Patent Publication Number: US-2023150735-A1

Title: Container with security lock

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The following application is a based on and claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No.: 62/117,595 filed Nov. 24, 2020 currently co-pending; the entire content of which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A container with a security lock is provided. The container has a top unit and a bottom unit which together form a housing. The top unit may have a first cover and a second cover wherein the second cover slides from a first position to a second position in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover while always remaining permanently secured to the first cover. The first cover may be located between the bottom unit and the second cover. The container is locked unless the second cover is first pressed down upon in a central location and then moved to the second position wherein a user may then grasp and rotate the second cover, and therefore the entire top unit, upward from the bottom unit. 
     Containers with security locks are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No.: 9,481,496 to Cottle discloses a child resistant container for nicotine products. The container comprises latching elements adapted to interlock with cooperating latching elements when said lid is pushed onto a said base to retain said lid to said base. The latching elements are further adapted to disengage from said cooperating latching elements when a simultaneous force is exerted on all releasable latching arrangements by two hands of a user or the like. 
     Further, U.S. Pat. No.: 9,187,220 to Biesecker discloses a cap having a top wall, an outer peripheral edge, a first section, and a second section. A skirt depends from the outer peripheral edge. The skirt includes an attached end, a free end, a plurality of slots, and a plurality of apertures. Each aperture is spaced-apart from the free end of the skirt. The top wall has a first configuration and a second configuration. When the top wall is in the first configuration, the first section is generally planer and the second section is generally arcuate. When the top wall is in the first configuration, the skirt extends generally perpendicularly to the first section to generally engage at least a portion of a container. When the top wall is in the second configuration, the free end of the skirt extends radially outwardly from the attached end thereof to allow the cap to be removed from the container. 
     Still further, U.S. Pat. No.: 8,931,657 to Kientzle discloses a pharmaceutical container having a bottle having a bottom wall and side walls. A ridge proximate to the bottom wall projects from an interior surface of at least one of the side walls, to facilitate nested stacking of a plurality of bottles. One or more of the side walls includes a cover locking receptacle proximate to the top end of the side wall. The pharmaceutical container also includes a cover including a sliding lid contained in a cover housing. The cover housing has a top wall, which includes an opening, and cover side walls. A child-resistant closure mechanism is also provided to limit the movement between the sliding lid and the bottle. 
     However, these patents fail to describe a container with a security lock which is easy to use. Further, these patents fail to provide for a container with a security lock which allows a user to unlock a child-resistant container in a simple and safe manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A container with a security lock is provided. The container has a top unit and a bottom unit which together form a housing. The top unit may have a first cover and a second cover wherein the second cover slides from a first position to a second position in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover while always remaining permanently secured to the first cover. The first cover may be located between the bottom unit and the second cover. The container is locked unless the second cover is first pressed down upon in a central location and then moved to the second position wherein a user may then grasp and rotate the second cover, and therefore the entire top unit, upward from the bottom unit. 
     An advantage of the present child resistant storage container is that the present child resistant storage container is easy to use for adults while preventing children from gaining access to the interior of the container. The device is also especially suitable for seniors which typically have difficulty opening child resistant containers. 
     Still another advantage of the present child resistant storage container is that the present container lacks exterior sharp edges and corners which may otherwise injure someone. 
     For a more complete understanding of the above listed features and advantages of the container with a security lock reference should be made to the detailed description and the drawings. Further, additional features and advantages of the invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a perspective view of the container with a security lock wherein the top unit is secured to the bottom unit and the container is in the closed form and wherein second cover of the top unit is in the first position. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a perspective view of the container with a security lock wherein the top unit is secured to the bottom unit and the container is in the closed form and wherein second cover of the top unit is in the second position. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a perspective view of the container with a security lock wherein the top unit is rotated up at the hinge and the container is open. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates a side view of the container with a security lock wherein the second cover is in the second position with respect to the first cover. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates a cross sectional view of the second cover of the container with a security lock. 
         FIG.  6    illustrates a side view of the container with a security lock in the open position. 
         FIG.  7    illustrates a top view of the container in the open position wherein the container has an optional elongated dimple to prevent the movement of the second cover past a point with respect to the first cover. 
         FIG.  8    illustrates a top view of the first cover by itself wherein a side dimple is visible and wherein the side dimple prevents movement of the second cover beyond a specific point with respect to the first cover. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A container with a security lock is provided. The container has a top unit and a bottom unit which together form a housing. The top unit may have a first cover and a second cover wherein the second cover slides from a first position to a second position in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover while always remaining permanently secured to the first cover. The first cover may be located between the bottom unit and the second cover. The container is locked unless the second cover is first pressed down upon in a central location and then moved to the second position wherein a user may then grasp and rotate the second cover, and therefore the entire top unit, upward from the bottom unit. 
     Referring first to  FIG.  1    a container  1  with a security lock is provided. The container  1  may be used to securely store items  5  ( FIG.  3   ) such as, for example, medications which might otherwise be harmful to children or other individuals not intended to gain access to the items  5 . In one embodiment, the container  1  is made of a durable material such as, for example, tin. 
