US3280969A

US3280969A - Package

Info

Publication number: US3280969A
Application number: US458137A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas P Evans; Thompson Elmer Dale
Original assignee: WA Sheaffer Pen Co
Current assignee: WA Sheaffer Pen Co
Priority date: 1965-05-24
Filing date: 1965-05-24
Publication date: 1966-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-25

Description

Oct. 25, 1966 T. P. EVANS ET AL PACKAGE Filed y 24, 1965 United States Patent 3,280,969 PACKAGE Thomas P. Evans and Elmer Dale Thompson, Fort Madison, Iowa, assignors to W. A. Shealfer Pen Company, Fort Madison, Iowa, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 24, 1965, Ser. No. 458,137 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to a novel package and more particularly to an elongate tubular package for a generally cylindrical article such as a writing instrument.

In the past, manufacturers have packaged writing instruments in various ways, not only to provide an aesthetic setting for such implements, but particularly to protect them against any type of damage during shipping, handling, etc. Generally speaking, the higher quality writing instrument has been packaged in an attractive box having such features as a hinged cover, an elastic holding band, interior lining, as well as various design elements judged to be attractive to the potential customer. This type of box has usually proven to be satisfactor for its intended purposes. However, for lowerapriced writing instruments, a great deal of difliculty has been experienced in finding an attractive yet inexpensive package capable of adequately protecting the instrument while still serving to display it to the best advantage.

Various types of packaging have been used by manufacturers in an effort to solve this problem, including small cardboard boxes, display cards on which the instruments are held by a closely conforming transparent plastic sheet, inexpensive cardboard counter displays, and the like. In some instances manufacturers have even found it necessary to resort to such practices as putting a quantity of instruments in a bin-like display without the benefit of the individual packaging necessary to insure that the instruments are not damaged during normal handling and shipping.

A further problem encountered in recent years has been in the rapidly expanding field of coin-operated ma-' chines. Many of these machines cannot handle non-symmetrical articles, and particularly if a writing instrument is supplied with a pocket clip, it frequently is necessary to put such a pen or pencil in a symmetrical cylindrical package before placing it in a vending machine. In the past, there have been use-d tubular cardboard packages, consisting of two cylindrical cap portions which are telescopically engageable to form a closed container capable of receiving and holding the instrument. Unfortunately, such tubular cardboard packages are not only expensive, but fail to permit inspection of the writing instrument by the potential buyer.

These various problems are eliminated by the present invention.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provide an inexpensive yet attractive and protective package for a writing instrument or similar article.

It is another object of this invention to provide a transparent generally tubular package having open ends through which a writing instrument may be inserted or removed, the writing instrument being centrally held in the package and cushioned against any damage, shock or other mishap.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a generally tubular package having means for holding various sizes and shapes of writing instruments or similar articles, solely by frictional contact between the article and radially and resiliently yieldable flutes extending into the central bore of the package.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a package of the character described hereabove, which may be formed by an inexpensive plastic extrusion process.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an ice inexpensive yet rugged and attractive package adapted for use in various types of vending machines.

Still further and additional objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of a package constructed according to this invention, the package being shown as containing a writing instrument;

FIGURE 2 is an end view taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a still further enlarged end view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1, showing the radially yieldable nature of the package;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of another embodiment of this invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an end view of yet another embodiment of this invention.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment of FIG- URES 1 through 3, there is provided an elongate package 10, including a thin generally tubular body portion 12 which is a little longer than the writing instrument 14 carried therein. While the body portion 12 may be made of any one of a number of materials, preferably it is formed of a transparent or translucent plastic such as one of the polycarbonates, acetate or styrene. Regardless of the particular material chosen, however, it should be of a semi-resilient nature since it will be subject to lateral deformation during use. In a longitudinal direction, however, the body portion 12 should be rigid enough to prevent any significant compression thereof under pressures it is likely to encounter in normal handling, shipping, etc.

