Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02466559 2004-05-07
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'TECHNICAL FIELD ;
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The present invention relates to containers. .,t'"
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The present invention relates to a multi-compartment container".f,,
wherein' ~ ' ~,
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both the t'nain C~Omparttllel~t~5) and kidded COIt7pa'CtTnent(s~
Cari ~e COIriprlSed Of ..4.
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singular or multiple compartxnents. It is an object of the
present invention to ''
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provide a multi-compartment container.rrrhich at least provides
the public 'with a
useful choice. ~ ' a';;
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The present invention more particularly, but snot necessary,'
relates generally -
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to food andlar beverage holders and more particularly to
a lunch holder for holding
lunch and snack items, It is an alternative to knowza, live ':
or other hinge lidded lunch
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disclosed iz~ G1B Patezrt :
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Specification 2215186A
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an altez~,ative to such arrangements as disclosed in Us Patents
5277329 and ,
5323926. . '~'' '
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DISCLUSUItE OF INVENTION s
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rz~ one aspect the present invention cansists in a mufti-compartments
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container having '''; "
a base defining at least one compartment whether unpartitioned, ,.;;~
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a lid assembly hinging relative to the base so as to affect "
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. least one Cornpartmer~t of the base 6y at least a partial ~'
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condition a lower member defining at least one compartment i
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which compartment or compartments of the lid assembly is
or are closable by a lid
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or lids carried by the lower zxrember of the lid assembly. ' , ~xs;
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preferabl there is a se to lid for each coin artment defined b the lower~' ~
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Preferably the lid ar lids carried by the lower na.ember of the lid
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has or have at least one projection to act as a living hinge, such
projeCtion(s), , ~;Y"s
being
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lower member.
' Preferably each said projection has been moulded as a hop otherwise
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in the direction to which fl
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Preferably the form of the hinging periphery of the or each lid is ;
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bevelled or the like from above to allow clearance on its opening. ' ' '
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Preferably the hinging or other articulation of the lid assembly relative
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the base is a single hinge axis hinging of the lid assembly from '
tb~e base as a insult .
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of interactions of moulded trs~nnions of the base or lower member with ; ' .
the lower
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member or base respectively. >,,"
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Preferably the lower member has a peripheral skirt that at least substantially
continuously surrounds the rim of the base when the lidding assembly ,
Closes th e ~ i~~
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base.
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Preferably the lid assembly of said container ir~Cludes at least one ,
hinge axis
of its lid or lids which is orthogonal to that hinge axis of the lid
assembly from the '
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base
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' Preferably the lid assembly of said container has three lidded '
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Preferably the lid assembly's lower member of said container can latch .
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closed with respect to the basE .
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Preferably said container is assembled at least predominantly from moulded,
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Preferably said eontai,ner carries an inducement to use it as a lunchbo~.,.
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Preferably said lid assembly of said container has at least two
compartments'::,~'.~'~
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of a different size. , .
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comptutxnent can be o
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lid assembly as a whole being moved to open the compartment or ;~'~i
compartments of a,
the base
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In anotla,er embodiment of the present invention said lid assembly ' '
structure v'
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for at least one
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compartment or in some cases, multiple partitioned compartments. '
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rn another aspect the present invention consists of a m,~tlti-compartment,
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container having a moulding defining a main compartment, and at least, '
one ~ ~
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' moulding defining a lidding assembly, hingedly related to the main' -
compartment "~.r;.~
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wherein said main compartment forms an enclosed space when std lid
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and wherein said hingug assembly has at Least one lid to ~~,
ive access to a
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lidding assembly compartment. ; .:
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least cane compartment
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' said lid assembly itself defining mufti cozzapartments.
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Preferably each compartment of said lid asse ~w
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said main ';:~'f':
25 coin artm nt rna be . ,
p a y partitioned into at least two compartments ...
closuxe of the Lid
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assembly resulting in encasement of both, cvrnpartments simultaneously., .
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Accordingly to a further aspect of the invention that is to provide ~ ',
a mufti w i''"
compartment corntainer su'hstantially as herein described and with ~ '
referezvce to the 1 '
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accompanying drawings.
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accordance with the present invention as a lunch boy ' .'
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Preferably said container can be in combination with a drink bottle", '''
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As used herein the term "compartment" means where appropriate (i) ' '
the ' .
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' space bounded by walls andlor partitions and the base andlor (ii). .
the space enclosed
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a type (i) space, .
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As used herein "andlor" means (as appropriate) "and" oz' "or"~ ox :
both. ., '
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Other aspects of the invention may become apparent from the following, '
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" 10 description which is given by way of example only and with ~ ,
reference to the v,~:,y
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BRIEF DESCRIPT~O~T ~F DRA''VflCN~S WB.i
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. The invention will now be described by way of example only and '
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' Frg'u~re x is a perspective view of an exemplary mufti-comparanent,' '
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container aceordin~g to a preferred embodiment of the invention, . '
in which the lid
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assembly is sho'uvn in a closed position,
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position thereby
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revealing the main compartment therein,
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igure 3 is a perspective rriew of the mulm compartment container
of Figtue
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and where a lid ' y
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assembly lid is shown in an open position revealing a Iid assembly
compartment
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1, in which tt~.e lid assembly is illustrated in a closed position '
and where a lid
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assembly lid is shown in an open position re~'ealing a lid assembly
campartznent ' ~.:
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of Figure ~
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the lid ' .
