Title of Invention

A CONTAINER FOR PRODUCTS SUCH AS ACCESSORIES

Abstract

Container for products, such as surprises or similar accessories, comprising two half -shells (2, 4) , with a containing wall (2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) and with an open mouth (10, 12) , able to be coupled together mouth-to-mouth so as to form a closed container (1) , where the two half- shells (2, 4) are connected together by means of hing ing means (20) , with a hinging axis (a-a) such as to allow the movement of one of the, half -shells (2, 4) with respect to the other one between a closed position of the container (1) and an open position. The con tainer (1) , in its closed configuration, has a minimum overall dimension of between 20 mm and 55 mm and the containing wall (2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) of at least one of the half -shells (2, 4) has, in the vicinity of the hinging means (20) , at least one line (44a/ 46a; 44b, 46b) with a weakened wall thickness, which extends over a section of said wall (2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) and which is capable of breakage following stresses applied to the body of the half -shell (2, 4) and/or to the hinging means (20) con necting the two half -shells (2, 4) and prone to cause breakage of said hinging means (20) .

Full Text

eurprlee cantalner The present invention relates to a container which is made of plastic, in particular intended to be used as a container for gift articles or surprises, such as toys or eonfectionaury products, and is intended to be introduced inside a hollow body of a food product, such as a chocolate egg, or inside a packaging cooprising a food product. In particiaar, the inventicaa refers to a container of the type cco5>riaing two half-shells which have a containing wall and an open mouth and can be coupled together mouth-to-mouth in a frontally engaging relfitionship so as to form a closed container and where the two half-shells are connected to¬gether by means of connecting meatns which comprise a hinging system which allows the tilting movement of one' half-shell with respect to the other one between a closed position of the container and an open position. The main object of the invention is that of providing a con¬tainer in which the two half-shells forming, respectively, the bottom and the lid of the container are coupled together so as to avoid or in any case minimise the risJc that stresses applied by the user to the connecting means and in paurticular to the hinging means may cause breakage thereof and the con¬sequent separation of the two half-shells. t Another object of the invention is that of providing a con¬tainer which achieves the abovementioried object, even though being meide of a relatively ineaqpensive plastic material. Another object of the invention is that of providing a con¬tainer, the structure of is such as to facilitate open¬ing and closing of the said container by the user. In view of these objects, the invention relates priinarily to a container according to the preamble of Claim 1, v^ch is characterized in that - in its closed configuration' - it has a minimum overall dimensicm o£ between 20 and 55 imn and in that the containing wall of at least one of the half-shells has, in the vicinity of the hinging means, at least one line with a weakened wall thicJcness, which extends over a section of said wall and which is capable of breakage or sheauring following stresses applied to the body of the half-shell ajod/or to the hinging means connecting the two half-shells and prone to cause breakage of said hinging means. Further characteristic features of the container are defined in the acconpanying claims. The basis of the invention consists in the idea of providing on the wall of one,. or preferably, both the half-shells one or more preferential pre-incision lines prone to breakage be¬fore breakage or sheauring of the hinging means which connect the two half-shells and where said one or more preferential pre-incisica lines are arranged on the wall of one or both the half-shells so that any shearing thereof, produced by a stressing force, results in the presence of one or more inci¬sions on the wall of the half-shell without causing separa¬tion of the half-shells which remain hinged together by means of the hinging means which remain intact. According to the invention, the preferential pre-incision lines are preferably continuous lines with a weakened wall thickness, i.e. vrtiere the wall thickness is less than the wall thickness adjacent to these lines; thus, for exaii:5>le, the waill thickness of said lines is a film-like thickness, for exanqple from 10 to 100 jim, while the wadl thickness of the half-shells is in the regicm of 200-1000 (im. These weak¬ened wall thickness lines are formed directly during moulding of the plastic half-shells. In