Small containers with a plug-in connection

A small container includes two hollow plastic parts detachably interconnected together. Each part includes substantially cylindrical side walls and opposite end walls which are disposed perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the container. Rounded connecting portions are provided between the end walls and the side walls. A projection is provided on one end surface and a complementary recess is provided on an opposite end surface whereby a plurality of containers may be interconnected end-to-end. A plurality of ribs extending in the longitudinal direction of the container alternate with a plurality of grooves continuously about the entire periphery of the container whereby a plurality of containers may be laterally interconnected together by sliding the rib of one container into a groove of another container.

BACKGROUND 
The invention relates to a small container consisting of a moulding, 
especially of plastic, with an upper part and a lower part which are 
separable for the insertion of objects, end surfaces arranged 
perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis, one of which has a projection 
and the other a recess into which the projection of the one end surface 
can be introduced to produce a releasable connection, and connecting means 
on the periphery of at least one of the parts of the moulding. Such small 
containers are used as contents of hollow bodies, for example chocolate 
eggs, and contain objects such as toy parts. Such small containers can 
also include so-called surprise articles. 
Such a small container is known from GB 14 99 603 A. In this, holes are 
provided in the wall in one of the end surfaces and on the periphery of 
the small container, and a mushroom-like lug is provided on the other end 
surface, which enable a plug-in connection of the containers, but only in 
a limited number of directions and positions. 
A small container consisting of a lower and upper part is also disclosed in 
DE 86 22 192 U and has projections on the essentially cylindrical body by 
means of which a plug-in connection between the respectively matched 
projections of several small containers can be made. In this manner, an 
elongated body is created, although the use thereof is very limited. 
It is also possible to separate such a small container in the middle and to 
connect the ensuing upper and lower parts in reverse by means of mutually 
conforming projections. 
The described combination possibilities with the small container do not, 
however, suffice for use as a toy, as respectively only one part or oblong 
body or one such body with axes extending exclusively at right angles to 
one another can be formed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is therefore based on the object to improve small containers 
of the type initially described in such a manner that a plurality of 
combinations is possible and that the small container can be used as a toy 
in a variety of ways. 
This object is solved in accordance with the invention by a small container 
of the type initially mentioned in that a projection is provided on one of 
the end surfaces which includes the recess for receiving the projection of 
the other one of the end surfaces, and that alternating hollows and 
protrusions are provided on the periphery of at least one of the parts of 
the moulding by means of which a slide-in or plug-in connection can be 
produced at the periphery of respectively different mouldings by the 
engagement of at least one protrusion with at least one hollow. 
The object is also solved by means of a small container consisting of a 
hollow plastic moulding having a upper and lower part which are separable 
for the insertion of objects, the moulding having slide-in or plug-in 
connection possibilities in several dimensions for use as a plug-in piece 
of a plug-in building block toy. 
Further embodiments and advantageous examples of the invention are given in 
the dependent claims. 
It is particularly advantageous if the projection on the one end face is 
formed with a circular recess and the projection on the other end face is 
formed to be button-like for plugging into the recess of the projection in 
the one end face. 
Alternatively, the small container can be designed in such a way that the 
projection in the one end face is formed of hook members arranged on a 
circle with radially inwardly directed hook ends and the projection in the 
other end face is formed to be of a circular bowl-like shape with radially 
outwardly directed hook members for plugging into the recess of the 
projection in the other end face and for bayonet-closure-like rotation 
into the connection position. 
A particular embodiment or development of the invention consists in that 
the outer form of the container is changed by plugging additional parts 
into the hollows, the additional parts being transportable inside the 
container and the toy, in particular a figure or model, being produced by 
plugging in the additional parts. 
An advantage of the inventive small container lies in that the container 
can be combined in the most varying directions or dimensions so that 
diverse forms and constructions can be formed. A further advantage lies in 
that a stable and releasable connection between several containers is 
possible. It is also advantageous that food stuffs such as chocolate and 
parts such as toys can be separated from one another by means of the small 
container. In this case, the small container does not subsequently become 
refuse, as it can continue to be used as a toy or building block system. A 
contribution is therefore made in protecting natural resources and the 
environment. The structure of several plugged together small containers 
becomes very stable on account of the plurality of engagements of the 
plug-in connections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 shows the procedure of sliding together the slide-in or plug-in 
connections of two small containers according to a first embodiment. The 
small containers are substantially cylindrical and have rounded ends at 
the end of the longitudinal side which transit into flattened end surfaces 
7. The shell surfaces 6 are cylindrical. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the same 
embodiment is shown in plan view and in section. The small containers have 
a lid-like upper part 2 and a lower part 3. The lower part 3 has a 
drawn-in rim over which the lid 2 can be placed. For locking, the drawn-in 
rim is provided with a bead 9. The lid 2 has a groove 10 matching the bead 
9. In sliding the upper part 2 onto the lower part 3, the annular bead 9 
fits into the annular groove 10 so that a locking is achieved. 
