Abstract:
Packaging made of inexpensive thermoformed plastic is described. The packaging includes a base and cover defining a plurality of chambers. The cover includes a plurality of flaps, each flap corresponding to a chamber. The flaps can be manipulated independently of one another to provide selective access to a desired chamber with opening other chambers. The invention can be applied to create through thermoforming packaging of many different shapes and sizes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to storage and display of multiple categories of items in low cost packaging, and more specifically to low cost packaging made of thermoformed plastics having selectively and independently opening and closing doors to access multiple categories of items in separate chambers within the packaging. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Plastic packaging is ubiquitous. All types of plastics forming techniques are used to create plastic packaging including blow-mold, rotational mold and thermoforming. Each of these techniques has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, more expensive injection and blow molding techniques have been used to create sturdy storage box style packaging while less expensive thermoforming has been used traditionally with single use blister style packaging for smaller, less expensive goods. However, a class of less expensive goods exists where innovative packaging could provide a significant competitive advantage. This class can generally be described as including groups of similar or complementary, inexpensive and small items sold as a single unit. These items include hardware, (e.g., screws, nails, wall-banging kits and nuts and bolts kits), craft items (e.g., beads, wire, pipe cleaners and sequins), automotive items (e.g., wiper blade and required hardware) and self-assembly items (e.g., toys and furniture). 
     For example, many items, such as flat packaged furniture, require customer assembly using small hardware items including screws, bolts, washers, nails, and wood pegs. These items are normally sealed in the same small plastic bag. The first challenge for the consumer is to identify the different parts. Next, the consumer must separate and organize these parts and insure each necessary piece is present. Finally, the consumer can assemble the item, while constantly being mindful not to disrupt the piles of organized hardware during assembly. Inexpensive, easy to produce multi-chamber packaging having selectively accessed chambers is desirable to consumers when purchasing sets of inexpensive goods sold as a single unit. A multi-chamber design eliminates sorting while selective accessibility to each chamber prevents jarring of the container from mixing the goods. Although these results are desirable, known methods of creating multi-chambered and selectively accessible packaging from more expensive plastic fabricating methods are not sufficiently cost effective for the packaging of inexpensive goods. 
     Consumers desire packaging for this class of goods that allows separation of the goods by type and that allows selective and independent access to each type of good. Consumers also desire packaging that can effectively store such goods as many times these goods are sold in bulk and intended for use over time or the goods include extra items that need to be stored after initial use, or the items can be misplaced during use if not organized. Such packaging could potentially sway a consumer between two competing brands, or raise the price threshold that a consumer is willing to pay. 
     Packaging intended to address many of these features has been produced using more expensive plastic forming methods. These expensive packaging solutions are as impractical for this class of inexpensive items. Some thermoforming solutions have been proposed, but each lacks feature(s) important to consumers. For instance, a single lid can be thermoformed to cover more than one chamber of a multi-chamber package. This solution provides packaging made using the less expensive thermoforming technique that can be used for storage after purchase. However, the lack of selective and independent access to each chamber is not provided. If a package is disrupted while a cover is open, all pieces of the package are at risk of falling out of their respective chambers, or of accidentally mixing with the items of other chambers making this solution unsatisfactory. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide inexpensive, easy to produce packaging, such as through thermoforming plastic having multiple chambers that can be selectively accessed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is packaging having a plurality of chambers with each chamber selectively and independently covered by at least one flap. The packaging includes a base made of thermoformed plastic having a bottom, walls extending upward from the bottom and an opening. The packaging also includes a cover made of thermoformed plastic configured to cover at least a portion of the opening. The cover includes a plurality of flaps each covering a portion of the opening. One edge of each flap is defined by a hinge in the cover. At least one portion of the cover is connected to the base. The base and cover when connected define a plurality of chambers. Each flap is configured to provide access to a chamber independently of the other flaps, making each chamber selectively and independently accessible. 
     An object of the invention is to provide multi-chamber packaging made of thermoformed plastic where each chamber can be selectively and independently opened. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide multi-chamber packaging made of thermoplastic in a variety of shapes and sizes where each chamber can be selectively and independently opened. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a unit of packaging. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the cover to the packaging in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 a  is a side view of an alternative cover. 
