Detergent product container with lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304707-B2
Application number	US-202318541249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2023
Priority date	May 8, 2020
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A consumer product that includes a detergent product and a container, the container including a box, a lid for the box, and a lock to maintain the lid in a closed position, the box comprising the detergent product, and the lock having an actuator moveable from a locking position to an opening position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A consumer product comprising a detergent product and a container, the container comprising a box, a lid for the box, and a lock to maintain the lid in a closed position, the box comprising the detergent product, the box comprising a base, sidewalls and an opening opposite the base, the lid comprising a top and flanks, the top covering the opening and at least a portion of the flanks covering at least a specific portion of the sidewalls when the lid is in the closed position, the lid being moveable from the closed position to an open position, the lock comprising an actuator moveable from a locking position to an opening position by applying an actuation pressure onto the actuator when the lid is in the closed position, wherein the actuator is resilient in that the actuator comprises a flexible element, the flexible element having a default position corresponding to the lid remaining closed, the flexible element being pressed to open the lid, the flexible element springing back to the default position when releasing pressure, wherein the lid further comprises a support element, the support element entering the opening when the lid is in the closed position, at least part of the specific portion of the sidewalls being located between the flanks and the support element when the lid is in the closed position, a clearance distance separating the sidewalls from the support element in a direction normal to the specific portion of the sidewalls when the lid is in the closed position and when no actuation pressure is applied.

2. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the clearance distance is of at least 1 mm and of less than 1 cm when the lid is in the closed position and no actuation pressure is applied.

3. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is connected to the specific portion of the sidewalls, the actuator abutting against a locking tab of the flanks when in the locking position, the actuator being maintained away from the locking tab when in the opening position, the actuator being displaceable by the actuation pressure by an unlocking displacement distance in a direction normal to the specific portion of the sidewalls.

4. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a flap connected by a hinge portion to the specific portion of the sidewalls, the flap extending from the hinge portion to a distal edge of the flap, the hinge portion being located between the flanks and the support element when the lid is in the closed position, the distal edge extending away from the specific portion of the sidewalls and the distal edge of the flap abutting against the locking tab of the flanks when in the locking position, the flap lying flush against the specific portion of the sidewalls and the distal edge being maintained away from the locking tab when in the opening position, the flap displaced by an acute actuation angle from the closing position to the opening position, the acute angle corresponding to displacement of the distal edge by an unlocking displacement distance.

5. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the support element comprises a support area, the support area comprising an area of contact with the specific portion of the sidewall when the clearance distance is reduced to zero by flexing of the specific portion of the sidewalls when the actuation pressure is applied above a pressure threshold when the lid is in the closed position, wherein the area of contact faces the actuator along a direction normal to the specific portion of the sidewalls.

6. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the flanks comprises a reinforced flank section.

7. The consumer product according to claim 6 , wherein the reinforced flank section comprises the locking tab.

8. The consumer product according to claim 6 , wherein the reinforced flank section comprises a main flank section and a folded back flank section lying flush against the main flank section, the main flank section being hingedly connected to the folded back flank section at an end of the reinforced flank section distal from the top of the lid.

9. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the sidewalls comprise a reinforced sidewall section proximal to the opening.

10. The consumer product according to claim 9 , wherein the reinforced sidewall section comprises a main sidewall section and a folded back sidewall section lying flush against the main sidewall section, the main sidewall section being hingedly connected to the folded back sidewall section at an end distal from the base of the box.

11. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the consumer product comprises an additional lock, the additional lock comprising an additional actuator connected to an additional specific portion of the sidewalls, the specific portion of the sidewalls being comprised in a first sidewall of the box, the additional specific portion of the sidewalls being comprised in a second sidewall of the box, the first sidewall being opposite to the second sidewall.

12. The consumer product according to claim 11 , wherein the flanks comprise an additional actuation area facing the additional actuator and permitting displacement of the additional actuator, the actuation area and the additional actuation area being separated by a peripheral path along an exterior surface of the lid, the peripheral path measuring less than 20 cm and more than 9 cm.

13. The consumer product according to claim 11 , wherein the support element comprises a resilient structure concurrently in contact with both the specific portion and the additional specific portion when flexing of both the specific portion of the first sidewall and the additional specific portion of the second sidewall when the actuation pressure is applied above a pressure threshold on both the actuator and the additional actuator when the lid is in the closed position.

14. The consumer product according to any one of claim 13 , wherein the resilient structure is unitary.

15. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the flanks comprise an actuation area facing the actuator and permitting displacement of the actuator from the closing position to the opening position by applying the actuation pressure at the actuation area when the lid is in the closed position, wherein the actuation area comprises one or more of an actuation aperture, an actuation flap, an actuation slit or an actuation membrane, wherein the actuation area further comprises a visual indication indicating the location of the actuation area.

16. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the container is made from paper or cardboard materials.

17. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the flanks cover at least 30% of the sidewalls when the lid is in the closed position.

18. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the support element comprises a support element distal end located at a depth of at least 3 mm and of less than 50 mm from the top of the lid when the lid is in the closed position.

19. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the clearance distance is reduced to zero by flexing of the specific portion of the sidewalls when the actuation pressure is applied above a pressure threshold when the lid is in the closed position.

20. The consumer product according to claim 1 , wherein the detergent product weighs more than 50% of the weight of the consumer product, wherein a gravity force pr

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Hoefte Paulus Antonius Augustinus
• Ng Pak Leung Clara Sophie Lea
• Leflere Joost Peter
• Keuleers Robby Renilde Francois

Classifications

• B65D85/70

  for materials not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B65D55/14

  Applications of locks, e.g. of permutation or key-controlled locks · CPC title

• B65D5/68 Primary

  Telescope flanged lids · CPC title

• B65D5/685 Primary

  having an inwardly or upwardly extending tab on the lid side wall cooperating with a tab on, or an opening in, the container side wall · CPC title