A projection 5 provided on the end surface 7 of the lower part 3 consists 
of hook members provided on a circle with radially inwardly directed hook 
ends. The hook members surround a recess 15. The end surface 7 of the 
upper part 2 is provided with a corresponding projection 5 which is formed 
in a circular bowl-like manner with radially outwardly directed hook 
members for plugging into the recess 15 and for bayonet-like-locking 
rotation into the connecting position. 
The periphery of the lower part 3 is thickened at the central portion of 
the shell surface 6. Hollows 4 are provided in this thickened region. 
These hollows serve to provide the slide-in connection. Several hollows 4 
are equidistantly spaced continuously around the periphery of the 
container 1. 
In FIG. 8, the operational principle of the slide-in connection is shown 
for clarity. A protrusion 8 of one container 1 provided respectively 
between two hollows 4 can be fitted into a hollow 4 of a further container 
1. The protrusions 8 and hollows 4 are dovetailed, i.e. provided with 
inclined walls in such a manner that the hollow 4 widens towards the base 
and the protrusion 8 tapers towards the base. By sliding-in, a dovetail 
connection is produced by which both parts are securely joined together. 
In order for the connection to be slidable or releasable, the thickening 
is provided with the hollows 4 and protrusions 8 only in an annular 
partial region of the shell surface 6 so that an open end of the hollows 4 
is provided. 
The ends of the protrusions 8 are chamfered or rounded-off so that the 
sliding-in action can be carried out more easily. 
It is also possible to provide right-angled protrusions or hollows in which 
locking is achieved by friction. In both cases, however, a release or 
plugging-in of the connection is possible with the application of a 
certain force if a resilient material such as plastic is used for the 
small container. 
The individual small containers may be pushed together in various 
directions in rows or in differently connected shapes, such as a triangle. 
In FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, a further embodiment of the invention is shown in 
which matched projections 5 are provided on the end surfaces 7. Thus, for 
example, in FIG. 6, a projection 5 is provided on the upper part 2 in 
which a button-like recess is formed in the end surface 7. On the other 
hand, the lower part 3 has a projection 5 which consists of a rim or ring 
with a circular recess 15 which is bigger than the projection 5 of the 
upper part 2. The upper part 2 can thus be connected to the lower part 3. 
However, it is also possible in the closed state, i.e. after placing the 
lid 2 onto the lower part 3 and engaging the bead 9 in the groove 10, to 
connect several similar small containers together. In this case, a 
projection 5 is respectively inserted into the respectively matching 
projection 5 of another small container. Additionally, the slide-in 
connection as shown in FIG. 1 is provided. In this manner, many small 
containers can be combined with one another into complicated forms, 
connections in the direction of the longitudinal axis and in the 
transverse directions being possible. 
It is also possible to insert other types of formed parts into the hollows 
4. This is especially useful if the contents of the small container 
consists of further additional toy parts. These additional parts can, for 
example, be in the form of wings, legs, faces and so on, such that a 
model, a figure or other toy can be produced by means of plugging-in or 
sliding-in. For this purpose, further hollows 4 in the form of holes are 
also provided in a third embodiment into which further additional parts 
can be inserted. These holes can also be provided at the end surfaces 7. 
By providing the holes with a square or oblong shape, directional 
stability of the additional parts is achieved. 
In FIG. 7, a view showing the principle of engagement of a sliding 
connection is shown. Connection is possible at various locations and 
angles about the periphery of the small container. 
The small container can be approx. 4 to 6 cm long and have a diameter of 
approximately 2.5 to 3.5 cm. As material plastic is especially suitable, 
for example polypropylene or ABS. The walls are approximately 0.6 to 1.0 
mm thick. The projection 5 also consists of thin-walled wall sections with 
a thickness of 0.4 to 0.6 mm. In the region of the hollows 4 and 
protrusions 8, the wall thickness is increased and is approximately 2 mm. 
In the depicted embodiments, the upper and lower parts 2, 3 form a flush 
shell surface after connection. The projections 5 as well as the 
separating locations between the upper and lower part are flat and formed 
as support surfaces. Various changes and modifications are possible. For 
example, the small container can have a rectangular, square or polygonal 
form instead of the depicted round, cylindrical form. Furthermore, the 
projections 5 can also be polygonal or round. The slide-in connection with 
the hollows 4 and protrusions 8 can be provided on the entire periphery of 
the container or be limited to certain regions. 
The dimensions of the container can also be enlarged so that other 
applications such as the storage of writing or kitchen utensils or the 
retaining of liquids are possible.