US3298506A - Merchandise packages and method of manufacture thereof - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 17, 1967 K. REINER ETAL MERCHANDISE PACKAGES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1964 Jan. 17, 1967 K. REINER ETAL 3,298,506

MERCHANDISE PACKAGES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed March 13, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet .zwrsuroes f KEN/V2714 fled/5P, Rosa/ 7 17565544 yrray/vey United States I atent G 3,298,506 MERCHANDISE PACKAGES AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF Kenneth Reiner, 7875 Telegraph Road, Pico Rivera, Calif. 90660, and Robert F. Hubbell, Pico Rivera, Calif.; said Hubhell assignor to said Reiner Filed Mar. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 351,746 17 Claims. (Cl. 206-4533) The present invention relates to packages and to methods for the manufacture thereof, the packages being of the type wherein merchandise is carried on a receptacle or card of flexible material such as paperboard, boxboard or the like, and is covered by a protective coating. More specifically, the present invention relates to three dimensional packages covered by tightly fitting covering of heat-shrinkable plastic material and to methods for the manufacture of such packages.

Prior to the present invention there have been packages encased in heat-shrinkable plastic materials and it is generally true of such packages that the plastic covering, by virtue of the shrinking, closely fits either the package or the merchandise contained in the package, or both. It is also true that packages have been formed from flat stock, generally of rectangular shape, having four rectangular flaps at the edges thereof and wherein the shrinking of the plastic cover is effective to bend the flaps upwardly to form a receptacle, and to simultaneously conform to the shape of any merchandise contained in the receptacle which happens to extend above the level of the open top of the receptacle formed by the free edges of the flaps.

In the case of the first type of packaging discussed in the preceding paragraph, i.e. pre-formed receptacles covered by heat-shrinkable plastic material, such packaging is disadvantageous in that the basic receptacle is expensive to form and occupies much more space than fiat blanks so that storage and breakage prior to use may be substantial problems. As to the type of packaging wherein rectangular fiat blanks having end flaps are formed into rectangular receptacles by shrinking the covering material to pull the end flaps upwardly, it is disadvantageous in that the only type of packages which have hitherto been so produced have fiat bottoms of rectangular cross-section. Accordingly, such packages do not lend themselves to aesthetic arrangements of package shape.

The present invention provides improved packages and methods for their manufacture which overcome the above discussed disadvantages of existing packages and methods of the types under discussion. The disadvantages are overcome by providing novel forms of die-cut flat blank arrangements having internal shapes and flaps of such a nature that the shrinkage of heat-shrinkable plastic material thereover is effective to form three-dimensional packages which are not rectangular in cross-section and in which the bottoms of the packages are of an aesthetically attractive curvature. It is a further advantage of the articles and methods of the present invention that greatly improved economies are available since cheaper and thinner stock is preferably used to form three-dimensional packaging than has been previously necessary and since the packaging techniques herein utilized are extremely simple and adaptable to mass production techniques.

It is, there-fore, an object of the present invention to provide improved three-dimensional packages and methods for their manufacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide improved three-dimensional packages having plastic covers.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide improved three-dimensional packages having internal receptacles, wherein such receptacles have coverings of 3,298,506 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 tightly fitting transparent heat-shrinkable plastic covers and wherein pressure exerted by the tightly fitting covers is effective to give shape to the packages.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide improved methods for forming packages of fiat stock blanks and coverings of heat-shrinkable plastic material wherein the blanks are formed into three dimensional shapes by pressures exerted thereon by shrinkage of the coverings over the blanks, and to provide packages made by the said methods.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved mehods of forming packages wherein flat stock blanks are formed into three-dimensional shapes by pressure exerted by shrinking heat-shrinkable plastic material over the fiat stock blanks in such a manner that the back wall of the resulting receptacle 'has a curvature of controlled shape.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved three-dimensional packages of the type wherein an internal paper-board or boxboard receptacle is covered by a tightly fitting heat-shrunk plastic cover which exerts force on the receptacle to give it shape, and wherein the rear surface of the receptacle is of a controlled curved shape perpendicular to the direction of said force.

