Patent Application
20240190615
Not Applicable.
The present subject matter relates to a container, and more particularly, to a container having an internal sealing divider that is movable to a plurality of locations in the container.
Containers are known in the art, including containers that have dividers. While such containers according to the prior art provide a number of advantages, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present disclosure seeks to overcome certain of those limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present disclosure is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the disclosed subject technology relates to a container having a moveable internal sealing divider.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly having a movable divider, comprising: a container body having first and second opposing side walls, first and second opposing end walls, and a bottom wall to define a cavity, wherein the first and second opposing side walls have a top and a bottom, wherein the first and second opposing end walls have a top and a bottom, wherein the bottom wall is adjacent the bottom of the first and second opposing side walls and the bottom of the first and second opposing end walls, wherein an opening to the cavity is provided adjacent the top of the first and second opposing side walls and the top of the first and second opposing end walls, wherein the first and second opposing side walls have an offset between the top and the bottom thereof such that an area between the first and second opposing side walls and the first and second opposing end walls adjacent the bottom wall is less than an area between the first and second opposing side walls and the first and second opposing end walls adjacent the opening to the cavity; a lid that can seal against the top of the first and second opposing side walls and the top of the first and second opposing end walls to close the cavity; and, a moveable divider having first and second ends, a top and a bottom, wherein the divider has a rigid inner member and an outer seal member, wherein the divider has an offset that mates with the offset in the side walls of the container body, wherein the divider is sized such that the divider can be placed vertically in the container body, with the bottom of the divider adjacent the bottom wall of the container body and the first and second ends of the divider adjacent the opposing side walls of the container body, and stay in place due to compression by the outer seal member at the first and second ends of the divider against the opposing side walls of the container body.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly having a movable divider, comprising: a container body having first and second opposing side walls, first and second opposing end walls, and a bottom wall to define a cavity, wherein the first and second opposing side walls have a top and a bottom, wherein the first and second opposing end walls have a top and a bottom, wherein the bottom wall is adjacent the bottom of the first and second opposing side walls and the bottom of the first and second opposing end walls, wherein an opening to the cavity is provided adjacent the top of the first and second opposing side walls and the top of the first and second opposing end walls, wherein the first and second opposing side walls are bowed outwardly such that a distance between the first and second opposing side walls adjacent the end walls is less than the distance between the first and second opposing side walls at a middle of each opposing side wall; a lid that can seal against the container body to close the cavity; and, a moveable divider having first and second ends, a top and a bottom, wherein the divider has a rigid inner member and an outer seal member, wherein the divider is sized such that the divider can be placed vertically in the container body, with the bottom of the divider adjacent the bottom wall of the container body and the first and second ends of the divider against the first and second opposing side walls, respectively, and stay in place due to compression by the outer seal member at the first and second ends of the divider against the opposing side walls of the container body.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly having a movable divider, comprising: a container body having first and second opposing side walls, first and second opposing end walls, and a bottom wall to define a cavity, wherein the first and second opposing side walls have a top and a bottom, wherein the first and second opposing end walls have a top and a bottom, wherein the bottom wall is adjacent the bottom of the first and second opposing side walls and the bottom of the first and second opposing end walls, wherein an opening to the cavity is provided adjacent the top of the first and second opposing side walls and the top of the first and second opposing end walls; a lid that can seal against the container body to close the cavity; and, a moveable divider having first and second ends, a top and a bottom, wherein the divider has a rigid inner member and an outer wiper seal member, wherein the divider is sized such that the divider can be placed vertically in the container body, with the bottom of the divider adjacent the bottom wall of the container body and the first and second ends of the divider against the first and second opposing side walls, respectively, and stay in place due to compression by the outer wiper seal member at the first and second ends of the divider against the opposing side walls of the container body.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the divider is sized such that the divider can be placed vertically in the container body anywhere between the first and second opposing side walls and stay in place due to the compression by the outer seal member at the first and second ends of the divider against the opposing side walls of the container body.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the outer seal member comprises a wiper seal.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the inner member of the divider is generally planar.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the lid has a plurality of pivotable retention flaps to secure the lid to the container body when the flaps are rotated downwardly to engage a flange of the container body.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the container body comprises a shell and an outer lower overmold.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the outer seal member extends about an entirety of a periphery of the divider.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the outer seal member at the top of the divider sealingly engages an inner surface of the lid when the lid is secured to the container body.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly where the divider has notches at top corners of the divider to accommodate for a seal in the lid.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the first and second opposing side walls have an offset between the top and the bottom thereof, and wherein the divider has an offset that mates with the offset in the side walls of the container body.
