U.S. patent application number 10/448933 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-02 for container with hinged cover.
Invention is credited to Ekkert, Len, Lane, Gordon S., Morenikeji, Jason, Rodero, Michael, Zemlo, Bridget.
Application Number | 20040238553 10/448933 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33451641 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040238553 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lane, Gordon S. ; et
al. |
December 2, 2004 |
Container with hinged cover
Abstract
A container has a container base and a container encloser. The
container encloser includes a base ring, a hinged cover and a latch
mechanism. The latch mechanism includes a stationary catch portion
and a deflectable latch portion. The deflectable latch portion is
sufficiently deflectable to allow the finger of a user to deflect
the deflectable latch portion away from the stationary catch
portion so that the hinged cover can be moved from a closed
position to an open position.
Inventors: |
Lane, Gordon S.; (Valencia,
CA) ; Rodero, Michael; (Roxbury, CT) ;
Morenikeji, Jason; (London, GB) ; Ekkert, Len;
(Lemont, IL) ; Zemlo, Bridget; (West Chicago,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Denton L. Anderson
SHELDON & MAK
9th Floor
225 South Lake Avenue
Pasadena
CA
91101
US
|
Family ID: |
33451641 |
Appl. No.: |
10/448933 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/835 ;
220/326 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 43/169 20130101;
B65D 2251/1058 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/835 ;
220/326 |
International
Class: |
B65D 043/14 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A container comprising (i) a container base with a bottom wall,
one or more side walls and an access opening, and (ii) a container
encloser, the container encloser comprising: (a) a base ring
attached around the access opening of the container base; (b) a
hinged cover attached to the base ring by a hinge such that the
hinged cover can alternatively be moved between a closed position
wherein the access opening is covered by the hinged cover and an
open position wherein the access opening is not covered by the
hinged cover; and (c) a latch mechanism having a stationary catch
portion and a deflectable latch portion, one of the two portions
being disposed on the base ring and the other of the two portions
being disposed on the hinged cover such that, when the hinged cover
is in the closed position, the deflectable latch portion is
retained by the catch portion and the hinged cover is thereby held
firmly by the base ring in the closed position, the deflectable
latch portion being sufficiently deflectable to allow the finger of
a user to deflect the deflectable latch portion away from the
stationary catch portion so that the hinged cover can be moved from
the closed position to the open position.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein the hinged cover is made of a
plastic.
3. The container of claim 1 wherein the deflectable latch portion
is disposed on the base ring.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein the deflectable latch portion
is provided by a deflectable portion of the base ring disposed
between a pair of opposed vertical slits.
5. The container of claim 1 wherein the materials of the latch
mechanism and the configuration and dimensions of the deflectable
latch portion and the stationary catch portion are chosen such
that, when the hinge cover is moved from the open position to the
closed position, the engagement of the deflectable latch portion
with the stationary catch portion emits an audible click.
6. A container comprising (i) a container base with a bottom wall,
one or more side walls and an access opening, and (ii) a plastic
container encloser, the container encloser comprising: (a) a base
ring attached around the access opening of the container base; (b)
a hinged cover attached to the base ring by a hinge such that the
hinged cover can alternatively be moved between a closed position
wherein the access opening is covered by the hinged cover and an
open position wherein the access opening is not covered by the
hinged cover; and (c) a latch mechanism having a stationary catch
portion and a deflectable latch portion, the deflectable latch
portion being disposed on the base ring and the catch portion being
disposed on the hinged cover such that when the hinged cover is in
the closed position, the deflectable latch portion is retained by
the catch portion and the hinged cover is thereby held firmly by
the base ring in the closed position, the deflectable latch portion
being provided by a deflectable portion of the base ring disposed
between a pair of opposed vertical slits, the deflectable latch
portion being sufficiently deflectable to allow the finger of a
user to deflect the deflectable latch portion away from the
stationary catch portion so that the hinged cover can be moved from
the closed position to the open position.
7. The container of claim 6 wherein the materials of the latch
mechanism and the configuration and dimensions of the deflectable
latch portion and the stationary catch portion are chosen such
that, when the hinge cover is moved from the open position to the
closed position, the engagement of the deflectable latch portion
with the stationary catch portion emits an audible click.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to small containers, such
as containers for retaining instant coffee and, more specifically,
to such containers having a separate cover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Small containers for retaining objects and materials, such
as food stuffs, have been known for centuries.
[0003] In recent years, such small containers made from a plastic
material have become popular. Typically, such containers have a
cover which is secured in place by a threaded connection.
Unfortunately, such covers are only useable with containers having
a round access opening.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for a container having a secure
cover mechanism which does not require a threaded connection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a
container comprising a container base and a container encloser. The
container encloser includes (a) a base ring attached around the
access opening of the container base, (b) a hinged cover attached
to the base ring by a hinge such that the hinged cover can
alternatively be moved between a closed position wherein the access
opening is covered by the hinged cover and an open position wherein
the access opening is not covered by the hinged cover, and (c) a
latch mechanism having a stationary catch portion and a deflectable
latch portion, one of the two portions being disposed on the base
ring and the other of the two portions being disposed on the hinged
cover such that, when the hinged cover is in the closed position,
the deflectable latch portion is retained by the catch portion and
the hinged cover is thereby held firmly by the base ring in the
closed position, the deflectable latch portion being sufficiently
deflectable to allow the finger of a user to deflect the
deflectable latch portion away from the stationary catch portion so
that the hinged cover can be moved from the closed position to the
open position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the following description, appended claims and accompanying
drawings where:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of a container having
features of the invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a second perspective drawing of the container
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a top view of the container illustrated in FIG.
1;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a front view detail of the container illustrated
in FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the container
illustrated in FIG. 1, taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3; and
[0012] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional detail view of the container
illustrated in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment
of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This
discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the
invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in
the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well.
[0014] The invention is a container 10 comprising a container base
12 and a unique container encloser 14.
[0015] The container base 12 is typically made from a plastic
material, although other materials can be used as well. In one
embodiment, the container base 12 is made from a
polypropylene/UVOH/polypropylene layered plastic material.
[0016] The container base 12 has a bottom wall 16, one or more side
walls 18 and an access opening 20. Typically, the access opening 20
is disposed at the uppermost portions 22 of the side walls 18. In
the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the container base 12
has a generally rectangular cross-section and the access opening 20
is generally rectangular in shape.
[0017] The unique container encloser 14 comprises a base ring 24, a
hinged cover 26 and a latch mechanism 28.
[0018] In a typical embodiment, the container encloser 14 is made
from a plastic material, such as from a polypropylene plastic.
Other suitable materials can also be used.
[0019] The base ring 24 is attached around the access opening 20 of
the container base 12. In the embodiment illustrated in the
drawings, the container base 12 is made from a soft plastic and the
base ring 24 can be snap-fitted around the access opening 20 and
thereafter be retained around the access opening 22.
[0020] The hinged cover 26 is attached to the base ring 24 by a
hinge 32 such that the hinged cover 26 can alternatively move
between a closed position and an open position. In the closed
position, the access opening 20 in the container base 12 is covered
by the hinged cover 26 and in the open position the access opening
20 is not covered by the hinged cover 26.
[0021] The hinge 32 can be any of the many hinge designs known in
the art. In a typical embodiment, such as that which is illustrated
in the drawings, the hinge 32 is simply a pliable portion of
plastic, sufficiently pliable to allow the rear edge of the hinged
cover 26 to rotate with respect to the top portion of the container
base 12.
[0022] As illustrated in the drawings, the latch mechanism 28 is
typically disposed opposite the hinge 32. The latch mechanism 28
comprises a stationary catch portion 34 and a deflectable latch
portion 36. One of the two portions 34 or 36 is disposed on the
base ring 24 and the other of the two portions 34 and 36 is
disposed on the hinged cover 26. Both portions 34 and 36 are
disposed with respect to one another such that, when the hinged
cover 26 is in the closed portion, the deflectable latch portion 36
is retained by the catch portion 34 and the hinged cover 26 is
thereby held firmly by the base ring 24 in the closed position.
[0023] The deflectable latch portion 36 is sufficiently deflectable
to allow the finger of a user to deflect the deflectable latch
portion 36 away from the stationary catch portion 34 so that the
hinged cover 26 can be moved from the closed position to the open
position.
[0024] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the
deflectable latch portion 36 is disposed on the base ring 24 and
the catch portion 34 is disposed on the hinged cover 26.
[0025] In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the
deflectable latch portion 36 is provided by a deflectable portion
38 of the base ring 24. The deflectable portion 38 of the base ring
24 is disposed between a pair of vertical slits 40 in the base ring
24. The length of the vertical slits 40 is chosen so that the
deflectable portion 38 of the base ring 24 is sufficiently
deflectable to allow the finger of a user to deflect the
deflectable portion 38 of the base ring 24 away from the stationary
catch portion 34.
[0026] Preferably, the materials of the latch mechanism 28 and the
configuration and dimensions of the deflectable latch portion 36
and the stationary catch portion 34 are chosen such that, when the
hinge cover 26 is closed, the engagement of the deflectable latch
portion 36 with the stationary catch portion 34 emits an audible
"click" to assure the user that the hinge cover 26 is properly
closed and locked.
[0027] The invention provides a container with a simple and
inexpensive, but effective, closure system. The invention is
especially effective with containers having a volume of less than
about one gallon and having an access opening with an open area of
less than about 25 square inches. Since the closure system does not
require a threaded connection, the closure system can be used with
containers which do not have a round access opening.
[0028] Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent
that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be
resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of
the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described
hereinbelow by the claims.
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