Low profile ring display box and method for displaying jewelry in the same

• US 5,979,661 A
• Filed: 03/04/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bates Display & Packaging Co.
• Original Assignee: Bates Display & Packaging Co.
• Inventors: Sherman, Robert, Stock, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US09/034,872
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 206/6.1, 206/566, 206/751, 206/754, 206/755, 206/756, 206/757, 53/201
• US Class Current: 206/754
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/16 Jewel boxes
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/03 of box shape; Adaptations of boxes to display purposes

Abstract

An improved ring display box is realized by providing a holding platform made from sheet material to which the ring is attached and which is unfolded as the ring box is opened. As the sheet is unfolded by the opening of the box, a folded surface to which the ring is attached is rotated upwardly out of the box and presented at an inclination to the viewer. The sheet is multiply folded by parallel sets of folds so that the surface to which the ring is attached extends outwardly and forwardly from the hinge of the box to make a visually forward projection to the viewer.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying an object comprising:

an enclosure having an upper and lower lid, said upper and lower lids each defining a corresponding plane, said upper and lower lids each having a front and back side;

a hinge mechanism affixed to said upper and lower lids, said hinge mechanism having a flexible metallic band connecting said upper and lower lids, said hinge mechanism having a hinge, said hinge having a stable open position and a closed spring-loaded shut position, whereby said hinge can only rest in either said closed position or said stable open position, but not in any position between said shut position and said open position;

an object holding platform disposed in said enclosure, said object holding platform having an upper portion attached to said upper lid and a lower portion attached to said lower lid, an upper and lower flange portion, and a rotatable object attachment surface;

said upper and lower portions each having a front end and a back end, wherein said back end of said upper and lower portions each defines a back fold proximate to said back side of said upper and lower lids,

said upper flange portion having a forward fold defined between said upper flange portion and said object attachment surface, said upper flange portion defined between said back fold of said upper portion and

said forward fold of said upper flange portion, said lower flange portion having a forward fold defined between said lower flange portion and said object attachment surface, said lower flange portion defined between said back fold of said lower portion and said forward fold of said lower flange portion,

said object attachment surface defined between said forward fold of said upper flange portion and said forward fold of said lower flange portion,

said object attachment surface being rotated from an orientation generally horizontal to said planes of said upper and lower lids when said enclosure is in a closed configuration and rotated to an inclined position when said enclosure is reconfigured to an opened configuration; and

an attachment element disposed on said object attachment surface of said object holding platform to attach said object thereto,

whereby, presentation of said object to a viewer when said enclosure is opened is enhanced.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said object holding platform is comprised of a sheet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said sheet of said object holding platform is integral.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said sheet comprises a base of at least one or more segments and a skin attached to said base, said base for providing structural rigidity of each segment and said skin for providing continuity across said base.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said base is comprised of discontinuous portions and said skin is continuous.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attachment element is a clip.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said attachment element comprises a tuck and roll structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said object is a ring having a band, and said band defines a plane, said plane of said band extending generally perpendicularly outwardly from said object attachment surface where said ring is attached by said attachment element so that said ring is presented outwardly at an inclined angle when said upper lid of said enclosure is opened and wherein said plane of said ring is disposed in a generally horizontal plane within said enclosure approximately parallel to said planes of said upper and lower lids when said upper lid is closed.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 where said object holding platform is comprised of a material which is not a sheet.

10. An apparatus for displaying an object comprising:

an enclosure having an upper and lower lid, said upper and lower lids each defining a corresponding plane;

an object holding platform disposed in said enclosure, said object holding platform having a rotatable object attachment portion, said object attachment portion being rotated from an orientation generally horizontal to said planes of said upper and lower lids when said enclosure is in a closed configuration and rotated to an inclined position when said enclosure is reconfigured to an opened configuration;

an attachment element disposed on said object attachment portion of said object holding platform to attach said object thereto, said attachment element comprising a tuck and roll structure; and

a containment fixture attached to said holding platform into which said tuck and roll structure is disposed, said containment fixture for providing structural support to said tuck and roll structure

whereby, presentation of said object to a viewer when said enclosure is opened is enhanced.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of unfolding on said folds, said upper and lower portions, hinge portion, and flange portions of said object holding platform are folded as separate discreet elements coupled together by a continuous skin.

