US3278009A - Match container - Google Patents

Description

.E. J. CRUMP, JR 3,278,009

MATCH CONTAINER Filed Feb. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 2 Fig. 30

INVENTOR.

EDWARD J. CRUME JR.

lair/J zz.

ATTORNEY ZSheets-Sheec 2 Fig. 7

INVENTOR. EDWARD J. CRUMB JR ATTORNEY E. J. CRUMP, JR

MATCH CONTAINER Fig. 6

Fig. 5

Oct. 11, 1966 Filed Feb. 24, 1964 United States Patent 3,278,009 MATCH CONTAINER Edward J. Crump, In, R0. Box 7161, Dallas, Tex. Filed Feb. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 346,652 4 Claims. (Cl. 20636) This invention relates to a match container and more specifically to a plastic match container or match box having a sliding cover and a biarcuate recess in at least one surface of the box other than the top to house a match striking surface.

The match container of the invention affords a clean, functional design providing rounded corners including a sliding lid closure which is set in a unique slide groove. The material preferred in forming the match box is plastic such as polyethylene or the like which may be of various degrees of stiffness and wall thickness to afford a crush-proof box as desired. Preferably, the match box is made of plastic and may be brightly colored for novelty or advertising purposes. The biarcuate recessed striking surface of the container avoids loss of the striking surface material by rubbing off on hands or clothing of the match box user or carrier. Moreover, when the matches have been used up the biarcuate recess, with striking surface material removed, affords a gripping aid to the container. The container, of course, may be reused for holding various knick knacks such as Bobbie pins, tacks, beads, buttons or perhaps even money in the form of small change. Of course, the fact that the boxes are made from plastic permits color selectively to provide a multitude of varying colors. Thus color coding for reuse of the containers may be achieved by the user in selectively purchasing various plastic design match containers.

Briefly the invention appertains to a two-part match container. The bottom or base of the container is a one piece molded plastic construction and the top part is a substantially planar lid or cover. The lid and body have complementary elements which afford sliding retention of the lid to the body of the box. The lid has a thumb grip for convenience of traversing the lid with respect to the box for opening thereof. The lid further has a stop element to prevent traversing the lid completely free of the box without a specific effort to completely remove the lid. The box body has preferably at one side thereof a biarcuate recess or depression therein for placing appropriate striking material for the matches within the box. The entire two-part match container affords a relatively streamlined, cornerless, unique construction of a decorative and attractive plastic match container which would appeal to the feminine gender who normally detest carrying such match boxes as now in use.

Other advantages can be readily achieved by utilizing the plastic match box as pertaining to the invention. For example, the plastic may be of such translucency as to make its contents visible without opening the container. This is quite desirable as a feature after the matches have been used up and the box is placed in reuse for knick knacks and such as it would afford immediate identification as to the contents in the container. For campers, the plastic container would provide a dry container for matches. If dropped, perhaps in water, the container would probably float.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a plastic match container which affords round corners to avoid catching, sticking, scratching or cutting of fingers in handling the box as well as providing a decorative and attractive match box Which is of simple two-piece constru-ction;

Another object of the invention is to provide a match container which has a sliding transversible lid or cover ice having a rounded tongue construction along parallel longitudinal edges of the lid which mate in complementary grooves of the body of the box, the lid and box being substantially co-extensive with one another;

It is another object of the invention to provide a plastic match box which is dainty and decorative and has a bilateral arcuate recess in at least one side of the box to provide a striking surface for matches and has a sliding lid utilizing complementary elements to provide relative translation between the box and lid to a limited degree;

It is another object of the invention to provide a plastic match container which is dainty and attractive and free from sharp corners having a limited translatable container closure, the closure and box having complementary engaging elements to provide planar relative translation, said box having at least one bilateral arcuate surface recess area to afford a protective striking surface area for said match container.

