US3750435A

US3750435A - Container having a time controlled locking mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3750435A
Application number: US00208365A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Gerdes
Original assignee: Blau KG
Current assignee: Blau KG
Priority date: 1971-01-05
Filing date: 1971-12-15
Publication date: 1973-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-07
Also published as: DE2165565A1; IL35957A; IL35957A0; CH528420A

Abstract

A container such as, for example, a cigarette container having a time controlled locking mechanism whereby the user can only have access to the container contents at predetermined times, the container having a time controlled locking mechanism wherein the tensioning of the mechanism is effected automatically by the user as a consequence of the steps he may take to open the container at the predetermined time.

Description

United States Patent 1 1 Belkin 1451 Aug. 7, 1973 CONTAINER HAVING A TIME 3,030,795 4 1962 Vogt 70 272 CONTROLLED LOCKING MECHANISM 3,363,439 1/1968 Kende 70/272 [76] Inventor: Giora Belkin, 37 I-Iamaagal St., FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Ramat-Gan. Israel 623,325 5/1949 Great Britain 70 273 [22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1971 Primary ExaminerAlbcrt G. Craig, Jr. Appl 208365 Attornvy-S. Delvalle Goldsmith. Aaron M. Schzu'f and Lester Horwitz el al. [30] Foreign Appllcatlon Priority Date Jan. 5, 1971 Israel 35957 57 ABSTRACT 52 us. 01. 70/272, 206 41 1) A container Such as, for example, a cigarette container [51] [BL CL" E05, 43/00 o 65/52, A24f 15/12 having a time controlled locking mechanism whereby 581 Field of Search 70/272, 273, 274 the user can y have access to the container contents at predetermined times, the container having a time 5 References Cited controlled locking mechanism wherein the tensioning UNITED STATES PATENTS of the mechanism is effected automatically by the user 2 675 693 4/1954 E 70,272 as a consequence of the steps he may take to open the mery h 2,681,560 6/1954 Shuttleworth et al. 70/273 con met e predetermmed 14 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUG H915 3750.435

SHEET 1 0F 4 PAIENIEU MIR 7 I975 SHEEI 3 BF 4 CONTAINER HAVING A TIME CONTROLLED LOCKING MECHANISM This invention relates to a container having a time controlled locking mechanism. The invention had particular but not exclusive application to cigarette containers having such time controlled locking mechanisms. It will be realized, however, that the invention is equally applicable to other forms of containers wherein it is desired to limit accessibility to the contents thereof to predetermined times.

It is well known that as cigarette smoking becomes a fixed habit, the act of reaching for and lighting the cigarette tends to become automatic and to be carried out without conscious attention. It is thus very difficult for a person with whom this habit has become ingrained to decrease his consumption of cigarettes as long as a supply of cigarettes is readily available to him. It has therefore been suggested that a possibly effective way of overcoming excessive smoking is to present a hindrance thereto as a result of which the extraction and lighting of a cigarette becomes a matter of conscious choice and deliberate action. In this way it is hoped to gradually space out the smoking of cigarettes over intervals of time which can be of increasing length.

In pursuance of this aim various proposals have been made for the provision of cigarette containers having a time controlled locking mechanism as a result of which the smoker can only have access to his cigarettes at predetermined times and it is only at such predetermined times that his reaching for a cigarette, whether instinctive or planned, will result in obtaining a cigarette.

Such heretofore proposed containers have all included clockwork mechanisms of greater or lesser complexity with the requirement for tensioning the mechanisms so as to ensure their effective operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved container having a time controlled locking mechanism wherein the tensioning of the mechanism is effected automatically by the user as a consequence of the steps he takes to open the container at the determined time.

According to the present invention there is provided a container having a time controlled locking mechanismcomprising at least two portions coupled together for movement into and out of a closing relationship, latch means located within the container and comprising a pair of component latching members respectively coupled to said portions for locking said portions together, a releasing member located in one of said portions, manually actuatable means accessible from outside the container and coupled to the releasing member, displacement of the former resulting in displacement of the latter into releasing engagement with one of said latch components, a spring biased displaceable detent mounted in said one portion and arranged, in the locking condition of the container to inhibit movement of the releasing member, a clockwork mechanism located in said one portion and drivingly coupled to a displacing element, a predetermined displacement of said displacing element in a given direction resulting in the displacement of the detent against its biasing and the consequent freeing of the release member for movement and tensioning means coupled to the manually actuatable means and adapted to engage with the displacing element so that the displacement of the former required to effect releasing displacement of the re leasing member is accompanied by displacement of the displacing element in an opposite direction thereby causing tensioning of the clockwork mechanism.

Thus with a container in accordance with the present invention and especially a cigarette container, the user will only be able to open the container and have access to its contents when a predetermined time interval has elapsed. Even after the elapsing of this predetermined time interval opening of the container does not take place automatically but is dependent on a conscious action to be undertaken by the user in displacing the manually actuatable means.

Preferably the container is provided with means whereby the predetermined time intervals can be varied and thus as the smoker, for example, as he becomes gradually weaned of his habit, can arrange for these time intervals to be of increasing length. Preferably visual means are provided for giving an indication of the time intervals involved and/or remainder of time before opening is facilitated.

As an optional feature of the present invention the container can be provided with emergency means whereby access can be had to the contents of the box without waiting for the expiry of the time interval but only as a result of a conscious action on the part of the user which action can be rendered quite difficult. Such emergency means may be called into use when, for example, the clockwork mechanism fails or when the user finds the strain of waiting for the elapsing of the predetermined time interval overwhelming.

For a better understanding of the present invention anti to show how the same can be carried out in practice reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are respective side and front elevations of a time controlled cigarette container in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a longitudinally sectioned view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and taken along a line IIIIII of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the container shown in FIG 3 taken along the line IV-IV (just prior to opening), and

FIG. 5 is a sectioned plan view of the container taken along the line V-V of the view shown in FIG. 4.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the cigarette container consists essentially of a rectangular box 1 comprising a lid portion 2 and a body portion 3 coupled together by a hinge 4 which extends transversely across a rear wall of the box.

Located within the lid portion 2 is an inner transverse wall 5 which is spaced from an outer transverse wall 6 of the box and which define between them a region 7 in which is located the entire time control mechanism now to be described.

An elongated bar-like locking member 8 constituting a latching member extends through the lid portion 2 adjacent a side wall 9a thereof. The member 8 is pivotally mounted on an axle 10 which is located within an elongated slot 11 formed in the locking member 8. The axle I0 constitutes the head of an axle pin 10a located within and secured to the inner wall transverse 5. Thus the bar 8 is capable of pivotal movement about the axle l0 and is also capable of limited movement in an axial direction with respect to the axle I0. Abutting the axle 10 is an axle retaining ring 12 secured to an inner side wall 13a which is parallel to and spaced from the outer side wall 9a and between which the locking member 8 extends. Located between a corresponding outer side wall 9b of the body portion 3 of the container 11 and an inner corresponding side wall 13b of the body portion 3b which is aligned with and constituting an extension of the inner side wall 13a is a fixed elongated anchoring member 14. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings the anchoring member 14 terminates at its upper end in a flange 14a whilst the locking member 8 terminates in a semi-barbed portion 8a and a rounded end portion 8b, the rounded portion 8b being separated from the semi-barbed portion 8a by an inset 8c.

The upper end of the locking member 8 is provided on the one hand with a shoulder 15 and on the other hand with a branch limb 16 (see FIG. 4) which terminates at its free end with a downwardly extending toothed portion 16a. As seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings in the locked position of the container the shoulder 15 rests on a fixed abutment 17 secured to the lid.

An elongated leaf spring 18 is pivotally mounted at a turned over portion 18a thereof on a fixed axle 19 secured to the lid portion 2 and consists of a first substantially horizontal limb 18b which is adapted to press on the shoulder 15 thereby biasing the locking member 8 downwardly and of a downwardly directed limb 18 adapted to press on the member 8 so as to tend to rotate it in a clockwise direction about the axle when viewed as in FIG. 3.

A clockwork mechanism 20 is schematically shown as being located in the lid region 7. This mechanism 20 drives a boss 21 which is formed integrally with a driven disc 22. Secured to and projecting outwardly from the disc 22 is a releasing lug 23 whilst secured to and projecting upwardly from the disc 22 and located along a diameter thereof asymmetrically with respect to the center of the disc 22 are a'pair of tensioning lugs 24a and 24b. A peripheral portion 25 of the disc 22 is formed with radial serrations into any one of which the toothed portion 160 of the branch limb 16 can extend thereby preventing the driven disc 22 from rotating.

Spaced above the driven disc 22 is a tensioning disc 26 having a centrally disposed, downwardly directed centering axle 27 located in a corresponding recess 21a formed in the boss 21. Secured to and extending centrally upwardly from the tensioning disc 26 is a square sectioned coupling block 28. Formed integrally with and extending downwardly from the edge of the tensioning disc 26 is an engaging lug 29a whilst secured to an extension 30 of the tensioning disc 26 at a position diametrically opposite that Of the lug 29a is a downwardly extending engaging lug 29b. Thus the lugs 29a and 2% are located along a diameter of the tensioning disc 26 and are located asymmetrically with respect to the center of the tensioning disc 26 in a manner similar to the asymmetric location of the tensioning lugs 24a and 24b on the driven disc 22.

The coupling block 28 extends through a cylindrical bore formed in a collar member 31. The lower end of the collar member 31 fits into a central aperture formed in a releasing disc 32 sandwiched between the tensioning disc 26 and the outer transverse wall 6 of the lid portion 2, the collar 31 being secured to the releasing disc 32 so that rotation of the collar 31 results in rotation of the releasing disc 32. Extending diametrically out of the releasing disc 32 is a releasing arm 33 whose free end 34 projects downwardly.

The upper surface of the collar member 31 is radially serrated and mates with a correspondingly radially serrated surface of an annular cap 35 through which passes a bolt 36 which screws into a correspondingly threaded bore formed in the coupling block 28 thereby securing the cap 35 to the block 28. Located within an annular cylindrical recess 37 formed in the cap 35 is a compression spring 38 which is anchored at its upper end to the cap 35 and at its lower end to an upwardly extending boss 39 formed integrally with the outer transverse wall 6 of the lid 2 of the box. The upper end of the square sectioned coupling block 28 formed in the cap 35 projects into a correspondingly square sectioned bore 40 centrally.

As can be seen when the cap 35 is screwed to the coupling block 28 by means of the bolt 36 the spring 38 is compressed and the cap 35 is coupled to the collar 32 by the intermeshing serrated surfaces. When, on the other hand the screw coupling of the cap 35 to the coupling block 28 is released by removal of the bolt 36 the spring 38 forces the cap 35 and collar member 31 apart and, in view of the fact that the upper end of the square sectioned coupling block 28 is located in the square sectioned bore 40 formed in the cap 35, rotation of the cap 35 whilst accompanied by rotation of the coupling block 28 is not accompanied by rotation of the collar member 31.

Pivotally mounted with respect to the transverse outer wall 6 of the lid portion 2 on a pivotal axle 4' is a pivotal catch 42 constituting a detent having at one end a retaining shoulder 42a and at the other end an abutment nose 42b. A compression spring 43 bears at one end on a fixed portion of the lid portion 2 and at the other end is located in a recess 44 formed in the catch 42, the spring 43 thereby tending to rotate the catch 42 in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5.

There is furthermore provided in the upper portion of the lid an emergency release mechanism 45 which consists of a plug 46 which is slidable in a transverse aperture 47 formed in the lid region 7. Secured to the plug 46 is a press pin 48 which projects out of a side wall 49 of the lid portion 2 and is screw-coupled to the plug 46. Secured to the plug 46 at a surface thereof remote from the press pin 48 is a release pin 50 which is also slidable within an appropriate aperture formed in the lid portion 2, the outer tip of the release pin 50 bearing on the abutment nose 42b of the catch 42. The plug 46 is biased outwardly with respect to the lid portion 2 by means of a compression spring 51 which bears at one end on the plug 46 and at the other end on a fixed portion of the lid portion 2. The plug 46 is inhibited in its outward motion under the influence of the spring 51 by its abutting an appropriate shoulder 52 formed in the lid portion 2.

The mode of operation of the time controlled container so as to allow for its effective locking and its being periodically rendered capable of opening will now be described.

The normal location of the control components when the container is locked is asshown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings whilst the position of the components just prior to opening of the container is as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5 when the container is in a locked condition the locking member 8 is latched to the fixed anchoring member 14, the flange 14a of the latter being located in the recess 80 between the semibarbed end 8a and rounded end 8b of the locking memher 8. Downward movement of the locking member 8 under the influence of the limb 18b of the spring 18 so as to open the locking mechanism is prevented in view of the fact that the shoulder of the locking member 8 bears on the fixed abutment 17. At the same time, the fact that the limb 18c of the spring 18 bears against the locking member 8 results in the locking member 8 being firmly pressed against the anchoring member 14 thereby preventing accidental opening, as a result of possible vibration.

