U.S. patent application number 11/307849 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-30 for dual compartment storage container.
This patent application is currently assigned to CLASSY KID, INC.. Invention is credited to Admir James Mesalic.
Application Number | 20070199841 11/307849 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38442972 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070199841 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mesalic; Admir James |
August 30, 2007 |
DUAL COMPARTMENT STORAGE CONTAINER
Abstract
A dual compartment storage container including an upper body
member pivotally attached to a lower body member, an upper
compartment and a lower compartment, the two segregated
compartments being accessible through separate openings. The upper
compartment is designed to contain wet items such as baby wipes,
and the lower compartment is designed to contain dry items such as
facial tissues. The upper compartment is accessible through an
access opening, while the lower compartment is accessible by
pivotally moving the upper body member relative to the lower body
member. As a result, one compartment may be accessed while the
other remains closed and vice versa. In another embodiment, the
divider member may be removed to create one large compartment
accessible via two separate openings.
Inventors: |
Mesalic; Admir James; (Las
Vegas, NV) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BLACKWELL SANDERS PEPER MARTIN LLP
720 OLIVE STREET
SUITE 2400
ST. LOUIS
MO
63101
US
|
Assignee: |
CLASSY KID, INC.
500 N. Rainbow Blvd. Suite 300
Las Vegas
NV
|
Family ID: |
38442972 |
Appl. No.: |
11/307849 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/233 ;
206/494 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/0805 20130101;
A47K 2010/3266 20130101; B65D 83/0894 20130101; B65D 25/04
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/233 ;
206/494 |
International
Class: |
B65D 71/00 20060101
B65D071/00; B65D 73/00 20060101 B65D073/00 |
Claims
1. A storage container comprising: a lower body member; an upper
body member pivotally attached to said lower body member, said
upper body member including an access opening; an access lid
pivotally attached to said storage container, said access lid being
positioned and located to selectively close the access opening
associated with said upper body member; and a divider member
removably securable to said storage container, said divider member
separating said storage container into an upper compartment and a
lower compartment, said upper compartment being accessible though
said access opening and said lower compartment being accessible by
pivotally moving said upper body member relative to said lower body
member.
2. The storage container of claim 1 further comprising: side
portions associated with said upper body member; at least one
protrusion associated with said side portions protruding inwardly
towards the interior of said storage container; and at least one
recessed portion associated with said divider member, said at least
one recessed portion being shaped and sized so as to receive said
at least one protrusion when said divider member is removably
secured to said storage container.
3. The storage container of claim 1 further comprising: side
portions associated with said upper body member; at least one
flange associated with said side portions extending inwardly
towards the interior of said storage container; a lip portion
extending around the periphery of said divider member; and a
securing edge associated with said upper body member; said divider
member being removably secured to said storage container by
positioning said lip portion between said flange and said securing
edge.
4. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said access opening and
said access lid include seal means for creating a seal
therebetween.
5. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said access lid is
removably secured to said upper body member, said access lid being
held in its closed position via a securement means.
6. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said upper body member
is removably secured to the lower body member in its closed
position via a securement means.
7. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said divider member
includes a retaining wall extending around the periphery
thereof.
8. The storage container of claim 5 wherein said securement means
includes a flange member associated with said upper body member
adjacent said access opening and a recessed portion associated with
said access lid, said flange member being engageable with said
recessed portion when said access lid is in its closed
position.
9. The storage container of claim 6 wherein said securement means
includes a recess associated with said upper body member and a
flange member associated with said lower body member, said flange
member being removably received within said recess when said upper
body member is in its closed position.
10. A storage container comprising: a lower body member; an upper
body member attached to said lower body member via at least one
hinge member integrally connected to both said upper body member
and said lower body member; an access opening associated with said
upper body member; an access lid attached to said lower body member
via at least one hinge member for providing access to said access
opening; and a divider member removably attachable to said upper
body member and separating the storage container into an upper
compartment and a lower compartment, said upper compartment being
accessible through said access opening and said lower compartment
being accessible by moving said upper body member relative to said
lower body member about said at least one hinge member.
11. The storage container of claim 10 further comprising: side
portions associated with said upper body member; a plurality of
protrusions associated with said side portions extending inwardly
therefrom toward the interior of said storage container; and a
plurality of recessed portions associated with said divider member,
said plurality of protrusions being cooperatively engageable with
said plurality of recessed portions when said divider member is
removably attached to said upper body member.
