US3113667A

US3113667A - Multiple-piece frangible ware package

Info

Publication number: US3113667A
Application number: US194497A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene J Knapp; Harry P Laffkas
Original assignee: Corning Fibre Box Corp
Current assignee: Corning Fibre Box Corp
Priority date: 1962-05-14
Filing date: 1962-05-14
Publication date: 1963-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-10

Description

MULTIPLE-PIECE FRANGIBLE WARE PACKAGE Filed May 14, 1962 mm f/A/PRY IPZAFF/FAS .4 I'TOEIVEY United States Patent On ice 3,113,667 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 3,113,667 MULTIPLE-PIECE FRANGIBLE WARE PACKAGE Eugene J. Knapp, Coming, and Harry P. Latfkas, Addison, N.Y., assignors to Corning Fibre Box, Corning,

N .Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No. 194,497 3 Claims. (Cl. 20646) This invention relates to a package for shipping multi ple pieces of frangible ware, and more particularly to a composite package for transporting frangible dish-shaped ware having a separate complementing cover portion, wherein the package has a unique foamed plastic internal divider member or partition for nesting the cover portion in cushioned spaced-apart relationship with the dishshaped ware, which partition is removable from the enclosing carton upon the withdrawal of the ware therefrom for displaying the ware.

In the past, the packaging of frangible ware such as vegetable dishes, casserole dishes, covered bowls and the like, made of such brittle materials as glass, ceramics, and pottery, has necessitated the use of bulky, complex and expensive packaging media. When shipping a cover member with a piece of Ware, it is not only necessary to attempt to minimize total volume by nesting the cover member within the ware, but also it is imperative that there is no ware to ware contact which would induce surface abrasion resulting in breakage. In order to obtain this desired end, it previously has been necessary to utilize complex padding material to separate the cover member from the ware, such as a plurality of die cut corrugated pads which are built up and glued together to form a cushion, or interlays of excelsior and corrugated board. Such previously known packaging media not only necessitated time-consuming and expensive manhours .to produce and install within the pack-age, but also materially increased the total weight of the overall package adding to the shipping costs. In addition, the buildup pads were unsightly when displaying the ware, whereas the inherent mess produced while unpackaging the excelsior pads was virtually intolerable.

Our invention encompasses the use of a lightweight preformed foamed plastic partition member which may be inexpensively manufactured with a substantially universal configuration. The partition not only serves a utilitarian purpose by maintaining peripheral edge portions of the dish-shaped ware in cushioned spatial relationship with the enclosing carton of the package and nests the cover member in cushioned spaced-apart relationship with the ware, but also is provided with aesthetic appeal so that it may be utilized to pleasingly display the ware when removed from the carton. In addition, the increased protection obtained by the foamed partition member over the known cushioning media, permits the package to be readily mailable without necessitating the utilization of further impact-absorbing devices It thus has been an object of our invention to provide an improved inexpensive lightweight package for shipping frangible multiple-piece were.

A further object of our invention has been to provide an improved package for frangible ware having a dual purpose partition member which may be utilized to cushionably maintain portions of multiple-piece ware in spatial relationship with each other and the enclosing carton during transportation, and which may be utilized to aesthetically display the ware when removed from the canton.

These and other objects of our invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following disclosure :and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE -1 is a top planned view of a package embodying our invention with a portion of the outer carton removed for the sake of clarity;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view in section taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental sectional view in elevation taken along lines 3--3 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a package 10 embodying our invention, is shown including an outer carton 11, a partition or ring member '12, and multiple pieces of trangible were 13, 14. The outer carton 11 may be made of any suitable material such as corrugated board, and although not shown, is provided with suitable closure portions which may be of any known construction. The carton is formed in a polyhedral configuration, and preferably in the shape of a hexahedron or rectangular prism and has bounding wall portions including top, bottom, and sidewall portions. Enclosing wall portion 15 is shown cut away in FIGURE 1 so that the internal components of the package 10 may be more clearly shown and understood.

