Patents Examined by Gary E. Elkins
  • Patent number: 7165705
    Abstract: A back pack has a base member for facing the back of a wearer with a raised peripheral rim, and an outer shell of rigid material for facing away from the back of the wearer, the base member and outer shell together defining an enclosure for containing items to be carried. The outer shell has an integral peripheral rim bent towards the base member, and a zipper fastener is secured directly between the peripheral rims of the base member and outer shell and extends around at least a major portion of the rims to provide a secure closure as well as easy access to the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Inventor: Robert B. Haro
  • Patent number: 7165706
    Abstract: A modular leg pack system is shown and described, embodiments of which include a belt or belt sleeve for wearing around the body, and preferably at the top of the hips, and preferably two thigh opposing bags. The thigh bags extend from just below the belt to above the knee. One or more top connectors attach the top of the bag to the belt, and a bottom leg strap extends from the bottom of the bag around the inside of the leg. To assist in natural movement of the bag with the leg, the preferred top connectors have a pivot point that allows the bag to pivot in a direction parallel to the motion of the leg. Additionally, it is preferred to have the top connector rotatable relative to the belt in a plane perpendicular to the outer surface of the belt, and rotatable relative to the bag in a plane perpendicular to the back plane of the bag. Openings of the bags are positioned to be easily accessible by the user, usually on the top of the bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Summit Equipment Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Jarrod Barr
  • Patent number: 7165694
    Abstract: A transport and storage container for liquids includes a pallet-like underframe of electrically conductive material for supporting an exchangeable inner container of plastics material with four side walls, a lower and an upper bottom, a closeable fill socket integrally formed with the upper bottom and an outlet socket with a removal fitting integrally formed at a lower portion of a side wall, an outer casing formed of vertically and horizontally extending metal crate rods, and a single-piece or multi-piece support insert with four side walls of an electrically conductive material arranged between the inner container and the outer casing. Wall elements of the support insert are provided with a structure having a plurality of adjacent structure elements, such as hexagons, circles, honeycombs, trapezoids, lozenges, squares and rectangles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Protechna S.A.
    Inventor: Udo Schütz
  • Patent number: 7163139
    Abstract: A carton and blank having a tear line comprising a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows. There is also provided a carton and blank for forming a carton having a wall provided with a tear open feature which comprises a tear initiating tab formed in the wall and at least three tear lines extending from the tear initiating tab toward the perimeter of the wall, wherein each tear line comprises a plurality of perforations or short slits arranged in at least three rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: MeadWestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Philippe Marie, John M Hepworth
  • Patent number: 7159760
    Abstract: A package for several delicacies comprising compartments, which are pivotally connected to the sides of a polygonal bottom part. The package includes a closed position wherein the bottom part forms a portion of a flat bottom of a container for the delicacies, each compartment is a part of the container, and the package comprises vertical flat walls meeting at substantially vertical edges. The package further includes an open position wherein the compartment have been pivoted downwards forming several holders for delicacies that are open at the upper sides of said compartments and the package can rest on a flat supporting surface with the edges of the flat walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Mars, Incorporated
    Inventors: Deborah Pluck, Helena Johanna Raphaël Tolido
  • Patent number: 7159759
    Abstract: A fully enclosed pack is provided with a gusset that is capable of being formed from a blank without the use of tucker fingers. Nicks are provided between the side end panel and tuck-in panels of the carton. As the side end panels are folded, the nicks help pull the tuck-in panels inwardly to allow the gusset of the carton to take form without the use of tucker fingers in a folding/gluing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Sutherland
  • Patent number: 7159761
    Abstract: An end closure design for a paperboard container having four or more end panels that form the end closure hingedly joined respectively to four side panels connected to each other by parallel, spaced apart fold lines. Each of the hinged end panels has a straight free edge parallel the hinged edge and each free edge has two spaced apart notches of the same shape and size cut therein, each positioned the same distance from the parallel, spaced apart fold lines such that when the panels are folded over, a notch from each end panel interlocks with a notch from an adjacent end panel. An opposing two of the hinged end panels also include two diagonal score lines, each extending from an interior edge of the notches to the interior corner formed by the fold lines between the end closure panel and its respective side panel. To form the end closure, the end closure panels without the diagonal score lines are folded inwardly, then the end closure panels with the diagonal score lines are folded inwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: International Paper Company
