U.S. patent application number 14/154343 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-18 for combined container and building block.
The applicant listed for this patent is Majda Ficko. Invention is credited to Majda Ficko.
Application Number | 20140262896 14/154343 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50431516 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140262896 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ficko; Majda |
September 18, 2014 |
Combined Container and Building Block
Abstract
A container that may be used as a toy building block once it has
served its purpose as a container for goods comprising: at least
one male connector extending from one side of the container, a
recess arranged to fittingly engage the male connector formed in a
second side wall of the container, a neck upwardly extending from a
top wall of the container, and a recess arranged to fittingly
receive the neck formed in a bottom wall of the container.
Inventors: |
Ficko; Majda; (East St.
Paul, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ficko; Majda |
East St. Paul |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
50431516 |
Appl. No.: |
14/154343 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61777794 |
Mar 12, 2013 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/457 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 21/0202 20130101;
B65D 81/361 20130101; A63H 33/086 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/457 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/20 20060101
B65D025/20 |
Claims
1. A container comprising: a hollow body portion formed of a
plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall; a male
connector outwardly extending from a first side wall; a first
recess formed in a second side wall, said first recess arranged to
fittingly engage the male connector of a first like container; a
neck upwardly extending from the top wall; and a second recess
extending into the bottom wall, said second recess arranged to
fittingly receive the neck of a second like container.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the neck is arranged to engage
a cap and when the neck is engaged with said cap, the combined size
and/or shape of the neck and the cap prevents the neck of the
second like container from being received by the second recess,
such that the neck of the second like container may only be
received by the second recess when it is uncapped.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein the first recess is arranged
to engage the male connector of the first like container by
snapping together of said containers.
4. The container of claim 1, comprising four side walls wherein the
male connector and the first recess are formed in opposing side
walls.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein the neck extends upward
centrally from the top wall.
6. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is a
substantially square shape along the horizontal plane.
7. The container of claim 1, wherein the neck is a threaded
neck.
8. The container of claim 1, in combination with a cap arranged to
engage the neck of the container.
9. The combination of claim 8, further comprising a product
contained within the hollow body portion of the container.
10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the product is a liquid
product.
11. The combination of claim 9, wherein the product is a bath
product.
12. The combination of claim 11, wherein the bath product is
selected from shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shower gel, foam
bath, bubble bath, or liquid soap.
13. A container comprising: a hollow body portion formed of a
plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall; a male
connector outwardly extending from a first side wall; a first
recess formed in a second side wall, said first recess arranged to
fittingly engage the male connector of a first like container in a
snap-fit manner effecting a locking together of said containers
into a cohesive assembly; and an opening extending into a hollow
interior of the hollow body portion for introduction or removal of
contents to and from the container through the opening.
14. A container comprising: a hollow body portion formed of a
plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall; a neck
upwardly extending from the top wall around a passage into a hollow
interior of the body portion for pouring of contents from the
container through the neck; a cap engagable to and removable from
the neck for selective closing and opening of the passage to the
hollow interior of the body; and a recess extending into the bottom
wall, said second recess arranged to fittingly receive the neck of
a like container only when the neck of the like container is
uncapped.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of
Provisional Application Serial No. 61/777,794, filed Mar. 12,
2013.
FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of containers, and more
particularly to containers that are designed to be used as toy
building blocks once they have served their purpose as containers
for goods.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Containers for goods are often sold in single-use molded
plastic containers that are generally discarded after use. The
discarding of these materials represents an economic loss of
materials and resources. Even when these materials are recycled
instead of being sent to a landfill, there is an economic cost
associated with the recycling process. There is an interest in
reducing the amount of resources used and in reusing items, but
this is often not feasible. One way to promote the reuse of
containers has been to design containers that can be used as
building blocks, while they contain goods and/or once their purpose
as a container has been served.
