Box equipped with a slide-type closure system

• US 5,460,288 A
• Filed: 06/04/1993
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Balzeau, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caretto, Vanessa
• Application Number:
  US08/070,970
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 220/324, 220/326, 132/293
• US Class Current: 220/326
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/1084 of the latch-and-catch type

Abstract

Box fitted with a closure device including a T-shape slide that slips inside a bottom of the box and is movable between box opening and box closing positions. A crossbar of the T is an activation mechanism to open the box. A main shank of the T has elastic claws curved towards one another to abut a surface of the bottom of the box and restore the box closing position of the slide.

Claims

1. A box, comprising:

two parts articulated along a hinge, one of these parts being a lid and the other a bottom of the box; and

a closure system having elements forming part of the lid and the bottom of the box, the element in the bottom of the box being a slide that can slip inside a channel at the bottom of the box, this slide including an activation mechanism accessible from outside the box, an elastic restoring device on the slide that makes contact with a surface on the bottom of the box, and a catch that engages with the bottom of the box,

wherein the slide has the general shape of a T, a crossbar of which forms the activation mechanism accessible from outside and a main shank which extends inside the channel, and

wherein said elastic restoring device is located at an end of the main shank opposite the activation mechanism and comprises two elastic claws curved towards one another symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the T-shaped slide.

2. A box according to claim 1, wherein the catch includes two projections attached to elastic tongues, perpendicular to a central plane of the slide.

3. A box according to claim 2, wherein the projections engage in slots located in partitions of the bottom of the box, perpendicular to a central plane of the bottom of the box.

4. A box as recited in claim 3, wherein the elastic claws are wider near the main shank of the T, than near the ends of the claws.

5. A box as recited in claim 3, wherein the elastic claws have at ends thereof reinforcement pieces of circular cross-section.

6. A box as recited in claim 3, wherein sides of the main shank of the T have guiding wedges.

7. A box as recited in claim 3, wherein the bottom of the box includes a platen and a base that fit together.

8. A box as recited in claim 2, wherein the elastic claws are wider near the main shank of the T, than near the ends of the claws.

9. A box as recited in claim 2, wherein the elastic claws have at ends thereof reinforcement pieces of circular cross-section.

10. A box as recited in claim 2, wherein sides of the main shank of the T have guiding wedges.

11. A box as recited in claim 2, wherein the bottom of the box includes a platen and a base that fit together.

12. A box according to claim 1, wherein the elastic claws are wider near the main shank of the T, than near ends of the claws.

13. A box as recited in claim 12, wherein the elastic claws have at their ends reinforcement pieces of circular cross-section.

14. A box as recited in claim 12, wherein sides of the main shank of the T have guiding wedges.

15. A box as recited in claim 12, wherein the bottom of the box includes a platen and a base that fit together.

16. A box according to claim 1, wherein the elastic claws have at ends thereof reinforcement pieces of circular cross-section.

17. A box as recited in claim 16, wherein sides of the main shank of the T have guiding wedges.

18. A box as recited in claim 16, wherein the bottom of the box includes a platen and a base that fit together.

19. A box according to claim 1, wherein sides of the main shank of the T have guiding wedges.

20. A box as recited in claim 19, wherein the bottom of the box includes a platen and a base that fit together.

21. A box according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the box includes a platen and a base that fit together.