EP1312562A2

EP1312562A2 - Container with identification means

Info

Publication number: EP1312562A2
Application number: EP02257709A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Clifford Royston Fox
Original assignee: Fox Design International Ltd
Current assignee: Fox Design International Ltd
Priority date: 2001-11-09
Filing date: 2002-11-06
Publication date: 2003-05-21
Also published as: GB0126960D0; EP1312562A3

Abstract

A container (10) having a lid (12 or 60) bearing identification means (52 or 68) to identify the contents of the container (10). The lid (12 or 60) comprises at least two parts (30,42 or 64,66), one of which is an inner part (42 or 66) and the other of which is an outer part (30 or 64). At least the outer part (30 or 64) is translucent. The two parts (30,42 or 64,66) are separable to enable a label or other identification means (52 or 68) to be located between them before they are brought back together. The label or other identification means (52 or 68) is then sandwiched between the two parts (30, 42 or 64, 66) and can be seen through the translucent material of the outer part (30 or 64).

Description

The present invention relates to a container having a lid bearing identification means to identify the contents of the container.
Hitherto, such labels have been attached to the lids, for example by means of adhesive. This renders it difficult to change the label, a need which may often arise if the contents of the box are to be changed such as is often desirable when the box is made to contain angling accessories for example. Also, the label may deteriorate rapidly in outdoor conditions.
The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a container having the construction set out in the opening paragraph of the present specification, in which the lid comprises at least two parts, one of which is an inner part and the other of which is an outer part, at least the latter being translucent and the two parts being separable to enable a label or other identification means to be so located that when the two parts are brought back together, the label or other identification means is sandwiched between the two parts and can be seen through the translucent material of the outer part.
The two parts may both be generally planar and may be so formed that they can be snap-fitted together.
The inner part may be provided with projections and the outer part may be provided with apertures through which the projections of the inner part project when the container is in use, respective ends of a handle of the container being held by the said projections.
The lower side of the inner part may be provided with ribbing, and a receptacle part of the container may be provided with dividing walls, such that when the lid is shut, the ribs form a seal with the rims of the dividing walls.
Preferably, the ribs are in pairs such that the ribs of each pair locate on opposite sides of the rim of the associated divider wall.
The lid may have a number of independently openable sections, each having an inner and outer part between which the label or other identification means is sandwiched when the container is in use.
Examples of containers embodying the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1: is a view from above of a first such container;
Figure 2: is a front view of the container shown in Figure 1 with one portion thereof shifted in relation to the position it has in Figure 1;
Figure 3: shows a view from above of a receptacle part of the container shown in Figure 1, the lid thereof having been removed;
Figure 4: shows a perspective view of the upper side of an outer part of the lid of the container shown in Figure 1;
Figure 5: shows a perspective underneath view of the part shown in Figure 4;
Figure 6: shows a perspective view of the underneath side of an inner part of the lid of the container shown in Figure 1;
Figure 7: shows a perspective view of the upper side of the part shown in Figure 6;
Figure 8: shows a label shaped and printed to fit between the parts shown in Figures 4 to 7;
Figure 9: shows a cross-sectional detail of parts of the lid of the container in Figure 1 in exploded form;
Figure 10: shows a view from above of a second embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 11: shows a side view of part of the lid of the container in Figure 10 in exploded form.

