WO1997036790A1

WO1997036790A1 - Gable top container with closure means

Info

Publication number: WO1997036790A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/000539
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Weil
Original assignee: Pentagram Design Limited
Priority date: 1996-03-29
Filing date: 1997-02-26
Publication date: 1997-10-09
Also published as: GB2311515A; AU1889297A; GB9703106D0; GB9606747D0

Abstract

A container (100) for storing dry goods, for example clothes or shoes, comprises a box-shaped carcass (1) of a unitary structure. It has a front end (8) through which goods to be stored in the container are placed, with the front end being releasably closable to keep the contents in the container. The container is kept closed using a number of fastening methods, for example using a pair of press studs (15a, 15b) provided with flexible pull tabs (16a, 16b). This allows the boxes to be stacked whilst allowing access to the contents without disturbing the contents. The unitary structure means a more rigid container, and, therefore, less prone to wear and tear. The container can be folded into a flat-pack for storage, when not required.

Description

GABLE TOP CONTAINER WITH CLOSURE MEANS

This invention relates to a container particularly, though not exclusively, for dry goods, i.e. goods of a non-liquid or non-fluid form, for example clothes, shoes, haberdashery or documents.

A typical container for shoes comprises an open-topped box, typically made of cardboard, with a lid. In a shoe retail outlet, for example, individual pairs of shoes are stored in individual boxes which are then stored one on top of the other, in stacks in the shop storeroom. One problem is that the boxes are not easily accessible when they are stacked, and it is usually necessary to remove several boxes from a stack to gain access to the required box - leading to excessive wear and tear on the boxes. Over time, because of the lack of rigidity and strength of the boxes, and because of the stacking of the boxes and the frequent manhandling of the boxes, the boxes quickly become torn, bent and generally worn until they are no longer useful. The boxes are bulky when empty and take up a lot of space. One problem is that the boxes are not easily accessible when they are stacked, and it is usually necessary to remove several boxes from a stack to gain access to the required box - again leading to excessive wear and tear on the boxes.

A further problem arises with these conventional boxes in that they are often transported empty from the box making facility to the shoe or other article making facility before the article is installed in the box. This results in additional expense due to the volume of the boxes and also results in damage to the boxes which because they are empty are easily crushed. In addition attempts to conserve space during transportation of these conventional boxes by insertion of smaller boxes into larger ones is time consuming and therefore also expensive.

The present invention provides a container for dry goods comprising a carcass, the carcass having a base, a top, and first and second side walls, adjacent free edges of the top, base, and side walls defining an aperture at the front of the carcass, the aperture being selectively and releasably closable by allowing a respective portion of the base and of the top, and a portion of the two side walls to converge to bring the free ends of the base and the top into a juxtaposed relationship thereby closing the aperture. This has the advantage that, when a number of the containers are stacked, the front opening gives access to the container without having to remove other boxes stacked on top of the required container. The carcass may be a unitary structure, the base, top, and side walls being permanently connected together to form the unitary structure, it may also have a rear wall constructed of interlocking flaps fixed to the respective top, base, and side walls, the interlocking flaps being part of the unitary structure. This has the advantage of providing a rigid container which can be easily stacked and which does not lead to excessive wear and tear. The container may include an insert slidable within the interior of the carcass through the open end, the contents of the container being placed in, and removed from, the container by the respective insertion and withdrawal of the insert from the carcass, with the contents placed thereon. By providing a slidable insert, this enables the contents to be easily removed, again, without disturbing the stack of boxes. The carcasses may be collapsible into a flat-pack which means that they are easily and compactly stored when not required, for transportation and when they are empty. Preferably the slidable insert is also foldable either within the carcass or separately from it. The container may be releasably closed by any suitable means, such as by means of one or more pairs of co-operating press-studs, or by a tab closure mechanism of any suitable type, or by means of a rubber band or rubber cap. The container may be releasably closed by means of velcro, or alternatively, adhesive or sticky coatings may be employed. A hook and slot closure mechanism is alternatively possible. The container may also comprise pull tabs, which may facilitate the use of the releasable closure mechanism, and these pull tabs may be integrally formed as part of the carcass. The container may also comprise at least one carrying handle integrally formed as part of the carcass.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2A is a schematic top elevation, Figure 2B a schematic bottom elevation, Figure 2C a schematic front elevation, Figure 2D a schematic side elevation and Figure 2E a schematic rear elevation of the container of Figure 1 with the front end closed; Figure 2F is a schematic side elevation of the container of Figure 1 with the front end open;

