Detergent product container with lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12570433-B2
Application number	US-202318207262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2023
Priority date	Dec 11, 2020
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

Examples include a consumer product including a box including a detergent product, a lid and a lock. The lid includes flanks covering a specific portion of a sidewall of the box. The lock includes a specific actuator moveable by applying an actuation pressure, the specific actuator being connected to the specific portion, the flanks including a specific actuation area facing the specific actuator and permitting displacing it by applying the actuation pressure.

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 the flanks covering at least a specific portion of a specific sidewall of the sidewalls of the box when the lid is in the closed position, the lock comprising a specific actuator moveable from a locking position to an opening position by applying an actuation pressure onto the specific actuator when the lid is in the closed position, the specific actuator being connected to the specific portion, the flanks comprising a specific actuation area in a specific flank, the specific actuation area facing the specific actuator and permitting displacing the specific actuator from the locking position to the opening position by applying the actuation pressure at the specific actuation area when the lid is in the closed position, whereby:
the specific actuation area spans less than 8 cm 2 and more than 0.2 cm 2 , the specific actuation area defining a specific centroid; the specific centroid is separated from the top of the lid by less than 5 cm and by more than 0.5 cm; the specific centroid is separated from a distal end of the specific flank by more than 0.5 cm; and the top of the lid spans less than 13 cm and more than 6 cm along a direction normal to the specific portion at the specific centroid, wherein the lid comprises a transversal support element extended from a first end of the support element to a second end of the support element along the direction normal to the specific portion at the specific centroid, the support element being attached or integrated to the top of the lid, whereby the specific portion is located between the first end and the specific actuation area when the lid is in the closed position, the first end being separated from the specific actuation area by a clearance of less than 1 cm and of more than 0.5 mm along the direction normal to the specific portion at the specific centroid.

2 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , the flanks comprising an additional actuation area in an opposite flank, the opposite flank being opposite the specific flank, the additional actuation area being adjacent to an additional portion of a sidewall opposite the specific sidewall, whereby:
the additional actuation area spans less than 8 cm 2 and more than 0.2 cm 2 , the additional actuation area defining an additional centroid;
the additional centroid is separated from the top of the lid by less than 5 cm and by more than 0.5 cm;
the specific centroid is separated from a distal end of the opposite flank by more than 0.5 cm;
the additional centroid is aligned with the specific centroid along a direction normal to the additional portion at the additional centroid; and the additional centroid and the specific centroid are separated by more than 6 cm and by less than 13 cm.

3 . The consumer product according to claim 2 , whereby a shortest distance between the additional centroid and the specific centroid along the specific flank, top of the lid and opposite flank is of less than 18 cm.

4 . The consumer product according to claim 2 , whereby the lock comprises an additional actuator, the additional actuator being connected to the additional portion of the sidewall opposite the specific sidewall, the additional actuator facing the additional actuation area.

5 . The consumer product according to claim 2 , whereby the additional portion is located between the second end and the additional actuation area when the lid is in the closed position, the second end being separated from the additional actuation area by a clearance of less than 1 cm and of more than 0.5 mm along a direction normal to the additional portion at the additional centroid.

6 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby one or more of the actuation areas is an aperture.

7 . The consumer product according to claim 6 , whereby the detergent product is in the form of unit dose detergent pouches, preferably in the form of flexible water soluble unit dose detergent pouches, whereby the aperture is configured to prevent a unit dose detergent pouch from passing through the aperture.

8 . The consumer product according to claim 6 , whereby the specific portion, respectively additional portion, comprises a visual indication visible through the aperture, respectively apertures, when the lid is closed.

9 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby one or more flank of the flanks comprising a respective actuation area covers at least 30% of one or more respective sidewall of the sidewalls when the lid is in the closed position.

10 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby the lid may be entirely separated from the box when open, and whereby the lid weighs less than 200 g and more than 10 g.

11 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby the specific centroid, and respectively additional centroid, is separated from the top of the lid by more than 1 cm and by less than 3 cm.

12 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby the specific centroid, and respectively additional centroid, is located in a central region of a flank of the lid along a horizontal direction parallel to the top of the lid.

13 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby the specific actuation area, and respectively additional actuation area, has a circular shape.

14 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby the specific actuation area, and respectively additional actuation area, covers less than 6 cm 2 and more than 1 cm 2 .

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

16 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , whereby the lid comprises a corrugated cardboard layer, the corrugated cardboard layer comprising flutes, the flutes preferably running parallel to the direction normal to the specific portion at the specific centroid and parallel to the top of the lid, and whereby the specific actuation area, and respectively additional actuation area, preferably intersect at least some of the flutes.

17 . The consumer product according to claim 1 , the flanks comprising two short flanks and two long flanks, whereby the specific actuation area, and the respectively additional actuation area if present, is on a long flank.

18 . A method to operate a locked consumer product, the consumer product being according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
unlocking the container by pinching the lid with a first adult hand between a thumb of the first adult hand and one or more other fingers of the first adult hand, the one or more other fingers preferably comprising one or more of the index finger or of the middle finger, whereby the pinching takes place across the top of the lid, whereby either the thumb or the one or more other fingers apply the actuation pressure on the specific actuation area, and respectively on the additional actuation area, whereby the thumb and one or more other fingers enter in contact simultaneously with the specific flank and with the flank opposite the specific flank in an area between the specific centroid, respectively additional centroid, and the top of the lid; and opening the container by sliding the pinched lid away from the box in a direction normal to the top of the li

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Hoefte Paulus Antonius Augustinus
• Ng Pak Leung Clara Sophie Lea

Classifications

• B65D2215/02

  requiring the combination of simultaneous actions · CPC title

• B65D50/046

  and such deformation causes the disengagement of locking means, e.g. the release of a pawl-like element from a tooth or abutment, to allow removal of the closure by simultaneous rotation · CPC title

• B65D43/0233

  secured by rolling or other plastic deformation · CPC title

• B65D2251/04

  Orienting or positioning means · CPC title

• B65D5/6608

  the lid being held in closed position by self-locking integral flaps · CPC title