US3163289A

US3163289A - Package

Info

Publication number: US3163289A
Application number: US222269A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry P Laffkas; Thomas H Ward
Original assignee: Corning Glass Works
Current assignee: Corning Glass Works
Priority date: 1962-09-10
Filing date: 1962-09-10
Publication date: 1964-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-29

Description

Dec.29,1964 H. P. LAFFKAS Em 9,163,289

PACKAGE Filed Sept. l0, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l .U14-I IY.'

/f nml/7 f kg I4 4, dxf

THE/R ATTORNEY De 29, 1964 H. P. LAFFKAS E'rAL 3,163,289

PACKAGE Filed Sept. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harry P. Laffkas Thomas H. Ward THE/R ATTRNE Y United States Patent O 3,163,289 PACKAGE Harry P. Laitkas, Addison, and Thomas H. Ward, Corning, NX., assignors to (Joining lass Works, Coming, Nfl, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. lll, i962, Ser. No. 222,269 3 Claims. {CL 2da- 65) This invention relates to a two-part package useful for containing a plurality of articles.

it is an object of the invention to provide a package which can be used without alteration to hold tightly articles of various sizes.

Another object is to provide a package comprising two identical, interchangeable parts.

Another object is to provide a package capable of cushioning frangible articles contained therein against mechanical shock.

These and other objects, which will be apparent from the description, are accomplished by the provision of a package comprising two identical parts, each part defining a cavity and having a sidewall provided with a ange contiguous with a surface of the sidewall and having article-holding means within each cavity.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FG. 1 is a plan view looking into the cavity of one of the identical parts or the package,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line ll-li of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a sectiond view taken on line III-lll of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view oi the two parts of the package prior to closing the package,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an assembled package having glass test tubes packed therein, and

FIG. 7 isa sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to that of FIG. 6 and showing test tubes packed r with their axes perpendicular to those shown in FlG. 6. As illustrated in the drawing, the package of the present invention comprises two identical parts il? formed of foamed polystyrene plastic. Each part has, within its cavity dened by sidewall l1 and bottom 17, two pairs of article-suppoiting ribs. Ribs 1.3 of one pair are respectively perpendicular to ribs i4 of the other pair. Ribs 13 and i4 are provided respectively with arcuate depressions 1S and 16 for rigidly holding test tubes T-l or T-Z, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Each part lil is provided with flange 12, which telescopes into the other part when the two parts are assembled to form a package, as shown in FlGS. 5 and 6. Flanges 12 extend around half of sidewalls 1l, and thus a complete enclosure is formed for articles within the package even when the package is only partially closed. Depressions and 1.6 have diiering diameters to acili tate holding articles of differing sizes, only one set of depressions being used at any one time. In addition, articles having diameters larger than either tubes T-ll or tubes T-Z of FIGS. 6 and 7 can be packaged, and although the sidewalls of the respective parts will not meet, the articles will nevertheless be enclosed by the llanges. In such cases, although the curvatures of the depressions will not conform precisely to those of lthe packaged articles, the articles will nevertheless be heldimmovable. It will be apparent that the illustrated package may be modified while retaining the advantages thereof.

L Ribs

13 and 14 and depressions 15 and i6 may be modiiied or replaced by other structures conforming to the shapes of other .articles to be packaged-'or may be absent altoice gether. Flanges 12 need not be formed on the inner surfaces of sidewalls 11 but may be adjacent to the outer surfaces thereof. In addition, they need not extend along precisely half of the sidewalls as in the illustrated embodirnent, nor need each part have a single continuous ange. The parts will be interchangeable and will telescope with one another if each sidewall mating edge, such as edge i8 of FiG. 2, is symmetric about a line passing through that mating edge and if at the same time all iiange portions of each respective part are arranged about and parallel to a single straight axis and no two ange portions of either part are contiguous to any two mating edge points which are located symmetrically with respect to said line. Y ln the illustrated embodiment, the said line of symmetry of mating edge 18 is line A-A of FIG. 1, and the said asis is line B-B of FIG. 5, which is perpendicular to base 17. Although the most convenient form of flange is that illustrated in the drawing, other forms, either continuous or discontinuous, which satisfy the above conditions will accomplish the objects of the invention. Mating edges 18 need not each lie in a plane as in the illustrated embodiment as long as the above condition of symmetry is satisfied.

The illustrated package has been constructed of foamed polystyrene plastic, since this material is light and easily molded and cushions frangible articles against mechanical shock. it will be understood that the package may be constructed of other foamed plastics or of any conventional packaging material and that the respective parts of the package may be assembled from components rather than molded as single structures. The parts need not be shaped as illustrated but may have any shape dictated by the shapes of the articles tobe packed.

Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention be limited Vnot by the description given above las that of a single embodiment of the invention, but rather only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising two identical telescoping parts, each of said parts comprising a bottom and aside wall, each of said'side walls terminating in substantially identical mating edges,'each said mating edge being symmetric about a line passing through said edge, each of said side walls having a flange contiguous thereto and eX- tending outwardly away from said bottom, said ange of each said part telescoping with said side wall of the other said pant, and within each said part two sets of ribs, each of said sets comprising at least two parallel ribs having article-supporting depressions therein, lthe ribs of one set being respectively perpendicular to the ribs of the other set, said depressions of each set of ribs being substrantially identical to the remaining depressions of the same set but different from those of the other set.

2. A package according to claim 1 in which Vsaid ilanges are contiguous to the inner surfaces of said side,

walls.

3. A package according to claim 2 in which each said ange is conined to one side of said line of symmetry.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNrrnD sTA'rns PATENTS 2,564,729

Starzec Aug. 7.,

Claims

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING TWO IDENTICAL TELESCOPING PARTS, EACH OF SAID PARTS COMPRISING A BOTTOM AND A SIDE WALL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS TERMINATING IN SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL MATING EDGES, EACH SAID MATING EDGE BEING SYMMETRIC ABOUT A LINE PASSING THROUGH SAID EDGE, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A FLANGE CONTIGUOUS THERETO AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID BOTTOM, SAID FLANGE OF EACH SAID PART TELESCOPING WITH SAID SIDE WALL OF THE OTHER SAID PART, AND WITHIN EACH SAID PART TWO SETS OF RIBS, EACH OF SAID SETS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO PARALLEL RIBS HAVING ARTICLE-SUPPORTING DEPRESSIONS THEREIN, THE RIBS OF ONE