Patent Publication Number: US-7584843-B2

Title: Pocket-size hand-held container for consumer items

Description:
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/700,014 filed Jul. 18, 2005, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND 
   This invention relates to a container adapted to hold a number of consumer items, and in particular to a pocket-size container that can be held and opened by one hand of a consumer to expose the items therein. 
   It would be desirable to provide a small, pocket-size container adapted to be easily held by a consumer in one hand and opened by a finger or thumb of that hand, while leaving the other hand free. In that way, the consumer can retrieve items from the container while leaving the other hand free to perform other functions. By being pocket-size, the container can be easily carried by the consumer and always available. 
   It would also be desirable for such a container to be economical by comprising few parts capable of simple and rapid assembly. 
   SUMMARY 
   There is provided a pocket-size hand-held container for containing a supply of consumer items. The container comprises a frame, a lid, and preferably contains a bag for holding the items being stored. The frame includes front and back portions, top and bottom portions, and side portions, the frame forming an internal storage compartment that stores the items. The front portion forms an access opening for the storage compartment, the access opening being situated closer to the top end portion than to the bottom end portion. The lid is attached to the front portion to be slid linearly between fully closed and fully open positions. In its fully closed position, the lid overlies the access opening, and in its open position, the lid 
   Preferably, the bag is formed of a flexible plastic material and includes an openable window situated behind the access opening. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a frontal perspective view of a pocket-size hand-held container, with the lid thereof in a closed state. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the container shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view from beneath a front part of a frame of the container. 
       FIG. 4  is a frontal plan view of the container shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken through the frame&#39;s front part along the section line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a frontal plan view of the container, with the lid in an open state exposing a first embodiment of an item-containing bag disposed within the container. 
       FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6  showing an alternative configuration of the item-containing bag. 
       FIG. 8A  is an enlarged fragmentary rear view of the rearside of the frame&#39;s front part as the lid approaches a fully closed position. 
       FIG. 8B  is a view similar to  FIG. 8   a  after the lid reaches a fully closed position. 
       FIG. 9  is a frontal perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a pocket-size hand-held container. 
       FIG. 10  is a frontal plan view of  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 11  is a sectional view taken along the lines  11 - 11  in  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 12  is an enlarged fragmentary view of  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 13  is a sectional view taken along line  13 - 13  in  FIG. 11 , with a lid of the container in a closed state. 
       FIG. 14  is a view similar to  FIG. 13 , with the lid in an open state. 
       FIG. 15  is a frontal perspective view of the container of  FIG. 9  with the lid in an open state. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Shown in the accompanying drawings is a pocket-size container capable of being held in one hand of a consumer and opened by a finger or thumb of that hand. The container, which is preferably formed of only three pieces, preferably contains a hermetically sealed bag which contains items to be dispensed. An openable window on the bag situated behind an access opening of the container facilitates access to the contained items. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the three-piece container  10  comprises a two-part frame  12  and a lid  14  slidably attached to the frame. The frame  12  defines front and back portions  12   a ,  12   b , a top portion  12   c , a bottom portion  12   d , and side portions  12   e ,  12   f  interconnecting the top and bottom portions. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the frame  12  is formed by two parts secured together, namely a front part  16  and a back part  18  each molded of a single piece of plastic. The front part defines the front portion  12   a , as well as an upper section  12   c ′ of the front portion  12   a , a front section  12   d ′ of the bottom portion  12   d , and front sections  12   e ′,  12   f ′ of respective side portions  12   e ,  12   f . 
   The back part  18  forms the back portion  12   b , as well as a back section  12   c ″ of the top portion  12   c , a back section  12   d ″ of the bottom portion  12   d , and back sections  12   e ″,  12   f ″ of respective side portions  12   e ,  12   f . The top and bottom portions  12   c ,  12   d  are intersected by a longitudinal axis L ( FIG. 4 ) which extends parallel to the side portions  12   e ,  12   f.    
