Box with mirror and handle

Abstract

This invention relates to packing boxes with a lid hinged onto a mirror which holds the box open and allows the user to see herself. Additionally, this invention relates to packing boxes with attached ribbons which adjusts and become a handle. With this invention, a person who receives a gift such as clothes, hats, cosmetics, or jewelry is able to open a box, try on the item, and see herself immediately using the attached mirror. Additionally, the packing box is reusable as a storage or display container which conveniently converts into a carrying box via the adjustable attached ribbon as a handle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 20-2009-0013557 filed Oct. 19, 2009, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, packing boxes are used for packing products. They are formed in box or cylindrical or other shapes. They are designed and used to contain, transport, or display products.

While not intending to promote any particular interpretation, it appears that a Korean Patent No. 20-0420295 relates to a box with a visible label attached, which is typically comprised of interior paper and outer paper. Interior paper made by hardboard paper.

In addition, a Korea Patent No. 20-0177409, while not intending to promote any particular interpretation, appears that it relates to a box with front plate box body opened, so the product can be easily taken out, front plate positioned vertically to hold up part in the middle, and has open spaces on the side.

Nevertheless, established technologies do not have handles, so they require additional shopping bags to carry them, incurring additional cost and waste. Those packing boxes and shopping bags are usually designed for single use and may not be fully reusable or recyclable. Also, a mirror may not be readily available, so a gift recipient needs to find a mirror to see herself wearing the enclosed gift.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve acclaimed issues above, the invention is a packing box easily convertible to a carrying box which also incorporates a mirror; one side of lid is hinged to body 100 of the box and the other side of lid is hinged on a mirror so that the box becomes a stand for mirror 300 when it is opened. An adjustable and decorative ribbon serves as a carrying handle and secures the closed box.

The ribbon may attach to itself by multiple snap buttons. The ribbon may also attach to itself by holes or by alternating buttons and button holes or by velcro tape or by other attaching mechanism.

In view of the above, it can be seen that a significant advantage of this invention is that according to this invention, packing/carrying box with mirror connected to lid 200 with a hinge allows a person who receives a gift such as clothes, hats, cosmetics, jewelry, etc., to open the box, wear the gift, and see herself right away using the attached mirror.

Also its design and useful features allow the box to be used as a storage container and a transport device. The adjustable and removable ribbon becomes a handle so that the box will be easy to carry, like a shopping bag. Also, the attached adjustable ribbon makes packing convenient.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in the closed position.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention in the open position.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the invention where lid 200 attached to body 100, and the other side of lid 200 is hingedly connected to mirror 300 so that mirror 300 can be folded securely underneath lid 200.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the invention where mirror 300 is being unfolded and swung out from lid 200 while lid 200 is opened.

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the invention where a ledge on the inside of the front of body 100 so that mirror 300 is supported and secured by the ledge.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the invention where a ledge attached underneath mirror 300 so that mirror 300 is supported and secured by body 100 while allowing mirror 300 to extend outside body 100.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the invention where mirror 300 supported by body 100 against the inside of a box without the ledge.

FIGS. 8-10 are a front view of body 100 showing various forms of the ledge attached inside of body 100 to support mirror 300.

FIG. 11 shows a front view of another embodiment where an example of ledge 340 in a cylinder shaped container 1.

FIGS. 12-13 show perspective views of the actual usage examples of the packing/carrying box with mirror 300.

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of ribbon 400 where the male snap buttons 400a on one end of ribbon 400 and female snap button 400a on the opposite end of ribbon 400.

FIG. 15 illustrates another embodiment of ribbon 410 with multiple button holes 410a along the midline on both ends of ribbon 410.

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of ribbon 420 with alternating buttons 420a and holes 410a along the midline on both ends of ribbon 420.

FIG. 17 shows another embodiment of ribbon 430 with a Velcro tape 430a along the midline of on both ends of ribbon 430.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention provides a packing/carrying box with a mirror, comprising a body 100, a lid 200, a mirror 300 and ribbons 400. As shown, body 100 can hold objects and is open at the top.

While body 100 and lid 200 are shown as a rectangular box type, it is foreseeable that body 100 and lid 200 may be of many different shapes, such as cubes, cuboids, cylinder, heart shapes, etc. Moreover, body 100 may be made of various material depending on packaging need of the gift or objects.

FIG. 3 shows one side of lid 200 attached to body 100 at hinge portion 310. The other side of lid 200 is hingedly connected to mirror 300 at hinge portion 320 so that mirror 300 can be folded securely underneath lid 200.

While hinge portions 310 and 320 appear to be mechanical hinges, it is foreseeable that functionally-equivalent structures could be used to hingedly connect between lid 200 and body 100 and between lid 200 and mirror 300 such as integrally or mechanically.

More particularly, when lid 200 closes, mirror 300 is parallel to the bottom of lid 200. The shape and size of lid 200 is identical to the shape and size of the opening of the top of body 100, so that it can close tightly and completely.

