U.S. patent application number 13/609544 was filed with the patent office on 2014-03-13 for connecting container system.
The applicant listed for this patent is EMILY JANNAH REYES. Invention is credited to EMILY JANNAH REYES.
Application Number | 20140069915 13/609544 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50232186 |
Filed Date | 2014-03-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140069915 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
REYES; EMILY JANNAH |
March 13, 2014 |
CONNECTING CONTAINER SYSTEM
Abstract
A connecting container system for storing various items
comprising two or more individually separable, cylindrically-shaped
containers each having top and bottom planar surfaces and a
clam-shell opening and closing mechanism that is vertically aligned
when said containers are vertically stacked. Each said container
having a set of magnets embedded in and flush-mounted with the top
and bottom planar surfaces to hold the containers in vertical
alignment by way of an attractive holding force when vertically
stacking the containers. In addition, the containers may have
different colors and/or a labeling region to enable a user to mark
contents thereof. The order of the containers may be re-arranged
and each container may be separately opened and closed when
arranged in said ensemble without separating said ensemble.
Inventors: |
REYES; EMILY JANNAH; (Las
Vegas, NV) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
REYES; EMILY JANNAH |
Las Vegas |
NV |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50232186 |
Appl. No.: |
13/609544 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/23.83 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 21/023
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/23.83 |
International
Class: |
B65D 21/032 20060101
B65D021/032 |
Claims
1. A connecting container system for storing various items, said
ensemble comprising: at least two similarly-shaped individually
separable containers that each include (i) top and bottom surfaces
and (ii) a clam-shell opening and closing mechanism having aligned
hinges and latches when stacked; and each said container having at
least one magnet of a first arranged polarity in the top surface
and at least one magnet of a second arranged polarity in the bottom
surface, the magnets of said top and bottom surfaces being in
vertical alignment to provide an attractive holding force when
vertically stacking said containers.
2. The connecting container system of claim 1, wherein each
container comprises a low-profile cylinder having top and bottom
planar surfaces.
3. The connecting container system of claim 1, wherein the
containers have an oval or triangular shape in a horizontal
plane.
4. The connecting container system of claim 1, wherein the
containers have a labeling region to enable a user to individually
record the contents of respective containers of said ensemble.
5. The connecting container system of claim 1, further including a
detent and protrusion respectively located on opposed portions of
said containers to provide mechanical alignment of said containers
when vertically stacked.
6. A multiunit connecting container system for storing various
items, said ensemble comprising: at least three individually
separable and cylindrically-shaped cases each having (i) top and
bottom planar surfaces and (ii) a clam-shell opening and closing
mechanism comprising vertically aligned hinges and latches when
said container are vertically stacked; each said container having
at least one magnet embedded in and flush-mounted with the top
planar surface thereof to provide a first magnetic polarity and at
least one magnet embedded in and flush-mounted with the bottom
planar surface to provide a second magnetic polarity, the magnets
of said top and bottom surface being in vertical alignment to
provide an attractive holding force when vertically and
concentrically stacking said containers; each of said at least
three containers having a different color; each said container
including a labeling region on an outer cylindrical surface
thereof; each said container in said ensemble being re-arrangable
in a different order so that different colors lie is different
vertical positions; and each said container being individually
openable and closeable when arranged in said ensemble without
separating said ensemble.
7. A connecting container system for storing various items, said
ensemble comprising: at least two similarly-shaped individually
separable containers wherein each said container has (i) top and
bottom surfaces and (ii) a clam-shell opening and closing mechanism
having vertically aligned hinges and latches when the containers
are stacked; and each said container having multiple magnets
arranged in the top surface to provide a first magnetic polarity
and multiple magnets arranged in the bottom surface to provide a
second directional polarity, the position of said magnets in said
top and bottom surfaces being complementary, the magnets of said
top and bottom surface being flush-mounted with said surfaces and
positioned in vertical alignment to provide an attractive holding
force when vertically stacking said containers.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] This invention relates to a connecting container system for
organizing and storing various items such as cosmetics, jewelry,
hardware, food items, drug components, etc, but more specifically
to a magnetically coupled connecting container system having
vertically aligned and individually stacked containers that may be
rearranged by a user thereof.
[0002] The invention addresses the problems in storing, organizing,
and locating a particular item or groups of items among many, which
a person may carry on their person, or store in their environs.
