US3315796A - Plastic box - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1967 H. DREYFUSS PLASTIC BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1965 April 25, 1967 H. DREYFUSS PLASTIC BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1965 A ril 25, 1967 Filed June 21, 1965 H. DREYFUSS PLASTIC BOX 3 $heets-$heet 5 United States Patent l 3,315,796 PLASTIC BOX Henry Dreyfuss, South Pasadena, Calif, assignor to Philip Morris Incorporated, New York, N .Y., a corporation of Virginia Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,398 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to containers and refers more particularly to a molded plastic box adapted to hold a safety razor-blade dispenser combination.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a molded plastic box which embodies therein features of simplicity of construction, economy in manufacture, attractiveness in appearance, and durability in use.

Another objective is to provide a molded plastic box which is adapted to conveniently and securely hold a safety razor-blade dispenser combination for display purposes in a store, storage in a home and for traveling.

Another objective is to provide a molded plastic box having a sculpted, aesthetic appearance, and wherein the hinge means connectin the cover and receptacle elements is located unobstrusively within the marginal extremities of the box.

According to the invention, the box comprises a receptacle and a cover therefor with these elements being essentially U-shaped in cross-section and such that the cover element which is hinged at the rear of the receptacle, and which is inverted and oriented 90 with respect to the receptacle will nest therein when the cover is closed. The hinge means utilized comprises pintles integral with the cover element which engage in pintle receiving slots at the rear of the receptacle. These slots are so formed that when the cover is closed, no obstrusive hinge projection extends outwardly of the rear side of the receptacle.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example a preferred embodiment of the inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the box of the present invention with the cover element in a closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the box with the cover element shown in an open position.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational View of the box with the cover closed.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the box as taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on enlarged scale as taken along 55 in FIGURE 3 and illustrates the latching means employed for maintaining the cover element in closed position.

FIGURE 6 is the same as FIGURE 5 except that the cover is slightly ajar of its fully closed position.

FIGURE 7 is a rear elevational view of the box illustrating the hinge means used for connecting the receptacle and cover elements, a portion of the receptacle floor being broken away to illustrate details of the hinge elements.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating in detail the hinge means employed for connecting the cover and receptacle elements, the cover being in an open position.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view as taken along the line 99 in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view as taken along the line 1tl10 in FIGURE 1.

Throughout the description, like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the box 10 comprises a receptacle 12 and a cover 14 which is hingedly connected to the rear of the receptacle 12. The receptacle 12 as seen has an elongated floor 16 and upstanding end walls 18 and 20, with the end walls preferably being molded integrally with the floor 16 and each having inner surfaces 22 which slope upwardly and outwardly longitudinally of the floor. In a transverse direction, the end walls also taper inwardly from bottom to top as shown and aid in giving the box a sculpted, streamlined contour. As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the front and rear surfaces of the receptacle extend longitudinally a short distance beyond the end walls to form skirts 24 which, in addition to being of a decorative character for enhancing the aesthetic qualities of the box, may serve as supporting members if it is desired to display the box upright on an end. To further add to the appearance of the box, the receptacle 12 and cover 14 are made in contrasting colors. In particular, the receptacle 12 is preferably made of a translucent or opaque plastic material, while on the other hand, the cover 14 is made of clear or transparent plastic material.

A particular embodiment of the box is adapted to serve as a container for a safety razor-blade dispenser set. To that purpose, end wall 18 of the receptacle has a transversely widened, vertically directed slotted recess 26 which supportingly receives the shaving head 28 of safety razor 30 of known type and shown in phantom detail in the drawings. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the bottom or heel of the recess 26 is formed with a horizontal shoulder 32 which terminates at a vertical opening 34 extending through the floor 16. The latter constitutes a drainage hole to permit moisture to exit from the box such as may be present on the safety razor from rinsing same after shaving. Similarly, the other end wall 20 of the receptacle has a smaller slotted recess 36 as seen in FIGURES 4 and 10 wherein is supported the end of the razor handle 38, the recess 36 being rounded at the bottom as at 4%) to locate or position the handle.

The slotted recesses 26 and 36 are as seen in FIGURE 2, positioned somewhat towards the rear half of the receptacle 12 to provide space at the front part thereof for supporting a razor blade dispenser 42, the latter being of a known type for example, a double edge razor blade dispenser and like the razor 30, being shown in phantom detail in the drawings. The latter space is in the form of an elongated slotted opening forming a well 44 generally slightly larger in dimension than the razor blade dispenser package with the well 44 being stepped as at 46 to form therein a shoulder on which the razor blade dispenser is actually supported.

The underside of floor 16 of the receptacle is provided with a pair of transversely extending support feet 48, 50 as seen in FIGURE 4. In addition, the underside of the receptacle floor adjacent the longitudinal ends of well 44 is provided with downwardly directed hook elements 52, 54 which as best seen in FIGURE 7 may be engaged on the tabs 56 of a display card 58 or other support surface, the latter being shown in part section only.

Cover member 14 has an elongated flat top or crown portion 60 at the front and rear of which is connected front and rear downwardly directed sides 62 and 64 respectively as best seen in FIGURE 10. As seen in FIGURE 2, the front side 62 of the cover carries at the bottom integral latch hooks 66, 68 which when the cover is closed, engage in the latching recesses 70, 72 located in front of the well 44 in the receptacle floor 16 for holding the cover in a securely closed position. Front side 62 also is provided with an outwardly projecting boss 74 which defines a section 76 on the wall against which a user applies finger pressure to open the box. The purpose of the latter will be described in detail later on in the description.

