Package with tambour closure

Abstract

A package comprised of a container and a tambour closure physically attached by a hinge to the container is described. A guide, such as grooves in side walls, is attached to the container and the tambour closure is disposed to move within the guide. The tambour closure is preferably self closing and the container has at least two compartments. The guide and the container are thermoformed as a unitary piece, and/or the container and the tambour closure are made as a unitary pieces. Preferably, the package is molded from a single sheet of material. The package is at least two colors. Opposites sides of the sheet may be different colors so that the external surface is one color and the internal surface another. Also, different portions of the sheet may be different colors so that one portion of the package is a first color and another portion is another color.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A package comprising: 
 a container;    a guide attached to the container; and    a tambour closure physically attached to the container, wherein the tambour closure is disposed to move within the guide.    
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the guide and the container are made as a unitary piece.  
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the container and the tambour closure are made as a unitary piece.  
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 3  wherein the package is molded from a single sheet of material.  
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 4  wherein the package has a package external surface that is at least a first color and a package internal surface that is at least a second color different from the first color.  
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 4  wherein the container has a container top surface that is at least a first color and the tambour closure has a closure top surface that is at least a second color different from the first color.  
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 4  wherein a portion of the container is at least a first color and a portion of the tambour closure is at least a second color different from the first color.  
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 4  wherein the container has a container internal surface that is at least a first color and the tambour closure has a closure external surface that is at least a second color different from the first color.  
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 4  wherein the container has a container top surface wherein the tambour closure has a closure top surface, wherein the sheet of material has a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface, and further wherein the first sheet surface is at least a first color and the second sheet surface is at least a second color different from the first color, wherein the container top surface is the at least first color and the closure top surface is the at least second color.  
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 4  wherein the container has a container internal surface and a container external surface, wherein the tambour closure has a closure internal surface and a closure external surface, wherein the sheet of material has a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface, and further wherein the first sheet surface is at least a first color and the second sheet surface is at least a second color different from the first color, wherein the container external surface and the closure external surface are both at least the first color and the container internal surface and the closure internal surface are both at least the second color.  
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 4  wherein the sheet of material has a sheet first portion and a sheet second portion, and further wherein the sheet first portion is at least a first color and the sheet second portion is at least a second color different from the first color whereby at least a portion of the container is at least the first color and at least a portion of the tambour closure is at least the second color.  
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 1  further comprising a hinge, wherein the hinge physically attaches the tambour closure to the container.  
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 12  wherein the container, the tambour closure, and the hinge are made as a unitary piece.  
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 13  wherein the package is molded from a single sheet of material.  
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the container and the tambour closure are different colors.  
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the tambour closure is self closing.  
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the container has at least two compartments.  
     
     
         18 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the package is a thermoformed package.  
     
     
         19 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the container comprises two opposing and substantially parallel side walls and wherein the guide comprises a groove located in each opposing sidewall.  
     
     
         20 . A package comprising: 
 a container formed from a sheet of material, wherein the sheet of material has a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface, and further wherein the first sheet surface is at least a first color and the second sheet surface is at least a second color different from the first color, and further wherein the container has a container top surface, and further wherein the container top surface is at least the first color; and    a closure formed from the sheet of material, wherein the container and the closure are molded as a unitary piece, wherein the closure has a closure top surface, and further wherein the closure top surface is at least the second color.    
     
     
         21 . The package of  claim 15  wherein the package is a thermoformed package.  
     
     
         22 . A package comprising: 
 a container formed from a sheet of material, wherein the sheet of material has a sheet first portion and a sheet second portion, and further wherein the sheet first portion is at least a first color and the sheet second portion is at least a second color different from the first color, and further wherein at least a portion of the container is at least the first color; and    a closure formed from the sheet of material, wherein the container and the closure are molded as a unitary piece, wherein at least a portion of the closure is at least the second color.    
     
     
         23 . The package of  claim 17  wherein the package is a thermoformed package.  
     
     
         24 . A package comprising: 
 a container formed from a sheet of material, wherein the sheet of material has a first sheet surface and a second sheet surface, and further wherein the first sheet surface is a at least first color and the second sheet surface is at least a second color different from the first color, and further wherein the container has a container internal surface and a container external surface, wherein the container internal surface is at least the first color and the container external surface is at least the second color; and    a closure formed from the sheet of material, wherein the container and the closure are molded as a unitary piece, wherein the closure has a closure internal surface and a closure external surface, wherein the closure internal surface is at least the first color and the closure external surface is at least the second color.    
     
     
         25 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a unitary package formed from a single sheet of material, wherein the unitary package has a package external surface that is at least a first color and a package internal surface that is at least a second color different from the first color.    
     
     
         26 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a unitary package formed from a single sheet of material, wherein the unitary package has a container and a closure, wherein the container has a container top surface that is at least a first color and the closure has a closure top surface that is at least a second color different from the first color.    
     
     
         27 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a unitary package formed from a single sheet of material, wherein the unitary package has a container and a closure, wherein a portion of the container is at least a first color and a portion of the closure is at least a second color different from the first color.    
     
     
         28 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a unitary package formed from a single sheet of material, wherein the unitary package has a container and a closure, wherein the container has a container internal surface that is at least a first color and the closure has a closure external surface that is at least a second color different from the first color.