Reusable packaging and storage

Abstract

A reusable packaging and storage article for an elastic constriction ring is described wherein the article comprises a top member and a bottom member configured to releasably engage with each other, wherein the bottom member comprises: a cavity of substantially circular shape having a perimeter lip with an inner and outer surface to house, in use, a portion of the elastic constriction ring; and an at least partially pillar extending from a substantially central portion of the cavity; and wherein a summit of the pillar has a diameter less than the diameter of a central aperture of the elastic constriction ring, and a lower portion of the pillar has a diameter greater than the diameter of a central aperture of the elastic constriction ring; and wherein the top member comprises: a cavity of substantially circular shape having a perimeter lip with an inner and outer surface to house, in use, a portion of the elastic constriction ring, wherein the diameter of an inner surface of the perimeter is the same or greater than the diameter of the outer surface of the perimeter lip of the bottom member. A consumer product is also described.

Claims

1. A consumer product comprising: a reusable article which is a packaging and storage article having a top member and a bottom member configured to releasably engage with each other; and an elastic constriction ring having a central aperture and comprising a tubular ring of resilient elastic material; wherein the bottom member comprises: a cavity of substantially circular shape having a perimeter lip with an inner and outer surface to house, in use, a portion of the elastic constriction ring; and a pillar extending from a substantially central portion of the cavity of the bottom member; wherein a summit of the pillar has a diameter less than the diameter of the central aperture of the elastic constriction ring, and a lower portion of the pillar has a diameter greater than the diameter of the central aperture of the elastic constriction ring; wherein the pillar is configured with an impingement point such that, in storage of the elastic constriction ring in the article, a bottom surface of the elastic constriction ring is suspended above an upper surface of the cavity of the bottom member; and wherein the top member comprises: a cavity of substantially circular shape having a perimeter lip with an inner and outer surface to house, in use, a portion of the elastic constriction ring; wherein the diameter of an inner surface of the perimeter lip of the top member is the same or greater than the diameter of the outer surface of the perimeter lip of the bottom member.

2. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein the cavity of the bottom portion defines a tubular shape.

3. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter lip of the bottom member is at the same height as the impingement point of the pillar.

4. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter lip of the top member is provided with a height that is substantially the same as the height of the perimeter lip of the bottom member such that when the top member and bottom member are engaged with each other when the article is in a closed position, the perimeter lip of the bottom member is secured within and adjacent to the perimeter lip of the top member.

5. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein the perimeter lips of both the bottom member and the top member are sized to form frictional contact with each other when the top member and the bottom member are engaged with each other and the article is in a closed position.

6. The consumer product according to claim 5, wherein the frictional contact between the perimeter lips is sufficient to provide a closure mechanism to releasably retain the top and bottom members in the closed position.

7. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the top member and the bottom member is provided with one or more vent holes.

8. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein the article is made as a single piece construction.

9. The consumer product according to claim 8, wherein the article is made of a plastic material.

10. The consumer product according to claim 9, wherein the article is injection moulded, blow-moulded or thermoformed.

11. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein the pillar is conical or frusto-conical in shape.

12. The consumer product according to claim 11, wherein the pillar is frusto-conical in shape.

13. The consumer product according to claim 1, wherein the elastic constriction ring consists of the tubular ring of resilient elastic material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the article in an open configuration without a constriction ring inserted;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the article in an open configuration without a constriction ring inserted;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the article in an open configuration with a constriction ring inserted;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the article in an open configuration with a constriction ring inserted; and

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the article in a closed configuration with a constriction ring inserted.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

(7) FIGS. 1&2 illustrate a reusable packaging and storage article 1 suitable for packaging and storing an elastic constriction ring 14. The article 1 is made in one-piece having a top member 2 and a bottom member 3. The bottom member 3 has a cavity 4 of substantially tubular circular shape. At the perimeter of the cavity 4 is a perimeter lip 5 which has a flat outer surface 6. From a substantially central portion of the cavity extends a pillar 7. The pillar 7 is at least partially conical and is shown as frusto-conical with the widest part of the pillar 7 being adjacent a base of the cavity 4 and culminating in a flat summit 8. As can be seen in FIG. 2 the summit 8 has a greater height than the height of the perimeter wall 5.

(8) The top member 2 is provided with a cavity 9 having a circular shape which is configured to accommodate a proportion of the elastic constriction ring 14 and pillar 7. The cavity 9 is provided with a perimeter lip 10 having a flat inner surface. The diameter of the flat inner surface of perimeter lip 10 is the same or fractionally greater than the diameter of the flat outer surface of the perimeter lip 6 of the bottom member 3. Such proximity of diameters permits the lips 6,10 to form frictional contact with each other when the top member 2 is brought into engagement with the bottom member 3 in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 5. The frictional contact between the perimeter lips 6, 10 is sufficient to provide a closure mechanism to releasably retain said members 2,3 engaged with each other until a user applies a separating force to overcome said frictional contact and disengage said members 2,3. The bottom member 3 is provided with a tab 11 which, when the article 1 is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 5, corresponds with a recessed portion 12 in the perimeter lip 10 to improve the ability for a user to form a firm grip of each member 2,3 to separate them to place the article in the open position as shown in FIGS. 1-4.

(9) As can be seen in FIGS. 3-5, the ring 14 does not touch the base of the cavity 4, instead the ring is suspended above said base. As the summit 8 of the pillar 7 has a diameter less than the diameter of a central aperture 15 of the elastic constriction ring 1 and a lower portion of the pillar 7 has a diameter greater than the diameter of a central aperture 15 of the elastic constriction ring 14, there is an impingement point 16 between the pillar 7 and the central aperture 15 of the ring which is configured to ensure that the ring 14 is suspended above the base of the cavity 4 when mounted by frictional engagement on the pillar 7 at the impingement point 16. This arrangement can promote airflow around a portion of the ring to permit effective drying thereof post-cleaning.

(10) All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

(11) Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

(12) The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.