An important feature of the box of the present invention is that the cover 14 is connected with the receptacle by hinge means which are located fully within the extremities of the rear of the receptacle so that the hinges do not detract from the overall streamlined appearance of the box. To that end, the rear side of the cover is provided at the bottom with integral lugs 78, which extend outwardly therefrom at an angle and which each carry a lateral pintle 80, the pintle extending symmetrically on either side of the lug. As seen in FIGURE 9, rear side 64 of the cover curves inwardly near the bottom as at 82 to strengthen the wall structure and to obviate interference between the lower edge thereof and the receptacle floor when rotated relative thereto.

The pintles 30 each fit into pintle receiving recesses 84 at the rear of the receptacle floor. As seen in FIGURE 7, the pintle recesses 84 are shaped as an inverted T and open inwardly with entry slots 86 from the rear margin of the receptacle, the latter providing a clearance space wherein the lugs 78 may ride when the cover is swung to an open position. As shown in FIGURE 9, the pintle recesses also open upwardly from the underside of the floor so that the recess has a horizontally widened lower portion 88 which acts as a bearing surface for the pintle. The windened lower portion 88 constitutes the cross bar of the inverted T while the central vertical slotted portion 90 constitutes the staff thereof. The forward or upper front side of each pintle recess is inclined inwardly of the receptacle floor as at 92 to receive the similarly inclined lugs 78 when the cover is closed.

The manner in which the cover 14 is connected to the receptacle 12 is illustrated in FIGURE 9. To make the connection of these elements, the pintles 80 are first positioned below the pintle recesses 84 in the receptacle floor with the pintles in register with the widened lower portion 88 of the recesses. The front lower surface 94 of lower portion 88 is inclined towards the rear of the receptacle so that at the point 96 where it intersects with inclined surface 92, the pintle recess is of slightly lesser dimension than the diameter of the pintle. As the pintle is pulled directly upwardly in the pintle recess, it will spread the surfaces defining the recess apart sufiiciently to permit the pintle to ride above point 96 after which the surfaces will return to their normal position. Since the pintle diameter is greater than the pintle recess dimension between point 96 and the rear face 98 of the recess, the pintle will remain securely engaged therein.

FIGURES and 6 illustrate the manner in which the latch hooks 66, 68 function for latching the cover 14 in closed position. As seen in the foregoing figures, the latch projections each have an inclined Wedge-like front portion 100, so that when the cover is swung from an open to a closed position, the wedge portions 100 will strike against the chamfered upper edges 102 of inwardly directed fiat ledges 104 in each latching recess 70, 72 and flex inwardly permitting the wedges to ride down on the edges 102. When the flat shoulder-like upper surface 106 of each wedge has located itself below the lower face 108 of the ledges 104, the front side 62 of the cover will spring forwardly locating the wedges 100 beneath the ledges 104 as seen in FIGURE 5. If it is thereafter desired to open the box, the user merely applies finger pressure against the front side section 76 to flex the side inwardly. The latter action frees the latch projections from under the ledges and the cover may then be raised to an open position.

As best seen in FIGURE 1, the front and rear sides 62 and 64 of the cover 14 curve downwardly and inwardly at the ends as at 110 to conform to the slope of the receptacle walls 18 and 20 to permit the cover to nest within the receptacle with the respective sides and walls in abutting relation.

As seen in FIGURE 10, the top 60 of the cover 14 carries a downwardly depending finger 112 at the underside thereof. The finger extends, with the cover in closed position, almost into contact with the razor blade dispenser 42. The finger 112 thus acts as a retainer to prevent the dispenser from becoming loose within its supporting well if the box is tilted on set up in display position on an end.

While there is above disclosed but one embodiment of the plastic box of the present invention, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the scope of the inventive concept herein disclosed, and accordingly, it should be understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

A molded plastic box adapted to hold a safety razorblade dispenser combination comprising a receptacle having an elongated floor with parallel front and rear margins, and a pair of opposed end walls extending upwardly and longitudinally outwardly of the ends of said fi-oor, said floor and end walls having substantially smooth surfaces devoid of proturberent structure, each of said end walls having a slotted recess for receiving a corresponding end of the safety razor, said floor having an elongated stepped-down slotted opening extending longitudinally therein for receiving the blade dispenser, a cover having a top and vertically directed front and rear sides, the edges of said cover top and front and rear sides having a shape conforming to the shape of the receptacle floor and end walls and abutting thereagainst and inset from the receptacle maginal extremities adjacent thereto when the cover is closed; hinge means connecting said cover to said receptacle including lugs extending downwardly outwardly angularly from the rear side of said cover, pintles carried by the lugs and extending laterally thereof, the floor of said receptacle having pintle receiving recesses extending therethrcugh adjacent said rear margin, said pintle receiving recesses opening up from the underside of said floor and each communicating with an entry slot extending inwardly from the rear margin of the receptacle, said pintle receiving recesses having upper front surfaces opposite said entry slots and extending frontally angularly of said rear margin to provide a surface upon which said lugs nest when the cover is closed, said lugs riding outwardly of the receptacle through said entry slots when the cover is swung to an open position, latching means carried by said cover and said receptacle for latching said cover in a-closed position comprising a pair of spaced latch projections carried by said front side and each having a frontally directed horizontal shoulder thereon, the floor of said receptacle having vertical solts receiving said latch projections, said vertical slots having horizontal ledges therein extending inwardly of the front margin of said receptacle, said shoulders locating beneath said ledges for holding said cover closed, the front side of said cover intermediate said latch projections having a projecting boss surface defining a section against which finger pressure can be applied to deflect said front side inwardly for releasing said shoulders from beneath said ledges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 197,980 4/1964 Brown.

2,913,106 11/1959 Colgate 206-79 3,095,965 7/1963 Stahl et al. 206-16 3,206,012 9/1965 Braginctz 206-l6 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Examiner.

Images