Anti-theft point-of-sale container

• US 4,381,836 A
• Filed: 06/15/1981
• Issued: 05/03/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shamrock Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Liberty Diversified Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Rivkin, Eric M., Thorud, Stanley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moy, Joseph Man-Fu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fidei, David
• Application Number:
  US06/273,667
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 206/1.5, 206/45.14, 206/45.31, 206/45.34, 206/387, 206/461, 206/467, 206/470, 206/565, 206/807, 206/620, 206/628, 206/630, 206/634, 220/22, 220/72, 220/23.8, 220/266, 220/267
• US Class Current: 206/387.11
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0236 Containers for several cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/807 Tamper proof

Abstract

A container is designed for packaging cassettes or eight-track tapes at the point of sale. The container will hold up to two cassettes or one eight-track and is designed so that once the merchandise has been inserted, the container is closed permanently and must be cut or otherwise destroyed in order to remove the merchandise, such removal to take place by the consumer at home after purchase.

Claims

1. An anti-theft point-of-sale container for tapes, the container comprising:

a body, said body having a cavity therein of a width at least as great as the length of a cassette, said cavity having a length at least twice the thickness of a cassette, said body comprising first and second ends and first and second side walls;

a handle attached to said body first end;

at least one hinge member, hingedly attached to said body second end;

a cover comprising first and second ends hingedly attached at said cover second end to said hinge member and third and fourth side walls, said cover having a cavity therein complementary to said body cavity and having a length and width substantially equal thereto; and

means for permanently securing said cover to said body,

said securing means comprising;

at least one tab means extending from said second end of one of said body and said cover, each said tab means having barb means on at least one side thereof;

first and second slot walls extending between said side walls of the other of said body and said cover, said slot walls being connected by at least one web means intermediate said side walls, said slot walls being of a depth and thickness so as to prevent substantial distortion due to manual manipulation from the exterior of said container.

2. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 1 wherein said body further comprises a bottom wall and said cover comprises a top wall.

3. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 2 wherein said bottom wall comprises at least one viewing aperture of a size small enough to prevent the manipulation of a cassette therethrough.

4. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 3 wherein said top wall comprises at least one viewing aperture of a size small enough to prevent the manipulation of a cassette therethrough.

5. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 4 further comprising viewing aperture means at said second end.

6. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 2 further comprising:

at least one first spacing rib attached to said bottom wall and said first side wall; and

at least one second spacing rib attached to said bottom wall and said second side wall, each said first spacing rib being separate from each said second spacing rib by a distance at least as great as the width of an eight-track cartridge.

7. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 6 further comprising:

at least one third spacing rib attached to said top wall and said third side wall; and

at least one fourth spacing rib attached to said fourth side wall and said top wall, each said third spacing rib being separate from each said fourth spacing rib by a distance at least as great as the width of an eight-track cartridge.

8. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 7 wherein when said cover is secured to said body with said cavities contiguous, each said first spacing rib and each said third spacing rib are separated by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a cassette.

9. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 8 wherein when said cover is secured to said body with said cavities contiguous, each said second spacing rib and each said fourth spacing rib are separated by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a cassette.

10. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 9 wherein the combined height of said body and cover side walls is substantially equal to the thickness of an eight-track cartridge.

11. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 10 further comprising at least one bottom end rib extending from said bottom wall and being spaced from one of said ends a distance substantially equal to the length of an eight-track cartridge.

12. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 11 further comprising at least one bottom end rib extending from said top wall and being spaced from one of said ends a distance substantially equal to the length of an eight-track cartridge.

13. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 2 wherein said securing means is located adjacent said first end.

14. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 13 further comprising a plurality of pointed anti-theft ribs extending into said body cavity from said bottom wall adjacent said first end.

15. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of pointed anti-theft ribs extending into said cover cavity from said top wall adjacent said first end.

16. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 13 further comprising securing means located on said side walls approximately equidistant from said first and second ends.

17. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claims 13 or 16 wherein said securing means comprises:

at least one tab extending from said second end of one of said body and said cover, said tab having barb means on either side thereof; and

at least one slot in said first end of the other of said body and said cover, said slot having barb means in either side thereof located and spaced so as to permanently retain each said tab in each said slot.

18. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 17 wherein said slot sides are of a depth and thickness so as to prevent substantial distortion thereof from the exterior of said container.

19. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 2 wherein said body further comprises an end wall located at said body second end and said cover further comprises an end wall located at said cover second end.

20. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 19 wherein each said hinge member comprises means for interlocking with said end walls.

21. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 20 wherein said interlocking means comprises at least one recess in each said end wall for receiving each said hinge member.

22. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 21 further comprising aperture means in said end walls for viewing the contents of said container.

23. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 2 further comprising a weakened arc adjacent said second end to allow said container to be cut open.

24. The anti-theft point-of-sale of claim 23 wherein said weakened area is located on each said hinge member.

25. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 23 wherein said weakened area is located on said end walls.

