DISPLAY CONTAINERS

Abstract

A disk display includes a vessel having a vessel cap on a first end of the vessel, the vessel cap having a wall defining an opening, the wall including a disk support extending radially inward into the opening; and a disk retainer element that is securable within the vessel cap to hold a disk against the disk support. The disk retainer element may seat against the vessel cap using cooperating elements on the vessel cap and disk retainer element that define a trajectory for the disk retainer element to move along when the disk retainer element is being secured in the vessel cap, in which the trajectory flattens with increased insertion of the disk retainer element in the vessel cap, or the trajectory forms a helix having a continuously increasing helix angle. A knob and groove arrangement may be used for the cooperating elements.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

Containers, for example vaults, and displays.

BACKGROUND

Containers usually need to be opened, and thus need a removable closure or cap of some kind. A threaded cap may be used, but a threaded connection may require considerable movement (multiple rotations) to assemble for a consumer product. Increasing the number of thread starts (to decrease the number of required rotations to assemble), while maintaining all other thread parameters, results in insufficient torque, applied by hand, to compress seals incorporated into the connection.

Coin displays usually mount a coin in a round opening in a display bed. This does display the coin, but is not readily combined with a container.

SUMMARY

A disk display is disclosed comprising a housing having a wall defining an opening, the wall including a disk support extending radially inward into the opening; and a disk retainer element that is securable to the housing to hold a disk against the disk support. The disk retainer element may seat against the housing using cooperating elements on the housing and disk retainer element that define a trajectory for the disk retainer element to move along when the disk retainer element is being secured in the housing cap, in which the trajectory flattens with increased insertion of the disk retainer element in the housing, or the trajectory forms a helix having a continuously increasing helix angle. A knob and groove arrangement may be used for the cooperating elements. The housing may form a vessel cap for a vessel.

A container is disclosed comprising a vessel having a vessel cap on a first end of the vessel; and the vessel cap being secured on the vessel by cooperating elements on the vessel cap and vessel that define a trajectory for the vessel cap to move along when the vessel cap is being secured on the vessel, in which the trajectory flattens with increased insertion of the vessel cap into the vessel, or the trajectory forms a helix having a continuously increasing helix angle. A knob and groove arrangement may be used for the cooperating elements. An embodiment of a disk display is also disclosed where the disk display has elements that are shaped to secure a puck. Another embodiment includes a disk display that is received in a blind cavity in a glass vessel.

A memorial is disclosed comprising a tube having an axis, a cap on a first end of the tube; and the tube incorporating spiral features that extend axially lengthwise of the tube, at least some of which spiral features have differing axial lengths.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in which like reference characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a disk display, partly a view and partly in section;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the disk display of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the disk display of FIG. 1 used as a closure on vessel;

FIG. 4 shows a vessel with exterior features;

FIG. 5 shows another view of the vessel of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a first version of a connector; and

FIG. 7 shows a second version of a connector.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view, cut away to show a section, of an embodiment of a disk display, for an example where the disk may be a hockey puck.

FIG. 9 shows a detail of the disk display of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the disk display of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view, cut away to show a section, of a further example of a disk display, for an example where the disk may be a coin, and the disk display is embedded in a glass vessel.

FIG. 12 shows an exploded view of the disk display of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here without departing from what is covered by the claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite articles “a” and “an” before a claim feature do not exclude more than one of the feature being present. Each one of the individual features described here may be used in one or more embodiments and is not, by virtue only of being described here, to be construed as essential to all embodiments as defined by the claims.

A device is disclosed that may function as one or more of a vault or container for example for storing, securing or preserving objects, a disk display and a memorial that references past events or objects that took place or existed in the past. A disk display is shown for example in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 that may be used to display a disk such as a coin or medallion, and which may be used independently or may be used as a closure for a vessel. A disk display may comprise a vessel 10 having a vessel cap or disk housing 12 on a first end 14 of the vessel 10. The vessel 10 may comprise a tube. The vessel cap 12 may have a wall 16 defining an opening 18, the wall 16 including a disk support 20 extending radially inward into the opening 18.

The disk support 20 may comprise a flange that sits on a shoulder of the vessel cap 12. A disk retainer element or internal locking cap 26 that is securable to the vessel cap 12 may be inserted within the vessel cap 12 to hold a disk 28 against the disk support 20. The disk 28 may be encapsulated in a transparent case 29. Seals 24 and 25 may be provided on either side of the disk 28 or transparent case 29. A first annular seal 24 may be provided in a cut out 22 in the flange 20 between the disk support 20 and disk 28 or transparent case 29. A second annular seal 25 may be provided between the disk retainer element 26 and the disk 28 or transparent case 29. The seals 24, 25 are provided at the periphery of the elements to seal against the inside wall of the vessel cap 12. The seals 24, 25 may be O-rings.