     The container  1  may have a bottom unit  10  ( FIG.  3   ) and a top unit  20  wherein the top unit  20  rotates between a closed position ( FIG.  1   ) to an open position ( FIG.  3   ) at a hinge  8 . The container  1  may have an interior  25  which is created when the bottom unit  10  and the top unit  20  are secured together as shown in  FIG.  1   . The interior  25  of the container  1  may store the items  5  in a secure manner. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  3  and  4   , the top unit  20  may have a first cover  50  and a second cover  100 . The second cover  100  may be permanently connected to the first cover  50 . In an embodiment, the first cover  50  may have a first side wall  51 , a second side wall  52 , a front  53 , a back  54 , a top  55  ( FIG.  2   ) and a bottom open rim  56 . The first side  51  and the second side  52  of the first cover  50  may have an extended ridge  57  ( FIG.  4   ) which is located at/near the top  55  of the first cover  50 . More specifically, the extended ridge  57  of the top  55  of the first cover  50  may extended farther outward than the bottom rim  56  of the first cover  50  (which may be slightly indented from the extended ridge  57  of the top  55  of the first cover  50 ). 
     In an embodiment, the second cover  100  may have a first side wall  101 , a second side wall  102 , a front  103 , a back  104 , a top  105  and a bottom rim  106  ( FIG.  4   ). The sides  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  may be non-bendable or inflexible as a result of the second cover  100  being made of a material which does not bend under normal use of the device. More specifically, the second cover  100  may be made of a durable material that prevents a user from squeezing the sides  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  to alter the overall distance between the first side  101  and the second side  102  (the width of the device). As a result, the sides  101 ,  102  remain inflexible, whereas the center of the second cover  100  may very slightly bend downward in the dead center of the second cover  100  (the dead center is illustrated by precisely at number # 100  in  FIG.  2   ) as a result of the center of the second cover being slightly flexible. Because the sides  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  are not bendable, a user cannot squeeze the sides  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  to open the device, but instead, must simultaneously press the dead center of the second cover  100  while sliding the second cover  100  away from the first cover  100 . 
     The first side  101  and second side  102  of the second cover  100  may partially cover the first side  51  and second side  52  of the first cover  50 . The bottom rim  106  of the second cover  100  may have an indented rim  110  ( FIG.  5   ) which locks to and is secured to the first cover  50  of the top unit  20 . In particular, the indented rim  110  is located below the extended ridge  57  of the first cover  20  and surrounds and secures the extended ridge  57  of the first cover  50  so that the second cover  100  may slide in a parallel manner (and along the same axis plane) with respect to the first cover  50 . 
     The second cover  100  may be permanently secured to the first cover  50 . In an embodiment, the first cover  50  may be attached to the bottom unit  10  while the second cover  100  is permanently attached to the first cover  50 . The second cover  100  may not be physically connected to the bottom unit  10 . The first cover  50  may rotate (approximately one hundred and eighty degrees) with respect to the bottom unit  10 . The bottom rim  106  of the second cover  100  may slide along the bottom rim  56  of the first cover  50 . 
     While the container  1  is in the first orientation ( FIG.  1   ) the second cover  100  may cover the entire top  55  of the first cover  50 . In this orientation, the sides  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  cover the sides of the first cover  50 . Because the sides  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  are non-bendable, a user cannot squeeze the sides of the container  1 . Further, in this first orientation ( FIG.  1   ) there is nothing for a user to grasp of the first cover  50  so as to be able to rotate the first cover  50  away from the bottom unit  10  to open the container  1 . 
     As stated above, the second cover  100  may slide in a parallel manner with respect to the first cover  50  so that the second cover  100  moves from a first position ( FIG.  1   ) to a second position ( FIG.  2   ). In the first position of  FIG.  1   , the container is compact and the first cover  50  is not visible from the top. In the second orientation of the second cover, a portion of the first cover  50  becomes visible ( FIG.  2   ). 
     In an embodiment, the second cover  100  may only slide in a parallel manner for a short distance (as shown in  FIG.  2   ). More specifically, the second cover  100  may only side approximately one quarter of the distance over the first cover  50 . As a result, the first cover  50  and second cover  100  remain stable. 
     To open the container with a security lock  1 , a user first may press down on the top  105  of the second cover  100  (at the dead center of the second cover  100 ) to release the friction locking the second cover  100  to the first cover  50 . As the downward forced is applied to the dead center of the top  105  of the second cover  100 , the sides  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  slightly move outward and away from the sides  51 ,  52  of the first cover  50  and allow the second cover  100  to slide with respect to the first cover  50 . The user may then slide the second cover  100  (while pressing the center of the second cover  100  at the same time) in a parallel manner into the second position of  FIG.  2   . A user may then lift the front  104  of the second cover  100  (by now being able to grasp the front  104  of the second cover  100  as shown in  FIG.  3   ) and, therein, may rotate the second cover  100  (and attached first cover  50 ) at the hinge  8  to gain access to the interior  25  of the container  1 . As a result, to open the container, a user must press the dead center of the second cover  100  at the same time as he/she slides the second cover  100  with respect to the first cover  50 . This multiple action requirement prevents children from gaining access to the interior of the container. 
     In an embodiment, the first cover  50  and second cover  100  may each have dimples. In particular, the second cover  100  may have at least one dimple  325  on each side  101 ,  102  of the second cover  100  wherein the dimples extend inward, toward the center of the container  1  as shown in  FIG.  5   . In an embodiment, the first cover  50  may have an external dimple  326  ( FIG.  8   ) on each side  51 ,  52  which may extend outward, toward the exterior of the container  1 . As a result, the dimples  326  of the first cover  50  contact the dimples  325  of the second cover  100  when the second cover  100  is slid backward to the second position. 
     All the dimples  325 ,  326  interact with each other to stop the second cover  100  from sliding beyond a specific point with respect to the first cover  50 . Finally, in an embodiment, an optional elongated dimple  350  ( FIG.  7   ) may also be located on the first cover  50  which interacts with another elongated dimple (not shown) of the second cover  100  to further help prevent the second cover  100  from sliding beyond a specific point with respect to the first cover  50 . 
     Although embodiments of the invention are shown and described therein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.