CONTAINER WITH SECURITY LOCK

Abstract

A container with a security lock is provided. The container has a top unit and a bottom unit which together form a housing. The top unit may have a first cover and a second cover wherein the second cover slides from a first position to a second position in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover while always remaining permanently secured to the first cover. The first cover may be located between the bottom unit and the second cover. The container is locked unless the second cover is first pressed down upon in a central location and then moved to the second position wherein a user may then grasp and rotate the second cover, and therefore the entire top unit, upward from the bottom unit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A container with a security lock is provided. The container has a top unit and a bottom unit which together form a housing. The top unit may have a first cover and a second cover wherein the second cover slides from a first position to a second position in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover while always remaining permanently secured to the first cover. The first cover may be located between the bottom unit and the second cover. The container is locked unless the second cover is first pressed down upon in a central location and then moved to the second position wherein a user may then grasp and rotate the second cover, and therefore the entire top unit, upward from the bottom unit.

Containers with security locks are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No.: 9,481,496 to Cottle discloses a child resistant container for nicotine products. The container comprises latching elements adapted to interlock with cooperating latching elements when said lid is pushed onto a said base to retain said lid to said base. The latching elements are further adapted to disengage from said cooperating latching elements when a simultaneous force is exerted on all releasable latching arrangements by two hands of a user or the like.

Further, U.S. Pat. No.: 9,187,220 to Biesecker discloses a cap having a top wall, an outer peripheral edge, a first section, and a second section. A skirt depends from the outer peripheral edge. The skirt includes an attached end, a free end, a plurality of slots, and a plurality of apertures. Each aperture is spaced-apart from the free end of the skirt. The top wall has a first configuration and a second configuration. When the top wall is in the first configuration, the first section is generally planer and the second section is generally arcuate. When the top wall is in the first configuration, the skirt extends generally perpendicularly to the first section to generally engage at least a portion of a container. When the top wall is in the second configuration, the free end of the skirt extends radially outwardly from the attached end thereof to allow the cap to be removed from the container.

Still further, U.S. Pat. No.: 8,931,657 to Kientzle discloses a pharmaceutical container having a bottle having a bottom wall and side walls. A ridge proximate to the bottom wall projects from an interior surface of at least one of the side walls, to facilitate nested stacking of a plurality of bottles. One or more of the side walls includes a cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the side wall. The pharmaceutical container also includes a cover including a sliding lid contained in a cover housing. The cover housing has a top wall, which includes an opening, and cover side walls. A child-resistant closure mechanism is also provided to limit the movement between the sliding lid and the bottle.

However, these patents fail to describe a container with a security lock which is easy to use. Further, these patents fail to provide for a container with a security lock which allows a user to unlock a child-resistant container in a simple and safe manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A container with a security lock is provided. The container has a top unit and a bottom unit which together form a housing. The top unit may have a first cover and a second cover wherein the second cover slides from a first position to a second position in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover while always remaining permanently secured to the first cover. The first cover may be located between the bottom unit and the second cover. The container is locked unless the second cover is first pressed down upon in a central location and then moved to the second position wherein a user may then grasp and rotate the second cover, and therefore the entire top unit, upward from the bottom unit.

An advantage of the present child resistant storage container is that the present child resistant storage container is easy to use for adults while preventing children from gaining access to the interior of the container. The device is also especially suitable for seniors which typically have difficulty opening child resistant containers.

Still another advantage of the present child resistant storage container is that the present container lacks exterior sharp edges and corners which may otherwise injure someone.

For a more complete understanding of the above listed features and advantages of the container with a security lock reference should be made to the detailed description and the drawings. Further, additional features and advantages of the invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the container with a security lock wherein the top unit is secured to the bottom unit and the container is in the closed form and wherein second cover of the top unit is in the first position.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the container with a security lock wherein the top unit is secured to the bottom unit and the container is in the closed form and wherein second cover of the top unit is in the second position.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the container with a security lock wherein the top unit is rotated up at the hinge and the container is open.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the container with a security lock wherein the second cover is in the second position with respect to the first cover.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of the second cover of the container with a security lock.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the container with a security lock in the open position.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the container in the open position wherein the container has an optional elongated dimple to prevent the movement of the second cover past a point with respect to the first cover.

FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of the first cover by itself wherein a side dimple is visible and wherein the side dimple prevents movement of the second cover beyond a specific point with respect to the first cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A container with a security lock is provided. The container has a top unit and a bottom unit which together form a housing. The top unit may have a first cover and a second cover wherein the second cover slides from a first position to a second position in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover while always remaining permanently secured to the first cover. The first cover may be located between the bottom unit and the second cover. The container is locked unless the second cover is first pressed down upon in a central location and then moved to the second position wherein a user may then grasp and rotate the second cover, and therefore the entire top unit, upward from the bottom unit.

Referring first to FIG. 1 a container 1 with a security lock is provided. The container 1 may be used to securely store items 5 (FIG. 3) such as, for example, medications which might otherwise be harmful to children or other individuals not intended to gain access to the items 5. In one embodiment, the container 1 is made of a durable material such as, for example, tin.

The container 1 may have a bottom unit 10 (FIG. 3) and a top unit 20 wherein the top unit 20 rotates between a closed position (FIG. 1) to an open position (FIG. 3) at a hinge 8. The container 1 may have an interior 25 which is created when the bottom unit 10 and the top unit 20 are secured together as shown in FIG. 1. The interior 25 of the container 1 may store the items 5 in a secure manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the top unit 20 may have a first cover 50 and a second cover 100. The second cover 100 may be permanently connected to the first cover 50. In an embodiment, the first cover 50 may have a first side wall 51, a second side wall 52, a front 53, a back 54, a top 55 (FIG. 2) and a bottom open rim 56. The first side 51 and the second side 52 of the first cover 50 may have an extended ridge 57 (FIG. 4) which is located at/near the top 55 of the first cover 50. More specifically, the extended ridge 57 of the top 55 of the first cover 50 may extended farther outward than the bottom rim 56 of the first cover 50 (which may be slightly indented from the extended ridge 57 of the top 55 of the first cover 50).

In an embodiment, the second cover 100 may have a first side wall 101, a second side wall 102, a front 103, a back 104, a top 105 and a bottom rim 106 (FIG. 4). The sides 101, 102 of the second cover 100 may be non-bendable or inflexible as a result of the second cover 100 being made of a material which does not bend under normal use of the device. More specifically, the second cover 100 may be made of a durable material that prevents a user from squeezing the sides 101, 102 of the second cover 100 to alter the overall distance between the first side 101 and the second side 102 (the width of the device). As a result, the sides 101, 102 remain inflexible, whereas the center of the second cover 100 may very slightly bend downward in the dead center of the second cover 100 (the dead center is illustrated by precisely at number #100 in FIG. 2) as a result of the center of the second cover being slightly flexible. Because the sides 101, 102 of the second cover 100 are not bendable, a user cannot squeeze the sides 101, 102 of the second cover 100 to open the device, but instead, must simultaneously press the dead center of the second cover 100 while sliding the second cover 100 away from the first cover 100.

The first side 101 and second side 102 of the second cover 100 may partially cover the first side 51 and second side 52 of the first cover 50. The bottom rim 106 of the second cover 100 may have an indented rim 110 (FIG. 5) which locks to and is secured to the first cover 50 of the top unit 20. In particular, the indented rim 110 is located below the extended ridge 57 of the first cover 20 and surrounds and secures the extended ridge 57 of the first cover 50 so that the second cover 100 may slide in a parallel manner (and along the same axis plane) with respect to the first cover 50.

The second cover 100 may be permanently secured to the first cover 50. In an embodiment, the first cover 50 may be attached to the bottom unit 10 while the second cover 100 is permanently attached to the first cover 50. The second cover 100 may not be physically connected to the bottom unit 10. The first cover 50 may rotate (approximately one hundred and eighty degrees) with respect to the bottom unit 10. The bottom rim 106 of the second cover 100 may slide along the bottom rim 56 of the first cover 50.

While the container 1 is in the first orientation (FIG. 1) the second cover 100 may cover the entire top 55 of the first cover 50. In this orientation, the sides 101, 102 of the second cover 100 cover the sides of the first cover 50. Because the sides 101, 102 of the second cover 100 are non-bendable, a user cannot squeeze the sides of the container 1. Further, in this first orientation (FIG. 1) there is nothing for a user to grasp of the first cover 50 so as to be able to rotate the first cover 50 away from the bottom unit 10 to open the container 1.