Figure 3 illustrates the blank for constructing a carcass of a container in accordance with the invention;

Figure 3 A illustrates an alternative blank for constructing a further embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention,

Figures 4A and 4B illustrate the steps in constructing the rear wall of a carcass of the container;

Figure 5 illustrates schematically a cross-section of a carcass of a container illustrating the interior face of the rear wall;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a slidable insert for a container;

Figure 6a is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a slidable insert for a container;

Figure 7 is a schematic cross-section of a container with an insert as shown in figure 6;

Figure 7a is a schematic cross-section of a container with an insert as shown in figure 6a;

Figures 8A to 8C are top, front and side elevations respectively illustrating a second method of closing a container;

Figures 9A to 9C are top, front and side elevations respectively illustrating a third method of closing a container;

Figures 10A to IOC are top, front and side elevations respectively illustrating a fourth method of closing a container; Figures I IA and 1 IB are side elevations illustrating a fifth method of closing a container ;

Figure 12 is a top elevation illustrating a sixth method of closing a container

Figure 13 is a schematic top elevation of a container illustrating a further embodiment of a container; and

Figures 14A to 14D are top, bottom, side and front elevations illustrating a seventh method of closing a container;

Figure 15 is a side elevation of an eighth embodiment of a container;

Figure 15A is a top elevation ofthe embodiment of figure 15.

Figures 16A and 16B are perspective views illustrating a further method of closing a container.

Figure 17A is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a container according to the present invention.

Figure 17B illustrates a blank for constructing the embodiment of figure 17A.

Figure 18 is a perspective view illustrating a further closure mechanism for a container.

A container 100 comprises a carcass 1 of substantially rectangular cross - section having a top 2, a base 3, and two side walls 4,5. The carcass 1 also has a rear wall 6. The front end 8 of the carcass 1 may be opened and closed to keep the contents in the container 100, while allowing access to the interior 7 of the carcass 1, and the contents therein, as required.

Extending from the top 2 and the base 3, are respective lips 13,14. At the front end 8, the top 2, the base 3, and the two side walls 4,5 have end portions 9,10,1 1,12 thereof which are provided with appropriate fold lines indicated by the dotted lines in Figures 2 A to 2F. (Throughout the drawings, dotted lines have been used to indicate fold lines.) The fold lines allow the end portions 1 1,12 of the side walls 4,5 to collapse towards each other and the end portions 9, 10 of the top 2 and base 3 respectively to converge allowing the lips 13,14 to be brought together into a juxtaposed relationship thereby closing the front end ofthe carcass 1.

Figure 1 shows a container 100 in which the front end 8 of the carcass 1 is open. It illustrates how the fold lines allow the lips 13,14 to be brought together - in the direction of the arrows shown - to close the container 100.

Figures 2D and 2F illustrate the container 100 in its closed and open state respectively.

A pair of co-operating press studs 15a, 15b are provided on the lips 13,14, to maintain the lips 13.14 in the juxtaposed relationship, therefore keeping the container 100 closed. It is essential that a minimum force (F) is required to engage and release the press-studs, 15a, 15b, to maintain the container 100 in a sufficiently secure closed position when the press-stud is engaged, for example to avoid unintentional opening of the container. This force (F) should also be of sufficient magnitude to give the user an impression of rigidity when opening and closing the container.

