U.S. patent number 3,872,996 [Application Number 05/349,581] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-25 for container for granular materials.
This patent grant is currently assigned to P. Ferrero & C. S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Amilcare Dogliotti.
United States Patent |
3,872,996 |
Dogliotti |
March 25, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Container for granular materials
Abstract
A dispensing container comprising a flat parallelepipedic body
having an open end into which a generally rectangular plug or cover
is inserted. The cover is moulded of plastics integrally with an
elongate closing flap the free end of which protrudes beyond the
perimeter of the cover for actuation by the thumb of a hand sizing
the container. The free end portion of the flap snappingly engages
with the underlying cover portion by cooperating tenon and mortise
formations extending in a longitudinal direction of the flap.
Inventors: |
Dogliotti; Amilcare (Neive,
IT) |
Assignee: |
P. Ferrero & C. S.p.A.
(Alba (Cuneo), IT)
|
Family
ID: |
11122803 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/349,581 |
Filed: |
April 9, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Apr 11, 1972 [IT] |
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6964/72 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/254.7;
D9/423; 215/237; 222/556; 220/835; 220/837; 206/538; 215/321 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
47/0847 (20130101); B65D 83/06 (20130101); B65D
2251/1016 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
47/08 (20060101); B65D 83/06 (20060101); B65d
043/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/31SR,32,31R,60
;215/237 ;222/153,480,541,534,536,556 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Pollard; Steven M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn and
Macpeak
Claims
I claim:
1. A container comprising:
a hollow body portion having an opening of substantially
rectangular cross section,
a hollow plastic plug of substantially rectangular cross section
with a long side and a short side having a top wall and a skirt
perpendicular to said top wall adapted to partially fit into the
body portion through the opening therein, said skirt having a
stepped portion adapted to bear on the edge of the opening in the
body portion on insertion of the plug into the body,
the top wall of the plug being formed with an opening extending in
the direction of the long side of said plug from a short side
thereof,
a flap, adapted to close the said opening, integrally formed with
the plug and integrally hinged to the top wall at the end of the
opening remote from said short side,
the plug being formed with a recess adapted to receive the free end
of the flap in its closed position,
the flap being provided with an extension reaching beyond the said
short side in the closed position to act as gripping means,
cooperating snap-action means disposed in said recess and on the
bottom surface said free flap end, respectively, for retaining the
flap in its closed postion, comprising complementary coupling
surfaces extending in directions parallel to said long side of said
plug.
2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cooperating
snap-action means comprise a longitudinally extending tenon on the
bottom surface of the flap increasing in cross-sectional width from
its connection to the bottom surface of the flap and a
longitudinally extending mortise in the recess in said plug,
increasing in cross-sectional width from its upper edge.
3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mortise has a
transverse wall closing one end thereof cooperating with a portion
of the flap in closed portion to provide a sealing arrangement.
4. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess in the
plug adapted to receive the free end of the flap in its closing
position equals in depth the thickness of the top wall.
5. A container for granular substances comprising:
a hollow body portion having an opening of substantially
rectangular cross section,
a hollow plastic plug of substantially rectangular cross section
with a long side and a short side having a top wall and a skirt
perpendicular to said top wall adapted to partially fit into the
body portion through the opening therein, said skirt having a
stepped portion adapted to bear on the edge of the opening in the
body portion on insertion of the plug into the body,
the top wall of the plug being formed with an opening extending in
the direction of the long side of said plug from a short side
thereof,
a flap, adapted to close the said opening, integrally formed with
the plug and integrally hinged to the top wall at the end of the
opening remote from the short side,
the plug being formed with a recess adapted to receive the free end
of the flap in its closed position equalling in depth the thickness
of the top wall,
the flap being provided with an extension reaching beyond the said
short side in the closed position to act as gripping means,
cooperating snap-action means disposed in said recess and on the
bottom surface of said free end of the flap, respectively, for
holding the flap in its closed condition, said means comprising a
longitudinally extending tenon on the bottom surface of the flap
increasing in cross-sectional width from its connection to the
bottom surface of the flap and a longitudinally extending mortise
in the recess in said plug increasing in cross-sectional width from
its upper edge and matching in depth the spacing of the bottom in
the recess and base of the annular step carried by the skirt.
