U.S. patent application number 11/423723 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-22 for reclosable container with easily openable closure.
This patent application is currently assigned to ITEM SOURCE, LLC. Invention is credited to Kevin Browning, Christopher Kampf, Aidan John Petrie.
Application Number | 20070062964 11/423723 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37883043 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070062964 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kampf; Christopher ; et
al. |
March 22, 2007 |
RECLOSABLE CONTAINER WITH EASILY OPENABLE CLOSURE
Abstract
In accordance with the present invention, an easily openable
container includes an elastic member that is connected to the
container when the closure is in an open condition. Thus, the
elastic member is at rest when the cover closure is open and
spring-biases the closure to an open condition. When the closure is
closed against the spring-biasing of the elastic material, the
elastic member is stretched and held stretched when the closure in
the front of the closure is engaged, such as by a snap closure or
any other releasable connection. When the locking mechanism is
released, the closure pops open by contraction of the elastic
member.
Inventors: |
Kampf; Christopher;
(Johnston, RI) ; Petrie; Aidan John; (Jamestown,
RI) ; Browning; Kevin; (Warwick, RI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BARLOW, JOSEPHS & HOLMES, LTD.
101 DYER STREET
5TH FLOOR
PROVIDENCE
RI
02903
US
|
Assignee: |
ITEM SOURCE, LLC
139 Point Street
Providence
RI
|
Family ID: |
37883043 |
Appl. No.: |
11/423723 |
Filed: |
June 13, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60718669 |
Sep 20, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/835 ;
220/23.2; 220/326; 220/4.23 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 43/22 20130101;
B65D 2251/1058 20130101; B65D 2251/1066 20130101; B65F 1/1623
20130101; B65D 43/26 20130101; B65D 43/162 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/835 ;
220/326; 220/023.2; 220/004.23 |
International
Class: |
B65D 6/28 20060101
B65D006/28; B65D 43/14 20060101 B65D043/14; B65D 45/16 20060101
B65D045/16; B65D 21/02 20060101 B65D021/02 |
Claims
1. A reclosable container, comprising: a main housing having a
first edge and defining at least one compartment therein; a lid,
having a second edge; the second edge of the lid being hingedly
connected to the first edge of the main housing; the lid being
hingedly connected to the main housing about a pivot axis and
movable between an open and closed position; an elastic member,
having a first end and a second end; the first end of the elastic
member being connected to the first edge of the main housing and
the second end of the elastic member being connected to the second
edge of the lid; the pivot axis residing between the elastic member
and the first edge and the second edge; the elastic member being at
rest when the lid is in an open position and stretched when the lid
is in a closed position; the elastic member thereby spring-biasing
the lid into an open position; and a means for retaining the lid
the in a closed position.
2. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the means for
retaining the lid in a closed position is a latch.
3. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the means for
retaining the lid in a closed position is a friction-fit snap
closure.
4. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the elastic member
is made of rubber.
5. The reclosable container of claim 1, further comprising: a
plurality of main housings with a plurality of lids respectively
hingedly connected thereto; and a plurality of elastic members
respectively connected to the plurality of lids thereby
independently spring-biasing each of the lids into an open
position.
6. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the main housing is
made of plastic.
7. The reclosable container of claim 1, wherein the at least one
compartment is configured to receive and house pills therein.
8. An easily openable closure, comprising: a main housing; a lid,
having a second edge; the second edge of the lid being hingedly
connected to the first edge of the main housing; the lid being
hingedly connected to the main housing about a pivot axis and
movable between an open and closed position; an elastic member,
having a first end and a second end; the first end of the elastic
member being connected to the first edge of the main housing and
the second end of the elastic member being connected to the second
edge of the lid; the pivot axis residing between the elastic member
and the first edge and the second edge; the elastic member being at
rest when the lid is in an open position and stretched when the lid
is in a closed position; the elastic member thereby spring-biasing
the lid into an open position; a means for retaining the lid the in
a closed position;
9. The reclosable container of claim 8, wherein the means for
retaining the lid in a closed position is a latch.
10. The reclosable container of claim 8, wherein the means for
retaining the lid in a closed position is a friction-fit snap
closure.
11. The reclosable container of claim 8, wherein the elastic member
is made of rubber.
12. The reclosable container of claim 8, wherein the main housing
is made of plastic.
