DISPENSING CONTAINER

• US 20130146610A1
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Gelardi, John A., Bailey, Ryan A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,010,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/154
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/02 for dispensing rod-shaped articles, e.g. needles packages for cigarettes provided with dispensing means B65D85/1009; dispensers for drinking straws A47G21/184
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0427 the articles being dispensed by inverting the container each time, by which action movable parts may be displaced by their own weight
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/10 for cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/60 for sweets or like confectionery products

Abstract

A container adapted for dispensing a product is provided. The container includes an outer casing body for receiving a dispensing tray. The dispensing tray has an internal storage compartment for storage of a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed, and includes a cover plate defining at least one dispensing aperture through which a stored unit of product is accessible when the outer casing body is in a dispensing position. The container includes a locking mechanism that releasably locks the outer casing body in the closed and locked position.

Claims

1. A dispensing container, comprising:

an outer casing body having a cavity therein, the outer casing body having a first portion and second portion hingedly coupled such that the outer casing body is capable of moving between a closed and locked position and a dispensing position, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the outer casing body include an interior wall;

a dispensing tray within the cavity of the outer casing body and having an outer peripheral portion configured to conform to a shape of the interior wall of the outer casing body when the outer casing body is in the closed and locked position, the interior wall of the outer casing body and the outer peripheral portion of the dispensing tray extending substantially parallel to one another, wherein the dispensing tray comprises an internal storage compartment adapted for storage of a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed;

a cover plate in the form of a separate and discrete piece secured to the dispensing tray and defining at least one dispensing aperture through which one of the units of the product is accessible from the internal storage compartment of the dispensing tray when the outer casing body is in the dispensing position, wherein the dispensing tray receives the cover plate in a recessed manner such that the dispensing tray and the cover plate form a substantially planar upper surface; and

a locking mechanism operably engaged with the outer casing body and configured to releasably lock the outer casing body in the closed and locked position, wherein the locking mechanism is spaced apart from the outer peripheral portion of the dispensing tray.

2. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray defines a ledge for receiving the cover plate in a recessed manner.

3. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the cover plate is translucent or transparent.

4. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the cover plate comprises a plurality of projections extending substantially perpendicular from the cover plate toward the internal storage compartment.

5. The dispensing container of claim 4, wherein a terminal end of each of the projections is inclined so as to provide resistance to sliding of a film-shaped product from the internal storage compartment.

6. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the cover plate comprises one or more lip portions extending substantially perpendicular to the cover plate toward the internal storage compartment.

7. The dispensing container of claim 6, wherein the lip portions are shaped to retain a rod-shaped product within the internal storage compartment.

8. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the cover plate forms a substantial majority of the substantially planar upper surface.

9. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the substantially planar upper surface is formed by the cover plate and an edge portion defined by the dispensing tray extending around the periphery of the cover plate.

10. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises a ramp configured to facilitate removal of a rod-shaped product from the internal storage compartment.

11. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises at least one wall portion extending toward the cover plate and the cover plate comprises at least one wall portion that extends toward the dispensing tray, the wall portion of the dispensing tray and the wall portion of the cover plate cooperatively defining a non-linear dispensing pathway configured to direct the one of the units of the product to the dispensing aperture.

12. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray further comprises a floor configured to support the units of the product thereon such that the dispensing tray substantially encapsulates the units of the product, the floor defining one or more indentations in axial alignment with the at least one dispensing aperture and configured to facilitate removal of one of the units of the product.

13. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one button that is depressed to release the dispensing container from the closed and locked position.

14. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a plurality of projecting members formed on the second portion of the outer casing body and a plurality of tab portions formed on the first portion of the outer casing body, the projecting members configured to engage the tab portions when the outer casing body is in the closed and locked position.

15. The dispensing container of claim 14, wherein the locking mechanism is configured for deflection of the projecting members out of engagement with the tab portions in order to move the outer casing body into the dispensing position.

16. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray is seated within the second portion of the outer casing body, and the first portion of the outer casing body comprises a substantially planar portion and said interior wall extends substantially perpendicular thereto.

17. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray is integrally formed with the outer casing body.

18. The dispensing container of claim 1, further comprising a lip extending around the periphery of, and substantially perpendicularly to, the outer peripheral portion of the dispensing tray.

19. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the outer casing body are integrally formed.

20. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing aperture is sized for passage of a single unit of the product.

21. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the internal storage compartment comprises a plurality of products.

22. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing container is adapted for storage of a product characterized by a shape selected from the group consisting of pill, tablet, strip, orb, sphere, sheet, coin, cube, bead, ovoid, obloid, bean, stick, and rod.

23. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing container is adapted for storage of a product selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, smoking products, smokeless tobacco products, snack products, and confectionary products.

24. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing container is adapted for storage of a smokeless tobacco product.

25. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the dispensing container is adapted for storage of a product selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, candies, mints, and gums.