Method and device for holding objects
A box for shipping and displaying objects is described. The box is composed of molded pulp material. In one aspect, the box has recesses for receiving objects. The recesses have detents positioned on vertical walls of the recesses. The detents, made of molded pulp material, extend into the recess so that a object has a vertical tangent in contact with the detent when fully inserted into the recess. Desirably, the detents extend over the entire depth of the recess. In one aspect, there are at least two detents in a recess, the detents opposing each other from opposite walls of the recess. In a further aspect, the molded pulp container of the present invention has one or more channels molded across a width of the container for providing added bending stiffness to the container.
The present invention relates to display containers for shipping and displaying objects of merchandise such as tools. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for configuring a box made of molded pulp, with adequate structure for retaining tools in recesses on the container.
The field of boxes for shipping and displaying merchandise for sale to the public is well developed. In the past, merchandise in the form of metal tools such as sockets, drivers, ratchet handles, pliers, hammers, and the like, were shipped and sold to the public in metal boxes. A purchaser might subsequently use the metal toolbox for permanently storing the tools. Such metal toolboxes commonly included a plastic insert molded to provide a plurality of recessed bays for receiving each tool item, to prevent the tools from sliding or rolling around inside the metal box when the box is moved about.
In more recent times, tool manufacturers have sold tools in containers made entirely of blow molded plastic. Such containers commonly include a number of foldable panels, in which the panels may include recessed bays shaped especially to receive each tool item. A recessed bay may be configured to hold a tool in place with one or more elastically deformable detents molded as an integral part of the plastic container. In a plastic container, a detent, along with the walls of the container on which it is positioned, is typically configured to elastically deform as the tool is being inserted. The tool is pressed beyond a protruding detent, then, once the tool is completely inserted, the detent elastically snaps back and recovers its shape to provide a mechanical barrier that prevents the tool from freely falling out of its bay if the container is inverted. This method of packaging tools for shipping and selling provides a convenient means for displaying the tools when on sale. Where folding panels are provided, the panels can be folded closed while the container is being shipped to provide a compact unit, but may be folded open when on display, to allow the purchaser to inspect the entire contents of the container. Should the container be tipped sideways, the tools will not all tumble to the floor, because they are adequately held in the recesses by the detents. Typically, a transparent sheet may be fixed across the surface of a panel to prevent consumers from tampering with the contents. Commonly, upon purchase, a purchaser may use the plastic container as a permanent storage box for the tools when they are not in use.
For example,
However, it has been identified that, once the blow molded plastic tool box with its contents has been purchased, many users, more especially those associated with large institutional work shops, may simply remove the tools from the plastic container and place the tools in drawers of a metal tool chest. This may create the problem that a durably constructed blow molded plastic tool box is discarded, thereby creating an undesirable environmental impact by introducing into the environment relatively substantial but unwanted structures that may take many decades to degrade or decompose. The same problem arises when a purchaser who initially uses the plastic container as a storage box slowly damages or loses the contents one by one. After a while, such user will typically go out and purchase another set of tools which may also be sold in a blow molded plastic container. Thus, either way, the plastic tool container of the original tool set finds its way into the environment as a discarded item. It is estimated that perhaps millions of such plastic tool containers may find their way into the environment as discarded non-biodegradable items every year.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and a device for packaging metal tools for shipping and display to the public in a way that provides a reduced environmental impact. The present invention addresses these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is described an improved display box that may conveniently be used for shipping and displaying merchandise such as tools.
In its broadest aspects, the invention provides an environmental solution to problems in the field and thus contemplates both packages or boxes of all types, including tool boxes, which are made from materials that degrade or decompose rapidly. One such approach is pulp molded material, which includes generally natural fiber based material, frequently comprising recycled paper products. However, other approaches involving other materials are also contemplated. For example, it is now known that modern plant based plastics are biodegradable.
In a preferred embodiment, the display box has a generally planar surface defining a plurality of recesses. The recess has a vertical wall extending generally perpendicular to the plane of the surface from which a protrusion extends from the wall into the recess. In one aspect, the display box is composed of molded pulp material such that, when a tool is inserted into the recess, the protrusion is deformed by the tool, the deformation being substantially permanent. The protrusion is configured so that when a tool is resting in the recess, a portion of the protrusion is in contact with a vertical tangent of the tool. It has been found that such contact is adequate to provide a satisfactory retention force against the tool falling out of the recess.
In another aspect of the invention, the protrusion extends from the surface downward into the recess, most preferably, it extends substantially over the full depth of the recess, from the planar surface to a floor of the recess. In yet another aspect, the recess has two walls extending generally perpendicular to the plane of the surface, and each wall has a protrusion extending into the recess. Preferably, the protrusions are positioned opposite one another. Dimensionally, the protrusion extends more than three times the thickness of the vertical wall into the recess.
In a final aspect of the invention, the container is molded to have one or more channels that span a width of the container. The channels are configured to add bending stiffness to the container, to support the weight of tools that would otherwise tend to bend the container to detrimental effect when the container is lifted by two lateral edges.
Thus, the display box of the present invention provides a device, system, and method for shipping and displaying objects such as tools that solves the shortcomings of the prior art. These and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying exemplary drawings.
With reference to the figures which are provided for exemplification only and without limitation, a method and device for shipping and displaying objects of merchandise such as tools is disclosed having aspects of the present invention.