13. A method of manufacturing a reclosable container, comprising
the steps of: forming a main housing having a first edge and
defining at least one compartment therein; forming a lid, having a
second edge; the second edge of the lid being hingedly connected to
the first edge of the main housing; the lid being hingedly
connected to the main housing about a pivot axis and movable
between an open and closed position; providing an elastic member
having a first end and a second end; connecting the first end of
the elastic member to the first edge of the main housing when the
lid is in an open position; and connecting the second end of the
elastic member to the second edge of lid when the lid is in an open
position with the pivot axis residing between the elastic member
and the first edge and the second edge.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of forming a main
housing is injection molding a housing.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of forming a lid is
injection molding a lid.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting the
first end of the elastic member to the first edge of the main
housing is carried out by insert molding.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting the
second end of the elastic member to the second edge of lid when the
lid is in an open position is carried out by insert molding.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
providing a means for retaining the lid in a closed position.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the means for retaining is a
latch.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the means for retaining is a
friction-fit snap closure.
21. The method of claim 13, wherein the elastic member is made of
rubber.
22. The method of claim 13, wherein the main housing is made of
plastic.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to and claims priority from
earlier filed provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/718,669,
filed Sep. 20, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to product containers. More
specifically, the present invention relates to an easily openable
closure that has particular use for reclosable containers, such as
pill boxes and any other container that is capable of containing
articles and objects therein. For example, such containers are
capable of storing objects, such as pills, whereby the container
can be easily opened for access to some of the pills therein and
then easily closed to store the remaining pills for later
access.
[0003] Moreover, the present invention relates to an easily
openable closure that can be used on a container of any size that
can contain and house articles and objects therein. As a further
example, the closure can be used on a container that can be a
laundry hamper for containing clothing or a garbage container for
housing trash therein.
[0004] Easily openable closures for reclosable containers, such as
pill boxes, pill cases, laundry hampers and garbage containers, for
example, are well known in the art. These closures and containers
can include one or more compartments therein. Typically, a garbage
container, for example, has a single main compartment for storage
one full bag of trash. Alternatively, a garbage container may have
multiple compartments for storing different types of recyclable
materials. Similarly, a laundry hamper may have one or more
compartments. For example, a hamper may be provided with multiple
compartments for sorting dark colored and light colored clothing
from each other.
[0005] Further, a pill box with a closure thereon similarly can
have a single main storage compartment or an array of compartments,
such as an array of seven with one compartment for each day of the
week or can be a single compartment stand alone box. A pill box
many also have 31 compartments where each compartment corresponds
to each day of the month for a full month of pill storage. The
multiple day compartment boxes are simply an array of the single
box where each compartment is constructed in the same fashion and
respective closures are provided for each compartment.
[0006] Therefore, for purposes herein, the discussion will relate
to a single device with a closure for closing a single compartment
for ease of illustration but it should be understood that multiple
arrays of compartments that are closed by respective multiple
closures can be provided.
[0007] A good example of prior art easily openable closure with
container is a typical pill box that includes a main storage
compartment area and with snap cover to keep the pills inside the
compartment. The cover closure typically has a living hinge and
snap closure on the front side. The user must pull on the closure
to release it and then pull it open to gain access to the pills in
the compartment. Thus, the construction of this snap-type closure
is difficult to operate, particularly by elderly people. Also,
another common closure in pill box is a simple threaded cap which
is threadably connected to a female threaded cylindrical pill box
storage housing is similarly difficult to operate.
[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a easily openable closure and
container that is very easy to operate where it is easy to gain
access to the compartment. For example, there is a need for a pill
box with an easily openable closure that can be reclosed when
desired.
[0009] There have been a number of prior art efforts to address
this need. For example, resilient members, such as rubber or metal
plates, have been used to spring-bias a cover closure to a
container into an open condition. Also, rubber bands have been
provided laterally across a container within a hinge construction
to engage with an impact member to, in turn, urge a cover to a
container into an opened condition. With these prior structures to
spring-bias the cover closure to the container into an open
condition, the cover can be moved into a closed condition against
the forces of the spring-biased and then secured in place by a
conventional closure. Also, snap closures can be built into the
hinge to urge it opened or closed, as desired.
[0010] However, these prior art closures and container
constructions are complicated and difficult and expensive to
manufacture. These prior art containers are also difficult to
operate.
