CONTAINER WITH DIVIDER WALL

Abstract

A container comprises a housing that includes a lid and a base. The lid and the base are attachable and detachable to each other. The base includes an inner receptacle and one or more divider walls formed within the inner receptacle, wherein the divider walls include a jagged top surface.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This disclosure claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/093,466 filed on Dec. 18, 2014, which is hereby wholly incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

A container is a device used to hold or store an object or material. Different containers can be used to hold different types of objects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various systems, methods, and other embodiments of the disclosure. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one embodiment of the boundaries. In some embodiments one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some embodiments, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a container in closed state.

FIG. 2 illustrates the container of FIG. 1. in an open state with the lid removed.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the open container of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is cross-section view of the closed container through A-A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of a container in closed state.

FIG. 6 illustrates the container of FIG. 5. in an open state with the lid removed.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the open container of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is cross-section view of the closed container through B-B of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is another embodiment of a container in closed state.

FIG. 10 illustrates the container of FIG. 9. in an open state with the lid removed.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the open container of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is cross-section view of the closed container through C-C of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of a container are disclosed herein. The container may be used for hold or store objects or material. In one embodiment, the container is configured with one or more divider walls within an inner cavity or receptacle of the container. The dividers divide the receptacle into multiple smaller receptacle areas/compartments. In one embodiment, the divider wall is formed with a jagged top surface (e.g., saw-tooth configuration, a plain-tooth configuration). In one example, when a tool or utensil is used to lift out the material in the receptacle, the jagged top surface may be used to clean or scrap off the material from the tool. Thus the divider wall is useful as a cleaning surface and as a compartment divider.

With reference to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a container 100 is shown. The container 100 includes a housing formed with a removable lid 105 and a base 110. The lid 105 is attachable and detachable from the base 110. The lid 105 may include a protrusion 115 that can be configured to stack multiple containers 100 by being inserted into a corresponding indentation on the bottom surface of the base 110 (which is not shown). In one embodiment, the container 100 is a hand-held container with about a 2½ inch to 3 inch diameter. Of course. Other sizes may be formed.

In one embodiment, the housing of the container 100 is made from medical grade silicon. Thus in one embodiment, the base 110 and the divider wall 120 with saw-tooth surface 125 are formed by a molding process and are integral with each other (a single entity). The lid 105 is also molded but is of course a separate component from the base 110.

The housing of the container 100 is semi-flexible and may be bent but the material is made to return to its original shape when in a resting state. In other embodiments, other materials may be used for example, other types of silicon, rubber, plastic, metal, or other compounds. The housing is flexible but may be semi-rigid, or firm in other embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates the container 100 from FIG. 1 with the lid 105 removed thus exposing the interior of the container 100. The inner receptacle includes dividers 120 that divide the receptacle. In this embodiment, three dividers 120 create three smaller areas in the receptacle. The three areas are labeled A, B, and C in FIG. 3. The divider wall 120 is configured with (formed with) a jagged top surface 125. The jagged top surface 125 may be formed in a variety of shapes such as a saw-tooth pattern of teeth, a plain-tooth pattern of teeth, a serrated pattern, or other jagged pattern of peaks and valleys.

FIG. 2 illustrates a plain-tooth pattern of teeth as the jagged top surface 120. The pattern of teeth is formed as a side-by-side continuous row of teeth. The top surface of the divider wall 120 is the surface that is toward/adjacent the lid 105. Thus the points of the teeth 125 extend toward the inside surface of the lid 105 (see FIG. 4) once the lid 105 is attached. In other words, the teeth 125 point toward the opening of the base. In one embodiment, the saw-tooth portions 125 extend the entire length of the divider wall 120, or extend on only a portion of the divider 120 (less than the entire length of the divider wall 120).

In one example, when a tool or utensil is used to lift out a material in the receptacle, the jagged top surface 125 may be used to clean or scrap off the material from the tool. Examples of tools may include a knife, spoon, fork, tooth pick or other type of stick. The teeth of the jagged surface 125 define edges and cavities for a scraping surface that can engage edges of a tool.

In one embodiment, the edge of the base 110 may include one or more notches 130. The notch 130 is formed in the edge wall and is shown as a V-shaped slot in FIG. 2. The notch 130 is configured to receive and hold a thin tool against the container 100 so that the tool does not roll off.