As exemplified in
However use of molded pulp to create a display box for the stated purpose introduces problems not encountered by plastic containers. Molded pulp does not exhibit substantially elastic properties when deformed. Rather, deformation imposed on molded pulp tends to be substantially permanent, and there is not substantial elastic shape recovery after the deforming load is removed. Thus, if a detent having the configuration of the detent described above used on a plastic container is used in a molded pulp container, insertion of the tool would simply tend to deform the detent with substantially permanent effect. Thus a tool, pressed into the recess below the level of the above described detent, would not be mechanically well restrained in the recess by structure, and would tend to fall out of the recess should the container be inverted.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, a detent is configured in a recess of a pulp mold container shaped to receive a tool which is capable of holding the tool to a satisfactory extent during movement of the container. In one aspect of the invention, the detent is configured differently than the plastic detent described above. In the case of the detent of the molded pulp container, as seen exemplified in
In a preferred aspect of the invention, best exemplified in
In another aspect of the invention, the recess includes at least a second detent 47 having the same characteristics as the first detent 46, positioned on a second vertical wall 49 opposing the first vertical wall 48. Preferably, the second detent 47 is positioned opposite the first detent ( as is best seen in
In yet another aspect of the invention, best exemplified in
In addition to the foregoing features relating to the detents which facilitate the use of molded pulp as a material for making display boxes for tools, another problem that may arise from using molded pulp to replace plastic in this context is that tools, being typically rather heavy, may tend to cause the surface of the container to bend out of plane when the container is lifted up by two lateral edges. Such bending makes the container difficult to handle, and may cause some tools to disengage from their positions within the recesses. To solve this problem, one or more laterally extending channels 52 may be molded into the structure of the container to provide a stiffer cross section to resist lateral bending deformation. The channels extend from one side of a panel of the container to an opposite side. In the container 40 exemplified in
Thus, the molded pulp container as described provides a valuable solution, device, and method, for shipping and displaying merchandise such as tools and other apparatus. The molded pulp container is environmentally friendly, and will rapidly degrade when discarded. It is lightweight, and therefore less expensive to ship, especially when shipped in bulk with thousands of similar containers with tools. It is inexpensive to manufacture, being itself made of recycled paper product that is available in abundance. It adequately performs the function of holding the tools in a stable condition in the container during shipping and display.
The container 40 of the present invention may be manufactured using mostly conventional techniques, with some modifications to take advantage of the novel aspects of the invention. The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. For example, although the invention is well suited to receiving and holding metal tools, it's characteristics are also suited to making feasible the use of molded pulp as the material for display boxes in which receiving and holding the merchandise requires that the merchandise not tip out of a display container when it is moved around. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
Claims
1. A box for holding objects of merchandise comprising;
- a horizontal generally planar surface defining a plurality of recesses shaped for receiving objects, at least one recess having a wall extending generally vertically downward; and
- a protrusion extending from the wall into the recess;
- wherein, the box is composed of molded pulp, and the at least one recess has a width such that, when an object is inserted into the recess, the object substantially permanently deforms at least a part of the protrusion; and,
- wherein the protrusion is configured such that when an object is fully inserted within the recess, a portion of the deformed protrusion is in contact with a vertical tangent of the object.
2. The box of claim 1, wherein the protrusion extends from the surface downward into the recess.
3. The box of claim 2, wherein the protrusion extends substantially over the full depth of the recess, from the surface to a floor of the recess.
4. The box of claim 1, wherein, the recess has two walls extending vertically downward, and each wall has a protrusion as described in claim 1.
5. The box of claim 4, wherein the protrusions are positioned opposite one another.
6. The box of claim 1, wherein the vertical wall of the box has a thickness, and the protrusion extends between 2 and 4 times the thickness into the recess.
7. The box of claim 6, wherein the aspect ratio of the protrusion is about one.
8. The box of claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a sectional shape that, when viewed from above, includes a portion of a circle.
9. The box of claim 1, wherein the protrusion has an interior face, the interior face being substantially straight and substantially vertical.
10. A method of positioning objects within a box, comprising:
- providing a pulp molded box having a plurality of recesses for receiving objects;
- fully inserting a first object within a first recess by inserting the object a first distance into the first recess; and
- substantially permanently deforming a protrusion on a wall of the first recess over the entire extent of the first distance.
11. The method of claim 10, further including, fully inserting a second object within a second recess by inserting the object a second distance into the second recess, and substantially permanently deforming a protrusion on a wall of the second recess over the entire extent of the second distance.
12. An assembly for holding tools comprising;
- a surface defining a plurality of recesses shaped for receiving tools;
- wherein, the assembly is made of molded pulp.
13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the recesses include means for retaining the tools.
14. An assembly for displaying objects comprising;
- a generally planar surface defining a plurality of recesses for receiving individual objects, wherein the box is composed of molded pulp material;
- a channel formed in the surface of the container, the channel extending from one side of the container across to an opposite side, whereby the channel adds bending stiffness to the container.
15. The box of claim 14 wherein each recess has a depth, there is a recess having the greatest depth, and wherein the depth of the channel is about the same as the depth of the deepest recess.
16. The box of claim 14, wherein each channel has a width, and the width is about the same as the depth.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 5, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 10, 2008
Inventor: Harold Parker (Elma, WA)
Application Number: 11/544,128
International Classification: B65D 85/28 (20060101);