Patent Application
20240017883
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to interconnectable building block containers. More specifically, the present invention relates to interconnectable building block containers capable of initially storing consumable items such as food and subsequently storing consumable or non-consumable items.
Inter-lockable food containers designed for use as building block toys are known. Some such containers include a side of a first container having a male pin which can form a dovetail joint with a side of a second container having a female tail. Some such containers have bottoms that include a shallow square mortise hole which can loosely form a joint with a stubby square tenon on the top of another container.
Also known is a container with a threaded male cap designed for dispensing a liquid and for use as a building block toy wherein the male cap of a first container wall can be inserted into a central female receptacle of another container wall.
Additionally, containers are known designed with a cap and for use as a building block toy wherein a male tongue and a female groove located along the entire length of each side wall of a first container can be interlocked to a female groove and male tongue located along the entire length of each side wall of another container.
Also known is a LEGO● container designed to hold candy and for use as a building block toy wherein a male connector of a first LEGO● container block may be press-fitted into an open square female cavity on an opposite side of another LEGO● container block.
Finally, also known in the art are LEGO● flat snap-cap containers designed to hold liquid and for use as building block toys wherein a male connector of a first LEGO● container block may be press-fitted into an open square female cavity on an opposite side of a second LEGO● container block wherein the bottom side of the first LEGO● block has a central recess for the container cap of another LEGO● container block.
As illustrated above, methods and apparatus are known for reversibly interconnecting a plurality of food containers as building block toys wherein the reversible interconnection requires an integral male connector and an integral female connector wherein the integral male connector of a first food container is connected to the integral female connector of a second food container.
Briefly stated, in one aspect of the invention, a container capable of initially storing a consumable item and subsequently storing a consumable or non-consumable item is provided. This container includes: a plurality of side walls; a bottom wall coupled to the plurality of side walls; a cavity between the inwardly facing surfaces of the plurality of side walls and the bottom wall, the consumable item or the non-consumable item located in the cavity; a top wall coupled to the plurality of side walls, the top wall including a cavity aperture; a seal covering the cavity aperture; a cover covering the seal; at least one connector located on each of the outwardly facing surfaces of the plurality of side walls, the bottom wall, and the top wall.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, can be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended figures. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in some of the figures, embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown depicted.
Certain terminology may be used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “lower” and “upper” and “top” and “bottom” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.
Where a term is provided in the singular, the inventors also contemplate aspects of the invention described by the plural of that term. As used in this specification and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, e.g., “a wall” may include a plurality of walls. Thus, for example, a reference to “a method” includes one or more methods, and/or steps of the type described herein and/or which will become apparent to those persons skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods, constructs and materials are now described. All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Where there are discrepancies in terms and definitions used in references that are incorporated by reference, the terms used in this application shall have the definitions given herein.
Referring first to
More specifically, container 100, as depicted in
Side walls 1 and bottom wall 18 are substantially square and each include (4) identical connectors 10 that protrude from each corner thereof. Top wall 8 is also substantially square and includes four (4) identical connectors 10 protruding from each corner. Although side walls 1, top wall 8, and bottom wall 18 are each shown with (4) connectors, alternate connector quantities may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Further, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which one or more of the aforementioned walls have a different quantity of connectors than the remaining walls.