a preferred enfisodiment, one of the half-shells (or more preferably both the hsa.f-shells) has/have two continuous lines with a weakened wall thickness, each arranged on the opposite side of the means for connecting and hinging to¬gether the two half-shells, so that sheauring of said lines causes the formation of a flexible tongue, providing a ftir- ther possibility for hinging of the two half-shells. Preferably, the caitainer according to the invention is formed by a one-piece body where the two half-shells are con¬nected together by means of connecting and hinging means in¬tegral with the two half-shells. Said hinging means may, for example, consist of film-like hizxging means or snap film-like hinge, elonents, the latter for example being of the type de¬scribed in US 4 403 712. However, the invention aa»o embraces a container formed by two separate half-shells which are connected together by means of buckle or bayonet connecting means able to engage with each other, for example of the type described in EP-A-1 529 731. Typically, the closed container has a generally elongated cy¬lindrical shape, with curved top walls and with a circular or rounded mouth profile. In this case, the term "minimum over¬all dimension" is to be understood as referring to the mouth diameter or, in the case of a non-circular rounded mouth, to the minimum nouth diameter. Preferably, the abov^entioned miniimuD overall dimension is between 30 im and 45 mm. Further characteristic features and advantages of the con¬tainer according to the invention - and in particular its structural and functional advantages in relation to its use as a surprise container intended to be used auid handled by children - will become apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the acconpanying drawings which sure provided by way of a non-limiting example and in which: Pig. 1 is a front view of a container according to the invention; • Pig. 2 is a top plan view of the container according to Pig. 1, in a totally open configuration, in which one of the two half-shells is tilted through about 180"; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the container ac¬cording to Pig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectioned side view of the container accord¬ing to Pig. 1, in an open configuration, in which one of the half-shells is tilted through about 90"; Fig. 6 is a side view of the container according to Fig. 1, in an open ccoifiguration, in which one of the half-shells is tilted through about 90" and where shearing of the weak¬ened thiclcness lines in the upper half-shell has occurred; Fig. 7 is a side view of the container, corresponding to Fig. 6, in which shearing of the weakened thickness lines present in both the half-shells has occurred; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a container according to the invention, with one of the half-shells tilted through about 180' Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another Mabodiment of a container accordizig to the Invention, shown In the open con¬figuration; Pig. 10 Is a front view of the container according to Pig. 9 in the closed configuration; Pig. 11 is a reau: view of the ccmtainer according to Pig. 10; and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiinent of the container in the partially cpen configuratlcaa. With reference to the drawings, the container according to the invention, indicated in its entirety by i, conprises a first and a second half-shell 2, 4 generally made of plastic and produced by means of injection-moulding. The preferred xaterials are flexible plastics, preferably chosen from polyethylene, polypropylene homqpolynier or co¬polymer, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other thermoplcLStlc polymers which can be injection-moulded. In the examples of enibodiment shown, each of the two half- shells 2, 4. has a general cup-like configuration with a con¬taining wall comprising a dcane-shaped terminal portion, op¬tionally flattened at the top, 2a and 4a, and a sJdrt portion 2b and 4b. The division between d Considering the optional nature of the abovanentioned divi¬sion, the term "slcirt" or •skirt portion" will also be used to indicate tlse annular wall portion sidjacent to the mouth of the respective half-shell. In the example of embodiment shown/ the two half-shells have a mouth, respectively 10 and 12, with a circular contour or - as shoim in greater det£d.l below - substantially circular contour. It is xmderstood, however, that the constructional principle of the invention may also be applied to half-shells with a different contour of the mouth, for exai^ple elliptical, oval- shaped, polygonal or mixed-line contour. The two half-shells can be coupled together mouth-to-mouth in a frontally engaging relationship. In particular, one of the half-shells 4 has a colleu: 14 able to be inserted