Method and Apparatus for Creating a Resealable Opening
An apparatus for creating a resealable opening is a locket that includes at least an inner ring and a hatch. The hatch includes a door and a mounting portion, the mounting portion including protrusions and the door being pivotably coupled to the mounting portion. For example, the door may be pivotably coupled to the mounting portion via a two-part hinge. The inner ring includes bosses configured to receive the protrusions, such that when the inner ring and hatch are installed on opposite sides of an item, the protrusions may extend therethrough and be secured within the bosses, thereby securing the locket to an item. A method for creating a resealable opening includes installing the inner ring to a first side of an item, installing the hatch to a second, opposite side of the item, and securing the plurality of protrusions within the plurality of bosses.
This application claims priority to and is based on U.S. Patent Application No. 61/712,406, filed Oct. 11, 2012, Attorney Docket No. 0621.2058P, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Creating a Resealable Opening” and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/806,011, filed Mar. 28, 2013, Attorney Docket No. 0621.2058P1, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Creating a Resealable Opening.” The entire disclosure of each of the above-identified U.S. provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to resealable opening that can be installed or coupled to various items. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for that can be installed or coupled to an item, such as a softgoods item, in order to create a resealable opening that provides interior access to the item. The present invention also relates to a method of installing this apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCaring for children regularly involves cleaning up after the child. Whether a parent is feeding a child, changing a child, playing outside with a child, among other activities, there is usually a mess that a parent must clean up. As an example, nearly every time that a parent changes a child's diaper, the parent requires wipes in order to clean the child. Since diaper changes are often required unexpectedly, a parent is usually left searching for a wipe when one is needed.
Although many travel wipe containers have been introduced to the market, wipe containers still must be found within a bag. As a result, some bags began to incorporate openings therein so that a wipe might be exposed exteriorly of the bag. However, many of these solutions require extensive manufacturing and cannot be installed simply onto various apparatuses and softgoods items. In light of this, a simple method and apparatus for creating a resealable opening is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to at least one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for creating a resealable opening includes an inner ring and a hatch. The hatch includes a door that is rotatably coupled to a mounting portion, the mounting portion including a plurality of protrusions and the inner ring including a plurality of bosses configured to receive the plurality of protrusions, such that the apparatus may be removably installed onto various items by installing the hatch of a first side of an item, installing the inner ring on a second, opposite side of the item and inserting the plurality of protrusions through the item such that the protrusions are removably secured within the plurality of bosses on the second side.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for creating a resealable opening also includes an insert disposed between the inner ring and the hatch, the insert having a resilient inner surface including a slit.
According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a method for creating a resealable opening on an item, comprising the steps of: installing an inner ring on a first side of an item; installing a hatch on a second, opposite side of an item, the hatch including a door that is rotatably coupled to a mounting portion, the mounting portion including a plurality of protrusions and the inner ring including a plurality of bosses configured to receive the plurality of protrusions; and securing the plurality of protrusions within the plurality of bosses.
Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONGenerally referring to the figures, at least one exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for creating a resealable opening is shown. The apparatus includes at least two portions that may be coupled together in order to form a resealable opening. More specifically, the apparatus may be or resemble a locket and include an inner ring and a hatch, the hatch being coupleable to the inner ring. The inner ring may alternatively be referred to as an interior portion or inner portion. In at least some embodiments, the hatch may be coupled to the inner ring through or around a portion of an item, such as a baby bag, so that the locket is removably secured thereto in a manner which creates a resealable opening in the item. While the majority of the embodiments included herein include a mounting portion with protrusions that may be secured in cylindrical bosses included on the inner ring, it is to be understood that any desirable engagement portion may be used to couple the hatch to the interior portion and, as such, the protrusions and bosses may alternatively be referred to as engagement portions.
Now referring to
Referring specifically to
Now referring to the exemplary insert 120 shown in
Now referring to
Turning now to the mounting portion, mounting portion 152 may be sized and shaped nearly identical to inner ring 110. For example, mounting portion 152 may be an annular, oval-shaped piece with an outer edge 156 and an inner edge 154. However, unlike inner ring 110, mounting portion 152 may be substantially flat and have a plurality of protrusions 160 extending from its lower surface 158 (as opposed to the plurality of bosses 118 extending from its top surface 116). Additionally, mounting portion may include a latch portion 164 which may be disposed opposite of a latch portion 146 included on door 142.
Still referring to
Now referring to
Still referring to
For example, in the embodiment shown in
Now referring to
Now referring to
Still referring to
Due to this configuration, a user can insert an item into softgoods items 400, 500, and 600 via openings 402, 502, and 602, respectively, but continue to have quick and easy access to this item via locket 100′. For example, a parent can store a container of baby wipes or a stack of loose baby wipes within a bag or a bag's pocket, such as bag 400 or pockets 504, 604, and be able to retrieve a single baby wipe from the bag without removing the entire container or stack of baby wipes. Furthermore, locket 100′ ensures that a parent does not need to search through a bag to find a baby wipe and also allows to a parent to remove a single wipe without removing an entire wipe container or stack.
In addition to providing easy and convenient access, the exemplary configurations depicted in
Referring now to
Referring generally to
Now referring to
More specifically, turning to
Now referring to
Turning now to
Still referring to
Now turning to
Still referring to
As seen best in
In contrast, and as seen in both
In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, at least one of pin 951 and the receiver 966 including slot 969 may be slightly deformable in order to allow the ends of pin 951 to slip through slot 969 while still providing a tight, interference fit between the cavity 968 and the pin 951. However, in other embodiments, the shape of the protrusion 951 and cavity 966 may allow the pin 951 to slip through the slot 969 and also be securely maintained within the receivers 966. Regardless, this simple two-step process described above allows the door 942 to be easily installed onto mounting portion 952 to supply a removable hinge for locket 900. Additionally, as mentioned above, in still other embodiments, the door 942 may be fixedly coupled to the pin 951. In these embodiments, the pin 951 may also be installed in the same manner, but the pin 951 may remain free to rotate within the receivers 966 in order to allow the door 942 and mounting portion 952 to be rotatably coupled together.