The frangible article or ware 13 is shown in the form of .a dish-shaped vessel whose wall portions 16, although connected by smooth flowing rounded corner portions 17, form; an article having a substantially rectangular configuration. One pair of opposing sidewall portions 16 has a pair of outwardly flanged handle portions 18 :Eormed integrally with upper edges thereof, whereas the other pair of opposing wall portions tenminates upwardly in smoothly rounded edge portions 19. The dish-shaped vessel 13 is shown having a substantially flat or planar bottom portion 20.

The frangible ware piece 14 is shown in the form of a conoavo convex cover member having substantially curvilinear wall portions 21, provided with an annular flange 22 extending outwardly from the wall portions intermediate their extent. A knob or handle portion 23 is shown as formed integral with an upper portion of the cover member 14.

The partition 12 is a fiat-surfaced, ring-like member having a circuitous configuration and, as shown, may have an octahedral-shaped outer periphery comprising four major surfaces 24 connected by four minor surfaces 25. The major surfaces 24 are formed to extend parallel to and lie in juxtaposition with two pairs of opposed bounding wall portions of the canton 11, to maintain the ring member 12 in a fixed relationship with respect to such wall portions. The minor surfaces 25, although angularly disposed with respect to the major surfaces primarily for purposes of aesthetic appeal, are spaced from corner edges of the outer carton 11, and accordingly, any impact applied to these more vulnerable portions is absorbed by the outer carton before any shock is transmitted to the partition or the frangible ware. As shown at '26, the outer periphery of the ring member 12 has a slight taper which provides a pleasing modern appearance.

The ring-shaped partition member 12 is provided with a central open portion 27 bounded or surrounded by downwardly converging or tapered side wall portions 28. A grooved or annular recessed portion 29, communicating with the open portion 27, is formed in the lower surface of the ring member 12, and has a pair of opposed outwardly extending expanded recessed portions 30 communicating therewith.

As shown in the drawings, the cover member 14 when packaged for transportation is in a spaced-apart nesting inverted position with respect to the vessel 13. The partition member 12 is placed upon the vessel 13 so that the edge portions 19 and handle portions 18 are positioned within recessed

portions

29 and 30 respectively. The cover member 14 is then placed within the opening 27 in an inverted position with the curvilinear wall portions 21 of the cover member 14 cooperating with the tapered side wall portions 28 of the partition or ring member 12. The annular flange 2.2 of the cover member 14 rests upon a surface contiguous with the upper edge of the tapered side wall 28. Although not shown, a piece of corrugated board may be positioned between the bottom of the vessel 13 and the carton 11, and also between the cover member 14 and the carton 11 if desired.

The ring or partition member 12 is preferably formed of a lightweight, compressible, shock-absorbing material which is self-supporting, durable, pleasing to the eye, and moisture resistant. We have found that foamed plastics, and particularly foamed polystyrene, not only satisfy these requisites but also are relatively inexpensive. The single partition or ring member therefore, not only increases the speed of packaging assembly, but also provides a lightweight, compact, impact-resistant composite package.

The partition or ring member 12 functions to protect the frangible ware during shipment, and also to display the ware attractively at its destination. The cover member 14 is placed in an upright position on the partition member when displayed on retail shelves. As a result, when a prospective buyer or curious shopper removes the cover to examine the ware, the edge portions of the cover and the ware will be protected against chipping which might otherwise occur during rough handling by hurried or careless shoppers.