12. The storage container of claim 10 further comprising: side
portions associated with said upper body member; a plurality of
flanges associated with said side portions extending inwardly
therefrom towards the interior of said storage container; a
securing edge associated with said side portions; and a lip portion
extending around the periphery of said divider member; said divider
member being removably attachable to said upper body member by
positioning said lip portion between said plurality of flanges and
said securing edge.
13. The storage container of claim 10 further comprising: a pair of
concentric annularly shaped flanges extending around said access
lid, said pair including an inner flange and an outer flange; and
an annularly shaped flange extending around said access opening
associated with said upper body member, said annularly shaped
flange associated with said access opening being positionable
between the inner and outer flanges associated with said access lid
when said access lid is in its closed position.
14. The storage container of claim 10 further comprising: a flange
member associated with said upper body member adjacent said access
opening; and a recessed portion associated with the access lid;
said access lid being removably secured to said upper body member
by positioning said flange member into said recessed portion.
15. The storage container of claim 10 further comprising: a flange
member associated with the lower body member; and a recessed
portion associated with the upper body member; said upper body
member being removably secured to said lower body member in its
closed position by inserting said flange member associated with
said lower body member into said recessed portion associated with
said upper body member.
16. The storage container of claim 10 further including a grip tab
associated with said access lid.
17. A dual compartment storage container comprising: a lower body
member; an upper body member pivotally attached to said lower body
member, said upper body member including at least one flange
portion extending inwardly towards the interior of said storage
container, an access opening, and a securing edge; an access lid
pivotally attached to said lower body member for providing access
to the access opening associated with said upper body member; and a
divider member having a lip portion extending around the periphery
thereof, said divider member being removably attachable to said
upper body member by positioning said lip portion between said at
least one flange portion and the securing edge associated with said
upper body member, said divider member separating the storage
container into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said
upper compartment being accessible through said access opening and
said lower compartment being accessible by pivotally moving said
upper body member relative to said lower body member.
18. The dual compartment storage container of claim 17 wherein said
upper body member includes a plurality of protrusions extending
inwardly therefrom towards the interior of said storage container,
and said divider member including a plurality of recessed portions,
said plurality of protrusions being cooperatively engageable with
said plurality of recessed portions when said divider member is
removably attached to said upper body member.
19. The dual compartment storage container of claim 17 wherein said
access lid includes a pair of concentric annularly shaped flanges
extending therearound, and said upper body member includes an
annularly shaped flange extending around said access opening, the
annularly shaped flange associated with said upper body member
being positionable between said pair of annularly shaped flanges
associated with said access lid when said access lid is in its
closed position.
20. The dual compartment storage container of claim 17 wherein said
lip portion includes at least one indentation positioned and
located to interact with the at least one flange portion associated
with said upper body member when said divider member is removably
attached to said upper body member.
21. A storage container comprising: a lower body member; an upper
body member movably attached to said lower body member, said upper
body member including an access opening; an access lid movably
attached to said upper body member, said access lid being
positioned and located to selectively close the access opening
associated with said upper body member; and a divider member
removably securable to said upper body member, said divider member
separating said storage container into an upper compartment and a
lower compartment, said upper compartment being accessible though
said access opening and said lower compartment being accessible by
moving said upper body member relative to said lower body member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to storage containers such as
those used to store baby wipes and other baby care items and, more
particularly, to a single container that can be used to store both
wet items and dry items simultaneously in separate compartments,
each compartment separately accessible.
[0002] As any parent can attest, traveling with a child, even on a
short trip such as to a restaurant, can be difficult. In addition
to the child, the parent must transport a wide variety of different
items, depending upon the age of the child, such as, for example, a
bassinet, diapers, food, baby wipes, table place mats, bibs, facial
tissues, lotions, powders, toys, coloring books, and many other
items. Typically, all of these items are stored in their own
separate containers, travel bags and/or separate storage
compartments. For example, baby wipes are generally stored in a
plastic container designed for storing wet items, while facial
tissues and other dry items are each stored in their own separate
container. This results in the parent having to travel with many
different containers.
[0003] For a short trip, such as to a restaurant, it would be
helpful to simply place several baby wipes, several facial tissues,
several bibs, and whatever other items may be needed in one single,
small container so that the parent does not have to carry and
transport several large containers and/or bags for a short trip.
Still further, since baby wipes are wet and may moisten or leak all
over dry items if they are stored in the same container, there is a
need for a single container that can store both wet items and dry
items without wetting or otherwise damaging the dry items.