As will be noted best from FIGURES 2 and 3, the generally circular body portion 12 defines a straight central bore 13 having projecting thereinto indentations or flutes 16. The flutes 16 preferably are formed as an integral part of the body portion 12, thereby providing a circu-mferentially continuous package. -In this embodiment, the flutes 16 are generally triangular in configuration, extending radially an equal distance into bore 13 whereby their inner apexes form a circular central opening 18 which is concentric with the central bore 13, as best shown by the broken line 18 in FIGURE 3. The flutes 16 extend the full length of the body portion 12, with their apexes providing three longitudinally extending contact surfaces 28 adapted to slidin-gly and frictionally engage the writing instrument 14.

As will .be understood by those in the art, the central opening 18 is somewhat smaller in diameter than the basic diameter of the writing implement 14, the dot-dash broken line 20 in FIGURE 3 representing the diameter of the implement 14.

As pointed out herebefore, the relatively thin material of the body portion 12 should be of a generally semiresilient nature to permit outward biasing of the flutes 16 and enlargement of the central opening 18 concomitantly with insertion of the writing instrument through either of the

open ends

22 or 24 of the body portion 12. During this enlarging of the central opening, the body portion 12 resiliently yields outwardly in a generally radial direction to approximately the position indicated by the broken line 26 in FIGURE 3. And while it will be appreciated that most of the flexing in the package occurs in the body portion 12, the flutes likewise are free to resiliently yield or bow laterally out of their natural shape during enlargement of the central opening 18.

This outward biasing of the resilient body portion 12 and flutes 16 is translated into a compressive force between the contact surfaces 28 and the writing instrument 14 to hold the writing instrument suspended in the central opening in axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of protuberance, such as the pocket clip 30.

the body portion 12. This compressive force is adequate to prevent any undesired shifting movement of the Writing instrument 14 during normal shipping and handling procedures, while'still permitting convenient inser-' tion and removal of the instrument by the manufacturer and purchaser, respectively.

It will be seen best from FIGURE 3 that the distance between any two of the three contact surfaces 28 is always less than the diameter of the writing instrument 14, as represented by the dot-dash line 20. The instrument is held securely in a central position within the central opening 18, and it is spaced uniformly inwardly from the main body portion 12 of the package. Thus, only the body portion 12 of the package is subject to abuse, and the writing instrument is fully cushioned by the resilient flutes 16 against any possibility of damage even in the event of severe mishandling of the package. This is a very definite advantage, in that the writing instrument 14 will always reach the purchaser in a fresh and undamaged state.

The flutes 16 are generally evenly spaced around the circumference of the body portion 12 whereby the distances between the contact surfaces 28 are equal, thereby trisecting the surface of the writing instrument 14.

This novel package is particularly suited for the reception of a writing instrument or other article having a In this event, the inside diameter of the body portion 12 should be at least equal to, and preferably greater than, the diameter of the writing instrument plus twice the height of the protuberance. Thus, the protuberance or clip 30- will fit comfortably in any of the three spaces between the flutes 16 without the necessity of orienting the clip relative to the package.

The package may be made in various ways. For example, it may consist initially of a straight cylindrical tube into which the indents or flutes 16 are pressed by heated triangular shaped die portions. It is preferred, however, to form the package by an extrusion process in which the body portion and flutes are formed simultaneously in the desired finished shape. Such an extrusion process has certain advantages of interest to the packager, since the preformed extruded tubing may be purchased in long lengths and readily cut into various short sections to accommodate implements of different lengths. Also, it will be understood that the flutes 16 do not necessarily have to be continuous over the full length of the body portion 12. If they are formed by an indentation process subsequent to the manufacture of the tubing, they can be provided as a series of two or more longitudinally aligned individual indentations. Particularly, for example, if a writing instrument carries a cap of larger diameter than the barrel, the discontinuous flutes would be advantageous since the individual indentations in one end of the tubing preferably might extend into the bore 13 a greater distance than those adjacent the other end.

