Lockable packaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994353-B2
Application number	US-201515305130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Apr 25, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A package includes an outer sleeve ( 60 ) and a lockable receptacle ( 50 ). The package has a two-part locking mechanism for locking the lockable receptacle within the outer sleeve. The package also has a release mechanism including a moveable tab ( 76 ) that may be depressed to cause the two-part locking mechanism to be unlocked as well as to case the lockable receptacle to be at least partially withdrawn from the outer sleeve. The moveable tab is oriented at a non-normal angle relative to a lateral axis (x) of the outer sleeve. The non-normal angle is defined as a first angle (α) between the lateral axis and a notional axis (C) which runs centrally of the moveable tab through the anchored portion and to a medial point (M) of the front edge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A package comprising an outer sleeve and a lockable receptacle, the outer sleeve providing a cavity for the lockable receptacle and having a closed rear end and an open or openable front end through which the lockable receptacle is insertable and through which the lockable receptacle is withdrawable, the package comprising a two-part locking mechanism for locking the lockable receptacle within the cavity of the outer sleeve, and the package comprising a release mechanism comprising a moveable tab, the moveable tab being structured and arranged such that depression of the moveable tab causes the two-part locking mechanism to be unlocked such that the lockable receptacle can be at least partially withdrawn from the outer sleeve and the moveable tab being oriented at a non-normal angle relative to a lateral axis of the outer sleeve, wherein said moveable tab comprises an anchored portion and a front edge and wherein said non-normal angle is defined as a first angle (α) between the lateral axis of the outer sleeve and a notional axis (‘C’) which runs centrally of the moveable tab through the anchored portion and to a medial point (‘M’) of the front edge; wherein the package comprises a first side edge and a second side edge, the first and second side edges being spaced and being connected by the front edge to define a moveable tab therebetween and wherein the second side edge is shorter in length than the first side edge such that the moveable tab is asymmetric about the notional axis (‘C’) which runs centrally of the moveable tab between the anchored portion and the front edge.

2. The package according to claim 1 wherein the first angle is between about 35° and about 55°.

3. The according to claim 2 wherein the first angle is about 45°.

4. The package according to claim 1 wherein the first and second side edges and the front edge are each defined by any one of: a cut line, a frangible line, or a cut line interrupted by one or more temporary connecting nick portions.

5. The package according to claim 1 wherein the second side edge terminates in an arcuate end portion, wherein the first side edge terminates in an arcuate end portion and wherein the arcuate end portion of the second side edge is disposed closer to the closed rear end of the outer sleeve than the first side edge.

6. The package according to claim 1 wherein the moveable tab is disposed within a medial zone ( 49 ) of the outer sleeve, which medial zone is defined as longitudinal section of the outer sleeve that has a width of about one third of a total width (‘W’) of the outer sleeve and that is spaced from each side edge of the outer sleeve by about one third of the total width (‘W’) of the outer sleeve.

7. The package according to claim 1 wherein the moveable tab is arranged such that the medial point (‘M’) of the front edge thereof is positioned on a central longitudinal axis (‘L’) of the outer sleeve or is positioned within 5 mm thereof.

8. The package according to claim 1 wherein the outer sleeve comprises an outer top panel in which the moveable tab is integrally formed.

9. The package according to claim 8 wherein a first part of the two-part locking mechanism comprises a locking edge defined by an aperture in an intermediate top panel disposed beneath said outer top panel; wherein the lockable receptacle comprises a resiliently biased, folded locking flap, a free edge of which is catchable against said locking edge for locking the lockable receptacle within the outer sleeve and wherein the movable tab is positioned and arranged such that depression of the moveable tab causes the folded locking flap to be disengaged from the locking edge.

10. The package according to claim 9 wherein the first part of the two-part locking mechanism further comprises a second locking edge defined by an aperture in an inner top panel disposed beneath said intermediate top panel.

11. The package according to claim 1 wherein said moveable tab comprises: the anchored portion attached to an outer top panel of the outer sleeve; the front edge defined by a cut line or by a frangible line; a first side edge and a second side edge; wherein the first and second side edges of the moveable tab are cut or frangible edges; wherein the first and second side edges are parallel to one another; and wherein said non-normal angle is defined as a second angle (β) between a notional line (‘D’), passing through terminations of the first and second side edges, and the lateral axis of the outer sleeve.

12. The package according to claim 11 wherein the second angle is between about 25° and about 45°.

13. The package according to claim 11 wherein the second angle is about 35°.

14. The package according to claim 1 wherein the moveable tab is substantially “U”-shaped.

15. The package according to claim 1 wherein the outer sleeve comprises a first part of the two-part locking mechanism and the lockable receptacle comprises a second part of the two-part locking mechanism.

16. The package according to claim 1 wherein the front edge of the moveable tab is closer to a rear end of the package than the anchored portion of the moveable tab is or wherein the anchored portion of the moveable tab is closer to a rear end of the package than the front edge of the moveable tab is.

Assignees

• Westrock Mwv Llc

Inventors

• Patwardhan Tanuja A
• Jones Marty

Classifications

• B65D5/02

  by folding or erecting a single blank to form a tubular body with or without subsequent folding operations, or the addition of separate elements, to close the ends of the body (specially constructed to allow collapsing and re-erecting without disengagement of side or bottom connections B65D5/36) · CPC title

• B65D83/0463

  formed in a band or a blisterweb, inserted in a dispensing device or container · CPC title

• B65D59/04

  Sleeves, e.g. postal tubes · CPC title

• B65D77/0433

  the inner container being a tray or like shallow container, not formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks (B65D81/3862 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D5/38 Primary

  Drawer-and-shell type containers · CPC title