These and other objects and advantages attendant thereto will become apparent from the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been applied to like parts throughout the various figures and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one form of a paperboard or boxboard which forms a part of a package according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the blank of FIGURE 1 folded and containing merchandise preparatory to being covered by plastic material;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a fold of heat shrinkable material utilized as the external cover for packages according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the receptacle of FIGURE 2 inserted within the folds of the material shown in FIGURE 3 preparatory to sealing;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view schematically illustrating several of the steps of a method according to the present invention;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a completed package formed by the materials and method steps depicted in FIGURES 1 to 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a detail of the FIGURE 6 package, taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIGURE 6 illustrating a detail of the package;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view of the package of FIGURE 6, taken along the line 9-9 of that figure;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-section taken along the line 1010 of FIGURE 6, in enlarged scale, illustrating a detail of the construction.

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a modified type of package according to the present invention.

FIGURE 12 is a right end view of the package of FIGURE 9, in enlarged scale;

FIGURE 13 is a front elevation of still another modified form of package according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is directed to FIGURES 1 to 10 thereof, depicting various parts utilized and steps performed in the practice of the method of the present invention, and the package manufactured thereby. Specifically, FIGURE 1 shows a blank 20 of resilientv or flexible board stock which may be of any to .024 caliper should be utilized;

The blank 20 comprises a generally rectangular main section 22 having a bottom flap 24 separated therefrom by a score line 26 and a top fiap 28 separated therefrom by a score line 3t). Side flaps 32 are formed by score lines 34 cut into the rectangular shape of the main section 22 of the blank. It is an extremely important feature of the present invention that the score lines 34 are of curved shape of the general nature best shown in FIG URE 1, to provide flaps 32 which gradually vary in width from negligible width at the corners to maximum widths at substantially the center line of the main section 22, along a regular curve, and that, by virtue of the original rectangular form of the section 22, the outer extremities 33 of the flaps 32 are of straight line configuration. This feature and the utilization thereof in the methods and articles of the present invention will be fully described hereinafter. The main section 22 may be provided with appropriate means for holding the article to be packaged, such as the cut-out 35 but it should be pointed out that the particular means for attaching articles to the main body section 22 does not form a part of this invention and that any appropriate means for attaching or positioning articles within the package may be used, such as staples, glue, or any other appropriate means. In the illustrated example the article shown in the package is a bow and it is fastened in place by pushing the center binder or keeper of the bow into the cut-out 35, as

shown at B in dotted lines in various of the figures of the drawings and particularly in FIGURE 11. Holding means in the form of T-shaped slots 37 may also be provided in the main body section 22 for a purpose to be later described.

The top flap 28 is integral with the rectangular main section 22 and separated therefrom by the straight score line 30. The score line 30 is preferably straight, as shown, in order to provide a straight line configuration for the edge of the finished package. If desired, a flap similar to the flap 28 may be formed at the bottom of the section 22 (see flap 28a of FIGURES 9, and 11). However, FIGURES 1 to 10, illustrating methods of manufacture, show a variation utilizing a more complex bottom flap construction in which the bottom flap 24 comprises a body portion 36, and an end tab 42 formed by score line 44. The end tab 42 of bottom flap 24 is provided with extended T-shaped lugs 46 which are adapted to be engaged in the holding slots 37 in main body section 22 of the blank when the bottom fiap 24 is folded to its final position as shown best in FIG- URE 13. The length of the end tab 42 and the position of the slots 37 are so chosen that the body portion 36, including the score line 44 are supported in the plane of the edge of the side flaps 32 of the receptacle in the final folded condition (as shown in various of the figures of the drawings and particularly in FIGURE 10) at a desired angle to the main body section 22 of the receptacle. It is typical of score lines and scoring techniques that the flaps or segments thus delineated have a predisposition to bend more readily in one direction than the other and this is true whether the score is die-cut or is merely a bend in the material. In the practice of the present invention the various score lines as described are formed in such a manner as to be predisposed to most readily move (under stress) in the directions described.

