Special receptacle or package – With ornamentation or simulation
Reexamination Certificate
1997-05-06
2001-06-12
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
With ornamentation or simulation
C206S782000, C220S524000, C229S109000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244439
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable assembly suitable for enclosing and storing a plurality of toy dolls. More particularly, the present invention relates to a structural unit which stores as many as twelve toy dolls in separate compartments located therein along with up to four additional storage spaces in the top of the unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art contains diverse references that disclose the use of compartmentalized containers, but none disclose the specific structure of the unit of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,772 discloses a collapsible and reusable container formed from a base member, a collar and divider members. The base portion defines a hexagon and each of the divider members constitutes a complete triangle to subdivide the base area into triangular compartments. The container collar comprises a continuous peripheral side elements that does not open. The container does not possess a top or lid. Thus, lacking the elements noted, it is not anticipatory of the assembly of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,835 discloses a folded blank container of the multicell type which can be transported or stored preassembled in flat, collapsed condition and erected at the point of filling or use. The sides do not open nor does the assembly have a top as is the case in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,392 discloses a container adapted for the bulk packaging of dry flow granular or powder material and more especially to a drum shaped container therefor. The container has a combination of elements including inner and outer collapsible tubular members together with a pair of inner and outer collapsible top and bottom end closure caps for said tubular members. The structure does not contain the elements of the present invention as the sides of the container are continuous and do not open.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,108,005 discloses a container adapted to hold cigars which comprises a multicellular package cylindrical or hexagonal in shape which may be opened out longitudinally of its length in two halves. The cells are permanently closed at one end.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,260,912 and 1,522,201 disclose decorated receptacles for storing articles. These receptacles do not contain the structure of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,894 discloses a container and container lid which enclose a figurine. The figurine is stored in the container. The container is turned inside out to arrive at a doll configuration. The structure does not anticipate the structure of the assembly of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,442,512, 4,040,206, 5,169,354 and 5,226,845 disclose dolls or containers, none of which anticipate the assembly of the present invention.
Other objects and features as well as additional details of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings of the presently preferred embodiments thereof, when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable doll storage container which is also referred to herein as a “carousel.” The carousel contains a number of individual compartments in which dolls are stored. The carousel of the present invention with its doll storage compartments is formed from a base and a segmented wall surrounding the base and conforming to the shape of the base. The base thus defines the peripheral configuration of the carousel. As noted the wall is divided into segments, with each segment having a door which provides access to the compartments within the carousel wherein the dolls are stored. Each of the wall segments comprises a header located above the door. Each side of the header is connected to sides of adjacent header segments. Thus the headers form a continuous element around the circumference of the unit. Each door immediately beneath the header is fixedly attached along one of its vertical edges to a jamb that is attached to the header and extends vertically and is secured to the base. The other vertical edge of each door is not fixed and thus can be arcuately rotated to an open and closed position. More specifically, adjacent each of the edges of each of the doors is a pivot jamb and a lock jamb.
Each segment of the wall has an exterior face, an interior face, is of identical height and width, and has a bottom edge positioned adjacent said base. As noted, each of the side edges are positioned in juxtaposition to side edges of adjacent segmented wall elements. This arrangement forms a polygon shaped cavity in combination with said base. Depending upon the number of front walls, the carousel can be a square, hexagon, octagon, etc. in shape.
Within the walls of the carousel, there are a plurality of continuous interior wall partitions having top, bottom and side edges. The partitions are slotted and intersect one another along their mid-planes. The interior wall partitions have the same height as the height of the segmented walls that form the polygon shape of the carousel. The bottom edges of the interior wall partitions located within said polygon shaped cavity contact the base and the top edges of the interior wall partitions contact and provide a support network for the floor of the top storage section of the carousel located above the doll storage compartments.
In accordance with the present invention, there are 2n compartments within the carousel, where n is the number of interior wall partitions.
The exterior underside of the base is designed to include a plurality of feet that support the unit. The feet are positioned o:)n the bottom surface of base to support the carousel evenly. In the preferred embodiment, there are five feet that support the unit. Four out of five of the feet are spread evenly around the edges of the bottom surface of the unit with the fifth positioned in the center of the bottom surface.
A tray is used in combination with the carousel of the present invention to stack a plurality of carousels on top of one another. The tray comprises a base member with legs extending downwardly from the bottom side of the tray. On the top surface of the tray opposite to the location of the legs, indentations corresponding to the cross sectional area of the legs are impressed in the surface. These indentations will receive the legs of other trays when stacked one on top of the other.
Finally, above the floor member of the storage compartment a suitable distance, the carousel possesses a top member which is secured to said top edges of the segments comprising the wall.
As noted, the portable doll storage container has a plurality of additional storage compartments above the doll storage compartments. The compartments are formed by at least one divider sheet having first and second side edges extending radially between said interior faces of the segmented front wall, and fixed thereto. The divider sheet also has top and bottom edges. The top of the portable doll storage carousel may comprise one or more sections, each being hingedly fixed to said top edge of the divider sheet and not secured to the top edges of the wall segments.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2903127 (1959-09-01), Dorman
patent: 3314532 (1967-04-01), Henry
patent: 4431238 (1984-02-01), Evans
patent: 4850506 (1989-07-01), Heaps, Jr. et al.
patent: 5115965 (1992-05-01), Girona Alepuz
patent: 5549373 (1996-08-01), Bustos
Beck Thomas A.
Bui Luan K.
Sewell Paul T.
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