or engaged inside a portion of the side wall of the other half-shell 2 (skirt portion 2b) with an interfering fit, able to prevent easy release of the two half-shells from each other. In order to favour a secure connection between the two half- shells, it is possible to envisage form-fitting or snap en¬gaging means comprising, for exanple, an annular rib 16, in the collar 14, which preferably has an angular or circumfer¬ential extension less than 360" (Fig. -6) and may be continu¬ous or discontinuous (in sections) and engages with a coii^>le- mentauT' annular groove 18 formed on the inner surface of the wall o£ the other half-shell 2 in the overlapping region of the two balf-sbells. It is understood that other engaging means may be used, pro¬vided that they- are able to ensiire a secure connection which, however, can be eeisily disengaged by the user. In the embodiment according to Figs. 1-8, the two half-shells 2 and 4 are connected together by n»ans of hinging means which are integral with the two half-shells and denoted overall by 20. The present invention is not to be understood as being lim¬ited to the choice of a particular type of hinging means and the following description therefore refers to preferred em¬bodiments, which facilitate in particular hinging of the two half-shells and coupling together in the frontally engaging configuration described above. As shown in Figs. 2-8, the integrsd. hinging meanB 20 coioprlse a film-like hinge element 22 connected to the upper half- shell 2, acting as lid, on the contour of its mouth 10, along a curved segment 24, and to the bottom half-shell 4, immedi¬ately \mdemeath the collar 14, along a curved segment 26; at the longitudinal ends (i.e. in the circumferentiaa direction) of the film-li)ce hinge element 22 resilient elements in the form of ribs 28, 30 projecting outwards and having a thick¬ness greater than that of the film-like element 22 are op¬tionally present. In the closed position of the container, the film-like hinge element 22 and the optional rib-like elements 28, 30 are resiliently flexurally deformed in the manner of a C, Ppening of the container from the closed configuration may be performed, by exerting a pulling force vqpwards on the upper half-shell 2 or by eLLso exerting a caqpression or a radiea sqtieezing force on the side wall of the container, so as to cause - owing to the flexibility of the container walls - a resilient deformation of this wall which in turn causes the disengagement of the form fit engaging means 16, 18 present in the collar portion 14 and skirt portion 2b {Pig. 6). Following this disengagement, the resilient return force dur¬ing distension of the film-like hinge element 22 and the op¬tional rib-like elements 28, 30 causes the snap opening of the half-shell 2, with tilting through about 90' about the hinging axis a-a parallel to the plane of the mouth. In its closed configuration, the container has a substan¬tially cylindrical side wall formed by the skirt portions 2b auid 4b which are connected together; in order to facilitate opening and closing of the container it is preferable, how¬ever, that the side wall portion (on the collar 14) which ex¬tends circumferentially over em angle a, preferably less than or equal to 180 in the zone facing the hinging means is rounded or curved (with its concavity directed inwards), while the side wall portion which extends over an angle 360® - a in the zone and above the hinging meeuis is cylindrical. The inner surface of the skirt portion 2b of the hsaf-shell 2 thus has - preferably in axiad vertical cross-section - a CTorved profile 34 (Fig. 5) and, correspondingly, the outer surface 36 of the collar 14 has a matching curved profile. In particulau:, the container - in its closed configuration - has, in a cross-section along a verticsa plane perpendicular to the Mnging axis a-a passing through the middle of the hinge 22, in the region on the opposite side to the hinging means 20, a curved or rounded meridian profile and a meridian profile with a straight centred portion in the region of the hinging means. It follows that, in the preferred embodiment, both the inner surface 34 and the outer surface 38 of the skirt portion 2b have a curvature at least in a region thereof with an angulEtr anqplitude a situated on the opposite side to the hinging means 20. Correspondingly, the outer surface 36 of the collzir 14 and the outer surface 40 of the skirt portion 4b of the half- shell 4 have - in the abovementioned regicm on the opposite side to the hinging means - a radius of ciirvature. The inner surfaces 42 of the collar 14 and the skirt portion 4b may, however, be substantially cylindrical siirfaces. Preferably, the outer surface 43 of the collar 14 above the hinging aieans 20 is a cylindrical wall which extends circum- ferentially, in cylindrical form, over an euigle of amplitude 