US3133662A

US3133662A - Container

Info

Publication number: US3133662A
Application number: US159059A
Authority: US
Inventors: Seidler David
Original assignee: Chesebrough Ponds Inc
Current assignee: Chesebrough Ponds Inc
Priority date: 1961-12-13
Filing date: 1961-12-13
Publication date: 1964-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-19

Description

May 19, 1964 D. SEIDLER 3,133,662

, CQNTAINER FileciDec. 13,1961 2Sheets-Sheet2 F MG. 3

INVENTOR. DAVID SEIDLER ATTO R N EYS United States Patent 3,133,662 CONTAINER David Seitller, Forest Hills, N.Y., assignor to thesebrough-Ponds, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 159,059 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-42 This invention relates to a container, and more particularly, to a container having a novel configuration which may be easily and inexpensively fabricated, and conveniently manipulated during processing and use.

Present day merchandising practice emphasizes the display and selling of goods and materials in attractive packages and containers. Frequently, however, the criteria for aesthetic appeal do not adequately satisfy the economic requirements imposed by fabrication techniques, packaging processes, the merchandising display racks or shelves, or storage facilities of the ultimate consumer. This is especially so with respect to containers for medicinal and cosmetic preparations whose sales, on the one hand, are frequently enhanced by attractive containers of varying size and configuration, but which, on the other hand, must be displayed and sold from a limited space, and stored in a restricted space as a medicine cabinet.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a container having an attractive'appearance, and which may be inexpensively manufactured, conveniently and easily handled during placement of material into the container, displayed at the point of sale, and manipulated during use by the consumer.

It is another object of this invention to provide a con tainer having a generally elliptical circumferential configuration, and having substantially flat, non-curved surfaces, whereby the container may be conveniently handled during processing operations, neatly stored on shelves in contact with other similar or dissimilar containers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a container having a cover portion which may be easily removed from the body portion thereof, while at the same time capable of forming a susbtantially fluid tight seal with the body portion when the cover is in place.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a compact container which may be stacked with other similar containers, one on top of another. 7

Other objects, features and advantages will become obvious to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of an illustrative embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the overall configuration of the container with the cover in place;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the body portion of the container, in section, taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1 through the major elliptical axis of the container;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the body portion of the container, in section, taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 through the minor elliptical axis of the container;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the body portion of the container;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view, in section, of the cover of the container illustrated in FIGURE 1, taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1 through the major elliptical axis of the container;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in section, of a portion of the cover, shown in FIGURE 5, to illustrate the cover sealing means; and

FIGURE 7 is a view illustrating the base of one container according to this invention in superimposed, stacked relation with the cover of a similar container.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the container is comprised of a substantially rigid body portion having a generally elliptical circumference, and a cover portion having a smooth, substantially elliptical circumference. The body portion is provided with a plurality of flat, non-curved surfaces. The cover portion is provided with a raised surface adapted to nest within the base of the body portion of a lower container, when containers, according to this invention, are placed in stacked relation with each other. The container may be readily fabricated, in whole or in part, of any of the well-known moldable plastic materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene. The container is especially designed for storing semisolid, and solid, medicinal and cosmetic preparations, but is, obviously, not limited thereto.

Referring to the drawings, and, more particularly, to FIGURE 1, the container, shown generally at 10, has a cover portion 12, and a body portion 14. Container 10 is, circumferentially, generally elliptical, with curved and planar surfaces alternately, and preferably symmetrically, spaced about the circumference.

As shown in FIGURES l and 2, the container portion has a vertical upstanding lower section 16 formed by the flat surfaces 18 and curved surfaces 20, and an upwardly and outwardly flared upper section, designated generally as 22, formed by the flat surfaces 24 and curved surface 26. The lower wall section 16 extends upwardly and is of uniform thickness. The upper flared section, which begins at 11, a point slightly above the vertical midpoint of the circumferential wall, increases in thickness as the flared section extends upwardly toward the open end of the body portion except for the fiat surfaces 24, and is of a greater thickness at all points than the lower section. The transition from the lower section to the upper flared section is preferably smooth, such that at line 11, there is no sharp break even where the flat surfaces 18 merge with the flared section.

The thickened flared upper section of the wall serves to enhance the appearance of the container, and to strengthen the container for better supporting vertical loads such as those imposed by stacking the containers,

more fully described below. It should be understood that the flared, thickened section extends continuously and.

ing smoothly into the upper flared section 22, as well as.

7 :into the adjacent curved surfaces 20 of the lower body portion 16.

The flat or planar surfaces 24 are also generally rectangular in shape and are located in the upper flared section 22. Surfaces 24 extend downwardly from a shoulder 36 to a point above 11, and merge smoothly into curved surface 26, at the vertical and lower, horizontal, legs of the rectangle. Referring to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that, in the preferred embodiment, the flat surfaces are arranged symmetrically about the circumference of the body portion. Here, particularly, the flat surfaces are arranged symmetrically with respect to the points where the major and minor elliptical axes terminate at the exterior circumferential surface of the body portion.

The upper end of the flared section 22 terminates in shoulder 36 defining a neck 28 of the cotnainer body. The wall thickness of the container at the neck 28 may be selected such that the shoulder 36 is of sufiicient width to adequately accommodate the mating cover 12 and form a smooth surface at the joint.

