Container
A container comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. Each of the walls has a substantially rectangular shape. The rectangular shape of each wall enables the container to be stored easily on a shelf or counter-top. The top wall and portions of the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall form a lid. The lid is pivotally attached to the rear wall by a hinge. The lid can be opened by rotation thereof about the hinge. The front wall has at least one recess and the rear wall has at least one recess. The at least one recess of the front wall and the at least one recess of the rear wall are adjacent to the first side wall. The recesses provide a grip feature, which enables the user to manipulate the lid of the container with one hand when the container rests on a flat surface, e.g., a tabletop or a counter top. The container is suitable for holding granular material or powdered material, the container having a scoop furnished therewith.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of packaging, and more particularly, packaging for granulated products, such as for example, a powder.
2. Discussion of the Art
Currently, products in granular or powdered form, such as, for example, infant formula, flour, coffee, sugar, are packaged in canisters. Scoops are provided within the package for measured dispensing. Consumers have found that the current packaging is difficult to handle with a single hand, have found that it is difficult to remove the scoop out from the packaging upon the first use, and have found that it is difficult to remove the last bit of powder from the package on account of the shape of the container. When the user wishes to withdraw a portion of the product from the container, he or she must first root around in the interior of the container with his or her fingers to find the scoop. Once located, the scoop is withdrawn so that it can be used. The scoop, having been buried in the granular product, is usually covered with the product. The product may soil the hands of the user. Often, the product is spilled onto a countertop or table upon which the container is resting. In addition to waste of the product and the mess on the countertop or table, the product may also be contaminated by contact with the hands of the user. Once the scoop is located and gripped by the user, it can be used to withdraw the desired amount of product. Typically, the scoop is then placed back into the container and the lid is replaced. The next time the product is to be with drawn from the container, the process is repeated. U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,974 addresses the problem of storage of the scoop outside of the granular or powdered product.
It would be desirable to provide a container that enables access to the last bit of powder in a container. It would also be desirable to provide a container that enables access to a scoop for dispensing the powder. It would further be desirable to provide a package that can be easily manipulated by one hand. It would be still further desirable to provide a container that is easy to handle, grip, and store on a shelf.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention provides a container comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. Each of the walls has a substantially rectangular shape. The rectangular shape of each wall enables the container to be stored easily on a shelf or counter-top. The top wall and portions of the front wall, the rear wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall form a lid. The lid is pivotally attached to the rear wall by a hinge. The lid can be opened by rotation thereof about the hinge. The front wall has at least one recess and the rear wall has at least one recess. The at least one recess of the front wall and the at least one recess of the rear wall are adjacent to the first side wall. The recesses provide a grip feature, which enables the user to manipulate the lid of the container with one hand when the container rests on a flat surface, e.g., a tabletop or a counter top. The container is preferably made of a polymeric material.
The container provided herein is suitable for holding granular material or powdered material, the container having a scoop furnished therewith. The scoop has a handle and a bowl. The interior of the container is characterized by having corners that are congruent with the bowl of the scoop furnished with the container. The congruency of the bowl of the scoop with the corners of the container enables the user to remove the last bit of powder remaining in the container. A flexible seal can be applied to the interior of the container to provide a substantially moisture-impervious, oxygen-impervious seal for the granular material or powdered material.
The lid is furnished with a scoop holder, whereby the scoop can be stored outside the bulk of the contents of the container to enable easy, clean access to the contents of the container. The container can be opened and closed with a single hand.
As used herein, the expression “top wall” means the side of the container exclusive of the bottom wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the front wall, and the rear wall of the container. The term “lid” means a hinged cover for a hollow receptacle and is intended to include the top wall of the container plus the upper portion of the first side wall, the upper portion of the second side wall, the upper portion of the front wall, and the upper portion of the rear wall of the container. As used herein, the term “bracket” means a wall-anchored fixture adapted to support a load.