The end tab 42 may be provided with side extensions 38 integral therewith and delineated by score lines 40. The extensions 38 extend laterally to the same extent as the outer edges of the side flaps 32 of body portion 22 of the blank 20 and the score lines 40 thereof are of curved form complementary to the curve of the score lines 34 so that when the extensions 38 and other portions of the bottom flap 24 are folded into their ultimate positions the body portion 36 is in the plane of the straight edges 33 of flaps 32 (see FIGURES 2, 4, 5, 6, and 14). The use of extensions 38 are not essential, but serve to provide additional structural support and rigidity when the nature of the materials used is such as to indicate the desirability or need for such means to be utilized.

If desired, the end tab 42 may be provided with apertures 48 (as in FIGURES 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6) or with slotted depressions 48a (as in FIGURE 13) which serve to hold merchandise, as for example, a pin curl clip 50 (shown in dotted lines in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6) or a card or tab 50a containing such merchandise (as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 13).

In the practice of the methods of the present invention a blank such as shown in FIGURE 1 is prepared for further processing by folding the bottom flap 24 upwardly and inserting the lugs 46 into the slots 37. If side extensions 38 are utilized (as in the illustrated example), they are folded inwardly to be engaged internally of the side flaps 32. Side flaps 32 and top flap 23 are bent upwardly along their respective score lines to partially form a receptacle, the thus folded blank being shown in FIG- URE 2.

The merchandise to be packaged is then positioned in or on the blank. In the illustrated example a bow B is attached by insertion of the keeper thereof into the cutout 35 and a pin curl clip 50 is secured in the apertures 48 as shown in dotted lines in various figures of the drawings.

The thus partially formed and filled package is then wrapped in a heat-shrinkable, heat-scalable plastic material. Many such materials are known in the packaging arts and for the purposes of the present invention any thermoplastic sheet material of the type which shrinks when heat is applied thereto may be used, whether transparent, translucent, or opaque. One example of a family of such materials'suitable for such purposes are the vinyl chloride polymers although many other known types of materials are also suitable. Preferably, the material should be biaxially oriented for shrinkage both laterally and longitudinally.

The manner of wrapping the package in the heat shrinkable material is not an important feature of the present invention and any convenient method may be used to provide a sealed and relatively loose fitting covering of heat-shrinkable material around the receptacle formed by the folded blank 20. Thus, the receptacle may be placed in an envelope of the heat-shrinkable material and the open end of the envelope sealed; it may be placed between two layers of such material and all four edges heat-sealed to form a sealed covering; or, as shown in the illustrated example, it may be placed between folds of heat-scalable, heat-shrinkable material 52, in the form shown in FIGURE 3 and the remaining three edges sealed. FIGURE 4 shows the receptacle (with goods attached thereto) within the folds of a wrapper such as is shown in FIGURE 3.

The next two steps in the method of forming packages according to the present invention are schematically illustrated in FIGURE 5. After emplacement of the receptacle in the folds of the material (FIGURE 4), the three unsealed edges are heat sealed by any appropriate means to form the sealed edges 54, shown in FIGURE 5. The sealing may be combined with a trimming step to remove excess external cover material or such trimming may be separately performed, as desired. Many varieties of means for such sealing and/ or trimming are well known in this and related arts and any such means may be used for accomplishing these steps.

The next step in the method is to subject the receptacle and its loosely fitting cover of heat-shrinkable material to heat. This step is schematically indicated by heat rays or arrows 56 in FIGURE 5. The heat may be applied in any desired manner, as, for example, by radiant heat lamps or, by passage through a heat tunnel deriving heat from any type of source. The effect of the application of heat is, of course, to cause shrinkage of the heatshrinkable material 52 about the receptacle formed by the blank Zil to form a tight fit about the receptacle and I to apply pressure which stiffen and form the ultimate package as will now be described,

The heat-shrinkable material 52 tends to shrink in both lateral and longitudinal directions so that forces are developed in lateral directions as shown by the arrows 58 (see FIGURE 8) and in longitudinal directions shown by the arrows 59 (FIGURE 7) to pull the material tightly about the inner receptacle against the slight flexibility of the material of the receptacle.

