Abstract:
The invention is a device and means for storing and shipping fragile sculptures such as lamps. A cardboard structure encloses the top portion of a sculpture such as a lamp, while providing a base that receives the bottom part of a sculpture. The cardboard structure has a top holder and a bottom holder joined by a backing member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Traditionally, shipping figurines, sculptures and lamps has been difficult and expensive. Fragile ceramics must often be insured against breakage. Lamps are among the most frequently shipped sculptures requiring careful handling. Lamps have been traditionally packed in Styrofoam containers where Styrofoam is shaped to receive the lamps. For custom lamps, Styrofoam peanut filled boxes are prevalent. Neither option conserves bulk packaging material.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention is a device and means for storing and shipping fragile sculptures such as lamps. A cardboard structure encloses the top portion of a sculpture such as a lamp, while providing a base that receives the bottom part of a sculpture. The cardboard structure has a top holder and a bottom holder joined by a backing member. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]    [0003]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an articles container holding a lamp body  
         [0004]    [0004]FIG. 2 is a side view of an articles container  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of an articles container showing a preferred handle hole location  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 4 is a diagram of a cardboard layout showing assembly design of the preferred embodiment for a lamp container  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 5 is a diagram of a display panel embodiment 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0008]    The device FIG. 1 is comprised of a base holder  20  and an upper holder  10  that respectively hold the top part and the bottom part of a sculpture. A backing member  30  joins the top holder  10  and the bottom holder  20 .  
         [0009]    The base holder member  20  retains the bottom portion of the article. The base holder  20  is formed from two sheets of cardboard, the upper sheet  21  is cut with a hole  23  to receive the base of a sculpture such as a lamp base. The lower sheet  22  covers the bottom of the article and supports the upper sheet  21 . The upper  21  and lower  22  sheets are preferably enclosed to form a box  20  having a hole  23 , FIG. 2  23  shaped to retain the base of the sculpture. When a box structure is used, it preferred that the lower sheet  22  and the upper sheet  21  be formed from a single sheet of folded cardboard FIG. 4. The lamp cord and lamp plug can be stored as a coil around the lamp base to provide additional cushioning for the lamp base.  
         [0010]    The base holder can optionally include a plastic transparent cover FIG. 1, 24 encasing the bottom portion of the sculpture and retaining it with the base holder. The cover can be molded to conform to the bottom half of the sculpture. The cover holds the lower portion of an article and is retained by nailing, stapling or a like means to the lower holder. A retailer can remove the cover once a sculpture is placed on display. The cover can be of different colors and designs but is preferably transparent.  
         [0011]    The upper holder  10  is likewise formed from two sheets of cardboard FIG. 1. A top sheet of the upper holder  11  and a lower sheet of an upper holder  12  can form a box enclosure  10 . Thus, the upper holder  10  is preferably formed as a boxlike enclosure similar to the lower holder. The upper holder encloses the upper portion of a sculpture. An upper holder for a lamp has a boxlike enclosure to enclose the light bulb socket.  
         [0012]    The lower sheet of the upper holder  12  has an upper hole  13  conformed to the shape of the post that supports the light bulb socket. The upper hole is scored with radially emanating slots  14  to allow the upper hole  13  to enlarge and receive a light bulb socket, yet close thereafter to retain the light bulb socket. The lamp is better stabilized when the upper holder forms a box conforming to the shape of the light bulb socket. Having one side of the box of the upper holder against the light bulb socket helps retain the sculpture better than if no sides touch the light bulb socket.  
         [0013]    The backing member structurally connects the top holder with the bottom holder. The backing member also provides a background so that a viewer of the sculpture article can see the sculpture with a background provided by the backing member  30 . The background provided by the backing member improves the display of a sculpture. The backing member can be plain white or colored to match the sculpture.  
         [0014]    When the sculpture and is a lamp, a lampshade may be placed on the upper holder  10 . The boxlike enclosure  10  has a volume and space approximately equal to that of a light bulb allowing presentation of the entire lamp with its lampshade. The lampshade obscures the upper holder  10 , allowing a viewer to estimate the total overall appearance of a lamp with its lampshade without the need for unpackaging the lamp.  
         [0015]    The preferred assembly, FIG. 4 of the articles holder includes two pieces of cardboard. The first piece of cardboard folds into a box  20  and has a hole capable of receiving the base of a sculpture that it is designed to support. The lower holder hole capable of receiving the base of a sculpture can also be scored radially to allow biased resistance to provide a snug fit between the lower holder hole and the article. The first piece of cardboard forms a lower base holder  20  having a slot in the rear of the base of the lower holder capable of receiving and retaining a tab.  
         [0016]    The second piece of cardboard folds together so that the backing member  30  has a tab  31  that can insert and be retained in the slot of the base holder. The backing member is preferably constructed of two layers of cardboard.  
         [0017]    The second piece of cardboard also has a handle hole FIG. 3, 40 at the rear of the top holder. The handle hole  40  allows a user to pick up the sculpture and the articles holder from the handle hole. A handle hole is particularly useful when hands should not touch a sculpture. Through the handle  40 , the light bulb socket can be seen. A buyer often needs to see the light bulb socket to view voltage and wattage information as well as product warnings. In the case of a sculpture the handle hole would allow a prospective purchaser to inspect the top portion of the sculpture.  
         [0018]    The second piece of cardboard also has an opening  13  capable of receiving the top portion of an article such as a lamp. In the case of a lamp, the top portion hole  13  is scored to flexibly receive a light bulb socket. The scoring allows biased resistance to hold a light bulb socket.  
         [0019]    A display panel  55  can be laterally affixed alongside the backing member FIG. 5. The preferred side to affix the display panel  55  is the left side. The front side of the display panel can show an image of the lamp. The display panel  55  can be formed as a cardboard box capable of holding a collapsible lampshade. When the display panel is embodied as a box, the backing member can also be embodied as a box of similar thickness, capable of joining with the display panel box to provide enough room to store a collapsible lampshade. The display panel should be integrally formed from the same piece of cardboard as the second piece of cardboard, to create a box of square cross section capable of storage of a generally circular collapsed lampshade.  
         [0020]    The units can be stacked as couples so that the lamp portion of a first unit fits against the display panel of a second unit, forming a rectangular box. The units can also be packed with two lampshades stored in a display panel of a first unit that fits with a second unit lacking a display box.