For small containers, the preferred minimum force (F) will be relatively low, perhaps as low as 20g, corresponding to the weight of the object, the stiffness of the material comprising the container, the size of the container and the proposed use for the container, (storage, load-bearing in a carrying capacity and potential after-use). Conversely, for large containers, the preferred minimum force (F) will be higher, perhaps as high as 10kg, commensurate with the additional stresses involved in containing larger and heavier objects.

The fastening means should be of sufficient durability such that the magnitude of the force remains effectively constant for the duration ofthe container's lifetime.

Access to the interior 7 ofthe carcass 1 is easily effected by undoing the press studs 15a, 15b. This can be further facilitated by providing pull tabs 16a. 16b on the lips 13,14 at the press studs 15a, 15b. The pull tabs may be made of, for example, rubber, to reduce wear and tear and to reduce the risk of them coming away from the carcass 1. Undoing the press studs 15a, 15b is facilitated by grasping the pull tabs 16a, 16b together at their free ends between a finger and thumb of one hand, and exerting a pulling force on the pull tabs 16a, 16b away from the carcass 1, whilst the carcass 1 is maintained in position. The press studs 15a, 15b are forced out of co-operation and allow access to the interior 7 ofthe carcass 1.

The carcass 1 is of a flat-pack construction, and made of a rigid cardboard material which is preferably thick gauge card such as self-structuring card. The carcass 1 could alternatively be made of a plastic of appropriate type and gauge. Figure 3 illustrates a blank 20 of the rigid cardboard material for construction of the carcass 1, as shown in figures 1, 2 and 4. An alternative blank 20' is shown in figure 3 A, which results in a slightly different carcass.

Referring now to figures 3 to 5, to construct the carcass the blank 20 is folded along lines A, B, C and D towards each other. A longitudinal tab 21 is fixed along the opposite edge 22 of the blank 20 using an adhesive or suitable fixing method to define the top 2, the base 3, and the side walls 4,5. Four rear flaps 23,24,25,26 are provided, one extending from each of one of the top 2. base 3 and side walls 4,5 to form the rear wall 6. To construct the rear wall 6, the rear flaps 23,24,25,26 are folded inwards into a co-operating relationship (Figure 4A). The first flap 23 - which extends from the top 2 - and the third rear flap 25 - which extends from the base 3 - are brought together so that the curved portion 23',25' of a respective flap 23,25 is overlaid by the respective triangular - shaped portion 25",23" of the other flap 25,23 such that the two flaps 23,25 interlock (Figure 4B). The two adjacent flaps 24,26 - which extend from the respective side walls 4,5 - are then sandwiched between the interlocking flaps 23,25 and fixed to the respective overlying triangular-shaped portion 23", 25". The external face of the constructed rear wall 6 is illustrated in Figure 2E, with Figure 4 illustrating the internal face ofthe rear wall 6.

At the front end 8, the blank 20 comprises front end sections 9a, 10a, which are folded inwardly along lines F and G to form the lips 13,14. The inwardly folded sections 9a, 10a forming the lips 13, 14 can be made to extend further inside the carcass and congruent with the folds of end portions 9,10 of the top 2 and base 3, along the internal surfaces of the top 2 and base 3. in order to prevent an insert (described below) catching on the folded in edges. When the front end 8 is closed up by bringing the lips 13,14 together, then the foldable end portions 9,10,1 1,12 fold along the fold lines indicated allowing the two lips 13.14 to be brought into juxtaposition as described above, thereby closing the carcass 1.

The alternative blank 20' shown in figure 3A is folded in exactly the same way as for blank 20, however on this alternative blank 20', end portions 1 1,12 of the side walls 4,5 do not extend to adjoin the portions of end sections 9, 10 which form the lips 13, 14, and end portions 11, 12 have only two fold lines each. The resulting carcass therefore differs slightly from that shown in figures 1 and 2F in that the lips are free to fold outwardly when the carcass is open, giving easier access to the interior 7 of the carcass 1. Additionally, on blank 20', rear flaps 24 and 26 which form the rear wall 6 have a curved edge.

