Patent Publication Number: US-7222762-B2

Title: Mobile canister

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to mobile canisters and, in particular, canisters that include a container and a closeable lid coupled to the container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a recloseable, sealable, small portable canister for foodstuffs or other small articles. 
     SUMMARY 
     A mobile canister in accordance with the present disclosure includes a container, a lid, and a container mount configured to support the container on a belt worn by a person so that the container and lid are mobile. In an illustrative embodiment, the container is sized and adapted to contain pet treats and the container mount comprises a bracket coupled to the container and a belt clip coupled to the bracket. 
     Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure presently perceived. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mobile canister in accordance with the present disclosure showing the canister as it is about to be clipped to a belt of a user and showing a “flip” lid coupled to a container carrying a belt clip and opened to permit the user to remove pet treats stored in the container; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a belt clip as it is about to be coupled to a clip mounting bracket coupled to an exterior portion of the container and showing the flip lid in a closed position on the container; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the canister of  FIG. 1  (after closure of the flip lid) showing pet treats stored in the container and mating engagement of the belt clip and the clip mounting bracket; 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of the belt clip of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the mobile canister of  FIGS. 1–3  as it is about to be “hung” on a hook provided on a canister display rack in a retail store by passing the hook through two hook receivers formed in the belt clip and showing two other similar canisters already coupled to the canister display rack; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the mobile canister of  FIG. 1  after the flip lid has been moved to a fully opened position; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the canister of  FIG. 6  taken along line  7 — 7  of  FIG. 6  showing a closure and hinge included in the flip lid and suggesting a path along which the closure might move as it pivots on the hinge relative to the container in a counterclockwise direction toward a closed position; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 9  showing location of the closure relative to the underlying container before the user pushes downwardly on the lid to “snap” the closure to a closed position on the container; and 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along line  9 — 9  of  FIG. 2  showing the closure retained in a closed position on the container owing to mating engagement of an inwardly extending retainer on the closure with an outwardly extending flange on the container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As suggested in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a mobile canister  10  includes a container  12 , a lid  14 , and a container mount  16 . Container mount  16  cooperates with container  12  to provide means for supporting container  12  on a belt  18  worn by a person  20  so that container  12  and lid  14  are mobile. 
     Container  12  is formed to include an interior article-storage region  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the container includes a floor  24  and four side walls  25 ,  26 ,  27 ,  28  terminating at a top edge  29  defining a top opening into interior article-storage region  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, side wall  25  provides an exterior surface  30  associated with container mount  16 . 
     Lid  14  includes a closure  32  and a hinge  34  coupled to container  12 . Lid  14  is mounted for movement on container  12  between an opened position (shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 ,  6 , and  7 ) exposing an opening into interior article-storage region  22  in container  12  and a closed position (shown, for example, in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  5 , and  9 ) closing the opening into interior article-storage region  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, container  12  and lid  14  are molded using a plastics material such as polypropylene to form a monolithic unit and hinge  34  is a “living” hinge. 
     As suggested in  FIG. 2 , container mount  16  includes a bracket  36  coupled to container  12  and a belt clip  38  configured to be coupled to bracket  36 . In the illustrated embodiment, belt clip  38  includes a strip retainer  40  coupled to container  12  and a strip  42  appended to strip retainer  40 . Strip  42  is arranged to extend downwardly from strip retainer  40  as suggested in  FIGS. 1 and 3  and cooperate with container  12  to provide means for supporting container  12  on a belt  18  worn by a person  20 . 
     As suggested in  FIGS. 2 and 6 , bracket  36  includes a strip support bar  44  and first and second standoffs  46 ,  48  coupled to side wall  25  of container  12  and to strip support bar  44 . Strip support bar  44  interconnects distal portions of first and second standoffs  46 ,  48 . Strip support bar  44  is located in spaced-apart relation to side wall  25  of container  12  to define a retainer receiver channel  50  therebetween. Strip support bar  44  includes an upper edge  51  located a first distance from lid  14  and top edge  29  of container  12  and a lower edge  52  located a grater second distance from lid  14  and top edge  29  of container  12  as suggested, for example, in  FIG. 3 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, as shown, for example, in  FIG. 4 , belt clip  38  includes in series an anchor  61 , a bracket plate  62 , an upper inclined segment  63  having a generally “negative” slope, a ridge  64 , a lower inclined segment  65  having a generally “positive” slope, and an elongated distal tongue portion  66 . Anchor  61  and bracket plate  62  cooperate to define strip retainer  40 . Inclined segments  63 ,  65  and ridge  64  cooperate to define a proximal root portion  69  of strip  42  and cooperate with distal tongue portion  66  to define strip  42  itself. 
     As suggested in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , bracket plate  62  of strip retainer  40  is arranged to extend through retainer receiver channel  50  formed in bracket  36 . Strip  42  is appended to a lower portion of bracket plate  62  while anchor  61  is appended to an upper portion of bracket plate  62 . 
     Anchor  61  is arranged to engage strip support bar  44  to block discharge of bracket plate  62  from retainer receiver channel  50  and movement of strip  42  away from bracket  36 . Anchor  61  includes stop means  67  for engaging upper edge  51  of strip support bar  44  to block movement of anchor  61  in a first direction  71  through retainer receiver channel  50  as suggested in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Anchor  61  also includes ramp means  68  for engaging lower edge  52  of strip support bar  44  and expanding retainer receiver channel  50  formed by flexible bracket  36  to allow movement of stop means  67  in an opposite second direction  72  through retainer receiver channel  50  during movement of strip  42  in opposite second direction  72  toward bracket  36  so that stop means  67  lies in confronting relation to upper edge  51  of strip support bar  44  as also suggested in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . As shown best in  FIG. 1 , anchor  61  is located in a space between top edge  29  of container  12  and upper edge  51  of strip support bar  44  when belt clip  38  is coupled to bracket  36 . 