Referring to FIG. 3, the vessel cap 12 may be secured on the vessel 10 by a mechanical rotary connection that cooperating elements 30, 31 on the vessel cap 12 and vessel 10 that define a vessel cap trajectory for the vessel cap 12 to move along when the vessel cap 12 is being secured on the vessel 10. In this example, the vessel cap trajectory flattens with increased insertion of the vessel cap 12 in the vessel 10. The function can be loosely compared to a threaded connection in that the rotational movement (or force) of assembly is translated to an axial movement (or force). However, while a threaded connection has (and can only have) a single helix angle, this connection utilizes a helix angle that continuously increases by a predetermined amount at any point along the groove's path. The helix angle of an element is the angle of the element relative to an axis of translation of the body as the body rotates around the axis. In the example shown, the axis is the axis of the vessel or tube 10.

Continuously increasing the helix angle from the start of the connection to the end allows for maximum axial movement and low (or even no) torque at the start of the rotation, transitioning to slow (or even no) axial movement and maximum torque at the end. A ball-and-groove design may be used to produce this variable helix angle. Closing of the cap on the vessel then requires significantly reduced movement (⅓ of a rotation as depicted in an example) compared with a threaded connection and maximizes torque where required.

The vessel cap trajectory may be defined by grooves 31 in one of the vessel cap 12 and vessel 10, here being in the vessel 10. That is, the knobs 30 can either be located on the outer diameter of a male connector 50 (see FIG. 6) or on the inner diameter of a female connector 56 (see FIG. 7). The grooves 31 would then be located on the inner diameter or the outer diameter of the opposite connector 52, 54, respectively. The knobs 30 may be metallic or non-metallic depending on application. In FIGS. 1-3, vessel cap 12 forms the male connector and vessel 10 includes the female connector.

There may be three grooves 31 as shown in the figures, but fewer or more may be used. The grooves 31 start off with a steep portion, a low angle relative to the vessel axis, for example 45 degrees, and flattens gradually in the direction into the vessel 10 to become nearly perpendicular relative to the vessel axis or nearly parallel to a circumference of the vessel 10. The other of the vessel cap 12 and vessel 10 has knobs 30 that are configured to slide in the grooves 31. The knobs 30 may be round and have a slightly smaller diameter than the cross-section diameter of the grooves 31. The knobs 30 may be for example formed of balls or pins embedded in the vessel cap 12. When balls are used for the knobs 30, the grooves 31 may have rounded bottoms. When pins are used for the knobs 30, the grooves 31 may have flat bottoms. The pins may for example be cylindrical. There may be one or more grooves 31 and knobs 30.

The disk 28 may be a coin or medallion, for example. The flange 20 can be a separate component to allow for different material and/or finishing options, but can also be integral to the surrounding vessel cap wall 16. The disk 28 may be encapsulated in a transparent case 29. The disk retaining element 26 may be hollow and may be provided with a spoke or spokes 34 such that the features of the reverse side of the disk 28 can be viewed. The spoke(s) 34 provide a grip for the customer to easily remove the disk retaining element.

When assembled with seals (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) the paths around the disk 28 are blocked. The vessel cap 12 may function on its own as a disk display, or may be used to cap the vessel 10. The locking cap 26 may be secured on the vessel cap 12 by cooperating elements 36, 37 on the locking cap 26 and the vessel cap 12 that define a locking cap trajectory that flattens with increased insertion of the locking cap 26 in the vessel cap 12 in similar fashion to the cooperating elements 30, 31 on the vessel cap 12 and vessel 10. The locking track trajectory may be defined by grooves 37 in one of the vessel cap 12 and locking cap 26. The other of the vessel cap 12 and locking cap 26 may have knobs 36 (for example, pins or balls) that are configured to slide in the grooves 37. The description of the trajectory of the vessel cap 12 as it is inserted into vessel 10 applies to the trajectory of the locking cap 26 as it is inserted into vessel cap 12.