FIG. 4 shows mirror 300 unfolded and swung out from lid 200 while lid 200 is opened. When lid 200 opens, mirror 300 is unfolded, it holds lid 200 open and is supported by body 100. Hence, a person can see herself wearing the gift right away.

FIGS. 5-7 show various ways in which mirror 200 is supported by body 100. For examples, FIG. 5 shows a ledge 320 on the inside of the front of body 100 so that mirror 300 is supported and secured by ledge 320.

FIG. 6 shows a different ledge 350 attached underneath mirror 300 so that mirror 300 is supported and secured by body 100 while allowing mirror 300 to extend outside body 100.

FIG. 7 shows mirror 300 supported by body 100 without the ledge. This type of support maybe useful when body 100 of container 1 is wide and short. It is obvious that mirror 300 may be supported by body 100 of container 1 in various ways as discussed above.

FIGS. 8, 9, 10, and 11 show a front view of body 100 showing various forms of ledge 340 attached inside of body 100 to support mirror 300. For example, FIG. 8 shows ledge 340 in multiple pieces, FIG. 9 shows ledge 340 as one continues piece, and FIG. 10 shows ledge 340 as one small piece placed in the middle. FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the invention utilizing the ledge used in a cylinder shaped container 1.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show attached ribbon 400 cross over body 100 and lid 200 of a closed container 1. FIG. 12 shows one embodiment of the current invention that is showing the attached ribbon 400 forming handle 500.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the current invention showing the attached ribbon 400 securing box 100 and lid 200 together and forming handle 500. Various pre-made decorative pieces such as a bow tie can be attached to body 100, lid 200, ribbon 400 and handle 500.

FIGS. 14, 15, 16 and 17 show various ways in which the attached ribbon 400, 410, 420, and 430 can easily secure closed container 1 or form handle 500, and is easily adjustable.

FIG. 14 illustrates the male snap buttons 400b on one end of ribbon 400 and female snap buttons 400a on the opposite end of ribbon 400 so that when they meet over lid 200 it can easily attach to secure container 1 or make handle 500 without having to tie ribbons 400 together.

FIG. 15 illustrates another type of ribbon 410 with multiple button holes 410a along the midline on both ends of ribbon 410. One end of ribbon 410 can pass through button holes 410a on the other end of the ribbon to secure body 100 and lid 200 and/or make handle 500.

FIG. 16 illustrates another type of ribbon 420 with alternating buttons 420a and holes 420b along the midline on both ends of the ribbon. Buttons 420a on one end of ribbon 420 pass through holes 420a on the other end of the ribbon to secure body 100 over lid 200 or become a handle.

FIG. 17 shows another type of ribbon 430 with a Velcro tape 430a along the midline of on both ends of ribbon 430 so that when they meet over lid 200 it can easily attach to secure container 1 or make handle 500 without having to tie ribbons 430 together.

With this invention, the recipient of a gift such as clothes, hats, cosmetics, or jewelry, etc., can open the box and immediately see how they look using the attached mirror. Additionally, since box itself is already decorated and has a handle, it does not require another gift bag to hold the box to carry it.

Accordingly, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated in the Figures. It should also be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed above are for the purpose of disclosing the illustrated embodiments, and do not necessarily serve as limitations to the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a body, a lid, and a mirror, wherein one side of the lid is hingedly connected to the body to close the top of the body; wherein the opposite side of the lid is hingedly connected to the mirror so that the mirror can be folded and be secured underneath the lid before the lid closes the body; and wherein when the mirror is unfolded, the mirror is supported by the body of the container and keeps the lid in an open position.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises at least one ledge attached inside the body so that the mirror is supported by the ledge and keeps the lid in an open position.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the mirror comprises at least one ledge attached behind the mirror so that the mirror is supported by the ledge and keeps the lid in an open position.

4. A container comprising: a body, a lid, a mirror, at least one adjustable ribbon attached to the body, and a carrying handle, wherein one side of the lid is hingedly connected to the body to close the top of the body; wherein the opposite side of the lid is hingedly connected to the mirror so that the mirror can be folded and be secured underneath the lid before the lid closes the body; wherein when the mirror is unfolded, the mirror is supported by the body of the container and keeps the lid in an open position; and wherein the ribbon crosses over the body and the lid together, so as to secure the container in closed position and form the carrying handle.

5. A container according to claim 4, wherein the body comprises at least one ledge attached inside the body so that the mirror is supported by the ledge and keeps the lid in an open position.

6. A container according to claim 4, wherein the mirror comprises at least one ledge attached behind the mirror so that the mirror is supported by the ledge and keeps the lid in an open position.

7. A container according to claim 4, wherein the attached adjustable ribbon attaches to itself, the lid and the body by using multiple snap buttons.

8. A container according to claim 4, wherein the attached adjustable ribbon attaches to itself, the lid and the body by using multiple holes.

9. A container according to claim 4, wherein the attached adjustable ribbon attaches to itself, the lid and the body by using alternating buttons and button holes.

10. A container according to claim 4, wherein the attached adjustable ribbon attaches to itself, the lid and the body by using velcro tape.