US2928532A - Combination box and display stand - Google Patents

Description

March l5, 1960 E, VARRIEUR 2,928,532

COMBINATION BOX AND DISPLAY STAND Filed March s, 195s f7. fr l BYMJLZ/M United States Patent 2,928,532 i .comrNAnoN Box AND DrsrLxY STAND Ernest Varreur, Attleboro, Mass.,A assignor to Babcock Box Co., Inc., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 6, 1958, Serial No. 119,614 i 2 Claims.v (Cl, 2061-167) y be decorative and effective as a means for displaying the goods in the retailers establishments. However, the cost for packaging any item cannot vbe ignored, and, accord-V ingly, manufacturers strive to provide containers that are attractive but compact and inexpensiveV to manufacture.

Electric shavers present somewhat of a problem since the box or case must (l) house the shaver, (2) house the electric cord for the shaver, and (3) function as a display stand forv the shaver. Heretofore the practice has been to make the box or case large enough to hold the cord in Wound-up form side by side with the shaver, it being understood that reference ishad to a shaver having a detachable cord, as is the usual practice. This has two disadvantages. First of all, the cord'itself attracts attention, thereby detracting from the beauty vof* the shaver per se. Secondly, in order to keep the case as small as possible,l the -space provided for'the cord is made just large enough to accommodate the cord only when the latter is wound pin a predetermined mannerV which has been carefully worked out by the manufacturer. The latterV requirement aggravates not only the purchasers but also thevdealers oir-salesmen who are required to demonstrate -the shaver. `In most cases, the purchaser is reluctant to spend a lot of time winding the cord in a precise manner and so he either places only the shaver in the box, in which case the cord may easily become lost or misplaced, or else both the shaver and cord are put into the box in helter-skelter arrangement whereby the cord may prevent the cover from closing fully, in which case the shaver may become dusty or affected by moisture or easily knocked onto the iioor and damaged.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a box or case for an electric shaver and the electric cord therefor which is so designed that only the shaver is visible when the cover is opened.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a box or case for an electric shaver which contains a hidden compartment for housing the electric cord of the shaver, the cord compartment being so designed that the cord can be easily stored in the compartment.

Still another object is the provision of a box of the character described wherein the cord compartment does not materially increase the overall size of the box and wherein the shaver is displayed in a highly attractive manner.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent as reference is had to the following detailed description when considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of a box embodying the present invention, the box being shown With vthe cover closed; Y'

shaver and electric cord stored therein, Vthe section being taken along line 3--3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 isa perspective view of the element which func; i

tions as a display standrfor the shaver and as a storage' compartment for the electric cord, the element beingi shown with its bottom side up. j Referring now to Figs. l, 2 and 3 specifically, the pres-` ent invention comprises a box or case comprising a bot-r tom 2 and a cover 4, both of-which may be 'madeof' sheet metal provided with a leather or leatherette co'vering, a plastic or ia suitable paper material, `such as cardboard or a plastic impregnatedl paper. In "the illusi V trated embodimenn'the bottom part 2 of the box has 'an' interior liner 6 covering its bottom and another liner 8 r covering its vertically'extending wall. Correspondingly, the top and side walls of the cover 4 are lined with liner elements 10 and 12, respectively. These liners may bel made of cardboard or'other suitable material. Pref? erably, the surface of the liner material is coated with flocked velour. The cover of the box is provided with a spring catch 14 which engages and locks with a suit-54 able projection or locking tab 16 on the bottom portion'l 2 o'f the box. For convenience in carrying,the Yillus-Jv trated box is provided with a Aflexible strap 20 whicl'i'ijs fixed to a suitable metal'terminal element 22 which is; pivotally secured to the'latch means 14. It is preferredithat a portion of the side wall of the bottom of the box be at. In ythiscase, the `flat "wall portion is identified by the numeral 26,VV and is located'V at'the rear end of the box. The purpose of the iatsurf face 26 is to locate the display element which is insertedv` within the box. This flat wallv portion 26 'also fac'ilif tates attachment of a hinge element 28 which serves 5to pivotally connectV the cover 4 to thel bottom Zofj'the box. A spring element 30, Vconnected at one end toonej portion of .the hinge and at the other end `to the' other portion of the hinge, acts to resilieritlymaintain'the5 cover in either open or closed position.

The display element constructed according to the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. It is made in two parts, 34 and 36. The top portion 34 is made of plastic, preferably vacuum formed, and is characterized by a peripheral side wall 35 and a top wall 38 provided with a suitable depression 40 having a shape corresponding generally to the shape of one side of the shaver S which is designed to support. In the illustrated embodiment, the depression 40 is generally of a diamond shape,

but, of course, the shape of the depression may be varied according to the particular make of the shaver designedy to be encased in the box. At the front,the top portion 34 of the insert element is provided with an upstanding tab 42 by means of which 'the whole insert element may be grasped and removed from the box.