    Inventors: Tony Joseph Abshire, Michael Louis Boudreaux, Brian K. Jambois
  • Patent number: 7156287
    Abstract: The present invention provides a container with an integrated spout and a method for forming the container. The container includes an inner panel that defines a spout and an outer panel that defines an orifice. The width of the spout exceeds the width of the orifice. The outer panel may include a first tab adjacent to the orifice to provide access to the spout. The outer panel may also include a second tab that temporarily occludes the orifice. The orifice may be exposed when the spout on the inner panel is accessed and the second tab is at least partially detached by extracting the spout. An integrated spout on the inner panel, the width of which exceeds the width of the orifice on the outer panel, reduces the cycle time and cost of manufacturing containers with a spout and prevents the container contents from bypassing the spout upon pouring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Alliance Packaging, LLC
    Inventor: John Heise
  • Patent number: 7152777
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a stackable container and container blank. In accordance with the present invention, a single sheet of foldable material is cut and scored to define container blank. The blank includes a bottom panel and a side panel connected with the bottom panel. An end panel is connected with the bottom panel. A top panel is connected with said side panel opposite the bottom panel. Also, a top panel flap is connected with said top panel. The blank further includes a corner first panel that is connected with the end panel. Also, a corner second panel is connected with the corner first panel opposite the end panel. Further, a corner third panel connected with said corner second panel opposite said corner first panel, said corner third panel defining a corner third panel cutout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Weyerhaeuser Company
    Inventor: Jack A. McClure
  • Patent number: 7147124
    Abstract: Containers suitable for storing pressurized fluids at cryogenic temperatures of ?62° C. (?80° F.) and colder are provided and comprise a self-supporting liner and load-bearing composite overwrap, whereby means are provided for substantially preventing failure of the container during temperature changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Moses Minta, Ronald R. Bowen
  • Patent number: 7147145
    Abstract: A package having a bottom wall with in-folded gusset tips includes a plurality of upstanding side walls, each side wall contiguous or sealed to its adjacent side walls, a sealed top and a sealed bottom wall. The sealed bottom wall is formed from opposing leading and trailing panels, intermediate, opposing gusset panels and a sixth panel. The gusset panels are folded inwardly toward one another to form triangular panels. The triangular panels are disposed interior of the leading and trailing panels. The ends of the gusset panels define triangular tips that are folded away from one another. The sixth panel has a length that is less than or equal to the distance between the gusset tips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holding & Finance, SA
    Inventors: Peter Kortsmit, Tommy Ljungstrom
  • Patent number: 7147143
    Abstract: An opening assist for a dispensing carton to facilitate the opening of the carton to dispense articles without unintentional tearing of the carton. The dispensing carton includes a plurality of panels hingedly connected to one another. A displaceable portion is detachably connected to an end of the carton to define an opening for exposing an endmost article for removal from the carton end. The displaceable portion is at least partially defined by a frangible line on the carton end. An opening assist is defined in the carton end at least partially along the frangible line to facilitate the opening of the dispensing carton via the displaceable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: MeadWestvaco Packaging Systems, LLC
    Inventor: John W. Cargile
  • Patent number: 7143932
    Abstract: A folding collapsible storage box is constructed to include a folding collapsible outer box, the outer box having front and back panels respectively internally reinforced with a rigid plate member and two opposite side panels respectively internally reinforced with two rigid plate members and bilaterally connected between the front and back panels, each side panel having a folding line extended between top and bottom sides thereof on the middle between the respective two rigid plate members, and an collapsible inner box inserted into the inside of the outer box, the inner box having two handle loops bilaterally disposed at a top thereof, and two handles respectively fastened to the handle loops, each handle having a clamping portion respectively clamped on the topmost edge of the outer box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Inventor: Wen-Tsan Wang
  • Patent number: 7143931
    Abstract: A container for foodstuffs including a carton and pad, each formed from a cut and creased blank of foldable sheet material. The carton is a substantially tubular element having end panels for enclosing the carton. A plurality of corner locks are provided to maintain the end panels oriented in a closed position. A lip is connected to one side panel and has a free edge disposed adjacent a top panel to provide support therefor. Handles formed in the carton permit stacking of the containers and easy transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Gamon Plus, Inc.
