US3161288A

US3161288A - Expansible receptacle

Info

Publication number: US3161288A
Application number: US284131A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth E Wagner
Original assignee: VICTOR WAGNER AND SON Inc
Current assignee: VICTOR WAGNER AND SON Inc
Priority date: 1963-05-29
Filing date: 1963-05-29
Publication date: 1964-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-15

Description

Dec. 15, 1964 K. E. WAGNER EXPANSIBLE RECEPTACLE 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed May 29, 1963 INVENTOR. KENNETH E.\/\/A@NER ATTORNEYS Dec. 15, 1964 K. E. WAGNER 3,161,288

EXPANSIBLE RECEPTACLE Filed May 29, 196s 2 sheets-sheet 2 /5 Z7 fe zo 4Z 4. Z7 2/ /Z H515 6/0 fw. s. 56

I /EUy/ E 7E INVENTOR. KENNETH E. WAGNER AT TO RN EY.

United States Patent Oiice 3, l l ,283 Patented Dec. l5, 1964 3,161,233 EXPANSELE REQEFACLE Kenneth Wagner, Williamsville, FLY., assigner to Victor Wagner le Son, inc., Brutale, NSY. Filed May 29, 1963, Ser. No. 284,131 Z Claims. (Qi. 26d-45.31)

This invention relates to packaging devices and particularly to paperboard receptacles having transparent film portions for displaying the packaged articles.

The receptacles or packaging devices of the present invention may be used in a wide variety of packaging applications as in stores where moderately small threedimensional objects or articles are kept on counters for selt` service or on pegs extending from a wall or a bracket. in some instances articles of this type are packaged by the manufacturer or wholesaler by placing the articles upon a paperboard backer and stretching a piece of transparent plastic film over the article and bonding the iilm at its edges to the paperboard backer.

This type of package ordinarily requires special packaging equipment. The devices of the present invention may serve a similar purpose but have the distinct advantage that it is merely necessary to insert an article in the receptacle whereby the packages may be employed by retailers or others without special packaging methods or any requirement for special packaging equipment.

Furthermore, the packages of the present invention have expansible transparent window portions whereby miscellaneous articles of various sizes and shapes may be packaged in a receptacle of a given size. This versatility of the package is an important attribute attendant upon its use and the arrangement is such that the transparent film portion of the package expands automatically to the degree required to house a particular article or articles. The operation and manner of use of the receptacles of the present invention will be best understood rom a consideration of the representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following detailed specification.

It is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments thus disclosed herein are for the purpose or" illustrating the principles of the present invention and that the scope thereof is not limited to these typical embodiments nor otherwise than as deiined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view or a paperboard blank with a transparent lilm sheet adhered thereto in the process of fabricating one form of the package or receptacle of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package or receptacle formed from the blank illustrated in FIG. 1;

FlG. 3 is a cross sectional View approximately on the line lll-Ill of FIG. 2;

FG. 4 is a cross sectional view similar to FEG. 3 but showing the receptacle in a condition of use; and

FiG. 5 is an elevational view of a paperboard blank with a transparent film sheet adhered thereto preparatory to fabricating a modiiid form the receptacle or package of the present invention.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings and, referring first to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the numeral in FIG. 1 designates generally a rectangular paperboard blank comprising a pair of

rectangular panel portions

11 and 12 joined by a score or fold line 13. A pair of tab portions 1S and 16 extend along the opposite edges of panel 11, being connected thereto by score lines designated 1'7 and 18, respectively. A similar pair of tab portions 2li and 21 extend along the opposite side edges of panel 12, likewise connected to the panel portion by score lines designated 2?. and 23.

ln the present embodiment each of the

panel portions

11 and 12 has a rectangular window opening formed therein as at 25' and 26, respectively. A single rectangular sheet of transparent plastic lm designated 27 is placed against and secured to the upper surface of the blank 1li as viewed in FIG. 1, this surface comprising the inner surfaces of the receptacle or package in its iinished state.