[0004] Various containers adapted for stacking or interlockable
connection are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,747
describes a combined container and toy building block that can
stack vertically through the lid of one container being received in
the base of another container. U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,824 describes a
stacking container that can stack vertically through the lid(s) of
one or more containers being received by corresponding recesses in
the base of one or more other container(s). U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,383
describes interlocking containers that slidingly engage along their
side walls and stack vertically through the lid of one container
being received by a corresponding recess in the base of another
container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,091 describes a container that has
male connectors formed along on side and a second container
comprising corresponding female receptacles formed along one side,
wherein the containers can be joined or stacked through engagement
between the male connectors and the female receptacles. The male
connectors are threadably engaged with the side of the container
such that they can be unscrewed to allow dispensing of the
container's contents. U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,498 describes a container
that has male connectors formed on one side and corresponding
female connectors formed on another side, as well as a capped spout
formed on top of the container and a corresponding spout receptacle
formed on the bottom of the container, thereby allowing containers
to be joined side-to-side and stacked vertically. US 2006/0261063
describes an interlocking container with slidably engagable sides,
a capped spout on the top of the container, and a corresponding
recess on the bottom of the container that allows containers to be
joined side-to-side and vertically stacked. U.S. Pat. No. D369,100
describes a combined container and building block that has a male
connector on one side and a corresponding recess on another side.
U.S. Pat. No. D586,225 describes an interlockable bottle that
slidingly engages along its sides, allowing adjacent bottles to be
joined side-to-side.
[0005] While these containers are useful for the particular
problems they address, it remains desirable to provide a container
which, after its initial use as a container, can be used as a safe
and economical toy building block.
SUMMARY
[0006] Provided is a container that can be used as a building block
once it has served its purpose as a container for goods. The
container is particularly suited for use as a toy building block.
The container may comprise a hollow body portion formed of side
walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall; with a male connector
outwardly extending from a first side wall and a recess, arranged
to fittingly engage the male connector of a like container,
extending into a second side wall, allowing adjacent containers to
be releasably joined together. The container may also comprise a
neck extending from the top wall and a second recess formed in the
bottom wall, said second recess arranged to receive the neck of a
like container, thereby allowing like containers to be stacked.
[0007] One embodiment is a container comprising a hollow body
portion formed of a plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a
top wall; a male connector outwardly extending from a first side
wall; a first recess formed in a second side wall, said first
recess arranged to fittingly engage the male connector of a first
like container; a neck upwardly extending from the top wall; and a
second recess extending into the bottom wall, said second recess
arranged to fittingly receive the neck of a second like
container.
[0008] In an embodiment, the neck is arranged to engage a cap and
when the neck is engaged with said cap, the combined size and/or
shape of the neck and the cap prevents the neck of the second like
container from being received by the second recess, such that the
neck of the second like container may only be received by the
second recess when it is uncapped.
[0009] In a further embodiment, the first recess is arranged to
engage the male connector of the first like container by snapping
together of said containers.
[0010] In an embodiment the container comprises four side walls,
wherein the male connector and the first recess are formed in
opposing side walls.
[0011] In a further embodiment, the neck extends upward centrally
from the top wall.
[0012] In an embodiment, the container is a substantially square
shape along the horizontal plane.
[0013] In an embodiment the neck is a threaded neck.
[0014] In a further embodiment, a container of the disclosure is in
combination with a cap arranged to engage the neck of the
container.
[0015] In an additional embodiment, a product is contained within
the hollow body portion of the container. In a further embodiment,
the product is a liquid product. In yet another embodiment, the
product is a bath product. In an embodiment, the product is a bath
product selected from shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shower gel,
foam bath, bubble bath, or liquid soap.
[0016] Another embodiment is a container comprising a hollow body
portion formed of a plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a
top wall; a male connector outwardly extending from a first side
wall; a first recess formed in a second side wall, said first
recess arranged to fittingly engage the male connector of a first
like container in a snap-fit manner effecting a locking together of
said containers into a cohesive assembly; and an opening extending
into a hollow interior of the hollow body portion for introduction
or removal of contents to and from the container through the
opening.
