Dispensing container

• US 8,096,411 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• 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: Bailey, Ryan A., Gelardi, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): REYNOLDS, STEVEN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US12/685,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20110168712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 206/1.5, 206/531, 206/539, 206/807, 206/528, 206/828, 206/262, 206/538, 206/536, 206/468, 206/242, 206/249, 221/154, 221/197, 221/246, 220/326
• US Class Current: 206/1.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2215/04 requiring the combination of different actions in succession
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0409 the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation B65D83/0445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/60 for sweets or like confectionery products

Abstract

The invention provides a dispensing container including an outer casing having an open end, a top, a bottom, sidewalls extending between the top and bottom, and an interior compartment, wherein the outer casing further includes a depressible button in the top or bottom and at least one projection adjacent to the depressible button that extends into the interior compartment; and an inner tray slidably received within the interior compartment of the outer casing. The inner tray includes a first end received within the outer casing, an opposing second end extending outwardly from the outer casing, a flexible locking tab positioned proximal to the first end, and an opening adjacent to the flexible locking tab, the flexible locking tab including a first segment extending toward the second end of the inner tray and a second segment extending transversely from the first segment. The second segment is positioned to engage the projection.

Claims

1. A dispensing container, comprising:

an outer casing having an open end, a top, a bottom, sidewalls extending between the top and bottom, and an interior compartment, wherein the outer casing further includes a depressible button in the top or bottom and at least one projection adjacent to the depressible button that extends into the interior compartment,

wherein the at least one projection of the outer casing has a beveled surface facing toward the open end of the outer casing; and

an inner tray slidably received within the interior compartment of the outer casing and comprising a storage compartment configured to store a plurality of units of product to be dispensed and a dispensing aperture through which units of product can be dispensed from the storage compartment, the inner tray extending outwardly from the open end of the outer casing and configured for sliding movement between a closed and locked position and a dispensing position,

wherein the inner tray further comprises a first end received within the outer casing, an opposing second end extending outwardly from the outer casing, a flexible locking tab positioned proximal to the first end, and an opening adjacent to the flexible locking tab, the flexible locking tab comprising a first segment extending toward the second end of the inner tray, a second segment extending transversely from the first segment, wherein the second segment provides a surface facing the opening and operatively positioned to engage the at least one projection of the outer casing when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position, and at least one rib extending between the first segment and the second segment of the flexible locking tab, the at least one rib having a beveled surface positioned to engage the beveled surface of the at least one projection of the outer casing to facilitate movement of the inner tray between the dispensing position and the closed and locked position,

and wherein the depressible button of the outer casing is operatively positioned to engage and deflect the flexible locking tab of the inner tray when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position.

2. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the at least one projection further comprises a surface transverse to the top or bottom of the outer casing and positioned to engage the second segment of the flexible locking tab of the inner tray when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position.

3. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the second end of the inner tray comprises a lip extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the inner tray, the lip positioned to abut the top or bottom of the outer casing.

4. The dispensing container of claim 3, further comprising a depression formed between the lip of the inner tray and the top or bottom of the outer casing for facilitating grasping of the inner tray.

5. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment comprises a first section distal from the dispensing aperture and a narrower second section proximal to the dispensing aperture.

6. The dispensing container of claim 1, wherein the inner tray further comprises a stop adapted for engaging the outer casing to prevent removal of the inner tray from the outer casing.

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

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, smoking products, smokeless tobacco products, snack products, and confectionary products.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the product is a smokeless tobacco product.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, candies, mints, and gums.

11. A dispensing container, comprising:

an outer casing having an open end, a top, a bottom, sidewalls extending between the top and bottom, and an interior compartment, wherein the outer casing further includes a depressible button in the top or bottom and at least one projection adjacent to the depressible button that extends into the interior compartment; and

an inner tray slidably received within the interior compartment of the outer casing and comprising a storage compartment configured to store a plurality of units of product to be dispensed and a dispensing aperture through which units of product can be dispensed from the storage compartment, the inner tray extending outwardly from the open end of the outer casing and configured for sliding movement between a closed and locked position and a dispensing position,

wherein the inner tray further comprises a first end received within the outer casing, an opposing second end extending outwardly from the outer casing, a flexible locking tab positioned proximal to the first end, and an opening adjacent to the flexible locking tab, the flexible locking tab comprising a first segment extending toward the second end of the inner tray and a second segment extending transversely from the first segment, wherein the second segment provides a surface facing the opening and operatively positioned to engage the at least one projection of the outer casing and the at least one projection extends through the opening when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position,

and wherein the depressible button of the outer casing is operatively positioned to engage and deflect the flexible locking tab of the inner tray when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position.

12. The dispensing container of claim 11, further comprising at least one rib extending between the first segment and the second segment of the flexible locking tab, the at least one rib having a beveled surface positioned to engage a beveled surface of the at least one projection of the outer casing to facilitate movement of the inner tray between the dispensing position and the closed and locked position.

13. The dispensing container of claim 11, further comprising at least one rib extending between the first segment and the second segment of the flexible locking tab and having a surface positioned to engage the depressible button of the outer casing to facilitate deflection of the flexible locking button when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position.

14. The container of claim 11, wherein the product is characterized by a shape selected from the group consisting of pill, tablet, sphere, sheet, coin, cube, bead, ovoid, obloid, bean, stick, and rod.

15. The container of claim 11, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, smoking products, smokeless tobacco products, snack products, and confectionary products.

16. The container of claim 11, wherein the product is a smokeless tobacco product.

17. The container of claim 11, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of pharmaceutical products, candies, mints, and gums.

18. The dispensing container of claim 11, wherein the at least one projection further comprises a surface transverse to the top or bottom of the outer casing and positioned to engage the second segment of the flexible locking tab of the inner tray when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position.

19. The dispensing container of claim 11, wherein the at least one projection of the outer casing has a beveled surface facing toward the open end of the outer casing.

20. The dispensing container of claim 19, wherein the at least one projection further comprises a surface transverse to the top or bottom of the outer casing and positioned to engage the second segment of the flexible locking tab of the inner tray when the inner tray is in the closed and locked position.

21. The dispensing container of claim 11, wherein the second end of the inner tray comprises a lip extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the inner tray, the lip positioned to abut the top or bottom of the outer casing.

22. The dispensing container of claim 21, further comprising a depression formed between the lip of the inner tray and the top or bottom of the outer casing for facilitating grasping of the inner tray.

23. The dispensing container of claim 11, wherein the storage compartment comprises a first section distal from the dispensing aperture and a narrower second section proximal to the dispensing aperture.

24. The dispensing container of claim 11, wherein the inner tray further comprises a stop adapted for engaging the outer casing to prevent removal of the inner tray from the outer casing.