US2892541A - Display container for bracelets or the like - Google Patents

Description

J. G. HAHN 2,892,541

DISPLAY CONTAINER FOR BRACELETS OR THE LIKE June 30, 1959 Filed Feb. 14, 1957 F/GKZ .w m my a 0 H J United States PatentG DISPLAY CONTAINER FORfBRACELETS OR THE LIKE Jerome G. Hahn, Cedarhurst, N.Y.,' assignor to ilacoby- Bender, Inc., Woodside, N.Y.,-a corporation of New York Application February 14, 1957, Serial No-. 640,096

1 Claim. '(C]. 206-78) The present invention relates to a display container particularly adapted for use'with elongated flexibleobjects such as bracelets, ne'cklacesandthe'like. 1

Modern merchandising methods more or less require that individual items of adornment, such as bracelets, necklaces and the like, beindividually mounted or packaged. In this way each unit is'protected against'd'amage from the other units packed therewithwherr they are shipped. Each individual unit is more efiectively displayed, with its individual style and appearance more readily visible to the prospective purchaser. The name or insignia of the manufacturer-may be directlyassociated therewithby being printed on eachpackage, thus building up goodwill in that name or insignia-andcausing the identity of the manufacturer to be more readily associated with the particularitem or the specific-design thereof. The individual units may more-readily "be handled at the point of sale. Other advantages will suggest themselves.

Particularly in the field of wristwatch bracelets, in connection with-wln'ch this invention is here specifically disclosed, it is-nOW the almost universal custom that bracelets be carded or packaged, usuallybut notexclusively individually, and in such a way that the bracelet is clearly visible for display purposes.

-One--form of such packaging anddisplay,' here'tofore used by theassignee of this application on' a large scale, is the mounting of the bracelet on-a-cardsuch as 'that shown in Krust Patent 2,656,919 of October 27, 1-953, entitled Display Card for 'Bracelets or the like, the bracelet-card combination then being covered by a transparent envelope. With such ad-isplay card -or even in a container of conventional-form, some-means must be provided for securing the bracelet inplace. However, it is a requisitethat the-bracelet be-readily detachable, so that, for example, a; prospective'purchaser may'observe it more closely; tryfiit on his own wrist, or place it i juxtaposition to his watch inorder 'tosatisfy himself that the bracelet design properly blendswith the design of his'watch.

The cost of this general type of display mounting and packaging represents a surprisingly large proportion of the total cost of the bracelet, and this' 'is particularly attributable, directly or indirectly, to the-means for securing the individual bracelets in place on their cards. :The actual cost of .the securing-means, .-:usually' formed of metal, and theassembly of the securing means to the ice breakage because of impatient or improper manipulation 'bythe retail jeweler.

In accordance with the present invention the above disadvantages are eliminated or minimized to an appreciable degree, and at the same time a display package of ingenious and extremely effective appearance is produced. The package is so designed that the bracelet may be held in place thereon merely by the action of placing it in the package. It is'not necessary to engage the bracelet'with any auxiliary securing means, and no suchmeans are provided. To remove the bracelet from 'the package it is only necessary to open the package, grasp the bracelet and pull it out. The package is so designed that the very act of inserting the bracelet there- 'i'nto will cause the bracelet to assume its desired display position and to remain within the package until bodily pulled therefrom. In addition, the package is'so designed that difierent portions of the bracelet will'be displaydin different configurations, the end portions being arched and the central portion being flat in the form here specifically disclosed, so that the bracelet design will be exhibited in such away as to bring out its beauty to the maximum degree.

To 'these ends the package is provided with a transparenttop wall of sinuous configuration having an overall peripheral length substantially equal to that of the display cards, are substantialfactors. :Even more sigbracelet to be placed therein, the linear distance between the'ends of this wall beingless than the total length .of the bracelet. This sinuous top wall is spaced from the bottom-wall of the container so that the bracelet may be receivedtherebetween. The ends of thebracelet rest upon thebottom wall and the body of the bracelet will assume the configuration-of the top wall, this being possible'because the bracelet is flexible at least to a degree. However,-the inherent rigidity of the bracelet, which causes it to tend to straighten out, together with the engagement of'the ends of the bracelet with the bottom wall, will ensure that the bracelet will retain its sinuous configuration corresponding to that of the top wall and will be held close to the top wall, through which it may be viewed. The container is provided with an opening, preferably in the bottom wall, through which the-bracelet may pass so as to be insertable into or removable from the container.