   The front part  16  includes rearwardly projecting pins  20  that are receivable in respective sockets  22  disposed in the back part  18 , thereby securing the front and back parts together. The pins  20  and sockets  22  are located so that the front part  16  can be attached to the back part  18  in only one position, i.e., with the portions  12   c ′,  12   d ′ mating with the portions  12   c ″ and  12   d ″ respectively. 
   Projecting rearwardly from the underside of the front part  16  are top and bottom narrow plates  16   a ,  16   b  which are adapted to engage the longitudinally outward sides of ribs  18   c  formed on the plates  18   b  when the parts  16 ,  18  are attached together, in order to position the parts such that the posts  20  and sockets  22  become mutually aligned as they approach one another. When attached together, the front and back parts form an internal storage compartment  21  for receiving items to be dispensed, the items preferably disposed within a holder, such as a bag, as will be discussed. 
   Each of the side portions  12   e ,  12   f  includes top and bottom regions  24 ,  26 , and an intermediate region  28  (see  FIG. 4 ) that is recessed with respect to the top and bottom regions  24 ,  26  in order to facilitate single-handed operation by a consumer (see  FIG. 1 ). In particular, when the container is held in the palm of a consumer&#39;s hand, the recesses  28  provide convenient shoulders that may be grasped by one or two fingers of the consumer&#39;s hand, enabling the consumer to slide open the lid with a remaining digit, such as a thumb. 
   The front portion  12   a  includes a front surface  29  in which is formed a pair of slots or channels  30  extending parallel to one another and longitudinally, i.e., parallel to respective side portions  12   e ,  12   f,  which is slidable longitudinally. The lid  14  includes a pair of rails or guide strips  32 , each rail comprising a rearwardly projecting rib  34  and an enlarged head (or claw)  36  at a back end of each rib. Each head  36  includes a forwardly facing surface  36   a  underlying a rearwardly facing surface  35  of the front frame portion  16 , and also includes a rearwardly facing beveled surface  36  (see  FIG. 5 ). The beveled surface is beveled forwardly and outwardly from the respective rib to define a wedge surface which facilitates installation of the lid. That is, by pushing the lid rearwardly onto the frame  12  such that the rails  32  approach respective slots  30 , the wedge surfaces cause the back ends of the rails to be displaced laterally inwardly to enter the respective slots  30 . Then, the back ends of the rails rebound back laterally outwardly to enable the forwardly facing surfaces  36   a  to underlie the surface  35  (formed by the rear side of the front part  18  in this embodiment), to prevent the lid from being unintentionally removed from the frame. Such a snap-in installation feature simplifies the assembling of the container. 
   Each enlarged head  36  includes a gap, or interruption  36   d  along its length (see  FIG. 8A ), whereby a top portion  36   c  of each head  36  is spaced from the rest of the head, for reasons to be explained hereafter. 
   The front surface  29  includes an access opening  40  which provides access to the inner compartment formed by the frame. The access opening  40  is disposed closer to the top portion  12   c  of the frame than to the bottom portion  12   d  thereof, whereby the access opening is spaced from the frame&#39;s bottom portion by a bottom portion  29   a  of the front surface. 
   The lid  14  is adapted to be slid from a closed position in which it overlies the access opening  40 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , to an open position, shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , in which the lid exposes the access opening, while still being situated within the footprint of the frame, i.e., the lid is still situated between the top, bottom, and side portions of the frame. This facilitates one-handed manipulation of the container because movement of the lid will not be obstructed by the consumer&#39;s hand. 
   In the closed position, the lid  14  is secured by a securement mechanism which is yieldable to manual pressure. For example, a lug  48  is disposed on the frame  12  adjacent each slot  30 , as shown in  FIG. 8A . The top portions  36   c  of the enlarged heads  36  of the rails  32  are configured to project slightly laterally outwardly past the respective slots  30  (i.e., laterally to the right in  FIG. 8A ) and slightly laterally past an inner face  48   a  of the lug. Thus, there will be created some frictional resistance to travel of the head portion  36   c  past the lug as the lid is being opened and closed. Since the frame and the lid are formed of plastic, it is possible for the head portions  36   c  and/or lug  48  to yield sufficiently under manual pressure, to enable the head portion  36   c  (and thus the lid) to travel past the lug. When the lid has been fully closed each lug  48  will lie in the gap  36   d  of a respective rail  32 . 
