US3667155A

US3667155A - Jack-in-the box including box with integral inner cylindrical wall

Info

Publication number: US3667155A
Application number: US87307A
Authority: US
Inventors: Israel Robert Freelander
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-11-05
Filing date: 1970-11-05
Publication date: 1972-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1989-06-06

Abstract

A one-shot molded plastic open-top container comprising a boxlike member having an integrally molded central compartment with an open top, and an integrally molded cover for covering both the compartment and the box itself, said cover being hinged at one edge of the box and having a latch to hold it in closed condition of both box and compartment.

Description

D United States Patent [151 3,667,155 Freelander 1 June 6, 197 2 s41 JACK-IN-fIHE BOX INCLUDING BOX 2,897,603 8/1959 Behrman ..46/146 x WITH INTEGRAL INNER 769,935 9/1904 Brom ..46/l46 x i 2,687,157 ,8/1954 Cowan... 220/31 S X CYLINDRICAL WALL 3,165,315 1/1965 Petrusek.... ..46/52 X [72] inventor: Israel Robert Freelander, 344 Franklin Street Worcester Mass. 01604 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2] Filed: N 5, I 356,034 Great Britain "46/146 [21] Appl. No.: 87,307 Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay Attorney-Charles R. Fay

[521 US. Cl 46/146, 220/315 [57] ABSTRACT l5 1] Int. Cl. ..A63h 13/16 ss Field of Search ..'...46/l46, 14s; 220 3|5,9 R A one-Shot molded plastic p container comprising a box-like member having an integrally molded central com- {561 References cued partment with an open top, and an integrally molded cover for covering both the compartment and the box itself, said cover UNITED STATES PATENTS being hinged at one edge of the box and having a latch to hold it in closed condition of both box and compartment. 3,186,540 6/1965 Breger ..220/3l S 3,256,892 6/1966 Esposito .220/31 S l Claims,3Drawing Figures JACK-IN-THE BOX INCLUDING BOX WITH INTEGRAL INNER CYLINDRICAL WALL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The particular locus of the present invention is in a jack-in" the box. Such boxes are of course extremely .old but in the 1 present case the box is made more rugged and longer lasting and also less expensively by molding it in one shot. The box is substantially cubical, having an open top with an integrally molded inner cylindrical sleeve forming a compartment for holding the jack and the spring for springing the jack. The inner sleeve has an open top edge coplanar with the open top of the box; and there is an integrally molded cover connected to one edge of the open top of the box along a thinner hinge portion, the cover having a free edge with an apertured tab, the front of the box having a downtumed latch received in the aperture in the tab for holding the box closed and the jack down in the sleeve against the tension of the spring therein, so that when the front wall of the box is pressed inwards, the cover pops open and the jack pops up.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation illustrating the box open, parts being in section to illustrate the construction; I

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof with the figure of a jack-in-thebox'omitted for' clarity of illustration; and

FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. I on a smaller scale and with the jack-in-the-box omitted.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION A molded plastic box preferably of cubical shape is provided with an integral bottom 10,

side walls

12 and 14, front wall 16 and a rear wall 18. The side walls form an open container the top edge of which is indicated at 20.

Integrally molded with and along rear wall 18 is a thin hinge 22 integrally connected with a more rigid cover member 24 adapted to close the open top of the box when pivoted down for instance in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3. This cover has an extending tab 26 with .a hole in it at 28, normally extending at an angle as shown in FIG. 3 with respect to the plane of the main part of the cover at 24. The front wall 16 has an outwardly extending downtumed latch member 30 which receives the aperture 28 when the cover is in its down, box and compartment closed position, see the dotted lines in FIG. 3.

Integrally molded with the bottom is an upstanding cylindrical sleeve generally indicated at 32. This sleeve has but the single cylindrical wall extending upwardly from the bottom 10 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The main point is that all of the parts including the entire box, the sleeve 32, and the cover 24, are molded in an injection molding machine in a single shot thus providing a strong, semi-rigid inexpensive article.

It is to be noted that the top edge 34 of the sleeve 32 is coplanar with the top edge of the box so that when the cover 24 is in the closed, dotted line position of FIG. 3, it also relatively closely covers the top edge 34 of the sleeve 32. When not latched, the cover tends to spring up by itself.

A spring 36 is provided in sleeve 32 for extending the figure of the jack-in-the-box generally indicated at 38 upwardly and outwardly when the cover 24 is released from the latch at 30. The jack-in-the-box has a cloth or similar flexible material cover 40 tacked at 42 and at other places directly to the sleeve at 32 and this is possible of course because the material of the box is plastic.

When the cover is released the jack-in-the-box pops up and is restrained from completely leaving the sleeve 32 by the tacked area 42, the flexible material 40 being secured to the representation of the head of the jack-in-the-box by any desired means.

It is therefore not necessary to provide any particular holding means for the bottom end of the spring and thus the parts are very easily and quickly assembled.

Thus it will be seen that a strong, rugged and inexpensive jack-in-the-box is provided b this invention. The jack is easily put back in the sleeve and t e cover brought down to where the aperture in the tab engages the catch at 30 and since the material is plastic and therefore semiflexible although selfsustaining, it is only necessary to press the front wall of the box in the area of the catch to release the same and have the jackin-the-box pop out.

I claim:

I. A special one-piece receptacle comprising a molded plastic open topped box including a bottom and side walls, an integrally molded inner center sleeve in said box, said sleeve also having an open top substantially coplanar with the open top of the box, a cover including a hinge at the top of one of the portions of the wall of the box, and catch therefor at the exterior portion of the box opposite to the hinge, said cover extending over and closing the box and also closing the sleeve,

a spring pressed figure, a spring located in the sleeve and bottoming on the bottom of the box, the cover pressing the figure against the action of the spring into the sleeve when the box is closed by said cover, said figure including a flexible dress, and means attaching said flexible dress to the sleeve adjacent its open top and limiting the extend of projection of the spring and figure when the cover is released.

Claims

1. A special one-piece receptacle comprising a molded plastic open topped box including a bottom and side walls, an integrally molded inner center sleeve in said box, said sleeve also having an open top substantially coplanar with the open top of the box, a cover including a hinge at the top of one of the portions of the wall of the box, and catch therefor at the exterior portion of the box opposite to the hinge, said cover extending over and closing the box and also closing the sleeve, a spring pressed figure, a spring located in the sleeve and bottoming on the bottom of the box, the cover pressing the figure against the action of the spring into the sleeve when the box is closed by said cover, said figure including a flexible dress, and means attaching said flexible dress to the sleeve adjacent its open top and limiting the extend of projection of the spring and figure when the cover is released.