To store as a flat-pack, the rear wall 6 is manually pushed inwardly towards the interior 7 of the carcass 1 so that the two pairs of adhered flaps 23,24 and 25,26 no longer co-operate as described above, and fold along respective fold lines H, J. Simultaneously, the interlocking rear flaps 23, 25, extending from the top 2 and base 3 of the carcass, fold inwardly moving diagonally out of their interlocked position, allowing the carcass 1 to be collapsed to a flat-pack configuration. The curved portions of these rear flaps, 23', 25', enhance the smooth interaction of flaps 23 and 25, allowing them to slide freely against each other as they move out of alignment. This feature is particularly relevant in a carcass made of stiff material.

The container 100 is provided with a slidable insert 40 for assisting in removing and inserting items into the container 100. The insert 40 comprise a substantially U-shaped open ended drawer comprising a base 44 and two side walls 42,43, and is configured to fit snugly within the interior 7 of the carcass 1. It is provided with a handle 41 at one end of the base 44 to allow for easy withdrawal and insertion. The insert 40 is made of the same material as the carcass 1. In use, the items to be stored are placed on the insert 40, which is then slid into the carcass 1, and the container 100 closed as described above. To remove the contents, the container 100 is opened by pulling the pull tabs 16a,16d to undo the press studs 15a, 15b, and the insert 40 removed with the help of the handle 41. The insert 40 has a rear wall 45 as well as the side walls 42,43 to prevent items falling out of the back. The provision ofthe insert 40, adds to the rigidity ofthe container 100. Figure 7 is a schematic cross - section illustrating how the insert 40 - holding an item of clothing 46 - fits in the interior 7 ofthe container 100.

In figures 6a and 7a a further embodiment is shown in which the slide insert 40 comprises sides 42, 43 and a rear end 45 which have rounded off corners. These are provided to facilitate the removal and return of the insert in the carcass by preventing the ends of the sides 42, 43 from catches on the folds of the carcass 1. In addition this insert 40 comprises a front end 48 which also has rounded corners and a handle slot 48a which may be gripped by the user to remove the insert with the goods 46 therein from the carcass 1. The rear end 45 of the insert 40 also comprises creases 49 which enable the rear end 45 to fold in a rolling fashion when the insert 40 is removed and re-inserted into the carcass. This provides for the trouble free removable and replacement of the insert avoiding the possibility of the rear end 45 abutting against the rear wall 6 ofthe carcass.

In addition the side walls 42, 43 of the insert 40 comprise crease lines 49a which enable the insert to be made wider or narrower to accommodate different widths of carcass. In figures 6 and 7 and 6a and 7a the insert 40 is shown fitted in a relatively narrow carcass 1. To fit the insert into a wider carcass the crease lines 49a are folded by 90 degrees and the original base/side corner is flattened such that the part of the sides 42, 43 below the crease lines 49a becomes part of the base 44 which is now wider than the original base. The side walls are now lower but this need not impair the function ofthe insert 40. It will be appreciated that more than one crease line 49a may be present on each side permitting a single insert to be used for three or more carcass sizes. This is advantageous because it reduces the number of different parts that need to be made which has significant cost benefits from the point of view of the manufacturing set up costs and also the simplified downstream logistics.

When the carcass 1 is collapsed for flat-pack storage, the insert can either be flat - packed within the carcass 1 or removed and flat - packed and stored separately.

The carcass 1 may be provided with other means of closure fastening.

The two lips 13,14 may be held in juxtaposition using a rubber band 51, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The rubber may be permanently fixed to one of the lips 13.14 using a rivet 52 (Figure 9) or may be permanently detachable ( Figure 8). The rubber band 51 may be provided with writing or illustrations indicating the contents of the container 100, for example, design of shoe, size, colour etc. To open the carcass 1 , the rubber band is simply prised off with the fingers in the direction ofthe arrows in Figures 8C and 9C.

