Container With Lock And Release Mechanism
A container includes an improved lock and release mechanism for securing a top structure to a base structure. The base structure and top structure are releasably secured together as a protrusion, which extends from a front wall, and a groove, which is disposed in a flexible portion of a front wall, engage one another. The container further includes protrusions and recesses that align the top and base structures and constrain the movement of the top and base structures relative to one another in a sliding plane such that the lock and release mechanism is not inadvertently released. The flexible portion of the front wall can be displaced to disengage the locking elements.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/716,677, filed Sep. 13, 2005, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to containers, and more specifically to containers that include a lock and release mechanism.
BACKGROUNDA container that includes a lock and release mechanism is desirable in many applications. The lock and release mechanism keeps the container locked in a closed condition unless a release mechanism is triggered to open the container. Thus, the container provides child resistance or is otherwise not inadvertently opened to allow access to the products contained therein.
Many of the previous lock and release mechanisms are overly complex so as to require multiple parts and/or difficult manufacturing processes. The additional costs associated with such a lock and release mechanism can be substantial with respect to high volume productions. In addition, certain of the previous lock and release mechanisms can be manipulated to open the container without properly triggering the release mechanism.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. What is needed is a container that includes an effective lock and release mechanism that is simple to use and easy to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe various embodiments of the present invention overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a container with an improved lock and release mechanism. The lock and release mechanism includes locking elements for engaging one another such that a base structure and a top structure of the container can be releasably secured to one another. The lock and release mechanism further includes a flexible portion of a wall that can be displaced to disengage the locking elements from one another and open the container. The flexible portion of the wall and the locking elements are easily formed from plastic or other materials and are integral to the top and base structures.
In an exemplary embodiment, a container includes a first structure that includes a first wall and a first locking element. The container also includes a second structure that includes a second wall and a second locking element. The second wall has a flexible portion that can be displaced. A free edge of the flexible portion of the second wall is partially defined by a slot which separates the flexible portion of the second wall from the second structure. The first structure can be releasably secured to the second structure to close the container as the first wall is disposed to be adjacent to the second wall and the first locking element engages the second locking element. The first and second walls are substantially coplanar or otherwise aligned in a first plane.
To open the container, the flexible portion of the second wall is displaces to disengage the engaged locking elements and release the first and second structures from one another. For example, the second locking element can be disposed in the flexible portion of the second wall so that the locking element is displaced with the flexible portion of the second wall. The locking elements can be any two elements that can engage one another when the first wall of the first structure is properly aligned and adjacent to the second wall of the second structure. Combinations of locking elements include depressions, grooves, apertures, sockets, slots, and the like that receive detents, protrusions, ledges, pegs, extensions, and the like. Further, two or more protrusions can engage one another.
In the exemplary embodiment, a groove is defined in the flexible portion of the second wall that is positioned and dimensioned to receive a protrusion that extends from the first wall. However, in alternative embodiments, the flexible portion of the second wall can include a protrusion that is positioned and dimensioned to be received in a groove that is defined in the first wall. In the exemplary embodiment, the second wall includes a recessed portion that defines a ledge such that in the closed position the end of the first wall abuts the ledge and the inside surface of the first wall is in flat face contact with the outside surface of the recessed portion of the second wall. This arrangement facilitates positioning locking elements in relation to one another. However, the ends of the first wall and the second wall can abut one another. In either embodiment, the locking elements are not limited to being defined in the first and second walls but can rather extend from or be attached to the walls.
In the exemplary embodiment, the top and base structures of the container are connected by a hinge. Specifically, the top and base structures are hingedly connected to opposite ends of a hinge panel. In certain embodiments, when the container is in a closed condition, the hinge allows the top and base structures to move relative to one another. Thereby, the top and base structures are not necessarily properly aligned such that the locking elements engage one another. In such embodiments, means for positioning the first structure with respect to the second structure is provided to properly align the first wall with respect to the second wall such that the locking elements are positioned to engage one another. Means for positioning the first structure with respect to the second structure constrains the movement of the first structure with respect to the second structure, for example, in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the aligned first and second walls. Thereby, the container cannot be manipulated to gain access to the contents of the container or otherwise the lock and release mechanism cannot be inadvertently released.
The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the aspects and features of the present invention, which should be construed to be merely illustrative of various potential applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by combining various aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, the word “exemplary” is used expansively to refer to embodiments that serve as illustrations, specimens, models, or patterns. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials, or methods have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the present invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, the drawings illustrate certain of the various aspects of exemplary embodiments of a container that includes an improved lock and release mechanism. Generally described, the container includes a base structure and a top structure that are releasably secured together as locking elements of each of the top structure and base structure engage one another. The container further includes a flexible portion of a wall that can be displaced to disengage the locking elements.