     As suggested in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , closure  32  of lid  14  includes a top wall  74  closing the opening into interior article-storage region  22  upon movement of lid  14  to assume the closed position. Closure  32  also includes a side wall  76  appended to a perimeter of top wall  74  and arranged to surround an upper portion of container  12  when lid  14  is closed. Side wall  76  is formed to include a cutout  78  and anchor  61  is arranged to lie in cutout  78  upon movement of lid  14  to the closed position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . 
     As shown best in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , strip  42  includes a distal tongue portion  66  and a proximal root portion  69 . Distal tongue portion  66  is arranged to extend along exterior surface  30  of container  12  in downward direction  71  away from bracket  36 . Proximal root portion  69  is arranged to interconnect bracket plate  62  and distal tongue portion  66 . Proximal root portion  69  is also formed to include a hook receiver adapted to receive a hook  80  provided on a canister display rack  82  to support container  12  on hook  80  as suggested, for example, in  FIG. 5 . Proximal root portion  69  provides means interconnecting distal tongue portion  66  and strip retainer  40  for receiving a hook  80  on a canister display rack  82  to support container  12  on hook  80 . 
     As suggested in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , first inclined segment  65  of proximal root portion  69  is appended to an upper part of distal tongue portion  66  and is formed to include a lower hook receiver  84 . Second inclined segment  63  of proximal root portion  69  is appended to a lower part of bracket plate  62  and is formed to include an upper hook receiver  86 . In the illustrated embodiment, lower hook receiver  84  has a rectangular shape, upper hook receiver  86  has a square shape, and lower hook receiver  84  is wider than upper hook receiver  86 . 
     As suggested in  FIG. 4 , first inclined segment  65  is curved and includes a convex surface facing toward exterior surface  30  of side wall  25  of container  12 . Second inclined surface  63  is substantially flat. Distal tongue portion  66  has a width and first inclined segment  65  has a width that is greater than the width of first inclined surface  65  as suggested in  FIG. 2 . As suggested in  FIG. 4 , first inclined segment  65  cooperates with distal tongue portion  66  to form an obtuse included angle therebetween. Second inclined segment  63  cooperates with strip retainer  40  to form an obtuse included angle therebetween. 
     As suggested in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , belt clip  38  further includes a belt flange  88  appended to strip  42  to face and project toward exterior surface  30  of side wall  25  of container  12 . Belt flange  88  is arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to bracket  36  to define a belt-receiving space  90  located therebetween and also located between strip  42  and exterior surface  30  of container  12  as suggested in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . Belt flange  38  is formed to include a horizontal upper surface  91  facing toward bracket  36  and an inclined lower ramp surface  92  facing away from bracket  36 . Upper surface  91  provides means for engaging a lower edge  93  of a belt  94  worn by a person  20  and arranged to extend through belt-receiving space  90  as suggested in  FIG. 1 . Inclined lower ramp surface  92  is oriented to provide means for engaging an upper edge  95  of belt  94  to move distal tongue portion  66  away from container  12  to admit a portion of belt  94  into belt-receiving space  90  as mobile canister  10  is coupled to belt  94 . 
     Container  12  also includes a rigidifying section  96  appended to exterior surface  30  of side wall  25  as shown best in  FIG. 3 . Rigidifying section  96  is arranged to project outwardly from exterior surface  30  in a direction away from interior article-storage region  22 . Bracket  36  is coupled to rigidifying section  96  and is shorter in length than rigidifying section  96 . As suggested in  FIG. 3 , strip retainer  40  is arranged to contact rigidifying section  96  when belt clip  38  is coupled to bracket  36 . 
     As shown best in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , bracket  36  provides means for retaining bracket plate  62  in a fixed position on rigidifying section  96  and relative to exterior surface  30 . Such retention biases distal tongue portion  66  in a direction toward exterior surface  30  to define belt-receiving space  90  between exterior surface  30  and distal tongue portion  66  so that container  12  can be supported on a belt  94  worn by a person  20 . 
     Lid  14  is configured to “snap” to a closed position on container  12  as suggested in  FIGS. 6–9 . Closure  32  of lid  14  includes, for example, two inwardly extending retainers  101 ,  102  at corner portions of lid  14  as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . When closure  32  is moved to the position over container  12  shown in  FIG. 8  and then a downward force is applied to closure  32 , closure  32  is moved to assume the closed position on container  12  shown in  FIG. 9 . This retention is owing to mating engagement of inwardly extending retainers  101 ,  102  on closure  32  with an outwardly extending flange  103  at top edge  29  of container  12 . 
     Mobile canister  10  includes a recloseable, sealable, small, portable container  12  provided with a belt clip  38 . It is made in an illustrative embodiment from polypropylene or other suitable material to provide a moisture barrier to maintain freshness of foodstuffs stored in canister  10 . Belt clip  38  snaps in place so that canister  10  can be hung on a belt  94  for portability. This small crush-resistant container could also be placed in a person&#39;s pocket as an option for portability. Belt clip  38  is adapted to be coupled to a conventional clip strip. Flip lid  14  allows for one-handed opening and closing in the field. Flange  103  is designed to accommodate heat-sealed thin membrane thereon when lid  14  is closed to enhance product freshness.