US3352478A - Merchandise container - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1967 GQL. WOOD 3,352,478

MERCHANDISE CONTAINER Filed June 6, 1966 3 Sheets-,Sheet l 3B L A I Gola 34 E?? of 5e l 3f f 16 /5 :o a. Y ..-..'i' I4 'h3/ 58 f 3 6 A 4o *M "www 7 l Y 1 5. ll 64* ZB] lo' I8' 8 362 5+ 62 38o '45?" 9' v 'a 52 INVENTOR. GERALD LLOYD woon ATTORNEYS Nov. 14, 1967 Gl. 1 WOOD 3,352,478

MERCHANDISE CONTAINERl Filed June 6, 196e 5 sheets-sheet 2 summa INVENTOR. GERALD LLOYD WOOD ATToRNEYs Nov. 14, 1967 G. L. WOOD MERQHANDISE CONTAINER Filed June 6, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. GERALD uovo woon ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,352,473 MERSHANDISE CGNTAINER Gerald L. Wood, Kansas City, Mo., assigner to Hallmark Cards, Incorporated, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed .lune 6, 1966, Ser. No. 555,576 Claims. (Cl. 229-44) Y ABSTRACT GF THE DISCLSURE This invention includes a box-like container for shipping or displaying merchandise, and includes an open top box-like structure having an insert liner conforming to the interior of the box portion, which also includes a wall adjacent the side walls of the box portion and has means to prevent the movement ofthe wall portions away from the side walls of the box portion. The liner has a closure portion which is hinged by a fold line to a portion of the liner for opening and closing the container, and also has brace means thereon for displaying merchandise in the container, without other outside structure such as external supports.

This invention relates to containers and more particularly, to a new and improved container structure and the method of making said structure.

The principal objects of this invention are: to provide a new and improved liner-closure assembly for the formation of a new and improved container structure; to provide a new and improved method tor the formation of liner-closure assemblies and the construction of box-like merchandise containers; to provide such a structure wherein decorative panels and advertising may be printed on both the inner and outer surfaces of the closure member and the inner surface of the liner member by the single pass of a single blank through a printing means; to provide such a structure wherein the time consuming formation of a hinge joint on a box structure to provide a hinged closure member is eliminated; to provide such a structure wherein the closure member may be placed in an upwardly, rearwardly extending open position for display of the merchandise within the container and advertising or decorative eifects on the inner surface of the closure member, said closure member remaining in said open position without the utilization of external supports; to provide such a structure wherein the closure member has a circumferentially extending flange portion serving to hide all the raw edges of the case or box member when the closure member is in a closed position; to provide such a structure having a closure member hingedly retained to the liner member of said box with said closure member having tuck flaps for frictional engagement with the side Walls of the case or box portion of the container to assist in holding the closure member in a closed position; to provide such a structure wherein merchandise positioning means such as dividers or retainers may be simply die cut from the liner member of the liner-closure assembly, thereby facilitating the formation of a merchandise container structure; to provide such a container structure and method of forming said structure whereby a multitude of said structures may be rapidly and inexpensively formed in an expeditious and inexpensive manner.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain ernbodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the features of this invention including a case or box member and a combination liner-closure assembly.

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FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container illustrated in FIG. 1 with the liner-closure assembly elevated above the case member of said container.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3 ot FIG. l through the container structure.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the container structure with the closure member in a closed position.

FIG, 5 is a plan view of the liner-closure assembly taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1 with said assembly lying in a flattened position.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a panel from which a blank may be cut for fabrication of the liner-closure assembly.

PIG. 7 is a plan view of the blank shown in FIG. 6 having printing and decorative panels formed thereon by the single pass of said panel through a printing means.

FlG. 8 is a plan view of a blank formed from the panel illustrated in FG. 7, said blank being scored forming fold lines to divide said blank into a closure member and a liner member and to divide said liner member into a base portion and a wall portion, said blank also containing longitudinal scores to provide fold lines between the body portion of the closure member and the respective tuck flap.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the blank illustrated in FIG. 8 to show the scoring or the body portion of the closure tiap to divide said body portion into a tirst and second portion.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the blank illustrated in FIG. 9, said blank having an adhesive strip formed on the second portion of the body portion of the closure member such that the second portion of the closure member may be folded into adhering relation with the tirst portion of said closure member.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numeral l generally designates a container structure embodying the features of this invention and being broadly comprised or a case or box portion 2 and a liner-closure assembly 3 operatively retained within the case 2 to lform a decorative lining for the case 2 and a hinged lid or closure structure. The container structure 1 is exemplary only as it is illustrative of a particular embodiment wherein a liner-closure assembly may be 4cooperatively retained in a case or box-like structure t0 form a container having a hinged iid portion.