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assembly has two lids in the open position revealing two smaller,.,
compartments ~
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within tlhe lid assembly, ,
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Figure 6 is a perspective view of the mufti compartment container.
of Figure '.
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and wherein the lid ; .
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5 assembly has three lids iz~ the open position revealing multiple
compartments within
the lid assembly, one larger and two smaller and all smaller , ~
than that of the main .:::
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of the :,
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lower member each of which is to receive at least one projection~ ,
of a lid of the ,~
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lidding assembly, ,
FSigure $ is a top view of one lid of the lid assembly showing. .'
two '
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projections each to provide a live hinge with a couunon axis
when each is
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received by a passageway from $bove of the lower zneznber, ' f
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Flgare 9 is a reverse view of the lid of Fi 8 .
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insertion of its projections into the top of the passageways ' ,
of the lower member '
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thereby to provide a hinge axis which will allow that lid ~ r
to close its compartrn.ent as '
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has already the athez~ two lids preferably similarly receivedir.:
by the lower member. ~ ~
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In the preferred form of the present invention all components. '
are moulded "
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from a suitable plastics material ~'
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erably such plastics material is in injection mouldable material.~
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the requisite characteristics. By ,way of example only appropriate.
materials include ~ :'"
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25 polypropylene and nylon. .
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For those features such ss the lids that are to have projectionsi "i
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live hinges preferably a flexible polypropylene is utilised. . i~ q
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In the preferred fozxn of the present invention a lunch box .
will be described
which bas four cornpariments. . .
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as a lunch
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of which a t'irst T
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ca artment 4 is revealed when the lid assembl 2 is ed1 a .
lifted firm the .
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base 3.
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As can be Seen the base 3 is preexably not partitioned and ~~
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compartment down into which a lower member 5 of the lidding'
assembly 2 sets to
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provide positive indexing whilst a peripheral flange 6 of .
the lower member '.
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. substantially shirts the rim '~ of the base 3 and preferably,
sets down on the ledge 8 ;
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of the base 3. Preferably for sealing purposes the lower ~,i~~
member 5 wedges or seats ~ .~I;.~"~~v
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' an fhe inside of the base 3 4
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The hinging of the lid assembly 2 preferably relies upon
truanions of the ,
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base which are each received in an opening of a projection ...J.
10 of the lower member ~h~ia
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5 of die lid assembly 2.
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The lid assembl 2 carri ~ '
y es three lids; narneIy, 11, 12 and 13, each preferably ,
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provided with its own hinge axis provided by one or more r
projections 14 r~rhich ~ ''f'~'
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. received in passageways 15 of the base into which they are ~ .
clrcl~ ~t engaged '
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1~ (Irreferably reliant a on a shoulder of the '
P passageway 15 or in the larger opening ;
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shown 7 and
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in Figure the lip 1 ~6 of each projection 14~. Each projection
'14 which
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def-lnes a hinge axis at I7. '
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As can also be
seen, preferably on the hinging periphery, preferably each ,
lid
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has a scallop, bevel or the like 1$ to ensure that ~
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clearance when the lids are .
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opened as sha~uvn in the drawings. , I
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Olti the f'~illy Opened arratlge!'1'lent Of flgUre ~ three ; ~
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artments each aratel 1 ' '
comp sep y c usable by its hd is defined in the lid assembly.' ''
.' These compartments provide compartments 19, 20 and 2I
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to lids 11 ~ f.
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mechanism as shown. Far the lids appropriate pliable members' ~
22 are concerned '~
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are provided which each has a projection adapted to engage
i~lto a recess such as 23.
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A pliable clasp type member 24 similarly engages the top '
of the base (e.g. ' .,
under shoulder 25) so as to hold the lower member 5 to the ,
base when the '
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As can be seen also, preferably the prajectiox~s 14 of each lid is ~ '
moulded "'
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with the projection8 I4 other than in their "closed" relativity with
the lid moulding
so as to provide a springing effect at its live hinge on its hinge '
axis 17 xz~ use vuhich
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will assist in the opening of the lid such as lid I3 when the catch ~ '
22 is released froui "'
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Persons skilled in the art will appreciate how such a mu.Iti compartment,
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container can be used as a Iunch box with fruit ~ ~
food ',
snacks
and the like being
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distributed around the compartments and, if desired, a '
drink bottle or container "
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located in one of the compartments such as one of those of the lid S
assembly. ,"/~
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The p~sent invention therefore also includes withirx its ambit '';~.~
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combination a mufti compartment lunch box container in accordance ~ '
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