Patent Publication Number: US-7591388-B2

Title: Spill-resistant container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/698,546, filed 2005 Jul. 12 by the present inventor. 

   FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
   Not Applicable. 
   SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
   Not Applicable. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a spill-resistant container, specifically a spill-resistant container that both permits easy access to solid items, and retains these items within, even when dropped, tipped, or shaken. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In our current busy, on-the go world people of all ages often have the need to carry small items in a container that allows them easy access to its contents, yet will not spill if the container is dropped, tipped, or shaken. While spill-proof lids in the beverage industry are well known, less development has been done of spill-proof lids directed to reducing spillage of dry food items or other small objects. Those that have been contemplated in the past use plastic or rubber materials to create flaps that flex to allow a person&#39;s fingers to enter and exit a container, the flaps then return to their original position. 
   Bussard in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,717, “Non-Spilling Snack Container”, describes a cover having crossing slits forming a circle of tongues, which flex downward when a user&#39;s fingers reach inside, thus forming a self-closing, dispensing opening through the cover. The “Anti-Spill Container” described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/135,898 also contemplates flexible flaps made of various types of plastic. Similarly, Tubbs in U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,514, “Spill-Proof Lid and Container”, describes a plurality of flexible, resilient flaps that extend inwardly toward the axis of the rim, again using a plastic or rubber material. Both of these approaches have several disadvantages:
         A) The downward flexing flaps restrict access to the container by only allowing several fingers to pass through; and limit the level the container may be filled to thereby reducing storage capacity.   B) The use of plastic or rubber materials in the prior art results in hard edges which can cause slight abrasions or discomfort to the user&#39;s hand.       

   While prior art teaches a variety of spill-proof lids, it does not teach that a singular slit made from elasticized, synthetic fabric may form a flexible, self-closing opening. As the following summary will demonstrate, the present invention improves on the prior art in several key ways:
         A) The elastic fabric provides a smooth, soft surface through which the user passes their hand, greatly increasing their comfort.   B) Unlike the flexible flaps, the action of the elastic slit is such that as the hand passes through the opening, the elastic fabric is deformed horizontally, along the same plane as the fabric itself, thus eliminating the obstruction that is created by flexible flaps that are pushed vertically into the container along with the hand.   C) The present invention allows the hand to exit the opening just as easily as it enters, the elasticized fabric offers little resistance to the movement of the hand in either direction. Closures constructed of a plurality of flexible flaps restrict the withdrawal of the hand because of their inherent stiffness (which is required for them to retain some spill-proof quality) and tendency to close on the hand or fingers as they are being withdrawn.       

   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a container for holding solid items such as dry snack food, paperclips, coins, or children&#39;s toys which allows a person&#39;s hand to pass through a comfortable opening to retrieve some of the items therein and which automatically closes itself after the hand is withdrawn so that if the container is tipped, dropped, or shaken no items will spill out. 
   The spill-resistant container contemplated includes a cover, detachably connected to a receptacle and a means for coupling this cover to the receptacle. The cover comprises two members of elasticized fabric, one overlapping the other, suspended between two annuli. The overlap of the fabric members forms a placket through which a person&#39;s hand may pass. 
   The means for coupling may be integrated with the annuli or, may be a separate unit entirely. Additionally, the means for coupling may be screwed or snapped on to the open end of the receptacle. 
   The receptacle, annuli, and means for coupling are preferably made of plastic. Preferable materials for the elasticized fabric members include: nylon Spandex, polyester Spandex, and DOW XLA™ fiber. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The best mode, currently contemplated for the present invention, is illustrated in the following description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which reference numbers designate the same parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of a spill-resistant container, made in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a similar view to  FIG. 1 , additionally showing a hand reaching into the container to retrieve items therefrom; 
       FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of a spill-resistant lid, made in accordance with the present invention, showing the layers of the lid construction, wherein the cover and means for coupling the lid to the container are separate units; 
       FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , but shows the cover and means for coupling integrated in one unit. 
   

   DRAWINGS&#39; REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   
       
         10  Spill-resistant container 
         11  Members of elasticized fabric 
         12  Placket 
         13  Upper annulus 
         14  Lower annulus 
         15  Upper circular wall 
         16  Lower circular wall with means for coupling incorporated therein 
         17  Receptacle 
         18  Cutout 
         19  Mouth 
         20  Means for coupling 
         21  Cover 
         22  Items 
         23  Cover where means for coupling is integrated with lower annulus. 
     
  
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
   Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and more specifically to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a spill-resistant container  10 , according to the present invention, having a multiplicity of items  22  therein which are accessed through the placket  12  formed by the elasticized fabric members  11 . In  FIGS. 1 and 2  the spill-resistant container  10  assembly is shown, consisting of a receptacle  17  within which items  22  are held. Above and, coupled to this receptacle  17 , is a cover  21  which resists spills by maintaining two members of elasticized fabric  11  in suspension over the container. One member of elasticized fabric  11  overlaps the other  11  forming a placket  12 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , a cutout  18  is also included in this assembly, to provide a handle, so that the user may easily grasp the spill-resistant container  10 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the spill-resistant container  10  is shown in use. The user may access items  22  in the receptacle  17  by slipping their hand through the placket  12 , thus displacing the elasticized fabric members  11  horizontally and creating an opening. The elasticized fabric members  11  provide a soft, smooth opening for the user&#39;s hand to pass through. Additionally, because the fabric members  11  are easily stretched, movement of the user&#39;s hand is not restricted once inside the receptacle  17 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the layers of construction of the spill-resistant container  10 . The cover  21  is formed by sandwiching two members of elasticized fabric  11 , one overlapping the other, forming a placket  12 , between an upper annulus  13  and a lower annulus  14 . The elasticized fabric  11  may be held between the annuli by a snap-together mechanism, adhesive, or stitching. 
     FIG. 3  shows the cover sandwiched between the means for coupling  20  above, and the mouth  19  of the receptacle  17  below. Here the cover  21  and the means for coupling  20  are separate units and the means for coupling  20  includes a cutout  18  to aid the user in holding the spill-resistant container  10 . 
   Similar to  FIG. 3 , the  FIG. 4 , assembly  23  shows the upper  13  and lower  14  annuli with the addition of a circular wall molded to each. The means for coupling is formed within the lower circular wall  16 , integrating the means for coupling with the annuli which suspend the fabric members  11 . Additionally, a cutout  18  is formed within the upper circular wall  15 . 
   While at least one preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail above, the same is by way of example and illustration only and the present invention is not limited thereto. The spill-resistant container  10  can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate a variety of items  22  such as dry food snacks, paperclips, coins or children&#39;s toys. 
   The scope and content of the present invention are not intended to be limited by the foregoing descriptions, and are to be defined only by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.