The effect of these shrinkage forces 58, 59 are to'bend the flaps 32 (as shown by the arrows 60) forwardly towards a position more nearly perpendicular to the body section 22 of the blank 20 and to bend the flap 28 (as shown byarrow 61) internally of the plane of the front of the finished package, i.e. the plane of the material 52 stretched across the package from its top (delineated by the score line 30) to its bottom (delineated by the score line 26). FIGURE 7 shows, in enlarged scale, the longitudinally acting forces 59 generated by shrinking. of the film 52 and the final position of the illustrated parts. Similarly, FIGURE 8 illustrates the laterally acting forces 58 and the final position of the parts after these forces have pulled the side flaps 32 to their final assembled position. It should be noted that the abutment of the side flaps 32 with the folded bottom flap 24 serves to limit the degree of movement of side flaps 32 so that the maximum (and optimum) movement possible is to a position substantially perpendicular to the main section 22 of the blank 20. Attention is again specifically directed to the fact that the score lines 34 are arcuate. As a result of this arcuate configuration the lateral pressures applied by the shrinking of the heat-shrinkable cover 52 results in the upward folding of the side flaps 32 (as shown by the arrows 58 in FIGURE 8 and the arrows 60 in FIGURE 6, respectively), all as previously described. It is an important feature of the present invention that the main section 22 of the receptacle formed by the blank 20 is bent into arcuate form along a controlled curve formed by the score lines 34 (as best shown in FIGURE 9); and that this is accomplished by the application of lateral rather than longitudinal forces by virtue of the combination of the lateral forces and the shape of the score lines 34. The resulting package is therefore one in which the entire package (especially the back or bottom wall 22 thereof) is shaped by the shrinking of the heat-shrinkable material, as distinguished from prior packages wherein the effect of shrinking the cover material has merely been to move the side and end flaps to desired positions. It should be noted, moreover, that the method of the present invention and the structures used therein provide a relatively positive control of the nature and degree of the curvature applied to the wall 22 so that the quality and uniformity of the finished packages is consistent. It should be further noted that the counter-acting forces, i.e. the pressure exerted on the boxboard receptacle by the cover 52 and the reaction force (due to the flexibility of boxboard) exerted on the cover 52 by the receptacle, result in a consistently rigid and stable package construction and that the sides formed by flaps 32 have a pleasing curved configuration when viewed from the front of the package.

Attention is now directed to FIGURES 11 and 12 illustrating a simplified version of package according to the present invention. In the modification of these figures, the bottom flap 24 is replaced by a flap 28a similar in every respect to the top flap 28. The resulting package is filled, formed and covered by the same method described in connection with FIGURES l to 10. The packageitself (as best shown in FIGURE 11), differs in that it lacks the extra merchandise supporting means provided by the bottom flap 24 of FIGURE 1 and is thus a more economical package to produce since the material and labor costs involved in forming the flap 24 and in folding it into the finalform shown in FIGURE are eliminated. I

FIGURE 13 illustrates a further modification which differs from the species of FIGURES 1 to 10 in that alternative means 50a are utilized to hold merchandise (hair clips in the illustrated case) rather than the apertures 48 of FIGURES 1 to 10. Such alternative means 50a may be either in the form of an enlarged tab formed integrally with the bottom flap 24 and slit therefrom or a separate card inserted in slots formed in the end tab 42 of the bottom flap 24. The package of FIGURE 13 may be made by precisely the same methods described in connection with FIGURES 1 to 10.

Attention is directed to the aperture 62 shown in FIG- URE 13. The function of such an aperture is to provide means for hanging merchandise cards on books on display racks of the type generally used by variety stores in displaying goods for sale. Such apertures may be formed in packages of any of the type described herein by simply punching holes through the cover 52 and the receptacle where and as desired.

It should be noted that the function of fia- ps 28, 28a and 24 is essentially one of extra reinforcement and that packages according to the present invention may be formed without said flaps, since the arcuate score lines 34 will define the shape of the side of the package and cause curvature of the rear or inner wall 22 thereof when a cover 52 is shrunk thereover. Moreover, since only a reinforcement function is served, such flaps can be folded or bent backwardly rather than forwardly, if desired, to provide packages of slightly different shape.

From the above it may be seen that the present inven tion provides improved packages and methods for rnaking such packages, wherein the packages are three-dimensional although economical in cost since they may be formed from flat blanks and sheet plastic materials; wherein the packages are of improved esthetical appearance, having curved side walls and a curved rear wall; and wherein a rigidity and uniformity of the packages is insured by virtue of the nature of the materials and the methods by which they are combined and utilized to form the packages.

