Special receptacle or package – For a tool – Plural
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-03-27
Gehman, Bryon P. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For a tool
Plural
C206S807000, C220S324000, C220S835000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206189
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a container for holding, storing and displaying tool bits, such as drill bits, driver bits, hex bits, bit holders and the like. Typical tool bit holders are opaque thereby imposing limitations on displaying their contents in a retail setting. Specifically, in order to attract a consumer, the holders are often packaged in an open position and shrink-wrapped to show their contents and to prevent the tool bits from falling out or being stolen. Alternatively, the holders are displayed as part of a kit in a large, molded plastic, disposable container which displays the holder in the closed position and each individual tool bit in an exploded view outside of the holder. The consumer, after purchasing the kit, must remove each bit from the display container and place it in the holder. It would be desirable to develop a tool bit index which serves as both a storage container and a display case suitable for retail environments.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that there is a need for better containers for displaying retail merchandise of this type. The present invention provides advantages over the prior containers and also offers other advantages over the prior art and solves other problems associated therewith.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a merchandise display container for retaining retail sales products. The preferred display container includes a housing having a bottom portion having a plurality of sides and a top portion which can engage the bottom portion to form an enclosure within which the retail merchandise can reside. The top portion is preferably interconnected with one of the plurality of sides of the bottom portion so that the top portion can engage the bottom portion to form the enclosure. In preferred embodiments the housing is made of a synthetic polymeric material through which retail merchandise contained within the housing can be seen and it preferably includes a “tamper proof” clasp or snap closure mechanism. The “temper proof” snap closure mechanism has first and second elements. The first element is a part of a first portion of the housing and the second element is a part of a second portion of the housing. The first portion is selected from one of the group consisting of the top portion and the bottom portion, and the second portion is the other. The first element includes a latch strap. The latch strap is an extension of the first portion and has a strap surface extending away from the first portion. The latch strap further includes a catch protruding away from the strap surface to define a catch face generally extending away from the strap surface at an angle of generally about 90°. The second element includes a lip on the second portion over which the latch strap can extend when the top portion is engaged with the bottom portion to form the enclosure, wherein the catch face of the first element can engage the lip of the second element such that the latch strap engages the lip and holds the enclosure in a closed orientation or position. The housing is in the closed position when the top portion is engaged with the bottom portion. The second portion further includes a containment bridge under which at least an end portion of the latch strap extends when the latch strap engages the lip. The containment bridge extends from a first location to a second location on the outer surface of the second portion proximate the lip, and generally restricts the movement of the strap away from the lip when the catch face is engaged with the lip such that the catch face cannot be disengaged from the lip without destroying the containment bridge.
In more preferred embodiments, the housing contains a tool bit display panel for receiving, retaining and displaying tool bits; a lower portion of the tool bit display panel is pivotally interconnected with the bottom portion of the housing such that the tool bit panel can pivot with respect to the bottom portion, thereby affording improved access to an upper portion of the tool bit panel when the top portion of the housing is not engaged with the bottom portion to form the enclosure and the upper portion of the panel is pivoted away from the bottom portion. The tool bit panel provides a plurality of tool bit receiving receptacles for receiving and retaining tool bits. Other preferred elements include the housing having a living hinge connecting the top portion with the bottom portion; the housing having a pair of protrusion receiving openings in the bottom portion of the housing; and the display panel having a pair of extruded metal protrusions extending outwardly from opposite sides of the panel, the metal extrusions being seated within respective extrusion receiving openings to enable the panel to pivot with respect to the bottom portion. Further preferred elements include the housing having a hanger tab; the hanger tab having a hook receiving receptacle for hang the display container or index on a merchandise display hook.
In further preferred embodiments, the housing has a top surface and a bottom surface and four sides, three of the sides being generally oriented at an angle of about 90° with respect to at least one of the other sides and the fourth side being oriented at angles with respect to each of the other sides which are other than 90°. In further preferred embodiments the tool bits are drill bits and in further embodiments the housing is made of a synthetic polymeric material which can be cut and separated from the housing, the containment bridge being severable such that the strap can be pull away from the lip, thereby disengaging the catch face from the lip and permitting the disengagement of the top portion from the bottom portion.
Advantageously, the preferred container of the present invention generally provides an index for storing tool bits of various types and sizes, preferably a series of drill bits.
It is another advantage of the invention to provide a display container or an index which is suitable for use as a retail display case.
It is also a characteristic of the invention to provide a display container or an index which minimizes the tampering and accidental opening.
It is yet another advantage of the invention to provide a display container or a tool bit index which prevents opening by a consumer while the container or index is in a retail environment.
It is still another characteristic of the invention to provide a display container or a tool bit index which has at least one transparent surface so that all of the contents of the a display container or index may be viewed without opening the same.
It is also an advantage of the invention to provide a display container or a tool bit index that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and provides pricing advantages to OEM manufacturers.
In preferred embodiments, the present invention provides an improved container or index for both storing and displaying tool bits. The display container or tool bit index of this invention is preferably formed from a clear plastic material such that its contents may be viewed even when the container or index is in a closed position. Furthermore, in order to prevent the index from opening while on display in a retail store, the containment bridge covers the catch mechanism, thereby blocking the movement required to open the catch mechanism. The containment bridge may be cut away by the consumer after purchasing the container or index so that the same may be opened and closed freely and repeatedly. It is envisioned that preferred embodiments of the top portion of the housing are integral with one of the plurality of sides of the bottom portion, thereby forming a living hinge which flexes when opening and closing the container or index. Alternatively, any known hinge configuration could be used to facilitate a door-like relationship between the top portion and the bottom portion.
The tool bit panel of the preferred embodiment preferably has an upper portion which receives the tool bits and a lower portion which is pivotally i
Graham Thomas M.
Huot, Jr. Henry E.
Gehman Bryon P.
Huot Manufacturing Company
Moore & Hansen
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