LOCKING ASSEMBLY FOR RELEASABLY-LOCKING A LID TO A CONTAINER

Abstract

A locking assembly for releasably-locking a lid to a container, the locking assembly including: a locking nub disposed on the lid; and a lock maze disposed on the container; wherein, the lid is configured for arrangement in to a closed configuration with the container so as to releasably lock the lid to the container and to allow the lid to be coaxially rotatable relative to a neck the container between at least one of a first rotational position in which a barrier disposed on the container is configured for abutting against the locking nub of the lid so as to restrict movement of the lid away from the container, and, a second rotational position in which the locking nub of the lid is able to be maneuvered through an opening in the barrier and along a release pathway within the lock maze to release the lid from container.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a locking mechanisms for containers including for instance child-safe locks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Certain food products, cleaning agents, medications and the like that are commonly found in the home may be dangerous to young children. Such substances must be transported and stored in containers having “child-safe” locking mechanisms for locking the lid of the container and which are difficult for children to open by means of challenging their cognition, dexterity and/or strength. Currently, existing child-safe locking mechanisms tend to utilise variations on one of a few common designs, such as the “push and twist” style cap. Whilst oftentimes effective, the prevalent use of this style of cap lock has become so widely used that children, of even younger ages, have become accustomed to them thus limiting their potential long-term effectiveness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to alleviate at least one of the above-described problems.

The present invention may involve several broad forms. Embodiments of the present invention may include one or any combination of the different broad forms herein described.

In one broad form, the present invention provides a locking assembly for releasably-locking a lid to a container, the locking assembly including: a locking nub disposed on the lid; and a lock maze disposed on the container; wherein, the lid is configured for arrangement in to a closed configuration with the container so as to releasably lock the lid to the container and to allow the lid to be co-axially rotatable relative to a neck the container between at least one of a first rotational position in which a barrier disposed on the container is configured for abutting against the locking nub of the lid so as to restrict movement of the lid away from the container, and, a second rotational position in which the locking nub of the lid is able to be maneuvered through an opening in the barrier and along a release pathway within the lock maze to release the lid from container.

Preferably, the lock maze may include at least one false pathway therein along which the locking nub is able to be maneuvered which does not result in release of the lid from the container.

Preferably, the release pathway within the lock maze may include a first linear axis of movement and second linear axis of movement, said first linear axis of movement being transverse to the second linear axis of movement of the first linear direction.

Preferably, the release pathway within the lock maze may include a third linear axis of movement that is transverse to the second linear axis of movement.

Preferably, the lid may be configured for arrangement in to the closed configuration with the container by moving a lower face of the lid towards the neck whereby the locking nub is suitably shaped and dimensioned to resiliently snap-fit in to place around the barrier.

Preferably, the present invention may include a locking collar configured for rigid attachment with the lid and wherein said locking nub is extends outwardly from the locking collar.

Preferably, the lock maze may be formed in an annular-shaped insert that is configured for rigid attachment to the neck of the container.

Preferably, the present invention may include a sealing gasket configured for arrangement between the lid and the container to provide an air-tight seal when the lid is arranged in the closed configuration with the container.

Preferably, the barrier may comprise an edge of the lock maze extending radially inwardly of the neck of the container.

In certain embodiments, the above-described broad form may be adapted so that the locking nub is instead disposed on the container and the lock maze is instead disposed on the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description of a preferred but non-limiting embodiments thereof, described in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A shows a side exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention in the form of a child-safe locking mechanism for a container lid;

FIG. 1B shows another side exploded view of the embodiment of the present invention in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 shows a magnified perspective view of a locking collar and locking nub disposed thereon in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a magnified view of a lock maze in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a front magnified view of the container lip in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the container lid in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of an air-tight gasket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the locking collar in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the lock maze in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the container in assembled form in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 11 shows another side exploded view of the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 shows another exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described herein with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. The embodiments comprise a container (10) having a child-safe type locking mechanism for releasably locking a lid (20) of the container on to the container (10). It would be appreciated and understood that whilst this embodiment is described for use with a jar, this is merely for purposes of illustrating functionality and alternate embodiments of the present invention may of course be used with other types of storage containers.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 10, 11, and 12 one embodiment (1) is shown comprising the container (10), a lid (20), a locking collar (30), an air tight gasket (40), and a lock maze (50). Each of these features will be described in greater detail in the following description.

The lid (20) includes a solid piece having a recessed cavity in an underside region configured for securement with the upper section of the locking collar (30). When secured, the lid (20) and the locking collar (30) are not ordinarily separable in use. By way of example, the lid (20) may be constructed from wood, plastic, metal or nylon depending on the requirements of the design. The lid (20) is shaped and dimensioned to provide both an aesthetic finish for container (10) as well as providing a relatively large gripping surface that is easy to hold, turn and manipulate.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the locking collar (30) is constructed from die stamped metal and is affixed permanently into the recess area on an inner region of the lid (20). In alternate embodiments, the locking collar may instead be formed from plastic, nylon or any other material suitable for use within the functional context of this embodiment. The locking collar (30) includes a tapered rectangular nub (30A) disposed on a lower edge of the locking collar (30). The tapered shape configuration of the nub (30A) is configured to allow the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) to be pressed down into the lock maze (50) from any position engaging the locking function. The wide top edge of the locking collar nub (30A), when inserted through the lock maze (50), creates a secure “locked” connection with the lower edge (50H) of the lock maze (50). This prevents the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) from being directly lifted and removed. The combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) must be rotated until the nub is aligned with the opening of the “maze channel” at the bottom of the lock maze (50). Once aligned, the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) must be pulled upward, while simultaneously being rotated, guiding the locking collar nub up (30A) through the recessed path so that it can be removed.

In certain embodiments the air tight gasket (40) such as shown in FIG. 6 may be utilised which comprises a rubber O-ring style gasket (40) that is positioned around the locking collar (30) and affixed to the underside of the lid (20). The gasket (40) creates an air-tight seal between the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) and lock maze (50) which assists in maintaining freshness of the contents of the container (10).

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 9, the lock maze (50) comprises a molded plastic insert. The lock maze (50) is inserted into the opening of the container (10). Tabs on an upper region of the lock maze (50) are configured to snap fit around the upper lip (10A) of a neck of the container (10) so as to create a secure, non-removable connection. The openings between these tabs are aligned with the lock posts (10B) molded into the lip (10A) of the container (10) preventing the lock maze (50) from rotating or moving relative to the container lip (10A) once they are secured together in place. It is possible in certain embodiments that the lock maze may be integrally formed in the structure of the container as a one-piece item rather than as an insert that is fitted to the container. Whereas locking collar (30) has a solid exterior wall; the lock maze (50) is not readily visible from the outside of the container (10) adding to the cognitive complexity with which a user must release the lid (20) from the container (10).

The lock maze (50) includes a recessed maze channel (50A) on an inside surface having an opening to the recessed maze channel (50A) at both a top (50B) and bottom (50C) region of the lock maze (50). This channel (50A) is designed in the form of a maze which requires both cognitive skill and fine motor dexterity to be successfully accomplished. To open the lock, the locking nub disposed on the combined lid/locking collar assembly must first be rotated and aligned with the opening at the bottom of the lock maze (50). Once aligned, the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) must be simultaneously lifted and turned to guide the locking nub (30A) of the locking collar (30) through the recessed maze channel (50A) to the top opening (50B) at the top region of the lock maze (50). The maze channel (50A) includes a false path that will prevent the lock from being opened, increasing its difficulty. It should be appreciated that the configuration of the maze channel (50A) described herein is for illustrative purposes and it is possible that in other embodiments a different maze channel layout and configuration of comparable or greater complexity may be utilised for greater variety.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, the main container (10) form itself may take a variety of shapes and sizes and be molded in a variety of materials such as plastic, glass, nylon and acrylic. The container (10) includes circular-shaped neck and includes a plurality of lock posts (10B) arranged in spaced-apart fashion around the upper lip (10A). The lip (10A) of container the neck is sized to fit securely into the rounded tabs of the lock maze (50). The lock posts (10B) on the lip are spaced and sized to fit securely between the lock maze tabs (50G) and preventing the lock maze (50) from rotating or moving relative to the container lip (10A) once they are secured together in place.

In seeking to engage the combined lid/locking collar (20,30) assembly into releasable-locking engagement with the container (10), a user will grasp the lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) (which are assembled as one piece during manufacturing) and insert the locking collar (30) end of the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) in to the opening of the container (10) whereby the top of the lock maze (50) is secured to the top of the container (10). The user will then firmly press the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) downwardly into the opening of the container (10) until the two parts make a secure engagement and the lock nub (30A) disposed on the locking collar (30) snap-fits into place below the lock maze bottom edge.

