Container having a light source

• US 8,152,326 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Graphic Packaging International Incorporated
• Inventors: House, Richard F., Pinney, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SEMBER, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US12/427,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20090266734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 362/154, 362/352, 362/362, 362/249.01, 362/249.02, 362/249.06, 362/249.05, 362/382, 206/418, 206/419, 206/420
• US Class Current: 362/154
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 3/22 with double walls; with walls incorporating air-chambers; with walls made of laminated material for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3818

Abstract

A container constructed from a blank of foldable sheet material is provided. The container includes a shell having at least one side wall, a bottom wall, and at least one opening defined through the at least one side wall. The at least one side wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The container also includes a liner having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The liner includes at least one light source coupled to the exterior surface of the liner. The liner is coupled to the shell. At least a portion of the exterior surface of the liner is adjacent to the interior surface of the shell, and the at least one light source is aligned with the at least one opening for emitting light therethrough.

Claims

1. A container constructed from at least a first blank and a second blank, the container comprising:

a shell constructed from at least the first blank and having a side wall, the side wall comprising an opening;

a bottom wall;

a liner constructed from at least the second blank, the liner being attached to the shell and comprising a light source, the light source being aligned with the opening,

wherein the liner comprises an exterior liner surface and an interior liner surface, and the shell comprises an interior shell surface and an exterior shell surface, the exterior shell surface comprises an exterior surface of the container and the interior liner surface comprises an interior surface of the container.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of the liner is in generally face-to-face relationship with the interior surface of the shell.

3. The container of claim 1 further comprising a controller attached to the liner and operatively connected to the light source.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein the container comprises an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit comprising the light source, the controller, and a power source.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein the electronic circuit further comprises a sensor operatively connected to the controller.

6. The container of claim 4 wherein the electronic circuit further comprises an activation switch.

7. The container of claim 4 wherein the electronic circuit further comprises a microphone.

8. The container of claim 4 wherein the liner at least partially defines a cavity of the container, and the liner isolates the electronic circuit from the cavity.

9. The container of claim 4 wherein the liner comprises two curved walls and at least one substantially straight end wall extending between the two curved walls.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein a controller space is formed between the end wall and the shell, the controller being positioned within the controller space.

11. The container of claim 1 wherein the container has a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape.

12. The container of claim 1 wherein the shell comprises a top flap that defines a top edge of the container, the top edge of the container being adjacent a top opening of the container.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein the container further comprises a lid at least partially covering the top opening.

14. The container of claim 13 wherein the lid has an external surface that fits within the top opening and contacts the exterior shell surface of the top flap.

15. A container constructed from at least a first blank and a second blank, the container comprising:

a shell constructed from at least the first blank and having a side wall, the side wall comprising an opening;

a bottom wall;

a liner constructed from at least the second blank, the liner being attached to the shell and comprising a light source, the light source being aligned with the opening,

wherein the first blank has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the trailing edge overlapping the leading edge when the shell is constructed from the first blank.

16. A method of forming a container, the method comprising:

having a first blank comprising a side wall, an opening in the sidewall;

having a second blank with a light source attached thereto;

positioning the second blank relative to the first blank to substantially align the light source with the opening by forming the second blank into a liner and forming the first blank into a shell,

wherein the first blank comprises an interior shell surface and an exterior shell surface, the second blank comprises an interior liner surface and an exterior liner surface, the positioning the second blank relative to the first blank comprises placing the exterior liner surface in generally face-to-face relationship with the interior shell surface.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising inserting the liner into the shell.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein first blank has a leading edge and the second blank has a leading edge, the inserting the liner into the shell comprises aligning the leading edge of the first blank and the leading edge of the second blank.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the second blank comprises an electronic circuit comprising a controller operatively connected to the light source, the electronic circuit being attached to the exterior liner surface.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the liner at least partially defines a cavity of the container, and the liner isolates the electronic circuit from the cavity.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising positioning a bottom wall to substantially close the bottom of the container.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising positioning a top wall to substantially close the top of the container.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the first blank has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the second blank has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the positioning the second blank relative to the first blank comprises aligning the leading edge of the second blank with the leading edge of the first blank.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the positioning the second blank relative to the first blank comprises attaching the exterior liner surface to the interior shell surface.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising forming the attached first and second blanks into the container by attaching the leading edge of the first blank with the trailing edge of the first blank and attaching the leading edge of the second blank with the leading edge of the second blank.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the forming the attached first and second blank comprises forming the container having a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape.

21. The method of 19 wherein forming the second blank into the liner comprises positioning two curved walls of the second blank and at least one substantially straight end wall that extends between the two curved walls.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein forming the second blank into the liner comprises forming a controller space between the end wall and the shell, the controller being positioned within the controller space.

29. A container constructed from at least a first blank and a second blank, the container comprising:

a shell constructed from at least the first blank and having a side wall, the side wall comprising an opening;

a bottom wall;

a liner constructed from at least the second blank, the liner being attached to the shell and comprising a light source, the light source being aligned with the opening;

a controller attached to the liner and operatively connected to the light source; and

an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit comprising the light source, the controller, and a power source.

30. A method of forming a container, the method comprising:

having a first blank comprising a side wall, an opening in the sidewall and a leading edge;

having a second blank with a light source attached thereto, the second blank having a leading edge;

positioning the second blank relative to the first blank to substantially align the light source with the opening by forming the second blank into a liner and forming the first blank into a shell;

inserting the liner into the shell comprising aligning the leading edge of the first blank and the leading edge of the second blank; and

positioning a bottom wall to substantially close the bottom of the container.

31. A method of forming a container, the method comprising:

having a first blank comprising a side wall, an opening in the sidewall, a leading edge, and a trailing edge;

having a second blank with a light source attached thereto, the second blank having a leading edge;

positioning the second blank relative to the first blank to substantially align the light source with the opening by forming the second blank into a liner and forming the first blank into a shell, the forming the first blank into the shell comprises overlapping the trailing edge and leading edge.