360-a, where a generally has a value less than 180". It is preferable that the skirt portion 2b of the half-shell 2 - or at least a circumferentially extending region thereof adjacent to or situated above the hinging means - is flexible or•flexurally resilient. Preferably, the annular wall of the collar 14 is flexible or flexiirally resilient; it is preferaible, however, that the an¬nular wall of the collar 14 should have a varied rigidity aaong its circumferential extension, namely that the circum¬ferential region of the annular wall of the collar 14 - ar¬ranged on the opposite side to the hinging means 20 - should be more rigid to flexing or resilient defonnation than the circumferential collar region adjacent to or situated above the hinging means and preferably also more rigid than the skirt portion 2b of the half-shell 2. These characteristic features may be obtained by ensuring that at leeist one region, which extaxds over an angle o' (where a' may coincide with a), of the annular wall of the collar 14, and optionaaiy of the adjacent skirt portion 4b, has a wall thickness greater than the' wall thickness of the collau: region situated above the hinging means and preferably also greater than the wall thickness of the skirt portion 2b of the half-shell 2. As mentioned above, the wall thickness is preferably limited to a region with an angular extension, a' which extends over an angle less than 360o, for exaniple equea to or less than 180*>, on the opposite side to the hinging means 20. The side wall of at least one of the two half-shells has at legist one line with a weakened or reduced wall thickness 44a, 46a, 44b and/or 46b, or preferably a pair of these lines ar¬ranged adjacent to the ends of the hinging means 20. Pref¬erably, both the half-shells have a pair of the abovemen- ticaied we20cened thickness lines. The two lines forming the pair extend over a section of the wall of the respective half-shell; the two lines may be parallel with each other or diverge towards the end of the half-shell. In the illustra¬tion shown, the two lines - for example 44a, 46a - are paral¬lel to each other along a fi^st section adjacent to the hinge and diverge along their terminal section which leads onto the dome 2a, 4a of the respective half-shell. In the half-shell without the collar (half-shell 2 in Pig. 1), the two lines 44a, 46a extend frcxn the mouth contour to the dome region. Similarly, in the half-shell with the collar (in the drawings the half-shell 4), the two lines with a wealcened thickness 44b, 461> may extend from the mouth edge of the collar as far as the doDoe region; alternatively, ais shown in Fig. 3, these lines extend over the waJLl of the half-shell from a zone situated above the hinging means 20 and cure connected to¬gether by means of a further line with a weakened wall thick¬ness 48 extending circumferentially. The abovenentioned lines with a weakened thickness essen¬tially have the function of preventing or reducing the risk that the - possibly repeated - stresses exerted in order to opra and close the container may cause the breakage of the hinging means, with the consequent undesirable separation of the two half-shells. The mechanical strength properties of the lines with a weak¬ened thickness - and in particular their wall thickness - are regulated depending on the mechanical strength properties of the connecting and hinging means between the two half-shells, in such a way that mechanical (tensile, compressive or twist¬ing) stresses applied to one half-shell or both of them cause firstly the breakage of one or both of the lines with a weak¬ened wall thickness. With breakage of both the lines forming a pair (for exaii«>le 44a, 46a), the two half-shells remain hinged together by means of the hinging means 20 and by means of the half-shell side wall portion 50 situated between the two sheared weakened thickness lines, in the form of a tongue. The tovigue regicm 50 which, owing to the flexibility of the side wall of the half-shell, also has optimum flexibility properties acts as an extension of the hinging am between the two half-shells. When, in accordance with the preferred enibodiinent, a second pair of lines with a weakened wall thickness (for example 44b, 46b) are present on the wall of the other half-shell, the application of further stresses which per se would be prone to cause breakage of the hinging means causes - in a priority maimer - the breakage of these lines, resulting in the formation of a tongue region 52 situated between the sheared lines 44b and 4Sb. It is understood that breakage of the weakening lines forming the first and second pair may be simultaneous or seqniential and that this breakage does not occur necessarily in the time sequence described here by way of exanple. Pigs. 6 and 7 show respectively a container according to the invention in which