GB2242180A - Ticket or label holder for container - Google Patents

Abstract

A ticket holder assembly has a base such as a plastics container wall 2 on a panel 3 of which a ticket 8 is to be displayed. A U-shaped clip 13 retains the ticket on the panel 3 and has legs 14, a foot 16 and a barbed detent 17. The clip is received within a slot 10 in a flange 6 of the container wall so that the detent 17 snap engages in a slot 11 on the flange 6. The aforementioned snap engagement holds the clip to the container wall with the foot 16 based to abut that wall and the abutment provides a reaction through a seating of the clip in the flange 6 to bias the legs 14 into abutment with the panel whereby the ticket 8 can be removably retained on the panel beneath the legs 14. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE "A ticket holder assembly" TECHNICAL FIELD & BACKGROUND ART The present invention relates to a ticket holder assembly, more Particularly it relates to an assembly by which a ticket, label or similar sheet material mav be removably retained for display, for example on a side or lid wall Part of a container. The invention was Drimarilv developed for use with plastics moulded containers and conventionally manv such containers have ticket holders in the form of intearallv moulded pockets or recesses within which the ticket is received for disDlav purposes.

Occasionallv the ticket is retained within the recess beneath a protective transparent sheet. While these holders have been in service for many years, experience has shown that the ticket is often inadeauately retained and becomes dislodaed durina handlina of the container. It is an object of the present invention to provide a ticket holder assembly which alleviates the aforementioned disadvantaae so that the ticket can be firmly retained and displayed and which assembly is of a relativelv simPle structure which lends itself to economic manufacture.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION & ADVANTAGES Accordina to the present invention there is provided a ticket holder assemblv comprisina a base on which a ticket is to be displayed; a clip havina lea means and foot means: retaininq means co-operatina between the clit and the base to hold the cliP to the base and comprisina a seatina on the base with which the clip enaaaes between its lea means and foot means, and wherein said co-operation of the retaininq means Provides a reaction which biases the foot means into abutment with the base and biases the lea means of the clip into abutment with the base so that a ticket can be removably retained between the base and the lea means.

Bv the present invention it is Dreferred that the cooperation between the base and a portion of clip which includes the foot means will provide a reaction throuah the seatina on the base which aPPlies a couple to the clip to bias the lea means, extendina in cantilevered manner from the seatina, into abutment with the base. Conseauentlv the aforementioned biasing of the lea means toaether with the resilience of the material from which the clip is formed may firmly retain a ticket or label on the base beneath the lea means. Usually the base will be cut-away or recessed to Provide a convenient access for insertina the ticket into the holder beneath the lea means or for removina the ticket from the holder.

Preferably the retainina means comprises snaP enaaaina co-operation between a portion of the clip and the base durinq fittina of the clin to the base. As the snap enaaaement is effected, the foot means may move into abutment with the base or into enaaaement with recess means in the base to provide the required biasina characteristics.

The seatina preferably comprises a slot, conveniently formed in a flanae on the base, and throuah which slot the clip extends for its foot means to be disposed on one side and its lea means to be disposed on the opposite side of the slot.

The clip will usually comprise a substantially U-shape havina two leas beneath which the ticket is to be retained whil the foot means is located on the bridaina Portion of the U-shaPe which interconnects the less. Typically, the cliP will have a aenerally doa-lea shaDe in section over the transition reaion between its foot means and lea means to provide, toaether with the resilience of the material from which it is formed, the reauired biasina characteristics when fitted to the base. Desirably the lea or leas of the lea means are aenerallv flat to be biased into face-to-face contact with a substantially flat facia part of the base on which facia Part a ticket is to be displayed.

The assembly of the Present invention was Primarily developed for manufacture with plastics moulded components: it will be appreciated however that the components may be of a material other than plastics - for example the cliP may be formed as a stamPina in sheet metal for snap enaacement with a plastics moulded base.

