Abstract:
A package that resembles a book employs a box into which a wide variety of different types of products can be stored. The box is enclosed in a sturdy overlay that has panels that resemble the front and back covers and spine of a book. The cover and spine panels are textured and imprinted so that the package resembles a book.

Description:
This application is a Continuation In Part of application Ser. No. 10/687,021 which was filed on Oct. 17, 2003, now abandoned the benefit of which is hereby claimed. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to packages that can be used to merchandise a wide variety of different kinds of products, and more particularly to packages that resemble books. The use of prior packages that resemble books has been limited to a specific product or product category, such as clothing. 
   OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide improved packages that resemble books. 
   Another object is to provide book resembling packages that can be used to merchandise a wide variety of different types of products. 
   An additional object is to provide book-like packages that protect fragile products from damage. 
   Another object is to provide packages that look like books that can be used to distribute solid, liquid, edible, breakable and valuable products. 
   A further object is to provide versatile book resembling packages that are durable, secure and protective of their contents, economical to manufacture and distribute, highly attractive, easy to handle, ship and display, and which do not possess defects found in prior art book-like packages. 
   Other objects and advantages of the packages incorporating this invention will be found in the specification and claims and the scope of the invention will be set forth in the claims. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a book package in accord with this invention in closed position. 
       FIG. 2  shows the book package of  FIG. 1  in open position. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective view of the closure member from the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view of the box from the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  5 — 5  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  6 — 6  in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic fragmentary side view showing an embodiment of sealing means. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic fragmentary side view showing another embodiment of sealing means. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic fragmentary side view showing another embodiment of sealing means. 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic fragmentary cross sectional view showing another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic side view on a reduced scale of a box from the  FIG. 1  embodiment showing one type of packaged product. 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic side view on a reduced scale of a box from the  FIG. 1  embodiment showing another type of packaged product. 
       FIG. 13  is a schematic side view on a reduced scale of a box from the  FIG. 1  embodiment showing another type of packaged product. 
       FIG. 14  is a schematic side view on a reduced scale of a box from the  FIG. 1  embodiment showing another type of packaged product. 
       FIG. 15  is a schematic side view on a reduced scale of a box from the  FIG. 1  embodiment showing another type of packaged product. 
       FIG. 16  is a schematic, partially broken away, perspective view of another embodiment of a book package in accord with this invention in closed position. 
       FIG. 17  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  17 — 17  in  FIG. 16 . 
       FIG. 18  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  18 — 18  in  FIG. 16 . 
       FIG. 19  is a cross sectional view corresponding to  FIG. 16  showing another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 20  is a cross sectional view corresponding to  FIG. 17  showing the same embodiment as  FIG. 19 . 
       FIG. 21  is a cross sectional view corresponding to  FIG. 16  showing another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 22  is a cross sectional view corresponding to  FIG. 17  showing the same embodiment as  FIG. 21 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The drawing shows a package  10  that resembles a closed rectangular book. In  FIG. 1  the package  10  is shown in closed position, and in  FIG. 2  the package is shown open and empty. Products or merchandise in the package  10  may be contained in an integral, sturdy, open ended rectangular box  11  that can be removed from the package and used for storage or display of its contents after the package has been opened. The box  11  may be made from durable material such as soft or hard plastic, metal, wood, fiberboard, cardboard, stiff paper or ceramic, and may be lined with soft plastic, fabric, velvet, metal foil, shredded paper, confetti and the like to protect its contents and enhance their display. 
   The box has a flat bottom  12  that has a flat inner surface  14  and a flat outer surface  15 . A pair of identical side walls  16  and  17  extend perpendicularly from opposite side edges of the inside surface of bottom  12 . The side wall  16  has a flat inner surface  18 , a flat outer surface  19 , and terminates in a flat outer edge  20 . The side wall  17  has a flat inner surface  22 , a flat outer surface  23 , and terminates in a flat outer edge  24 . A pair of identical end walls  25  and  26  extend perpendicularly form opposite end edges of the inside surface of the bottom  12 . End wall  25  has a flat inner surface  27 , a flat outer surface  28  and a terminates in a flat outer edge  29 . End wall  26  has a flat inner surface  30 , a flat outer surface  31  and terminates in a flat outer edge  32 . The adjacent surfaces of side wall  16  and end walls  25  and  26 , and of side wall  17  and end walls  25  and  26  are joined to each other so that their flat inner surfaces  18 ,  22 ,  27  and  30  define an open ended rectangular space within the box  11 . 