Prior solutions have been provided by cosmetic cases shown in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 6,041,935; 5,740,906; 6,886,695; and 6,619,297. The prior
art, among other things, does not appear to show or suggest
magnetically-coupled container ensemble where individual containers
may be re-arranged and/or individually opened and closed while
maintaining the ensemble.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a connecting container system for organizing and storing items
comprising two or more individually separable containers each
having top and bottom surfaces and a clam-shell opening and closing
mechanism that is vertically aligned when the containers are
vertically stacked. The surfaces may be planar or they may take on
other shapes. Each container may have a set of permanent magnets
embedded in and flush-mounted with the top and bottom surfaces to
hold the individual containers in vertical alignment by way of an
attractive holding force when vertically stacked. A single magnet
in each surface may suffice when other means are provided, such as,
a detent-bump arrangement disposed in opposed regions of top and
bottom surfaces, providing grooved surfaces in top and bottom
surfaces, or complementary geometrically mating surfaces between
tops and bottoms of the containers. In addition, the individual
containers may have different colors and/or a labeling region to
enable a user to mark contents thereof. The containers with items
stored therein may be pulled apart and re-arranged in order
according to individual preference of the user, and each container
may be separately and individually opened and closed without
separating the system. Different colors and/or labeling of the
containers can assist the user in quickly identifying the stored
location of and in retrieving needed items.
[0004] Other features and aspects of the invention will become
apparent upon review of the following description taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings. The invention, though,
is pointed out with particularity by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a vertically-aligned connecting
container system in accordance with the present invention with a
lower section there shown spaced apart from the ensemble wherein
each container or section has a low-profile cylindrical shape.
[0006] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the vertically-aligned connecting
container system of FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 shows a side view of one container or section of the
connecting container system of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a top view of one container or section of a
container having a square instead of a circular shape.
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates opening and closing one container while
maintaining the system in an assembled relationship.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a connecting container system 10 having
vertically stacked containers or containers 12-22 in accordance
with the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the containers
concentrically aligned about a vertical axis 29 (looking into the
paper). FIG. 1 illustrates manual separation of the lower container
22 by pulling apart from the ensemble 10. In this embodiment, each
container or compartment 12-22 has a low-profile cylindrical shape.
The ensemble 10 may comprise two or more similarly-shaped and/or
differently colored containers 12-22 and from a top perspective,
each container may be square, circular, oval, or possess any other
geometric shape when viewed along vertical axis 29.
[0011] As illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, each of
the containers 12-22 has top and bottom planar surfaces 24 and 26,
and each container 12-22 may include a clam-shell opening and
closing mechanism such as piano hinges 28 and conventional clips or
latches 30, which are also vertically aligned with each other when
the containers are vertically stacked. Instead of mechanical hinges
and latches 28 and 30, the hinge may comprise a thin plastic
membrane and the latch may comprise interlocking clips that are
integrally formed with top and bottom portions of the container
where the entire structure of each container is injection-molded
using thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic substance. Surfaces 24
and 26, however, need not be planar but may be formed in any
geometric structure where top and bottom surfaces complementary
mate each other when the containers are vertically stacked. To hold
the containers in alignment, there may be provided a detent-bump
arrangement disposed in opposed regions of top and bottom surfaces,
grooved surfaces in top and bottom surfaces, or complementary
geometrically mating surfaces between tops and bottoms of the
containers.
[0012] According to a principal feature of the invention, each of
the containers 12-22, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, has one or more
permanent magnets 40, 42, 43 and 44 arranged or embedded in top
surface 24 (FIG. 3) to provide a first magnetic polarity and one or
more magnets 46 and 48 arranged in the bottom surface 26 (FIG. 3)
to provide a second magnetic polarity. These magnets may comprise
any conventional ferromagnetic material known in the art and may be
hot-pressed into thermoplastic material that may form the top and
bottoms of each container, or alternative, the magnets may be
embedded in thermosetting plastic material during the plastic
setting process of container formation. Respective magnets of the
top and bottom surfaces also lie in vertical alignment relative to
axis 29 to provide an attractive holding force when vertically
stacking the containers 12-22. When positioned above and below each
other, the magnets tend to draw the container into vertical
alignment by urging their mating relationship. Where the containers
have complementary protrusions and detents (or other complementary
geometric configurations) to effect alignment, a single magnet
instead of multiple magnets may be utilized in the top and bottom
surfaces of the containers.
[0013] Optionally, a detent and protrusion formed in and
respectively located on opposed portions of the containers may
provide mechanical alignment of the containers when vertically
stacked. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, each container comprises a
low-profile cylinder having top and bottom surfaces. In FIG. 4,
however, the container has a square cross-sectional shape in a
horizontal plane, but may also have other shapes, such as an oval
or triangular shape in a horizontal plane. The container(s) of FIG.
4 also include magnets in top and bottom planar surfaces thereof,
such as magnets 40-46 shown in the top surface. In addition, each
container 12-22 (FIG. 1) may include a labeling region to enable a
user to individually record the contents of respective containers
of said ensemble.
[0014] As shown in FIG. 5, the container may be opened and closed
in a clamshell fashion even while maintaining the ensemble in an
assembled relationship.
[0015] The invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments,
but instead, is defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *