Item Counting Device for Container Lid

Abstract

A container closure that counts items inserted into the container is disclosed. The closure includes a lid structure that has a container sealing means around a perimeter thereof and an aperture traversing the lid structure. A flap is adapted to substantially seal the aperture and is fixed with a hinge at one edge thereof to a bottom side of the lid structure. A counting mechanism is fixed to the lid structure and includes an actuating lever having an actuator linkage fixed to the flap. The counting mechanism is adapted to increment a counter of the counting mechanism when the flap is moved from a closed position towards an open position. Preferably the actuator linkage is a coil spring such that the flap only needs to travel a short distance towards its open position to actuate the actuating lever. Thereafter, once the actuator linkage has pulled the actuating lever into its actuating position and the counter has been incremented, the coil spring expands as necessary to permit the item to traverse the aperture between the flap and the lid structure.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/919,586, filed on Mar. 23, 2007, and incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to a container closure with an item counting function.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

While fishing, it is often convenient to store caught fish in a container, and towards that end containers with easily opened lids or easily opened apertures in lids have been devised. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,287 to Louie on Oct. 8, 2002 teaches a lid having a small tackle box function as well as a hinged cover for an aperture for receiving fish. U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,297 to Ward on Mar. 28, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. D425,600 to Pas et al. on May 23, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,540 to Brower on Feb. 22, 1977; and U.S. Pat. No. D532,860 to Richardson et al. on Nov. 28, 2006 all teach similar containers designed to hold fish and each having a closable aperture in the lids thereof. When fishing, and particularly on a good fishing day, it is often easy to lose count of the number of fish caught over a period of time. These types of prior-art container devices, however, must be opened and quite often the fish must be handled within the container in order to accurately count the number of fish therein if one has forgotten the number of fish that have been caught. As such, a container that includes a counting function would be desirable while fishing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,291 to Mielke on Oct. 20, 1992 teaches such a device. A biased flap is openable by inserting a fish through an aperture in the lid of such a device, and a manually actuable counter may then be adjusted. However, with such a device it is easy to forget to advance the counter, or to forget if one has already advanced the counter, after placing a fish into the container. As such, the counter of such a device may not accurately reflect the number of fish in the container. Further, the lid and biased flap of such a device is integrally formed with the container, preventing its use on other containers that may be more appropriate to the size or number of fish being caught. U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,016 to Welcher on Aug. 24, 1999 teaches an insulated cooler having an opening in a lid thereof, the opening covered by a biased flap that is operable connected to a counting device that increments the counter when an object is inserted into the container through the opening. Such a device suffers from the drawback that the particular container to which it is attached must be used, such as the insulated cooler shown in FIG. 1. The lid of such a device cannot be used with alternate containers that may be more appropriate to the size or number of fish being caught.

As fishing often requires long periods of time sitting, fishermen often bring portable chairs in addition to tackle boxes, fish pails, and other fishing gear. Certain containers, such as the common five-gallon or six-gallon bucket used by painters, are tall enough to also serve as a seat, albeit an uncomfortable seat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,805 to Rinehart on Dec. 24, 1996 teaches a combination seat and container, allowing such a container to also be used as a cushioned seat. However, such a device requires one to raise a seat cushion of such a device in order to gain access to the container, which means one must stand before being able to introduce items into the container.

Therefore, there is a need for a device that can be used with the common five or six gallon bucket, and which allows a user to introduce fish into the bucket while remaining seated. Such a device would automatically count the number of items introduced into the bucket accurately, and would further allow different containers to be used therewith based on changing needs of the user. Such a needed device would also provide means for carrying a small amount of fishing tackle, and would allow the device to be easily carried by the handle of the bucket once selectively attached thereto. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present device is a closure for a container, such as a standard five-gallon or six-gallon paint bucket, or the like. The closure includes a lid structure that has a container sealing means around a perimeter thereof The lid structure includes a top side, a bottom side, and an aperture traversing the lid structure. A flap is adapted to substantially seal the aperture and is fixed with a hinge at one edge thereof to the bottom side of the lid structure. The flap is pivotable between an open position and a closed position 100.

A counting mechanism is fixed to the lid structure and includes an actuating lever having an actuator linkage fixed thereto at a top end thereof The actuator linkage is fixed at a bottom end thereof to the flap and preferably urges the flap into its closed position. The counting mechanism is adapted to increment a counter of the counting mechanism by actuating the actuating lever when the flap is moved from its closed position towards its open position.

Preferably the actuator linkage is a coil spring such that the flap only needs to travel a short distance towards its open position to actuate the actuating lever. Thereafter, once the actuator linkage has pulled the actuating lever into its actuating position and the counter has been incremented, the coil spring expands as necessary to permit the item to traverse the aperture between the flap and the lid structure. The counting mechanism preferably further includes a reset button that, when pressed or otherwise actuated, resets the counter to zero.

A seat may be fixed to the top side of the lid structure, so that items such as fish, for instance, may be easily dropped between the legs of the user into the container and thereby counted with the closure. Further, a small container may be included on the top side of the lid structure for holding small items, such as fishing tackle, or the like. Still further, a water-impermeable cover may be included and selectively positionable in a covering position around the counting mechanism or in a disengaged position away from the counting mechanism.