6. A container for granular substances comprising:
a hollow body portion having an opening of substantially
rectangular cross section,
a hollow plastic plug of substantially rectangular cross section
with a long side and a short side having a top wall and a skirt
perpendicular to said top wall adapted to partially fit into the
body portion through the mouth, said skirt having a stepped portion
adapted to bear on the edge of the opening in the body portion on
insertion of the plug into body,
the top wall of the plug being formed with an opening extending in
the direction of the long side of said plug from a short side
thereof,
a flap adapted to close the said opening, integrally formed with
the plug and integrally hinged to the top wall at the end of the
opening remote from said short side,
the plug being formed with a recess adapted to receive the free end
of the flap in its closed position,
the flap being provided with an extension reaching beyond the said
short side in the closed position to act as gripping means,
cooperating snap-action means disposed in said recess and the
bottom surface said free end of the flap, respectively, for holding
the flap in its closed condition, said means comprising a
longitudinally extending tenon on the bottom surface of the flap
increasing in cross-sectional width from its connection to the
bottom surface of the flap and a longitudinally extending mortise
in the recess in said plug increasing in cross-sectional width from
its outer edge wherein the longitudinally extending tenon on the
flap is formed with a transverse surface inclined towards the
hinged portion of said flap, the longitudinally extending mortise
in the plug recess being closed at the innermost end by a
transverse inclined wall, the transverse inclined surface of the
tenon and the said inclined wall extending parallel to each other
in a spaced relationship when the flap is in its closing
position.
7. A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transverse
inclined wall closing one end of the longitudinal mortise is
carried by an internal extension on the skirt of said plug.
8. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flap decreases in
thickness from its free end towards its hinged portion.
9. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinally
extending edges of the flap are chamfered and the longitudinally
extending edges of the opening in the plug top wall and of the
recess in the plug are provided with inclined surfaces which abutt
in the closing postion of the flap.
10. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which two opposite side
walls of the plug skirt are formed on their outer surfaces with
ribs extending parallel to the top wall, the corresponding walls of
the body portion being provided on their inner surfaces with ribs
adapted for snap-interengagement with the ribs on the plug upon
insertion of the plug into the body portion.
Description
The invention provides a container preferably molded from
transparent plastics for dispensing granular substances, tablets,
drops, and the like which can be opened and closed by seizing and
handling it by one hand and affords a safe closure, though
admitting of substantial manufacturing allowances, and is therefore
unaffected by shrinking or constructional inaccuracies.
The container according to the invention comprises:
A flattened prismatic body portion of substantially rectangular
cross section having a peripheral wall, a bottom and a mouth
opposite the bottom,
A hollow plug of plastics having a bottom wall, a skirt
perpendicular to said bottom wall, fitting into the body portion
through the mouth over part of its height, formed in its skirt with
a stepped portion adapted to bear on the edge of the mouth of the
body portion on insertion of the plug into the body,
The bottom wall of the plug being formed with an opening extending
along the large axis of said wall from one of its small sides,
A flap adapted to close the said opening; integrally formed with
the plug and hinged to the bottom wall at the inner end of the
opening,
The plug being formed with a recess adapted to receive the free end
of the flap in its closed position,
The flap being provided with an extension reaching axially beyond
the said recess in the closed position to act as gripping
means,
Cooperating snap-action means carried by the said recess and the
said free flap end, respectively, for retaining the flap in its
closed position, comprising coupling surfaces extending in
directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the flap.
Further characteristic features and advantages of the invention
will appear from the following detailed description referring to
the accompanying drawing given by way of a non-limiting example,
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled container for granular
substances according to this invention,
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof;
FIG. 3 is a part cross-sectional view on line III--III of FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the plug alone, on line
IV--IV of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a modified plug;
FIG. 6 is a plan view;
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale on
line VII--VII of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a representation similar to FIG. 7 showing the plug with
the flap in its open position;
FIG. 9 is a front view of the plug in an open condition;
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view on line X--X of FIG. 8; and
FIG. 11 is a perspective view in an open condition.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the container according to the invention
for granular substances, drops, tablets and the like comprises a
hollow body portion 1 in the form of a flattened prism, preferably
substantially rectangular in cross-section, closed by a bottom wall
at one end and having at its top end a mouth extending through-out
its cross-sectional area. Accordingly, the body portion is defined
at the top by a peripheral edge 2 determined by the thickness of
its peripheral walls.
The above mentioned body portion is preferably molded from
transparent plastics.