In seeking to release the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) from securement with the container (10), the user will hold the container (10) firmly in one hand to prevent it from turning. The user will then grasp the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) with the other hand and rotate the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) with the other hand relative to the container (10) until the lock nub (30A) of the locking collar (30) is aligned with the bottom channel opening (10B) of the lock maze (50). The user will then gently lift the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) and maneuver it in a direction upwardly away from the container (10) opening such that the lock nub (30A) is moved along the maze channel vertical path (represented in FIG. 10 by the dotted line 50D). The user must at the same time apply a horizontal rotating force to the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) so that when the lock nub (30A) is moved along the maze channel vertical path (represented by dotted line 50D) in to the juncture in the lock maze (represented by the intersection of dotted lines 50D and 50E), the lock nub (30A) is then able to be rotatably maneuvered along the maze channel horizontal path (represented by dotted line 50E). Thereafter, the lock nub (30A) is rotated along the maze channel horizontal path (represented by dotted line 50E) until it is aligned with the maze channel vertical path (represented by the dotted line 50F) whereupon the user can then pull the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) upwardly out of the lock maze (50) via the upper opening (50B) of the maze channel (50A) to fully release the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) from the container (10).

In certain embodiments, markings (not shown) may be disposed on the container (10) and/or on the lid (20) which may serve as a visual aid for aligning the locking nub (30A) with the bottom channel opening (10B) of the lock maze (50). The visual expression of these markings, if used, may take a variety of forms dependent on the desired level of complexity, from simple alignment arrows to abstract graphic symbols.

In alternate embodiments of the present invention it is possible that a reverse architecture to that described above may be implemented whereby the lock maze may be mounted on the lid whilst the the locking collar may be mounted on the container. Engagement and disengagement of the lid from the container in such embodiments would follow similar principles as described in the aforementioned embodiment.

It should be appreciated that in the preceding embodiments whilst certain parts may be described as comprising separate parts, any combination of separate parts may be integrally formed together in certain cases.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of locking nubs are disposed on the lid and a plurality of corresponding lock mazes are disposed on the container. Each of the locking nubs are configured for interacting with a corresponding lock mazes disposed on the container in a similar manner as described above as the lid is removed from the container.

It would be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention as described herein require a degree of cognitive and dexterity ability to open the container which is designed to exceed the ability of young children. Further, such a solution provides added variability to its use that extends in contrast to existing methodologies for effecting child-safe locking mechanisms. Yet further, the streamlined design and relatively simplified function allows it to be applied to a wide variety of container, jars and bottles in numerous materials and sizes. Yet further, embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in that the combined lid/locking collar assembly may be pressed down in to secured engagement with the container when the combined lid/locking collar assembly is arranged in any position of coaxial rotation relative to the container thus making it easier to operate and saving time for the user.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described without departing from the scope of the invention. All such variations and modification which become apparent to persons skilled in the art, should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as broadly hereinbefore described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps and features, referred or indicated in the specification, individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of said steps or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Claims

1. A locking assembly for releasably-locking a lid to a container, the locking assembly including:

a locking nub disposed on the lid; and

a lock maze disposed on the container;

wherein, the lid is configured for arrangement in to a closed configuration with the container so as to releasably lock the lid to the container and to allow the lid to be co-axially rotatable relative to a neck the container between at least one of a first rotational position in which a barrier disposed on the container is configured for abutting against the locking nub of the lid so as to restrict movement of the lid away from the container, and, a second rotational position in which the locking nub of the lid is able to be maneuvered through an opening in the barrier and along a release pathway within the lock maze to release the lid from container.

2. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lock maze includes at least one false pathway therein along which the locking nub is able to be maneuvered which does not result in release of the lid from the container.

3. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the release pathway within the lock maze includes a first linear axis of movement and second linear axis of movement, said first linear axis of movement being transverse to the second linear axis of movement of the first linear direction.

4. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the release pathway within the lock maze includes a third linear axis of movement that is transverse to the second linear axis of movement.

5. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lid is configured for arrangement in to the closed configuration with the container by moving a lower face of the lid towards the neck whereby the locking nub is suitably shaped and dimensioned to resiliently snap-fit in to place around the barrier.

6. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 including a locking collar configured for rigid attachment with the lid and wherein said locking nub is extends outwardly from the locking collar.

7. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lock maze is formed in an annular-shaped insert that is configured for rigid attachment to the neck of the container.

8. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 including a sealing gasket configured for arrangement between the lid and the container to provide an air-tight seal when the lid is arranged in the closed configuration with the container.

9. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the barrier comprises an edge of the lock maze extending radially inwardly of the neck of the container.

10. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 adapted so that the locking nub is instead disposed on the container and the lock maze is instead disposed on the lid.

11. A lock assembly as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of lock nubs disposed on the lid and a plurality of lock mazes disposed on the container.