Package for containing and displaying elongate articles

• US 7,673,748 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Norell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Norell Incorporated
• Inventors: Norell, Gregory B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gartenberg; Ehud
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWAY, BLAINE GIRMA
• Application Number:
  US11/689,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20080230425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 206/443, 206/467, 206/468, 206/569, 206/45.23, 206/267, 206/270, 220/812, 220/813, 220/375, 220/345.1, 220/351, 220/345.4, 220/345.3, 220/259.5, 229/129.1, 229/220, 229/125.08
• US Class Current: 206/443
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/5038 Tray-like elements formed by folding a blank and presenting openings or recesses without external box B65D71/72; external face of container provided with opening for receiving object in display position B65D5/5286
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/6617 the container body sliding in an outer sleeve B65D85/1054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1054 combined with an outer sleeve connected to the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/20 for incompressible or rigid rod-shaped or tubular articles

Abstract

A package for containing and displaying elongate articles includes an elongate receptacle with an open end and a closed end. The receptacle has a sleeve disposed and sized for slidable movement over a portion of the elongate receptacle. The sleeve has an open end portion and a closed end portion that are connected by a hinge. The sleeve is disposed on the elongate receptacle and slidably moveable from a first position wherein the closed end of the sleeve substantially obstructs the open end of the receptacle, a second position wherein the hinge is disposed beyond the open end of the receptacle and the closed end portion of the sleeve is selectively moveable about the hinge so that when the open end portion of the sleeve is slidably returned toward the first position the closed end portion of the sleeve engages an outside surface of the elongate portion thereby forming a projection, so that when the package is placed on a horizontal surface so that the closed end of the receptacle and the sleeve closed end engage the horizontal surface, the open end of the receptacle is elevated above the closed end of the receptacle, thereby displaying and improving the accessibility of the elongate articles being contained within the receptacle.

Claims

1. A package for containing and displaying elongate articles on a horizontal surface comprising:

an elongate receptacle with an open end and a closed end;

a sleeve disposed and sized for longitudinal slidable movement over a portion of the elongate receptacle, the sleeve having an open end portion connected by a hinge to a closed end portion, the closed end portion having an open end and a closed end;

the open end portion of the sleeve being disposed outside around the elongate receptacle and slidably moveable between a first down position, wherein the closed end portion of the sleeve substantially obstructs the open end of the elongate receptacle, and a second up position wherein the hinge is slidably disposed adjacent the open end of the elongate receptacle, the closed end portion of the sleeve being selectively rotatable about the hinge, wherein when the open end portion of the sleeve is slidably returned toward the first down position, and further having been sufficiently moved down along the elongate receptacle, the open end of the closed end portion of the sleeve rests against an outside surface of the elongate receptacle thereby forming a projection from the elongate receptacle, so that when the package is placed on the horizontal surface, the closed end of the elongate receptacle and the closed end of the sleeve closed end portion rest on the horizontal surface, the open end of the elongate receptacle is elevated above the closed end of the elongate receptacle, thereby displaying and improving accessibility of the elongate articles contained within the elongate receptacle.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein the package is reversibly closable by slidably moving the sleeve from the first down position wherein the closed end portion of the sleeve rests against the outside surface of the elongate receptacle to the second up position wherein the hinge is disposed adjacent the open end of the elongate receptacle thereby allowing selective rotation of the closed end portion of the sleeve to a position along the longitudinal axis of the elongate receptacle, so that movement of the sleeve to the first down position substantially obstructs the open end of the elongate receptacle.

3. The package of claim 1 wherein the elongate receptacle comprises means for receiving and separately holding a plurality of elongate objects.

4. The package of claim 3 wherein the means for receiving and separately holding a plurality of elongate objects comprises an adapter disposed and sized to fit within the elongate receptacle having a plurality of projections thereon being sized and spaced to receive, hold and separate the elongate objects.

5. The package of claim 3 wherein the means for receiving and separately holding a plurality of elongate objects comprises a lower portion disposed at the closed end of the elongate receptacle and an upper portion disposed between the open and the closed end of the elongate receptacle, wherein at least the upper portion has a plurality of openings in substantial alignment to receive, hold and separate the elongate objects.

6. The package of claim 5 wherein the upper and lower portions are a single article of manufacture being sized and shaped to slidably fit within the elongate receptacle.

7. The package of claim 5 wherein the means for receiving and separately holding a plurality of elongate objects is fixedly attached to an inside surface of the elongate receptacle.

8. The package of claim 5 wherein the means for receiving and separately holding a plurality of elongate objects is releasably removable from the elongate receptacle.

9. The package of claim 3 wherein the means for receiving and separately holding the elongate objects is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, a cellulosic material, a metallic material and composites of one or more of these materials.

10. The package of claim 9 wherein the means for receiving and separately holding the elongate objects comprises a lower portion sized to fit within the closed end portion of the elongate receptacle and an upper portion comprising a plurality of regularly spaced positions sized and spaced to individually receive and separate the elongate objects placed therewithin.

11. The package of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of NMR tubes held in place by the means for receiving and separately holding a plurality of elongate objects.

12. The package of claim 1 wherein the elongate receptacle and the sleeve are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, a cellulosic material, a metallic foil material and composites of one or more of these materials.

13. The package of claim 12 wherein the elongate receptacle and the sleeve are formed from the same material.

14. The package of claim 12 wherein the elongate receptacle and the sleeve are formed from different materials.

15. The package of claim 12 wherein the elongate receptacle and the sleeve are each formed from a sheet of material, the material being cut, formed and bonded to form the elongate receptacle and the sleeve respectively.

16. The package of claim 1 wherein one or both of the elongate receptacle and the sleeve comprise decorations selected from the group consisting of labels, lithographic printing, jet printing, offset printing, debossing, embossing, foil transfer, die cutting, perforating and combinations thereof in monotone or one or more colors.

17. The package of claim 1 comprising means for tamper evidence.

18. The package of claim 17 wherein the means for tamper evidence is selected from the group consisting of a frangible material selected from the group consisting of overwrap, polymeric tape seals, foil tape seals, adhesive paper labels and combinations thereof.

19. The package of claim 1 comprising stop means for engaging the open end portion of the sleeve and defining a limit for movement to the first down position of the sleeve.

20. The package of claim 1 wherein the elongate receptacle comprises a cut-away portion to facilitate removal of the articles contained therewithin.