DRAWINGS Embodiments of a ticket holder assembly constructed in accordance with the Present invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanyina illustrative drawinas in which: Fiaure 1 shows the base of a first embodiment of the assembly in the form of a plastics moulded container (of which a relevant side wall part only has been shown): Fiaure 2 is a section on the line A - A of Fiaure 1; Fiaure 3 is a section on the line B - B of Fiaure 1: Fiaure 4 is a olan view of the clip for the first embodiment of the assembly; Fiaure 5 is a side view of the clip shown in Fiaure 4: Fiaure 6 is a section of the base taken on the line C - C of Fiqure 1 and illustrates the clip fitted thereto for the first embodiment of the assembly:: Fiaure 7 is a similar section to that shown in Fiaure 6 and illustrates a second embodiment of the assembly, and Fiaure 8 is a similar section to that shown in Fiaure 6 and illustrates a third embodiment of the assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The base 1 shown in Fiaure 1 comprises a Plastics moulded open topped container on an upstandina side wall 2 of which the ticket holder assembly is located. On the upper part of the side wall 2 and externallv of the container is moulded a generally rectanaular and flat facia panel 3 formed within a recess presented bv opposed side flanges 4 and 5 and opposed end flanaes 6 and 7 of the wall 2. A flat ticket, label or card indicated at 8 is intended to be located and retained on the facia panel 3.

The end flanae 7 stops short of the side flanae 5 (or is effectively cut away) to Drovide an opening 9 which presents an access for convenience of manoeuvrina the ticket manually durina its location on or removal from the facia panel 3.

Located in the end flange 6 adjacent to the facia panel 3 is a slotted aPerture 10 (see Fiaure 6) which extends longitudinally substantially between the side flanqes 4 and 5. Moulded in the container 1 to extend parallel with the flanqe 6 and between the side flanges 4 and 5 is a clip retaininq bar 6A. The bar 6A is sPaced from the flanae 6 on the side of that flanae remote from the panel 3 to provide a slotted aperture 11 between itself and the flanae 6 and a slotted opening 12 between itself and the container wall 2.

The clip 13 for the ticket holder assembly is formed as a plastics moulding and has a aenerallv U-shape (see Figure 4) to present two parallel leas 14 interconnected by a britains portion 15. The clip has a generally thin sheet-like structure (as will be seen from the side view of Fiaure 5) and is moulded so that the leas 14 are Dredominantly flat and coplanar while the bridging portion 15 has a generally doq-les profile in section (see Fiaure 5) to present a foot sart 16 and a retaininq part 17 disposed between the foot part and the leas. The retainina part 17 is in the form of a barbed rib or detent which conveniently extends over the length of the bridging portion 15.

The holder is assembled as shown in Fiaure 6 by inserting the clip 13 with the leas 14 leading successively through the openinq 12 (beneath the bar 6A) and throuah the slot 10 lin the end flanae 6) so that the leas 14 overlie the facia panel 3. Durina such fittina of the clip the foot part 16 abuts the side wall 2 of the container (conveniently at a corner 2A of that side wall) and the barbed detent snap engages in the slotted aperture 11 and over a shoulder presented by the bar 6A so that the cliP is firmly retained on the container and restrained from displacement loncitudinally of its less 14 in either sense of direction.The abutment between the foot part 16 and the side wall 2 biases the clip in a sense to effect the aforementioned snat engagement and also to urae the clip into abutment with the end flange 6 within a seating Presented by the slot 10 in which the cliP is received.

The aforementioned abutment of the foot Part 16 and the reaction of the clip aaainst its seatina in the flanqe 6 results in a couple beina applied to the clip in a sense which causes the leas 14 to be biased into face-to-face contact with the facia panel 3. This biasing of the legs 14 together with the natural resilience of the plastics for the clip serves to firmlv retain the ticket 8 which is slidably located under the leas 14 and on the facia panel to be displayed between those leos. The free ends 14A of the leas are conveniently chamfered or otherwise profiled to provide a lead-in surface to facilitate insertion of the ticket 8 into the holder.

The embodiments of the ticket holder assemblies shown in Figures 7 and 8 are similar in many respects to that shown in Fiaure 6 (as will be apparent from a comParison of the drawings and references) and as such will not be discussed in detail.