[0011] Therefore, there is a need for a reclosable container with
an easily openable closure that is easy to open and close to store
and gain access to the contents therein. There is a need for a
reclosable container with an easily openable closure that is well
suited for use as a pill box or other storage container. There is a
need for a reclosable container that is safe to operate. There is
another need for a reclosable container that is easy to manufacture
yet operates better than prior art reclosable containers, such as
prior art pill boxes. In fact, there is a need for a new closure in
general, whether or not it is attached to a storage compartment or
not, that can be easily opened and closed when desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention preserves the advantages of prior art
closures and reclosable containers. In addition, it provides new
advantages not found in currently available closures and containers
and overcomes many disadvantages of such currently available
closures and reclosable containers.
[0013] The present invention solves the problems in prior art
reclosable containers and easily openable closures by providing a
new and unique closure and container that can be easily opened by
the user without having to struggle with pulling open a
friction-fit snap closure or other prior art closure to gain access
to object or articles contained therein. The present invention
provides a reclosable container with a unique easily openable
closure that has a construction that allows a user to easily open
the cap. A snap release button tab is provided to release the
cover. Most importantly, the cover is spring-biased into an open
condition. Thus, when the button tab is depressed, the cover pops
open to permit easy and immediate access to the compartment in the
container therein.
[0014] In accordance with the present invention, a piece of elastic
material (e.g. rubber) is overmolded (or insert molded) into the
container when the closure is in an open condition. Thus, the
elastic member is at rest when the cover closure is open and
spring-biases the closure to an open condition. When the closure is
closed against the spring-biasing of the elastic material, the
elastic member is stretched and held stretched when the closure in
the front of the closure is engaged, such as by a snap closure or
any other releasable connection. As can be understood, when the
closure is released by pressing a release tab, for example, the
closure pops open by contraction of the elastic member. Any type of
snap closure may be employed by the present invention. This
construction and method of manufacturing of the closure and
container is new and novel.
[0015] Therefore, the present invention provides a new reclosable
container and easily openable closure with an improved construction
with a unique method of manufacturing such construction. As a
result, the reclosable container and easily openable closure is
provided that is easier to use than prior art container and
closures and is, as a result, well suited for use as a pill box or
other containers that require a reclosable closure, cover or
lid.
[0016] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide an improved reclosable container.
[0017] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an improved reclosable container that includes an easily openable
closure.
[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved reclosable container that easily pops open for access to
the compartment therein.
[0019] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
improved reclosable container with an easily openable closure that
is more effective and easier to manufacture than prior art
reclosable containers.
[0020] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved reclosable container with an easily openable closure that
is well suited for storing pills and other objects and
articles.
[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved reclosable container with an easily openable closure that
is easy to open and close.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The novel features which are characteristic of the present
invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, the
invention's preferred embodiments, together with further objects
and attendant advantages, will be best understood by reference to
the following detailed description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the reclosable container
with easily openable closure of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view of the reclosable
container with easily openable closure of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the reclosable
container with easily openable closure of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the reclosable
container with easily openable closure of FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the reclosable
container with easily openable closure of FIG. 1;
[0028] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the reclosable container with
easily openable closure of FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the reclosable container
with easily openable closure of FIG. 1 in an open condition;
[0030] FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the reclosable
container with easily openable closure in an open condition, as
shown in FIG. 7;
[0031] FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of the reclosable
container with easily openable closure in an open condition, as
shown in FIG. 7;
[0032] FIG. 10 is a close-up perspective view of the lock tab in
accordance with the present invention;
[0033] FIG. 11 is a close-up perspective view of the lock tab and
protrusion in accordance with the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an array of seven
reclosable containers in the form of a pill box for storing a
week's worth of pills therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0035] The present invention generally relates to a reclosable
device that includes a lid hingedly connected to a main housing. As
will be described in detail below, the easily openable closure
employed in the present invention is uniquely spring-biased into an
open condition. It may be used in any environment or in any device
or apparatus that has use for a closure that can be easily opened.
By way of example only, the present invention is shown in
connection with the environment of a pill box for ease of
illustration and description. This in no way limits the scope and
breadth of use of the present invention. All such uses are intended
to be within the scope of the present invention.
[0036] Turning first to FIG. 1, a front perspective view of the
device 10 of present invention is shown in the configuration and
environment of a small container box, which can be used to store
pills, and the like. The reclosable container 10 of the present
invention is shown to generally include a main housing 12 with a
lid 14 hingedly connected thereto. The main housing 12 serves as
housing container for storing pills, and the like therein. The lid
14 is hingedly connected at one end 14a to the main housing
container 12 by a hinge 16, which will be shown and described in
more detail below in connection with FIGS. 7-9. This enables the
lid 14 closure to pivot about a pivot axis.