[0004] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a dual
compartment storage container which overcomes one or more of the
problems set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention overcomes any of the shortcomings and
limitations discussed above and teaches the construction, operation
and use of several embodiments of a dual compartment storage
container adaptable for use in segregating and storing both wet and
dry items in the same container. In one aspect of the present
invention, the present dual compartment storage container includes
an upper body member attached to a lower body member through the
use of a hinge mechanism. The storage container further includes an
upper compartment and a lower compartment, the two compartments
being separated by a removable divider member. The upper
compartment is preferably designed to contain wet items, such as
baby wipes, and the lower compartment is preferably designed to
contain dry items, such as facial tissues. The two compartments are
accessible through separate openings. The upper compartment is
accessible through an access opening associated with the upper body
member, while the lower compartment is accessible by moving and
opening the upper body member relative to the lower body member via
the hinge mechanism. As a result, one compartment may be accessed
while the other compartment remains closed and vice versa.
[0006] The two compartments associated with the present container
are separated by a divider member which is removably securable to
the upper body member. In another aspect of the present invention,
the divider member may be removed to create one large compartment
accessible by two different opening means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] For a better understanding of the present invention,
reference may be made to the accompanying drawings.
[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present
dual compartment storage container constructed in accordance with
the teachings of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dual compartment storage
container of FIG. 1 showing the divider member removably attached
to the upper body member.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dual compartment storage
container of FIG. 1 showing the access lid associated with the
upper body member in its open position.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the dual compartment
storage container of FIG. 1 showing the access lid attachment
means.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the dual compartment storage
container of FIG. 1 showing the access lid of FIG. 3 in its closed
position.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bottom portion of the access
lid of FIGS. 3 and 5 detached from the dual compartment storage
container of FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the divider member of FIG. 2
removed from the dual compartment storage container of FIG. 1
showing its associated retaining wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference
numbers wherein like numbers refer to like parts, the number 1 in
FIGS. 1-5 identifies a dual compartment storage container
constructed according to the teachings of one embodiment of the
present invention. The storage container 1 includes an upper body
member 10, a lower body member 12, a lower compartment 14, an upper
compartment 16, and a divider member 20. The divider member 20 is
preferably removably attachable to the upper body member 10 in
order to create an upper compartment 16 which is enclosed by the
upper portion 22 of the upper body member 10, the side portions 24
of the upper body member 10, and the divider member 20. The lower
compartment 14 is enclosed by the divider member 20, the side
portions 23 of the lower body member 12, and the bottom portion 25
of the lower body member 12. When the upper body member 10 is
opened, the lower compartment 14 is accessible, but the upper
compartment 16 remains closed because the divider member 20 is
removably attached to the upper body member 10. The upper
compartment 16 may be accessed through the access opening 26
illustrated in FIG. 3 as will be hereinafter further explained. As
a result, one embodiment of the present storage container 1
includes two compartments, both accessible through different
openings, the upper compartment 16 being accessible through the
access opening 26 and the lower compartment 14 as being accessible
by moving and opening the upper body member 10 relative to the
lower body member 12 as will likewise be hereinafter further
explained. Preferably, the upper compartment 16 is constructed so
that wet baby wipes or other wet articles can be stored therein,
while not allowing the wetness, condensation, moisture or liquids
associated with the wet baby wipes or other wet articles to enter
the lower compartment 14. The lower compartment 14, therefore, can
be used to store dry articles. The user may access the wet articles
through the access opening 26, while the dry articles remain
enclosed in the lower compartment 14. Similarly, the dry articles
may be accessed from the lower compartment 14 by opening the upper
body member 10 relative to the lower body member 12 while the wet
articles remain enclosed in the upper compartment 16.
[0016] The upper compartment 16 is an enclosure formed by the upper
portion 22 of the upper body member 10, the side portions 24 of the
upper body member 10 and the divider member 20. Preferably, the
upper compartment 16 includes a series of elongated protrusions 30
which protrude inwardly from the side portions 24 and extend
vertically along at least a portion of the side portions 24 as
shown in FIG. 1. The divider member 20 preferably includes recesses
or cutouts 32 that are shaped and sized so as to receive the
protrusions 30. This interaction helps to locate, orient and
stabilize the divider member 20 when it is attached to the upper
body member 10. Also, the protrusions 30 and the corresponding
recesses 32 ensure that the user does not attach the divider member
20 in an incorrect orientation.