The lid 105 and base 110 are configured with one or more edges, lips, ribs, or rims to assist in securing the lid and base to each other when the container 100 is closed. In one embodiment, the base 110 includes a rib 135 that projects out from a wall of the base 110 and extends around the perimeter of the container. The lid 105 includes a corresponding recess 140 that mates with the rib 135 when the lid 105 is closed onto the base 110. FIG. 4 shows the rib 135 engaged with the corresponding recess (not labeled) of the lid 105. In one embodiment, the lid 105 and base 110 may be configured and sized such that they engage via friction to hold the lid 105 on the base 110.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the base 110 of the open container of FIG. 2. The three divider walls 120 create three similarly sized container areas A, B, and C within the receptacle of the base 110. In another embodiment, the inside wall (side or bottom wall) of each area may be labeled with a character(s) to identify it from the other areas (e.g., A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, etc. imprinted on the wall).

FIG. 4 is cross-section view of the closed container 100 through A-A of FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the jagged top surface 125 may be spaced from the inside surface of the lid 105 so as to create an open portion. In another embodiment, the divider 120 may be sized so that the points of the teeth 125 touch against the inner surface of the lid 105 when the lid 105 is attached to the base 110.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of a container 100 in a closed state with the lid 105 attached to the base 110. The container in FIG. 5 is smaller than the container in FIG. 1 (e.g., less than a 3 inch diameter) and includes the same reference numbers for the same elements.

FIG. 6 illustrates the container of FIG. 5. in an open state with the lid 105 removed from the base 110. In one embodiment, the container 100 includes a different configuration of dividers 120 than the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the container 100 includes two divider walls 120 that are perpendicular to each other to create three receptacle areas/compartments within the container 100. The areas are labeled A, B, and C in FIG. 7. In FIG. 6, the formation of the divider walls 120 create one area (area A) that is about twice as large as the other two areas (areas B and C).

FIG. 7 is a top view of the open container of FIG. 6 showing the inner receptacle and receptacle areas/compartments A, B, and C. FIG. 8 is cross-section view of the closed container 100 through B-B of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is another embodiment of a container 100 in closed state with the lid 105 attached to the base 110. The container in FIG. 9 is smaller than the container in FIG. 1 and includes the same reference numbers for the same elements.

FIG. 10 illustrates the container of FIG. 9. in an open state with the lid 105 removed from the base 110. In one embodiment, the container 100 includes one divider 120 that creates two similar sized areas/compartments. The divider 120 is configured with a top surface of teeth 125 or other jagged pattern as previously explained.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the open container of FIG. 10 showing the inner receptacle split by the divider wall 120 to create two storage areas/compartments A and B. FIG. 12 is cross-section view of the closed container through C-C of FIG. 11.

In other embodiments, the container 100 may be formed with different shapes. For example, the container 100 may be rectangular, square, triangular, etc. The container 100 may include any number of divider walls 120 inside.

Definitions

The following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein. The definitions include various examples and/or forms of components that fall within the scope of a term and that may be used for implementation. The examples are not intended to be limiting. Both singular and plural forms of terms may be within the definitions.

References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example”, “an example”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may.

While example systems, methods, and so on have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and so on described herein. Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described.

Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is employed in the detailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

To the extent that the term “or” is used in the detailed description or claims (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean “A or B or both”. When the applicants intend to indicate “only A or B but not both” then the phrase “only A or B but not both” will be used. Thus, use of the term “or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (2d. Ed. 1995).

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a housing comprising a lid and a base;

wherein the lid and the base are attachable and detachable to each other;

wherein the base includes an inner receptacle; and

one or more divider walls formed within the inner receptacle, wherein the divider walls include a jagged top surface.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the jagged top surface includes a plurality of teeth.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the jagged top surface includes a saw-tooth pattern of a plurality of teeth.

4. The container of claim 1, further including one or more V-shaped notches formed in a wall of the base.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the housing is molded from a medical grade silicone.

6. A container comprising:

a base formed with side walls to define an inner receptacle;

a lid configured to attach to and detach from the base;

wherein the base includes a divider wall formed within the inner receptacle to divide the inner receptacle into a plurality of receptacle compartments, wherein the divider wall includes a plurality of teeth extending out from the divider wall.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein the plurality of teeth are formed as a saw-tooth pattern.

8. The container of claim 6, further including one or more V-shaped notches formed in a wall of the base.

9. The container of claim 6, wherein the base and the lid are molded using a medical grade silicone.

10. The container of claim 6, wherein the divider wall has a first length and wherein the plurality of teeth are formed across the divider wall and extend a second length that is less than the first length.