   The package  10  and box  11  may be closed by a removable, integral, sturdy, rectangular protective cover or closure member  40  that gives the package the appearance of a book. Closure cover  40  may be made from stiff paper, cardboard, plastic or other durable material that can be textured and imprinted to resemble the cover and spine of a book. 
   Closure  40  has a flat rectangular front panel  41  that may have a flat outside surface  42  and a flat inside surface  43 . Front panel  41  has opposite side edges  44  and  45  and opposite end edges  46  and  47 . The outside surface  42  of the front panel is decorated and imprinted so that it resembles the front cover of a book. Closure member  40  has a flat rectangular back panel  50  that may have a flat outside surface  51  and a flat inside surface  52 . The back panel  50  has opposite side edges  53  and  54  and opposite end edges  55  and  56 . The outside surface  51  of the back panel is decorated and imprinted so that it resembles the back cover of a book. Closure member  40  has a flat rectangular spine panel  60  that has a flat inside surface  61  and may have a flat outside surface  62 . Spine panel  60  has opposite side edges  63  and  64  and opposite end edges  65  and  66 . The outside surface  62  of spine panel  60  is decorated and imprinted so that it resembles the spine of a book. The side edge  45  of the front panel is integral with side edge  63  of the spine panel. The other side edge  44  of the front panel is unattached and is pivotally movable toward and away from the box  11  and back panel  50 . The side edge  54  of the back panel is integral with the side edge  64  of the spine panel. The side edge  53  of said back panel is unattached. 
   When the package  10  is in its closed position, the closure member  40  closes the box  11 . The flat inside surface  43  of the front panel  41  contacts the flat outer edges  20 ,  24 ,  29  and  32  of the end walls and side walls of the box. The flat outside surface  23  of the box side wall  17  contacts the flat inside surface  61  of the spine panel. The flat outside surface of the box bottom  15  contacts the flat inside surface  52  of the back panel. 
   The end edge  46  of the front panel  41 , the end edge  55  of the back panel  50  and the end edge  65  of the spine panel  60  all extend beyond and terminate past the end wall  26  of the box. The end edge  47  of the front panel  41 , the end edge  56  of the back panel  50  and the end edge  66  of the spine panel  60  all extend beyond and terminate past the end wall  25  of the box. The unattached end edge  44  of the front panel  41  and the unattached end edge  53  of the back panel  50  extend beyond and terminate past the side wall  16  of the box. 
   Suitable means are provided for sealing the package  10  and holding the box  11  and the product contained in the box inside of the closure member  40 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , a waterproof glue  70  may be applied to some or all of the surfaces of the closure member  40  and box  11  that contact each other so as to bond the closure member to the box. The glue  70  could be used to bond the flat outer surface  23  of side wall  17  of the box to the flat inside surface  61  of the spine panel  60 . The glue  70  could also be used to bond the flat outer surface  15  of the bottom  12  of the box to the flat inside surface  52  of the back panel  50 . The glue  70  could also be used to bond the flat inside surface  43  of the front panel  41  to the flat outer edges of  20  and  20  of the box side walls and the flat outer edges  29  and  32  of the box end walls. 
   In  FIG. 8  the means for sealing the package  10  and holding the box  11  and product inside of the closure member  40  may be removable fasteners  71  such as screws, nails or staples that extend through the closure member into the walls  16 ,  17 ,  25  and  26  and bottom  12  of the box. In  FIG. 9 , the means for sealing the package  10  and holding the box  11  and product inside of the closure member  40  may be an opaque, translucent or transparent plastic film or membrane  72  that completely envelops the package  10  and is shrink wrapped to seal around the closure member and the box. Descriptive or pictorial material may be printed on the film  72 . 
     FIG. 10  shows another embodiment of the invention that is identical to the embodiments of  FIGS. 1–9  except that the box  11  has a lid  73  that closes the open end of the box. The lid  73  has a flat inner surface  74  and a flat outer surface  75 . The flat inside surface  43  of the front panel  41  contacts the flat outer surface of the lid when the package  10  is in its closed position. 