[0017] The upper compartment 16 also includes at least one flange
34 extending inwardly from at least one side portion 24 of the
upper body member 10 and extending horizontally along a portion
thereof as best illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the
preferred embodiment includes five flanges 34, at least one flange
34 associated with each of the four side portions 24. These flanges
34 help to removably secure the divider member 20 to the upper body
member 10 by interacting with a lip portion 36 which extends around
the periphery of the divider member 20 and a securing edge 37 which
extends around the side portions 24. In the preferred embodiment,
the lip portion 36 includes a plurality of indentations 38 which
are positioned and located to interact with the flanges 34 via a
snap fit mechanism or other cooperatively engageable means. The
user aligns the protrusions 30 with the recesses 32 and thereafter
snaps the lip portion 36 between the flanges 34 and the securing
edge 37 such that the flanges 34 mate with and rests within a
corresponding indentation 38. This interaction between the lip
portion 36, the flanges 34, the indentations 38 and the securing
edge 37 removably secures the divider member 20 to the upper body
member 10. In the attached position, the divider member 20 rests on
the securing edge 37. To remove the divider member 20, a user
simply pulls or pushes the divider member 20 away from the securing
edge 37 thereby snapping the lip portion 36 out from between the
flanges 34 and the securing edge 37.
[0018] It is also recognized and anticipated that many other ways
of removably attaching the divider member 20 to the upper body
member 10 may be used without departing from the spirit and scope
of the present invention. For example, the divider member 20 may
include recesses which are designed to receive the flanges 34 or
conversely, the divider member 20 may include flanges, while the
side portions 24 of the upper body member 10 may include recesses
designed to accept the flanges. The divider member may also be
removably secured by screws, bolts, rivets, or other common
attachment means. Also, the divider member may be permanently
secured to the upper body member 10, although it is preferred that
it be removably attached as will be hereinafter further
explained.
[0019] The divider member 20 serves as the bottom of the upper
compartment 16. Therefore, it is preferably designed to prevent
condensation, moisture or liquids from the wet items stored in the
upper compartment 16 from entering the lower compartment 14. In
this regard, it should be noted that the upper compartment 16 is
not necessarily designed to contain free-flowing liquids, but
merely wet or dampened articles such as baby wipes. Therefore, in
another aspect of the present invention, the divider member 20 is
designed to prevent the condensation, moisture or liquids
associated with the wet items, such as baby wipes, from entering
the lower compartment 14. Although a water-tight upper compartment
is within the scope of the present invention, such a construction
is not necessary for the purposes of preventing the wetness or
moisture associated with the wet items from entering the lower
compartment 12. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the divider
member 20 may include a retaining wall 21 which is preferably
integrally and homogenously molded onto the divider member. The
retaining wall 21 acts as a barrier that obstructs moisture or
liquids associated with the wet items from entering the lower
compartment 14. So long as the moisture or liquids do not rise
above the level or height of the retaining wall 21, no moisture or
liquids will seep into the lower compartment 14. In this
constructions, the lip portion 36 is associated with the terminal
end portion of the retaining wall 21 and since the lip portion 36
mates with and rests upon the securing edge 37 of the upper body
member 10, a further seal and barrier to allowing moisture or
liquids to enter the lower compartment 14 is created.
[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the upper compartment 16 can be
accessible through the access opening 26 located on the top portion
22 of the upper body member 10. When the upper body member 10 is
closed and engaged with the lower body member 12 as will be further
explained, thereby closing access to the lower compartment 14, the
upper compartment 16 can be accessed without moving or opening the
upper body member 10 relative to the lower body member 12. A user
simply opens the access lid 28 associated with the opening 26.
[0021] The access lid 28 is attached to the storage container 1
through a first hinge means 40. Preferably, the first hinge means
40 is a flexible or living hinge as shown in FIG. 3. Although the
flexible hinge 40 is shown attached to the lower body member 12, it
is recognized and anticipated that it could also be attached to the
upper body member 10. The flexible hinge 40 is preferably a
flexible piece of plastic material 42 which is attachable to the
lower body member 12 through an attachment means 41. As illustrated
in FIG. 4, the attachment means 41 is a snap fit mechanism and
includes at least one flared portion 43 located near the terminal
end of member 42 which is slightly larger than a recess 49
associated with the lower body member 12. The flared portion 43
snaps into the recess 49 and is held therewithin. In the embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the flexible member 42 includes a pair of
flared portions 43 which are engageable with a pair of recesses 49.