26. An anti-theft point-of-sale container for concealable products, the container comprising:

a body, said body having a cavity comprising means for accommodating therein at least one first product or at least one second product, said first and second products being differently sized, said accommodating means snugly retaining at least one of said products and said body comprising first and second ends and first and second side walls;

a handle attached to said body first end;

at least one hinge member, hingedly attached to said body second end;

a cover comprising first and second ends hingedly attached at said cover second end to said hinge member and third and fourth side walls, said cover having a cavity therein complementary to said body cavity and having a length and width substantially equal thereof; and

means for permanently securing said cover to said body, said securing means comprising;

at least one tab means extending from said second end of one of said body and said cover, each said tab means having barb means on at least one side thereof;

first and second slot walls extending between said side walls of the other of said body and said cover, said slot walls being connected by at least one web means intermediate said side walls, said slot walls being of a depth and thickness so as to prevent substantial distortion due to manual manipulation from the exterior of said container.

27. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 26 wherein said body further comprises a bottom wall and said cover comprises a top wall.

28. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 27 wherein said bottom wall comprises at least one viewing aperture of a size small enough to prevent the manipulation of a product therethrough.

29. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 28 wherein said top wall comprises at least one viewing aperture of a size small enough to prevent the manipulation of a product therethrough.

30. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 29 further comprising viewing aperture means at said second end.

31. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 27 further comprising:

at least one first spacing rib attached to said bottom wall and said first side wall; and

at least one second spacing rib attached to said bottom wall and said second side wall, each said first spacing rib being separate from each second spacing rib by a distance at least as great as the width of a first product.

32. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 31 further comprising:

at least one third spacing rib attached to said top wall and said third side wall; and

at least one fourth spacing rib attached to said fourth side wall and said top wall, each said third spacing rib being separate from each said fourth spacing rib by a distance at least as great as the width of a first product.

33. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 32 wherein when said cover is secured to said body with said cavities contiguous, each said first spacing rib and each said third spacing rib are separated by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a second product.

34. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 33 wherein when said cover is secured to said body with said cavities contiguous, each said second spacing rib and each said fourth spacing rib are separated by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a second product.

35. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 34 wherein the combined height of said body and cover side walls is substantially equal to the thickness of a first product.

36. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 35 further comprising at least one bottom end rib extending from said bottom wall and being spaced from one of said ends a distance substantially equal to the length of a first product.

37. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 36 further comprising at least one bottom end rib extending from said top wall and being spaced from one of said ends a distance substantially equal to the length of a first product.

38. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 27 wherein said securing means is located adjacent said first end.

39. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 38 further comprising a plurality of pointed anti-theft ribs extending into said body cavity from said bottom wall adjacent said first end.

40. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 39 further comprising a plurality of pointed anti-theft ribs extending into said cover cavity from said top wall adjacent said first end.

41. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 38 further comprising securing means located on said side walls approximately equidistant from said first and second ends.

42. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 27 wherein said body further comprises an end wall located at said body second end and said cover further comprises an end wall located at said cover second end.

43. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 42 wherein each said hinge member comprises means for interlocking with said end walls.

44. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 43 wherein said interlocking means comprises at least one recess in each said end wall for receiving each said hinge member.

45. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 44 further comprising aperture means in said end walls for viewing the contents of said container.

46. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 27 further comprising a weakened arc adjacent said second end to allow said container to be cut open.

47. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 46 wherein said weakened area is located on each said hinge member.

48. The anti-theft point-of-sale container of claim 46 wherein said weakened area is located on said end walls.

49. An anti-theft point-of-sale container for concealable products, the container comprising:

a body, said body having a cavity comprising means for accommodating therein at least one first product or at least one second product, said first and second products being differently sized, said accommodating means snugly retaining at least one of said products and said body having first and second ends, a bottom wall and first and second side walls;

a handle attached to said body first end;

at least one hinge member, hingedly attached to said body second end;

a cover having first and second ends hingedly attached at said cover second end to said hinge member, said cover having a cavity therein complementary to said body cavity and having a length and width substantially equal thereto and having a top wall and third and fourth side walls;

at least one first spacing rib attached to said bottom wall and said first side wall;

at least one second spacing rib attached to said bottom wall and said second side wall, each said first spacing rib being separate from each second spacing rib by a distance at least as great as the width of a first product;

at least one third spacing rib attached to said top wall and said third side wall;

at least one fourth spacing rib attached to said fourth side wall and said top wall, each said third spacing rib being separate from each said fourth spacing rib by a distance at least as great as the width of a first product;

wherein when said cover is secured to said body with said cavities contiguous, each said first spacing rib and each said third spacing rib are separated by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a second product; and

wherein when said cover is secured to said body with said cavities contiguous, each said second spacing rib and each said fourth spacing rib are separated by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a second product; and

wherein the combined height of said body and cover side walls is substantially equal to the thickness of a first product;

at least one bottom end rib extending from said bottom wall and being spaced from one of said ends a distance substantially equal to the length of a first product; and

at least one bottom end rib extending from said top wall and being spaced from one of said ends a distance substantially equal to the length of a first product.