breakage of a first pair of the weakening lines (fig.6) and both the pairs of weakening lines (fig.7) has occurred. It will be noted how the tongues 50 and/or 52, after breakage of the respective wesUcening lines, are in turn hinged with the body of the respective half-shell, along hinge segments indicated by 54 and 56, respectively, such that breakage of the weakeniscig lines iJesults in formation of further hinging regions of the two half-shells. In the embodiment described in Pigs. 9-11, the container is formed by two half-shells 2 and 4 which are connected to¬gether by means of connecting and hinging means 20 integral with the two half-shells. The connecting and hinging ioeans comprise a tongue element 58 urtiich is connected to a half- ahell 2 via a film-like hinge 60 and to the other half-shell 4 via a film-like hinge 62; the connecting means therefore have two .hinging axes. The film-like hinge 62 is arranged in a lower position relative to the mouth of the half-shell 4 and underneath the collar region 14; the film-like hinge 60 is arranged along the contour of the mouth of the half-shell 2. The side wall of the half-shell 4 has, c^posite the tongue 58, a flattened wall portion 64 against which the hinging tongue 58 is positioned in the closed configuration of the container. The container has closing/opening means of the bayonet or buckle type, conprising a male element associated with one half-shell and a female element associated with the other half-shell and suitable for engagement' with each other. The male element cc»^rises a lug 66 which extends from the edge of a mouth of one of the half-shells and has a radieQ projec¬tion or retaining tooth 68. The other half-shell has, on its side wall, a recess 70 with a substantially flat wall surface with a bridge elonent 72 which defines, between its reuiially inner surface and outer surface of the recess, an opening in which in which the end of the lug 66 may be inserted, with the tooth 68 which acts as retadning element for locking the half-shell 2 in the closed configuration of the container. Opening of the container may be performed by exerting a pres¬sure in the radiad. direction on the retaining elanent 68. In this case also, the wall of one of the half-shells, pref¬erably the wall of the half-shell 2 which is connected to the other half-shell along the contour of its mouth, has prefera¬bly two lines with a weakened wall thickness 44a and 46a of the type described above, arranged in the vicinity of the £llift-llke hinge 60 and outside the latter. It is possible, however, to envisage a second pair of lines with a weakened wall thickness 44b, 46b (optioMaiy connected together by a transverse weakened thiclmess line 48) on the other half- shell 4, arranged cm the sides of the film-like hinge 62. In the embodiment according to Fig. 12, the container is formed by two s^arate h^f-shells, coiqprising first bayonet or buckle connecting and hinging means, of the type described above with reference to Pig. 9, which ^sure a permanent con¬nection between the two half-shells, and second buckle or bayonet connecting means, which can be easily disengaged so as to allow opening/closing of the ccmtainer. Th6 first connecting and hinging means ccnnprise a flexible lug 74 with a radially projecting retaining element 76 »diich can be inserted inside a recess of the side wall of the other half-shell provided with a bridge element 80 having a retain¬ing element 76 engaging with the bridge element 80. In this case, owing to the flexibility characteristics of the lug 74, the two half-shells are hinged together by means of a hinge region, with a hinging axis d-d perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the lug 74. The seccmd connecting means useful for opening/closing the container are constructionally similar to the first connect¬ing and hinging means described above, with a retaining ele¬ment 82 having dimensions such slb to produce a non-permanent closure and facilitate opening by the luser. In thin case also, preferably, weakaied wall thickness lines 44a, 46a are present on the wall of the half-shell 2, adja- cent to the ends of the lug 74 of the peznianent connecting means. The container usxiauLly has, arranged inside, a gift article Intended to be taken out of the container by the user. Ovrlng to the structural characteristics of the container, the two half-shells aire k^t connected together also following stresses, aipplied by the user, which per se would be capable of causing breakage of the connecting and hinging means. It is understood, without modifying tl^ principle of the in¬vention, that the embodiments and the constructional details may be widely varied with respect to that described and il¬lustrated, without departing from the scc^ of the claims which follow. Thus, it is understood that other hinging means which differ from those