Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6422390
-
Patent Number
6,422,390
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, October 11, 200023 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, July 23, 200221 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 206 521
- 206 500
- 206 418
- 206 421
- 206 562
- 206 486
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A self supporting lighting fixture and package therefore comprising a package having a top wall spaced from a bottom wall, a hole in the top wall aligned with a hole in the bottom wall and a pair of spaced peripheral side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls on opposite sides of the package. The package is open adjacent each side wall so that the inner contents can be viewed. A lighting fixture is disposed in the package having a bottom portion resting on the package bottom wall and an integral upper portion extending through the opening in the top wall and out of the package.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to lighting fixture package design; and, more particularly, to a free standing self supporting lighting fixture and package therefore.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Various packages are known in the art for supporting items on a shelf or the like. Such packages should display the item yet allow the same to be self supported in an upright position on a shelf or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a self supporting lighting fixture and package therefore for mounting on a shelf or the like in an upright position.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a package which grips the body of the lighting fixture.
These and other objects are preferably accomplished by providing a housing having an apertured base wall upon which the wide base of lighting fixture rests and an apertured open top wall, spaced from the base wall, through which the narrower top of the lighting fixture extends. The opening in the top wall surrounds the tapered peripheral wall of the lighting fixture between its top and bottom. The housing has a pair of oppositely spaced side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls, the housing being open on each side of the spaced side walls.
One unit can be stacked on top of another without breakage and saving of space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1
is a side elevational view of a display package and lighting fixture in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the opposite side being a mirror image thereof;
FIG. 2
is a view of the package and lighting fixture of
FIG. 1
taken along lines
2
—
2
hereof;
FIG. 3
is a view taken along lines
3
—
3
of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is a view taken along lines
4
—
4
of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 5
is a detailed view of a portion of the unit of
FIG. 2
taken along line
5
; and
FIG. 6
is an elevational view of
2
units, one stacked on top of the other;
FIG. 7
is a view similar to
FIG. 2
illustrating wrapping of the glass fixture;
FIG. 8
is a view similar to
FIG. 7
illustrating another type of wrapping of the glass fixture;
FIG. 9
is a view similar to
FIG. 7
illustrating still another type of wrapping of the glass fixture;
FIG. 10
is an elevational sectional view of another embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 11
is a view taken along lines
11
—
11
of
FIG. 10
;
FIG. 12
is an elevational sectional view of still another embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 13
is an elevational sectional view similar to
FIG. 9
of another embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to
FIG. 1
of the drawing, a package and lighting fixture unit
10
is shown having a lighting fixture
11
mounted in a package
12
. Lighting fixture
11
is generally bell-shaped (
FIG. 2
) having a narrow open top
13
, flat bottom wall
14
and a tapered peripheral wall
15
interconnecting top
13
and bottom wall
14
. Fixture
11
may be a glass housing enclosing a bulb.
Package
12
(
FIG. 2
) has a flat bottom wall
16
, a flat top wall
17
spaced from bottom wall
16
, a first side wall
18
integral with side wall
19
and bottom wall
16
, side wall
19
being opposite first side wall
18
and spaced therefrom, and integral with top wall
17
and bottom wall
16
. Side wall
18
is also integral with an upper flap portion
20
. which underlies top wall
17
. The overlapping top wall
17
and flap portion
20
form an upper enclosure for package
12
. Package
12
is open on the sides adjacent side walls
18
,
19
(see opening
21
in
FIG. 2
) extending through package
12
so that the fixture
11
mounted inside package
12
can be viewed.
Opening
22
at the top of fixture
11
can be seen in FIG.
2
.
It can be seen in
FIG. 3
(the fixture
11
removed for convenience of illustration) that there is a cut-out opening
23
in top wall
17
through which fixture
11
extends (see also FIG.
2
). A plurality of spaced hinged flaps
24
extend peripherally about an opening
30
(
FIG. 4
) through bottom wall
16
(see
FIG. 4
) extending inwardly providing a protective ring about fixture
11
when it is mounted in package
12
as will be discussed (see FIG.
