rectangular bottom wall 13 integrally formed with front wall 14, end walls 15 and a rear wall 16 with the upper edges of the front, rear and end walls all lying inth-e same plane.

Each of end walls 15 adjacent the upper longitudinal edge of the rear wall 16' is formed with a rounded corner 17 which forms in cooperation with the ends of the rear wall 16 an arcuate groove for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

Each of the end walls 15 near and below each of the rounded corners 17 is also integrally formed with an outwardly extending pin 18, the pins 18 at opposite ends being longitudinally aligned with each other.

Bottom wall 13 is integrally formed with a downwardly extending peripheral ridge 1-9, the inner faces of which are flared downwardly and outwardly from the bottom wall 13 for a purpose hereinafter to be described. 1

Cover 10 includes a rectangular top wall 20 of the same material as the body portion 11 and is integrallyformed around its periphery with a depending front wall 21, rear wall 22 and end walls 23, the juncture of these front, rear and end walls with the top wall being effected along a roundedperipheral portion 24. The lower edges of the front wall 21, rear wall 22 and end walls 23 all lie in the same plane and are adapted to rest on the open upper edge of the body: portion 1 1 (Figure 4:)- when the cover 10 is in closed position. As shown in Figure 6, the intersecting lower edges of the end walls 23 and rear wall 22 are formed with triangular cut-outs 25 directly above the rounded corners 17 and'are thereby relieved to permit a full free closing rotational movement of the cover upon the container body.

As shown in Figure 4, the outer faces of the front wall 21 and end walls 23 are integrally formed along their lower edges with the

flanges

26 and 27 respectively, the inner faces of these flanges being aligned vertically with the outer faces of the front and end walls to permit the reception upwardly therewithin of the upper open edges of container side and

front walls

15 and 14 thereby to prevent lateral displacement of the cover 12 relative to the body portion 11.

The lower edges of the flanges 27 at their ends remote from flange 26 are integrally formed with depending lugs or ears 28 having openings 29 and through which pass the aforementioned pins 18 when cars 28 are spread for this purpose whereby to pivotally mount the cover portion 12 upon the body portion 11 without the addition of any other separable fastening means.

As shown in Figure 6, the downward movement of the cover 12 is facilitated by the rounded corners 17 on end walls of the container to prevent engagement with the triangular cover cut-outs and the upper edges of the container front and

end walls

14 and 15 entering the grooves provided by

cover flanges

26 and 27, said cover continuing downwardly until entering into abutment with the upper edges of the body portion 11.

As shown in Figure 4, the cover 12 when in the open position will be limited in its outward displacement by the abutment of the lower edge of the rear wall 22 with the rear wall 16 of the body portion.

Thus, a smooth movement of the cover 12 from the closed position to the open position is provided without the incorporation in the device of complicated and additional mounting means, effecting an obvious economy of material and labor. The container and cover may be manufactured in mass production from only two separable parts formed entirely of plastic, resulting in a relatively low price to the ultimate consumer.

A plurality of cards are stacked within the body portion 11 (Figure 2) with the tab portions 31 thereof extending upwardly within the depending side walls of the cover and completely concealed when the latter is in the closed position. The cards 36 with their tabs 31 will be suitable for the indexing of recipes or other information, for example alphabetical card files, or the like.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the devices may be conveniently stacked one upon the other for compactness in shipping and storage with the beveled upper edge of one cover 12 being received snugly within the correspondingly shaped ridge on the undersurface of another container body portion 11 to maintain the devices in stacked arrangement and preventing their displacement laterally relative to each other. To facilitate the reception of the cover 12 within the ridges 19, the

side walls

21, 22 and end walls 23 may be tapered downwardly and outwardly away from the central portion of top wall 20. Also, the front wall 14, rear wall 16 and end walls 15 of the container portion may be tapered slightly upwardly .and outwardly from the bottom wall 13.

The combined container and cover may be formed of thick gauge polyethylene, vinyl or other plastic which is relatively rigid. Moreover, various shapes and sizes are contemplated.

' It is understood furthermore that minor changes and variations in material, integration, methods of molding and assembly, and combination of parts may all be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A record container comprising a container body element having a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and end walls from the bottom wall, the upper edges of said front, rear and end walls of said container body element lying substantially in the same plane, a cover element having a top wall, and a front wall, rear wall and end walls extending downwardly from the top wall, the lower edges of said cover front, rear and end walls lying in substantially the same plane and being adapted to rest on the upper edges of said container body front, rear and end walls, depending flanges running along the lower edges of said cover front and end walls on the outer faces thereof, the inner faces of said flanges being displaced outwardly relative to the inner faces of said cover front and end walls and receiving thereagainst the outer faces of said container body front and end walls, ear projections depending from the lower edges of said cover end wall flanges at their ends remote from said front wall flange, pivot pin connection means extending horizontally between the depending ear projections and the container body end walls on which the cover element may be rotated, each of said container body end walls having a rounded upper corner forming with the ends of said container body rear wall an arcurate recess adapted to receive therein the lower edge of each of said cover end walls during rotational movement of the cover element, each of the lower edges of said cover end and rear walls being relieved to cooperate with said rounded corners to permit the free rotation of said cover over the container body end and rear walls, said cover front and end wall flanges being integrally formed with said cover front and end walls, said ear projections being formed integrally with said cover end wall flanges, said pivot connection means between the depending ear projections on the cover element and the container body element end walls being formed integrally upon one of the elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,577,823 Dolle Mar. 23, 1926 2,145,143 Trecartin Jan. 24, 1939 2,356,926 Gits Aug. 29, 1944 2,417,632 Clark etal. Mar. 18, 1947 2,457,043 Histand Dec. 21, 1948 2,460,488 Brunetti Feb. 1, 1949 2,488,611 Stallings Nov. 22, 1949 2,605,926 Casey Aug. 5, 1952 2,670,872 Olesky Mar. 2, 1954 2,717,717 Busch Sept. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,489 Australia Aug. 7, 1933