described above and achieve the same functions aa those described above may be ccMiveniently xised. Similarly, eathough the container has been described here with reference to a generally cyiindric€a configuration, with a substantially circular cross-section, it is understood that the configuration may be varied, by modifying the mouth and wall profile of the two haaf-shells, for example so as to in¬clude a generally oval-shaped configuration formed by two half-shells having an oval-shaped mouth profile or by two half-shells with a circular mouth profile which together, when coupled, form a contadner with an oval-shaped configura¬tion. OAIMS 1. Container for products, such as surprises or similar ac¬cessories, ccoprising two half-shells (2, 4), with a contain¬ing wall Ua, 2b; 4a, 4b) and with an open mouth (10, 12), able to be coupled together nouth-to-mouth so as to form a closed container (1), idiere the two half-shells (2, 4) are connected together by means of hinging means (20), with a hinging axis (a-a) sudi as to allow the movement of one of the half-shells (2, 4) with respect to the other one between a closed position of the container (1) and an open position, characterized in that the container (1), in its closed con¬figuration, has a minimum overall dimension of between 20 mm and 55 mm and in that the containing wall {2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) of at least one of the half-shells (2, 4) has, in the vicinity of the hinging means (20), at least one line (44a, 46a; 44b, 46b) with a weakened wall thickness, which esctends over a section of said vail (2a, 2b; 4a, 4b) and which is capable of breakage following stresses applied to the body of the half- shell (2, 4) and/or to the hinging means (20) connecting the two half-shells (2, 4) and prone to cause breakage of said hinging means (20) . 2.. Container according to Cladm l, characterized in that said at leeuit oae weakened wall thickness line (44a, 46a; 44b, 46b) has a thickness such that it is prone to breakage before breakage of the hinging means (20) which connect the two half-shells (2, 4). 3. Container according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at least one of the h£LLf-shells, or preferably both the half-shells (2, 4), have a pair of weakened wall thickness lines (44a, 46a; 44b, 46b) which extend over a wall secticxi of the respective half-shell (2, 4), each in the vicinity of the lateral ends of said hinging means (20) . 4. Container according to Claim 3, characterized in that the two weakened wall thiclcness lines (44a, 46a; 44b, 46b) form¬ing each pair, are parallel to each other or diverge from each other, towards the top (2a, 4a) of the re^ective half- shell (2, 4). 5. Container according to Claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the weakened wall thickness lines (44a, 46a; 44b, 46b) forming said pair define between them a containing wall ele¬ment of the respective half-shell (2,* 4) in the form of a tongue (50, 52) which, following breakage of said lines (44a, 46a; 44b, 46b), connects the contsd.ning wall of the respec¬tive half-shell (2, 4) to the hinging means (20). 6. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, charac¬terized in that the hinging means (20).which connect together the two half-shells are integral with the two half-shells (2, 4) . 7. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, charac¬terized in that said hinging means (20) comprise at least one film-like hinge (22, 60, 64) . 8. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hinging means (20) comprise a flexible film-like hinge element (22) connected to the wall of both the half-shells (2, 4) along curved segments (24, 26) and optionally having, at its longitudinal ends, a respective resilient flexible element in the form of a rib (28, 30) . 9. Container according to any one of the preceding claims« characterized in that one of said half-shells (4) has a con¬taining vfall portion forming a collar (14) »diich can be en¬gaged inside a portion of the containing wall of the other half-shell (2) and in which the two half-shells (2, 4) are connected together by means of a flexible film-like hinge element (22) connected to one of the said half-shells (2) along or flush with the contour of its mouth (10) and to the containing wall (4b) of the other haaf-shell (4) underneath said collar portion (14). 10. Container according to Claim 9, characterized in that said half-shell (4), provided with a collar (14), has a pair of weakened wall thickness lines (44b, 46b} which extend eilong the containing wsai of said half-shell from the contour of its mouth (12) or from a level a few mm lower than the edge of its mouth (12) and in which the other half-shell (2) also has! a pair of weakened wall thickness lines (44a, 46a) which extend from the contour of its m5uth (10). 