11. A method for displaying an object comprising the steps of:

providing an object holding platform disposed within an enclosure having an upper and lower lid, said upper and lower lids coupled together by a hinge,

said object holding platform having an upper portion attached to said upper lid and a lower portion attached to said lower lid, an upper and lower flange portion, an attachment surface, said upper and lower portions having a forward end and a back end;

attaching said object to said attachment surface;

rotating one of said upper and lower lids to open said enclosure;

simultaneously, rotating said object holding platform over said hinge with rotation of said lid,

simultaneously unfolding said object holding platform with rotation of said lid to rotate said attachment surface to which said object is attached to an inclination wherein said object is lifted away from said lid, wherein, said step of rotating said lid rotates said object holding platform over said hinge,

wherein unfolding said object holding platform rotates a flexible hinge portion of said object holding platform, said flexible hinge portion being flexibly coupled between said upper and lower portions of said object holding platform, said upper portion moving with said upper lid and said lower portion moving with said lower lid,

wherein rotation of said flexible hinge portion comprises the step of unfolding said hinge portion along two parallel folds between said upper portion and hinge portion and said lower portion and hinge portion, said parallel folds being located at said back end of said upper and lower portions,

wherein said step of unfolding said hinge along said two parallel folds unfolds on two spaced apart pairs of parallel folds, each pair of parallel folds defining between them a flange portion of said object holding platform,

whereby, display of said object is enhanced when said enclosure is opened.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein steps of unfolding on said folds, said upper and lower portions, hinge portion, and flange portions are folded on portions of a continuous folded object holding platform.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of providing an object attachment portion comprises providing a sheet.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of providing an object attachment portion comprises providing a material which is not a sheet.

16. A ring box for displaying a ring having a shank defining a plane comprising:

an upper lid;

a lower lid;

a hinge coupling said upper and lower lid to allow said upper and lower lid to assume a closed configuration for providing an enclosure for said ring and an open configuration for providing visual and physical access to said ring; and

a hinged ring holder disposed at least in part within said upper and lower lids and movable therewith and positioned proximate to said hinge to rotate as said upper and lower lids are opened, said hinged ring holder for holding said ring and rotating said ring as said hinged ring holder is rotated, said hinged ring holder having an upper portion disposed in said upper lid and a lower portion disposed in said lower lid, said hinged ring holder having at least four folds, said hinged ring holder having two outermost folds and two innermost folds, said hinged ring holder having an attachment surface, said two outermost folds each being disposed at a back end of said upper and lower lids at said hinge, said attachment surface being defined between said two innermost folds.

17. The ring box of claim 16 wherein said hinged ring holder is a folded sheet.

18. The ring box of claim 17 wherein said folded sheet is provided with a resilient clip and a hole defined therein to provide clearance for said shank of said ring, said clip extending across said hole and coupling said ring to said sheet when said shank of said ring is disposed into said hole underneath said shank.

19. The ring box of claim 18 further comprising a flexible covering decorative skin disposed over said sheet and hole underneath said clip to hide said hole in said sheet while allowing said shank to be disposed into said hole.

20. The ring box of claim 17 wherein said folded sheet comprises a base of at least one or more segments and a skin attached to said base, said base for providing structural rigidity of each segment and said skin for providing continuity across said base.

21. The ring box of claim 20 wherein said base is comprised of discontinuous portions and said skin in continuous.

22. The ring box of claim 16 further comprising an attachment element.

23. The ring box of claim 22 wherein said attachment element comprises a tuck and roll structure.

24. The ring box of claim 23 further comprising a containment fixture attached to said holding portion of said folded sheet into which said tuck and roll structure is disposed, said containment fixture for providing structural support to said tuck and roll structure.

25. The ring box of claim 16 wherein said outermost folds define a middle portion, said middle portion having a flat surface.

26. The ring box of claim 16 wherein said outermost folds define a middle portion, said middle portion having an elevated three-dimensional surface.

27. The ring box of claim 16 wherein said hinged ring holder is a material which is not a sheet.