Alternatively, a rubber cap 60 may be used, as illustrated in Figure 10. To close the carcass 1, the cap 61 is placed over the juxtaposed lips 13,14, the friction fit thus keeping them in place until the cap 61 is simply removed when access to the container 100 is required.

In another method of closure, a rubber band 71, dimensioned to fit over a single lip 14 is permanently fixed to one of the lips 14. To close the carcass 1, the band 71 is bent double - as illustrated in Figure 1 1 - to fit over the other lip 13, thus maintaining the two lips 13,14 substantially in juxtaposition and closing the carcass 1.

The carcass 1 can be dimensioned to accommodate the items that require storage. If the carcass 1 is large, then apertures 81,82 can be provided in the respective lips 13,14, so that, when the carcass 1 is closed, then a carrying handle 83 is provided. Appropriate fastening means can be provided - in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 12, this is a rubber band 51, in which an aperture 84 is also provided to co¬ operate with the carrying handle 83. If press studs are used for fastening two or more pairs may be used to ensure proper fastening (Figure 13).

Another method of closure uses a tab closure mechanism illustrated in Figure 14. In this embodiment, one of the lips 14 is longer than the other and provided with a small tab 91. To close the carcass 1 the longer lip 14 is folded over the juxtaposed lip 13 and the small tab 91 inserted into a co-operating slit 92 provided in the fold line K at the base ofthe shorter lip 23, thus ensuring that the two lips 13,14 are kept in juxtaposition. In this embodiment, the blank for constructing this carcass 1 will have the appropriate configuration.

Referring to figures 15 and 15a a further embodiment of a container according to the invention is shown. This carcass has been specifically designed for the storage of a pair of boots although it could be used for similar shaped (when packed) and large-sized garments such as a suit. The front lip portions are juxtaposed as with previous embodiments and in order to facilitate the carrying of such a large carcass the lips comprise a handle gripping means 82 there through. Press studs 81a and 81b are provided at the lower part of the ends of the lips 13, 14 therefore keeping the container closed and the retaining force of the press-stud engagement mechanism ensures that the press studs are not released when the carcass is carried. Access to the interior ofthe carcass is easily effected by undoing the press studs.

Figures 16a and 16b illustrate another method of closure involving a tab closure mechanism. In this embodiment the lips extend right down to the top 2 and base 3. One of the lips 14 has a fold near its upper end, the end section forming a tab 91. To effect closure of the carcass, the tab 91 is inserted into a slot 92 on the underside of the co-operating lip 13, and this lip 13 is then pushed flat, lip 14 coming to lie underneath lip 13. The slot 92 is formed on the lower section of lip 13 by the in¬ folding of provided side sections 92a, 92b, of the lower part of this lip. The blank for the construction of this carcass will have an accordingly altered configuration to include sections 92a, 92b. Lip 13 has a fold near its upper end forming an end section 93, this end section 93 forming a pull-tab for opening the carcass. This embodiment of the invention gives the advantage of a flat front end, for more efficient storage when the containers are in use.

An alternative embodiment involves a similar tab closure mechanism to that illustrated in figures 16a and 16b. the tab 91 formed by the end section of one of the lips 14, as described above, and the slot 92 this time being formed at the end section of the co-operating lip 13. To effect closure, the tab 91 is inserted into the slot 92 in the direction of the end of lip 13, the two lips coming to lie in a juxtaposed position. This embodiment results in a side elevation very similar to that shown in figure 14c.