The areas or lines along which the plastic lrn 27 is adhered to the paperboard blank is important in producing the novel package or receptacle portion of the present invention. In FIG. l the elongated stippled areas represent the glue lines which will now be dscribed. As viewed in FIG. 1,

Vertical glue lines

30 and 31 secure the opposite side edges of the upper portion of film 27 to the tabs 1S and 16 of panel 11 and

glue lines

33 and 34 secure the opposite side edges of the lower portion of film 2'7 to the

tabs

20 and 21 of panel 12.

A horizontal glue line 35 secures the upper edge of iilm 27 to the upper portion of panel 11 and it will be noted that glue line 35 is the only adherence of film 2'7 to the upper panel 11 and the glue lines 3l) and 31 on the tabs 15 and 1d are the only other lines of adherence of the upper portion of iilrn 27 to the paperboard blank. In addition to the foregoing, the lower portion of lm 27 is, in the present embodiment, adhered to panel 12. entirely around the window opening 2d by

glue lines

37, 33, 39 and 4i.

The manner in which the foregoing blank structure is folded and glued to complete the fabrication of a package or receptacle in accordance with one form of the present invention will now be described. First the several laterally disposed

tabs

15, 16, 2li and 21 are all folded inwardly on the score lines 17, 1S, 2.2 and 23 to overlie the upper marginal portions of the panels 11. and 12. The iilm 27 also folds with the paperboard blank 19 along the

score lines

17, 18, 22 and 23.

At this time glue or other adhesive is applied to the then uppermost surfaces of the

tabs

15 and 16 or the tabs 2li and 21. Then the upper panel 11, with its tabs 1S and 16 thus folded inwardly is folded over the top of panel 12 on the score line 13 so that such tabs come into juxtaposition with the tabs 2li and 21 and become adhesively attached thereto. The respective relationship of the parts is then as clearly illustrated in the transverse cross sectional View, FlG. 3, and in FIG. 2.

it will be noted that the upper window part of ilm 227 as viewed in FIG. 3 (the lower part in FGS. l and 2) is secured to panel 12 all around the window opening 26 so that it is relatively tautly secured across such opening. However, the lower part of film 27 in FIG. 3 (the upper part in FGS. 1 and 2) is secured along its side edges only to the

tabs

15 and 16 along the glue lines 3l) and 31. Accordingly, when a three dimensional object such as is indicated diagrammatically in dot and dash lines at 42 in FiG. 4 is inserted in the package or receptacle, the film 27 is free to move outwardly through the window opening 25 as indicated at the lower side of FIG. 4.

in assuming this distended position the film 27 is withdrawn from its position in the deepest part of the space between panel 11 and

tabs

15 and 16 as clearly indicated, in FIG. 4. Such withdrawal will be greater or less in degree depending on the size of the object 42 but will in any event be limited to approximately the condition shown in FIG. 4 where further withdrawal is limited by glue lines 3@ and 31.

A similar withdrawing movement may take place at the innermost or deepest part of the receptacle, the lilm Z7 withdrawing from between the panels lll and 12 adjacent to the score line 13 until such withdrawing movement is Y limited by the glue line 37. However, at the side adjacent to the opening or mouth of the receptacle no such withdrawing movement takes place since iilrn 27 is attached to panel'll directly adjacent to window opening 25 along glue line 35.

Perforations 43 at the open end of the receptacle may be employed in suspending the same as by placing the perforations over a rod projecting horizontally from `a wall, as in retail display and merchandising operations. The perforations 43 may also Ibe used to receive fasteners to close the open end of the package.

From the foregoing it will be noted that in the em'- bodiment just described the expansiole `feature of the transparent film of the present invention is limited to the iilm associated with the window opening 25 and that the iilm which extends across the window opening 26 is non-functional in this regard. Certain plastic films which may be employed in the present invention, for yinstance polyethylene or polypropylene, have a considerable ability to stretch and therefore a certain amount of expansion in FIG. 4, as for instance by running the packages throughk a heat tunnel, to cause the ilm to lie closely about or against the article or articles in the package.