6
).
As seen in
FIG. 5
, these flaps
24
also protect the fixture when one is stacked on top of another. As seen in
FIG. 6
, a first unit
100
is stacked on top of a second unit
200
. Like numerals in
FIGS. 1
to
5
refer to like numerals of each unit
100
,
200
(which are identical). Thus, the fixture
11
of unit
200
has its upper portion extending through the opening
30
in the bottom wall
16
of upper unit
100
. Flaps
24
in the upper unit
100
overlie fixture
11
in the lower unit
200
, as seen, and protects the fixture from breakage or chipping. Storage space is saved by stacking one unit on top of the other (or a plurality of units).
As seen in
FIG. 7
, wherein like numerals refer to like parts of
FIG. 2
, the upper exposed portion of fixture
11
may be covered with a clear transparent film, such as Saran® wrap, a tough flexible thermoplastic resin material, or a rigid plastic blister material
300
. Material
300
sags in a top in area
30
′ and secured to the underside of flap portion
20
and top wall
17
at points x′ and y′, respectively, in any suitable manner, such as taping or gluing. Alternatively, material
300
may be secured elsewhere to package
12
.
As seen in
FIG. 8
, wherein like numerals refer to like parts of
FIG. 2
, the upper exposed portion of fixture
11
may be covered with a clear transparent film, such as Saran ® wrap, a tough flexible thermoplastic resin material, or a rigid plastic blister material
301
′. Material
301
sags in a top in area
302
and is secured to the top side of flap portion
20
and top wall
17
at points x′ and y′, respectively, in any suitable manner, such as taping of gluing.
As seen in
FIG. 9
, wherein like numerals refer to like parts of
FIG. 2
, the upper exposed portion of fixture
11
may be covered with a clear transparent film, such as Saran ® wrap, a tough flexible thermoplastic resin material, or a rigid plastic blister material
303
. Material
303
sags in a top in area
304
and extends all the way around the outside of the bottom portion of package
12
along the underside of bottom wall
16
and is secured thereto at points x″ and y″, respectively, in any suitable manner, such as taping or gluing. Alternatively, material
300
may be secured elsewhere to package
12
.
Referring now to
FIG. 10
, still another embodiment is shown wherein like numerals refer to like parts of the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The package
400
includes a fixture
11
disposed on top of a rectangular piece of cardboard panel
401
having flaps
24
as seen in FIG.
11
. The fixture
11
and panel
401
is then covered by a film
402
of a tough flexible thermoplastic resin material or a plastic blister material. One of the packages
400
can be stacked on top of another, the covered top of one fixture extending into the opening in the bottom
401
of the other fixture as in FIG.
6
.
FIG. 12
is still another embodiment of a package
500
wherein like numerals refer to like parts of the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 and 2
. A film of a tough flexible thermoplastic resin material
501
or a plastic blister material surrounds the entire fixture
11
. One of the fixtures
11
in
FIG. 12
can be stacked on top of another.
As seen in
FIG. 13
, the package
19
of
FIG. 9
can be eliminated (like numerals refer to like parts of
FIG. 9
) and the fixture and package
303
can be wrapped in a suitable clear transparent film
304
, such as Saran® wrap, which retains its shape about the bottom of the fixture
15
(forming, in effect, a box-like support). Thus, the package for the embodiment in
FIG. 3
is the plastic wrap itself which holds its shape forming spaced top, bottom and side walls similar to package
19
in FIG.
9
.
