Container with reclosable lid latch

• US 5,353,946 A
• Filed: 07/26/1993
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Church & Dwight Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Church & Dwight Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Behrend, Grace A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caretto, Vanessa
• Application Number:
  US08/097,764
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 220/326, 220/254, 220/256, 220/259, 220/324, 220/334, 220/339, 220/355, 220/359, 215/216, 215/225, 215/237, 215/239
• US Class Current: 220/326
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/1025 Integral locking elements penetrating in an opening, e.g. a flap through a slit, a hook in an opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/169 the lid, the hinge and the element connecting them to the container being made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/04 requiring the combination of simultaneous actions, e.g. depressing and turning, lifting and turning, maintaining a part and turning another one B65D55/02 takes precedence; caps or covers secured by rotation with bayonet cams B65D41/06, B65D41/36

Abstract

A container with a reclosable lid is disclosed as including upper and lower frames and a childproof latching device having finger grips operable to release a retainer from a keeper to open the lid wherein the finger grips require a movement to free the retainer and a movement to displace the retainer away from the keeper.

Claims

1. A container comprising a reclosable lid having a lower frame secured to a top of the container and an upper frame mating with said lower frame to close the container,

hinge means connecting rear portions of said upper and lower frames for relative movement therbetween,

a childproof latch having a keeper means for engaging a latching means fixed to a front portion of said lower frame, and said latching means fixed to a front portion of said upper frame,

said latching means including a projection extending from a front edge of said upper frame and having top and bottom finger grips extending in opposite directions from said projection, and a retainer block on said bottom finger grip placed to interfere with movement of said keeper means whereby said upper and lower frames are locked in a closed position on said container top,

said latch being operable by flexing the top and bottom finger grips in a direction generally toward the rear portions of said upper and lower frames and thence upwardly to displace said retainer block past said keeper means.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said keeper means includes a bar element engageable with said retainer block.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said keeper means comprises a keeper bar having end portions extending away from the front portion of said lower frame whereby the keeper bar is spaced from the lower frame.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 wherein said projection on said upper frame spaces said upper finger grip away from said lower finger grip so as to define a movable path similar to said lower finger grip during opening and reclosing of said lid.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 wherein said projection and said upper and lower finger grips are integrally formed to define a general T shape configuration.

6. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said container and said lid are rectangular in shape and wherein said hinge means are on one rectangular side and said child-proof latch is located on an opposite rectangular side.

7. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reclosable lid, said hinge means, and said childproof latch are molded as an integral unit.

8. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower frames, said hinge means, said keeper means, and said latching means are molded as an integral unit.