Patent Publication Number: US-2004050720-A1

Title: Jewel box liner

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a jewel box receptacle and, more particularly, a liner adapted to be disposed in the receptacle which can be folded to provide a print surface viewable from the exterior of the jewel box and an enclosure to assure a sanitary housing for goods disposed in the jewel box, whose contents can be displayed by indicia on the print surface.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] A large variety of display boxes for a variety of contents are known. Many of these boxes, known as jewel boxes or cases, are transparent or at least contain one transparent wall. This allows the consumer to view the contents of the case directly through the transparent wall or to view printed information displayed within the case. Such printed information will typically relate to the contents within the case as well as to the source of the contents or goods or provide other advertising material.  
       [0005] One way to store contents along with printed information in a display or jewel case is to include the contents in the case and then place an insert card on top of the contents. Such insert card will typically have written material on one side of the card which can be viewed from outside the display case if the written material is facing a transparent panel of the display case.  
       [0006] Although serving an important function of allowing the consumer to see the printed material on the insert card, such cards do not themselves contain the goods within the display case. It is sometimes desirable to include an insert card or blank which can be folded to form a liner for the case and serve as a type of container within the display case much like a box in order to keep the contents within the display case organized and sanitary, and prevent the contents from falling out of the display case when it is opened. For example, the contents may contain a food product or a reusable item which needs to be housed after the original package is opened.  
       [0007] There therefore exists a need for a jewel box liner which can be folded from a blank to form an inner container.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] In accordance with the invention, a blank is provided having a front and back panel which is connected along fold lines to a spine member or panel. The back panel is also connected to one or more side flaps and a top flap along fold lines. The front and back panels of the blank are easily folded into overlying relation along the fold lines, separated by the spine member or panel.  
       [0009] When in overlying relation, the front and back panels of the blank are generally in parallel disposition to one another so that an interior space is defined by the folded side flaps, top flap, and the front and back panels of the blank. In a fully extended open position, the front and back panels of the blank are separated in an axial direction, and the goods contained within the interior space between the panels are thereby easily accessible.  
       [0010] The folded blank is also provided in combination with a rigid display case or jewel box which has a top and bottom cover, and each of which has a front wall, a rear wall and a plurality of side walls. The top and bottom covers of the case are hinged to each other in such a manner that the top and bottom covers can be pivoted with respect to each other.  
       [0011] When the top and bottom covers of the display case are pivoted to a closed position, the front walls of the top and bottom covers are generally in parallel, overlying disposition to one another such that an interior space is defined by the front, rear and side walls of the covers. This interior space is typically large enough to contain the closed and folded blank or liner which is placed inside the rigid display case.  
       [0012] In a separate embodiment of the invention, the blank of the present invention includes a tab having a hole which is attached along a fold line to one of the flaps attached to the back panel of the folded blank. The tab is positioned so that so that it can pass inbetween the first and second parts of the display case or jewel box such that the tab is disposed and accessible outside the case. The tab typically also has one or more holes or apertures which are used to hang the folded blank together with the display case on a rack, for example, a pegboard hook on a pegboard.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0013] Further objects and advantage of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
     [0014]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one form of blank used to form the liner of the present invention;  
     [0015]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a display case top cover used in the present invention;  
     [0016]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a display case bottom cover used in the present invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a blank used to form a liner in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;  
     [0018]FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a display case and folded liner formed from the blank of FIG. 4, in a closed position;  
     [0019]FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of a display case and folded liner formed from the blank of FIG. 1, in a closed position;  
     [0020]FIG. 7A to FIG. 7E illustrate the folding of the blank of FIG. 1 to form a liner for a display case; and  
     [0021]FIG. 8A to FIG. 8F illustrate the folding of the blank of FIG. 4 to form a liner for a display case.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0022] Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, there is illustrated a jewel box or display case  10  in combination with a liner  12  or  12 ′ of the present invention.  
     [0023] The jewel box  10  has a rigid top cover  16  and a rigid bottom cover  17  hinged to the top cover  16  by one or more hinges  18 . The top cover  16  and bottom cover  17  of the box  10  each has a split portion or half of a front wall  20 , a split portion or half of a rear wall  21  and a plurality of interconnected side walls  22  which mate along opposed edges  23 , when the covers  16 ,  17  are in overlying parallel relation when pivoted about hinges  18 .  
     [0024] An interior space  15  is defined by the split front wall  20 , the split rear wall  21 , and side walls  22  when top cover  16  and bottom cover  17  are pivoted to a closed position. The covers  16  and  17  are substantially co-planar when pivoted to an open position.  