[0017] A further embodiment is a container comprising a hollow body
portion formed of a plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a
top wall; a neck upwardly extending from the top wall around a
passage into a hollow interior of the body portion for pouring of
contents from the container through the neck; a cap engagable to
and removable from the neck for selective closing and opening of
the passage to the hollow interior of the body; and a recess
extending into the bottom wall, said second recess arranged to
fittingly receive the neck of a like container only when the neck
of the like container is uncapped.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 depicts an isometric view of a container of the
disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 2 depicts a rear perspective view of the container of
FIG. 1.
[0020] FIG. 3 depicts a front side view of the container of FIG.
1.
[0021] FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of three containers of
FIG. 1 arranged together as building blocks.
[0022] FIG. 5 depicts a front sectional view of the container of
FIG. 1 sectioned in the plane and direction indicated by section
lines 1-1 in FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 6 depicts a left side elevation view of the container
of FIG. 1.
[0024] FIG. 7 depicts a right side elevation view of the container
of FIG. 1.
[0025] FIG. 8 depicts a top plan view of the container of FIG.
1.
[0026] FIG. 9 depicts a bottom plan view of the container of FIG.
1.
[0027] FIG. 10 depicts a right elevation view of the container of
FIG. 1 in combination with a cap.
DESCRIPTION
[0028] Throughout the following description specific details are
set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to
persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not
have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily
obscuring the disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings
are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive,
sense. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals
may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or
analogous elements.
[0029] The present disclosure provides generally a container that
can be used as a building block once it has served its purpose as a
container for goods. In particular the disclosure provides a
container that can engage other containers through fitting
engagement between a male connector and corresponding recess on
side walls of adjacent containers and/or through a neck upwardly
extending from the top face of one container being received in a
corresponding recess in the bottom of another container. In this
manner, containers of the disclosure can be joined together as
building blocks to form various three dimensional structures. In
particular, the container of the disclosure is suitable for use as
a toy building block once it has served its purpose as a container
for goods.
[0030] Having a container become a useful toy after it has served
its purpose as a container for goods may reduce the amount of
material entering landfills. It may also add value or appeal to the
goods being sold in the container, since the container itself has a
secondary use. It may also promote additional purchases of the
goods to amass a collection of containers. Finally, this type of
container may provide a simple, economical, safe, and engaging
child's toy.
[0031] An embodiment of a container of the disclosure is
illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10. The container 110 comprises a front
side wall 116, a right side wall 112, a male connector 120
outwardly extending from right side wall 112, a rear side wall 214,
a left side wall 210, a side recess 212 formed in left side wall
210, a top wall 114, a neck 118 upwardly protruding from top wall
114, a bottom wall 910, and a bottom recess 510 extending into
bottom wall 910. Neck 118 may be engaged with a cap 1010, enabling
the container to securely contain goods.
[0032] The cap may be an internally threaded screw-on cap for
engagement with mating external threads on the neck, or the cap may
be another style of cap, for example a cap for engaging the neck in
a snap-fit manner. In an embodiment, the engagement mechanism of
the cap is of a known child resistant `safety` type mechanism to
prevent cap removal by young children without adult or supervisory
assistance.
[0033] Bottom recess 510 is designed to receive neck 118 of another
container of identical structure, allowing containers to be stacked
on top of one another such that top wall 114 and bottom wall 910 of
the stacked containers are in physical contact, as shown by stacked
containers 110b and 110c in FIG. 4. Further, male connector 120 and
side recess 212 are arranged to fittingly engage, allowing adjacent
containers to be joined together as shown by containers 110a and
110b in FIG. 4. In this manner, containers may be joined together,
side-to-side and/or top-to-bottom, to form structures comprising a
plurality of containers of the disclosure. In an embodiment, male
connector 120 and side recess 212 may engage by snapping together
by moving the male connector into the side recess by relative
movement of the containers toward one another in a horizontal
direction bringing the sides of the containers together in a
face-to-face manner.