Referring to
The outer cover 114 includes top and base panels 116, 118 that are hingedly connected to a hinge panel 120 along fold lines, 122, 124, respectively. The top and base trays 110, 112 are attached to the top and base panels 116, 118, respectively, such that the base tray 112 is aligned with the top tray 110, as will be further described below, when the container 100 is in a closed condition, as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, each of the trays 110, 112 has walls that are arranged to define a substantially rectangular shape that corresponds to the rectangular shape of the panels 116, 118. Referring to
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the trays may have a different number of walls and a different geometrical shape than described above and remain within the scope of the invention. In alternative embodiments, the trays can include any number of walls that can be arranged to define the side or sides of various geometric shapes including a circle, triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, and the like. In such embodiments, the top and base panels can have the same shape as the top and base trays or can have a shape that is different from that of the trays.
The side walls 136, 138 and the front wall 140 of the base tray 112 are stepped to receive the side walls 126, 128 and the front wall 130 of the top tray 110. Thereby, the top structure S1 and the base structure S2 are nested or otherwise receive one another as the container 100 is in a closed condition. More specifically, the walls 136, 138, 140 of the base tray 112 have an at least partially recessed portion that defines a ledge 148. The walls 126, 128, 130 of the top tray 110 extend to and abut the ledge 148 when the container 100 is in a closed position. Further, the inside surface each of the walls 126, 128, 130 of the top tray 110 is in a face contacting arrangement with the outside surface of the recessed portion of each the walls 136, 138, 140 of the base tray 112, respectively, to enclose contents (not shown) in the container 100.
In the exemplary embodiment, each side wall 136, 138 of the base tray 112 includes a recess 150 that receives a respective extension 152, which protrudes from the inside surface of each side wall 126, 128 of the top tray 110, to secure and align the trays 110, 112. The recesses 150 and the extensions 152 provide means for positioning the top and base structures S1, S2 relative to one another and constrain the movement of the top and base structures S1, S2 relative to one another, as described in further detail below.
As shown in
The trays 110, 112 include elements of a lock and release mechanism for the container 100, best shown in
Referring to
As shown in
The container 100 can be opened by pressing the push button 162 in the direction A to displace the flexible portion 158 of the front wall 140 and thereby release protrusion 156 from the groove 164 such that the top structure S1 can rotate from the base structure S2 in the direction B, as shown in
It should be understood that, in alternative embodiments, the elements of the lock and release mechanism can be disposed in or extend from corresponding sidewalls of the container 100 or in any wall or walls of an alternative embodiment of a container. In other embodiments, the position of the elements of the lock and release mechanism can be changed. For example, the positions of the groove 164 and the protrusion 156 can be exchanged such that the groove 164 is disposed in the inside surface of the front wall 130 and the protrusion 156 extends from the flexible portion 158 of the front wall 140. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any suitable combination of corresponding locking elements can be substituted for the protrusion 156 and/or the groove 164 including, but not limited to, depressions, grooves, apertures, sockets, slots, detents, protrusions, ledges, pegs, and extensions.
The law does not require and it is economically prohibitive to illustrate and teach every possible embodiment of the present claims. Hence, the above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Variations, modifications, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. All such variations, modifications, and combinations are included herein by the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.
Claims
1. A container, comprising:
- a first structure, comprising: a first wall; and a first locking element;
- a second structure, comprising: a second wall having a flexible portion; and a second locking element;
- wherein said first structure can be releasably secured to said second structure as said first wall is disposed to be adjacent to said second wall and said first locking element engages said second locking element; and
- wherein said first locking element can be disengaged from said second locking element by displacing said flexible portion of said second wall.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein a hinge connects said first structure to said second structure.
3. The container of claim 1, further comprising means for positioning said first structure with respect to said second structure.
4. The container of claim 3, wherein said means for positioning aligns said first wall with respect to said second wall in a first plane.
5. The container of claim 4, wherein said means for positioning constrains the movement of said first wall with respect to said second wall in a second plane that is perpendicular to said first plane.
6. The container of claim 3, said means for positioning comprising an extension and a recess.
7. The container of claim 1, further comprising a push button that facilitates displacing said flexible portion of said second wall.
8. The container of claim 1, wherein said flexible portion of said second wall is at least partially defined by a slot.
9. The container of claim 8, wherein said slot defines an upper edge of said flexible portion of said second wall.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 13, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 19, 2007
Inventor: John Gelardi (Kennebunkport, ME)
Application Number: 11/531,499
International Classification: B65D 73/00 (20060101);