Referring now to
The hinge 24 prevents the lid “L” from descending when the product is being accessed by the user, which would cause a nearly empty container to tip over. The hinge 24 can be a living hinge or a conventional mechanical hinge. A living hinge is a thin flexible web of material that joins two rigid bodies together. In this case, the living hinge connects two segments of an object, i.e., the lid “L” and the rear wall 18 of the container 10, to keep the segments together and allow the object to be opened and closed. The material used to make a living hinge is preferably a very flexible polymeric material, such as, for example, polypropylene and polyethylene. Living hinges can be flexed numerous times without failure. Living hinges are described in more detail at http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/plastic_design/hinge.cfm, Nov. 6, 2006, pages 1-3 and at http://engr.bd.psu.edu/pkoch/plasticdesign/living_hinge.htm, Nov. 6, 2006, pages 1-8, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Conventional mechanical hinges include, but are not limited to, hinge assemblies comprising a first panel having two or more sockets mounted on an edge thereof and a second panel having two or more pins mounted on an edge thereof, the aforementioned pins mating with the aforementioned sockets to join the edge of the first panel to the edge of the second panel, the pins and the sockets allowing rotation of the first panel about the second panel. Conventional mechanical hinges are described in more detail in http://www.hardwaresource.com/index.asp, see “other hinges”, Dec. 26, 2006, incorporated herein by reference.
The hinge 24 is designed in such a manner that when the lid “L” of the container 10 is opened to enable the user to obtain access to the contents of the container 10, the lid “L” will not fall forward to the closed position. Further, the lid “L” will not fall too far backward beyond the open position desired, which would cause a container 10, when nearly empty, to tip over onto the rear wall 18.
The top wall 12, the bottom wall 14, the front wall 16, the rear wall 18, the first side wall 20, and the second side wall 22 enclose a hollow interior space into which a product can be inserted. While the hollow interior space can hold any solid or liquid product, the particular product for which the container 10 is designed is typically a flowable solid material, such as, for example, a powdered product or a granular product. Representative examples of such a powdered product or granular product include, but are not limited to, infant formula, flour, coffee, and sugar.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The scoop holder 30 is positioned in such a manner that the handle 34 of the scoop 32 is prevented from contacting the substantially moisture-impervious, oxygen-impervious seal 28 positioned over the contents of the container, thereby protecting the integrity of the seal 28. In addition, the scoop holder 30 prevents the handle 34 from being dislodged and maintains the position of the scoop 32 during shipping and storage. As shown in
An optional, but desirable, feature of the lid “L” is a restraint 38 for preventing the handle 34 of the scoop 32 from rotating if the connection (i.e., the friction fit) between the scoop holder 30 and the bowl 36 of the scoop 32 loosens sufficiently to allow the bowl 36 of the scoop 32 to rotate in the scoop holder 30, thereby allowing the handle 34 of the scoop 32 to contact the substantially moisture-impervious, oxygen-impervious seal 28 and possibly puncture the seal 28. As shown in
The bowl 36 of the scoop 32 has a rim 36a that is shaped to be congruent with the corners 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d, formed by the junctions between the front wall 16 and the first side wall 20 and the bottom wall 14, the front wall 16 and the second side wall 22 and the bottom wall 14, the rear wall 18 and the first side wall 20 and the bottom wall 14, and the rear wall 18 and the second side wall 22 and the bottom wall 14, respectively. The corners 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d are shown in
The shape of the bottom wall 14 of the container 10 and the shape of the top wall 12 of the container 10 can be designed to enable a plurality of containers 10 to be stacked, one upon another, such as, for example, on a shelf in a grocery store. It is preferred that the shape of the perimeter of the bottom wall 14 of the container 10 be substantially similar to the shape of the perimeter of the top wall 12 of the container 10. The top wall 12 can be flat or contoured and the bottom wall 14 can be flat or contoured. Generally, if the top wall 12 is contoured, the bottom wall 14 must also be contoured in such a manner as to be substantially congruent with the top wall 12, so that a plurality of containers 10 can be stacked one on top of another. However, so long as the lid “L” is flat, the containers will be stackable even if the bottom wall 14 of the container 10 is not flat, provided that the bottom wall 14 of the container 10 is designed so that the top wall 12 of the container 10 remains in a horizontal orientation relative to a horizontal shelf. In
The rectangular shape of the container 10, in combination with the recesses 26a and 26b for gripping, enables the user to hold the container 10 with one hand, while using the scoop 32 with the other hand. The shape of the container 10 enables ease of access to the product during the act of removing the product from the container 10 by means of the scoop 32.