During this time the releasing arm 33 of the releasing disc 32 is retained between the fixed abutment 155 and the retaining shoulder 42a of the pivoted catch 42. It is thus not possible torotatably displace the releasing disc 32 and releasing lever 33 by rotation of the cap 35 which is meshingly coupled to the collar 31 which is in its turn coupled to the releasing disc 32. Therefore, as long as the releasing arm 33 of the releasing disc 32 is locked, as described above, rotation of the cap 35 is itself prevented except when, as indicated above, and for a purpose still to be described the meshing engagement between the cap 35 and the collar 31 is released by the removal of the bolt 36.

Now, the clockwork mechanism 20 having been previously tensioned, by means to be described below, operates so as to cause the rotation of the driven disc 22 in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5. After a predetermined time interval, which depends on the initial angular position of the releasing lug 23 secured to the driven disc 22, the releasing lug 23 will have been rotatably displaced sufficiently to bear against the retaining shoulder 42a of the pivoted catch 42. The latter will be pivotally displaced in a clockwise direction about its axle 41 and against the biasing effect of the spring 43 sufficiently for the retaining shoulder 42a no longer to be located adjacent the releasing lever 33. When this has occurred rotation of the cap 35, which is now facilitated, is transmitted via the collar 31 to the releasing disc 32 and the latter is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5 until the releasing limb 33 is disposed adjacent the branch limb 16 of the locking member 8. Continued rotation of the releasing disc 32 results in the end portion 34 of the limb 33 displacing the shoulder 15 from off the fixed abutment 17 whereupon the locking member 8 is pressed downwardly under the influence of the limb 18b of the leaf spring 18. The rounded end 8b of the locking member 8 slides over the flange 14a of the fixed anchoring member 14 and the locking member 8 disengages from the anchoring member 14 and the container can be opened by the tilting of its lid portion 2 with respect to the body portion 3 about the axle 4.

As a consequence of the downward motion of the locking member 8 under the influence of the leaf spring 18 during release, the toothed portion 16a of the branch limb 16 engages the peripheral serrations of the driven disc 22 and in consequence, and as long as this engagement persists (i.e., as long as the container is open) the driven disc 22 is prevented from rotating and so the clockwork mechanism 20 stops operating.

Additionally, with the downward motion of the locking member 8 and the consequent disengagement of the enclosing member 14, the downward and sideward motion of the rounded end 8b with respect to the flange 4a results in the application of a sidewardly directed force to the anchoring member 14. As a result a slight opening of the container is effected.

At the same time, however, as the cap 35 is rotated so as to cause rotation of the releasing disc 32, the tensioning disc 26 which is directly coupled to the coupling block 28 is also rotatably displaced (in view of the fact that the square sectioned coupling block 28 mates in the correspondingly square sectioned coupling bore 40 formed in the cap 35. With the continued rotation of the tensioning disc 26 with respect to the driven disc 22 the engaging

lugs

29a and 29b will respectively abut the tensioning lugs 24a and 24b and the contined rotation of the tensioning disc 26 will cause the corresponding tensioning rotation of the driven disc 22 thereby automatically tensioning the clockwork mechanism 20.

It is thus seen that the one and the same action by the clockwork mechanism so as to put it in the required tension for subsequent operation.

When the cap 35 has been fully rotated so that the end 34 of the releasing arm 33 strikes the branch 16 of the locking member 8 so as to cause the releasing mechanism to operate, this rotation of the cap 35 will have taken place against the biasing effect of the spring 38. Thus when the cap 35 is released by the operator it will return to its original position under the tensioning effect exerted by the spring 38 and will therefore return to the original positions both the releasing disc 32 and the tensioning disc 26. With the return of the releasing disc. to its original position the releasing arm 33 will again become locked between the fixed abutment and the retaining shoulder 42a of the catch member 42 (it will be realised that the reverse rotation of the driven disc 22 which takes place when it is being tensioned during the opening procedure by the rotation of the cap 35 displaces the releasing lug 23 from abutment with the catch 42 of the releasing lug 23 and therefore allows the catch 42 to pivot back into its initial position under the influence of the compression spring 43).