Obviously many variations in proportion, size and in detail other than those of the specific illustrated examples may be used in practicingthe invention described herein. Similarly, a wide variety of types and thicknesses of plastic and/or paper-type materials may be used for the receptacle and a wide variety of plastic materials could be used for the cover material. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the specific illustrative examples shown and described but rather by the scope of the language of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising, in combination, an inner receptacle and a tightly fitting outer cover completely enclosing said receptacle; the receptacle being of resilient sheet material and having a main body section of normally flat and generally rectangular planform, complementary side flaps at opposed side edges of said main body section and forming a part of the generally rectangular planform thereof, arcuate score marks in the material of said main body section serving to delineate said side flaps, each of said score marks being 'in the form of a curve extending along a regular are from a point adjacent one corner of one side edge of the main body section inwardly a distance toward the longitudinal center of the body section and thence outwardly to a point adjacent the other corner of the same side edge; said flaps being held in complementary angularly elevated positions relative to the remainder of the main body section by said tightly fitting cover; said main body section being held in a position forming a curved surface defined by the curves of said arcuate score marks by said tightly fitting cover.

A 2. A package according to claim 1, further characterized in that said main body section has topand bottom flaps appended thereto and delineated therefrom by straight lines of scoring, said flaps being held resiliently in acute angle relationship to the main body section by the tightly fitting outer cover.

3. A package according to claim 2 wherein said bottom flap is of a size and shape to overly a portion of said main body section and is folded thereover.

4. A package according to claim 3, wherein the said bottom flap comprises a main panel of a Width to coincide with that of the underlying main body section, the side edges of said main panel being curved identically as the underlying side edges of said main body section.

5. A package according to claim 4, further characterized in that said bottom flap also comprises an end tab attached to the free end of the main panel and delineated therefrom by score lines, said end tab having integral attachment means at the free edge remote from. said last mentioned score lines; the main body section of said receptacle having attachment means positioned to be engaged by said first mentioned attachment means, the free edge of said end tab being in contact with the main body section, and said attachment means engaging one another to hold said bottom flap and said end tab in assembled position.

6. A package according to claim 5 wherein said end tab has means thereon for supporting merchandise to be displayed in the package.

7. A package according to claim 1 further characterized in that said main panel section has means thereon to support merchandise to be displayed within said outer cover.

8. A package according to claim 1 wherein the inner receptacle is made of boxboard material of a thickness between .014 and .024 caliper.

9. A package comprising, in combination, an inner receptacle and a tightly fitting outer cover completely enclosing said receptacle; the receptacle being of resilient sheet material and having a main body section of normally flat and generally rectangular planform, complementary side flaps at opposed side edges of said main body section and forming a part of the generally rectangular planform thereof, arcuate score marks in the material of said main body section serving to delineate said side flaps, each of said score marks being in the form of a curve extending along a regular are from a point adjacent one corner of one side edge of the main body section inwardly a distance toward the longitudinal center of the main body section and thence outwardly to a point adjacent the other corner of the same side edge; each of said flaps being held in substantially perpendicular position relative to the remainder of the main body section by said tightly fitting cover; said main body section being held in a position forming a curved surface defined by the curves of said arcuate score marks by said tightly fitting cover.

10. A package comprising, in combination, an inner receptacle and an outer covering of heat-shrinkable material tightly fitting and completely enclosing said receptacle; the receptacle being of resilient sheet material and having a main body section of normally fiat and generally rectangular planform, complementary side flaps at opposed side edges of said main body section and forming a part of the generally rectangular planform thereof, .arcuate score marks in the material of said main body :section serving to delineate said side flaps, each of said score marks being in the form of a curve extending along a regular are from a point adjacent one corner of one side edge of the main body section inwardly a distance toward the longitudinal center of the main body section and thence outwardly to a point adjacent the other corner of the same side edge; said flaps being held in complementary angularly related positions relative to the remainder of the main body section by said tightly fitting outer covering; said main body section being held in a position forming a curved surface defined by the curves of said arcuate score marks by said tightly fitting cover.