It is also recognized and anticipated that there are many other
attachment means and many other cooperatively engageable means that
are within the scope of the present invention to hingedly or
pivotally attach the access lid 28 to the storage container 1. For
example, the hinge means 40 may be integrally and homogenously
molded to either the lower body member 12 or the upper body member
10. Although the attachment means 41 includes separate parts for
the purpose of simplifying the manufacturing process, a one-piece
or unitary construction is also within the scope of the present
invention. Also, the hinge means may be glued, stapled, bolted,
screwed, or otherwise attached through the use of any suitable
attachment means. Still further, although the preferred flexible
hinge 40 is constructed of a plastic material, any number of
suitable flexible materials may be used to accomplish the task.
[0022] The access opening 26 and access lid 28 also include a seal
means. As best shown in FIG. 6, the access lid 28 includes a pair
of concentric annularly shaped flanges 44 and 45 extending
substantially therearound near its periphery. As best shown in FIG.
3, the access opening 26 also includes an annularly shaped flange
46 extending around its periphery which is shaped and sized so as
to mate with and fit in between the two concentric annularly shaped
flanges 44 and 45 associated with the access lid 28, when the lid
28 is in its closed position. The interaction between these flanges
44, 45 and 46 provides a seal around the access opening 26 when the
lid 28 is closed. It is not necessary that this seal be fluid or
air tight, but it should preferably prevent excessive condensation,
moisture or liquid from leaking out of the upper compartment
16.
[0023] It is also recognized that a wide variety of other seal
means may also be utilized to provide a seal between the access lid
28 and the access opening 26. For example, instead of the pair of
concentric annularly shaped flanges 44 and 45 being located on the
access lid 28, these flanges may be located around the access
opening 26, while the single annularly shaped flange 46 could be
located on the access lid 28. Still further, instead of the pair of
concentric annularly shaped flanges 44 and 45, the access lid 28
may include a recessed portion which is shaped and sized so as to
receive the annularly shaped flange 46 associated with the access
opening 26. Also, the access lid 28 may include a flange extending
around its periphery, while the upper body member 10 which may
include a recessed portion which is shaped and sized so as to
accept the flange. Also, the access opening 26 may not be annularly
shaped, but may be of any shape and size such as circular,
rectangular, square, triangular, or any other polygonal shape. As a
result, there is no requirement that the seal means such as flanges
44, 45 and 46 be annular in shape. Instead, the size and shape of
the seal flanges will be compatible to the shape of the opening
26.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the access lid 28 is removably
secured to the upper body member 10 when in its closed position
through a securement or attachment means 50. Preferably the
attachment means 50 operates via a snap fit mechanism and, in one
embodiment, includes a flange member 52 associated with the access
opening 26 and a recessed portion 54 associated with the access lid
28. The recessed portion 54 is formed as part of the outermost
annularly shaped flange 45. It is recognized and anticipated,
however, that the recessed portion 54 could be associated with the
access opening 26, while the flange member 52 could be associated
with the access lid 28. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5
and 6, the flange member 52 is located on the annularly shaped
flange 46 while the recessed portion 54, as explained above, is
located on the outermost annularly shaped flange 45 of the access
lid 28. Other configurations and arrangements of cooperatively
engageable attachment means can likewise be used.
[0025] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the inner annularly shaped flange
44 associated with the access lid 28 includes a space 55 which
allows the flange member 52 to interact with the recessed portion
54. In this regard, because of the flexibility of the hinge means
40 and the member 42, the recessed portion 54 can be maneuvered and
positioned such that the flange member 52 can be located and
snapped into the recess 52 when the access lid 28 is being moved to
its closed position. Once the flange member 52 is positioned and
located within the recessed portion 54, the access lid 28 is
removably secured to the upper body member 10 closing the access
opening 26. The access lid 28 also preferably includes a grip tab
47 which helps the user grip the access lid 28 when opening or
closing the same.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 2, the upper body member 10 is also
attached to the lower body member 12 via a second hinge means 60.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, hinge means 60 includes
two hinges 60. The hinges 60 are living hinges and are preferably
integrally and homogenously connected to both the upper body member
10 and the lower body member 12 and are constructed of the same
material, preferably a plastic material. Nonetheless, the hinges 60
could also be connected by means other than being integrally and
homogenously connected. For example, the hinges 60 could be
connected to either or both of the upper body member 10 and the
lower body member 12 via any known attachment means such as glue,
screws, rivets, a snap fit mechanism, and so forth. The hinges 60
are constructed so that they are bendable, while still being sturdy
enough not to break. The hinges 60 allow the upper body member 10
to be opened and closed under normal wear and tear conditions
without breaking, cracking, or otherwise deforming or deteriorating
to the extent that the hinge becomes inoperative.