The case 2 is comprised ot a bottom panel 4, said panel 4 having upstanding opposed side walls or flanges 6 operatively connected thereto in a conventional manner to form a box-like structure having an open top to provide exterior communication with the interior surface 8 of the case 2. in the illustrated embodiment, the bottom panel 4 is generally rectangular in shape having iirst and second pairs of opposed side walls 6 designated by the numerals 7 and 9 extending upwardly from the outer edges of said rectangular bottom panel 4.

The liner-closure assembly 3, as illustrated includes a liner member lil for covering or lining the interior surface S of the lower panel 4 and one of the side walls 6 of said iirst pair of side walls 7. The assembly 3 also includes a closure or lid member 12 operatively connected to the liner member lil by a hinge joint 14 to hingedly .retain the closure member 12 to the container structure 1 such that the closure member 12 may be opened and closed lwith ease to facilitate access to the interior of the container 1. The members 10 and 12, as illustrated, are formed of a continuous longitudinally extending strip or panel of suitable material wherein the hinge joint 1d between the liner member lll and the closure member l2 is a iirst fold line 15 extending transversely of the linerclosure assembly 3.

The liner member 10, as illustrated, is generally rectangular in shape and is divided into a base portion 18 1.) and a side wall portion 28 by a fold line 22, said fold line 2,. extending transversely of the assembly 3 in parallel spaced relation to the fold line 16 segregating the liner member 18 and closure member 12. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the liner member 18 is disposed in contacting relation with the interior surface 8 of the case 2 with the base portion 18 of said liner 18 in overlying contacting relation to the bottom panel 4 and the wall portion 28 folded to an upstanding position relative to the base portion 18 and lying adjacent and in generally contacting relation to one of the side walls 6 of the opposed pair of side walls 7 of said case 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 18 and wall portion 2t) are coextensive with the interior surface 8 of the bottom panel d and the side wall 6. The base portion 18 has the wall portion 20 hingedly connected to its rearward edge 24 by the fold line 22 and further, includes a forward or leading edge 26. The forward edge 26 of the base portion 18, as illustrated, is in generally contacting relation with the side wall 6 which provides an abutment means to prevent movement of the liner member 11i when the closure member 12 is moved to its open, upward, rearwardly extend-V ing position as illustrated in FIG. 3 to facilitate the retention of the closure member 12 in the desired open position in a manner to be later described.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 18 and the wall portion 28 each have decorative panels 28 and 38 respectively, which may contain designs, advertising or the like, said panels 2S and 38 being printed thereon to provide a pleasing appearance to the interior of the container 1 for merchandising purposes. The lbase portion 1S also includes means for positioning merchandise on the merchandise support surface 28 of the liner member 10. The merchandise positioning means is illustrated herein as merchandise retainers 32, said retainers 32 being cut from the base portion material and folded in an angularly upstanding position to receive therebeneath merchandise such as the envelope 34 illustrated in FlG. 1. Various forms of merchandise positioning means may be employed on the liner member 18, either by die cutting said means from portion 18 or attaching Yseparate means thereto; however, as will be later indicated, the die cutting of positioning means from the base portion 18 greatly facilitates the lproduction of such liner-closure assemblies 3.

The closure member 12 is generally comprised of a first portion or panel 35 providing an interior surface 33 for the closure member 12 and a second portion or panel 4i? forming an exterior surface 42 for the closure member 12. The first portion 36 of closure member 12 is operatively connected to the upper edge i4 of the side wall portion 2Q of the liner member 1t? by the fold line 16 extending transversely of the assembly 3. The first portion 36 of the closure member 12, as illustrated, has a pair of opposed longitudinally extending side edges having longitudinally extending tuck flaps 48 operatively connected to each of said side edges 4x5 by a fold'line 50. The lirst and second portions 36 and di), as illustrated, each have planar surfacesy 39 and i1 respectively in opposed relation to the surfaces 38 and 42 respectively.

The second portion 40 of the closure member 12 is operatively connected to the first portion 36 by means of a transverse fold line 52 at end portion 54 of portion 36, said fold line 52 being illustrated in a parallel spaced relation to the fold lines 16 and 24. The first portion 36 and second portion 48 of closure member 12 are folded into contacting relation with an adhesive 56 disposed between the planar surfaces 39 and 41 respectively of said portions 36 and 4t) forming a double-layered closure member 12.