The external surfaces of vessel 10, which may be cylindrically shaped as a tube, may function as a three-dimensional timeline. Flats 41 including spiral features 40 running axially along the vessel 10 may represent events while circumferential lines 42 may indicate dates. Event flats 41, 40 are spaced equally about the circumference and may begin at different dates lines (as highlighted by the two hatched regions 43, 44) so that they have different axial lengths. The features 40 may align to features on the vessel cap 12 when the vessel cap 12 is fully secured on the tube. Features 46 on the ends of the vessel 10 such as on the exterior face of the vessel cap 12 (such as the castellations depicted in FIG. 4) can be extensions of the event flats 40. The connection of the vessel cap 12 to the vessel 10 should be timed during manufacturing to ensure alignment in assembly. The vessel 10 may have an end opposed to the end having the vessel cap 12 that may be capped by a removable cap 58 that is secured by any suitable manner on the vessel 10. The removable cap 58 may include features 60 that align to selected ones of the spiral features 40 or flats 41 when the cap 58 is fully secured on the vessel 10.

Referring to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, a disk display 70 is shown with a housing 72 having a wall 74 defining an opening 76. The wall 74 includes a disk support 78 extending radially inward into the opening 76. A disk retainer element 80 is provided that is securable to the housing 72 to hold a disk 82, for example a hockey puck, against the disk support 78. The disk support 78 may be a flange extending around the opening 76. The disk retainer element 80 here surrounds the disk 82. The disk retainer element 80 may be secured to the housing 72 by threads, or a groove and knob connection as shown for the embodiment of FIG. 1, or by a twist to lock configuration shown in FIGS. 8-10. In the twist to lock configuration, one or more projections 84, for example three projections 84 equally spaced around the opening 76, may be provided on the housing 72 that may be inserted in correspondingly shaped axially extending slots 86 on the disk retainer element 80, and then twisted into circumferentially extending slots 90. The projections could be on the disk retainer element 80 and the slots 86, 90 could be on the housing 72. Magnets 92 at circumferentially spaced locations around the housing 72 and disk retainer element 80 may be embedded in openings 94, 96 in the housing 72 and disk retainer element 80 respectively to help locate and secure the housing 72 at a fixed position relative to the disk retainer element 80. The exterior 98 of the disk retaining element 80 may be knurled and smoothed to provide an appearance of the outside surface of a hockey puck. The magnets 92 may be used with any of the disclosed embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a disk display 100 is formed within a glass vessel 101, for example a drinking glass. The disk display 100 includes a housing 102 having a wall 104 defining an opening 106. The wall 104 includes a disk support 108 extending radially inward into the opening 106. A disk retainer element 110 is provided that is securable to the housing 102 to hold a disk 112, for example a coin, against the disk support 108. A gasket, flange or seal ring 114 may be provided between the disk retainer element 110 and the disk 112. The disk retainer element 110 may be securable in the manner described in relation to the disk retainer element 26. Knobs 116, for example pins or balls, may be circumferentially disposed around the disk retainer element 110. The knobs 116 may be received in corresponding grooves 118 in the housing 102. The grooves 118 may have an increasing helix angle with depth within housing 102. The housing 102 may be press fit within a blind cavity 120 within the base 124 of the vessel 101. The disk retaining element 110 may be hollow and may be provided with a spoke or spokes 122 such that the features of the reverse side of the disk 112 can be viewed. The spoke(s) 122 provide a grip to allow a person to grip the disk retainer element 110 and rotate it to and from the open and closed positions.

The claim language “claims 1-N” means “any one of claims 1-N” where N is a natural number.

Claims

1. A disk display, comprising:

a housing having a wall defining an opening, the wall including a disk support extending radially inward into the opening; and

a disk retainer element that is securable to the housing to hold a disk against the disk support.

2. The disk display of claim 1 further comprising a vessel and the housing forms a vessel cap on a first end of the vessel.

3. The disk display of claim 2 in which the vessel cap is secured on the vessel by first cooperating elements on the vessel cap and vessel that define a vessel cap trajectory for the vessel cap to move along when the vessel cap is being secured on the vessel, in which the vessel cap trajectory flattens with increased insertion of the vessel cap in the vessel.

4. The disk display of claim 2 in which the vessel cap is secured on the vessel by first cooperating elements on the vessel cap and vessel that define a vessel cap trajectory for the vessel cap to move along when the vessel cap is being secured on the vessel, in which the vessel cap trajectory forms a helix having a continuously increasing helix angle.

5. The disk display of claim 3 in which the vessel cap trajectory is defined by one or more first grooves in one of the vessel cap and vessel, and one or more first knobs that are configured to slide in the one or more first grooves.

6. The disk display of claim 2 in which the disk support comprises a flange forming a separate part from the housing, the flange being seated within the vessel cap.