     [0025] A variety of mechanisms well known in the art can be used to open and close or fasten top cover  16  and bottom cover  17 . In a preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, box  10  has one or more bosses  24  on each of the split front walls  22 . Each boss  24  flexes and snaps past the other on the opposite split front wall  22  of covers  16 ,  17 . Pivoting cover  16  and cover  17  into an open position is accomplished typically by applying a slight pressure on bosses  24  so that bosses  24  snap and flex past one another. As shown, the jewel box  10  is preferably rectangular in shape.  
     [0026]FIG. 1 illustrates one form of a blank  14  used to form a liner  12  which is used in the jewel box  10 . Liner  12  includes front panel  32  and back panel  34  which are connected along fold lines  35  (either a score line or perforated line) to spine member  36 . Back panel  34  further includes right and left flaps  38 ,  40  and a top flap  42 . Top flap  42  is connected to back panel  34  along fold line  43 . Right flap  38  is connected to back panel  34  along fold line  44 , and left flap  40  is connected to back panel  34  along fold line  45 .  
     [0027] When jewel box  10  is in a closed position, and liner  12  folded, it can occupy space  15  as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 6 with the front panel  32  and back panel  34  generally stacked in parallel disposition to one another within an interior space defined between the folded flaps  38 ,  40  and  42  of liner  12 .  
     [0028] Flaps  38 ,  40  and  42  of insert  12  conform to the size and shape of side walls  22 , and the front and rear walls,  20 ,  21 , respectively, of display case  10  such that interior space is maximized. A wide variety of items can be sanitarily stored in interior space of the folded liner  12 .  
     [0029] Because flaps  38 ,  40  and  42  of back panel  34  are not attached to front panel  32 , liner  12  can be quickly opened simply by pivoting front panel  32  away from back panel  34  along fold line  35  connected to spine member  36 . Any contents (not shown) which are stored in interior space  46  are thereby quickly accessible. Front panel  32  and back panel  34  are generally stacked in a coplanar relationship, when the jewel case is closed.  
     [0030] Various advertising indicia may be printed on the surface area of liner  12 . Such information may be printed on front panel  32 , back panel  34  as well as any of flaps  38 ,  40 , and  42  attached to back panel  34  or on spine member  36 , which indicia is generally viewable through a transparent cover  16 , cover  17 , or a side wall  22  of box  10 .  
     [0031] The liner  12  of the present invention can be made quickly and inexpensively. Liner  12  is typically formed from a one-piece foldable blank  14  of thin cardboard, paper or any other suitable material well known in the art, provided with a unique arrangement of fold lines and cut out portions, where necessary.  
     [0032]FIGS. 7A to  7 E illustrate in sequence, by following the arrows, of the manner in which the liner  12  is folded from its blank  14  along the fold lines of the blank into a generally rectangular parallelepiped form prior to insertion into jewel box or display case  10 .  
     [0033] Referring to FIG. 4, a liner  12 ′ formed from a blank  14 ′ can be formed according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0034] The display case  10  is the same for both the first and second embodiments herein described. The only essential difference between the hereinafter described second embodiment with the previously described first embodiment of the liner  12  is that liner  12 ′ is modified so as to provide an additional hanging tab  60 . Hanging tab  60  is attached to top flap  42  of back panel  34  by a crease or fold line  62 . The folded line or crease  62  is positioned so that hanging tab  60  can project between the split halves of front wall  20  of front cover  16  and bottom cover  17  of display case or jewel box  10  even when case  10  is in a closed position.  
     [0035] Hanging tab  60  includes one or more cut-out portions  64  to receive a peg hook and other application when tab  60  projects out of display case  10  when case  10  is in a closed position to display case  10  on a rack.  
     [0036] Further, because top flap  42  is one half its typical size, due to the necessity of the projection of tab  60  between the split halves of front wall  20 , back cover  34  of liner  12 ′ will typically include a side flap  66  which is foldable along a line  67  in order to insure that any contents in insert  12 ′ are completely contained when insert  30  is in the closed position. Side flaps  66  and  42  will preferably conform together to the height of front wall  20  of display case  10 . Side flap  66  will preferably be about one-half the width of front wall  20  of display case  10  since the other one-half width of front wall  21  of display case  10  is adjacent to top flap  42 .  
     [0037]FIGS. 8A to  8 F illustrate in sequence, by following the arrows, the manner in which the liner  12 ′ is folded from blank  14 ′ along the various fold lines of the blank  14 ′ into a generally rectangular parallelepiped form with extend hanging tab  60  prior to insertion into the jewel box or display case  10 .  
     [0038] While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications.