U.S. patent application number 11/486038 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-18 for container for consumer article.
Invention is credited to John H. Kutsch, Rutger Thiellier, Andrew Vest.
Application Number | 20070012711 11/486038 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37809249 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070012711 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kutsch; John H. ; et
al. |
January 18, 2007 |
Container for consumer article
Abstract
A pocket-sized container for use with consumer products includes
a frame forming a storage portion which includes a storage
compartment and a front access opening for the compartment. A lid
is attached to the storage portion for respectively opening and
closing the access opening. A manually openable latch structure
releasably holds the lid in the closed state. The lid can be
pivotably attached to the storage portion by a living hinge and can
be opened by being pried open at one end thereof, or by applying
inward pressing forces to opposite sides of the container or
applying inward pressure to the front of the container.
Inventors: |
Kutsch; John H.; (Crystal
Lake, IL) ; Thiellier; Rutger; (Chicago, IL) ;
Vest; Andrew; (Midlothian, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BUCHANAN, INGERSOLL & ROONEY PC
POST OFFICE BOX 1404
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22313-1404
US
|
Family ID: |
37809249 |
Appl. No.: |
11/486038 |
Filed: |
July 14, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60700014 |
Jul 18, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/826 ;
220/4.23; 220/839 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 43/162 20130101;
B65D 2251/1025 20130101; B65D 1/22 20130101; B65D 83/04 20130101;
B65D 2251/1058 20130101; B65D 11/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/826 ;
220/004.23; 220/839 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/04 20060101
B65D051/04; B65D 43/14 20060101 B65D043/14; B65D 6/28 20060101
B65D006/28 |
Claims
1. A pocket-sized container for use with consumer products,
comprising a frame forming: a storage portion including a storage
compartment and a front portion forming an access opening for the
compartment, a lid attached to the storage portion by a living
hinge to be pivotable between open and closed states for
respectively opening and closing the access opening, and a manually
openable latch structure for releasably holding the lid in the
closed state.
2. The container according to claim 1 wherein the lid includes a
pin engageable in a recess formed in a front of the frame, the
recess formed by a pair of fingers disposed on opposite sides of
the recess; the fingers being elastically displaceable away from
one another in response to the application of pressure to the front
to enable the pin to exit the recess.
3. The container according to claim 1 further including a pair of
latch-release mechanisms disposed on opposite sides of the
container at a location between the hinge and the latch structure,
the latch release mechanisms being responsive to inward pressure
applied to the sides in a direction parallel to a pivot axis
defined by the hinge, to push the lid upwardly in a manner
releasing the latch.
4. The container according to claim 3 wherein the hinge axis is
located adjacent one end of the container.
5. The container according to claim 3 wherein the hinge axis is
located adjacent a midpoint of the container as measured
perpendicular to the hinge axis.
6. A pocket-sized container for use with consumer products,
comprising: first and second sections interconnected by a living
hinge, each of the first and second sections including a side wall
structure, the side wall structures being brought into superimposed
relationship in response to pivoting of the first and second
sections about an axis defined by the living hinge, wherein there
is formed a storage compartment having an access opening in a front
portion of the container; and a pair of check members formed of a
softer material than the first and second sections and being
inserted onto respective sides of the folded-over first and second
sides to hold the first and second sections in the folded-over
state.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119
to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/700,014 entitled CONTAINER
FOR CONSUMER ARTICLE, filed Jul. 18, 2005, the entire content of
which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This disclosure generally concerns a container for one or
more consumer articles. More particularly, this disclosure relates
to a pocket-sized container having a lid that opens to reveal a
storage compartment containing a plurality of articles.
SUMMARY
[0003] In a first embodiment, a pocket-sized container for use with
consumer products includes a frame forming a storage portion which
includes a storage compartment and a front portion forming an
access opening for the compartment. A lid is attached to the
storage portion by a living hinge to be pivotable between open and
closed states for respectively opening and closing the access
opening. A manually openable latch structure releasably holds the
lid in the closed state.
[0004] In another embodiment, a pocket-sized container comprises
first and second sections interconnected by a living hinge. Each of
the first and second sections includes a sidewall structure. The
sidewall structures are brought into superimposed relationship in
response to pivoting of the first and second sections about an axis
defined by the living hinge, wherein there is formed a storage
compartment having an access opening in a front portion of the
container. A pair of cheek members, formed of a softer material
than the first and second sections, are inserted onto respective
sides of the folded-over first and second sides to hold the first
and second sections in the folded over state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to a
first embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective plan view of FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG.
2.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a junction between a lid and a
perspective view of the container.
[0009] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an encircled portion of FIG.
3.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a sectional taken along the line 6-6 in FIG.
3.
[0011] FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an encircled
portion of FIG. 8.
[0012] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 in FIG.
6.
[0013] FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view of a living hinge portion of
the container.
[0014] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the container frame in an
unfolded state.
[0015] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the container showing the
lid in an open state.
[0016] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
container showing the lid in an open state.
[0017] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of
the container.
[0018] FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line 14-14 in
FIG. 15.
[0019] FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line 15-15 in
FIG. 13.
[0020] FIGS. 16 and 17 are enlarged fragmentary views of respective
encircled portions of FIG. 15.
[0021] FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along the line 18-18 in
FIG. 13.
[0022] FIG. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an encircled
portion of FIG. 18.
[0023] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a
container.
[0024] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of a
container.
[0025] FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken through FIG. 21.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] A first embodiment of a container 20 (see FIGS. 1-11) for
consumer products, includes a frame formed by a first section 22
and a second section 24 (see FIG. 10) which can be folded onto one
another in superimposed relationship to form the container. The
sections can be held together by cheek members 25, 25 placed onto
respective lateral edges of the container. The two cheek members 25
preferably are fabricated from a material that is relatively soft
to touch, as disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 11/142,420
filed Jun. 2, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated by
reference herein. Elastomeric materials are particularly suitable
for the cheek members. For example, 95 durometer polypropylene
comprises a suitable material, although other conventional
materials with comparable properties may also be advantageously
used. The cheek members preferably snap into position on the folded
sections 22, 24 and provide generally smooth, rounded sides for the
container.
[0027] Alternatively, suitable pins and holes (not shown) could be
formed on the sections 22, 24 which mate with one another in the
folded state to secure the sections together.
[0028] The first section 22 includes a storage part 26 and a lid 28
which can be swung open and closed about a hinge 30 formed between
the lid and the storage part 26. The hinge 30 is preferably a
living hinge formed integrally during a molding step, as shown more
graphically in FIG. 9.
[0029] The first section 22 includes a floor 32 and side walls 34,
and the second section 24 includes a front 36 and side walls 38
that mate with the side walls 34. The front 36 extends only
partially along a longitudinal axis A of the container to form a
gap defining an access opening 37 that is to be covered by the lid
28.
[0030] The front 36 includes a hole 40 formed between two
downwardly projecting fingers 42 that converge downwardly as shown
in FIG. 5. The lid 28 includes a pin 44 sized to be removably
received in the hole 40 to be gripped functionally by the fingers.
In that way, the lid can be held in a secured position. In order to
open the lid, a user inserts a finger nail between the front 36 and
an edge 46 of the lid 28, in order to pry the pin 44 from the hole
40 (see FIGS. 4 and 11).
[0031] Various expedients can be provided to facilitate opening of
the lid. For example, the portion 48 of the front 36 located
beneath the edge 46 can be beveled to facilitate insertion of the
user's finger nail. The bevel can extend completely (as shown in
FIG. 1) or only partially along the container's width. Optionally,
or additionally, the underside of the front 36 can be provided with
a weakening in the form of a slot 47 that extends from the fingers
42 and enables the fingers 42 to separate from one another when a
user applies a downward force F to the front 36 at a point adjacent
the hole 40 (see FIG. 6). In that way, the pin 44 will "pop" out of
the hole due to an inherent upward bias applied to the lid by the
living hinge 30.
[0032] A second embodiment of a container 70, depicted in FIGS.
12-19, includes a lid 72 that is hinged adjacent a longitudinal end
of the container, by means of a living hinge similar to that of
FIG. 9. The lid can be latched to the front by a snap coupling
shown in FIG. 19, wherein a projection 74 located at a free edge of
the lid is able to be snapped beneath a tongue defined by a
respective edge 76 of the front.
[0033] In order to open the lid, a user presses inwardly on
opposite sides of the container between the hinge and the latched
end, preferably close to the latched end as shown in FIG. 12. Those
pressing forces are transmitted to posts 78 projecting horizontally
outwardly from respective side walls 34b of the first section of
the container, thereby elastically bending those side walls
inwardly toward one another. As a result, beveled surfaces 80
located at the upper free edges of the side walls slide across
corresponding beveled surfaces of the lid 72 to cam the lid
upwardly to unlatch the lid and enable the bias of the living hinge
to pop the lid open.
[0034] A third embodiment of a container 90, depicted in FIGS.
20-22, is similar to that of FIGS. 12-19, except that the lid 92 is
hinged adjacent the midpoint of the container by means of a living
hinge formed between the lid and the front 36c. The free end of the
lid is latched to the first section 22c by a latching structure
similar to that described at 74, 76 in connection with FIG. 19, and
the lid is opened by mechanisms 78A similar to that shown at 78, 80
in FIGS. 15-17, except that the opening mechanisms 78A are located
close to the end of the container. By pressing inwardly as shown in
FIG. 20, the lid is forced upwardly, thereby de-latching the lid
and enabling the living hinge to pop the lid open.
[0035] It will be appreciated that there are disclosed herein a
number of embodiments of a container which are relatively simple
and economic to make and assemble while providing an effective way
of storing items which can be quickly and easily accessed.
[0036] The particular proportions of the containers disclosed
herein are not critical. The proportions are preferably selected to
provide a container suitably sized to accommodate the particular
articles to be package therein. Thus, the actual container could be
more elongated than the container shown in the drawings. Or, the
actual container could be more nearly square, i.e., shorter than
shown in the drawings. Preferably, however, the container is sized
so that it can be conveniently carried in a user's pocket.
[0037] The containers can, of course, be used for a variety of
products. One specific product for which the container can be used
is commercially available smokeless pouched tobacco. Such tobacco
pouches are sometimes known as "snus" and comprise an individual
packet of tobacco material encased in a pouch material. A
predetermined number of such pouches (e.g., 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, or
more) can be held in the container in loose form or they can be
held in a sealed package such as a bag or tray.
[0038] It will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that a
new container has been disclosed which has new, useful, and
nonobvious features and characteristics. It will further be
apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications,
variations, substitutions, and equivalents for features of the
appended claims, are embraced thereby.
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