The shape of the container 10 enables the lid “L” to be securely fitted to the upper portions 16d, 18d, 20d, and 22d, of the front wall 16, the rear wall 18, the first side wall 20, and the second side wall 22, respectively, of the container 10.
Referring now to
As shown in
The dimensions of the container 10 and the components thereof are not critical. However, for the purpose of illustration, typical dimensions of the various components can be as follows:
Top wall 12 and bottom wall 14: 4 in. to 5 in.×5.5 in to 6.5 in.
Front wall 16 and rear wall 18: 5.5 in. to 7.5 in.×5.5 in. to 6.5 in.
First side wall 20 and second side wall 22: 4 in. to 5 in.×5.5 in. to 7.5 in.
Volume of container 10: 23 oz. to 34 oz.
There are numerous methods of making the container 10 described herein. However, in order to facilitate mass production of containers having a variety of volumes, the container 10 can be assembled in the following manner. Referring now to
An assembly 82 comprising a collar 84 and the lid “L” (alternatively referred to herein as “collar/lid assembly 82”) can be provided by a supplier. The collar/lid assembly 82 comprises the top wall 12, the upper portion 16d of the front wall 16, the upper portion 18d of the rear wall 18, the upper portion 20d of the first side wall 20, and the upper portion 22d of the second side wall 22. The upper portion 16d of the front wall 16, the upper portion 18d of the rear wall 18, the upper portion 20d of the first side wall 20, and the upper portion 22d of the second side wall 22 typically comprise from about 10% to about 40% of the height of the front wall 16, rear wall 18 first side wall 20, and second side wall 22, respectively. The ratios for the lower portion 16e of the front wall 16, the lower portion 18e of the rear wall 18, the lower portion 20e of the first side wall 20, and the lower portion 22e of the second side wall 22 and the ratios for the upper portion 16d of the front wall 16, the upper portion 18d of the rear wall 18, the upper portion 20d of the first side wall 20, and the upper portion 22d of the second side wall 22 primarily depend upon the volume of the container 10, which in turn depends upon the volume of the tub-shaped receptacle 80. The size of the assembly of the collar/lid essentially 82 remains constant, but the volume of the tub-shaped receptacle 80 varies to provide containers of various volumes.
Each corner 84a, 84b, 84c, and 84d of the collar 84 has at least one guide fin 86a, and preferably two guide fins 86a, 86b, to properly align the collar 84 with the tub-shaped receptacle 80. The tub-shaped receptacle 80 is made up of the bottom wall 14 and those portions of the front wall 16, the rear wall 18, the first side wall 20, and the second side wall 22 that are not made up of the upper portions 16d, 18d, 20d, and 22d of the front wall 16, the rear wall 18, the first side wall 20, and the second side wall 22, respectively, which upper portions 16d, 18d, 20d, and 22d make up the collar 84. The collar 84 is joined to the tub-shaped receptacle 80 by aligning the guide fins 86a, 86b in each corner 84a, 84b, 84c, and 84d of the collar 84 with the corners 80a, 80b, 80c, and 80d located at the rim 88 of the tub-shaped receptacle 80 and press-fitting the collar 84 to the tub-shaped receptacle 80. The guide fins 86a, 86b in each corner 84a, 84b, 84c, and 84d of the collar 84 snugly fit into a groove 90 running around the exterior periphery of the tub-shaped receptacle 80. After the collar 84 is joined to the tub-shaped receptacle 80, the tamper-indicating seal 76 is applied to the front wall 16 and the lid “L” of the container 10.
The position of the substantially moisture-impervious, oxygen-impervious seal 28 inside of the container 10 is a matter of choice. In one embodiment, the substantially moisture-impervious, oxygen-impervious seal 28 can be applied directly to the rim 88 running around the periphery of the tub-shaped receptacle 80 by means of an adhesive, typically a heat-sealable adhesive. See
The use of a living hinge or a mechanical hinge for pivotally joining the lid “L” to the collar 84 is also a matter of choice. Referring now to
The materials of the components of the container 10 are not critical. However, certain materials for the components of the container are preferred on account of, for example, such considerations as manufacturing considerations, economic considerations, and consumer considerations. The tub-shaped receptacle typically comprises a multiple-layer material, wherein the multiple-layer material comprises an inner layer, an outer layer and a regrind layer between the inner layer and the outer layer. Such a multiple layer-material is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0161558, published Aug. 19, 2004, incorporated herein by reference. The assembly comprising the collar 84 and the lid “L” typically comprises a polymeric material, such as, for example, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene. The scoop typically comprises a polymeric material, such as, for example, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene.