FIGURE 4 shows a slightly modified embodiment of the present invention, this embodiment including a circumferentially continuous circular body portion 50 formed of a thin resilient material, preferably of a transparent or translucent nature. Extending into the central bore 51 radially toward the longitudinal axis of the body portion 50, are three longitudinally disposed flutes 52 which are formed ofthe same material as and integral with the body portion 50. The flutes 52 extend an equal distance into the bore 51 whereby their treminal ends comprise contact surfaces 54 defining a central opening 55 concentric with the body portion 50.

In FIGURE 4, the package is illustrated as containing a hexagonal object, such as a writing instrument 56, this object having a minimum or root diameter which is greater than the normal (or relaxed) diameter of the central opening 55. Thus, upon insertion of the article 56 into the bore 51, the body portion 50 will radially and resiliently yield outwardly to permit movement of the flutes 52 and concomitant enlarging of the central opening 55 to a size equal to the base diameter of the article. As with the previously described embodiment, this resilient outward yielding of the body portion 50 creates a compressive force inwardly between the contact surfaces 54 and the instrument 56 to hold the instrument suspended centrally in axial alignment with the body portion 50 and cushion it against any possible damage or abuse prior to its sale to the customer. Also, the body portion 50 preferably is of a transparent or translucent nature so that the article held therein may be inspected by the user prior to purchase. Thus, the user is assured of obtaining the desired color and style.

FIGURE 5 shows another embodiment of this invention. This embodiment is quite similar to the embodiments described hereabove, except that the elongate general tubular body portion 100 is of a generally square configuration to permit convenient stacking of a quantity of packages on a dealers shelf, or the like. The body portion 100 preferably is provided in the form of an extrusion with a relatively thin semi-resilient wall adopted to flex radially upon insertion of the writing instrument 102 into the central opening 103 axially aligned with the square bore 105 and defined by the longitudinally extending contact surfaces 104 at the inner end of the inwardly directed flutes 106. In this type of construction preferably the four flat surfaces of the body portion 100 are initially extruded with a slight concave curvature so that insertion of the writing instrument 102 will cause the package to-assume a square or rectangular configuration which can be stacked and otherwise handled readily.

As in the previously described embodiments, the body portion 100, while being resiliently yieldable radially, is

longitudinally rigid to prevent any shortening of the package under compressive force, since such shortening might permit damage to one or the other ends of the implement 102, and this is a particularly important factor should the implement have a relatively delicate mechanism at one of its ends, such as a ball writing assembly.

As pointed out hereabove, writing instruments, as well as various other articles, are now sold in large quantities in coin operated vending machines. In many of these machines the article to be dispensed must be of a cylindrical nature, and for this reason, the first two embodiments described here above are particularly desirable for use in this type of merchandising. These novel packages not only are less expensive than tubular cardboard packages used widely heretofore in machine dispensers but have the further advantage of permitting, if formed of a transparent or translucent material, visual inspection of the article by the prospective purchaser. Further, they eliminate any possibility of marring or other damage to the article by the machine mechanism during the dispensing operation, likewise provide a conveniently sized package for subsequent storage of the article should the user be concerned as to possible damage thereto by other items which might be carried in a purse, handbag or trouser pocket.

From the above discussion, it will be apparent that the present invention is not limited to writing instruments but is well suited for use with other types of articles. For instance, articles diflicult to handle in the usual dispensing machine, such as pocket handkerchiefs, and the like, can be rolled and inserted into the package with the same advantages described hereabove. It will be realized, therefore, that the foregoing description has been given only by way of example and this invention is not limited to the particularly described embodiments, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A package containing an elongate generally cylindrical writing instrument, comprising a generally tubular body portion defined by a circumferentially continuous length of thin pliant material of substantially constant thickness, said body portion being at least as long as said Writing instrument and defining a straight central bore teminating in open ends, the diameter of said bore being greater than the diameter of said writing instrument, at least three longitudinally disposed flutes evenly spaced around the circumference of and formed by generally triangular indentations in said body portion, said indentations extending longitudinally the length of said body portion, said flutes extending radially from said body portion an equal distance into said central bore to provide elongate contact surfaces running the length of said body portion, said contact surfaces defining a central opening coaxial with said bore and normally smaller in diameter than said writing instrument, said body portion and said flutes being longitudinally rigid but radially and resiliently yieldable to permit outward biasing of said contact surfaces and concomitant enlarging of said central opening upon insertion of said writing instrument axially into said opening through either of said open ends, the resiliency of said body portion and said flutes creating a compressive force between said contact surfaces and said writing instrument, whereby said writing instrument is held suspended in and axially aligned with said central opening until removed manually therefrom through either of said open ends.