11. A method for manufacturing a package comprising the steps of providing a generally rectangular blank of resilient sheet material; scoring opposed side edges thereof along complementary arcuate lines each of which extends from adjacent one corner of one side edge along a regular curve inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the blank and then outwardly to the outer corner of the same side edge to thus form complementary side flaps on opposed sides of the main body portion of the blank; placing the scored blank between folds of heat-sealable, heat-shrinkable cover material; sealing the open edges of said cover material to form an assembly comprising a loosely fitting cover enclosin the blank; and applying heat to the said assembly whereby the material of the cover is shrunk to exert forces on the blank to bend the side flaps upwardly out of the plane of the blank and to cause the main body portion of the blank to assume a curved form along the line of said score lines to form a three-dimensional covered package having curved sides and a curved rear wall.

12. A method for manufacturing a package comprising the steps of providing a generally rectangular blank of resilient sheet material; scoring opposed side edges thereof along complementary arcuate lines each of which extends from adjacent one corner of one side edge along a regular curve inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the blank and then outwardly to the outer corner of the same side edge to thus form complementary side flaps on oppose-d sides of the main body portion of the blank; attaching merchandise to be packaged to said main body portion; placing the blank and attached merchandise between folds of heat-scalable, heat-shrinkable cover material; sealingly the open edges of said cover material to form an assembly comprising a loosely fitting cover enclosing the blank and the mecrchandise; and applying heat to the said assembly whereby the material of the cover is shrunk to exert forces on the blank to bend the side flaps upwardly out of the plane of the blank and to cause the blank to assume a curved form along the curve of said score lines to form a three-dimensional covered package having curved sides and a curved rear wall and containing said merchandise.

13. A method for manufacturing a package comprising the steps of providing an inner receptacle of resilient sheet material; the receptacle having a main body section of generally rectangular planform and complementary side flaps at opposed side edges of said main body section and forming a part of the generally rectangular planform thereof, said flaps being delineated by arcuate score marks, each of said score marks extending from adjacent one corner of one side edge inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the main body section and then outwardly to the outer corner of the same side edge; placing the inner receptacle between folds of heat-scalable, heat-shrinkable cover material; sealing the open edges of said cover material to form an assembly comprising a loosely fitting oover enclosing the receptacle; and applying heat to the said assembly whereby the material of the cover is shrunk to exert forces on the receptacle to bend the side flaps upwardly out of the plane of the main body section and to cause the main body section to assume a curved form along the curve of said score marks to form a three-dimensional covered package curved sides and a curved rear wall.

14. A method for manufacturing a package comprising the steps of providing a blank of resilient sheet material of the general shape of a rectangular main body section having extensions at the top and bottom thereof; scoring the blank between the main body section and the said top and bottom extensions to form top and bottom flaps; scoring the opposed side edges of the main body section along complementary arcuate lines each of which extends from adjacent one corner of one side-edge along a regular curve inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the main body section and then outwardly to the outer corner of the same side edge to thus forrn opposed complementary side flaps; placing the thus scored blank between folds of heat-scalable, heat-shrinkable cover material; sealing the open edges of said cover material to form an assembly comprising a loosely fitting cover enclosing the blank; and applying heat to the said assembly whereby the material of the cover is shrunk to exert forces on the blank to bend the side flaps and the top and bottom flaps upwardly out of the plane of the blank and to cause the blank to assume a curved form along the curve of said score lines to form a three-dimensional covered package having curved sides and a curved rear wall.

15. A method for manufacturing a package comprising the steps of providing a blank of resilient sheet material of the general shape of a rectangular main body section having a short top extension and a longer bottom extension, the bottom extension having attachment lugs at its bottom edge; scoring the blank between the main body section and the said top extension to form a top flap; scoring the blank between the main body section and the bottom extension to form a bottom'flap; scoring said bottom flap laterally across its width adjacent its free end to form and end tab having said attachment tabs extending from the said bottom edge thereof; scoring the opposed side edges of the main body section along complementary arcuate score lines each of which extends from adjacent one corner of one side edge along a regular curve inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the main body section and then outwardly to the outer corner of the same side edge to thus form opposed complementary side flaps; forming attachment openings in said main body section in a position to be engaged by the attachment lugs on said end tab; forming a flat receptacle from the blank by bending the top and side flaps upwardly to predispose said flaps for movement in an upward direction, bending said bottom flap upwardly and bending the end tab of said bottom flap into engagement with the surface of the main body section of the blank and engaging the attachment lugs on the end of said end tab in the attachment openings in the main body section; placing the thus formed receptacle between the folds of heat-sealable, heat-shrinkable cover material; sealing the open edges of said cover material to form an assembly comprising a loosely fitting cover enclosing the receptacle; and" applying heat to the said assembly whereby the cover material is shrunk to exert forces on the receptacle to bend the side flaps and the top flap farther upwardly out of the plane of the main body section and to cause the main body section to assume a curved form along the curve of said arcuate score lines to form a three-dimensional covered package having curved sides and a curved rear wall.

