Panoramic, Inc.

Richard J Dyble

Timothy M Stirmel

Edward A Stamm

Steven J Gottschall

A thermoformed container is formed with a receptacle and a separate cover which is hingeably and detachably attached to the receptacle. The receptacle and cover each have a hinge flange with side skirt walls descending therefrom in which indentations are formed during the thermoforming process. The indentations on one of the cover or receptacle form pivot pins which seat in the sockets defined by the indentations on the other of the cover or the receptacle, defining an axis of rotation about which the cover can rotate with respect to the receptacle. The cover and receptacle can thus can be formed of different plastics or of plastics in which conventional integral living hinges can not be used. The pivot pin indentations are produced in the thermoforming process by forming pins which engage into the softened sheet at the side skirt walls. The plastic material cools and hardens to form sharply defined pivot pins.

Reclosable thermoformed hinged container

A protective package for pagers and similar products has a protector on which the pager is mounted. The pager protector has a formed plastic mounting panel having raised lands which are spaced from each other by a center section which forms a cradle for the pager with the raised lands. The pager is mounted on the panel by inserting the spring loaded clip of the pager through a notch in the center section of the panel to slip the center section of the panel between the head of the clip and the pager body until the clip head seats into an indentation in the panel. The notch may have sections of different widths and the indentation may have portions of different depth and periphery so that the insert can be used with pagers of several different standard sizes. The protector with the pager mounted may be enclosed within an outer container that conforms to the general dimensions of the protector to provide a secure, protective packaging structure around the pager and insert. The protector may also have a multi-part structure with the pager mounted on a mounting panel to which a cover panel is joined by an integral hinge. The cover panel is rotated about the hinge to enclose the pager between the cover panel and the mounting panel. A base panel may be joined by a hinge to the cover panel to fold over and be engaged with the bottom of the mounting panel to complete the package.

Protective packaging for pagers and the like

A locking package is provided including a product holding member mounted to a graphics card. The product holding member is preferably made of semi-rigid clear plastic and includes a product holding portion, a pair of flanges forming card retaining channels on opposite sides of the product holding member, and hinged locking snaps. The flanges may be foldover flanges formed by heating and folding over the edge of the product holding member along cut score lines. The hinged snap locks preferably include a first raised portion, on one side of a hinge, and a second corresponding raised portion, on the opposite side of the hinge, which interlock, one inside the other, when the hinged snap lock is folded over at the hinge. The graphics card is preferably made of paperboard and includes an internal edge defining a locking hole. The graphics card is secured to the product holding member by sliding the graphics card into the channels formed by the flanges of the product holding member, to close the back of the product holding portion to form a product holding chamber, and closing the hinged snap locks to secure the card in place by engaging the snaps to the locking hole on the card. Glue or heat sealing is not required to form the locking package.

Growing community of inventors

Janesville, WI, United States of America

Richard J Dyble