[0037] The opposing end 14b of the lid 14 communicates with a
locking mechanism, generally referred to as 18, that keeps the lid
14 closed when desired. The locking mechanism 18 is preferably a
friction-fit snap structure, which will be shown and described in
connection with FIGS. 10 and 11 below. The locking mechanism 18 may
also be a latch, or the like. This locking mechanism 18 may be made
child proof to make it more difficult for a child to open the lid
14. Any type of child proofing configuration may be employed to
carry out this purpose.
[0038] A front elevational view of the device 10 showing the
preferred locking mechanism 18 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Pressing
on the locking mechanism 18 causes the free end 14b of the lid 14
to be released so that that it can quickly and easily pop open.
This is particularly helpful for users, such as the elderly, that
do not have good motor skills or strength with their hands and
fingers. As a result, the lid 14 can be easily opened so the user
can gain access to the contents of the main housing 12.
[0039] Turning now to FIG. 2, a side elevational view of the
reclosable device 10 of the present invention. As can be seen, the
lid 14 is held adjacent to the main housing 12 by the locking
mechanism 18 at the free end 14b of the lid 14. The lid 14 is
hingedly connected to the main housing 12 by a hinge 16. For
example, for ease of manufacturing, the hinge 16 may be a living
hinge that is integrally formed, such as by injection molding, with
the lid 14 and main housing 12. An elastic member 20 is also
provided to spring-bias the lid 14 into an open position, namely,
in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8. In FIGS. 1 and
2, the size and configuration of the present invention can be
selected to accommodate any type of object or article to be stored
therein.
[0040] In FIG. 3, a rear perspective view of the device 10 of the
present invention is shown. The lid 14 hingedly connected to the
main housing by a hinge 16, such as a living hinge, can be clearly
seen. The elastic spring-biasing member 20 has two ends 20a and
20b. A first end 20a of the elastic member 20 is connected to the
main housing 12 while the second end 20b is connected to the lid
14. Referring back to FIG. 2, the elastic member 20 is routed
outside of and over the hinge 16. The elastic member 20 is under
tension when the lid 14 is in a closed position and at rest when
the lid 14 is open. Since the elastic member 20 is connected to the
lid 14 and the main housing 12 when it is in an open condition and
is routed about and over the hinge 16, as in FIG. 2, the lid 14 is
spring-biased to an open position to ensure that it pops open when
the locking mechanism 18 is not engaged.
[0041] During the manufacturing process, the elastic member 20 is
connected to the lid 14 and main housing 12, as described above,
when the lid 14 is open. For example, the elastic member 20 is
preferably connected by insert or injection molding. Alternatively,
the elastic member 20 may be connected as described above by
adhesive, rivets or any other fasteners.
[0042] Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the device 10 of the present
invention is shown in an open condition. The elastic member 20 in
this position is preferably completely at rest or at a tension less
than when the lid 14 is in a closed position. In FIG. 7, a
perspective view of the device 10 in an open position is shown
where a compartment 22 defined by the main housing 12 is now fully
accessible so the contents therein, such as pills and other items,
can be accessed. The lid 14 pops open in the direction of the
arrow. FIG. 8 shows a side elevational view of the device 10 of
FIG. 7 where the lid 14 is open. The lid 14 of the present
invention conveniently pops open up actuating release of the
locking mechanism 18. FIG. 9 further shows a rear perspective view
of the device 10 in an open condition. As can be clearly be seen,
the connection of the first end 20a of the elastic member 20 to the
main housing 12 and the connection of the second end 20b of the
elastic member 20 to the lid 14 is outside of the pivot axis 24 and
away from the main housing 12. As a result, the tensioning of the
elastic member 20 causes the lid 14 to be urged in a
counterclockwise direction to open rather than in a clockwise
direction to further close. Thus, a soon as the locking mechanism
18 releases the lid 14, it will immediately pop open under the
spring-biasing forces of the elastic member 20.
[0043] FIGS. 3, 5 and 6 show further detail of the interconnection
of the elastic member 20 to the lid 14 and the main housing 12. As
seen in FIG. 6, the elastic member 20 preferably extends
substantially the entire length of bottom surface 12a of the main
housing 12 but it can be of a shorter length, if desired. Depending
on the material selected for the elastic member 20, the length
thereof can be modified to suit the desired amount spring-biasing
for a given lid 14 and main housing 12.