As stated above, the second cover 100 may slide in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover 50 so that the second cover 100 moves from a first position (FIG. 1) to a second position (FIG. 2). In the first position of FIG. 1, the container is compact and the first cover 50 is not visible from the top. In the second orientation of the second cover, a portion of the first cover 50 becomes visible (FIG. 2).

In an embodiment, the second cover 100 may only slide in a parallel manner for a short distance (as shown in FIG. 2). More specifically, the second cover 100 may only side approximately one quarter of the distance over the first cover 50. As a result, the first cover 50 and second cover 100 remain stable.

To open the container with a security lock 1, a user first may press down on the top 105 of the second cover 100 (at the dead center of the second cover 100) to release the friction locking the second cover 100 to the first cover 50. As the downward forced is applied to the dead center of the top 105 of the second cover 100, the sides 101, 102 of the second cover 100 slightly move outward and away from the sides 51, 52 of the first cover 50 and allow the second cover 100 to slide with respect to the first cover 50. The user may then slide the second cover 100 (while pressing the center of the second cover 100 at the same time) in a parallel manner into the second position of FIG. 2. A user may then lift the front 104 of the second cover 100 (by now being able to grasp the front 104 of the second cover 100 as shown in FIG. 3) and, therein, may rotate the second cover 100 (and attached first cover 50) at the hinge 8 to gain access to the interior 25 of the container 1. As a result, to open the container, a user must press the dead center of the second cover 100 at the same time as he/she slides the second cover 100 with respect to the first cover 50. This multiple action requirement prevents children from gaining access to the interior of the container.

In an embodiment, the first cover 50 and second cover 100 may each have dimples. In particular, the second cover 100 may have at least one dimple 325 on each side 101, 102 of the second cover 100 wherein the dimples extend inward, toward the center of the container 1 as shown in FIG. 5. In an embodiment, the first cover 50 may have an external dimple 326 (FIG. 8) on each side 51, 52 which may extend outward, toward the exterior of the container 1. As a result, the dimples 326 of the first cover 50 contact the dimples 325 of the second cover 100 when the second cover 100 is slid backward to the second position.

All the dimples 325, 326 interact with each other to stop the second cover 100 from sliding beyond a specific point with respect to the first cover 50. Finally, in an embodiment, an optional elongated dimple 350 (FIG. 7) may also be located on the first cover 50 which interacts with another elongated dimple (not shown) of the second cover 100 to further help prevent the second cover 100 from sliding beyond a specific point with respect to the first cover 50.

Although embodiments of the invention are shown and described therein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.

Claims

1. A container with a security lock comprising: a top unit having both a first cover and a second cover;a bottom unit;a hinge connecting the first cover of the top unit to the bottom unit wherein the hinge rotates the entire top unit with respect to the bottom unit; andwherein the second cover of the top unit slides along the same axis as the first cover of the top unit in a parallel manner and wherein only the first cover is connected to the bottom unit.

2. The container with a security lock of claim 1 further comprising: a first exterior side wall of the first cover and a second exterior side wall of the first cover; andan extended dimple on the first exterior side wall of the first cover and an extended dimple on the second exterior side wall of the first cover.

3. The container with a security lock of claim 2 further comprising: a first interior side wall of the second cover and a second interior side wall of the second cover; andan extended dimple on the first interior side wall of the second cover and an extended dimple on the second interior side wall of the second cover.

4. The container with a security lock of claim 3 wherein the dimples of the first cover contact the dimples of the second cover in a first position but do not contact the dimples of the second cover in a second position and wherein the second cover is prevented from moving beyond a specific point when the dimples of the second cover contact the dimples of the first cover.

5. The container with a security lock of claim 1 wherein the top unit rotates up to one hundred and eighty degrees with respect to the bottom unit.

6. The container with a security lock of claim 1 wherein the second cover has a first side wall and a second side wall and wherein the first side wall and the second side wall of the second cover are inflexible.

7. The container with a security lock of claim 1 wherein the second cover has a top and wherein the top of the second cover is flexible in the center of the top of the second cover.

8. The container with a security lock of claim 1 further comprising: an elongated dimple located on a top of the first cover.