[0027] In other embodiments, the upper body member 10 may be
movably attached to the lower body member 12 other than through a
hinge means. For example, the upper body member 10 may be slidably
attached to the lower body member 12 so that a user may slide the
upper body member 10 relative to the lower body member 12 in order
to access the lower compartment 14. Also, the upper body member 10
may be removably attached to the lower body member 12 such as
through the use of fastening clips, a snap fit arrangement, or any
other cooperatively engageable means. The user may remove the upper
body member 10 from the lower body member 12 in order to access the
lower compartment 14 and then removably attach the upper body
member 10 to the lower body member 12 to close the lower
compartment 14. Any manner of movably attaching the upper body
member 10 to the lower body member 12, while still allowing the
upper and lower body members 10 and 12 to be moved relative to each
other in order to access the lower compartment 14 is within the
scope of the present invention. In similar fashion, the access lid
28 may movably attached to the upper body member 10 other than
through a hinge or pivot arrangement.
[0028] The upper body member 10 is removably secured in its closed
position to the lower body member 12 by the operation of the
attachment means 70. In one embodiment, the attachment means 70
operates via a snap fit mechanism and includes a recess 72
associated with the upper body member 10 which is shaped and sized
so as to removably receive a flange member 74 associated with the
lower body member 12. A user may secure the upper body member 10 in
its closed position by causing the flange member 74 to be inserted
in the recess 72. To open, the user simply removes the flange 74
from the recess 72. This provides access to the lower compartment
14. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the recess 72 is
formed in a projection member 76. Other cooperatively engageable
means besides recess 72 and flange member 74 are likewise
envisioned and recognized without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention. The upper body member 10 may also
include a grip tab 78 to facilitate the opening and closing of the
upper body member 10 relative to the lower body member 12.
[0029] As can be seen from the foregoing, the present dual
compartment storage container 1 allows a user to easily segregate
and store both wet and dry items in the same container by using the
segregated compartments 14 and 16. Each segregated compartment has
its own means for accessing the contents positioned therewithin and
each compartment can be separately accessed while the other
compartment remains in its closed position.
[0030] The present storage container 1 can also be utilized without
the divider member 20. In this configuration, the upper and lower
body members 10 and 12 create one large compartment which is
accessible via two separate opening means. Depending upon the
particular application and the particular items being stored within
the storage container 1, this one large compartment can be accessed
by pivotally moving the access lid 28 to its open position, or the
one large compartment can be accessed by unlocking the attachment
means 70 and pivotally moving the upper body member 10 relative to
the lower body member 12. This feature allows a user to store and
carry different bulkier items or more items in a single storage
compartment as compared to a dual compartmented container depending
upon the particular application.
[0031] It is also anticipated that the dual compartment storage
container 1 and all of the various components associated therewith
such as upper body member 10, lower body member 12, divider member
20, access lid 28 and hinge means 40 and 60 can be fabricated using
an injection molded plastic resin, although other materials may
likewise be utilized. Still further, it is recognized that the
overall dimensions of the storage container 1 as well as the
specific shape and configuration of the container 1 and the various
components associated therewith such as the divider member 20 are
all subject to wide variations and may be sized and shaped into a
variety of different sizes and configurations so as to be
compatible with any particular application, or to conform with any
space limitations associated therewith without impairing the
teachings and practice of the present invention. Although the
storage container 1 is illustrated as being substantially
rectangular, as previously explained, the storage container 1 and
its associated components can likewise take on a wide variety of
other shapes including other polygonal shapes. Other variations and
modifications to the various components comprising the present
structures are also contemplated.
[0032] Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments
of a novel storage container which is adaptable for holding both
wet and dry items in separate compartments, which containers
fulfill all of the objects and advantages sought therefore. Many
changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications
of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those
skilled in the art after considering this specification and the
accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations
and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit
and scope of the present invention are deemed to be covered by the
present invention which is limited by the claims which follow.
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