Any suitable materials may be used. The lighting fixture is generally of glass or plastic; the package may be made of cardboard, plastic, etc. Cardboard is preferred since flaps
24
may be easily cutout of the peripheral portion of bottom wall
16
surrounding opening
30
.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention is disclosed, variations thereof may occur to an artisan and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A self supporting lighting fixture and package therefore comprising:a package having a top wall, a bottom wall spaced from the top wall and a pair of spaced side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls, the package being open on the sides thereof adjacent each of said spaced side walls forming a through passage through said package; a first opening in said top wall and a second opening in said bottom wall, said openings being aligned and said opening through said top wall being lesser in diameter than the opening through said bottom wall; a lighting fixture mounted in said package having a lower portion resting on said bottom wall and confined between said spaced side walls, said fixture further having a top portion extending out of the opening in said top wall and therethrough, said lower portion of said fixture being integrally connected to said top portion by a tapered peripheral side wall portion, said lighting fixture being open therethrough from the top to bottom thereof having a rim at both its upper end and its lower end, said flaps extending upwardly from said bottom wall about the rim of said lower portion of said lighting fixture; and a second lighting fixture and package identical to the first mentioned lighting fixture and package being stacked on top of said first mentioned lighting fixture and package, the upper portion of the fixture of said first mentioned lighting fixture and package extending through and into the open bottom portion of the fixture of said second mentioned lighting fixture and package.
- 2. The lighting fixture and package of claim 1 including a plurality of hinged flaps surrounding the opening in said bottom wall.
- 3. The lighting fixture and package of claim 2 wherein said lighting fixture is open therethrough from the top to bottom thereof having a rim at both its upper end and its lower end, said flaps extending upwardly from said bottom wall about the rim of said lower portion of said lighting fixture.
- 4. The lighting fixture and package of claim 3 wherein a second lighting fixture and package identical to the first mentioned lighting fixture and package is stacked on top of said first mentioned lighting fixture and package, the upper portion of the fixture of said first mentioned lighting fixture and package extending through and into the open bottom portion of the fixture of said second mentioned lighting fixture and package.
- 5. The lighting fixture and package of claim 1 wherein the flaps of said second mentioned lighting fixture and package surround the tapered portion of the fixture of said first mentioned lighting fixture and package.
- 6. The lighting fixture and package of claim 5 wherein said package is of cardboard.
- 7. The lighting fixture and package of claim 6 wherein said flap s are portions cutout of said cardboard.
- 8. The lighting fixture and package of claim 1 wherein said package is of cardboard.
- 9. The lighting fixture and package of claim 8 wherein said flaps are portions cutout of said cardboard.
- 10. A self supporting light fixture and package therefore comprising:a package having a top wall, a bottom wall spaced from the top wall and at least a pair of spaced side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls; a first opening in said top wall and a second opening in said bottom wall, said openings aligned and said opening through said top wall being lesser in diameter than the opening through said bottom wall; a lighting fixture mounted in said package having a lower portion resting on said bottom wall and confined between said spaced side walls, said fixture further having a top portion extending out of the opening in said top wall and therethrough, said lower portion of said fixture being integrally connected to said top portion by a tapered peripheral side wall portion; and purality of hinged flaps surrounding the opening in said bottom wall, said lighting fixture being open therethrough from the top to bottom thereof and having a rim at both its upper end and its lower end, said flaps extending upwardly from said bottom wall about the rim of said lower portion of said lighting fixture but spaced therefrom in a non-contiguous relationship.
- 11. A lighting fixture and package of claim 10 wherein the exposed top portion of said lighting fixture is covered by a film of transparent material.
- 12. The lighting fixture and package of claim 11 wherein said film is a tough flexible thermoplastic resin material.
- 13. The lighting fixture and package of claim 11 wherein said film is a rigid plastic blister material.
- 14. The lighting fixture and package of claim 11 wherein said film extends about the bottom of said fixture forming said top wall, said bottom wall and said spaced top walls.
- 15. The lighting fixture and package of claim 11 wherein said film extends about the upper surface of said lighting fixture to said package, about said package and under the bottom wall of said package where it is secured thereto.
- 16. The lighting fixture and package of claim 11 wherein said film extends about the top portion of said lighting fixture, along the tapered peripheral sidewall portion thereof into said package and below the top wall of said package and secured thereto.
- 17. The lighting fixture and package of claim 1X; wherein said film extends about top portion of said lighting fixture, along the tapered peripheral side wall portion thereof and on top of the top wall of said package and secured thereto.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2165527 |
Apr 1986 |
GB |