Holder for flexible sided container

• US 3,902,932 A
• Filed: 11/21/1973
• Issued: 09/02/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aime Fournier, Ronald C. Gdanski
• Original Assignee: Aime Fournier, Ronald C. Gdanski
• Inventors: Gdanski, Ronald C., Fournier, Aime
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonck, Rodney H.
• Application Number:
  US05/418,133
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 248/313,311,DIG.5 211/43,51 221/45,46,282-285
• US Class Current: 248/313
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 10/185 Holders for boxes of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/905 Tissue dispenser mount

Abstract

A holder for a flexible sided container such as a box of facial tissues comprises a pair of coactable base members each of which is provided with container gripping means. The members are also provided with adjusting means for controlling the separation of the gripping means, the separation being directly related to the size of the container. In most embodiments the gripping means will be a pair of flanges which, when adjustment is proper, will deform the flexible sides of the container to effectively hold the container against displacement. The adjusting means permit sliding of one base member relative to the other so that the separation of the gripping means can be properly set.

Claims

1. A HOLDER FOR A CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST TWO OPPOSED FLEXIBLE SIDES, COMPRISING A FIRST MEMBER HAVING A FIRST BASE PLATE PORTION AND FIRST ABUTMENT WALL MEANS, AND A SECOND MEMBER COACTABLE WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER AND HAVING A SECOND BASE PLATE PORTION AND SECOND ABUTMENT WALL MEANS, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A SIDE WALL UPSTANDING FROM THE RESPECTIVE ABUTMENT WALL MEANS AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE CONTAINER GRIPPING FLANGE THEREON, THE FLANGE BEING SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THE RESPECTIVE ABUTMENT WALL MEANS AND DIRECTED INWARDLY OF ITS ASSOCIATED MEMBER, SAID FIRST MEMBER FURTHER INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED APART GUIDEWAYS EACH ADJACENT A RESPECTIVE END OF SAID FIRST BASE PLATE PORTION AND DEFINED BY A PAIR OF PARALLEL UPSTANDING SPACED APART WALLS, ONE WALL OF EACH PAIR SUPPORTING, ALONG WITH APORTION OF SAID FIST ABUTMENT WALL MEANS, A FIRST RATCHET PLATE OVERLYING SAID FIRST BASE PLATE PORTION, TOWARDS WHICH ARE DIRECTED A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSLY DIRECTED FEMALE RATCHET TEETH:

SAID SECOND MEMBER FURTHER INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED APART LEGS, EACH ADAPTED FOR GUIDING RECEPTION IN A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID GUIDEWAYS, A RESILIENT SECOND RATCHET PLATE CANTILEVERED TO SAID SECOND BASE PLATE PORTION, POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID LEGS AND GENERALLY PARALLEL THERETO, A PAIR OF UPSTANDING TRANSVERSELY ORIENTED SPACED APART MALE RATCHET TEETH, EACH POSITIONED ADJACENT AN EDGE OF SAID SECOND RATCHET PLATE REMOTE FROM SAID SECOND ABUTMENT WALL MEANS, WHEREBY WITH EACH SAID LEG SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID GUIDEWAYS EACH OF SAID MALE RATCHET TEETH CAN BE SELECTIVELY MATED WITH A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID FEMALE RATCHET TEETH, THERBY SETTING SAID FLANGES ON SAID WALLS AT A DESIRED SEPARATION FOR ENGAGING A CORRESPONGING SIDE OF SAID CONTAINER.

2. A holder according to claim 1 and including an opening in said first base plate portion underlying said first ratchet plate, said second ratchet plate being deflectable into said opening to disengage said male and female ratchet teeth and permit enlargement of said separation.

3. A holder according to claim 2 wherein said opening is defined on three sides by said first abutment wall means and said one wall of each pair of guideway defining walls.

4. A holder for a container having at least two opposed flexible sides comprising coactable first and second members, each of said members having a base plate portion, abutment wall means upstanding from said base plate portion, a side wall upstanding from said abutment wall means and at least one container gripping flange on said side wall, spaced outwardly from said abutment wall means and directed inwardly of its associated members;

said first member including a pair of spaced apart guideways each adjacent a corresponding end of said base plate portion, each defined by a pair of parallel upstanding spaced apart wall means;

each of said wall means of each pair having a flange thereon spaced outwardly from said base plate portion and directed towards the flange on the other wall means of the pair, one wall means of each pair defining an edge of said base plate portion;

the other wall means of each pair supporting along with said abutment wall means a first ratchet plate overlying an opening in said base plate portion, towards which opening are directed a plurality of transversely directed female ratchet teeth on each first ratchet plate;

said second member including a pair of spaced apart legs, each adapted for sliding reception in a corresponding one of said guideways, a resilient second ratchet plate cantilevered to said base plate portion of said second member, positioned between said legs and generally parallel thereto, said second ratchet plate having dimensions complementary to said opening in said first base plate portion, a pair of upstanding transversely oriented and spaced apart male ratchet teeth each positioned adjacent an edge of said second ratchet plate remote from said abutment wall means and adjacent a corresponding one of said legs;

whereby with each of said legs slidably engaging a corresponding one of said guideways, each of said male ratchet teeth can be selectively mated with a corresponding one of said female ratchet teeth thereby setting said flanges on said sidewalls at a desired separation for engaging the corresponding flexible side of said container.