As indicated above the predetermined times at which the locking mechanism becomes releasable are determined by the relative angular position of the releasing lug 23. The mechanism just described provides means for varying this angular position as desired and thereby varying the time intervals involved. This can be effected as follows. If, when the mechanism is in a locked condition, i.e., the releasing limb 33 is retained between the flxed abutment 155 and the retaining shoulder 42a of the catch 42 the screw 36 is removed, the compression spring 38 will force the cap 35 away from the collar 31 thereby disengaging the cap 35 from the collar with which it has previously been in meshed engagement. If now the cap 35 is rotated this will result in the rotation of the coupling member 28 and the corresponding rotation of the tensioning disc 26 without however leading to the rotation of the releasing disc 32 which remains locked. Thus, the angular position of the tensioning disc 26 can be varied as desired as of course can be the angular position of the tensioning lugs 29a and 2%. This variation of the initial angular position of the tensioning lugs 29a and 29b carries with it as a consequence that the ultimate position of the releasing lug 23 attached to the driven disc 22 will depend on the final position to which this driven disc is rotated by the tensioning lugs 29a and 29b during the tensioning procedure which will take place prior to the opening of the box. Thus, if it is arranged that the engaging

lugs

29a and 29b are initially spaced from the tensioning lugs 24a and 24b by a relatively large angular spacing then the predetermined time interval involved will be relatively short whilst if it is arranged that this angular spacing is relatively small then the time intervals involved will be correspondingly long.

The mechanism just described can be provided with visual means whereby it can be readily seen what are the predetermined time intervals and/or the remaining time before opening can take place. Thus, the outer transverse wall 6 of the box can be provided, opposite the tensioning disc, with a transparent window and the relative angular position of the disc can be observed and in this way a visual indication is given of the time intervals involved.

If for any reason the user wishes to circumvent the time controlled mechanism just described (for example, as a consequence of a breakdown of the time controlled mechanism, or where in emergencies the user must have access to the contents of the box) the emergency release mechanism 45 can be employed. Thus inward displacement of the press pin 48 against the strong counter-bias effected by the compression spring 51 results in a corresponding inward displacement of the release pin 50 which, bearing against the abutment nose 42b of the catch 42, causes a pivotal displacement of the catch 42 similar to that caused by the abuttal thereon by the release lug 23 during the normal operation of the time controlled mechanism. With such pivotal displacement of the catch 42 opening of the box can be effected in a manner identical to that described above for normal time controlled operation.

Closing of the container is simply effected by restor ing the lid portion 2 to a closed position whereupon the locking member 8 is pushed upwardly by the anchoring member 14 whilst the limb 18c of leaf spring 18 pushes the locking member 8 to the left as shown in FIG. 3 so that the flange 14a engages between the barbed portion 8a and the rounded portion 8b. At the same time the shoulder 15 is replaced on the fixed abutment 17 thereby preventing the downward displacement of the locking member 8 under the influence of the limb 18b of the leaf spring 18. With the upward displacement of the locking member 8 during closing the toothed portion 16a of the branch limb 16 is disengaged from the peripheral serration 25 of the driven disc 22 and thus, with the closing of the container, the driven disc 22 can begin to rotate under the influence of the clockwork mechanism and will, after this predetermined period, result in rendering the box capable of being opened. Y

Whilst in the specific arrangement described above release of the locking member 8 takes place as a result of facilitating the downward displacement of the member 8 under the influence of the spring 18b and the provisiOn of the elongated aperture 11, a simplified arrangement may be envisaged wherein the spring 18b as well as the elongated aperture 11 are dispensed with and release of the locking member 8 is simply effected by its displacement by the releasing arm 33 and the simultaneous opening of the box. it will be understood that, in this case, if the box is not simultaneously opened the spring 180 will again force the locking member 8 back into locking engagement.

It will thus be seen that the time controlled mechanism just described facilitates the production of a container, whether a cigarette container or container of other commodities, to which access can or should be had only at predetermined intervals, means being provided that the clockwork mechanism inherent in such a mechanism is automatically tensioned prior to the opening of the box and as a result of the operations inherent in opening the box. Furthermore, simple means are provided whereby the predetermined times can be readily varied. Finally, the mechanism just described can, if desired, be provided with an additional means whereby the box can be opened in emergencies without waiting for the clockwork mechanism as a whole to operate.