As illustrated, the second portion 48 has a transverse dimension greater than the transverse dimension of the liner member 18 and the case 2 to provide a ange portion SS extending longitudinally of the assembly 3 and adapted to overlie and bear upon the side walls 6 of the case 2 when the closure member 12 is moved to its closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 4, thereby concealing the raw edges at the upper end of the side walls 5 to improve the esthetic qualities of the container structure 1.V

Each of the portions 36 and 40 is greater in longitudinal dimension than the longitudinal dimension of the base portion 18 of the liner member 18 and the spacing between walls 6 of the pair of walls 7 to provide a iange portion 68 at the forward end 62 of the case 2 and a flange portion 64 at the rearward end 66 of the case 2 for disposition in overlying, outwardly extending relation to the side walls 6 for concealment of the raw edges of said side walls d.

The ange portion 54 at the rearward end 65 of container 2 overlies the fold line 16 in opposed spaced relation and is of sufficient length to provide a sliding engagement with the rearward exterior surface 68 of the side wall 6 of the pair Yof walls 7 of the case 2 when the closure member 12 is moved to an upstanding or open position to provide a means for retaining the closure member 12 in said rearwardly upwardly open position. In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive strip or portion 56 is spaced inwardly a predetermined distance to a point at approximately numeral 7) allowing the second portion 411 of the closure member 12 at lits rearward end portion 71 to flex outwardly from the first `portion 36 of closure member to elfect the sliding engagement with surface 68. In this manner, the closure member 12 mayy be opened to an upstanding position to allow display of the merchandise within the container 1, said closure mem'- ber 12 being retained by the bracing action of the retaining flange portion 64 and the abutment of the forward edge 26 of the base portion 18 of liner member 10 against the side wall 6 opposite the closure member 12.

Referring to FIGS, 6 through 10, the liner-closure assembly 3 may be formed by first taking a panel '72 illusthe esthetic qualities of the container 1. It should be noted -that the advertising and decorative effects may be printed on the panel 72 with a single pass of panel 72 through a printing means forming all of the desired printing and decorative effects on one side of panel 72; said panel 72 then being foldable into the liner-closure assembly 3', thereby employing the printed and decorative panels in the desired positions on the container 1. As illustrated in FIG. 7,V the exterior surface 42 of the secondiportion of the closure member 12 contains printing and may also include decorative effects such as a particular color for the background of the printing, the interior surface 38 of the first portion 36 of closure member 12 being similarly decorated with printing, with colored panels 28 and 13;? leing printed on the liner member 10 Vof the assem- As illustrated in FIG. 8, the panel 72 may then be die cut to form blank 74 in the desired shape as dictated by lthe ultimate configuration desired for the assembly 3. Either simultaneously with the die cutting or in a subsequent process, the blank 72 is scored to form the longitudinal fold lines 50 between the 4tuck aps 48 and the first portion 36 of the closure member 12, the fold line 16 between the closure member 12 and the liner member 18 and the fold line 24 between the base portion 18 and the wall portion 2() of the liner member 18. It is also possibleV to simultaneously die cut the desired retaining or article positioning means 34 with the die cutting of the blank 74 and the scoring of the various fold lines. By so forming the liner-closure assembly 3 in accordance with this invention, the above scoring and cutting may be accomplished by a single operation.

1t is then necessary to invert the blank 74 in order to effect the scoring of the fold line 52 which is adapted for folding in the opposite direction from the fold lines 50, 16 and 24. With the blank 74 in an inverted position, an adhesive strip 76 is applied to the planar surfaces 39 and 41 of the closure member 12 for securing together the first and second portion 36 and 40 respectively of the closure member 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive strip 76 is provided on the second portion 4() of the closure member 12 and the second portion 40 is then folded into overlying contact with the first portion 36 of the closure member 12 to form the double-layered closure member 12. It should be noted that the adhesive strip is spaced inwardly from the edge of the second portion 40 of closure member 12 opposite the fold line S2 a predetermined distance to provide for the retaining flange 64 which supports the closure member 12 in an upwardly extending open position. By so folding the closure member 12, the interior surface 38 and the exterior surface 40 are properly positioned for use in the container 1 with their advertising and decorative effects properly positioned.