Referring to figures 17A and 17B, a further embodiment of a container according to the invention is shown, which is similar to the embodiment shown in figure 1 , but wherein pull tabs 1 16a, 116b are formed by part of the lips 13, 14. appropriate sections being provided on the blank 20" from which the carcass 1 is constructed. The pull tabs 116a, 116b in such an embodiment are thus integrally formed as part of the carcass 1, and are therefore made of the same material as the carcass 1, for example cardboard or plastic, and simply cut out of the blank 20". The formation of the pull tabs 116a, 116b in this manner is inexpensive and therefore gives the advantage of reduced manufacturing costs. Press-studs 15a, 15b are provided as the closure mechanism in this embodiment, and the operation of these is as described previously in reference to figure 1. The press studs may be made of any suitable material such as plastic or metal, and it is intended that for an inexpensive container, the press studs are made of plastic or an equally suitable inexpensive material in order to reduce costs. The opening of the press studs 15a, 15b is facilitated by the pull tabs 116, 117 as previously described.

Embodiments incoφorating alternative closure mechanisms are possible, such as embodiments in which there is a velcro closure mechanism comprising at least one strip of velcro secured to one lip of the carcass, and at least one co-operating strip of velcro-adhesive material secured to the co-operating lip of the carcass. Alternatively, the co-operating surfaces of the two lips may be coated in an adhesive or sticky substance, which releasably holds the lips in juxtaposition, and opened by pulling the tabs 1 16a, 1 16b apart. This is sufficiently durable to remain effective for as many cycles of opening and closing as intended for the container's lifetime. These alternative closure mechanisms are particularly suitable for incoφoration into the embodiment illustrated in figures 17 A and 17B and described above, because they are inexpensive to manufacture. They may be applied to the inside surface of the lips by a simple automated labelling step during the manufacture ofthe carcass. The labels themselves also have a low unit cost.

Figure 18 illustrates a further closure mechanism, comprising a hook 200 secured to the inner surface of one lip 14 of the carcass 1, which releasably fits into a co¬ operating slot 201 formed in the co-operating lip 13. Pull tabs 116a, 116b are provided to facilitate the use of the hook and slot closure mechanism 200, 201, but these are optional and not essential for the operation of this closure mechanism. The hook 200 may be made of any suitable material, and may be continuous with the carcass 1 and cut out of a further blank (not illustrated). Various alternative embodiments are possible wherein a number of hooks and co-operating slots are provided.

Finally referring to figure 1 once more, it is proposed by the invention that information about the article contained in the carcass will be provided on an information surface on the top side 2 of the carcass so that the information can be seen when the carcass is standing up. The same information will also be provided on an information surface on the end portion 10 of the opposite base side 3 so that it can be seen when the carcass is in the stored position.

It is also provided by the invention that the box may be re-used by the purchaser of the article for use in the home for filing or storage of other items and the facility is provided by means of additional stickers for adding identifying information on the information surfaces by the user.

It will be understood to a person skilled in the art that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, other methods of closure may be used, and the container may be fabricated from other suitable materials. The shape and dimensions of the container can be selected according to the items to be stored.

Claims

1. A container for dry goods comprising a carcass, the carcass having a base, a top, and first and second side walls, adjacent free ends of the top, base, and side walls defining an aperture at the front of the carcass, the aperture being selectively and releasably closable by allowing a respective portion of the base and of the top to converge to bring the free ends of the base and the top together thereby closing the aperture, the free ends of the base and the top being terminated in respective lips, the lips being provided with fastening means for releasably maintaining the free ends together.

2. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening means is at least one pair of co-operating press studs, one of each pair provided on a respective lip.

3. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the lips are provided with at least one pair of pull tabs.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the pull tabs are flexible pull tabs made of a different material to that ofthe carcass.

5. A container according to claim 3, wherein the pull tabs are connected to the fastening means.

6. A container according to claim 3, wherein the pull tabs are integrally formed as part ofthe carcass.

7. A container according to claim 3, wherein the opening ofthe press studs is facilitated by the pull tabs, by grasping the pull tabs together at their free ends and exerting a pulling force on both tabs away from the carcass whilst the carcass is maintained in position, so that the press studs are forced out of co-operation and allow access to the interior ofthe carcass.

8. A container according to claim 1, characterised in that the fastening means are arranged centrally on the respective lips.