The container 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a lid 12 and a receptacle part 14 with the lid uppermost. The lid 12 is hinged to the receptacle part 14 by way of hinges 16 and is held shut by means of a latch 18. The container 10 may be lifted by means of a handle 20. This is especially helpful when the container 10 is in a larger compartmentalised box where there may be little or no access to grasp the container 10.
Figure 2 shows the latch 18 in greater detail. It has a portion 22 projecting from a front face of the receptacle part 14. The portion 22 has a cut-out into which snugly fits a further portion 24 projecting from the lid 12. A slide 26 can be shifted from the position it has in Figure 2 to the position it has in Figure 1 so as to prevent the portions 22 and 24 from separating, thus holding the lid 12 shut against the receptacle part 14.
Figure 3 shows the receptacle part 14 from above, and in particular shows that it is divided into four compartments by dividing walls 28.
An upper part 30 of the lid 12 is shown in Figure 4. It is provided with the portion 24 at its front and hinge portions 32 at its rear. Viewing it from above, as in Figure 4, the main part 34 of its upper face is sunken in relation to its rim 36, and it is provided with apertures 38 which are spaced-apart and are located at positions which correspond to the ends of a handle 20 when the lid is assembled.
As can be seen from Figure 5, the underside of the part shown in Figure 4 is provided with snap fit studs 40 projecting from the underside of the sunken main part 34. It should be noted that the material from which the upper part 30 of the lid 12 is made is translucent, for example a translucent injection-moulded synthetic plastics material. An inner part 42 of the lid 12 is shown in Figures 6 and 7. Through holes 44 are formed in the corners of the part 42, which part has an upwardly curved rim 46 to create a snug fit against the underside of the sunken main part 34 of the outer part of the lid 12 when the studs 40 are snapped through the holes 44. The intended upper side of the part 42 is provided with projections 48 which project through the apertures 38 when the inner and outer parts of the lid 12 are snapped together, which projections 48 provide retaining means for the ends of the handle 20 shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The underside of the part 42 as shown in Figure 6 is provided with crossed pairs of ribbing 50, which, when the lid 12 is shut against the receptacle part 14, are brought into registration with the rims of the dividing walls 28 such that the ribs of each pair are located immediately adjacent to and on opposite sides of the divider wall 28 to form a seal therewith, or at least to reduce the likelihood that the contents in one compartment of the receptacle part 14 can mix with the contents in another compartment thereof.
A label 52 shown in Figure 8 is generally rectangular corresponding in size to the part 42 of the lid 12. It has its corners 54 cut away so as not to obstruct the studs 40 and it is provided with apertures 56 so as not to obstruct the portions 48. Its upper side is formed with printed lines 58 corresponding to the position of the divider walls 28.
Further words or images may be drawn or printed on the label 52 to serve as identification means for the contents of the different compartments of the receptacle part 14 of the container 10. The label 52 is sandwiched between the inner and outer parts 42 and 30 as shown in Figure 9, with the printed matter uppermost, before the parts 30 and 42 are brought together in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 9 until the studs 40 snap through the holes 44. The printed or drawn matter on the upper side of the label 52 remains visible by virtue of the outer part 30 being made of translucent material.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 10 and 11, the lid 60 is formed with four independently openable sections 62, each of which has an upper translucent part 64 and an inner part 66 which can be snap-fitted to the outer part 64 whilst sandwiching a label 68 therebetween. The outer part 64 is translucent to enable printed or drawn matter on the label 68 to remain visible.
A receptacle part of the container shown in Figures 10 and 11 is divided into four compartments by divider walls (not shown) in a similar fashion to the container 10 shown in Figure 1.
Numerous variations and modifications to the illustrated containers may occur to the reader without taking the resulting construction outside the scope of the present invention. For example, the lid 12 may be constructed so that it slides on to the receptacle part 14 instead of being hinged thereto, or it may simply have a rim which snap-fits on to a correspondingly formed rim of the receptacle part of the container.
The embodiments shown in Figures 10 and 11 may be modified to have any number of independently openable sections to its lid.

Claims

A container (10) having a lid (12 or 60) bearing identification means (52 or 68) to identify the contents of the container (10), characterised in that the lid (12 or 60) comprises at least two parts (30,42 or 64,66), one of which is an inner part (42 or 66) and the other of which is an outer part (30 or 64), at least the latter (30 or 64) being translucent and the two parts (30,42 or 64,66) being separable to enable a label or other identification means (52 or 68) to be so located that when the two parts (30,42 or 64,66) are brought back together, the label or other identification means (52 or 68) is sandwiched between the two parts (30,42 or 64,66) and can be seen through the translucent material of the outer part (30 or 64).
A container according to claim 1, characterised in that two parts (30,42 or 64,66) are both generally planar and so formed that they can be snap-fitted together.
A container according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the inner part (42) is provided with projections (48) and the outer part (30) is provided with apertures (38) through which the projections (48) of the inner part (42) project when the container (10) is in use, respective ends of a handle (20) of the container (10) being held by the said projections (48).
A container according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the lower side of the inner part (42) is provided with ribbing (50), and a receptacle part (14) of the container (10) is provided with dividing walls (28), such that when the lid (12) is shut, the ribs (50) form a seal with the rims of the dividing walls (28).
A container according to claim 4, characterised in that the ribs (50) are in pairs such that the ribs of each pair locate on opposite sides of the rim of the associated divider wall (28).
A container according to to any preceding claim, characterised in that the lid (60) has a number of independently openable sections (62), each having an inner and outer part (66, 64) between which the label or other identification means (68) is sandwiched when the container (10) is in use.