   Disposed on the rear side of the lid  14  are two downwardly projecting longitudinal ridges  50  (see  FIG. 5 ) arranged adjacent respective rails  32  and slidably bearing against the front surface  29  of the front portion  12   a  at locations laterally inwardly of the slots  30 . The ridges  50  keep the main portion  14   a  of the lid spaced forwardly of that front surface  29  to minimize sliding friction and prevent the lid from scraping against and abrading any product-identifying label that may be attached to the bottom portion  29   a  of the front surface  29 . Also, the surface portion  29   a  is slightly concave from adjacent one side portion  12   e  to adjacent the other side portion  12   f . That is, the concavity is visible when viewed in the direction of arrow A in  FIG. 4 . This further recesses a label from the main portion of the lid. In lieu of being disposed on the lid  14 , the ridges  50  could instead be disposed on the front surface  29  for engagement with the rear side of the lid. 
   Preferably, the lid  14  is configured so as to be symmetrical about two perpendicular planes corresponding to the lines  5 - 5  and L, respectively, shown in  FIG. 4 , which planes correspond to the lateral and longitudinal directions of the container, respectively. Such a symmetrical configuration enables the lid to be inserted in either of two positions, i.e., the position shown in  FIG. 4 , or a position rotated 180° from that position, in order to simplify the assembly of the container. 
   Preferably, the compartment  21  contains an item holder, preferably a bag formed of flexible plastic or web or a laminate in which the consumer items are disposed. The bag is preferably hermetically sealed and includes a window arranged behind the access opening  40 . The window, which could be integral with, or separate from, the rest of the bag, can be pulled open by the consumer. The window could be resealable, if desired, or completely removable to be discarded. Although the window can comprise any convenient configuration, two examples  60 ,  70  thereof are shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , respectively. 
   The bag  60  shown in  FIG. 6  includes a window  62  having a tongue  64  sized to be manually gripped by a consumer and pulled in the direction of arrow D in that figure. The window could be held to the rest of the bag by an adhesive strip disposed around three of its sides, enabling the window to be resealed after use. Alternatively, the window could comprise a tear-away section to be torn off and discarded. 
   In  FIG. 7 , is shown a bag  70  which incorporates a spiral tear-away strip  72  situated behind the access opening. A free end  74  of the strip adapted to be grasped and pulled-on by a consumer. 
   The particular dimensions and proportions of the container are not critical. The proportions are preferably selected to provide a container which is suitably sized to accommodate the particular items to be packaged therein. Thus, the actual container could be more elongated than shown in the drawings, or the container could be more nearly square, i.e., shorter than shown in the drawings. Preferably, however, the container is sized so it can be conveniently carried in a pocket, and held and opened by one hand of a consumer. 
   The items can be arranged in various ways. For example, the products could be arranged with the items overlapped or staggered relative to one another. Of course, if the products are small enough, they could be randomly placed in the bag. 
   The container could, of course, be used for a variety of products. One specific product for which the container can be used is commercially available smokeless pouched tobacco. Such tobacco is provided in packets, sometimes known as “snus” and comprise individual packets of tobacco material. 
   It will be appreciated from the foregoing that there is provided an inexpensive pocket-size container capable of holding multiple items, and capable of being held and opened in one hand of a consumer. 