[0044] Turning now to FIGS. 10 and 11, details of the preferred
construction of the locking mechanism 18 is shown. It should be
understood that the locking mechanism 18 is merely a preferred
construction, other constructions that serve to maintain the lid 14
in a closed position are considered within the scope of the present
invention. For example, the locking mechanism 18 may be located
anywhere on the lid 14 and main housing 14, although preferred on
the free end 14b of the lid 14 and on one side of the main housing
12. Also, the locking mechanism 18 may be modified to achieve
different pop open action where the lid 14 is released slower or
faster from locking or to achieve different sounds of popping open
to confirm to the user that a successful opening of lid 14 has
occurred.
[0045] Referring specifically to the preferred embodiment of the
locking mechanism 18, reference is made to FIGS. 10 and 11. In FIG.
10 a close-up view of the main housing 12 is shown with a
spring-loaded tab 18a which moves freely relative to the main
housing 12. The elastic member 20 is shown in broken lines for
illustration purposes only to indicted that it preferably runs
under the main housing 12 on the bottom surface 12a thereof. The
spring-loaded tab 18a is configured to be depressed by a user's
finger, such as a thumb. The tab 18a may be easily formed by
integral molding during formation of the main housing 12. In FIG.
10 and, the spring-loaded tab 18a is in a resting condition but can
actuate down and outward, as indicated by the arrows.
[0046] As best seen in FIG. 11, the lid 14 closes against the
forces of the spring-biasing elastic member 20 so that a radiused
protrusion 26 can ride into a recessed seat 28 in the tab 18a in
the housing 12 by simply pressing downwardly on the lid 14 when in
a closed position. Thus, the protrusion 26 can be seated within the
seat 28 in the tab 18a without pressing down on the tab 18a. The
tab 18a will spring outward temporarily while to permit the
protrusion 26 to clear into the seat 28 and then the tab 18a will
snap back to secure the protrusion 26 within the seat 28. As a
result, the lid 14 is releasably secured into a closed condition.
As stated above, this construction is one of many different types
of locking mechanisms 18 that can be used and still be within the
scope of the present invention. Although, it is preferred the
locking mechanism 18 requires little skill or dexterity to release
it so the lid 14 can be popped open very easily, such a by a simple
downward press.
[0047] FIG. 12 illustrates a perspective view of an application 100
of the reclosable container and easily openable closure of the
present invention. FIGS. 1-11 illustrated a single main housing 12
with a single lid 14 hingedly connected thereto that can be easily
opened to provide a single compartment pill box container. FIG. 12
illustrates an array of containers 112 that are preferably
integrally formed to provide a set of seven containers 112 so that
the user can further sort objects for storage, such as pills for
each day of a week. As a further alternative, a number of single
containers 10 may be provided side by side so that they may be
clipped together to form an array, as desired. For example, clips
or bands may be employed for this purpose within the scope of the
present invention.
[0048] In this example, single main housing, generally referred to
as 102 is provided with an array of compartments 104. An array of
corresponding lids 114 are respectively hingedly connected to the
portions of the main housing 112 proximal to the each of the
compartments 104. Each of the lids 114 are retained in a closed
position by respective locking mechanisms 118 against the forces of
respective elastic members (not shown in FIG. 12). Thus, the device
100 of FIG. 12 is simply an array of multiple containers 112 of
that which is shown in FIGS. 1-11. Of course, more or less
compartments 104 can be provided and in different arrays, such as
31 compartments for each day of the month or other aesthetic
configurations, such as circular arrays. Each of the these
alternative configurations are deemed to be within the scope of the
present invention.
[0049] It has been shown that the main housing 12 provides an
enclosed storage compartment 22 for storing items therein. In fact,
the easily openable closure 10 of the present invention can be
employed to releasably secure and closure, such as a door or lid 14
to any housing or structure. For example, the present invention may
be used to protect accidental activation of a light switch. In this
example, a spring-biased lid 14, according to the present
invention, may be positioned over a switch plate (not shown)
whereby the lid is closed and secured in place by a locking
mechanism 18. When the light switch needs to be used, the lid 14
can be popped open, as described above.
[0050] The main housing 12, lid 14 and hinge 16 are preferably made
of plastic, which can be easily formed by injection molding, and
the like. The elastic member 20 is preferably rubber but could be
other materials, such as stretchable nylon and other elastic
materials.
[0051] In view of the foregoing, a new and unique reclosable
container 10, 100 with an easily openable closure is provided,
which greatly facilitates access to storage compartments 22, 104 by
causing the lid 14, 114 to pop open when the locking mechanism 18,
118 is actuated.
[0052] It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated
embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present
invention. All such modifications and changes are intended to be
covered by the appended claims.
* * * * *