The mouth of the body portion 1 is fitted with a hollow plug 4 of
plastics (FIGS. 1 through 4) having a transversely extending top
wall 7, a tubular skirt 5 perpendicular to the bottom wall, adapted
to be forced into the mouth of the body portion 1 and an annular
step 8 extending from the skirt, adapted to bear on the edge 2 of
the mouth of the body portion 1 on insertion of the plug into the
body portion.
In order to cause the body portion 1 and plug 4 to safely
interengage the outer surface of the plug skirt is formed on its
small sides with two sets of transverse projections or ribs 6
extending parallel to the top wall 7 adapted to cooperate with
matching projections or ribs 3 extending from the inner surface of
the body portion small walls.
The top surface of the plug top 7 is formed with a rectangular
opening 9 extending along the large axis of the plug from one of
its small sides.
A swing flap 10 is provided above the opening 9 and is formed
integrally with the plug and hinged thereto at a region 11 reduced
in thickness acting as an integral hinge.
The swing flap 10 is formed with an axial extension 10a at its free
end, which, in the closed condition, reaches beyond the top wall to
act as a gripping means. The top wall is formed in its end adjacent
the opening 9 with a recess 12 adapted to receive the flap in the
lowered closing position of the latter. In order to hold the flap
in its closed position cooperating snap means are carried by the
flap 10 and recess 12 in the plug, respectively. The engaging snap
means comprise a longitudinal tenon 13 of substantially dovetailed
cross-sectional shape, carried by the bottom surface of the flap
and a mortise 14 extending longitudinally in the plug recess 12, of
dove-tailed shaped cross section adapted to cooperate with the
tenon 13 on the flap. On lowering of the flap the tenon 10 snaps
into the mortise 14 in the plug recess 12 and is held therein.
In order to open the container the gripping extension 10a on the
flap extending beyond the contour of the container is pressed down
to thereby deform the cooperating tenon and mortise 13, 14 and
release the former from the latter.
FIG. 5 and the following figures show a hollow plug 4' slightly
modified over the plug shown by FIGS. 1 and 4. In addition to
decreasing in thickness from its free, end towards a hinge region
11, the flap 10' is formed with 45.degree. chamfers 16 for coupling
with matching chamfers 15 carried by the longitudinal edges of the
opening 9 formed in the plug bottom wall 7.
The longitudinal tenon 13' on the flap is terminated at the rear by
an inwardly inclined cross wall 17. Similarly, the mortise 14' in
the plug recess 12 is confined at the rear by a similarly inclined
wall 18, whereby in the closed condition of the flap the inclined
walls 17, 18 of the tenon 13' and mortise 14' respectively, are
arranged parallel to each other as shown in FIG. 7, providing a
labyrinth which prevents access of dust to the container.
The inclined wall 18 confining at the rear the mortise 14' is
carried by an internal transverse extension 19 on the plug skirt 5
which extends beneath the opening in the extension of the recess
12.
This arrangement slightly limits the longitudinal extension of the
tenon and mortise as compared with the construction shown in FIGS.
1 through 4, though preventing access of dust.
In either case described above, the components are held together by
the interengagement of surfaces extending in a longitudinal
direction with respect to the bottom wall 7 and flap 10 on the
plug, whereby the closing means operate satisfactorily and are
unaffected by any inaccuracy due for instance to shrinking of the
material, within wide manufacturing allowances. The axial length of
the tenon (13, 13') on the flap equals at least the plug thickness
at the annular step 8.
The recess 12 in the plug adapted to receive the free end of the
flap in its closed condition equals in depth the thickness of the
bottom wall, the mortise (14, 14') equalling in depth the spacing
of the bottom of the recess 12 and base of the annular step 8 on
the skirt.
The above described container can be made of a size such that it
can be seized by one hand only, whereby opening and closing of the
flap can be effected by the thumb of the same hand holding the
container. Any deformation of the flap during handling by effect of
the thrust components exerted by the user thereon will leave
operation of the holding means unaffected, contrarily to means
having coupling surfaces arranged transversely of the opening and
flap.
As shown in FIGS. 5 through 11 the edge of the bottom wall 7 of the
plug 4' opposite the edge formed with the recess 12 for the free
end of the flap, is chamfered at 20 so that a plurality of
containers can be mutually juxtaposed during filling and packing
effected by automatic machines.
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