I claim:

1. A container having a time controlled locking mechanism comprising at least two portions coupled together for movement into and out of a closing relationship, latch means located within the container and comprising a pair of component latching members respectively coupled to said portions for locking said portions together, a releasing member located in one of said portions, manually actuatable means accessible from outside the container and coupled to the releasing member, displacement of the former resulting in displacement of the latter into releasing engagement with one of said latch components, a spring biased displaceable detent mounted in said one portion and arranged, in the locking condition of the container to inhibit movement of the releasing member, a clockwork mechanism located in said one portion and drivingly coupled to a displacing element, a predetermined displacement of said displacing element in a given direction resulting in the displacement of the detent against its biasing and the consequent freeing of the release member for movement and tensioning means coupled to the manually actuatable means and adapted to engage with the displacing element so that the displacement of the former required to effect releasing displacement of the releasing member is accompanied by displacement of the displacing element in an opposite direction thereby causing tensioning of the clockwork mechanism.

2. A container according to claim I, wherein said latching members are spring biased into locking engagement.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein one of said latching members located in the other portion is fixed and the other of said latching members located in said one portion is capable of limited displacement into and out of locking engagement, first spring means being provided for biasing said other latching member into a disengaging position, and fixed abutment means against which said other latching member is adapted to abut so as to inhibit its displacement by said first spring means, said other latching member comprising an elongated bar pivotally mounted on an axle in such a manner as to allow for limited movement in an axial direction second spring means being provided for retaining said latching members in locking engagement when said portions are in said closing relationship, the arrangement being such that the releasing engagement of said other latching member with said releasing member displaces said other latching member from abutment with said fixed abutment means and frees it for displacement by said first spring means.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein said other latching member is provided with means which is adapted to engage with said displacing element upon the disengaging displacement of said other latching member by said first spring means so as to prevent displacement of the displacing element by the clockwork mechanism in the unlocked condition of the container.

5. A container according to claim 3, wherein said first and second spring means are constituted by the respective limbs of a leaf spring and are separated by a turned over portion of the leaf spring which is mounted on a fixed support.

6. A container according to claim I, wherein said manually actuatable means is spring biased against displacement.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for varying at will the magnitude of said predetermined displacement and, in consequence, the timing frequency of said locking mechanism.

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein visual means are provided for indicating the timing frequency and/or remaining cycle time of the locking mechanism.

9. A container according to claim 7, wherein said manually actuatable means is coupled to said tensioning means via a clutch mechanism, means being provided for engaging or releasing said clutch mechanism so that displacement of said manually actuatable means is accompanied either by joint displacement of the tensioning means and release member or by the displacement of said tensioning means with respect to said release member.

l0. A container according to claim 9, wherein said manually actuatable means comprises a rotatable cap coupled to-said release member and via said clutch mechanism to said tensioning means.

11. A container according to claim 10, wherein said clutch mechanism comprises a pair of meshable serrated surfaces formed on or coupled to said cap and said tensioning means respectively, means for causing said surfaces to intermesh against spring biasing means tending to keep them apart.

12. A container according to claim ll, wherein said cap is coupled to said tensioning means by means of a polygonally sectioned coupling block secured at one end to the tensioning means and located at the other end in a corresponding polygonally shaped aperture formed in said cap whilst said releasing member is secured to a cylindrically apertured collar which surrounds said block, corresponding surfaces of said collar and cap being formed with said serrated surfaces.

13. A container according to claim 12, wherein the means for causing said surfaces to intermesh consists of a screw coupling said cap to said block, a coil spring being located in a cylindrical annular recess formed in said cap and serving on the one hand to bias said cap against rotary displacement thereof and, on the other hand to bias said intermeshing surfaces apart.

14. A container according to claim 1, wherein there is furthermore provided a displaceable element adapted to bear against said detent and means accessible from outside the container for displacing said element against spring biasing so as to cause said displacement of said detent against its biasing.

* I III

Claims

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said latching members are spring biased into locking engagement.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein said manually actuatable means is spring biased against displacement.

10. A container according to claim 9, wherein said manually actuatable means comprises a rotatable cap coupled to said release member and via said clutch mechanism to said tensioning means.

12. A container according to claim 11, wherein said cap is coupled to said tensioning means by means of a polygonally sectioned coupling block secured at one end to the tensioning means and located at the other end in a corresponding polygonally shaped aperture formed in said cap whilst said releasing member is secured to a cylindrically apertured collar which surrounds said block, corresponding surfaces of said collar and cap being formed with said serrated surfaces.