Package of interengaging containers for companion products
AssigneeGraham Packaging Company, L.P.
InventorSheldon Yourist
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A package for companion products has two containers (102, 104), each comprising a mating formation (408, 502) protruding in a direction toward the other container and defining a mating surface facing at an angle to the direction of protrusion and engaging the mating surface of the other container. Each container has a generally flat bottom and a center of gravity in vertical alignment with the generally flat bottom, whereby each container can stand independently of the other container. The shape of each container is the same as the other, and the containers are attached to one another. The shape enables the mating surfaces to be brought into engagement with one another by movement in a plane parallel to the bottoms of the containers.
Claims30
A package for companion products having a first container and a second container, each container comprising:
- a body, the body including a mating formation protruding from the body in a direction toward the other container, the mating formation having a mating surface facing at an angle to the direction of protrusion and engaging the mating surface of the other container, wherein the mating surfaces on the first and second containers are the same as one another;
- a first generally flat surface adjacent to a first side of the mating formation, and a second generally flat surface adjacent to the mating formation on a second side of the mating formation, opposite to said first side;
- a generally flat bottom;
- a center of gravity, the center of gravity being in vertical alignment with the generally flat bottom, whereby each container can stand independently of the other container;
- and
- a shape, the shape of the first and second containers being the same as one another,
- wherein the containers are attached to one another and the bottom of each container lies in a common plane.
A package for companion products having a first container and a second container, each container comprising:
- a body, the body including a mating formation protruding from the body in a direction toward the other container, the mating formation having a mating surface facing at an angle to the direction of protrusion and engaging the mating surface of the other container;
- a first generally flat surface adjacent to a first side of the mating formation, and a second generally flat surface adjacent to the mating formation on a second side of the mating formation, opposite to said first side;
- a generally flat bottom;
- and
- a shape, the shape of the first and second containers being the same as one another,
- wherein said shape comprises means for enabling the mating surfaces to be brought into engagement with one another by movement in a plane parallel to the generally flat bottoms of the containers when the generally flat bottoms are in a common plane.
A method of in making a package for companion products, wherein the package has a first container and a second container each having an outer surface and a generally flat bottom, the method comprising:
- providing each container with a shape the same as the shape of the other container and with a protrusion extending in a direction outward from the outer surface;
- providing each protrusion with a mating surface facing in a direction at an angle to the direction of protrusion extension, wherein the mating surfaces on the first and second containers are the same as one another, and wherein each container has a first generally flat surface adjacent to a first side of the protrusion, and a second generally flat surface adjacent to the protrusion on a second side of the protrusion, opposite to said first side;
- orienting at least one of the containers such that the generally flat bottoms lie in the same plane and each protrusion extends generally towards the other container;
- moving at least one of the containers toward the other in a plane parallel to the generally flat bottoms such that the mating surfaces come into engagement with one another;
- and
- attaching the containers to one another so that the first and second generally flat surfaces of the first container are in substantially flush contact with the second and first surfaces, respectively, of the second container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.