US3084407A - Cigarette pack with pocket clip - Google Patents

Description

IOM'

W. R. SETTLESl CIGARETTE PACK WITH POCKET CLIP Filed March 18, 1960 April 9, 1963 UNIL-M2 JNVENTOR.

WILLIAM R. SETTLES BY ww & may

United States Patent 3,084,407 CIGARETTE PACK WITH POCKET CLIP William R. Settles, San Diego, Caiit., assigner of thirty percent to Arthur C. Soderman, San Diego, Calif. Filed li/Iar. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 15,981 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 24-3) The present invention relates generally to packaging and more particularly to a cigarette pack with pocket clip.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a cigarette pack having a pocket engaging clip which holds the pack securely in the pocket and prevents loss when a person is bending or in any situation where the pocket is substantially inverted.

Another object 0f this invention is to provide a cigarette pack having a pocket clip which is contained within the wrapping and is exposed for use by the initial opening of the pack, the clip being substantially flat and causing no interference with normal packaging of the packs into cartons.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette pack having a pocket clip which extends longitudinally from the pack, allowing the pack to be inserted fully into the pocket and supported by the pocket itself, rather than suspended at the pocket opening.

A further object of this invention is to provide a pocket clip which is easily made from sheet plastic material, or the like, by a simple stamping operation and can be produced at a minimum of cost.

Finly, it is an object to provide a cigarette pack with a pocket clip of the aforementioned character which is simple and convenient to use and which will give generally eiiicient and durable service.

With these and other objects denitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of a cigarette pack with the pocket clip attached, the outer wrapping being omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, the cigarette container and outer wrapping being indicated in broken line;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the pocket clip;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation view, partially cut away, showing the pack clipped into a pocket; and

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view showing an alternative method of attaching the clip to a cigarette pack.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portionsthrcughout the specication and throughout the views of the drawing.

The clip 10` is a generally rectangular strip of thin sheet material, such as a plastic having reasonable resiliency, the corners of which are rounded or bevelled, as at 12, to eliminate sharp points. Adjacent the top of the clip 10 are two laterally spaced, circular openings 14 from which a pair of longitudinal cuts 16 are made, tangentially to the outside of the openings, to form a clip tongue 18 having a forwardly turned lower lip 20. The side edges 22 of the clip tongue 16 are turned backwardly and the upper ends of said side edges have upwardly projecting pocket engaging points 24 formed by ICC the intersection of the longitudinal cuts with the openings 14.

Adjacent the lower end of the clip 10 are two laterally spaced, circular openings 26 having longitudinal cuts 28 extending upwardly therefrom to form an elongated retaining tongue 30. The cuts 28 are connected to and continuous with the cuts 16, so that the clip tongue 18 and retaining tongue 30 are in opposed relation in the central portion -of the clip `10` between side members 32.

The clip 10 is attached to the paper casing 34 of a conventional pack of cigarettes 36, in which the cigarettes are enclosed in a separate inner wrapper 3S, the whole being enclosed in a transparent outer wrapper 40'. Normally the upper portion of the outer wrapper 40 is Vremoved by means of a tear strip, the structure and operation of which is well known and need not be described in detail. The clip 10 is inserted on the inside of the casing 34 with the clip tongue 18 extending externally over the upper edge of said casing, said clip being held by a retaining loop or strap-like band 42 iixed to the inside of said casing by a suitable adhesive. 'Ihe retaining strip 42 passes under the side members 32 and over the retaining tongue 30 and is adjacent the upper end of said retaining tongue when the clip 10` is fully inserted into casing 34, as in FIGURES l, 2 and 5.

When the outer wrapper 38 is opened, the clip tongue 18 is exposed and the clip lil` is free to slide upwardly to extend above the cigarette pack, but is held against complete removal by the strap-like band 42 over retaining tongue 30. When the cigarette pack 36 is placed in a pocket, indicated in section at 44 in FIGURE 6, the clip tongue 1S extends externally over the upper edge of the pocket, the lip 2i) facilitating the engagement. When the clip tongue 18 is fully extended over the pocket 44, the points 24 engage the material of the pocket and prevent inadvertent removal until the clip tongue is lifted upwardly and outwardly to disengage said points. In the pocket, the cigarette pack 36 rests on the bottom of the pocket and is supported thereby rather than being suspended from the clip 10, the depth of a normal pocket being insuicient to require full extension of the clip.

As an alternative, the clip 10 may be attached to a cigarette pack 46 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 7, in which a pair of spaced horizontal slits 48 are made in the pack to separate a small retaining loop or straplike band 50, through which the retaining tongue 30 is inserted externally of the pack. Thus the clip 10 is attached to the outside of the pack 46 and is enclosed by the outer wrapper 52, the operation and use of the clip being as described above. This latter arrangement is more suitable for box type packs having hinged lids, in which internally mounted clips would be impractical.

With either arrangement, the cigarette pack is held securely in the pocket while the user is bending over or engaging in any activity which might normally displace the pack. When required, the pack is easily removed from the pocket by lifting upwardly and outwardly on the clip tongue 18.

While primarily intended for use with cigarette packs, the clip is adaptable to other pocket carried packages, such as medication, business card packs, or check books to mention but a few. In addition, the clip may be used to hold a package in an interior pocket of a purse, or the like as well as in a pocket of a garment.

The operation of this invention will be clearly cornprehended from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the drawing and the above recited objects. It will be obvious that all said objects are amply achieved by this invention.

It is understood that minor variation from the form of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

A package engaging clip comprising an elongated stripl of resilient sheet material having an elongated central recess extending longitudinally of the strip;

a pocket edge' engaging clip and a package engaging tongue extending substantially coplanarly Within said recess toward each other from those portions of the clip at the ends of said recess;

thefree edges of said clip and tongue being spaced from each other a distance sufficient to permit engagement of the tongue with a strap-like band of material on said package;

said free edges of the/clip and tongue being spaced closely adjacent each other so that material caught between the longitudinal edges of said strip and said pocket edge engaging clip Will prevent inadvertent disengagement of said strap-like band of material from said tongue.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Klein Aug. 27, Krom Dec. 3l, Taylor Feb. 12, Victoi- June 1l, Larner July 2.8, Pence Mar. 8, Rakauskas Dec. 14, Ogden Sept. 18, Hubbard Sept. 9, Gobble Oct. 8, Fauteux Ian. 7, Tamarin Feb. 4, Lee Feb. 25,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Sept. l,

1912 191s 1929 1929 1931 1932 1937 1951 1952 19,57 195s 195s 195s

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