Although we have disclosed a preferred embodiment of our invention, various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A package for a bowl-like vessel and an associated cover member comprising, an outer carton having a plurality of bounding side wall portions, a vessel having upwardly-extending side walls positioned within said outer carton, a substantially rigid yet compressible foamed plastic partition member having a central open portion extending therethrough positioned upon said vessel, an annular recess formed in the bottom surface of said partition member and communicating with said open portion cushionably receiving upper edges of said vessel, a curvilinear cover member having a peripheral flange adapted to overlie the upper edges of said vessel when positioned thereon in an upright orientation, tapered wall portions surrounding said central open portion receiving and nestibly retaining said cover member in an inverted position within said open portion and spaced apart from said vessel, a plurality of substantially planar surface portions forming the outer periphery of said partition member with adjacent surface portions forming an obtuse angle, and alternate ones of said surface portions cooperating with the bounding side wall portions of said outer carton to retain the vessel and cover member in spatial relationship with respect thereto.

2. A package for cushionably retaining a bowl-like article and an associated cover member in nested spacedapart relationship which comprises, an outer container having a plurality of bounding side wall portions, a bowllike article having upwardly-extending side walls with a pair of flange-like handles extending outwardly therefrom positioned within said outer container, a concave-convex cover member, a substantially rigid ring-like partition member of compressible foamed plastic for separating said cover member and said bowl-like article, an annular recessed portion formed in the lower face of said ring-like member cushionably receiving upper edges of said bowllike article, a pair of opposed outwardly-extending expandecl recessed portions communicating with said annular recessed portion receiving said flange-like handles, a central open portion formed through said ring member bounded by downwardly-inwardly tapered wall portions nestibly receiving said concavo-convex cover member in an inverted position and retaining same in spaced-apart relationship from said bowl-like article, said ring-like member having a multiple-sided outer periphery formed with twice as many surfaces as there are bounding side wall portions in said outer container, and alternate ones of said surfaces cooperating with said bounding side wall portions to maintain said cover member and bowl-like article in spaced-apart relationship with said side wall portions.

3. A package for protectively storing and shipping a plurality of frangible ware articles comprising an outer container having a plurality of bounding side wall portions, a bowl having a pair of flanged handle portions extending outwardly from its upper rim, a cover member for said bowl, and a foamed plastic partition member for cushionably retaining said cover member in spaced-apart relationship with said bowl; said partition member being positionable upon said bowl so as to maintain said bowl in spaced-apart relationship from said bounding side wall portions when placed within said outer container, a recessed portion formed in the lower face of said partition member receiving the upper rim and flange portions of said bowl therewithin, a central open portion extending through said partition member and communicating with said recessed portion nestibly receiving said cover member in an inverted position while retaining same in spatial relationship with said bowl; and said partition member having an outer periphery composed of a plurality of wall portions which cooperate with said bounding side wall portions to fixedly position said bowl within said outer container, and recessed corner portions intermediate said wall portions spaced apart from the intersections of said bounding side wall portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,573,445 Phillips Feb. 16, 1926 1,937,939 Behrens Dec. 5, 1933 2,142,518 Lavere Jan. 3, 1939 2,812,856 Lantinberg Nov. 12, 1957 2,878,931 Stroheim Mar. 24, 1959 2,994,425 Honeycutt Aug. 1, 1961

Claims

1. A PACKAGE FOR A BOWL-LIKE VESSEL AND AN ASSOCIATED COVER MEMBER COMPRISING, AN OUTER CARTON HAVING A PLURALITY OF BOUNDING SIDE WALL PORTIONS, A VESSEL HAVING UPWARDLY-EXTENDING SIDE WALLS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID OUTER CARTON, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID YET COMPRESSIBLE FOAMED PLASTIC PARTITION MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL OPEN PORTION EXTENDING THERETHROUGH POSITIONED UPON SAID VESSEL, AN ANNULAR RECESS FORMED IN THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID PARTITION MEMBER AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPEN PORTION CUSHIONABLY RECEIVING UPPER EDGES OF SAID VESSEL, A CURVILINEAR COVER MEMBER HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE ADAPTED TO OVERLIE THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID VESSEL WHEN POSITIONED THEREON IN AN UPRIGHT ORIENTATION, TAPERED WALL PORTIONS SURROUNDING SAID CENTRAL OPEN PORTION RECEIVING AND NESTIBLY RETAIN-