Patent Publication Number: US-11383899-B2

Title: Tamper-resistant container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application relates to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/712,410 filed Jul. 31, 2018 and entitled “TAMPER RESISTANT CONTAINER,” the entire contents of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates generally to tamper resistant containers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a tamper resistant container with a lid with locking pin actuated by a circular disc. 
     2. Related Art 
     Storage containers have a wide variety of usages. One such usage is for the storage of materials in a manner that are tamper-resistant or otherwise protects against opening by animals and children. For example, a variety of storage containers that have been specifically designed to address the problem of animals, such as bears, opening the containers. These storage containers are useful for the storage of food and provisions, such as when camping or enjoying other outdoor activities. An example of such a container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,146,769 entitled TAMPER-RESISTANT CONTAINER AND METHODS, issued on Apr. 3, 2012. Generally, such a tamper-resistant container features a lid that is able to be secured and locked in a manner that mitigates being opened by a bear, while also being able to be readily opened by the person using the container. Although such tamper resistant containers have proven generally suitable for their intended purpose, they have experienced deficiencies in that bears have found it possible to open or rupture the container and such containers have, in some instances, been difficult to open by a user. 
     In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for an improved tamper resistant container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-referenced deficiencies associated in the art. More particularly, the tamper-resistant container of the present invention has an opening as well as a lid sized and configured to engage the rim of a canister for closure of the opening. A locking pin includes a locked position for mitigating disengagement from the lid from the canister rim and an unlocked position to allow the canister to be opened by a user. The canister may be formed of a durable tough plastic material and preferably includes structural ribs distributed within the canister side walls. The structural ribs may be used to enhance the structural integrity (i.e., provide increased compaction and crush strength of the canister while mitigating an undesirable increase in weight and material). These as well as other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the tamper-resistant container of the present invention shown in a closed configuration. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the locking disc and locking pin. 
         FIG. 4  is a lower perspective exploded view thereof. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the underside of the container top or lid of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view thereof. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view thereof. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged plan view thereof. 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view thereof. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view taken about lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is top plan view thereof. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view taken about lines  12 - 12  of  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of certain embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to represent the only forms that may be developed or utilized. The description sets forth the various functions in connection with the illustrated embodiments, but it is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure. It is further understood that the use of relational terms such as top and bottom, first and second, and the like are used solely to distinguish one entity from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is provided a tamper-resistant container  10 . The tamper-resistant container  10  includes a canister  12  and a lid  14 . In addition, as will be discussed in further detail below, the tamper-resistant container  10  further includes a locking pin  16  and a locking disc or locking actuation knob or actuator  18 . 
     According to an embodiment, the tamper-resistant container  10  includes the canister  12  having a canister rim  20  defining an opening  22  extending into a canister chamber  24 . The lid  14  is sized and configured to engage the canister rim  20  for closure of the opening  22 . The locking pin  16  has a locked position with the locking pin  16  being engaged with the canister  12  for mitigating disengagement of the lid  14  from the canister rim  20 . The locking pin  16  has an unlocked position with the locking pin  16  being unengaged with the canister  12 . The locking disc  18  is attached to the lid  14 . The locking disc  18  is sized and configured to move the locking pin  16  from the unlocked position to the locked position upon rotation of the locking disc  18  in relation to the lid  14 . 
     According to various embodiments, referring additionally to  FIGS. 9-13 , the canister  12  may include a canister top  26 , a canister bottom  28  and a canister side wall  30 . In this embodiment the canister  12  is of the general shape of a cylinder and the canister side wall  30  is generally cylindrical shaped. The canister rim  20  is disposed at the canister top  26 . The portions of the canister side wall  30  may be smoothly tapered or rounded adjacent the canister top  26  and the canister bottom  28  so as to mitigate the ability to readily grip the canister  12 . The canister  12  includes an inner surface  32  and an outer surface  34 . The inner surface  32  defines the canister chamber  24 . The outer surface  34  may be generally smooth in texture to further mitigate the ability to readily grip the canister  12 . 