   Assembly of a container is very simple. The item-containing bag  60  or  70  is inserted into the back part  18  of the frame, and is preferably held by glue spots  80  disposed at suitable places on the frame, e.g., on front and/or back surfaces of the compartment, on mutually facing inner surfaces of the plates  18   a ,  18   b , respectively, and on the recessed portions  28 . Two of such glue spots  80  are depicted in  FIG. 2  in broken lines. Next, the front part  16  is inserted onto the back part  18  whereupon the plates  16   a ,  16   b  slide along the ribs  18   c  of the plates  18   a ,  18   b , respectively, to align the pins  20  with their respective sockets  22  and thus facilitate mating thereof. The pins and sockets can be sized to provide a snug frictional fit, and/or held together by glue. The lid  14  can be installed on the top part  18  either before or after the top and bottom parts are secured together. The lid can be secured in either of two positions, due to the symmetrical configuration thereof as explained earlier. In use, a consumer grips the underside of the frame  12  in the palm of his/her hand, the gripping action being facilitated by the presence of the recesses  28 , while another digit of the consumer&#39;s hand, preferably the thumb, presses against, and slides the lid  14 . Since the lid, when fully opened, remains within the footprint of the container, it can be easily opened without abutting the consumer&#39;s palm as could be the case if the lid were so long that the bottom portion thereof traveled outside of the container&#39;s footprint. 
   The hermetically sealed bag  60 ,  70  keeps the items in a fresh state until ready for use, and can be conveniently opened, and optionally resealed. 
   The container is preferably enclosed in a shrink-wrap enclosure which includes a tear strip along one side for opening the shrink wrap. 
   It will thus be appreciated that the container can be made inexpensively, i.e., from molded plastic pieces, and easily assembled. The container can be easily manipulated in one hand and provides a friction securement for the closed lid. The main part of the lid is constrained to travel above the front surface  29   a  therebeneath in order to prevent abrading of any indicia-containing labels disposed on that surface. 
   A second embodiment of a pocketsize hand-held container  100 , depicted in  FIGS. 9-15 , includes first and second frame sections  122   a ,  124   a  that are attached as described in connection with the previous embodiment, or possibly hinged together at their top ends, such as by a living hinge (not shown). The frame sections can be placed together to form the frame configuration shown in  FIG. 9 . Separate cheek members  125   a ,  125   a  formed of a flexible material are inserted at each side of the frame in order to provide a gripping surface, as well as to hold the sections together. There is employed a sliding lid  114  which can be slid along the longitudinal axis L of the container to open and close the access opening  140 , as shown in  FIGS. 13 ,  14 . 
   The second frame section  124   b  includes a pair of parallel, forwardly open slots or channels  130  extending along respective sides of the container which extend only partially through the first frame section ( FIG. 12 ). The lid includes a pair of downwardly projecting rails or guide strips  132  that are received in the slots and are slidable longitudinally therein. A front end or mouth of each slot is narrower than a back portion of the slot, and the back ends of the rails  132  have enlargements or beads  132   a  which enable the rails to enter the slots with a snap action and be retained therein against dislodgement. The front portion of the second section  124   a  includes an edge which borders a bottom end of the container&#39;s access opening, the edge including an upwardly projecting tongue  160  ( FIG. 14 ) extending in a width-wise direction of the container. A bottom portion of the lid includes a downwardly open recess in which the tongue is received, in order to hold the lid in a closed state. By applying a downward force to the lid, the lid can be pushed free of the tongue and moved to an open position in a direction parallel to a plane of the access opening, as shown in  FIG. 17 . To close the access opening, the lid is pushed in the opposite position until the tongue  60  snaps back into the groove. 
   A top edge of an front surface of the lid can be provided with a cut-out  164  ( FIG. 10 ) to facilitate the ability of a user&#39;s finger to apply a downward force to open or close the lid. Also, or alternatively, that top edge could be somewhat beveled at  165  as shown in  FIG. 13 . This embodiment offers the advantages of the earlier described embodiment in being holdable and manipulated by one hand. 
   Although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, deletions, modifications, and substitutions not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the shape and appearance of the container may vary significantly from those of the preferred embodiments. In lieu of a bag, the items could simply be placed directly into the compartment formed by the container, in a tray seated in the compartment and covered by removable film such as foil.