In the assembly of Fiaure 7 the clip 13 is inserted, with its less 14 leadinq, throuah the slot 10 for the less 14 to overlie the facia Panel 3. During such insertion the distal end 16A of the clip foot part 16 abuts a chamfered face 20 of a rib 21 on the side wall 2 and moves over this face 20 to engage in a rebate or recess 22 havina a shoulder Dresented by the rib 21. Prior to the end 16A of the foot Part enaaging with the rebate 22, a stot 23 on the clit 14 remote from its end 16A abuts the side wall flanae 6.Because of this latter abutment the material of the cliP has to be flexed so that the distal end 16A snaP engages behind the shoulder presented by the rib 21 in the rebate 22. The chamfered face 20 provides a convenient lead-in to this snaP enaaaement. The clip 13 is thus firmly retained on the side wall and is restrained from displacement on the side wall longitudinally of its leas in one sense of direction by abutment of the foot Part 16 with the rib 21 and in the opposite sense of direction bv abutment of the stop 23 with the flanae 6.Furthermore, the flexina of the foot tart 16 to effect the snap enaaaement as aforementioned and the subsequent stress to which the clip is subjected between its end 16A and the stoD 23, results in a reaction which biases the clip into engagement with its seatina in the slot 10 of the flanae 6 and also causes the leas 14 to be biased towards the facia Panel 3 for retention of the ticket 8.

The clip 13 in the embodiment of Fiaure 8 does not include the stot 23 as shown in Fiaure 7 and durina fittina of the clip throuah the slot 10 in the flanae 6 of Fiaure 8, the clip end 16A moves over the chamfered rib 21 to engage in a aroove 24 of the side wall 2 formed between the rib 21 and an adjacent rib 25. The engagement of the clip end 16A in the aroove 24 restrains the clip from displacement relative to the side wall 2 lonaitudinally of its leas 14 in both senses of direction.Furthermore the clit 13 in Figure 8 is profiled so that during its fittings as aforementioned the less 14 abut and slide over the facia Panel 3 to impart stress in the clit so that the resilience of the material of the clit causes a reaction through the seating in the flange slot 10 to effect in snaP enaaaement between the clip end 16A and the qroove 24. Following such snaP enqaaement the stress in the material of the clip is partially retained so that the reaction of the abutment of the clip end 16A in the groove 24, of the clip leos 14 with the Panel 3 and of the clip with its seating in the flanae 6 firmly retains the clip on the side wall 2. It will be appreciated that in achieving such retention of the clip the less 14 are biased into face-to-face abutment with the facia panel 3 to retain the ticket 8.

Claims (17)

1. A ticket holder assembly comprising a base on which a ticket is to be displayed; a clip having leg means and foot means; retaining means co-operating between the clip and the base to hold the clip to the base and comprising a seatina on the base with which the clip engages between its leq means and foot means, and wherein said co-operation of the retraining means provides a reaction which biases the foot means into abutment with the base and biases the lea means of the clip into abutment with the base so that a ticket can be removably retained between the base and the leq means.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the retainina means comprises snat enaaaina co-oPeration between the base and a portion of the clip during fittina of the clip to the base.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which said snaP engaging co-operation is provided between a barbed detent and recess means disposed between the foot means and the les means.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 in which the barbed detent is provided on the clip and the recess means is provided in the base.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the retaining means comprises a distal end of the foot means co-operating with recess means in the base to provide a reaction throuah the clip between said distal end and the seatinq which biases the leq means into abutment with the base.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 in which the distal end of the foot means engages in a aroove in the base to restrain displacement of the clip relative to the seating.

7. An assembly as claimed in either claim 5 or claim 6 in which the co-operation of the distal end of the foot means with the recess means in the base restrains disDlacement of the clip relative to the seatina in one sense of direction and wherein stop means is provided that reacts between the clip and the base at a position on the clip remote from said distal end and which stop means restrains said displacement of the cliP in the opposite sense of direction.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7 in which the stoP means comprises a projection on the clip which abuts the base adjacent to the seating.

9. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the seating comprises slot means in the base and throuah which slot means the clip extends for the foot means to be disposed on one side and the leq means to be disposed on the opposite side of the slot means.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9 in which the slot means is located in a flanae on the base.

11. An assembly as claimed in any one of the precedina claims in which the clip comPrises a substantially U-shaPe havinq two leas beneath which the ticket is to be retained and said foot means is located on a bridging portion of the clip which interconnects the leas.

12. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the clip has substantially flat lea means which are biased into face-to-face contact with a substantially flat facia part of the base and on which facia Part the ticket is t6 be displayed.

13. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the clip is moulded in plastics.

14. An assembly as claimed in any one of the Precedinq claims in which the base comprises a plastics moulded container.

15. A ticket holder assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Fiaures 1 to 6 of the accompanying illustrative drawings.

16. A ticket holder assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 7 of the accompanying illustrative drawinas.

17. A ticket holder assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Fiaure 8 of the accompanying illustrative drawings.