     FIG. 4 b  is a side view of an alternative base. 
     FIG. 4 c  is a side view of yet another alternative base. 
     FIG. 4 d  is a side view of an alternative base and cover combination. 
     FIG. 4 e  is a side view of yet another alternative base and cover combination. 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of packaging having a circular cover. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of pyramidal packaging. 
     FIG. 8 a  is a view of a rectangular packaging. 
     FIG. 8 b  is a view of a rectangular packaging. 
     FIG. 8 c  is a view of a square packaging. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     Adverting to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the present invention is shown as packaging  10 . Packaging  10  is designed for a replacement windshield wiper blade and its associated hardware and consists of a base  12  and a cover  14 . Both base  12  and cover  14  are created through known methods of thermoforming sheets of plastic. Virtually any type of commercially available plastic can be used. Some examples include PVC, PET, PETG, HIPS, ABS and HDPE plastics. Here both base  12  and cover  14  are made of PVC that started at 0.015″ thickness before thermoforming. The thickness of plastic used with packaging such as packaging  10  can range from approximately 0.0125″ to 0.020″. The thickness of thermoforming packages in general can range from 0.005″ to 0.125″ or heavier, and the present invention is useful to packaging within this entire range. Base  12  includes a bottom  16  and walls  18 ,  20 ,  22  and  24 . The top of walls  18  and  22  end at steps  26  and  28  respectively. Step  26  is bounded by walls  18 ,  20 ,  24  and  30 . Similarly, step  28  is bounded by walls  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  32 . The top of walls  20 ,  24 ,  30  and  32  end at a raised surface  34  comprising rails  36  and  38  and plateaus  40  and  42 . Surface  34  is surrounded by lip  44 . 
     Cover  14 , shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, includes rails  46  and  48  as well as plateaus  50  and  52 . Hinges  54  and  56  separate flaps  58 , center sections  60  and flap  62 . A divider wall  64  extends downward from the right marginal end of center section  60 . The underside of rails  46  and  48  can be characterized as channels  66  and  68  respectively. Similarly, the underside of plateaus  50 ,  52  can be characterized as cavities  70  and  72 . 
     Channels  66  and  68  are complementary with rails  36  and  38 , respectively and cavities  70  and  72  are complementary with plateaus  40 ,  42 , respectively. Rails  46  and  48  and plateaus  50  and  52  fit tightly into rails  36  and  38  and plateaus  40  and  42  forming friction fittings. 
     Hinges  54  and  56  are indentions that predispose cover  14  to bend at hinge  54  and  56 . As such, flaps  58  and  62  act as “doors” into base  12 . Divider wall  64  extends to bottom  16  when cover  14  is placed over base  12 , effectively dividing base  12  into two separate and distinct chambers  74  and  76 . Dividing walls can be incorporated into packaging  10  to make a plurality of chambers. For instance, cover  14  could have more than one dividing wall  78  and  80  (FIG. 4 a ), or a dividing wall  82  may be integral with base  12  (FIG. 4 b ), or a dividing wall may be originally independent of base  12  and cover  14  and then connected to either or both (FIG. 4 c ). Additionally, according to one aspect of the present invention, the base  12  and cover  14  can each include a dividing wall, such that the dividing walls are incorporated in the cover  14 , as in FIG. 4 a,  and in the base  12 , as in FIG. 4 b,  in one package. Furthermore, more than one flap could provide access to the same chamber (FIG. 4 d ) or a single flap could provide access to more than one chamber (FIG. 4 e ). 
     Adverting to FIG. 1, that portion of rails  46  and  48  between hinges  56  and  54  can be fixed connected or sealed to the corresponding length of rails  36  and  38  of base  12 . An appropriate thermoplastic solvent can be used to “weld” these lengths together effective. Examples of solvents effective with PVC plastic are cyanoacrylate ester and 2-part epoxy bisphenol such as diglycidyl ester resin with a 2, 4, 6-triphenol curing agent. Applied Radio Frequency (RF) energy, heat sealing, and mechanical methods (e.g., snap locks, locking channels, rivets and staples) can achieve the same result. Cover  14  and base  12  may also connect using a simple friction fitting between rails  46 ,  48  and rails  36 ,  38  and plateaus  50 ,  52  and plateaus  40 ,  42 . 