11. Container according to Claim 9, characterized in that said half-shell (4), provided with a collar (14), has a pair of weakened wall thickness lines (44b, 46b) "t^ch extend along the containing wall of said half-shell (4) from the collar region (14), said ped-r of lines (44b, 46b) being con¬nected together by a weaJcened wall thickness segment (48) isdaich extends circumferentially in the region of the collar (14) . 12. Container according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, charac¬terized in that said hinging means (20) ccnqorise a flexible tongue el^nent (58) connected to the- contour of the mouth (10) of a half-shell (2) by means of a film-like hinge ele- inent (60) and to the wall of the other half-shell (A) by means pf a second fllm-lilce hinge element (62) . 13. Container according to Claim 12, chzuracterlzed In that said half-shells have closing means of the bayonet or buckle type (66, 68, 72) ccnprlBing a male element (66, 68) associ¬ated with one half-shell (2, 4) and a female elonent (72) as¬sociated with the Qther half-shell (2, 4) and able to be en¬gaged together, said closing means (66, 68, 72) being able to be disengaged by the user. 14; Container according to any one o£ Claims 1 to 5,. charac¬terized in that It conprises two separate half-shells (2, 4) comprising bayonet or buckle connecting and hinging means (66, 68, 72) with a male element, provided on one half-shell (2, 4), in the form of a flexible lug (74) provided with a retaining element (76), and a female element (80), which is providad on the other half-shell (2, 4) and inside which said male element (76) can be engaged in a form-fitting manner, said connecting and hinging means (66,* 68, 72) being able to produce a permanent connecticm between the two half-shells (2, 4). 15. Container according to Claim 14, chairacterized in that said half-shells (2, 4) cooprise second baycnet or buckle connecting means, able to be engaged with each other and dis¬engaged by the user in order to open the container. 16. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of the half-shells (4) conprises a collar (14) which can be inserted with engagement inside the other half-shell (2) and where said collau: (14) has a varied wall thickness along its circumferential extension, with a wall thickness in Its region {a') facing the hinging means (20) greater than the wall thickness of its region adjacent to or situated above the hinging means (20). 17. Container euiscording to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in its closed configuration it has a curved containing side wall portion (2b, 4b) which extends angularly (a) in the zone facing the hinging means (20) and a cont2d.ning side wall portion (2a, 4a) which extends angu¬larly (360 - a) in the zone surrounding the hinging means (20) . 18. Container according to Cl2d.m 17, characterized in that in its closed configuration it has a curved meridian profile in a regicm of angular extensicxi (a), in the zcoie facing the hinging mesms (20), and a meridian profile with a straight central portion in the region surrounding the hinging means (20) . 19. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said half-shells (2, 4) have flexible containing walls capable of resilient 'deformation, such that a radial conpreBsive force exerted on the side welLI of at least one of the two half-shells (2, 4), able to cause resil¬ient crushing thereof tdien the container is closed, is capa¬ble of causing sns^ opening of the. conteiiner. 20. Container according to any one of the preceding claims, chauracterized in that the container is made of a plastic cho¬sen from among polyethylene, polypropylene homopolymer or co¬polymer, polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate. 21. Pood product package including a container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in wliich a toy article or a food product is contained.

Documents:

3010-CHENP-2008 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 20-02-2013.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 AMENDED CLAIMS 20-02-2013.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 14-12-2012.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 20-02-2013.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 FORM-1 20-02-2013.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 FORM-3 20-02-2013.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 ABSTRACT.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 CLAIMS.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 DRAWINGS.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 FORM-1.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 FORM-18.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 FORM-3.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 FORM-5.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 20-02-2013.pdf

3010-CHENP-2008 PCT.pdf