Packing unit comprising interconnection means

• US 7,434,689 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mars Incorporated
• Inventors: Homann, Sabine
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grosso; Harry A
• Application Number:
  US10/501,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20050115857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 220 421- 424, 220/4.26, 206/508, 206/509, 206/519, 206/520
• 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 comprising:

a container body with a closed lower end having a floor section adjacent the lower end, an open upper end and side walls between them; and

a cap for closing the open end of the container body, pivotably attached thereto;

the floor section of the container body having an outer surface that is designed such that said floor section can be inserted, to a predetermined extent, into the cap of another packaging unit, and connection means are provided in the outer surface of the floor section of the container body and the cap in order to connect the packaging unit to another packaging unit, wherein an indentation in the outer surface of the floor section projecting into the intenior of the container body forms the connection means of the floor section of the container body.

2. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the floor section of the container body is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the open end thereof.

3. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein a step is provided between the floor section and the rest of the side walls of the container body, in order to abut the upper edge of the open end of the container body of another packaging unit when the floor section is inserted therein.

4. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connection means of the cap comprises at least one projection on an inside surface of the cap that projects into the cap and engages at least one indentation in the lower end of the container body of another packaging unit in order to connect the packaging units together.

5. The packaging unit as claimed in any claim 1, wherein the container body possesses a circular cross-sectional area at least in the floor section and at the open end thereof.

6. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the packaging unit is manufactured from a plastic material.

7. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plastic material is a polypropylene polymer.

8. The packaging unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the packaging unit is manufactured by injection moulding.