16. The method of claim 15 further characterized in that merchandise is attached to the main body section of the receptacle prior to the emplacement thereof between the folds of the cover material.

17. A method for manufacturing a package comprising the steps of providing an inner receptacle of resilient sheet material; the receptacle having a main body section of generally rectangular planform, having top and bottom flaps appended thereto and delineated therefrom by straight lines of scoring and complementary side flaps at opposed side edges of said main body section and forming a part of the generally rectangular planform thereof, said side flaps being delineated by arcuate score marks, each of said arcuate score marks extending from adjacent one corner of one side edge inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the main body section and then outwardly to the outer corner of the same side edge; placing the inner receptacle between folds of heat-scalable, heat shrinkable cover material; sealing the open edges of said cover material to form an assembly comprising a loosely fitting cover enclosing the receptacle; and applying heat to the said assembly whereby the material of the cover is shrunk to exert forces on the receptacle to bend the top and bottom flaps to acute angles relative to said main body section and to bend the side flaps upwardly out of the plane of the main body section to cause the main body section to assume a curved form along the curve of said arcuate score marks to form a three-dimensional covered package having curved sides and a curved rear wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,583,927 1/1952 Bianchi 206--45.33 2,932,384 4/1960 Johnnides 20645.33 2,965,283 12/1960 Dunning 22987 3,083,107 3/1963 Tindall 206--45.33 3,088,256 5/1963 Brown 53-28 3,101,842 8/1963 Sydnor 206-45.33 3,116,154 12/1963 Rumsey. 3,130,834 4/1964 Korzaan 206 3,150,473 9/1964 Lemelson 5328 3,159,274 12/1964 Burt 206--45.33

FOREIGN PATENTS 768,763 2/1957 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

THERON E, CONDON, WILLIAM T. DIXON, ]R.,

Examiners,

Claims (1)

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN INNER RECEPTACLE AND A TIGHTLY FITTING OUTER COVER COMPLETELY ENCLOSING SAID RECEPTACLE; THE RECEPTACLE BEING OF RESILIENT SHEET MATERIAL AND HAVING A MAIN BODY SECTION OF NORMALLY FLAT AND GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PLANFORM, COMPLEMENTARY SIDE FLAPS AT OPPOSED SIDE EDGES OF SAID MAIN BODY SECTION AND FORMING A PART OF THE GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PLANFORM THEREOF, ARCUATE SCORE MARKS IN THE MATERIAL OF SAID MAIN BODY SECTION SERVING TO DELINEATE SAID SIDE FLAPS, EACH OF SAID SCORE MARKS BEING IN THE FORM OF A CURVE EXTENDING ALONG A REGULAR ARC FROM A POINT ADJACENT ONE CORNER OF ONE SIDE EDGE OF THE MAIN BODY SECTION INWARDLY A DISTANCE TOWARD THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER OF THE BODY SECTION AND THENCE OUTWARDLY TO A POINT ADJACENT THE OTHER CORNER OF THE SAME SIDE EDGE; SAID FLAPS BEING HELD IN COMPLEMENTARY ANGULARLY ELEVATED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE REMAINDER OF THE MAIN BODY SECTION BY SAID TIGHTLY FITTING COVER; SAID MAIN BODY SECTION BEING HELD IN A POSITION FORMING A CURVED SURFACE DEFINED BY THE CURVES OF SAID ARCUATE SCORE MARKS BY SAID TIGHTLY FITTING COVER.

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