The bottom portion 36 of the insert element, like the top portion, is also formed of plastic, preferably vacuum formed. The bottom portion comprises generally a side wall 48 conforming in contour to the shape of the inside of the box, it being noted that at portion 49 is provided conforming to afore described at portion 26, whereby the insert element will be snugly received within the box and prevented from relative rotation therein. Formed integral with the side wall 48 is a bottom wall or flange 52 whose interior edge'is irregular and includes scalloped portions 54 which define an irregular opening 56. The extent to which the flange 52 extends inwardly from the side wall 48 is a matter of choice, being i y lfatented Mar. l5,`

the' Athe element which supports thev f sion 40.

sucientlyA-great tozsupport an electric cord st oredtheref in, but not so great as to leave the opening5`6iso small as to restrict ready insertionof the electric cord:` l v The lllpp'erredgeoftheA side wall 418-i-s undercut oioi'm agroove or shoulder 58 as shown intFig. 3. 'F

` rmay bevaried `as desired in accordance with themanufacj turersA needs. Similarly, the tab element may be located ina different 'position and the shape of the depression 40 accommodatesV thebottom edge of the side'vvallySS" ofl e the ttpnpomrtion.34.vr The two portions 34 and 36 are cemented Orotherwise secured together. 'It is contenerV plated `thanthe. uppen portion 34will-r'1otl` only ,support `theshaver'S for display but will also concealthe lec-I 'tric cordC". Y Accordingly, it is1preferred that the upper Vportion134 eitherbe made'ofan opaque plastic, or, as in the illustrated embodiment,l therupperl portionA 34 will be cotedwith docked velour, yvhich is shovvn schematically by the shading 6l) in Fig; 2.

i Althoughnot necessary', it Y is depressed. p ortionfll)l of the upper section 3 4 ofthe insert maybe strengthened by ribs 62 so as to better support` Fig... illustrates how` the insert element-is used. Asl

u pack'ed. and shippedfby the manufacturer, the box, has a` cordC coiled' witliin the bottom'fsection `36 and a shaver S'resti'ng inthe depressedvportion40,V When the-boxV `is opened, `only the shaverSis visible.r "The cordY C isconfcealeclby thektopr-sectiron 34 of the` insert`v so vas not to detract from `the beauty ofthe shaver.v -When Yit-iis `desired t to Ause theshaver, the insertelement yis removed by lifting up the tab 42.V vlfhencord C caniberemoved -and attachedtothe shaver/S. v'To-replace thej'cord is a simple` l 30 matter: theoperator Ywinds the cordl around theiingers of Yone handvin asuitable c'oil, removes'thecoil from his It is to be understood `that the insert element may be` made of material other than plastic and that the shape of the box, and therefore, the exterior shape of the insert,

may be varied in accordance with the shape ofthe shaver t to be, displayed.

t whilefhisspeeinesnn `sfs' forni in detn'the `present andpreferredonstruction; still,\in practice, such deviai tions from-such,detailmayfberesorted to as .do not form t a departure fronithe spirit of the invention vvasdetined by contemplated that the the appendedV claims;

1. A hollow .insert for a box for storing and displaying ran electric'shaver, said insert comprising integrally molded top'and bottom sections, said top section consisting of `j a topwall` having Va4 depression' shapedA to receive the iiigel'sand inserts `itin the compartment defined by the bottom element 36 of theinsert.Y Then the'insert is placed` back -in It-isbeliefved tobe apparent that due to L*the construe;

' Y tion of the insertthe Vu ser will have littlefdifculty in storthebx andthe shaver Vdeposited-in the depres` shaverto bey displayed-and a dependingwall `extending marginally 1, therefrom',asaid bottom section consisting of storing the shaver electric cord.

2.ln combinatiom a Yshipping-and display boxior-an` electric shaver comprising, a body. zportion4 having a cover portion hingedlyattached thereto, the combination further comprisingahollow insentf'snugly' but removably posie tioned withins'aidbody portion, saidinsert consistingo` the shaver tolje displayed, `a dependin'g'lperipheral wall,

yand anintu'rvnedange alongthe bottom `of said peripheral i wall defining a, relativelylarge openingat'the bottom of the insert, said top and-peripheral `walls and inturned ingthe cord; thus,gth'e user is encouraged to use the box as `adepository forthe shaver and Vcord- V Qn the other Yl 1and,.the retailer will also benefit from the construction of the box since, `byreason ofthercordbeing concealed, the shaver itselfvcan be displayed to maximum advantage. y Another `advantagevis that when-the insert is removed,

theelectriccord will not fall out of theV insert; Thus, the insert itselfcantberemoved and used- 'as adisplay stand Vapart fromthe-box,A

storing `the shaverelectric cord. 11;@ Y

flange defining an unobstructed compartment to which` 7 l access ma` be; hadhthrough said opening `for coiling and y 1 References Cited infthele of thislpatent NITED srArns'rArnN'rs 2,667,956 Y repsoneear. Feb. 2, 1954 2,778,486 carissimi-f.+ f 12111.22, 1957

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