Unitary foldable laminar blank for the manufacture of containers useful as toy football helmets

[57] ABSTRACT

A unitary, foldable, laminar blank for the manufacture of containers and toy football helmets, comprising bottom, front, rear and side walls; wherein the blank includes a laminar structure having fold lines and cut lines which define a central body having diametrically opposite thereof two tapering integral portions which ends in small coupling tabs; normally disposed to said tapering portions, other diametrically opposite sides of the central body are integral with lateral laminar sections which will form the side walls of the container and helmet, whereby is formed a laminar and cruciform structure, which is foldable, in which said lateral portions in turn include on each side of them, curved fold lines from which there extend foldable portions with straight edges at one of their ends, and with the other end curved and enlarged forming an edge which almost touches said tapered portions of said, central body, said foldable portions having a shape practically similar to that of said tapered portions of the central body; the foldable laminar portions which continue beyond the fold lines of the lateral portions of the cruciform structure include slots and tabs which can be engaged and which register with the identical opposite portion.

Primary Examiner—Davis T. Moorhead

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Ladas, Parry, Von Gehr, Goldsmith & Deschamps

Claims, 10 Drawing Figures

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UNITARY FOLDABLE LAMINAR BLANK FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONTAINERS USEFUL AS

TOY FOOTBALL HELMETS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers in general terms to foldable laminar blanks for the manufacture of containers, and more particularly it concerns to a unitary laminar blank which when assembled provides a novel container that can also be used as a toy football helmet or the like.

Up to the present time, foldable laminar blanks for the manufacture of containers of the kind which hold food, such as popcorn, potato chips and the like have been composed of panels or foldable portions which when assembled always provide a geometric body of the box type, which cannot be utilized for any further purpose than that of container.

Normally these containers are printed with a promotional message in the outside faces of same; however they are discarded by the user once they have served their purpose and their contents have been consumed finishing also with the promotion message.

This type of foldable laminar blank for the manufacture of containers up to the present time has been limited by the impossibility of producing a container having aerodynamic curved lines which would for example allow it, after fulfilling its function as a container, to be used as a toy and particularly as a football helmet or the like.

Considering this double utilization of the invention as a container and as a helmet the product would become cheaper, since the same article would have two different applications or uses, one following the other, and thus simultaneously the promotional impact of such containers would be increased since the advertising printed thereon would function over a longer period of time than of a mere container.

Another drawback of containers used up to the present time, manufactured from foldable laminar blanks, in relation with the invention is that normally they are composed of more than a single piece, something which implies higher production costs because of the difficulty of assembling and printing the several structures.

A further drawback found in the already known containers of this type is that for assembly, they require staples, adhesive or similar means for holding together the bottom and side walls thereof.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

In view of all the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide a unitary foldable laminar blank which, once assembled, constitutes a container with bottom and side walls in the interior of which foods such as popcorn, potato chips and the like can be placed, and which, once the articles therein contained are consumed, can further serve the user as a toy helmet and particularly as a football helmet or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a single piece foldable laminar blank which does not require for its assembly special holding means such as adhesives, staples or the like, and which by including curve cut and folding lines and tabs produces once assembled a streamlined container which can after its use as a container be placed on a user’s head as a toy helmet.

The single piece foldable laminar blank of the present invention includes lines for folding and curved cut lines, providing slots and tabs permitting the easy assembly of the structure, and producing a container with bottom, front, back ans side walls without a top wall, which after being used as a container can be used as a toy football helmet or the like.

The foldable laminar blank comprises lateral portions having curved shapes which extend in diametrically opposite directions from a central portion which tapers toward both ends and which ends in tabs for insertion which are enlarged in their respective middle portions.

Each of said lateral portions in turn has on both its sides, projections joined by curved lines for holding, which projections extend respectively toward the tapered center end portions and increase in size, and in parts said projections reach almost to the said center portion. These said projections which extend on each side of the said lateral portions upon folding - are overlaped one upon the other beneath each of the corresponding tapered ends of the central portion, and thus constitute respectively the front and rear walls of the container or the helmet, said front and rear walls thus being made up of three layers. The wider parts of these portions which extend to each side of the lateral portions have certain slits, forming a window iri one of them, into which is inserted a tab formed at the other lateral portion with corresponding cuts forming said tab with a line of fold that provides said tab substantially the same dimension as the window. The foregoing disposition permits of securing the attachment of these portions when they are overlaped, which make up the front and rear walls of the container or helmet, and which internally extend to part of the upper wall of the helmet or to part of the bottom of the container, in a curving manner.