It is to be understood that locket 100, 100′, 800, and 900, as well as any other embodiments of an apparatus for creating a resealable opening may be fabricated from any suitable material, or combination of materials, such as plastic, foamed plastic, wood, cardboard, pressed paper, metal, supple natural or synthetic materials including, but not limited to, cotton, elastomers, polyester, plastic, rubber, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. Suitable plastics may include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), or the like. Suitable foamed plastics may include expanded or extruded polystyrene, expanded or extruded polypropylene, EVA foam, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.
It is also to be understood that terms such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points or portions of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the invention.
Although the disclosed inventions are illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for creating a resealable opening, comprising:
- an interior portion; and
- a hatch, the hatch including a door that is rotatably coupled to a mounting portion, the mounting portion including a first engagement portion and the and the interior portion including a second engagement portion, wherein the first and second engagement portions are configured to engage each other such that the apparatus may be removably installed onto various items by installing the hatch on a first side of an item, installing the interior portion on a second, opposite side of the item, and coupling the two engagement portions together through the item such that the apparatus is secured to the item with the hatch secured on the first side and the interior portion secured on the second side.
2. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 1, further comprising:
- an insert disposed between the interior portion and the hatch, the insert having a resilient inner surface including a slit.
3. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 2, wherein the insert is formed integrally with the mounting portion.
4. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 2, wherein the door includes an opening, the opening being aligned with the slit.
5. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 1, wherein the hatch includes a latch which is configured to releasably secure the door in a closed position to the mounting portion.
6. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 5, wherein the latch comprises:
- a first latch portion included on the door; and
- a second latch portion included on the mounting portion, wherein the first latch portion is configured to be frictionally secured within the second latch portion.
7. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 1, wherein the door is removably, rotatably coupled to the mounting portion.
8. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 7, wherein the door is removably, rotatably coupled to the mounting portion via a two-part hinge, the two part hinge comprising:
- a hinge section; and
- at least one receiver, wherein the hinge section is removably, rotatably secureable within the at least one receiver.
9. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 1, wherein:
- the first engagement portion comprises a plurality of protrusions; and
- the second engagement portion comprises a plurality of receiving portions configured to receive the plurality of protrusions; such that the apparatus may be removably installed onto various items by inserting the plurality of protrusions through the item and securing the protrusions within the plurality of receiving portions of the second engagement portion.
10. A method for creating a resealable opening on an item, comprising the steps of:
- installing an inner portion on a first side of an item;
- installing a hatch on a second, opposite side of an item, the hatch including a door that is rotatably coupled to a mounting portion, the mounting portion including a plurality of protrusions and the inner portion g including a plurality of receiving portions configured to receive the plurality of protrusions;
- securing the plurality of protrusions within the plurality of receiving portions; and
- securing the door in a closed position to the mounting portion.
11. The method for creating a resealable opening on an item of claim 10 further comprising the step of:
- installing an insert between the inner portion and the hatch, the insert having a resilient inner surface including a slit.
12. The method for creating a resealable opening on an item of claim 11, wherein the insert is formed integrally with the mounting portion.
13. The method for creating a resealable opening on an item of claim 11, wherein the door includes an opening, the opening being aligned with the slit.
14. The method for creating a resealable opening on an item of claim 10, wherein the hatch includes a latch, the latch comprising:
- a first latch portion included on the door; and
- a second latch portion included on the mounting portion, wherein the first latch portion is configured to be releasably secured to the second latch portion.
15. The method for creating a resealable opening on an item of claim 14, wherein the step of securing the door in a closed position to the mounting portion further comprises:
- folding the door onto the mounting portion; and
- securing the first latch portion within the second latch portion.
16. The method for creating a resealable opening on an item of claim 10, wherein the step of securing the door in a closed position to the mounting portion further comprises:
- rotatably coupling the door to the mounting portion with a hinge, the hinge including a hinge pin section and at least one receiver, the hinge pin section being removably, rotatably secureable within the at least one receiver.
17. The method for creating a resealable opening on an item of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:
- inserting a first end of the hinge pin section into a cavity of a first of the at least one receivers; and
- sliding a second end of the hinge pin section into a cavity of a second of the at least one receivers, the second end of the hinge portion being slid through a slot included in the second of the at least one receivers.
18. An apparatus for creating a resealable opening, comprising:
- an inner portion; and
- a hatch, the hatch including a door that is rotatably coupled to a mounting portion, the mounting portion including a plurality of protrusions and the inner portion including a plurality of receiving portions configured to receive the plurality of protrusions, such that the apparatus may be removably installed onto various items by installing the hatch on a first side of an item, installing the inner portion on a second, opposite side of the item and inserting the plurality of protrusions through the item such that the protrusions are secured within the plurality of receiving portions on the second side of the item.
19. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 18, wherein the door is rotatably coupled to the mounting portion via a hinge, the hinge comprising:
- a hinge pin section; and
- at least one receiver, wherein the hinge pin section is removably, rotatably secureable within the at least one receiver.
20. The apparatus for creating a resealable opening of claim 19, wherein each of the at least one receiver includes a cavity that includes a slot configured to allow the hinge pin section to slidably engaged one of the at least one receivers.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 10, 2013
Publication Date: Apr 17, 2014
Inventor: Mary G. Mastrosimone-Gese (East Aurora, NY)
Application Number: 14/050,621
International Classification: B65D 43/02 (20060101);