Retaining device

Abstract

The present invention involves a retaining device to retain an object having indicia for display. The retaining device includes first and second side walls spaced opposite each other, wherein each side wall has opposite ends. The retaining device further includes first and second retaining walls connecting the side walls together. Each retaining wall is connected to one end of each side wall to space apart the retaining walls opposite each other forming an inner space. Each retaining wall has outer and inner surfaces, wherein the inner surface of the first retaining wall has an aperture therethrough and a first lip extending from the inner surface toward the inner space to contact the object when retained within the inner space.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A retaining device to retain an object having indicia for display, the retaining device comprising: 
 first and second side walls spaced opposite each other, each side wall having opposite ends; and    first and second retaining walls connecting the side walls together, each retaining wall being connected to one end of each side wall to space apart the retaining walls opposite each other, thereby forming an inner space, each retaining wall having outer and inner surfaces, the first retaining wall having a first aperture therethrough, the inner surface of the first retaining wall having a first lip around the first aperture and extending toward the inner space to contact and retain the object within the inner space.    
     
     
         2 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the first and second side walls are disposed in substantially parallel relationship with each other.  
     
     
         3 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the second retaining wall has a second aperture therethrough, the inner surface of the second retaining wall having a second lip around the second aperture and extending toward the inner space to contact and retain the object within the inner space.  
     
     
         4 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the first retainer wall has a plurality of first apertures therethrough and the inner surface of the first retainer wall has a plurality of first lips around the plurality of first apertures to retain a plurality of objects within the inner space, each of the first lips extending toward the inner space.  
     
     
         5 . The retaining device of  claim 4  wherein the second retainer wall has a plurality of second apertures therethrough and the inner surface of the second retainer wall has a plurality of second lips around the second apertures, each of the second lips extending toward the inner space to contact one of the objects.  
     
     
         6 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein each side wall has a length which is about the length of the object to be retained and wherein the first and second retaining walls are disposed in substantially parallel relationship with each other.  
     
     
         7 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the first side wall has a length greater than the length of the object and the second side wall has a length less than the length of the object, the retaining walls being connected to one end of each of the side walls to place the retaining walls in substantially nonparallel relationship with each other to allow the indicia of the object to be displayed at an incline.  
     
     
         8 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the first retaining wall includes a protrusion extending therefrom and a recess formed thereon for stacking a plurality of like retaining devices.  
     
     
         9 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the outer surface of each retaining wall is substantially planar.  
     
     
         10 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the outer surface of each retaining wall has a decline formed thereon to complement the lip extending from the respective inner surface.  
     
     
         11 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the side walls have a length less than the length of the object to be retained.  
     
     
         12 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the aperture has a width less than the length of the object to be retained.  
     
     
         13 . The retaining device of  claim 1  wherein the first lip has a notch formed thereon.  
     
     
         14 . A retaining strip to be folded to form a retaining device for retaining an object having indicia for display, the retaining strip comprising: 
 a first retaining wall having a free edge and a first hinged edge, the free edge having a recess, the first retaining wall having a first aperture therethrough and inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface having a first lip around the first aperture extending therefrom;    an integral side wall having opposite first and second ends, the first end being integrally connected to the first hinged edge to define a first living hinge;    a second retaining wall having second and third hinged edges, the second hinged edge being integrally connected to the second end of the first side wall to define a second living hinge;    a ridged side wall having third and fourth ends, the third end being integrally connected to the third hinged edge of the second retaining wall to define a third living hinge, the fourth end having a protrusion receivable in the recess of the free edge to define the retaining device.    
     
     
         15 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein the fourth end is received in the slot of the free edge so that the integral and ridged side walls are disposed in substantially parallel relationship and so that the fourth end and the living hinges are at four separate corners of the retaining strip to define the retaining device.  
     
     
         16 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein the second retaining wall has a second aperture therethrough and inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface having a second lip around the second aperture extending therefrom.  
     
     
         17 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein the first and second retainer walls have a plurality of first and second apertures therethrough and the inner surfaces of the first and second retainer walls have a plurality of first and second lips around the first and second apertures to retain a plurality of objects, each of the lips extending from the inner surfaces of the retaining wall.  
     
     
         18 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein each of the integral and the ridged side walls has a length which is about the length of the object to be retained and wherein the first and second retaining walls are disposed in substantially parallel relationship with each other when the ridge is disposed in the slot.  
     
     
         19 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein one of the side walls has a length greater than the length of the object and the other of the side walls has a length less than the length of the object and wherein the retaining walls are in substantially nonparallel relationship with each other when the ridge is disposed in the slot.  
     
     
         20 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein the outer surfaces of the retaining walls are substantially planar.  
     
     
         21 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein the outer surfaces of the retaining walls have a decline formed thereon to complement the lip extending from the inner surface.  
     
     
         22 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein the side walls have a length less than the length of the object.  
     
     
         23 . The retaining strip of  claim 14  wherein the first aperture has a width less than the length of the object.