    Inventor: Terry J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7143930
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a carton for a diagonally cut sandwich or like foodstuff formed from a blank of card and having triangular end walls connected by rectangular side walls to form a triangular prism-shaped container. One side wall of the container is hinged to another wall of the container to provide an opening for insertion/removal of foodstuff and to form a lid for closing the opening. The edges of the opening have out-turned flanges and the periphery of the lid overlies the out-turned flanges encircling the opening when the lid is in the closed position whereby the lid can be bonded to the flanges to seal the contents of the carton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Rapid Action Packaging Limited
    Inventors: Julian David Kyrle Money, Savv Akis Sayya
  • Patent number: 7140532
    Abstract: A container for holding at least two items comprising at least two compartments, a first compartment and a second compartment rotatably affixed to the first compartment. The second compartment in a first position extends from the first compartment substantially in the plane of the rear panel of the first compartment and can thus be used as a scoop to scoop a first item into the first compartment. The second compartment is then rotated until it is adjacent to and extends substantially along or even abuts the rear panel of the first compartment and is expanded, and a second item is placed into the second compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Aricoga Creative Development, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy E. Holt, David A. Roelle, Wayne J. Leybeck
  • Patent number: 7140533
    Abstract: Configurations for a packing container formed from a single, preformed, rigid unit of generally U-shaped cross-section are disclosed. One configuration utilizes three end closures to enclose an object with an elevated end. Another configuration employs three end closures to enclose an object with an elevated mid-section. A third configuration uses two end closures to enclose an object with random elevations. With three end closures, a fourth configuration encloses two or more dissimilar objects in separate compartments. The fourth configuration is especially useful for items that should be prevented from touching or intermingling during shipping. A fifth configuration combines elements of the other four configurations, allowing a user to ship objects with elevated ends, elevated mid-sections, or random elevations in separate compartments. A sixth configuration encloses one or more objects with two end closures that are about equal in length to one another. A device for forming the container is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Anatoly Gosis, Michael D. Loeschen, Ian Brooks
  • Patent number: 7134593
    Abstract: A carton for carrying a plurality of cans in at least three rows having a dispenser flap that is easily removed from the end of the carton to expose a dispenser which has a bottom of a sufficient height from the bottom panel to prevent containers in the bottom row from rolling out, but less than the diameter of a container in the bottom row. The top of the dispenser is at a height from the bottom panel that is equal to diameter of a can contained in the carton plus the distance that is substantially less than the diameter of a can, such height being sufficient to prevent any container in the middle row from automatically rolling out of the dispenser when opened, but allowing a person to grasp and pull out the container in the middle row that is adjacent to the dispenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
    Inventor: Glen R. Harrelson
  • Patent number: 7121453
    Abstract: A carton, fabricated preferably from corrugated paperboard material, including a bottom panel, two side panels, two end panels, a pair of top panels for closing the carton, locking flaps extending from the ends of the top panels and having tabs receivable in the end panels, and further including a plurality of corner support structures, formed from panels emanating from end edges of the end panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeff Nass
  • Patent number: 7118017
    Abstract: A trunk organizer for the trunk cavity of a police vehicle that forces the orientation of long, stiff items typically carried within the trunk cavity of police vehicles into a transversely extending orientation. The transverse orientation of these items typically found in police vehicle trunks reduces the likelihood of a high speed rear collision driving the items through the walls defining the trunk cavity, particularly the waterfall of the trunk cavity, into the fuel tank. The trunk organizer is preferably formed from high density polyethylene with a forward panel of Kevlar affixed to the front panel of the trunk organizer to provide further penetration resistance. Translucent lids provide a ready inspection of the items without requiring the opening of a compartment. The trunk organizer is sized and configured to fit snuggly within the trunk cavity of a conventional police vehicle and permits an easy removal therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Geraghty, Jack B. Ridenour, Roger Chen, Saeed David Barbat