U.S. patent application number 13/462864 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-08 for container with attached lid.
Invention is credited to Gerald R. Koefelda, Simon John Stewart-Smith.
Application Number | 20120279980 13/462864 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47089551 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120279980 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Koefelda; Gerald R. ; et
al. |
November 8, 2012 |
CONTAINER WITH ATTACHED LID
Abstract
A container includes a base and a pair of opposed side walls
extending upward from the base. The pair of opposed side walls
include a first side wall and a second side wall. The first side
wall includes a lip at an upper portion thereof. A first lid is
pivotably connected to the first side wall. The first lid can be
selectively snap-fit connected to the lip of the first side wall to
retain the first lid in an open position.
Inventors: |
Koefelda; Gerald R.;
(Sunningdale, GB) ; Stewart-Smith; Simon John;
(Staincross, GB) |
Family ID: |
47089551 |
Appl. No.: |
13/462864 |
Filed: |
May 3, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61483414 |
May 6, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/826 ;
206/505; 220/832 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 43/22 20130101;
B65D 43/164 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/826 ;
220/832; 206/505 |
International
Class: |
B65D 43/24 20060101
B65D043/24; B65D 21/00 20060101 B65D021/00; B65D 43/16 20060101
B65D043/16 |
Claims
1. A container comprising: a base; a pair of opposed side walls
extending upward from the base, the pair of opposed side walls
including a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side
wall including a lip at an upper portion thereof; a pair of opposed
end walls extending upward from the base; and a first lid pivotably
connected to the first side wall, wherein the first lid can be
selectively snap-fit connected to the lip of the first side wall to
retain the first lid in an open position.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein the first lid includes an
interlocking feature that selectively snap-fits behind the lip of
the first side wall.
3. The container of claim 2 wherein the lip protrudes outward and
then downward from an upper edge of the first side wall.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein the first lid includes a
projection upward from an upper surface of the first lid, the
projection capably of being selectively snap-fit connected to the
lip of the first side wall.
5. The container of claim 1 further including a second lid
pivotably connected to the second side wall, wherein the second lid
can be selectively snap-fit connected to a lip of the second side
wall to retain the second lid in an open position.
6. The container of claim 1 wherein the first lid is pivotably
connected to the first side wall by a hinge projecting upward
relative to an upper surface of the first lid.
7. A container comprising: a base; a pair of opposed side walls
extending upward from the base, the pair of opposed side walls
including a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side
wall and the second side wall including a lip at an upper portion
thereof; a pair of opposed end walls extending upward from the
base; and a first lid pivotably connected to an upper edge of the
first side wall and a second lid pivotably connected to an upper
edge of the second side wall, the first lid and the second lid each
including a projection upward from an upper surface thereof, each
projection including interlocking feature that selectively
snap-fits behind the lip of the first side wall.
8. The container of claim 7 wherein the first lid is pivotably
connected to the first side wall by a hinge projecting upward
relative to an upper surface of the first lid.
9. The container of claim 7 wherein the first lid includes a
plurality of leaves interlocking with a plurality of leaves on the
second lid when the first lid and the second lid are in a closed
position over an opening to the container.
10. The container of claim 7 wherein the lip protrudes outward and
then downward from the upper portion.
11. The container of claim 7 wherein the side walls and the end
walls are tapered down to the base, such that an identical
container could be nested therein.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 61/483,414 filed May 6, 2011.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Attached lid containers include a base with side walls and
end walls projecting upward. A pair of lids are hingeably connected
to upper edges of the side walls. The lids have leaves that
interlock with one another to close the opening to the
container.
[0003] For some applications, it is necessary to wash the
containers in an automated washing system. The containers are
washed with the lids open. The containers may be washed and/or
dried in an inverted orientation, with the lids extended outward
from the walls of the container, where water or other cleaning
fluids may pool on the lids.
SUMMARY
[0004] A container includes a base and a pair of opposed side walls
extending upward from the base. The pair of opposed side walls
include a first side wall and a second side wall. The first side
wall includes a lip at an upper portion thereof.
[0005] A first lid is pivotably connected to the first side wall.
The first lid can be selectively snap-fit connected to the lip of
the first side wall to retain the first lid in an open
position.
[0006] In one example embodiment, the lid includes an upward
projection that includes an interlocking feature that can be
selectively snap-fit behind the lip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of one corner of the container of
FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a top view of the corner of FIG. 2.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the corner of FIG. 1
with the lid moved to an open position.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows the corner of FIG. 5 with the lid moved to a
secured, open position.
[0012] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the corner of the container of
FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] A storage container 10 according to one embodiment of the
present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. Referring to FIG. 1,
the storage container 10 includes a base 12 and a pair of opposed
side walls 14 and a pair of opposed end walls 16 extending upwardly
from the periphery of the base 12. The walls 14, 16 are tapered
down to the base 12, such that identical containers 10 can be
nested within one another.
[0014] Lids 18 are hingeably connected to upper edges of the side
walls 14. A flange or lip 22 protrudes outward and then downward
from the upper edge of the side walls 14 and the end walls 16. Over
the side walls 14, the lip 22 includes a plurality of hinge
receivers 24 formed therein. The hinge receivers 24 hingeably
retain hinge members 26 formed integrally with the lids 18.
[0015] The inner edge of each lid 18 includes a plurality of
interlocking lower leaves (not visible) and upper leaves 30. The
lids 18 can be pivoted away from one another to provide access to
the storage container 10. Each end wall 16 includes a handle 38.
The hinge receivers 24 and hinge members 26 project upward relative
to the major surfaces of the lids 18. End projections 32 also
project upward relative to the major surfaces of the lids 18. The
end projections 32 are aligned over the end walls 16. This provides
for stable stacking of identical containers 10, as the base 12 of
the container 10 fits between the hinge receivers 24, hinge members
26 and end projections 32 around the upper periphery of the
container 10. What has been described so far is typical for an
attached-lid container of this type.
[0016] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view and FIG. 3 is a top view of one
corner of one of the lids 18. The other corners may be the same. An
interlocking feature 40 projects laterally from the end projection
32. The interlocking feature 40 may be generally cylindrical with a
somewhat rounded end, as shown. An opening 42 through the lid 18
may be useful in molding the interlocking feature 40, so that it
can be cored from the other side of the lid 18.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, when the lid 18 is pivoted open to the
downward, open position, the lid 18 eventually contacts the lip 22
of the container 10. In particular, the interlocking feature 40
contacts the bottom edge of the lip 22. With additional force on
the lid 18, the interlocking feature 40 can be snapped past the lip
22, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0018] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the lip 22 and lid 18 of FIG.
5. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the interlocking feature 40 is
interlocked behind the lip 22 of the container 10. The lid 18 is
retained in a position roughly parallel to the side wall 14, away
from its closed position over the opening to the container, with
the upper surface of the lid 18 facing the outer surface of the
side wall 14. In this position, the container 10 can be inverted
for washing and the lids 18 will stay in the downward, open
position adjacent the side walls 14. After washing, the lids 18 can
be closed again by moving the lids 18 until the interlocking
features 40 are snapped outward past the lip 22.
[0019] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and
jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are
considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention.
However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced
otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without
departing from its spirit or scope.
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