7. The disk display of claim 2 further comprising a disk held between the vessel cap and the disk support.

8. The disk display of claim 7 in which the disk is encased in a transparent material.

9. The disk display of claim 8 further comprising a first seal between the disk support and the disk and a second seal between the disk and disk retainer element.

10. The disk display of claim 2 in which the disk retainer element comprises a locking cap that is secured on the housing by second cooperating elements on the locking cap and the housing that define a locking cap trajectory that flattens with increased insertion of the locking cap in the housing.

11. The disk display of claim 10 in which the locking cap trajectory is defined by one or more second grooves in one of the vessel cap and locking cap.

12. The disk display of claim 11 in which the other of the housing and locking cap has one or more second knobs that are configured to slide in the second grooves.

13. The disk display of claim 2 in which the vessel comprises a tube having an axis.

14. The disk display of claim 13 in which the tube incorporates spiral features that extend axially lengthwise of the tube, at least some of which spiral features have differing axial lengths.

15. The disk display of claim 14 in which the spiral features align to features on the housing when the housing is fully secured on the tube.

16. The disk display of claim 2 in which the vessel incorporates features that extend lengthwise of the vessel, at least some of which features have differing lengths.

17. The disk display of claim 2 in which the vessel has a second end and the second end incorporates a removable cap.

18. The disk display of claim 7 in which the disk is a coin.

19. The disk display of claim 1 in which the disk retainer element comprises a puck housing shaped to hold a hockey puck.

20. The disk display of claim 1 in which the disk retainer element is secured to the housing by a twist to lock connector that includes an axially extending slot and a circumferentially extending slot on one of the housing and disk retainer element that receive a projection on the other of the housing and disk retainer element.

21. The disk display of claim 1 further comprising magnets on each of the disk retainer element and the housing to help locate and secure the disk retainer element relative to the housing.

22. The disk display of claim 1 in which the housing is seated within a blind cavity in a glass vessel.

23. The disk display of claim 22 in which the glass vessel is a drinking glass.

24. The disk display of claim 22 in which the disk support comprises a flange forming a separate part from the housing, the flange being seated within the vessel cap.

25. The disk display of claim 22 further comprising a disk held between the locking cap and disk support.

26. The disk display of claim 25 in which the disk is encased in a transparent material.

27. The disk display of claim 26 further comprising a first seal between the disk support and the disk and a second seal between the disk and disk retainer element.

28. The disk display of claim 22 in which the disk retainer element comprises a locking cap that is secured on the housing by cooperating elements on the locking cap and the housing that define a locking cap trajectory that flattens with increased insertion of the locking cap in the housing.

29. The disk display of claim 28 in which the locking cap trajectory is defined by one or more second grooves in one of the vessel cap and locking cap.

30. The disk display of claim 29 in which the other of the housing and locking cap has one or more second knobs that are configured to slide in the second grooves.

31. A container, comprising:

a vessel having a vessel cap on a first end of the vessel; and

the vessel cap being secured on the vessel by cooperating elements on the vessel cap and vessel that define a trajectory for the vessel cap to move along when the vessel cap is being secured on the vessel, in which the trajectory flattens with increased insertion of the vessel cap in the vessel.

32. A container, comprising:

a vessel having a vessel cap on a first end of the vessel; and

the vessel cap being secured on the vessel by cooperating elements on the vessel cap and vessel that define a trajectory for the vessel cap to move along when the vessel cap is being secured on the vessel, in which the trajectory forms a helix having a continuously increasing helix angle.

33. The container of claim 31 in which the trajectory is defined by grooves in one of the vessel cap and the vessel.

34. The container of claim 33 in which the other of the vessel cap and vessel has knobs that are configured to slide in the grooves.

35. The container of claim 31 in which the vessel comprises a tube having an axis.

36. The container of claim 35 in which the tube incorporates spiral features that extend axially lengthwise of the tube, at least some of which spiral features have differing axial lengths.

37. The container of claim 36 in which the spiral features align to features on the vessel cap when the vessel cap is fully secured on the tube.

38. The container of claim 31 in which the vessel has a second end and the second end incorporates a cap.

39. A memorial, comprising:

a tube having an axis;

a cap on a first end of the tube; and

the tube incorporating tube features that extend axially lengthwise of the tube, at least some of which tube features have differing axial lengths.

40. The memorial of claim 39 in which the features form spiral features.

41. The memorial of claim 40 in which the tube features align to cap features on the cap when the cap is fully secured on the tube.

42. The memorial of claim 39 in which the vessel has a second end and the second end incorporates a removable cap.

43. The memorial of claim 41 in which the removable cap incorporates further features on the removable cap that align to the tube features.