     The canister  12  is desirable to be able to withstand significant forces and warping, such as would be expected when a bear attempts to access the contents of the container  10 . In this regard, the canister  12  may be formed of a durable tough plastic material such as an injection molded polycarbonate. In addition, the canister  12  may include structural ribs  36  distributed within the canister side walls  30  and defining the inner surface  32 . The structural ribs  36  may be used to enhance the structural integrity (i.e., provide increased compaction/crush strength) of the canister  12  while mitigating an undesirable increase in weight and material. The structural ribs  36  may be configured in a honeycomb or other geometric arrangement. In the embodiment depicted, the structural ribs  36  are disposed in a hexagon honeycomb pattern which is further subdivided into triangular shapes. Additionally, the canister  12  may be formed of a material that is semi-transparent/semi-translucent so as to enable the user to see the contents or at least see the extent to which the canister chamber  24  is filled and with what contents. As such, a polycarbonate material may be used. The particular material, sizing and techniques of manufacturing of the canister  12  may be selected from those which are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The canister rim  20  may include rim threads  38 . In this embodiment the rim threads  38  are disposed along the inner surface  32  and are internally facing. The rim threads  38  are used to engage the lid  14 . In addition the canister  12  may include a locking socket  40  for interacting with the locking pin  16 , and may further include a stop  42  for interacting with the lid  14  as discussed in more detail below. 
     Referring additionally to  FIGS. 3-8 , the lid  14  includes a lid body  44 , a top side  46  and an opposing bottom side  48 , and a lid outer periphery  50  disposed between the top side  46  and the bottom side  48 . The lid  14  includes lid threads  52  disposed about the lid outer periphery  50 . The lid threads  52  are cooperatively formed with the rim threads  38  to allow for the lid  14  to be threadedly engaged with the canister  12 . In the top perspective view of  FIG. 2 , the lid  14  is rotated clockwise to threadedly engage the lid  14  with the canister  12 . Surface friction by the user at the top side  46  of the lid  14  is used to rotate the lid  14  to screw the lid  14  into the canister  12 . 
     The lid  14  may further include a protrusion  54 . The protrusion  54  may be disposed at the lid outer periphery  50 . The protrusion  54  is cooperatively sized and configured to contact the stop  42  of the canister  12 . This prevents the lid  14  from being further screwed into the canister  12  and indexes the angular position of the lid  14  with respect to the canister  12 . 
     While in this embodiment the lid threads  52  are formed to be outward facing so as to engage the inward facing rim threads  38  of the canister  12 . This allows the lid  14  to be inset within the canister rim  20 . As such, the lid  14  is resistant to the lid outer periphery  50  from being readily gripped so as to be attempted to be unscrewed. However, it is contemplated that the threads of the lid  14  may be formed to be inward facing and complementary threads of the canister  12  may be formed to be outward facing. 
     The lid  14  may further include a pin channel  56  and a pin hole  58 . The pin channel  56  disposed radially within the lid body  44 . The pin channel  56  is sized and configured to receive the locking pin  16  therein. The pin channel  56  extends to the pin hole  58 . The pin hole  58  is disposed at the pin outer periphery  50 . As mentioned above the protrusion  54  and the stop  42  are used to index the lid  14  with the canister  12 . In this regard, with the protrusion  54  in contact with the stop  42 , the pin hole  58  is aligned with the locking socket  40  of the canister rim  20 . The pin hole  58  and the locking socket  40  are sized and configured to receive the locking pin  16  upon the locking pin  16  being longitudinally extended radially along the pin channel  56 . 
