Special receptacle or package – For plate or sheet
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2001-10-30
Gehman, Byron P. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For plate or sheet
C040S661000, C206S038000, C206S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of containers for storage, protection, and display of collectible items such as magazines, books, and other substantially planar items.
2. Description of the Related Art
Collectible items such as magazines, trading cards, newspapers and LP album covers retain greater value when they are maintained in good condition. Collectible items that have damaged corners and edges, creases, or that show UV degradation due to exposure to sunlight, have significantly less value than collectible items without such damage. Collectible items stored in plastic sleeves which the item to be slid into the sleeve through a top opening can also cause wear damage to a cover of a collectible item.
Accordingly, containers are used for safekeeping collectible items. An example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,953 that discloses a container for sports trading cards. The container consists of two mating halves that enclose a trading card in a recess between the mating halves. The recess includes corner indentations to protect corners of the trading cards from damage. Such containers are useful for protecting items such as trading cards that have a uniform shape and size. In addition, trading cards traditionally are made of a stiff card stock that is self-supporting. Further, the compact size of trading cards permits the container to have a relatively small display window that can easily be made self-supporting, without bowing, using traditional clear materials such as plastic.
Several problems are evident in the prior art. A snug fit of the trading card in the container is desirable to properly protect the card. To ensure a snug fit, the container must have suitable dimensions for each size and shape of collectible item to be stored in the container. Accordingly, a different container must be made to accommodate each different size and shape of collectible item which necessarily requires numerous molds, storage, and inventory tracking. Each of these factors adds cost to products in an industry that relies upon high-volume sales of low margin items, and is thus undesirable.
The above discussed U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,953 receives trading cards that are made of sturdy card stock. Containers for larger, heavier, and less stiff collectible items such as magazines, present a problem of providing sufficient support in a cost-effective transparent container. Further, the heavy and flexible nature of such collectibles can cause container halves to separate where those halves are held together by a friction fit.
Collectors also like to display their collectible items. Prior art containers do not provide a convenient means for display of the collectible item on a surface such as a wall. Additionally, prior art containers intended for differently sized collectible items would themselves have differently sized exterior dimensions making a collection of such containers visually unwieldy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a container for the protection and display of substantially planar collectible items such as magazines, cards, and newspapers that overcomes the problems of the prior art. In preferred embodiments, the present invention includes a lid that can engage a plurality of base units wherein respective base units can snugly receive different sized collectible items.
The base units include a receptacle that receives the collectible item. In preferred embodiments, the receptacle is substantially rectangular having a par width and a par height between lateral and longitudinal margins. The par height and par width correspond with the largest width and height of a collectible item that can be inserted into the receptacle. Sizer bars may be located along one or more receptacle margins to reduce the par width or the par height to accommodate a predetermined width or height of a collectible item, where that collectible item is less than the par width or par height, respectively. Preferably, sizer bars are provided along opposing margins in order to center the collectible item within the container for an aesthetically pleasing display.
The sizer bars adjust the interior dimensions of the receptacle in which the collectible item is stored. The lid fits on each base unit independently of the size or position of the sizer bars. Accordingly, exterior dimensions of the container are uniform throughout a set of containers for a category of collectible item thus providing a more aesthetically pleasing collection. Also, because the lid is interchangeable between base units that can snugly receive different sized collectible items, fewer lid molds, for forming lids, are necessary, thus reducing manufacturing costs for a family of containers.
To reduce costs of distribution and sales, the container of the present invention may be provided as a kit having a plurality of base units and a single lid for a particular category of collectible item. Representative categories include comic books, newspapers, or sport trading cards. Comic books, for example, have different dimensions depending upon the publisher. Base units of the present invention may be provided with sizer bars that accommodate the different sizes of comic books from the different publishers. A user may then buy a plurality of base units, and a smaller number of lids, to accommodate a comic book collection. The kit then provides a container that can accommodate different sizes of collectible items wherein the container has interchangeable lids to reduce material costs and inventory storage requirements.
Preferably, the base units are of unitary construction. Thus, although the sizer bars are described as discrete structure, in preferred embodiments, the sizer bars are discrete in concept only and are not physically discrete, but rather are portions of the unitarily constructed base units.
In addition, preferred embodiments of the present invention include friction posts that provide secure engagement of the lid and base units, even when the container is supporting relatively heavy and flexible collectible items such as magazines.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention also includes stiffening ribs to provide additional support for heavier, flexible collectible items. The stiffening ribs further work in conjunction with the friction posts to provide a secure container for collectible items.
Preferably, the receptacles of the present invention include enlarged recesses is at corners of the substantially rectangular receptacle in order to prevent damage to corners of the collectible item. Further, in preferred embodiments, an alignment divot is provided to indicate a mass centerline to assist a collector with locating a mounting device, such as a tack, onto the container to mount the container on a wall for display.
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Fretta Sam G.
Hebert David M.
Kiggans Larry K.
Luca Radu D.
O'Keefe Thomas F.
Gehman Byron P.
Ipsolon LLP
J. E. Saxe & Co.
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