The case 2 may be formed by conventional means and the liner-closure assembly fitted within the case 2 to provide the container 1. The sequence of operations disclosed herein in regard to the method of forming the liner-closure assembly is exemplary only as it is illustrative of what consider to be preferred methods of forming the assembly 3. Some steps of the method may be altered in sequence without materially affecting the essence of the invention.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described one form of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secu-re by Letters Patent is:

1. A container comprising:

(a) a box portion having an interior surface,

('b) means in said box portion for lining at least a portion of said interior surface,

(c) closure means hingedly connected to said liner means and engageable in a cooperative manner with said box portion to provide an enclosed container, said closure means including first and second portions connected by at least one fold line, said portions being secured in overlying relation whereby one of said portions denes au exterior surface of said closure means and said other portion denes :an interior surface of said closure means,

(d) said box portion including a ibottom panel Iand upstanding opposed side walis retained to said bottom panel, said liner means including -a base portion and a wall portion with said base portion in overlying relation to said bottom panel and said Wall portion being adjacent one of said side walls, said closure means being hingedly connected to the wall portion of said liner means,

(e) said liner and closure means being integrally for-med and connected lby a fold line, and

(f) said second portion of the closure means including means for providing a lip portion, said lip portion extending rearwardly of said fold line between said closure means and said liner means in overlying relation to the side Wall of said box portion adjacent said -wall portion, said lip portion being engageable with the exterior surface of said side wall to brace said closure means in a rearwardly inclined open position, said container including cooperative means on said box portion and said liner means to prevent movement of said wall portion of the liner means away from its adjacent side wa-ll when the closure means is sw-ung to said open position.

2. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein the rst and second layers of said closure member are secured together by an adhesive strip, said adhesive strip being spaced inwardly of said fold line connecting said liner and closure members a predetermined distance to provide a flexible lip portion for engagement with the exterior suri-ace of the side wall of the case adjacent the wall portion of the liner member.

3. A container as recited in claim 1 wherein the cooperative means for preventing forward movement of the liner means includes a forward edge of said liner means and a side wall of said box portion, said side wall ybeing in opposed relation to the side wall adjacent the wall portion of said liner means, said forward edge being disposed in generally contacting relation with said side wall to prevent forward movement of the liner member when the closure member is moved to an open position.

4t2. A container comprising:

(a) a box portion having side walls and a bottom panel defining an interior surface,

(b) means in said box portion for lining lat least a portion of said interior surface, said lining means including a wall portion adjacent a side Wall of said box portion,

(c) cooperative means 'on said box portion and said lining means to prevent the movement of said wall portion away from the side Wall of said box portion,

(d) closure means hingedly connected to the wall portion of said lining means for swinging movement of said closure means to open and close said container, said closure means including means engageable with the exterior surface of said side wall adjacent the wall portion of said liner means to brace said closure means in a rearwardly inclined upward position for display of merchandise in said container, and

(e) said bracing means including a lip portion extending rearwardly of the hinge connection between the Wall portion of the liner means and the closure means in overlying relation to the side wall of the =box portion adjacent the wall portion of the liner means, said lip portion having a rearward edge engageable with the exterior surface of the side Wall of the box portion when the closure means is swung into an open position to retain said closure member in a rearwardly and :upwardly inclined position.

5. A container as recited in claim 4 wherein the liner means includes a base portion connected to s-aid w-all portion lby a fold line, said base portion being in overlying relation to the bottom panel of the box portion, said base portion having a forward edge in contacting relation to the side Wall of the box portion in opposed relation to the side wall adjacent the wall portion of said liner means to prevent movement of the wall portion of the liner means away from said adjacent side wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,058,777 4/ 1913 Michell 229-23 2,323,820 7/ 1943 Lilienlield 217-58 2,326,281 8/ 1943 Becker 229-44 2,788,123 4/ 1957 Levis et al. 206-75 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING: (A) A BOX PORTION HAVING AN INTERIOR SURFACE, (B) MEANS IN SAID BOX PORTION FOR LINING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID INTERIOR SURFACE, (C) CLOSURE MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID LINER MEANS AND ENGAGEABLE IN A COOPERATIVE MANNER WITH SAID BOX PORTION TO PROVIDE AN ENCLOSED CONTAINER, SAID CLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS CONNECTED BY AT LEAST ONE FOLD LINE, SAID PORTIONS BEING SECURED IN OVERLYING RELATION WHEREBY ONE OF SAID PORTIONS DEFINES AN EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID CLOSURE MEANS AND SAID OTHER PORTION DEFINES AN INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID CLOSURE MEANS, (D) SAID BOX PORTION INCLUDING A BOTTOM PANEL AND UPSTANDING OPPOSED SIDE WALLS RETAINED TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID LINER MEANS INCLUDING A BASE PORTION AND A WALL PORTION WITH SAID BASE PORTION IN OVERLYING RELATION TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND SAID WALL PORTION BEING ADJACENT ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID CLOSURE MEANS BEING HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE WALL PORTION OF SAID LINER MEANS,

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