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(11) | EP 0 104 710 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A container with cover |
| (57) (57) A container 1 comprises a series of successively disposed compartments, and
is provided with a displaceable cover 3 having an opening for providing accessibility
to one compartment. Apart from its normal direction of displacement, the cover 3 is additionally displaceable in a direction perpendicular thereto, by the provision of a zig-zag shaped groove 11 with saw-tooth-shaped flanks 12, 13 which prevent an undesired opening by little children. |
[0001] The invention relates to a container comprising a series of successively disposed compartments for objects or groups of objects and, attached to this container, a cover having an opening for providing accessibility to one compartment only, said cover being displaceable with its opening, along the successive compartments.
[0002] Containers of this type, usually in the form of a round box with a cover rotatable thereon, are known in the art. Said known containers are used for storing small objects, such as pills, flints or groups of objects, for instance plummets, etc, each compartment housing in succession a group of objects of a specific size.
[0003] For storing the pills, for instance, it is desired for the opening in the cover to pass through the successive compartments, and means have previously been proposed to prevent the cover from turning in the reverse direction or being displaced accidentally. Such means, for example, consist in providing a slide-up cam on the side of the cover facing the compartments, said cam snapping over a partition between two suc- - cessive compartments each time when being turned. As a result of the steep side of the slide-up cam, it is then not possible to turn the cover backwards. The snap action is in this case produced by the resilience of the material of the cover.
[0004] Such measures are insufficient, however, for preventing unwanted opening of the container, for example, by little children.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to improve the structional features of this type of container, thus rendering an undesired opening more difficult, and making it impossible for little children to take and eat medicines unsuitable for them.
[0006] This objects is attained according to the invention by a container of the type as described above, which is characterized in that parts of the cover are positioned along parts of the container in a direction transverse to the direction of displacement of the cover, a zigzag-shaped groove having saw-tooth-shaped flanks,being provided in parts of the one kind, into which fit one or several protrusions of parts of the other kind, the dimensions of said protrusions, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the cover, being smaller, at least to the extent of the height of one saw tooth, than the width of the zigzag-shaped groove at the location of two straight opposite parts of the saw teeth at the flanks of the groove.
[0007] The special improvement obtained by this feature is in that not . only the cover has to be displaced into the direction in which the opening moves to the next compartment, but also that the cover must necessarily move relative to the container in a direction perpendicular thereto. This precludes accidental opening since a coordinated movement in two different directions is required to position the opening in the cover over the next compartment of the container.
[0008] Snap action allowing turning in one particular direction only is made possible for the container according to the invention, in that the bottom of the zig-zag-shaped groove is also zig-zag-shaped and in that each protrusion, when moving the cover with respect to the container, can slide up against the bevel parts of the saw-toooth-shaped bottom, due to the resilience of the material.
[0009] Preferably, the container with cover is so designed that the zig-zag-shaped groove and the protrusions are situated in and upon respective peripheral surfaces, directed towards one another, of container and cover parts concentrically fitting about each other. This affords a rotational movement of the cover with respect to the container and in a container having carousel-like disposed compartments and a rotatable cover having an opening provided in radial direction, the peripheral surfaces directed towards one another and disposed next to one another, are located in the central part of the container; in addition to its rotational movement, the cover can also perform a movement in a direction perpendicular to the direction of its displacement with respect to the container, when the opening of the cover is brought to the next compartment.
[0010] The invention will now be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a container having a cover provided with an opening, a portion of said cover having been exploded, so as to show the respective compartments in the container;
Fig. 2 is a lateral view of the container of fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a lateral, partially cross-sectional view of the cover;
Fig. 4 is a lateral, partially cross-sectional view of the container;
Fig. 5 is a development of a portion of a zig-zag-shaped ·groove with a protrusion cooperating therewith; and
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line VI-VI of fig. 5.
[0011] The container 1 is formed as a basin and comprises in its upper part in the peripheral direction, successively disposed compartments for objects or groups of objects, said compartments being formed by partitions 2 running in radial direction with respect to the container. On the container there is provided a cover 3, a peripheral rim 4 of which engages a portion of the periphery of the container 1. The cover 3 comprises an opening 5 whose shape roughly corresponds to the shape of a compartment of the container. In addition, the container 1 is provided with a central part surrounded by a wall 6, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.
[0012] As is apparent from fig. 3, the cover 3, with its rim in overlapping engagement with the container, likewise has a central part formed by a cylindrical peripheral wall 7 whose portion 8 has a smaller outer diameter. Provided on the portion 8 are protrusions in the form of cams 9. Said cams fit into a zigzag-shaped groove in the central part of the container 1. This central part is surrounded by a peripheral wall 6 whose inner circumference has a narrowed portion 10.
[0013] As shown in fig. 4, on its inner circumference said narrowed portion 10 is provided with a zigzag-shaped groove 11 having saw-tooth-shaped flanks 12 and 13. The cylindrical wall 7 of the cover 3 fits inside the peripheral wall 6 and the portion 8 fits inside the portion 10 of the container, the cams 9 being located in groove 11. A development of the groove having a cam 9 drawn therein in different positions, is partially shown in fig. 5. It will be apparent that, according to the invention, parts 7, 8 of the cover are disposed in a direction transverse to the direction of displacement of the cover, so transverse to the direction of rotation of the cover, along parts 6, 10 of the container 1, a zigzag-shaped groove 11 having saw-tooth-shaped flanks 12, 13 being provided in parts 10 of the one kind, into which fit one or several protrusions 9 of parts 7, 8 of the other kind, the dimensions of said protrusions in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the cover being smaller, at least to the extent of the height of one saw tooth, than the width of the zigzag-shaped groove at the location of two opposite straight parts of the saw teeth at the flanks of the groove. The width of the zigzag-shaped groove at the location of the bevelled parts of the saw-tooth-shaped flanks is, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the cover, adapted to the dimensions of each protrusion 9 extending in the same direction. If, when turning the cover, it is lifted somewhat, the cam 9a is detached from the saw tooth which is in abutment against it, (see the left-hand portion of fig. 3) and the cover can be displaced together with the cam 9a, through the bevelled portion of the groove 11 until it comes into abutment with the next straight flank of a saw tooth.
[0014] When the cover is lifted again with respect to the container, the cam will arive at a position as referenced 9b. Further rotation of the cam will eventually result in a position 9c which corresponds to the position 9a of the cam. So, in order to move the cover with a cam from position 9a to position 9c, the cover must be lifted twice. When turning same in the opposite direction, the cover has to be depressed with respect to the container. It is then possible that each saw tooth corresponds to the distance between two successive compartments. It is also possible, however, that two saw teeth correspond to successive compartments so that, in order to bring the opening 5 into a position over the next compartment, the cover either must be lifted twice or must be depressed twice.
[0015] It is evident from the foregoing that the cover can be rotated in opposite directions. However, this is less desirable because it is better to pass through the compartments in succession for the purpose of placing the opening 5 over them, and it is definitely less desirable for the cover to be turned backwards, in the event the container is used, for instance, for storing medicines. In such case, the container of the invention is so designed, that the bottom 14 of the zigzag-shaped groove is also provided with saw teeth and that each protrusion 9 can slide up against the bevelled parts of the saw-tooth-shaped bottom, when the cover is displaced in relation to the container, due to the resilience of the material. The zigzag-shaped bottom is shown in fig. 6 along with the corresponding cam positions 9a, 9b, 9c. The straight sides of the saw teeth of the bottom 14 of the groove then coincide with the straight sides of the saw teeth 12 on one of the flanks of the zigzag-shaped groove 11. The zigzag-shaped groove 11 and the protrusions 9, respectively, are located in and on peripheral surfaces, directed towards one another, of parts 10 and 8 of the container 1 and of the cover 3 which fit about each other concentrically.
[0016] Consequently, the invention is embodied in a container 1 having compartments which are carousel-like disposed, and a rotatable cover 3 having an opening provided therein in radial direction, the peripheral surfaces 10 and 8 directed towards one another and disposed adjacent one another being located in the central part of the container 1, the cover 3, in addition to its rotational movement, also being capable of performing a movement in the direction perpendicular to its surfaces with respect to the container. As a result, accidental opening of the container is rendered difficult.
1. A container having a series of successively disposed compartments for objects or
groups of objects and, fixed to this container, a cover having an opening or end rim
for providing accessibility to a compartment, said cover with its opening being displaceable
along the successive compartments, characterized in that, in a direction transverse
to the direction of displacement of the cover (3), parts (7, 8) of the cover are positioned
along parts (6, 10) of the container (1), a zigzag-shaped groove (11) having saw-tooth-shaped
flanks (12, 13) being provided in parts (10) of the one kind, into which fit one or
several protrusions (9) of parts (7,8) of the other kind, the dimensions of said protrusions,
in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the cover, being
smaller, at least to the extent of the height of one saw tooth, than the width of
the zigzag-shaped groove at the location of two straight opposite parts of the saw
teeth at the flanks of the groove.
2. A container with cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of
the zigzag-shaped groove (11) at the location of the bevelled parts of the saw-tooth-shaped
flanks (12, 13) is, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement
of the cover, adapted to the dimensions of each protrusion (9) in the same direction.
3. A container with cover according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the bottom
(14) of the zigzag-shaped groove (11) is also in the form of saw teeth, and in that
each protrusion can slide up against the bevelled parts of the saw-tooth-shaped bottom
(14), when displacing the cover (3) in relation to the container, due to the resilience
of the material.
4. A container with cover according to claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the straight
sides of the saw teeth of the bottom (14) of the groove (11), coincide with the straight
sides of the saw tooth (12) on one of the flanks of the zigzag-shaped groove (11).
5. A container with cover according to any one or several of claims 1 - 4, characterized
in that the zigzag-shaped groove (11) and the protrusion (9) are located in and on
peripheral surfaces, directed towards one another, of the respective container and
cover parts (10, 8) concentrically fitting about each other.
6. A container having carousel-like disposed compartments and a rotatable cover comprising
an opening, provided therein in radial direction according to any one or several of
claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the peripheral surfaces directed towards one another
and disposed alongside one another, are located in the central part of the container
(1) and the cover, in addition to its rotational movement, is also capable of performing
a movement in a direction perpendicular to its surface with respect to the container.