7 "In the form here specifically disclosed the bottom wall of the container is similar to that type of display card preferably used in connection'with wrist watch bracelets, except that no separate bracelet-attaching means needbe provided. A transparent housing is secured to this bottom wall, the upper portion of that housing being defined by the'aforementioned sinuous top wall. 'A portion ofthe bottom wall beneath the transparent housing may be moved out of the plane of said wall so as to produce the opening through which the bracelet may pass. v

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a display container for a bracelet or the like as defined in the appended claim and as described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying-drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a three-quarter perspective view' of a container of the present invention, a flexible bracelet being shown in place therein by broken lines;

Fig. '2' is a bottom plan view of the container of Fig. 1 on a reduced scale;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the opening through which the bracelet may pass being exposed;

Fig.4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2, the bracelet being shown in broken lines; and

-Fig. 5 is a crosssectional view'taken al-ongthe line S- 5 0f Fig. 2.

The display container of the present invention comprises a base generally designated A and a housing generally designated B mounted thereon, within which housing B a bracelet generally designated C and shown in broken lines in Figs. 1 and 4 is adapted to be received.

The base A comprises a bottom sheet element 2 and a top sheet element 4 of suitable material such as paperboard, between which is positioned a layer 6 of felt or the like. The upper sheet element 4 is provided with an elongated opening 8.

The housing B may advantageously be molded in one piece from suitable transparent plastic material. It is provided with side and end flanges 10 and 12 respectively received between the sides and ends respectively of the base elements 2 and 4, and with a housing portion gen erally designated 14 extending up therefrom through the opening 3 in the upper base element 4. The housing portion 14 comprises side walls 16 and a top wall having arched or convex end portions 18 and a connecting central flat portion 20. The central fiat portion 20 is spaced above the base A, and more specifically above the base element 2 and the felt sheet 6 which it overlies, by a distance at least equal to the thickness of the bracelet C to be received therein. The: arched or convex top wall portions 18 extend above the corresponding portions of the base 2 for greater distances. The width of the top wall portions 18 and 20 is at least as great as, and preferably closely approximates, the width of the bracelet C to be inserted. The side walls 16 extend down from the top wall portions 18 and 20 to the base A.

The container is assembled by interposing the flanges 10 and 12 between the base elements 2 and 4, the felt sheet 6 having previously been secured to the upper surface of the lower base element 2, the entire multi-ply assembly then being secured together around the edges of the container in any appropriate manner.

A space generally designated 22 is thus defined between the base A and the housing B. In order to provide access to" this space 22, a portion 24 of the lower base element 2 positioned beneath the housing B is rendered removable. As here specifically disclosed that portion 24 is set oif from the lower base element 2 by means of cuts 26 extending through the lower base element 2 and the felt sheet 6 secured thereto around the entire periphery of the portion 24 except for the lines 28, the lines 28 being foldlines, so that the portion 24 is pivotable between its position shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, in which it is in the plane of the bottom base element 2, closing off the space 22, and its position shown in Fig. 3, in which it is out of the plane of the lower base element 2 and exposes an opening 30 through which access to the space 22 may be had. The purpose of the foldlines 28 is to prevent loss of the portion 24, but it is entirely within the scope of the present invention to make the portion 24 completely removable from the lower base element 2. If desired, and as here specifically shown, a portion of the base element 2 may be cut away, as at 32, to provide a thumbnail opening opposite the foldlines 28 for grasping and moving the portion 24 from its closed position to its open position.