As best seen in
As best seen in
In the exemplary embodiment depicted in
In the depicted embodiment, cover 2 includes a fastener 7 for retaining cover 2 in a fully closed or nearly fully closed position. Fastener 7 may be any type of protrusion or the like capable of mating with fastener receptacle 11, the latter of which is recessed in top wall 8. That is, fastener 7 may be pushed into fastener receptacle 11, after which it is held therein via the pressure exerted on fastener 7 by the interior walls of fastener receptacle 11 until pressure is applied in an opposite, unlocking direction to remove fastener 7 from fastener receptacle 11 (e.g., pressure may be applied via a fingernail or the like). In one embodiment, groove 30 (
Referring now to
Further, in the depicted embodiment, seal 12 is secured to the upwardly facing surface of the portions of top wall 8 that surround seal aperture 24 via an adhesive or the like applied to the downwardly facing edges of seal 12 prior to placement of seal 12 atop top wall 8. However, other methods of securing seal 12 to container 100 may be substituted including, without limitation, seals that insert into cavity 16 and are retained therein via the pressure exerted on seal 12 by the interior walls of cavity 16. In one embodiment of the present invention, seal 12 also functions to retain a straw or the like in an upright position during consumption of a consumable liquid by the user. In such embodiments, seal 12 may include puncture indicia 15 (e.g., a dashed line) to indicate a preferred location for puncturing seal 12. In one embodiment, this preferred location may be thinner than the surrounding portion of seal 12; however, this is not required to implement the present invention. Furthermore, puncture indicia 15 is not necessary to implement the present invention as seal 12 may be formed to allow puncturing via a straw or the like in any desired location. In embodiments incorporating a straw, a straw such as straw 9 may be pre-packaged with a container by affixing it to any external surface of container 100 via a removable adhesive or the like. That is, once the straw is removed for use, the means for holding the straw to the container 100 may be completely removed via soap and water or other easy method of cleaning.
Optionally, all or a portion of the straw may be compressed to allow it to more easily fit upon container 100. In some embodiments, seal 12 includes tab 13 to facilitate removal of seal 12. In one form, tab 13 is made of the same material as seal 12 and it extends therefrom. During manufacturing, tab 13 may be folded atop seal 12 and under cover 2 prior to the closing of cover 2 to prevent tab 13 from being visible prior to use of container 100. That is, when cover 2 is opened for the first time, tab 13 will unfold to the position shown in
Referring next to
Any one or more of side walls 1, top wall 8, and a bottom wall 18 may include ornamental, educational, or other indicia 26 to increase the aesthetic appeal of container 100. Such indicia may include, but is not limited to, animals, numbers and letters, pictures, trademarks, characters, copyrighted materials, and descriptive information regarding the contents of the container. Further, any one or more of such walls may be colored. Or such walls may be decorated to promote health and nutrition. The coloring and indicia of the walls may vary from container to container to allow a user of a plurality of containers 100 to collect specific ones of containers 100. Containers 100 may also include wrap-around labels or the like, optionally with branding, product, nutritional, and/or ingredient information. Indicia 26 and/or product branding may be omitted from any one or more of side walls 1, top wall 8, and/or bottom wall 18 without departing from the scope hereof.
As also seen in
Also, although the depicted connectors 10 each include sixteen (16) bristles 19 arranged in an alternating pattern, alternate quantities and/or bristle patterns may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Similarly, although the bristles 19 of
Although the depicted embodiment includes nearly identical bristle-type connectors varying types of identical or non-identical connectors may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof including, without limitation, Velcro● connectors, magnetic connectors, male and female mating connectors, pin and tail connectors, tongue and groove connectors, mortise and tenon connectors, and reversible adhesive connectors.
As best seen in
In the exemplary embodiment, connectors 10 are located at the corners of side walls 1, top wall 8, and bottom wall 18 to increase the durability of container 100. That is, the corner and edge surfaces of a hollow cube provide better support than the middle wall surfaces due to the support received from the interconnection of each of such surfaces with the adjacent sides of the cube. This positioning of connectors 10 reduces the potential flexion of the middle wall surfaces of side walls 1, top wall 8, and bottom wall 18, thereby minimizing the potential of wall deformation during interconnection of a plurality of containers 100 as discussed in greater detail with respect to
Turning now to
In one embodiment of the present invention, containers 100 are juice boxes or other beverage boxes for use by children. In such an embodiment, containers 100 may be connected as shown in
Referring next to
Thereafter, at 44, a user may clean the container; however, this is not required to implement the present invention. This cleaning step may also include removing the seal, opening the cover, and locking the cover in a closed position after cleaning is complete. If a user skips the cleaning step, the user may still lock the cover in place to create an intact building block with no partially open covers. However, embodiments of the invention are envisioned in which one or more sides of the container include one or more exposed cavities after the consumable item is consumed (i.e., cavities that are not encased with a movable cover).
Next, at 46, a user may optionally place one or more consumable or non-consumable items in the cavity for enjoyment or storage. This step may also include opening and/or resealing of the cover. Then, at 48, a user may removably or irremovably connect an empty or filled first container with one or more empty or filled second containers to create an object (i.e., the second filled container may be one initially filled with a consumable item or one that was filled by the user after removal of the consumable item and/or cleaning of the cavity).
After process 500 is complete, in embodiments of the present invention in which the connectors are removably connected, a user may change or disassemble the object and the user may re-use the containers to create one or more new objects.
Turning next to
In some embodiments of the invention, container 602 contains a drinkable consumable product. However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which container 602 includes an alternate product or no product at all. For the latter, if container 602 is empty, components thereof may be eliminated including, without limitation, top 704.
For embodiments including a drinkable consumable product, a straw such as straw 606 may be pre-packaged with container system 600 by affixing it to any external surface of container system 600 via a removable adhesive or the like. That is, once the straw is removed for use, the means for holding the straw to the container system 600 may be completely removed via soap and water or other easy method of cleaning.
Also, in the depicted embodiment, straw 606 is located between two opposing corners of container system 600 such as corners 912a and 912b. Such positioning allows the straw to be longer and affixed to the top of container system 600 without extending beyond the borders thereof. Optionally, all or a portion of the straw may be compressed to allow it to more easily fit upon container system 600 without extending beyond the borders thereof (or minimizing the extent to which the straw extends beyond the borders thereof). However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which straw 606 extends beyond the borders of frame 604.
Referring now to
Container 602 includes top 704, bottom 706, and four substantially identical sides 702, and it is substantially a cube with the exception of rounded side and bottom edges 710 and 711, respectively, and each of sides 702 is angled slightly inward such that the bottom portion of container 602 has a slightly smaller cross-section than the top portion thereof. Each of the sides 702 is approximately 2.342 inches square, bottom 706 is approximately 2.303 inches square, and flanged top 704 is approximately 2.59 inches square, with the exception of the indented and rounded corners 712 as discussed in greater detail below. However, other shapes and sizes may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
In the depicted embodiment, sides 702, top 704, and bottom 706 are moisture impermeable to allow container 602 to store or house a liquid or semi-liquid consumable product. However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which such walls are not moisture-impermeable. Materials for sides 702 and bottom 706 may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following materials: paper, cardboard, plastic including, without limitation, BPA-free and recycled plastic material, metal (e.g., aluminum foil), wax coated plant fiber, ceramic, and glass. In the depicted embodiment, both container 602 and frame 604 are made of polypropylene plastic to allow them to be easily recycled as a whole, however, alternate materials may be substituted. Further, container 602 and frame 604 may be made of different materials without departing from the scope hereof.
As best seen in
As best seen in
As best seen in the cross-sectional view of
Top 704 is also substantially square and has a perimeter that substantially matches the perimeter of flange 708 as discussed above. Removable top 704 is depicted in
In the depicted embodiment, top 704 is a heat sealed foil laminate. That is, after cavity 718 is filled with a consumable (or non-consumable) product, top 704 is heat sealed to upwardly facing surface 720 of flange 708. However, other materials for top 704 may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof including, without limitation, thin metal seals other than foil laminate, cardboard, plastic, non-foil metal, and waxed-paper seals. Also, other methods of securing top 704 to container 602 may be substituted including, without limitation, application of an adhesive to the upwardly facing surface 720 of flange 708 prior to placement of top 704.
In one embodiment of the present invention, top 704 also functions to retain a straw or the like in an upright position during consumption of a consumable liquid by the user. In such embodiments, top 704 may include puncture indicia 726 and/or one or more perforated lines 728 to indicate a preferred location for puncturing top 704 with a straw or the like. In the depicted embodiment, perforated line 728 is in the form of a circle that surrounds puncture indicia 726, the latter of which is in the form of a plus sign. Additionally, each set of perforated lines 728 and indicia 726 are located at the same distance inward from each of the four corners 712. In some embodiments, puncture indicia 726 and/or one or more perforated lines 728 are located such that they will substantially align with access aperture 826, such that a straw passed through access aperture 826 shall also pierce the puncture indicia 726 and/or one or more perforated lines 728. However, other types, quantities, and locations of puncture indicia and/or perforated lines may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Also, puncture indicia and/or perforated lines are not required to implement the present invention.
In some embodiments of the present invention such as that depicted in
Any one or more of sides 702 and bottom 706 may include ornamental, educational, or other indicia 732 to increase the aesthetic appeal of the container system. Such indicia is described in greater detail above with regards to
In the depicted embodiment, the indicia 732 and/or other artwork is applied to container 602 in the form of an adhesive-backed label 730. In the depicted embodiment, label 730 is the full size of outermost face 716, but smaller labels may be substituted. In the depicted embodiment of the present invention, although label 730 does not extend throughout the entire surface of side 702, it extends throughout the visible portion of such sides. That is, once container 602 is inserted into frame 604 as discussed in greater detail below, the portions of container 602 that are not covered by label 730 are obscured by frame 604 and are therefore not visible to the user of container system 600. In the depicted embodiment, frame 604 also obscures the edges of label 730 thereby giving the appearance that the indicia is part of container 602 rather than a label or the like attached thereto. Such label or the like may be permanent or removable, without departing from the scope hereof. However, indicia 732 and/or labels 730 may also be omitted from one or more of sides 702 and/or bottom 706 without departing from the scope hereof. Also, indicia may be included in other forms including, without limitation, direct printing of the indicia on container 602.
Referring now to
Assembled frame 900 includes frame sides 902, frame top 904, and frame bottom 906. Sides 902b and 902d are substantially square with the exception of rounded edges 916 on all four sides thereof and substantially centralized, substantially square openings 914. Each of the sides 902b and 902d is approximately 2.732 inches square (See
In the depicted embodiment, rounded edges 916 have a radius R5 of approximately inches, however, alternate radii may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
Substantially centralized, substantially square openings 914 also have rounded corners 920, however, non-rounded corners may also be utilized. In the depicted embodiment, rounded corners 920 have a radius R6 of approximately 0.084 inches, however, alternate radii may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Openings 914 allow the user to view a container inserted into frame 604 therethrough such as container 602 as discussed herein.
Each frame side 902, frame top 904, and frame bottom 906 includes (4) substantially identical connectors 1002 having varying orientations that protrude from each corner thereof, however, alternate quantities may be substituted and/or connectors may be omitted from one or more of frame side 902, frame top 904, and frame bottom 906 without departing from the scope hereof. Connectors 1002 are discussed in greater detail below with respect to
Sides 902a and 902c and bottom 906 are substantially square with the exception of substantially centralized, substantially square openings 914 as best seen in the unassembled top and bottom views of
As depicted in
Similarly, side 902a is coupled to top 904 via a hinged section 803, the latter of which is best seen in the cross-sectional and detailed views of
As seen in
Unassembled frame 800 includes eight (8) substantially linear ribs 810. More specifically, in the depicted embodiment, sides 902a, b, c, and d each include a pair of ribs 810, and each one of the pair of ribs 810 extends vertically between the locations of the left and right pairs of connectors 1002, except that the connectors 1002 are located on the external surface of frame 800 (as best seen in
When frame 900 is assembled, hinged sections 802 and 803 are folded such that the cube shape depicted in
In the depicted embodiment, prior to the completion of assembly of frame 604, any desired labels 730 are applied to container 602, and container 602 is inserted into frame 604. Thereafter, frame top 904 is snapped together with frame sides 902, and container 602 is irremovably trapped within frame 604 to form interconnectable connection system 600. However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which container 602 is able to be removed from frame 604.
In the depicted embodiment, frame 604 is made of polypropylene plastic and injection molding. However, other materials and methods of manufacturing frame 604 may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Also, other methods of assembling frame 900 may be substituted including, without limitation, blow molding, 3D printing, or the like.
Frame top 904 is also substantially square as best seen in the unassembled top and bottom views of
In one embodiment of the present invention, frame top 904 also functions to retain a straw or the like in an upright position during consumption of a consumable liquid by the user. In such embodiments, frame top 904 may include access aperture 826 to indicate a preferred location to pass a straw or the like through top 904 such that it may puncture container 602 as discussed in greater detail above. In the depicted embodiment, access aperture 826 is circular, however, other types, quantities, and locations of access apertures may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Also, an access aperture is not required to implement the present invention as the user may also have the ability, for example, to open top 904.
In some embodiments of the present invention such as that depicted in
Side 902c also includes frame tab 922, which may be any type of protrusion or the like capable of mating with frame tab receptacle 926, the latter of which is located below or underneath frame lift 925. That is, frame tab 922 may be pushed into frame tab receptacle 926 via the closing of top 904 and application of pressure thereto, after which it is held therein via the pressure exerted on frame tab 922 by the interior walls of frame tab receptacle 926 until pressure is applied in an opposite, unlocking direction to remove frame tab 922 from frame tab receptacle 926 (e.g., pressure may be applied via a fingernail or the like). Although a snapping type frame tab is utilized in the depicted embodiment, other tabs may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
As best seen in
Although a substantially cube-shaped container system having six surfaces (i.e., four sides, one top, and one bottom) is depicted in
Although sides 902, frame top 904, and frame bottom 906 are each shown with four (4) connectors, alternate connector quantities may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Further, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which one or more of the aforementioned members have a different quantity of connectors than the remaining members.
Turning now to
As best seen in the top and angled views of
Connector floor 1012 is substantially circular with the exception of a semicircular indentation caused by the adjacent channel 1022. That is, innermost wall 1023 of channel 1022 is located at a slightly closer proximity to the centerpoint of floor 1012 than inner wall 1013 of protrusion 1010, thereby causing semicircular indentation 1025. In the depicted embodiment, floor 1012 is recessed below the exterior surface of frame 604 at a depth D7 of approximately 0.05 inches, but alternate depths and shapes may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
Channel 1022 is substantially semicircular, extends around half of the perimeter of floor 1012, and is recessed below floor 1012. Semicircular channel 1022 is shaped such that it mates with semicircular protrusions 1010 of mating connectors as best seen in the cross-sectional view of
A modified array of bristles 1006 extends outward from floor 1012. Bristles 1006 have a length L1 of approximately 0.08 inches, however, alternate lengths may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. A plurality of bristles 1006 are arranged in a substantially centralized modified three by three array. The array is modified in that corner bristle located adjacent and internal to the approximate midpoint of channel 1022 is omitted (i.e., the array includes eight bristles, not nine). In the depicted embodiment, bristles 1006 have a radius R4 of approximately 0.02 inches and the centers of bristles 1006 are offset from the centers of adjacent bristles 1006 by a distance D6 of 0.057 inches, however, other bristle quantities, radii, and distances may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
Semicircular protrusion 1010 also extends from floor 1012, and has a height H1 of approximately 0.125 inches, which causes protrusion 1010 to extend beyond outwardly facing surface 1009 of frame 604 by a height H2 of approximately 0.075 inches. Protrusion is substantially semicircular and extends around approximately half of the perimeter of floor 1012. Protrusion has a thickness T2 of approximately 0.045 inches at its base and exterior wall 1011 of protrusion 1010 tapers inward as it extends upward such that the thickness T4 at the top of protrusion 1010 is approximately 0.03 inches. However, alternate thicknesses and tapering may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
In the depicted embodiment, each side of frame 604 includes four connectors 1002, however, each connector is oriented in a different manner. More specifically, each connector 1002 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the connector located to its adjacent, counterclockwise side. This is best illustrated in
As best seen in the cross-sectional view of
Additionally, semicircular protrusion 1010a of the first connector 1002a combines with the inversely oriented semicircular protrusion 1010b of the second connector 1002b to form a substantially circular protrusion. The creation of the substantially circular protrusion by the two mated semicircular protrusions 1010 lock the connectors 1002 in place and maximize the potential for, and facilitate, correct alignment by preventing angular rotation thereof That is, each semicircular protrusion 1010 prevents rotational movement of the mating semicircular protrusion 1010 since the ends of each abut each other and form a relatively tight fit that eliminates any space for movement therebetween. Also, semicircular channel 1022 also acts to minimize or prevent dislodgement or rotational movement of the semicircular protrusion 1010 positioned therein.
The inverse arrangement of the connectors 1002 allows each connector 1002 to mate with every other connector 1002 such that the container systems 600 may be interconnected, or “built” together, in any number of ways. In this manner, container systems 600 function as toy blocks that may be arranged and interconnected as desired by the user without the need for the ability to match a female component to a male component.
Also, although the depicted connectors 1002 each include one protrusion 1010 and eight (8) bristles 1006 positioned in an inverse arrangement, alternate quantities and/or patterns for the protrusions and/or the bristles may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Similarly, although bristles 1006 of
Although the embodiment depicted in
Container system 600 may be utilized in the same manner as discussed above for container 100. For example, they may be assembled to form an object such as that shown in
Turning next to
In the depicted embodiment, plug connectors 1102 are formed via molding during the molding of frame 1104 such that connectors 1102 form an integral part thereof. However, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which the plug portion of the connector is formed separate from frame 1104 and later attached thereto and/or the socket portion of the connector is created after manufacturing of frame 1104 (e.g., via drilling or the like).
As best seen in the enlarged view of
Plug 1140 is substantially cylindrical with a hollow core 1148, and it extends from the outwardly facing surface 1109 of frame 1104. Although the depicted plug 1140 is substantially cylindrical in the depicted embodiment, tapered plugs are also envisioned in which outwardly facing surface 1146 of plug 1140 tapers slightly inward as it extends away from outwardly facing surface 1109 of frame 1104 to facilitate engagement of plug 1140 with a socket 1142 of a mating connector. Also, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which plug 1140 is solid (i.e., it does not include a hollow core 1148). Furthermore, alternate non-cylindrical shapes may be substituted for plug 1140 without departing from the scope hereof.
In the depicted embodiment, distal end 1152 of plug 1140 is tapered on its outer edge such that the outermost circumference is slightly smaller than the circumference of the body of plug 1140. Such tapering facilitates alignment of plug 1140 with a mating socket 1142 during coupling of a pair of connectors. However, non-tapered edges may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
In the depicted embodiment, plug 1140 includes four (4) substantially semicircular protrusions 1144 arranged in an equidistant manner around the longitudinal midpoint of outwardly facing surface 1146 of plug 1140, however, these protrusions may be omitted or included in varying quantities and/or shapes without departing from the scope hereof.
Socket 1142 is a substantially cylindrical recess recessed below outwardly facing surface 1109 having a depth that is approximately equivalent to the height of plug 1140. In the depicted embodiment, edge 1150 of socket 1142 (i.e., the edge located adjacent to outwardly facing surface 1109 is tapered such that the outermost circumference is slightly larger than the innermost circumference of the body of socket 1142. This tapering provides a wider area in which to land plug 1140 within socket 1142. However, non-tapered edges may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
In the depicted embodiment, each side of frame 1104 includes four connectors 1102, however, each connector is oriented in a different manner. More specifically, each connector 1102 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the connector located to its adjacent, counterclockwise side. This is best illustrated in
A first connector 1102a mates with a second connector 1102b by simply inserting plug 1140 of connector 1102a into socket 1142 of connector 1102b while simultaneously inserting plug 1140 of connector 1102b into socket 1142 of connector 1102a. Insertion occurs until distal ends 1152 of plugs 1140 contact the respective floors 1154 of socket 1142. After insertion, protrusions 1144 help to retain the connectors in a mated position via friction.
In an alternate embodiment, plug 1140 may have a height slightly greater than the depth of socket 1142, and socket 1142 may include a substantially circular channel recessed below floor 1154. The depth of the channel may be approximately equivalent to the difference between the height of plug 1140 and the depth of socket 1142. The width of the channel may be approximately equivalent to the width of the wall of plug 1140. In such an embodiment, distal end 1152 of plug 1140 may enter the channel within socket 1142 to provide additional coupling of the two connectors. Such fit between the plug 1140 and the channel could be a friction fit or non-friction fit without departing from the scope hereof.
The inverse arrangement of the connectors 1102 allows each connector 1102 to mate with every other connector 1102 such that container systems utilizing frames such as frame 1104 may be interconnected, or “built” together, in any number of ways. That is, container systems utilizing frames such as frame 1104 may be utilized in the same manner as discussed above for container 100 and container systems 600. For example, they may be assembled to form an object such as that shown in
Referring now to
With regards to the ability to remove a container such as container 602 from the frame 1604, frame 1604 is configured such that the top 1606 may be rotated upward at an angle of at least ninety degrees to allow removable of the container housed within frame 1604. More specifically, side 1901 is coupled to top 1606 via a hinged section 1903, in the same manner as which side 902a is coupled to top 904 via a hinged section 803 as described in greater detail herein with respect to
Specifically, hinged section 1903 allows the user to rotate frame top 1606 upward such that the user may insert and remove containers such as containers 602 and/or otherwise access the container 602 or the interior thereof (assuming the container top has been removed). Once, container 602 is removed, a user may access the frame cavity (i.e., the cavity located between the inwardly facings surfaces of the frame top, frame sides, and frame bottom) for storage, cleaning, or the like.
For example, in an embodiment in which the container is filled with a consumable item such as juice, the container 602 may be removed after the juice has been consumed, and the user may insert a new container 602 containing juice or the like and having a container top that is fully in tact (thereby preserving the consumable until it is ready to be consumed). This feature eliminates, or minimizes, the need to clean the interior of frame 1604 or the container contained therein. It also allows a user to store items in frame 1604 when no container is placed therein. Further, this feature allows the container system 1600 to be continually replenished with new consumable items with minimal effort on the part of the user.
With regards to the frame sides and frame bottom, the sides and bottom of frame 1604 do not include substantially centralized, substantially square openings such as the openings 914 discussed herein for frame 604. Rather, the sides 1901 and bottom of frame 1604 are solid (i.e., they do not contain any openings) and they include substantially centralized, substantially square recesses such as recess 1606. That is, frame 1604 is formed such that the sides and bottom are a single solid piece, however, a substantially centralized and substantially square portion thereof is recessed as depicted in
In the depicted embodiment, the substantially centralized, substantially square recesses such as surface 1606 also has rounded corners 1920, however, this is not required. For example, non-rounded corners may also be utilized. In the depicted embodiment, rounded corners 920 have a radius R6 of approximately 0.084 inches, however, alternate radii may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
In the depicted embodiment shown in
As also depicted in
Although a substantially cube-shaped container system having six surfaces (i.e., four sides, one top, and one bottom) is depicted in
As depicted in
A modified array of bristles 1915 extends outwardly from floor 1913. Bristles 1913 have a length of approximately 0.08 inches, however, alternate lengths may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. A plurality of bristles 1915 are arranged in a substantially centralized modified five by four array. The array is modified in that the five (5) corner bristles that would be located internal to the adjacent recess are omitted (i.e., the array includes fifteen bristles, not twenty). In the depicted embodiment, bristles 1915 have a radius of approximately 0.02 inches and the centers of bristles 1915 are offset from the centers of adjacent bristles 1915 by a distance D6 of 0.057 inches, however, other bristle quantities, radii, and distances may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof.
In the depicted embodiment, each side of frame 1604 includes four connectors 1902, however, each connector is oriented in a different manner. More specifically, each connector 1902 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the connector located to its adjacent, counterclockwise side. For example, connector 1902b is rotated 90 degrees clockwise related to the connector located to its adjacent, counterclockwise side, namely, connector 1902a. Similarly, connector 1902d is rotated 90 degrees clockwise related to the connector located to its adjacent, counterclockwise side, namely, connector 1902c. The varying orientations allow each side of frame 1604 to be connected with any other side of frame 1604 regardless of the orientation of the latter. That is, top left connector 1902a is oriented to be substantially inverse to top right connector 1902b, and bottom left connector 1902c is oriented to be substantially inverse to connector 1902d such that when two sides are mated to each other, connector 1902a mates with connector 1902b, and connector 1902c mates with connector 1902d. However, alternatively, top left connector 1902a is capable of mating with any of the other connectors 1902a through 1902d of a mating container system (i.e., depending on the orientation of the container system, one connector can mate with any of the other connectors), thereby allowing the blocks to be connected to each other regardless of orientation. In this manner, each of the connectors is able to mate with any one of the other connectors depending on the orientation of the mating container system.
The mating of the connector bristles 1915 is described in greater detail herein.
The inverse arrangement of the connectors 1002 allows each connector 1902 to mate with every other connector 1902 such that the container systems 600 may be interconnected, or “built” together, in any number of ways. In this manner, container systems 1600 function as toy blocks that may be arranged and interconnected as desired by the user without the need for the ability to match a female component to a male component.
Also, although the depicted connectors 1902 each include fifteen (15) bristles 1915 positioned in an inverse arrangement, alternate quantities and/or patterns for the bristles may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof Similarly, although bristles 1915 are substantially parallel, other embodiments of the invention are envisioned in which bristles 1915 are not parallel. Further, the distribution of bristles 1915 may occur in a random or organized manner. Also, bristle tips 1915 may be rounded or pointed to facilitate sliding together, or interconnecting, of opposing bristles. Further, although the bristles 1915 of
Although the embodiment depicted in
Although sides 1901, frame top 1904, and frame bottom each include four (4) substantially identical connectors, alternate connector quantities may be substituted without departing from the scope hereof. Further, alternate embodiments are envisioned in which one or more of the aforementioned members have a different quantity of connectors than the remaining members and/or a combination of differing connectors are included on frame 1604.
Container system 1600 may be utilized in the same manner as discussed above for containers 100 and 600. For example, they may be assembled to form an object such as that shown in
Referring now to
Thereafter, at 1344, a user may remove the container and/or clean the container and/or container system; however, this is not required to implement the present invention. In a scenario in which the user wishes to remove the container, the user may simply open the frame top, remove the container, and lock the frame top in a closed position after the removal is complete. Optionally, the user may wish to clean the frame after the container is removed.
Or, if the user wishes to clean the container and reuse it, the user may, for example, remove the container, remove the container top (if still intact), clean the container, optionally clean the frame, reinsert the clean container into the frame, and lock the frame top in a closed position.
If a user skips the cleaning step, the user may still lock the frame top in place to create an intact building block with no partially open frame tops.
Next, at 1346, a user may optionally place one or more consumable or non-consumable items in a cavity for enjoyment or storage. For example, in a scenario in which the container was removed at step 1344, the user may insert a new container at step 1346 into the frame cavity. This new container may include, for example, a consumable item sealed therein. Or, the user may leave the frame cavity without a container and utilize it to store non-container items. Or, alternatively, if the user cleaned the container at step 1344, the user may place one or more items in the cavity of the cleaned container and/or the frame cavity.
Next, at 1348, a user may removably or irremovably connect an empty or filled first container with one or more empty or filled second containers to create an object (i.e., the second filled container may be one initially filled with a consumable item or one that was filled by the user after removal of the consumable item and/or cleaning of the cavity).
After process 1300 is complete, in embodiments of the present invention in which the connectors are removably connected, a user may change or disassemble the object and the user may re-use the containers to create one or more new objects.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of and is a continuation-in-part of the U.S. patent application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Interconnectable Building Block Containers Capable of Storing Items”, having Ser. No. 14/214,426, filed Mar. 14, 2014, and currently pending, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein. Application with Ser. No. 14/214,426, filed Mar. 14, 2014, claims the benefit of the U.S. provisional patent application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Interconnectable Building Block Containers Capable of Storing Items”, having Ser. No. 61/802,691, filed Mar. 17, 2013, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61802691 | Mar 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16846538 | Apr 2020 | US |
| Child | 18114097 | US | |
| Parent | 15627999 | Jun 2017 | US |
| Child | 16846538 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14214426 | Mar 2014 | US |
| Child | 15627999 | US |