[0034] Having the containers physically couple or join together
under engagement of the male connector 120 and side recess 212
provides an advantage over prior art building block containers
where a loose-fit between adjacent containers maintains them in
aligned positions, but does not actively couple the containers
together into an assembled unit, whereby the assembled together
containers can be moved as a single cohesive unit. Where a snap fit
is used, the engaged snap fit also prevents relative movement
between the containers in all directions, unlike axial slide-fit
connections in the prior art that prevent horizontal withdrawal of
the containers from one another, but allow vertical movement
between the containers along the slide axis. The strength of the
snap fit between two joined containers is preferably strong enough
to carry the weight of one container on the other without
disengaging, but weak enough to be separable by young children who
will be employing the building-block functionality of the
containers.
[0035] In an embodiment, neck 118, cap 1010, and bottom recess 510
are relatively sized such that neck 118 can only be received by
bottom recess 510 when neck 118 is uncapped. This is intended to
provide an element of safety, since the use of capped containers as
building blocks may present a choking hazard to young children or
pets. In particular, cap 1010 could be removed from container 110
during play, making it available to be chewed or swallowed by a
young child or pet. If neck 118 can only be received by bottom
recess 510 when neck 118 is uncapped, there is incentive for the
cap to be removed and discarded before the container is used as a
building block, thereby reducing the possibility of a child or pet
having access to cap 1010.
[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, container 110 is roughly
cuboid in shape. However, other hollow shapes may be employed. For
example, the shape of container 110 may be, but is not limited to,
rectangular, hexagonal, quadrilateral, triangular, or pentagonal.
In an embodiment, the container is of a shape that has
substantially planar faces.
[0037] Further, in the illustrated embodiment, container 110
comprises a single male connector 120 and a single side recess 212
situated on opposing side walls. In other embodiments, the
container may comprise a plurality of male connectors 120 and/or a
plurality of side recesses 212, so long as the male connectors 120
and the side recesses 212 are positioned such that adjacent
containers can be joined through engagement between one or more
male connectors 120 with one or more side recesses 212. For
example, the container may comprise a male connector 120 on each of
one or more side walls, said side walls being adjacent, spaced
apart, or opposing. Similarly, the container may comprise a side
recess 212 on each of one or more side walls, said side walls being
adjacent, spaced apart, or opposing. In an embodiment, the number
of male connectors 120 is equal to the number of side recesses 212.
In another embodiment, at least one side wall may comprise a
plurality of male connectors 120 while at least one other side wall
may comprise a plurality of side recesses 212. In this embodiment,
the position and number of male connectors and side recesses should
be arranged to allow at least one male connector 120 to engage at
least one side recess 212, thereby bringing the associated side
walls into contact, or at least into close face-to-face proximity,
with one other.
[0038] The container of the disclosure may be made of any material
that is suitable to hold goods and to be used as a toy building
block. Fragile materials, such as glass, and toxic materials should
be avoided since they may pose a hazard when used as a toy. When
the container is intended to contain a liquid, the container should
be made of an impermeable material. Preferred materials are durable
materials that can withstand shipping and repeated use as a toy
block; as will readily be apparent to one skilled in the art. In an
embodiment, the container is made of plastic, for example using
plastic molding techniques.
[0039] The container of the disclosure may be used to contain a
variety of goods, including liquid or solid goods. In an
embodiment, the contained good is a flowable good such as a liquid,
granular mixture, or powder. In another embodiment, the good is a
bath product; such as a bath salt, shampoo, conditioner, liquid
soap, bubble bath, shower gel, body wash, bubble bath, or foam
bath. The good may also be a comestible product, such as a
beverage. In an embodiment, the good may be a good intended for use
by or for children.
[0040] Numerous specific details are set forth herein in order to
provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments
described herein. However, it will be understood by those of
ordinary skill in the art that these embodiments may be practiced
without these specific details. In other instances, well-known
methods, procedures and components have not been described in
detail so as not to obscure the description of the embodiments.
[0041] Further, while the above description provides examples of
the embodiments, it will be appreciated that some features and/or
functions of the described embodiments are susceptible to
modification without departing from the spirit and principles of
operation of the described embodiments. Accordingly, what has been
described above has been intended to be illustrative of the
invention and non-limiting. It will be understood by persons
skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be
made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined
in the appended claims.
* * * * *