     FIGS. 11–15  illustrate the wide variety of products that can fit into a box  11  and can be safely and effectively merchandised in the package  10 , and then stored or displayed in the box  11  during further use after the package has been opened.  FIG. 11  shows that bonbons  76  or other delicate candy treats may be stored in a box  11 .  FIG. 12  shows that a necklace  77  or other valuable jewelry may be stored in a box  11 .  FIG. 13  shows that a capped plastic or glass container  78  containing a liquid such as wine, seasoned vinegar, shampoo, or hand lotion may be stored in a box  11 .  FIG. 14  shows that coffee beans or grounds  79  or other food products may be stored in a box  11 .  FIG. 15  shows that a framed award  80  or other printed certificate may be stored in a box  11 . 
     FIGS. 16–22  illustrate embodiments of the invention in which it is advantageous to close the box  11  with a removable lid  85 . The references numerals previously used are repeated to designate the same components of the invention shown in  FIGS. 16–22 . Lid  85  may include an essentially rectangular end panel  86  having a flat inner surface  87  opposed to a flat outer surface  88 . The flat inside surface  43  of the front panel  41  may contact the flat outer surface  88  of lid  85  when the package is closed. A first pair of ledges  89  and go, respectively, each have attached ends  91  and  92  that are integral with the flat panel  86 . The first pair of ledges  89  and go, respectively, each have an opposite unattached free end  93  and  94 . The first pair of ledges  89  and go extend essentially perpendicularly to the flat inner surface  87  of the end panel  86  from opposite ends  95  and  96  of the panel. A second pair of ledges  98  and  99 , respectively, each have attached ends  100  and  101  that are integral with the flat panel  86 . The second pair of ledges  98  and  99 , respectively, each have an opposite unattached free end  102  and  104 . The second pair of ledges  98  and  99  extend essentially perpendicularly to the flat inner surface  87  of the end panel  86  from opposite sides  105  and  106  of the panel. Adjacent ends of said first pair of ledges and said second pair of ledges are connected to each other at joints  107  so as to define a continuous, rectangular, peripheral rim  108  around the open end of box  11 . Portions of the rim  108  are in frictional engagement with the outer surface of the end walls  25  and  26  and the side walls of the box  11  so as to removably hold lid  85  on the box and thereby to hold the contained product in the box. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 17 and 18 , the unattached free ends  93  and  94  of the first pair of ledges  89  and go, and the unattached free ends  102  and  104  of the second pair of ledges  98  and  99  terminate short of the flat outer surface  15  of the bottom  12  of box  11 . Part of the inside surface  61  of the spine  60  may rest against the second ledge  99  when the package is closed leaving a space  109  between the remainder of the surface  61  and the outer surface  23  of the box side wall  17 . As shown in  FIGS. 19 and 20 , the unattached free ends  93  and  94  of the first pair of ledges  89  and go and the unattached free ends  102  and  104  of the second pair of ledges  98  and  99  terminate adjacent or even with the flat outer surface  15  of the bottom  12  of box  11 . As shown in  FIGS. 21 and 22 , the unattached free ends  93  and  94  of the first pair of ledges  89  and go and the unattached free ends  102  and  104  of the second pair of ledges  98  and  99  extend beyond the flat outer surface  15  of the bottom  12  of box  11 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 16–22 , the end edges  46  and  47  of the front panel  41 , and the end edges  55  and  56  of the back panel  50 , and the end edges  65  and  66  of the spine panel  60  all terminate beyond the ledges  89  and go of the lid  85 . The unattached edge  44  of the front panel  41 , and the unattached edge  53  of the back panel  50  and the edges  65  and  66  of the spine panel  60  terminate beyond the outside surfaces of the lid  85 . 
   The lid  85  may be made from durable material such as soft or hard plastic, metal, wood, fiberboard, cardboard, stiff paper or ceramic. The lid  85  may be opaque, translucent or transparent. Descriptive or pictorial material may be printed on the lid  85 . The box  11  may be centered in closure cover  40  so that the inside surface  61  of the spine panel does not contact the lid  85  or the box  11 . Glue  70  may be used to bond the bottom  15  of the box to the back panel  50 . 
   While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is not intended to illustrate or describe all of the equivalent forms or ramifications thereof. Also, the words used are words of description rather than limitation, and various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.