The disclosed technology further relates to a container assembly wherein the outer seal member at the bottom of the divider engages the bottom wall of the container body.
It is understood that other embodiments and configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
To understand the present disclosure, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the disclosures are illustrated and, together with the descriptions below are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:
In one or more implementations, not all of the depicted components in each figure may be required, and one or more implementations may include additional components not shown in a figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be utilized within the scope of the subject disclosure.
While this disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as one of ordinary skill in the relevant art would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Further, descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the present disclosure may be practiced and to further enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law.
Generally, this disclosure describes several embodiments of a container assembly having a movable internal divider and a lid. The divider can be inserted into the container body in a plurality of locations and will remain in place without any grooves or other retaining members in the container body. Additionally, in one embodiment, the divider forms a seal against the inner wall of the container body, bottom wall of the container body, and lid.
Referring now to the figures, and initially to
In one embodiment, as shown in
The shell 30 of the container body 12 generally comprises a perimeter wall 34 and a bottom wall 36 to define a cavity 37. As best shown in
The first and second opposing side walls 50a, 50b each have a top 51 and a bottom 53. Similarly, the first and second opposing end walls 52a, 52b each have a top 55 and a bottom 57. The bottom wall 36 is connected to the side walls 50a, 50b adjacent a bottom 53 of the first and second opposing side walls 50a, 50b and is connected to the end walls 52a, 52b adjacent a bottom 57 of the first and second opposing end walls 52a, 52b. An opening to the cavity 37 is provided adjacent the top 51 of the first and second opposing side walls 50a, 50b and the top 55 of the first and second opposing end walls 52a, 52b.
In one embodiment, the shell 30 of the container body 12 is made of a polypropylene or some other rigid plastic. Conversely, the lower overmold 32 is preferably made of a thermoplastic elastomer or an equivalent thereof.
The perimeter wall 34 of the container body 12 comprises an inner surface 38 and an outer surface 40. In one embodiment, the outer surface 40 is flush between the shell 30 and the outer lower overmold 32. One way to have a flush outer surface 40 and still accommodate for the outer lower overmold 32 is by having the perimeter wall 34 of the shell 30 have an offset 42, which is best shown in the cross-sectional view of
In the embodiment where the perimeter wall 34 has an offset 42 that affects the inner surface 38 of the perimeter wall 34 of the container body 12 as shown in
In one embodiment, the distance between the opposing side walls 50a, 50b adjacent the end walls 52a, 52b is less than the distance between the opposing side walls 50a, 50b at the middle 53 of each opposing side wall 50a, 50b. Put another way, the opposing side walls 50a, 50b may be bowed out toward the middle 53 of each opposing side wall 50a, 50b.
Referring to
As shown in
The embodiments detailed hereinabove may be combined in full or in part, with any alternative embodiments described.
A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.
Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth” as used herein are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Further, the term “plurality” as used herein indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Additionally, the term “having” as used herein in both the disclosure and claims, is utilized in an open-ended manner.
As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase “at least one of” does not require selection of at least one item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.
To the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.
A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and/or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”
While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of particular implementations of the subject matter. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
The title, background, brief description of the drawings, abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and the various features are grouped together in various implementations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
It will be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the Claims are not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the disclosure and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.
Further, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims and to encompass all legal equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirements of the applicable patent law, nor should they be interpreted in such a way.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/424,623 filed Nov. 11, 2022, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63424623 | Nov 2022 | US |
