PACKAGING OF WOOD FILLERS

EMBALLAGE POUR BOUCHE-PORES

English Abstract

A container with wood filler in it, the container including a tub and a lid which fits in an airtight manner on the tub, the tub and the lid, or one of the tub and lid, being of transparent material so that the colour of the wood filler can be seen without opening the container. In the preferred form it is the tub that is transparent, the lid being of transparent, translucent or opaque material. The tub can be injection moulded or deep drawn, and the lid is injection moulded.

French Abstract

Un emballage pour bouche-pores où l'emballage comprend un récipient et un couvercle qui s'adapte hermétiquement au récipient, le récipient et le couvercle, ou un du récipient ou du couvercle, étant faits de matériau transparent de sorte que la couleur du bouche-pore peut être vue sans ouvrir le récipient. Dans la forme préférée, le récipient est transparent, le couvercle est fait de matériau transparent, translucide ou opaque. Le récipient peut être moulé par injection ou embouti profond et le couvercle est moulé par injection.

Claims

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What is claimed is:
1. Use of a container for wood filler, the container
including a tub and a lid which fits in an airtight manner on
the tub, the tub and the lid, or one of the tub and lid, being
of transparent material so that the colour of the wood filler
can be seen without opening the container.
2. Use of a container according to claim 1, in which the
tub is of transparent material.
3. Use of a container according to claim 2, in which the
lid is one of opaque and translucent.
4. Use of a container according to claim 1, in which the
lid and tub have interengaging sealing formations, the lid
being a press fit on the tub.
5. Use of a container according to claim 1, in which the
tub and lid are injection moulded.
6. Use of a container according to claim 1, in which the
tub is formed by a deep drawing process.
7. Use of a plurality of containers for wood filler, the
wood fillers in the containers being of various colours and

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each container including a tub and a lid which fits in an
airtight manner on the tub, the tub and the lid, or one of the
tub and lid, being of transparent material so that the colours
of the wood fillers can be seen without opening any of the
containers.
8. Use of a plurality of containers according to
claim 7, in which the tub of each container is transparent.
9. Use of a plurality of containers according to
claim 8, in which the lid of each container is one of
transparent, translucent and opaque.

Description

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PACKAGING OF WOOD FILLERS
THIS INVENTION relates to the packaging of wood
fillers.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
To the best of Applicant's knowledge wood fillers
are, on a worldwide basis, sold in containers which
completely conceal the colour of the wood filler. Generally,
the containers are plastic tubs with plastic lids, and the
containers and lids are generally opaque in colour. the
purchaser is left to determine the exact colour of the wood
filler in the tub either by means of a sticker on the
container (which can easily fall off) or by comparing the
name on the container with a colour chart. Neither the
sticker or the colour chart can be entirely accurate and the
name of the product, such as light oak or dark oak is not
necessarily very revealing as to the contents of the
container. The result is that the customer, if not sure of
the colour, resorts to opening the container to check the
colour. If~the colour is not correct, the container is
returned to the shelf. Quite often the customer does not re-
seal the container properly with the result that the product
dries out. This is a substantial source of returns to the
manufacturer from the retail outlet, and the manufacturer
must absorb substantial losses from this source.

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OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to
overcome the disadvantages set out above by making it
possible for the customer to determine the exact color of
the wood filler in a container without opening the
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention
there is provided use of a container for wood filler, the
container including a tub and a lid which fits in an
airtight manner on the tub, the tub and the lid, or one of
the tub and lid, being of transparent material so that the
colour of the wood filler can be seen without opening the
container.
According to a further aspect of the present
invention there is provided use of a plurality of
containers for wood filler, the wood fillers in the
containers being of various colours and each container
including a tub and a lid which fits in an airtight manner
on the tub, the tub and the lid, or one of the tub and lid,
being of transparent material so that the colours of the
wood fillers can be seen without opening any of the
containers.
Preferably the tub is of transparent material.
The lid can in this form be transparent, opaque or
translucent.
Desirably the lid and tub have interengaging

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sealing formations, the lid being a press fit on the tub. It
is possible, however, for the lid and tub to be secured
together by means of screw threading or by means of a
connection of bayonet-type.
The tub and lid can be injection moulded.
Alternatively the tub can be formed by a deep drawing
process.
Any suitable transparent synthetic plastics
material can be used for the tub. The material must meet the
requirement that it does not, because of its own colouring or
any opacity, disguise the true colour of the wood filler.
Glass can also be used but is not as desirable a
material as synthetic plastics material for this purpose.
Hy packaging wood filler in the way described, a
potential purchaser can see the actual colour of the filler.
He does not have to be guided by the name (eg pine, light
pine, mahogany, oak, light oak, dark oak) or by a sticker on
the container (which can fall-off) or by a colour chart which
does not necessarily truly reproduce the colours of the
various fillers.
Commercially available fillers are water, PVA or
solvent based, and all dry out when exposed to the atmosphere
for a sufficient period of time.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present
invention, and to show how the same may be carried into
effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the
accompanying drawing in which the single Figure is a
pictorial view of a container with wood filler in it.
The container illustrated is generally designated
and comprises a tub 12 and a lid 14 which fits in an air
10 tight manner on the tub 12. The lid and the tub, or one of
the tub or the lid, are of transparent synthetic plastics
material so that the colour of the wood filler W can be seen
without opening the container. It is preferred that the tub
be transparent because the wood filler contacts this on the
inside and makes colour determination very easy. Between the
tub and the lid there is generally an air gap A and, when
looking through the lid, the wood filler material is being
viewed across the air gap. This can result in colour
distortion. Also, moisture can condense out on the top
surface of the wood filler W again resulting in colour
distortion.
The tub 12 and the lid 14 have rib and groove
sealing formations 16, the lid 14 being a press fit on the
tub 12.
The fact that the wood fillers of various colours

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are visible in a stack of containers 10 gives a pleasing
visual presentation, and Applicant has found that this
pleasing appearance generates unexpectedly large sales of
wood filler.

Representative Drawing