Special receptacle or package – Article housing attached to panel – Movable or detachable housing closure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-12
2001-05-29
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Article housing attached to panel
Movable or detachable housing closure
C206S471000, C206S504000, C206S509000, C206S806000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237772
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers which are usable to store collectibles as well as a wide variety of other articles and are structured to be employed in assemblies which may be self-supporting assemblies adapted to have individual containers removed therefrom and restored thereto without disassembly of the entire assembly.
2. Background Information
It has been known for many purposes to transport, store and display various types of collectibles such as dolls, small stuffed animals and a wide variety of other articles, which may or may not be collectibles, in such a manner that they are fully protected from infiltration of dirt, structural damage and the effects of sunlight, while permitting ready viewing of all or substantially all of the article.
It has been known to assemble such containers from individual molded components and to make such components from a resinous plastic material. For example, it has been known to display hockey pucks and baseballs in transparent resinous plastic containers which have a supporting base and transparent portions which surround and correspond generally to the shape of the respective hockey pucks and baseballs.
One of the problems encountered with respect to such containers is the need to have adequate shelf space to support the same or, in lieu thereof, to employ the upper surfaces of furniture such as a table, desk or bookcase, for example, for support.
It has been known for restaurants and other suppliers of prepared food to employ clamshell-type resinous plastic containers which have upper and lower hinged portions which are adapted to be interlocked and serve to permit transport of the food as well as, in some instances, consumption of the food directly from the containers. Such containers are not, however, adapted to be employed to create a self-supported assembly of articles which are intended to be stored for a longer period than prepared food. There remains a need for such containers and assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has met the above described needs by providing an assembly of interconnected containers. A plurality of containers each have an upper portion connected to a lower portion by hinge means with the upper portion having a pair of elongated generally parallel, upwardly open channels. Each container has a pair of generally parallel, generally downwardly projecting flanges structured to engage an upwardly open channel of an adjacent container. The assembly is established by having one or more flanges of a first container engaging one or more channels of second containers.
The channels and associated cooperating flanges permit relative longitudinal sliding movement between containers for insertion of a container into the assembly and removal of a container therefrom. In a preferred embodiment, the flanges consist of a first flange portion formed within the lower part of the upper portion of the container and a second flange portion formed within the upper part of the lower portion of the container with the two flange portions being in superposed relationship.
The containers are preferably transparent and molded as a unit from a resinous plastic material.
Containers of the described configuration may be provided with interior support means to support an article being displayed therein.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a resinous plastic container which is structured to be interengaged with other containers in establishing a self-supporting assembly of such containers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such containers and assemblies thereof wherein a number of individual containers may be inserted into and removed from the assembly without destroying the structural integrity of the assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such containers whose contents may be accessed without their complete removal from an assembly of the containers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such containers in a staggered arrangement within assemblies thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide containers of varying dimensions within a common assembly structure of such containers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system which employs containers which are lightweight, economical to manufacture and to use and have adequate strength for the intended purpose.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an assembly which will provide substantially complete visibility of the article contained therein while effectively resisting entry of dirt, physical handling or damage to the article.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the invention on reference to the illustrations appended hereto.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2506844 (1950-05-01), Smith
patent: 3401993 (1968-09-01), Fenkel
patent: 3696966 (1972-10-01), Herolzer
patent: 3701079 (1972-10-01), Bowden et al.
patent: 5699925 (1997-12-01), Petruzzi
patent: 5954203 (1999-09-01), Marconi
Golani Victor
Lamarche Paul E.
McCarthy James P.
Smith James E.
Thompson Gregory J.
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott , LLC
Lang IV William F.
Lazzara Michael D.
Luong Shian
Neotech Industries, Inc.
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