Packing unit comprising interconnection means

• US 20050115857A1
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Inventors: Homann, Sabine
• Granted Patent: US 7,434,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/509
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/361 Modular elements with complementary shapes, interengageable parts or the like toy building blocks A63H33/04; building elements for walls E04B2/02

Abstract

A packaging unit comprising a container body with a closed lower end, an open upper end and side walls between them; and a cap for closing the open end of the container body, which is pivotably attached thereto; wherein a floor section of the container body adjacent to the lower end thereof is designed such that said floor section can be inserted, to a predetermined extent, into the open end of another packaging unit, and means are provided for optionally alternatively connecting the floor section of the container body to the cap of another packaging unit.

Claims

1. A packaging unit (10) comprising:

a container body (12) with a closed lower end (13), an open upper end (14) and side walls (15) between them; and

a cap (20) for closing the open end (14) of the container body (12), pivotably attached thereto;

a floor section (16) of the container body (12) adjacent to the lower end (13) thereof is designed such that said floor section (16) can be inserted, to a predetermined extent, into the open end (14) of another packaging unit, and means (18, 24) are provided for optionally alternatively connecting the floor section (16) of the container body (12) to the cap (20) of another packaging unit.

2. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the cross-sectional area of the floor section (16) of the container body is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the open end (14) thereof.

3. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that a step (17) is provided between the floor section (16) and the rest of the side walls (15) of the container body (12), in order to abut the upper edge (14 a) of the open end (14) of the container body (12) of another packaging unit when the floor section (16) is inserted therein.

4. The packaging unit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that at least one part (13) of the means for connecting the floor section (16) of the container body (12) to the cap (20) of another packaging unit is provided in the lower end (13) of the container body.

5. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said means comprises at least one indentation (18) in the lower end (13) of the container body (12) in order to engage with at least one projection (24) on the inside of the cap (20) of another packaging unit.

6. The packaging unit as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the container body (12) possesses a circular cross-sectional area at least in the floor section (16) and at the open end (14) thereof.

7. The packaging unit as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the packaging unit is manufactured from a plastic material.

8. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the plastic material is a polypropylene polymer.

9. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that the packaging unit is manufactured by injection moulding.