     The lid  14  includes a disc cavity  60  formed in the lid body  44  at the top side  46 . The disc cavity  60  includes a cavity inner periphery  62 . The disc cavity  60  and the cavity inner periphery  62  are sized and configured to receive a portion of the locking disc  18  therein. The lid  14  includes a central opening  64  that extends through the lid body  44  in the disc cavity  60 . A fastener  66 , such as in the form of a bolt, may be used to attach the locking disc  18  with the lid  14 . The locking disc  18  may have a fastener hole  68 . The fastener hole  68  may have internal threads. The fastener  66  may extend through the central opening  64  and into the fastener hole  68  to threadedly engage the fastener  66 . The fastener  66  is used to securely attach the locking disc  18  to the lid  14  and allow the locking disc  18  to rotate about the fastener  66  in relation to the lid  14 . It is contemplated that other arrangements for rotatably attaching the locking disc  18  to the lid  14  may be selected from those which are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The lid  14  includes a plurality of paws  70  distributed about the cavity inner periphery  62 . The paws  70  are inward facing and used to restrict the direction of rotation of the locking disc  18 . In this regard, the locking disc  18  includes a disc top side  72 , disc bottom side  74  and a disc periphery  76 . The locking disc  18  may further include a ratchet  78  and a ratchet housing  80 . The ratchet housing  80  is integrally formed in the locking disc  18  at the disc bottom side  74 . The ratchet housing  80  is configured to support the ratchet  78 . The ratchet  78  is cooperatively sized and configured with the paws  70  so as to restrict the direction of rotation of the locking disc  18 . In the top perspective view of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the locking disc  18  is configured to rotate in a clockwise direction with the ratchet  78  configured to slide along the paws  70 . It is contemplated that attempted rotation of the locking disc  18  in a counter-clockwise direction would result in the ratchet  78  interlocking with one of the paws  70  to resist such rotation. 
     It is contemplated that such controlled rotational directionality has the benefit of being in the same rotational direction as the direction of the lid for engaging the lid  14  with the canister  12 . In this respect with the lid  14  fully screwed into the canister  12 , clockwise rotation of the locking disc  18  would result generally in the same directionality of forces upon the lid when rotating the locking disc. Otherwise, if the locking disc  18  were to be allowed to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, this may result in the lid  14  being undesirably unscrewed. Further, such controlled rotational directionality has the benefit of rotating the locking disc  18  in a direction opposite of the fastener  66  having traditional threading. The rotation of the locking disc  18  would tend to urge the fastener  66  to being screwed into the fastener hole  68 . 
     The disc periphery  76  may be overlapping with the top side  46  of the lid  14 . The disc bottom side  74  is disposed in tight contact with the top side  46  of the lid  14  so as to seal the disc cavity  60  therein. The disc top side  72  may be sloped or beveled towards the disc periphery  76 . This advantageously diverts any liquid, such a rain water or dew, radially outward from the disc periphery  76 . Further, the top side  46  of the lid  14  may include an annular shoulder or sloped surface contour to further radially divert liquid from the top side  46  of the lid  14 . 
     The locking disc  18  includes a side wall  82  extending from the disc bottom side  74 . The side wall  82  is integrally formed with the locking disc  18 . The side wall  82  includes a side wall outer surface  84  that is configured to face outwardly towards the cavity inner periphery  62 . The side wall  82  is generally circular shaped with a slight spiral configuration centered about the fastener hole  68 . In this regard the side wall  82  includes a stepped section  86  having a step riser  88 . 
     The locking disc  18  includes a first magnetic element housing  90  and a first magnetic element  92 . In the embodiment depicted, the first magnetic element housing  90  is integrally formed with the locking disc  18  at the disc bottom side  74 . The first magnetic element housing  90  is sized and configured to retain the first magnetic element  92 . 
     In the embodiment depicted, the stepped section  86  is disposed adjacent the magnetic element housing  90 . In the view of  FIG. 5 , the radial distance of the side wall outer surface  84  from the fastener hole  68  is at a maximum immediately counter-clockwise from the step riser  88 . The radial distance of the side wall outer surface  84  from the fastener hole  68  is at a minimum at the stepped section  86  immediately adjacent the magnetic element housing  90  just clockwise from the step riser  88 . In this regard, the radial distance of the side wall outer surface  84  from the fastener hole  68  increases from the stepped section  86  in a clockwise direction. 