The embodiment illustrated in blank form in FIG. 5 l

is substantially the same as that of the embodiment of FIGS. l through 4, the principal difference being that only one window is employed, the one through which the plastic film is arranged to expand, and the opposed panels are joined along theirside edges rather than along their end edges. In FlG. 5 a paperboard blank is designated generally by the numeral 50 and includes panel portions 51 and 52' joinedalong a score line 53.

Panel 51 has a tab 55 extending along its side edge opposite to the side where it joins with panel 52 andalso has a tab 56 along one end edge such end forming the bottom edge of the receptacle.

In FIG. 5 a sheet of transparent plastic film is designated 5S and is placed over a window opening 59 in panel 51. In this embodiment the plastic til-m 58 is secured to the paperboard blank along a glue line 60 which extends along tab 55, a glue line 61 on panel 52, a glue line 62 extending along tab S6, yand a glue line 63 on panel S1 which is adjacent to the upper or open end of the iinished receptacle.

In fabricating the foregoing blank structure into a container the

tabs

55 and 56 are folded over the upper surface of panel 51 as viewed in FIG. 5, adhesive material is applied to the lthen uppermost surface of tabsSS and 56,

' and panel 52 is then folded over panel 51 to engage the adhesive surface of tabs 55 and S6 to complete the receptacle.

It will be noted that here again the bottom and two side edges of the plastic film 58 may -be distended through the window opening 59 when a three-dimensional object is placed in the package due to the location of the glue lines 60, 6l and 62, the operation being identical with Vthat described previously herein in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 4.

I claim:

1. A receptacle comprising a pair of juxtaposed generally rectangular paperboard panels joined at three marginal edges and disjoined at the fourth edge to form an envelope, a window opening in one of said panels, a ilexible transparent lm adhesively secured to the interior of said envelope along lines disposed outwardly ofl said window opening, at least one of said adhesive lines being between said film and the other of said panels, said ilm extending outwardly from said last mentioned adhesive line Vtoward theouter edge of the envelope thence inwardly across said window opening to provide an unadhered return bent portion outwardly of said last mentioned adhesive line whereby insertion of a three dimensional object in said envelopepresses outwardly against said lm in the window area and withdraws said return bent portion to permit said film to be bulged outwardly through said window opening to accommodate said article.

2. A receptacle comprising a pair of juxtaposed generally rectangular paperboard panels joined at three marginal edges and disjoined at the fourth edge tol form an envelope, awindow opening in one of said panels, a flexible transparent film adhesively secured to the interior of said envelope along lines disposed at opposite sides of said window opening, said adhesive lines being between said iilm and the other of saidpanels, said film extending outwardly from saidV adhesive lines toward the outer edges of the envelope thence inwardly across said window opening to provideunadhered return bent portions outwardly of said adhesive lines whereby insertion of a three dimensional object in saidrenvelope presses outwardly against said film in the window area and withdraws said return bent portions to permit said iilm to be bulged outwardly tilirough said window opening to accommodate said artic e.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED VSTATES PATENTS 2,491,423 12/ 49 Snydery 206-46 2,761,614 9/56 ZinserV 206-46 2,796,979 6/57 Buttery -e 20G-45.31 2,971,641 2/61 Griem Q. 206-46 2,974,854 3/61 Moore VV 206-4531 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A RECEPTACLE COMPRISING A PAIR OF JUXTAPOSED GENERALLY RECTANGULAR PAPERBOARD PANELS JOINED AT THREE MARGINAL EDGES AND DISJOINED AT THE FOURTH EDGE TO FORM AN ENVELOPE, A WINDOW OPENING IN ONE OF SAID PANELS, A FLEXIBLE TRANSPARENT FILM ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENVELOPE ALONG LINES DISPOSED OUTWARDLY OF SAID WINDOW OPENING, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ADHESIVE LINES BEING BETWEEN SAID FILM AND THE OTHER OF SAID PANELS, SAID FILM EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID LAST MENTIONED ADHESIVE