OperationThe container 10 is opened by means of the latch 54 and the user retrieves the scoop 32 from the lid “L” of the container 10. The substantially moisture-impervious, oxygen-impervious seal 28 is then removed from the container 10. The user can then use the scoop 32 to remove a portion of the contents of the container. After the scoop 32 has been used, the scoop 32 can be reattached to the scoop holder 30 on the lid “L” for all subsequent times the scoop is to be used. Accordingly, the granular or powdered product will not be spilled, wasted, or contaminated by contact with the hand of the user.
Various modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention, and it should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein.
Claims
1. A container comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, said top wall and a portion of said front wall, a portion of said rear wall, a portion of said first side wall, and a portion of said second side wall forming a lid, said lid pivotally attached to said rear wall by a hinge, said front wall having at least one recess, said rear wall having at least one recess, said at least one recess of said front wall and said at least one recess of said rear wall being adjacent to said first side wall.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the hinge is a living hinge.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein the hinge is a mechanical hinge.
4. The container of claim 1, wherein said front wall, said rear wall, said first side wall, and said second side wall of said container are formed from (a) an assembly comprising a collar and said lid and (b) a tub-shaped receptacle.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein said collar comprises a plurality of fins for aligning said collar with said tub-shaped receptacle, and said tub-shaped receptacle has a groove running around the periphery thereof to receive a projection running around the periphery of said collar.
6. The container of claim 1, further including a holder attached to the interior surface of said lid, said holder capable of retaining a scoop, said scoop having a bowl and a handle, said bowl of said scoop having a rim.
7. The container of claim 6, wherein said holder is capable of retaining said scoop by means of said bowl of said scoop.
8. The container of claim 6, wherein said holder comprises a pair of brackets, said pair of brackets holding said scoop by said bowl of said scoop.
9. The container of claim 8, wherein the brackets hold the scoop in such a manner that the contents of the container cannot enter the bowl of the scoop.
10. The container of claim 6, wherein the interior surface of said lid further includes a restraint for preventing said handle of said scoop from moving when said scoop is retained in said holder.
11. The container of claim 6, wherein the corners formed by the intersection of the bottom wall, the first side wall, the second side wall, the front wall, and the rear wall are congruent with the rim of the bowl of the scoop.
12. The container of claim 10, wherein the rim of the bowl of the scoop is rounded.
13. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid includes a tamper indicating latch and the front wall has a keeper for said latch.
14. The container of claim 1, wherein a tamper-indicating seal is attached to the lid and the front wall.
15. The container of claim 1, wherein the front wall has one recess and the rear wall has one recess.
16. The container of claim 15, wherein the at least one recess in the front wall has a second recess and the at least one recess in the rear wall has a second recess.
17. The container of claim 1, wherein the front wall has two recesses and the rear wall has two recesses, one of said two recesses of said front wall and one of said two recesses of said rear wall adjacent to said first side wall and the other said two recesses of said front wall and the other of said two recesses of said rear wall adjacent to said second side wall.
18. The container of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first side wall, at least a portion of the second side wall, at least a portion of the front wall, at least a portion of the rear wall, and the bottom wall are made of a multiple layer material.
19. The container of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall is concave and the top wall is convex, wherein the top wall of a given container fits snugly against the bottom wall of a like container.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 27, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 3, 2008
Inventors: James P. Perry (Gahanna, OH), Ashley A. Gohlke (Dublin, OH), William J. Hook (Galena, OH), Katherine J. Jordan (Pickerington, OH), Frank S. Walczak (Galena, OH), J. Kevin Clay (Milford, CT), Richard C. Darr (Medina, OH), Jack E. Elder (Rochester, MI), Marc A. Pedmo (Litchfield, OH), Charles R. Schotthoefer (Bloomfield, MI)
Application Number: 11/645,887
International Classification: B65D 5/00 (20060101);