MULTI-COMPARTMENT CONTAINER WITH BALL DETENT LID CLOSURE AND STOPPAGE FEATURE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container with multiple compartments arranged in a linear pattern between four container walls. A lid may be configured at a container top. The lid may be closed to conceal all the compartments. The lid may be opened to expose the compartments. The lid may be partially opened to expose some of the compartments and conceal some of the compartments. The lid may slide along the container top parallel to a container bottom. The container may have a ball detent wherein a spring biases a ball towards the container top whereby a protruding ball portion of the ball is received by a ball detent receiver configured in a lid bottom. As the lid slides along the container top, the protruding ball portion may enter divots of the ball detent receiver, thereby stopping the lid at multiple partially closed positions.

Claims

1. A container comprising: four container walls comprising: a first container wall; a second container wall configured perpendicular to the first container wall; a third container wall configured parallel to the first container wall; a fourth container wall configured perpendicular to the first container wall; a container top; rails configured at the container top and extending along the first container wall, second container wall, and third container wall, the rails each having a rail recess and a rail overhang; a container bottom opposite the container top; a container length extending from the second container wall to the fourth container wall; compartments configured within the container, wherein the compartments are configured linearly along the container length; compartment walls configured parallel to the second container wall and fourth container wall, the number of compartment walls being 1 less than the number of compartments; a ball detent configured within the fourth container wall, the ball detent comprising: a ball detent recess; a spring configured within the ball detent recess; a ball comprising: a protruding ball portion protruding from the fourth container wall at the container top; a recessed ball portion configured inside of the ball detent recess; a lid comprising: a lid top; a lid bottom opposite the lid top; a ball detent receiver configured at the lid bottom, the ball detent receiver comprising: a channel; divots configured linearly along the channel, the number of divots being 1 greater than the number of compartments; and a ball detent receiver open end; wherein the lid is received by the rail recesses of at least two of the rails, whereby the lid slides along the container length parallel to the container bottom; wherein the protruding ball portion of the ball is received into the ball detent receiver by the ball detent receiver open end, wherein the protruding ball portion is configured within the channel as the lid slides along the container length, wherein the protruding ball portion enters at least one divot, whereby the lid stops sliding along the container length unless an additional force is applied to the lid, whereby at least one of the containers is exposed via the container top; wherein multiple containers are exposed as the lid continues to slide along the container length.

2. The container of claim 1, further comprising a track pad configured on the lid top, wherein the track pad has a coefficient of friction that is greater than corresponding coefficients of friction of the other portions of the container.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the number of compartments is at least 2.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the number of compartments is at least 4.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the number of compartments is at least 7.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the number of compartments is at least 9.

7. The container of claim 1, further comprising: a container width extending from the first container wall to the second container wall; and a container depth extending from the container top to the container bottom.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the container width is 1 inch or more.

9. The container of claim 7, wherein the container width is 1.5 inches or more.

10. The container of claim 7, wherein the container width is 2 inches or more.

11. The container of claim 7, wherein the container depth is 0.75 inches or more.

12. The container of claim 7, wherein the container depth is 1 inch or more.

13. The container of claim 7, wherein the container depth is 1.25 inches or more.

14. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises a lid perimeter recess, wherein when the lid is received by the rail recesses of at least two of the rails, the rail overhangs of said rails are received by the lid perimeter recess.

15. The container of claim 1, wherein when the additional force is applied to cause the lid to continue sliding along the container length after being stopped by the protruding ball portion of the ball, the additional force is applied to the track pad, wherein at least a portion of the additional force is applied in a direction parallel to the container bottom.

16. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid is configured solely at the container top, and wherein no portion of the lid extends down any of the four container walls towards the container bottom.

17. The container of claim 1, wherein the ball detent receiver comprises a last divot configured at an opposite end of the ball detent receiver than the ball detent receiver open end, wherein when the lid slides along the container length whereby the protruding ball portion enters the last divot, the lid is configured in a closed position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0024] FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of a container showing a lid that is configured to expose three compartments.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a top front perspective view of a container with the lid removed to expose three compartments and a protruding ball portion of a ball detent.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a top front perspective view of a lid of a container.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a lid of a container showing a ball detent receiver of the lid.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of an additional force being applied to a lid of a container to move the lid thereby exposing compartments of the container.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a lid of a container being retained in a position by a ball detent.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view of a lid assembled to the rest of a container by rails of the container and a lid perimeter recess of the lid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The description provided herein describes example embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, feature, size, shape, design, material, or any other property. Furthermore, the figures provided herein show example embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention to any particular embodiment, feature, size, shape, design, material, or any other property.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, a lid 70 of a container 10 is received by two rails 30 that are each configured at a container top 16. The lid 70 is configured whereby three compartments 50 are exposed via the container top 16. A track pad 76 is configured on the lid 70. The compartments 50 are arranged in a linear pattern whereby the lid 70 may be closed to conceal one or more compartments 50. The lid 70 may also be opened or partially opened to expose one or more compartments 50. As shown in FIG. 1, the lid 70 is partially opened since it fully exposes two of the three compartment 50 and partially exposes one of the three compartments 50.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the container 10 has four walls: a first container wall 20, a second container wall 22, a third container wall 24, and a fourth container wall 26. The container 10 has a container bottom 18 opposite the container top 16. The container 10 has a container length 40 that extends along the first container wall 20 and third container wall 24. The container 10 has a container width 42 that extends along the second container wall 22 and fourth container wall 26. Rails 30 extend from the first container wall 20, second container wall 22, and third container wall 24 at the container top 16. The rails 30 are connected to form a monolithic structure with the container walls.

[0034] The fourth container wall 26 is thicker than the other three container walls. This allows a ball detent 60 to be configured within the fourth container wall 26. A protruding ball portion 67 of a ball 66 of the ball detent 60 extends from the fourth container wall 26.

[0035] The compartments 50 are configured within the four container walls. The compartments 50 are separated by compartment walls 52 that extend from the first container wall 20 to the third container wall 24. The compartment walls 52 extend perpendicular to the first container wall 20 and third container wall 24, and parallel to the second container wall 22 and fourth container wall 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the container 10 has three compartments 50, and therefore two compartment walls 52.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the lid 70 has a lid top 72 on which the track pad 76 is configured. A lid bottom 74 is configured opposite the lid top 72. A ball detent receiver 80 is configured within the lid bottom 74. A ball detent receiver open end 88 exposes the ball detent receiver 80 at one end of the lid 70. The lid 70 has a lid perimeter recess 78 configured along the perimeter of the lid 70. The lid perimeter recess 78 may allow the lid 70 to be received by the rails of the container.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, a ball detent receiver 80 is configured within the lid bottom 74. Four divots 82 are configured in a linear pattern along a channel 86 of the ball detent receiver 80. The divots 82 and channel 86 are recessed into the lid 70. The number of divots 82 is four since the number of corresponding compartments (not shown in FIG. 4) of the container is three. The channel 86 starts at a ball detent receiver open end 88, which is configured at one end of the lid 70. The ball detent receiver open end 88 is the shape of half of a divot 82. The channel extends along the lid bottom 74 and ends at one of the divots 82 which is considered the “last divot” 83. The four divots 82 are evenly spaced from one another. The distance along the channel 86 between the ball detent receiver open end 88 and the divot 82 closest to the ball detent receiver open end 88 is less than the distance along the channel 86 between divots 82.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, the container 10 has a container height 44 which extends from the container bottom 18 to the container top 16. Since the lid 70 is configured on the container top 16 in FIG. 5, the container height 44 extends from the container bottom 18 to the lid top 72.

[0039] The ball detent receiver 80 is configured within the lid bottom 74. The channel has a depth that extends from the lid bottom 74 towards the lid top 72. The divots 82 and ball detent receiver open end 88 also have depths, which extend from the lid bottom 74 further towards the lid top 72 than the corresponding depth of the channel 86.

[0040] The ball detent 60 is configured within the fourth container wall 26. A spring 64 of the ball detent 60 is configured within a ball detent recess 62 of the ball detent 60. The ball 66 is configured at one end of the spring 64 and is biased towards the lid top 72 by the spring 64. The protruding ball portion 67 is thereby configured within the ball detent receiver 80 at the lid bottom 74. The lid 70 may slide relative to the container bottom 18, wherein the protruding ball portion 67 is configured within the channel 86. When the lid slides whereby a divot 82 is configured above the ball 66 of the ball detent 60, the greater depth of the divot 82 than the channel 86 allows the protruding ball portion 67 to enter the divot 82 since the ball 66 is biased towards the lid top 72 by the spring 64. The protruding ball portion 67 being configured within the divot 82 stops the lid 70 from sliding, thereby causing the lid to be configured in a stopped position. As shown in FIG. 5, the stopped position is a partially closed position since one of the compartments 50 is exposed while other compartments 50 are concealed.

[0041] The lid 70 may continue sliding (may be moved from a stopped position) if an additional force 90 is applied to the lid. At least a portion of the additional force 90 must be in the direction in which the lid is desired to slide in order to slide the lid past a divot 82. The additional force 90 must be sufficient to cause a contact between the divot 82 and the protruding ball portion 67 whereby the ball 66 recesses further into the ball detent recess 62, thereby compressing the spring 64 and allowing the lid to slide relative to the container bottom 18 whereby the protruding ball portion 67 is configured within the channel 86 and not a divot 82.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the protruding ball portion 67 of the ball 66 is configured within a divot 82 of the ball detent receiver 80. A recessed ball portion 68 is configured within the ball detent recess 62 of the ball detent 60. The protruding ball portion 67 is the portion of the ball 66 that protrudes from the ball detent recess 62, and the recessed ball portion 68 is the portion of the ball 66 that is recessed within the ball detent recess 62. The protruding ball portion 67 and the recessed ball portion 68 change based on the position of the ball 66 relative to the container bottom 18. As the spring 64 causes the ball 66 to move away from the container bottom 18, more of the ball 66 protrudes from the ball detent recess 62, and therefore the protruding ball portion 67 increases and the recessed ball portion 68 decreases. When force is applied to the lid in order to move the lid from a stopped position, more of the ball 66 is recessed into the ball detent recess 62, and therefore the protruding ball portion 67 decreases and the recessed ball portion 68 increases. The spring 64 expands to cause the ball 66 to protrude further out of the ball detent recess 62. The spring 64 is compressed when the ball 66 is forced to recede further into the ball detent recess 62.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, the rails 30 of the container 10 each have a rail recess 32 and a rail overhang 34. The rail overhangs 34 extend from the container walls (the first container wall 20 and third container wall 24 as shown in FIG. 7) parallel to the container bottom 18. The rail recesses 32 receive the lid bottom 74 to secure the lid 70 to the rest of the container 10. The lid top 72 is configured the opposite side of the rail overhangs 34 than the lid bottom 74. The lid perimeter recess 78 is configured between the lid top 72 and lid bottom 74. The lid perimeter recess 78 receives the rail overhangs 34 to further secure the lid 70 to the rest of the container 10.