9. A container according to claim 1, characterised in that the fastening means are provided on either end of the respective lips.

10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the lips are juxtaposed in the closed position and the fastening means is a flexible band configured to circumscribe the juxtaposed lips to maintain the lips in position, the flexible band being manually removable from the circumscribing position to release the juxtaposed lips and open the aperture.

1 1. A container according to claim 10, wherein the flexible band is permanently attached to one ofthe lips.

12. A container according to claim 1, wherein the fastening means is a flexible band configured to circumscribe one of the lips, and to be permanently attached thereto, the flexible band having a free end which, when the flexible band is bent into a substantially U-shaped configuration, is configured to circumscribe the other lip, thereby maintaining the two lips in a juxtaposed relationship and closing the carcass.

13. A container according to claim 1, wherein the fastening means is a tab closure mechanism.

14. A container according to claim 13, wherein the tab closure mechanism comprises a tab on one ofthe lips which fits into an opening on the co-operating lip.

15. A container according to claim 14, wherein the tab is formed at the end section of one of the lips.

16. A container according to claim 15, wherein the lip on which the tab is formed is longer than the co-operating lip and the opening is a slot formed at the base ofthe co-operating lip.

17. A container according to claim 15, wherein the slot is formed at the end section ofthe underside ofthe co-operating lip.

18. A container according to claim 15, wherein the slot is formed at the lower section ofthe underside of the co-operating lip.

19. A container according to claim 1, wherein the fastening means is a flexible cap configured to fit over the two juxtaposed lips.

20. A container according to claim 1, wherein the fastening means is a velcro closure mechanism, comprising at least one strip of velcro secured to one lip of the carcass, and at least one co-operating strip of velcro-adhesive material secured to the co-operating lip ofthe carcass.

21. A container according to claim 1, wherein the fastening means comprises at least one pair of co-operating sticky or adhesive strips or coatings

22. A container according to claim 1, wherein the fastening means comprises a hook and slot closure mechanism, comprising a hook provided on one lip which fits into a co-operating slot formed on the co-operating lip.

23. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the lips are provided with apertures therein such that when the free ends are in a juxtaposed relationship, the apertures define a carrying handle.

24. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the front end, in the closed position, is flat.

25. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the carcass is a unitary structure, the base, top, and side walls being permanently connected together to form the unitary construction.

26. A container according to claim 25, wherein the carcass has a rear wall constructed of interlocking flaps fixed to the respective top, base, and side walls, the interlocking flaps being part ofthe unitary structure.

27. A container according to claim 26, wherein at least two oppositely- positioned interlocking flaps comprise a corresponding curved perimeter section.

28. A container according to any of claims 25 to 27, wherein the unitary structure has fold lines formed therein to allow for the convergence of the respective portions ofthe base, top, and side walls.

29. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the carcass is collapsible to allow the carcass to form a flat-pack for storage.

30. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the container includes an insert 40 slidable within the interior of the carcass through the aperture, the contents of the container being placed in, and removed from, the container by the respective insertion and withdrawal of the insert, with the contents placed thereon, from the carcass.

31. A container according to claim 30 characterised in that the insert 40 comprises a base 44, side walls 42, 43 and a rear end wall 45.

32. A container according to claim 31, characterised in that the side walls 42, 43 comprise additional crease lines 49a.

33. A container according to claim 31 , characterised in that the rear end wall 45 comprises an additional crease line 49.

34. A container according to claim 31, characterised in that the insert comprises a front wall 48 which comprises a handle opening 48a.

35. A container according to claim 31, characterised in that the side walls 42, 43, rear end wall 45, or front wall 48 comprise rounded corners 47.

36. A container according to claim 1, characterised in that the engaged fastening means provides a minimum retaining force to maintain the free ends together.

37. A container according to any previous claim, characterised in that the material comprising the carcass is cardboard, such as high gauge card or self- structuring card.

38. A container according to any of claims 1-37, characterised in that the material comprising the carcass is plastic.