The present invention is a device that can be used with the commonly-known five or six gallon bucket. The present device allows the user to introduce fish into the bucket while remaining seated. Further, the present invention automatically and accurately counts the number of items introduced into the bucket, and may be used with a variety of different containers as appropriate for the changing needs of the user. The present invention also provides means for carrying fishing tackle and may be easily carried by a handle of the bucket once selectively attached to the bucket. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a closure for a container lid;

FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom-side view of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a left-side elevational view of the invention, illustrating a flap of the invention in a closed position;

FIG. 4 is a left-side elevational view of the invention, illustrating the flap of the invention in an open position; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate a closure 10 for a container 20, such as a standard five-gallon paint bucket, or the like. The closure 10 includes a lid structure 40 that has a container sealing means 50 around a perimeter 45 thereof (FIG. 2). The lid structure 40 is preferably molded from a rigid plastic material, but may also be a formed metal material or other suitably rigid material.

The sealing means 50 preferably includes a plurality of mechanical snaps 170 for selectively holding the closure 10 to the container 20. The lid structure 40 includes a top side 46, a bottom side 44, and an aperture 60 traversing the lid structure 40 from the top side 46 to the bottom side 44.

A flap 70 is adapted to substantially seal the aperture 60 and is fixed with a hinge 80 at one edge 75 thereof to the bottom side 44 of the lid structure 40. The flap 70 is pivotable between an open position (FIG. 4) and a closed position 100 (FIG. 3), and is preferably made from a rigid plastic material. The hinge 80 may further include a spring 85 for urging the flap 70 into its closed position 100. In one embodiment, the flap 70 is made from a transparent or translucent plastic, such as acrylic or polycarbonate, such that a user 230 may observe the contents of the container 20 without having to remove the closure 10 or open the flap 70.

A counting mechanism 110 is fixed to the lid structure 40 and includes an actuating lever 120 having an actuator linkage 130 fixed thereto at a top end 136 thereof. The actuator linkage 130 is fixed at a bottom end 134 thereof to the flap 70 and preferably urges the flap 70 into its closed position 100. The counting mechanism 110 is adapted to increment a counter 140 by actuating the actuating lever 120 when the flap 70 is moved from its closed position 100 towards its open position 90. The actuating lever 120 is of the type having a normal position (FIG. 3) and an actuated position (FIG. 4), and is normally urged into the normal position.

Preferably the actuator linkage 130 is a coil spring 150, as illustrated, such that the flap 70 only needs to travel a short distance towards its open position 90 to actuate the actuating lever 120 (FIGS. 3 and 4), the coil spring 150 having a greater spring force than that urging the actuating lever 120 into its normal position. Thereafter, once the actuator linkage 130 has pulled the actuating lever 120 into its actuating position and the counter 140 has been incremented, the coil spring 150 expands as necessary to permit the item 30 to traverse the aperture 60 between the flap 70 and the lid structure 40. The counting mechanism 110 preferably further includes a reset button 160 that, when pressed or otherwise actuated, resets the counter 140 to zero.

A seat 180 may be fixed to the top side 46 of the lid structure 40, such that a user 230 may be seated therein, supported above the top side 46 of the lid structure 40 by the seat 180, lid structure 40, and container 20. As such, the items 30, such as fish, may be easily dropped between the legs of the user 230 into the container 20 and thereby counted with the closure 10. Further, a small container 190 may be included on the top side 46 of the lid structure 40 for holding small items 35, such as fishing tackle, or the like. Still further, a water-impermeable cover 200 (FIG. 4) may be included and selectively positionable in a covering position 210 around the counting mechanism 110 or in a disengaged position 220 away from the counting mechanism. Such a cover 200 may be made from a transparent or translucent material, such as acrylic or the like, to allow the user 230 an unobstructed view of the counter 140.

While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the counter 140 may be a mechanically-incremented display or an electronic display, as is known in the art. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A closure for a container that counts items, comprising:

a lid structure having a container sealing means around a perimeter thereof, a top side, a bottom side, and an aperture traversing the lid structure from the top side to the bottom side;

a flap adapted to substantially seal the aperture and fixed with a hinge at one edge thereof to the bottom side of the lid structure, the flap pivotable between an open and closed position;

a counting mechanism fixed to the lid structure, the mechanism including an actuating lever having an actuator linkage fixed thereto at a top end, the actuator linkage fixed at a bottom end to the flap and urging the flap into its closed position, the counting mechanism adapted to increment a counter when the flap is moved from its closed position towards its open position.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein the actuator linkage is a coil spring.

3. The closure of claim 1 wherein the counting mechanism further includes a reset button for resetting the counter to zero.

4. The closure of claim 1 wherein the container sealing means includes mechanical snaps for selectively holding the closure to the container.

5. The closure of claim 1 further including a seat fixed to the top side thereof.

6. The closure of claim 1 further including a container for small items fixed to the top side thereof.

7. The closure of claim 1 wherein the counting mechanism further includes a water-impermeable cover that is selectively positionable in a covering position around the counting mechanism or in a disengaged position away from the counting mechanism.

8. The closure of claim 1 wherein the flap is additionally biased into its closed position by a spring fixed to the hinge.