     As mentioned above, the locking pin  16  has a locked position with the locking pin  16  being engaged with the canister  12  for mitigating disengagement of the lid  14  from the canister rim  20 . As used herein, the term locked position refers to the locking pin  16  being in a position which resists movement of the lid  14  from being removed from the canister  12  in comparison to being in the unlocked position. The pin channel  56  is sized and configured to receive the locking pin  16  therein. The locking pin  16  is configured to be in slidable contact within the pin channel  56 . The lid  14  may be angularly positioned so as to align the pin hole  58  with the locking socket  40 . This allows the locking pin  16  to slide radially outward within the pin channel  56  and through the pin hole  58  and with the distal end  96  extending into the locking socket  40  such as depicted in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . With the distal end  96  being extended into the locking socket  40  this results in the locking pin  14  being in a locked position as the locking pin  14  interferes with the rotation of the lid  14  relative to the canister  12 . 
     As further mentioned above, the locking pin  16  has an unlocked position with the locking pin  16  being unengaged with the canister  12 . As used herein, the term unlocked position refers to the locking pin  16  being in a position which does not resist movement of the lid  14  from being removed from the canister  12 . In this regard, the locking pin  14  may be positioned along the pin channel  56  such that the distal end  96  of the locking pin  14  is not extended within the locking socket  40 . It is contemplated that the locking pin  14  may be unlocked whether or not the pin hole  58  is aligned with the locking socket  40 . 
     The locking pin  16  includes a stem  94  and a distal end  96  and an opposing inner end  98 . The locking pin further includes a second magnetic element  100  disposed at the inner end  98 . The first magnetic element  92  and the second magnetic element  100  are magnetically complementary so as to be magnetically attractive with the inner end  98  of the locking pin  16  being positioned at the stepped section  86  adjacent the first magnetic element housing  90 . In this regard, the first magnetic element  92  may be a magnet, and the second magnetic element  100  may be also be a magnet with magnetic polarities of the first and second magnetic elements  92 ,  100  being opposite immediately adjacent each other. In another arrangement, the second magnetic element  100  may formed of a ferromagnetic metal. In this regard, the second magnetic element  100  may be a distinct component from the attached stem  94 , or may be integrally formed with the stem  94  with the entire locking pin  14  being formed of a same material. 
     The first and second magnetic elements  92 ,  100  and the locking pin  14  are cooperatively sized and configured such that the magnetic attractive forces between the first and second magnetic elements  92 ,  100  are sufficient to move the locking pin  14  from the locked position to the unlocked position. Upon such attraction, it is contemplated that the inner end  98  of the locking pin  14  is disposed in contact with the side wall  82  at the stepped section  86  immediately adjacent to and aligned with the first magnetic element housing  90 . In such a position, the first and second magnetic elements  92 ,  100  are at a minimum separation distance. 
     From the unlocked position with the locking pin  14  adjacent stepped section  86 , the locking disc  18  may be rotated clockwise (in relation to the views of  FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 ). This moves the stepped section  86  away from the locking pin  14 . As the radial distance of the side wall outer surface  84  from the fastener hole  68  increases from the stepped section  86  in a clockwise direction (in relation to the views of  FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 ), this results in the side wall  82  effectively “pushing” the inner end  98  of the locking pin  14  radially outward upon clockwise rotation of the locking disc  18  (in relation to the views of  FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 ). To the extent that the pin hole  58  is aligned with the locking socket  40 , such pushing of the locking pin  14  would eventually result in the distal end  96  extending into the locking socket  40  and the locking pin  14  moving into the locked position (such as depicted in  FIGS. 9 and 10 ). To further assist in the locking pin  14  from being slid within the pin channel  56  from the unlocked position into the locked position, the pin channel  56  may be slightly sloped in comparison to being horizontal with the container  10  in an upright position, such as depicted in  FIGS. 10 and 12 . 
     The particular material, sizing and techniques of manufacture of the lid  14  and locking disc  18  may be selected from those which are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Like the canister  12 , the lid  14  and locking disc  18  may be formed of a plastic material such as an injection molded polycarbonate. 
     The particulars shown herein are by way of example only for purposes of illustrative discussion, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the various embodiments set forth in the present disclosure. In this regard, no attempt is made to show any more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the different features of the various embodiments, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how these may be implemented in practice.