     Describing the operation of the invention during the installation of a replacement windshield wiper sold in packaging of the invention highlights its usefulness. Packaging  10  is specifically designed to hold a replacement windshield wiper blade in chamber  74  with its associated hardware held in chamber  76 . A consumer selects packaging  10  from a store display after determining the replacement windshield wiper it holds meets the consumer&#39;s style, type and size requirements. When viewing the packaged windshield wiper blade in packaging  10 , a consumer distinguishes between chambers  74  and  76  and easily determines both the windshield wiper blade and its necessary associated hardware are included in the package. During installation the consumer can set packaging  10  on a flat surface, such as the ground or the hood of the automobile. The consumer can selectively lift flap  58  to access chamber  74  allowing the consumer to remove the wiper blade without disturbing the contents of chamber  76 . The consumer then selectively opens flap  62  to gain access to chamber  76  when a specific piece of hardware is needed during the installation process. The consumer is able to close flap  62  after removing the desired hardware to prevent the accidental disruption of package  10  spilling the hardware in chamber  76 . When the wiper blade is completely installed and chamber  74  and  76  are both empty, the consumer has the option of disposing of packaging  10  or using it to store other items. Thus, the consumer&#39;s experience during the replacement of the wiper blade is enhanced and value is added by the resulting empty packaging  10  being available after installation of the wiper blade for other uses. 
     The invention is not limited to packages of a long, slender shape. For instance, FIG. 5 shows a container  100  having a circular cover  102  constructed in accord with the invention. Circular cover  102  mates with a substantially half-sphere base  104  including a hollow center post  106  having a pentagon cross-section comprising walls  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114  and  116 , and five walls  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 , and  126  extending from the intersection of two center post walls, each ending at circumferential wall  128 . A series of recesses, separately indicated at  130 , exists at the midpoint of each section of circumferential wall  128  between each adjacent pair of walls  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126 . Finally, hang tab  131  extends from circumferential wall  128  for easy display of the container  100 . Any of the connecting methods discussed earlier can be used to connect cover  102  to center post  106 . Center post  106  and cover  102  need not be flush with the top of circumferential wall  128  and instead form a cone-shaped cover  102  supported by center post  106 . 
     Circular cover  102  includes a pentagon shaped cup  132  at its center that is complementary with center post  106  and five flaps  134 ,  136 ,  138 ,  140  and  142  each associated with a wall of cup  132  and corresponding to the area between each adjacent pair of walls  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 , and  126 . FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view along line  6 — 6  in FIG.  5 . Flap  142  includes a tray  146 , a tray wall  148  surrounding tray  146  and a lip  150  extending from tray wall  148  on all sides but the side of tray  146  connecting to cup  132 . The tray wall  148  fits snugly between walls  122 ,  124  and circumferential wall  128 , creating a friction fitting to selectively retain flap  142  in its closed position. 
     Flaps  134 - 142  are formed through die cutting and can be selectively opened or closed as described earlier. Recesses  130  make it easier for each flap  134 — 142  to be opened. A cover substantially similar to cover  102  can be used with a variety of bases of different sizes and shapes. For example, FIG. 7 shows a triangular cover over a triangular cross-section post. 
     FIGS.  8 ( a )-( c ) show yet another embodiment of the invention based on a rectangular or square base. FIG.  8 ( a ) shows a rectangular base  200  having a cover  202  with three flaps, two large  204  and  206  and one small  208 . Small flap  208  is a portion of large flap  206 . FIG.  8 ( c ) shows a square base  220  having four flaps  222 ,  224 ,  226  and  228 . Flaps  222  and  224  rotate toward one another while flaps  226  and  228  rotate toward one another. 
     Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended clams. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.