Patent ID: 6053354
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: B65F,Y10S

Abstract:
A container comprising:a container body having a bottom, first and second side walls extending upwardly from the bottom, and first and second end walls extending upwardly from the bottom, the side walls and end walls defining a mouth of the container;a rearward lid component adapted for covering a rearward portion of the mouth;a forward lid component hingedly attached to the rearward lid component by a first hinge assembly for pivoting movement of the forward lid component relative to the rearward lid component about a first hinge axis, the forward lid component being adapted for covering a forward portion of the mouth; anda handle connected to the first end wall of the container body adjacent the mouth of the container, the handle extending generally along a handle axis;the rearward lid component being hingedly attached to the handle by a second hinge assembly for pivoting movement of the rearward lid component relative to the container body about a second hinge axis;the forward and rearward lid components being moveable relative to one another via the first hinge assembly through a range of relative positions, one position of the range of positions constituting a lid disconnecting position, the first hinge assembly being adapted to permit the forward and rearward lid components to move laterally relative to one another to facilitate separation of the lid components from one another when the lid components are oriented in the lid disconnecting position;wherein the first hinge assembly includes a first generally tubular hinge member and first and second tabs, the first generally tubular hinge member being fixed to one of the rearward lid component and the forward lid component, the first and second tabs extending from the other of the rearward lid component and the forward lid component, the first tubular hinge member including first and second longitudinally disposed slots that allow lateral access to the interior of the first tubular hinge member, the first and second tabs being moveable within an interior of the first tubular hinge member in a manner to permit pivoting movement of the rearward lid component and the forward lid component relative to one another, the first tubular hinge member being configured so that the first slot and the first tab are in alignment with one another and so that the second slot and the second tab are in alignment with one another when the lid components are in their lid disconnecting position to enable the first tab to pass through the first slot and to enable the second tab to pass through the second slot to separate the lid components from one another.