These and other objects and advantages of the inven tion will become apparent from the detailed description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein;

FIGURE 1 illustrates the match container in perspective with a quarter section removed;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the cross sectional view of another embodiment of the match container with the bilateral arcuate recess surface area illustrated in the bottom of the box and alternatively in either one or both sides of the box;

FIGURE 3A illustrates the lid-stop when the lid is translated in one direction;

And FIGURE 33 illustrates the lid-stop against the end of the box when the lid is translated in a direction opposite than that of FIGURE 3A;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 depicting the bilateral arcuate recess surface area in one end of said box;

FIGURE 5 illustrates complementary elements engaging as a tongue and deep lid groove;

FIGURE 6 illustrates an open hook engaging element for the lid;

FIGURE 7 illustrates a modified tongue and groove lid engagement;

FIGURE 8 illustrates an L-slot groove and tongue complementary hook elements.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention. The container has a quarter section removed which is a mirror image of the rear quarter. The match container illustrated appertaining to the invention is of two-piece construction. The container is formed of a body 1 and a closure or lid 2. In the side of box or body 1, there is the bilateral arcuate surface area 3, recessed into the wall of the body 1. As illustrated, the Wall of box 1 is depressed to form the bilateral arcuate area 3. Within the area 3 the striking surface for matches is provided. The surface may be either just a rough type area for the socalled strike anywhere matches or may contain the appropriate material for igniting safety matches. In conjunction with the area 3, it will be noted that the length of the striking surface is a relatively small area for providing safety match igniting material however, this affords the advantage of lower cost in furnishing a sufficient amount of material to ignite all the matches contained within the box. Moreover, and more important, the striking area 3 is designed With a safety feature. Thus, when a person holds the match container between their fingers at its ends 4 and 5, the fingers of the holder are sufficiently remote from the striking area to prevent accidental movement of the match across the striking area to a point at which contact with the fingers of the holder occurs. It should be appreciated that although the wall of container 1 in the surface area 3 is intended into the center of the box, the bilateral arcuate surface could be formed within the wall of the container without depression into the interior of the container. At each side of the container walls, circular keyways 6 and 7 are provided. The lid 2 has complementary circular engaging lips 8 and 9 which fit in the circular keyways 7 and 6, respectively, to permit planar translation of the lid with respect to the container 1. To aid in translation of the lid with respect to the box 1, the lid has a cupped or biarcuate area 10 similar as striker area 3 with a rib 11 therein. The rib 11 is flush with the top surface of lid 2. It will be appreciated that there are no sharp edges or corners anywhere on the container as these are all rounded. Another feature of the match container is the lid stop 12 which is formed in the lid 2. When the lid 2 is translated in either direction lid stop 12 is designed to produce a restraining force at the internal edge of the end of the container.

It is believed well within the skill of the art as to the particular techniques and method of making various plastic shapes, and such techniques can be applied in making the match container appertaining to the invention as depicted in FIGURE 1.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 2 there is illustrated a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the invention. As illustrated the base or body has a striking slot or bilateral arcuate recess 23 in the bottom of the body, and alternatively the striker surface is illustrated in either side of the body at 24 and 25 as illustrated by the dotted lines therein. The lid or closure 26 has conventional tongues 27 and 28 which fit into conventional grooves 29 and 30, respectively. A restraining lug 31 is formed in the top similar to restraining lug 12 in FIG- URE 1.

Referring to FIGURES 3A and 3B there is illustrated in a partly broken away, cross sectional view the operation or function of the restraining lug 12 illustrated in FIGURE 1 similar to the restraining lug 31 depicted in FIGURE 2. In FIGURE 3A, lid 2 is fully traversed to the left with restraining lug 12 resting against the wall. The plastic construction of the container may be such that lid 2 may be forced beyond the normal stop position and completely removed. In FIGURES 3A and 3B rib 11a is similar to rib 11 but has a rounded top rather than fiat. FIGURE 3B shows lid 2 fully traversed to the right at its normal stop.

In FIGURE 4, a similar match container to FIGURE 1 is depicted. The container consists of body 61 with a closure or lid 52. The container lid 52 and body 61 have complementary engaging elements identical to that depicted in FIGURE 2. Lid 52 has ribs in a scooped out area similar to area 10 in FIGURE 1. Also, lid 52 has restraining lug 53 thereon. Although area 55 is completely full of ribs 50, several ribs near the center of area 55 would be sufficient and serve the purpose of providing a thumb or finger grip on the lid.