The housing top wall portions 18 meet the base A at points 34 and 36. The length of the portion 24 is prefcrably less than the distance between the points 34 and 36, thus providing, at the points 34 and 36, ledges on the upper surface of the base A on which the ends of the bracelet C may rest. The linear distance between the points 34 and 36 is less than the linear length of the bracelet C to be received within the container. The peripheral length of the housing top wall portions 18 and 20 measured from point 34 to point 36 is, however, closely the same as the linear length of the bracelet C to be received within the container.

Accordingly, when the bracelet C is inserted into the space 22 via the opening 30 and its ends are placed upon the ledges at 34 and 36 the body of the bracelet C will conform to the sinuousity of the housing top wall portions 18 and 20 and the tendency of the bracelet C to straighten out will be resisted by those top wall portions, so that the bracelet will be firmly and reliably retained in position. The central portion of the bracelet body received beneath the housing top wall portion 20 will have but a limited amount of vertical play or clearance when the portion 24 is in place closing the opening 39 and the ends of the bracelet will be restrained from spreading apart by the ends of the housing top wall portions 18. Thus even if the container is subjected to rough handling the bracelet C will be reliably retained in position, and in that position the end portions thereof will be arched and the central portion thereof will be flat (when the housing top wall is configured as here specifically disclosed), the bracelet C being clearly visible through the housing B and contrasting with the visible surface of the felt sheet 6 so as to be displayed in a distinctive manner and with its facets or other ornaments visible at various angles of view so that its attractiveness is best brought out.

To insert the bracelet C within the space 22 it is merely necessary to pass one end of the bracelet through the opening 30 and onto the ledge 34 or 36, the rest of the bracelet then being pushed into the space 22. to conform to the housing top wall sections 18 and 20 and with its other end placed upon the other ledge 36 or 34. The base portion 24 is then put in position closing the opening 30, and the assembly of the bracelet with the container is complete. Only a minimal amount of time .is involved, it is virtually impossible to misposition the bracelet and still close the opening 30 with the base portion 24, and the bracelet, although efiective and reliably retained in its unusual display position, need not be engaged with any auxiliary securing means, nor need any such securing means he provided. The bracelet may as readily be removed from the container merely by moving the base portion 24 to its position shown in Fig. 3, grasping the central portion of the bracelet body, and pulling it out through the opening 39, the remainder of the bracelet following along.

The cost to the manufacturer of the container of the present invention compares quite favorably to the cost of display cards with auxiliary attaching elements and with transparent plastic envelopes into which the carded bracelet combination must be placed. From the point of view of assembly the container of the present invention is quite markedly superior, since the amount of time required to secure the bracelet in place in the container of the present invention is much less than has previously been involved in attaching a bracelet to auxiliary securing means on a card and then inserting the card and bracelet in a transparent envelope and closing that envelope. The bracelets may be more readily removed from and reinserted into their respective containers by the retail jewelers. In addition, the display of bracelets in the container of the present invention is quite markedly superior to prior art packaging methods from an advertising and merchandising point of view.

Although the invention has been here specifically disclosed as embodied in a container for an individual bracelet or the like, it will be understood that it is also capable of adaptation to gang packaging. Other variations may be made in the specific details here illustrated, all within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claim.

I claim:

In the combination of a bracelet flexible substantially throughout its entire length and a display container therefor and within which said bracelet is received, the im provement which comprises said container comprising a base comprising upper and lower elements secured together, said upper element having an elongated opening formed therein, and a housing having flanges secured between said base elements, side walls extending up therefrom through the opening in said upper element, and a transparent top wall connecting said side walls and comprising concave end portions and a lower central portion, said top wall portions extending over and being spaced upwardly from said base, the linear distance between the remote ends of said end portions being substantially less than that of said bracelet, said bracelet having its ends adjacent the ends of said housing and adopting the configuration of said top wall and lies along the inner surface thereof, and said container having a closable opening providing access to the space between said housing and said base, said closable opening being defined by a portion of said lower element beneath the opening in said upper element which is movable out of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 178,030 Westerman June 12, 1956 2,568,625 Harvey Sept. 18, 1951 2,656,919 Krust Oct. 27, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,611 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1928

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