2. A package containing an elongate cylindrical writing instrument having an outwardly protruding pocket clip, comprising a generally tubular body portion defined by an extruded circumferentially continuous length of thin pliant plastic material of substantially constant thickness, said body portion being longer than said writing instrument and defining a straight central bore terminating in open ends, the diameter of said bore being greater than the diameter of said writing instrument plus twice the height of said pocket clip, at least three longitudinally disposed flutes evenly spaced around the circumference of and formed by generally triangular indentations in said body portion, said indentations extending longitudinally the length of said body portion, the space between said flute sbeing greater than the width of said pocket clip, said flutes extending radially from said body portion an equal distance into said central bore to provide elongate contact surfaces running the length of said body portion, said contact surfaces defining a central opening coaxial with said bore and normally smaller in diameter than said writing instrument, said body portion and said flutes being longitudinally rigid but radially and resiliently yieldable to permit outward biasing of said contact surfaces and concomitant enlarging of said central opening upon insertion of said writing instrument axially into said opening through either of said open ends with said clip disposed in one of the spaces between said flutes, the resiliency of said body portion and said flutes creating a compressive force between said contact surfaces and said writing instrument whereby said writing instrument is held suspended in and axially aligned with said central opening until removed manually therefrom through either of said open ends.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 440,633 11/ 1890 Haussrnann 20616.5 1,589,430 6/1926 Russell 20616.5 1,919,811 7/ 193 3 S-tonebraker 206 2,874,826 2/ 1959 Matthews 20646 X 2,919,046 12/1959 Parsons 20646 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,221,727 1/ 1960 France.

304,984 1/ 1929 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A PACKAGE CONTAINING AN ELONGATE GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL WRITING INSTRUMENT, COMRISING A GENERALLY TUBULAR BODY PORTION DEFINED BY A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF THIN PLIANT MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THICKNESS, SAID BODY PORTION BEING AT LEAST AS LONG AS SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT AND DEFINING A STRAIGHT CENTRAL BORE TERMINATING IN OPEN ENDS, THE DIAMETER OF SAID BORE BEING GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT, AT LEAST THREE LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED FLUTES EVENLY SPACED AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF AND FORMED BY GENERALLY TRIANGULAR INDENTATIONS IN SAID BODY PORTION, SAID INDENTATIONS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID FLUTES EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID BODY PORTION AN EQUAL DISTANCE INTO SAID CENTRAL BORE TO PROVIDE ELONGATE CONSTANT SURFACES RUNNING THE LENGTH OF SAID BODY PORTION, SAID CONTACT SURFACES DEFINING A CENTRAL OPENING COAXIAL WITH SAID BORE AND NORMALLY SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT, SAID BODY PORTION AND SAID FLUTES BEING LONGITUDINALLY RIGID BUT RADIALLY AND RESILIENTLY YIELDABLE TO PERMIT OUTWARD BIASING OF SAID CONTACT SURFACES AND CONCOMITANT ENLARGING OF SAID CENTRAL OPENING UPON INSERTION OF SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT AXIALLY INTO SAID OPENING THROUGH EITHER OF SAID OPEN ENDS, THE RESILIENCY OF SAID BODY PORTION AND SAID FLUTES CREATING A COMPRESSIVE FORCE BETWEEN SAID CONTACT SURFACES AND SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT, WHEREBY SAID WRITING INSTRUMENT IS HELD SUSPENDED IN AND AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID CENTRAL OPENING UNTIL REMOVED MANUALLY THEREFROM THROUGH EITHER OF SAID OPEN ENDS.