Body 14 is provided with a concave base 38 which may be integrally molded with the wall of the body. A shoulder 32 is formed inwardly of the outer surface of the wall near the point where base 38 joins the wall. Extending downwardly from shoulder 32 is support means 34. Support means 34 may be a continuous bead conforming generally to the circumferential configuration of the body 14, or may include spaced apart legs arranged along a path conforming generally to the circumferential configuration of the body.

The cover 12 (see FIGURES and 6) is formed with a top planar surface 40, and is provided with a skirt 44. The top surface 40 slopes downwardly at its ends, as at 43, forming a shelf 42. Consequently, top planar surface 40 is spaced above the plane in which shelf 42 lies. Skirt 44 has a smooth, substantially elliptical c rcumference corresponding to the curved surface 26 of the flared upper sections 22 of the body. The internal surface 46 of skirt 44 is also preferably elliptical, conforms to the external surface of the neck 28, and is dimensioned such that the inner surface 46 cooperates with neck 28 to provide a fluid tight seal. The thickness of the skirt is preferably dimensioned to conform to shoulder 36 for providing a smooth joint between the cover 12 and body 14. It may be readily seen that when the cover is in place, the elliptical contour of the cover will conform to, and correspond with, the curved surface 26 of the upper flared section 22, to present a neat and attractive appearance.

Within the cover 12 and extending downwardly from shelf 42 is a continuous bead 4S. Bead 48 is spaced from the internal surface 46 of the skirt 44, with the spacing conforming to the wall thickness of neck 28. When the cover is placed over the body 14, the upper end of neck 28 will fit snugly in space 513, with the inner surface as of the skirt 44 and the outer surface 52 of head 4-8 snugly fitting on either side of the neck 28, serving to locate the cover properly on the neck 28 of the container body, and insuring a fluid tight seal.

The cooperating structure of the base of body 14 and the cover surfaces during stacking of containers according to this invention is illustrated in FIGURE 7. The top surface 40,, is that of a cover 12,,, for example, of the lowermost container in a stack. Top 40,, nests within the concave portion formed by base 38,, of body portion 14 of the next succeeding container placed in stacked relation to the lowermost container. The supporting means 34,, abuts against the sloping surfaces 43 of cover 46,, and rests upon shelf 42,. Consequently, the containers may be firmly stacked, one above the other, and will resist dislodgement.

The fiat surfaces formed at the end of the major and minor axes serve utilitarian functions in addition to enhancing the appearance of the container. For example, the flat surfaces is readily and easily accommodate suitable labels and provide a surface upon which the labels may be conveniently attached either by hand or by machine. Flat surfaces 24- permit ready removal of the cover by exposing the lower edge of skirt 44 whereby a thumbnail or tool, such as a coin, may be used to lift the cover from the container.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to a specific embodiment, the same is not to be construed as in any way limiting the invention. Reference is, therefore, to be had solely to the appended claims for the purpose of determining the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A container of the character described, comprising, in combination: a body having a neck and an open end; a cover for said body; said body also having a base, a continuous wall extending upwardly from said base and forming at its upper end said neck and said open end; said continuous wall having a generally elliptical external circumference and including a lower section and an upper section interposed between said base and neck, said upper section being of a greater thickness than said lower section, and said upper section flaring upwardly and outwardly; said lower section having substantially planar surfaces spaced symmetrically about the circumference of said lower section and said upper flared section also having substantially planar surfaces spaced symmetrically about the circumference of said upper section; and said cover having a smooth, substantially elliptical, outer circuinference.

2. A container of the character described in claim 1, in which, said base of said body is concave and extends inwardly of said body and has a circumferential bead extending downwardly of said body, and said cover has a raised planar top surface dimensioned to mate with and nest in the concave base of a like body placed in superimposed stacked relation to the cover of a like body with the head on the base of the upper body encircling the raised top surface of a lower cover and resting on said lower cover.

3. A container of the character described in claim 1, in which said lower section has a pair of planar surfaces located in opposed relation to each other, and said upper flared section also has a pair of planar surfaces located in opposed relation to each other, said pair of planar surfaces in said upper flared section oriented substantially from said opposed pair of planar surfaces in said lower section. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,412,325 Devine Dec. 10, 1946 2,717,728 Gray Sept. 13, 1955 2,727,547 Moon Dec. 20, 1955 2,978,142 Novick Apr. 4, 1961 3,032,939 Andersen May 8, 1962

Claims

1. A CONTAINER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A BODY HAVING A NECK AND AN OPEN END; A COVER FOR SAID BODY; SAID BODY ALSO HAVING A BASE, A CONTINUOUS WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE AND FORMING AT ITS UPPER END SAID NECK AND SAID OPEN END; SAID CONTINUOUS WALL HAVING A GENERALLY ELLIPTICAL EXTERNAL CIRCUMFERENCE AND INCLUDING A LOWER SECTION AND AN UPPER SECTION INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID BASE AND NECK, SAID UPPER SECTION BEING OF A GREATER THICKNESS THAN SAID LOWER SECTION, AND SAID UPPER SECTION FLARING UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY; SAID LOWER SECTION HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR SURFACES SPACED SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID LOWER SECTION AND SAID UPPER FLARED SECTION ALSO HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR SURFACES SPACED SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID UPPER SECTION; AND SAID COVER HAVING A SMOOTH, SUBSTANTIALLY ELLIPTICAL, OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE.