Patent Application
20180297756
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The disclosure and prior art relates to containers and more particularly pertains to a new container for securely storing a user's food items.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shell that defines an internal space. The shell has a top that is open. A lid is hingedly coupled to the shell. The lid is lockably couplable to the shell to secure items, such as food, that are positioned in the internal space. A plurality of slits that is positioned through the lid is configured to vent the internal space. A pair of panels is coupled to the front of the shell to define a pair of slots. The panels are substantially transparent. The slots are configured to insert labels, such as a label that has a name of a user and a label that dates the items.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A lid 18 is hingedly coupled to the shell 12. The lid 18 is complementary to the top 16. The lid 18 is lockably couplable to the shell 12 to secure the items that are positioned in the internal space 14. In one embodiment, each of a pair of hinges 20 is coupled to and extends between a back 22 of the shell 12 and a rear edge 24 of the lid 18. The hinges 20 are positioned to pivot to selectively position the lid 18 in an open configuration and a closed configuration.
A locking assembly 26 is coupled to a front 34 of the shell 12. The locking assembly 26 is selectively couplable to the lid 18. The locking assembly 26 is positioned to selectively couple to the lid 18 to secure the items that are positioned in the internal space 14. In one embodiment, the locking assembly 26 is positioned substantially equally distant from opposing sides of 28 the shell 12. In another embodiment, the locking assembly 26 comprises a keypad lock 30. The keypad lock 30 comprises a housing 32. The housing 32 is positioned in the front 34 of the shell 12 and defines an interior space 36. A power module 38 is coupled to the housing 32 and is positioned in the interior space 36. In another embodiment, the power module 38 comprises at least one battery 40. A set of six buttons 42 is coupled to a forward face 44 of the housing 32. The buttons 42 are operationally coupled to the power module 38. The buttons 42 are configured to enter a code to selectively and reversibly couple the locking assembly 26 to the lid 18 to secure the items that are positioned in the internal space 14.
A reset button 46 is positioned on a rearward face 48 of the housing 32. The reset button 46 is positioned to be accessed from the internal space 14. The reset button 46 is operationally coupled to the buttons 42. The reset button 46 is configured to delete an old code so that the buttons 42 are configured to enter a new code.
A plate 50 is positioned in the rearward face 48 adjacent to the power module 38. The plate 50 is reversibly couplable to the housing 32. The plate 50 is selectively removable to access the power module 38.
An inset 52 is positioned around a bottom perimeter 72 of the shell 12 to define an extension 54. A recess 56 is positioned in the lid 18. The recess 56 is substantially complementary to the extension 54. The recess 56 is positioned in the lid 18 and the extension 54 is positioned on the shell 12 such that a plurality of shells 58, with the lids 18 in the closed configuration, are stackable.
A plurality of slits 60 is positioned through the lid 18. The slits 60 are configured to vent the internal space 14. In one embodiment, the slits 60 are selectively closable. In another embodiment, the plurality of slits 60 comprises four slits 60 that are positioned two each proximate to the rear edge 24 and a forward edge 62 of the lid 18.
A pair of panels 64 is coupled to the front 34 of the shell 12 to define a pair of slots 66. The panels 64 are substantially transparent. The slots 66 are configured to insert labels, such as a label that has a name of a user and a label to date the items in the internal space 14. In one embodiment, the panels 64 are substantially rectangularly shaped. In another embodiment, the panels 64 are positioned to bracket the locking assembly 26.
A handle 68 is coupled to and selectively extensible from the lid 18. The handle 68 is configured to be grasped in a hand of the user to lift the shell 12 and the lid 18. A cutout 70 is positioned in the lid 18 adjacent to the handle 68. The cutout 70 is configured to insert an end of a finger to extend the handle 68 from the lid 18.
In use, the top 16 is configured to position the items, such as the food, into the internal space 14. The hinges 20 are positioned to selectively pivot to position the lid 18 in the open configuration and the closed configuration. The buttons 42 positioned on the housing 32 are configured to enter the code to selectively and reversibly couple the locking assembly 26 to the lid 18 to secure the items that are positioned in the internal space 14. The reset button 46 positioned on the housing 32 is configured to delete the old code so that the buttons 42 are configured to enter the new code. The slots 66 positioned on the shell 12 are configured to insert the labels, such as the label has the name of the user and the label to date the items that are in the internal space 14. The slits 60 positioned in the lid 18 are configured to vent the internal space 14. The cutout 70 positioned in the lid 18 is configured to insert the end of the finger to extend the handle 68 from the lid 18. The handle 68 positioned on the lid 18 is configured to be grasped in the hand of the user to lift the shell 12 and the lid 18. The recess 56 positioned in the lid 18 and the extension 54 positioned on the shell 12 are positioned such that the plurality of shells 58, with the lids 18 in the closed configuration, are stackable.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