Near the slits and tabs above referred to, each one of the portions which extend out from the lateral walls has a corresponding window or slot which when folded register forming a receiver slot which allows the easy attachment of each one of the end tabs of the tapered portions of the central portion of the laminar blank, whereby upon rolling or enveloping the said tapered portions around said already overlaped portions a triple layer front and rear walls of the helmet or container are formed.

In one embodiment of the invention it is included as an aditional feature an insertable laminar structure shaped as a nose protecting frame to the helmet and which serves as handle to the container.

These and other objects to be realized in the practice of the present invention will be more fully understood and perceived upon reading the following description which refers to the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1, is an unfolded plan view of the unitary foldable laminar blank of the present invention for manufacture of containers which later will be used as toy football helmets or the like.

FIG. 2, is a frontal vertical elevational view of the helmet or container which is produced when the foldable laminar blank illustrated in FIG. 1 is assembled.

FIG. 3, is a longitudinal sectional view of the helmet or container illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4, is a bottom view of the helmet or container illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

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FIG. 5, is a conventional perspective view which illustrates the helmet or container as manufactured, which is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4.

FIG. 6, is a detail view in elevation illustrating the manner of assembly of the blank forming the front and rear portion of the helmet shown in FIGS. 2 to 5.

FIG. 7, is a cross-sectional view along 7 — 7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8, is a frontal vertical elevational view similar to that of FIG. 1, but including a laminar structure inserted shaped as a nose protecting frame for the helmet which serves as handle to the container.

FIG. 9, is a fragmentary side elevational view of the invention embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10, is a detail plan view of the insertable laminar structure constituting the handle of the container shaped as a nose protecting frame for the helmet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, foldable laminar blank 11 of the present invention includes a central portion 12, tapered toward its ends which will constitute when folded the outside part of the front wall 13 and of the rear wall 14; on each side of the central portion 12, there extend lateral portions 15, thus forming practically a cruciform blank.

These lateral portions 15, include fold lines 16 in the form of circle portions which when reach near to central portion 12 constitute cut lines 17. Said lateral walls 15 continue to each side thereof, beyond fold lines 16 into portions 18 and 19 which include curved cut edges 20 which almost touch tapered portions 13 and 14 of central portion 12.

These said portions 18 and 19 on their edges include, in one of them an indentation or cut 21 and in the other a pair of cuts 22 and a fold line 23, thus constituting tab 24 which can be introduced into said indentation 21 of opposite portion 18 or 19.

Near the edge of indentation 21 and tab 24, these said portions 18 and 19 include respectivelly a slot 25 and a corresponding slot 26, forming when portions 18 and 19 are overlapped a sort of buttonhole as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, into which is inserted an end tab 29, which extends from tapered portions 13 and 14, and fold line 30 of these latter two portions overlapping the straight edge 31 of each of portions 18 or 19. When portions 13 and 14 are enveloping the double wall of overlaped portions 18 and 19, they form either the front portion of the helmet or container or else the rear portion of same.

Lateral walls 15 include a curved projection 32 and may include a perforation 33 so that when assembled they resemble the ear pads of the helmet, and in addition permit easy handling of the helmet or of the container so formed. Tapered portions 13 and 14 can also be described as straps which envelope overlaping portions 18 and 19, respectively, to form the front wall of the helmet or container.

Once the helmet or container is assembled, it may hold in its interior a bag of edible material such as popcorn, french fries, etc., and on its outside carry printed advertising material or the like whereby when it has completed its function as a container it can be used as a toy football helmet or the like, or it can be given to the article either of these uses independently.

As will be appreciated in the drawings, in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the outer edges 34 of the helmet and corners thereof are rounded and give it an aerodynamic appearance, which heretofore had not been achieved in containers or similar articles.

In FIGS. 8-10 it is shown an embodiment of the invention wherein it is included a laminar structure 36, constituted by a strap with slots 37 having its ends 38 enlarged for being inserted and anchored into lateral cuts 39 practiced in the side walls 15 of the helmet. This laminar structure is added to the helmet in order to resemble the nose protecting device of a football helmet and it is useful as handle to the container.

Although the foregoing description has been directed to an specific embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by all persons skilled in the art that any modification in form and detail will be within the spirit and scope of the invention.