Now, referring to FIGURES 5 to 8, various complementary lid and body engaging elements are illustrated which may be used to provide planar translation of the lid for a limited amount of distance. In FIGURE 5 lid has a central slot 71 in which a projection from container body 72 fits. In FIGURE 6, lid terminates in a hook ledge and body 82 provides a complementary engaging ridge. The engagement of body 82 with lid 80 at area 81 is such that excessive pressure on the center of lid 80 is transmitted into body 82, and lid 80 remains intact rather than springing out of engagement.

FIGURE 7 depicts lid with a fork-shaped engaging recess with body 92 having a ridge fitted into the forkshaped recess of lid 90 at area 91.

In the FIGURE 8 embodiment lid and body 102 terminate in complementary hook elements along the area of juncture 101.

The above invention has been disclosed with reference to the rod-joint complementary lid and wall juncture as the preferred embodiment; however, various other changes and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art other than those described herein. It will be appreciated that such changes mentioned heretofore are within the scope of the invention which is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A plastic match container having a uniformly smooth contour comprising a plastic hull body open in one plane, a lid coextensive in dimension with said one plane, said body and said lid having complementary engaging elements to provide a unitary container structure with limited sliding translation between said lid and said body, a biarcuate depression in at least one side of said body, said depression having a striking surface thereon, said depression being substantially less than coextensive with said one side of said body, said hull body and said lid defining a rounded bottom border and a rounded upper border match container.

2. The match container of claim 1 wherein at the underside of said lid is provided a restraining lug to limit planar translation of said lid.

3. An article container having a uniformly smooth contour comprising a hull body having a flat bottom, a pair of side panels and a pair of end walls forming a rolled lower border, said side panels having rolled side margins at the outer surface thereof, a slidable closure for said hull body, said closure having side portions and end portions, said side portions and said side panels defining complementary tongues and grooves to permit relative translation therebetween, said end portions and said end walls defining rolled end margins, said end margins and said side margins forming a rolled upper border about said container, and in one surface of said hull body a biarcuate depression, said depression having a match striking surface thereon and in said closure 21 biarcuate recess.

4. An article container having a uniformly smooth contour comprising a hull body having a bottom panel joined to a pair of end walls and a pair of side panels having a free margin, said hull body defining a rolled bottom border for said container at the juncture of the bottom panel with the end walls and side panels, said side panels defining rolled side edges at said free margin, and a closure having side portions and end portions, said side portions and said side panels having complementary tongues and grooves to slidably retain said closure member between said side panels at the free margin, said end walls and said end portions forming rolled end edges, a biarcuate depression within one of said side panels, said depression having a match striking surface thereon and a biarcuate recess in said closure, said rolled end edges and rolled side edges providing a rolled upper border for said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 241,083 5/1881 Somers 220-41 358,450 3/1887 Hurlbut 22041 363,077 5/1887 Merritt 217-62 1,599,967 9/ 1926 Johnson. 2,582,821 1/1952 Duell et al. 22041 2,590,804 3/ 1952 Vitale 22041 2,645,336 7/1953 Waber et al. 22041 2,692,698 10/1954 Waterman 22041 2,758,708 8/1956 Reid 20636 X 3,123,205 3/1964 Ehrsam 20633 FOREIGN PATENTS 109,305 10/ 1943 Sweden.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

MARTHA L. RICE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A PLASTIC MATCH CONTAINER HAVING A UNIFORMLY SMOOTH CONTOUR COMPRISING A PLASTIC HULL BODY OPEN IN ONE PLANE, A LID COEXTENSIVE IN DIMENSION WITH SAID PLANE, SAID BODY AND SAID LID HAVING COMPLEMENTARY ENGAGING ELEMENTS TO PROVIDE A UNITARY CONTAINER STRUCTURE WITH LIMITED SLIDING TRANSLATION BETWEEN SAID LID AND SAID BODY, A BIARCUATE DEPRESSION IN AT LEAST ONE SIDE OF SAID BODY, SAID DEPRESSION HAVING A STRIKING SURFACE THEREON, SAID DEPRESSION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID BODY, SAID HULL BODY AND SAID LID DEFINING A ROUNDED BOTTOM BORDER AND A ROUNDED UPPER BORDER MATCH CONTAINER.

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