CHILD RESISTANT FLEXIBLE WALL

Abstract

A nicotine pouch container, use of the container and a method for manufacturing the same, which container comprises a body and a lid configured to engage the body. The body comprises a bottom wall and a sidewall. The lid comprises a top wall and a lid side wall with a gripping surface The nicotine pouch container further comprises a flexible member being sized and configured to be assembled on the outside of the side wall of the body and configured to flex towards the side wall of the body when an inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member (14). The gripping surface of the lid side wall is blocked by the flexible member in a first state, and revealed in a second state in which the inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member.

Claims

1. A nicotine pouch container comprising: a body and a lid configured to engage the body; the body comprises a bottom wall and a sidewall defining an interior; the lid comprises a top wall and a lid side wall, wherein the lid side wall comprises a gripping surface, wherein the nicotine pouch container further comprises a flexible member being sized and configured to be assembled on the outside of the side wall of the body wherein the flexible member is configured to flex towards the side wall of the body when an inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member; and wherein the gripping surface of the lid side wall is blocked by the flexible member in a first state, and revealed in a second state in which the inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member.

2. A nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 further configured to be opened by lifting the lid by gripping the gripping surface in said second state of the flexible member.

3. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the body and the flexible member are separate parts.

4. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the flexible member is configured to engage to the body through a snap-fit assembly.

5. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the flexible member is configured to return to its first state by release of said force.

6. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the lid sidewall extends from a peripheral edge of said top wall.

7. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the sidewall of the body extends from a peripheral edge of said bottom wall.

8. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the container is configured such that required force to flex the flexible member (14) to said second state is too large for a child but sufficiently small for an adult to apply.

9. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the container is made through injection moulding.

10. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the flexible member has a flexible member bottom wall configured to be placed parallel with and in contact with the bottom wall of the body and in contact with at least one flexible member side wall which is configured to flex in relation to the flexible member bottom wall by application of said inwardly directed force.

11. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 10 wherein the flexible member side wall only extends along a fraction of the periphery of the body side wall, preferably no more than of the periphery of the body side wall, more preferably no more than of the periphery and even more preferably no more than of the periphery of the body side wall.

12. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the flexible member has at least two flexible member side walls configured to be assembled on opposite sides of said body.

13. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 12, wherein the flexible member side walls only extend along a fraction of the periphery of the body side wall, preferably no more than of the periphery, more preferably no more than of the periphery of the body side wall and even more preferably no more than of the periphery of the body side wall.

14. The nicotine pouch container according to claim 1 wherein the lid has a frame part comprising said lid side wall and a second compartment part that is openable relative the frame part defining a second compartment of said nicotine pouch container.

15. Use of a nicotine pouch container according to claim 1, comprising the steps of A. applying an inwardly directed force to the flexible member until the gripping surface of the lid is revealed; B. gripping the gripping surface; C. lifting the lid by applying a force onto the gripping surface of the lid.

16. A method for manufacturing a nicotine pouch container comprising the steps of: manufacturing a body with a bottom wall and a sidewall defining an interior; manufacturing a flexible member being sized and configured to mesh with an outside of the side wall of the body, assembling the flexible member onto outside of the side wall of the body so that the flexible member is configured to flex towards the side wall of the body when an inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member.

17. The method for manufacturing a nicotine pouch container according to claim 16, further comprising the step of manufacturing lid comprising a top wall and a lid side wall wherein the lid side wall comprises a gripping surface, wherein the gripping surface of the lid side wall is blocked by the flexible member in a first state, and revealed in a second state in which the inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member.

18. The method for manufacturing a nicotine pouch container according to claim 17, wherein one or more of the manufacturing steps are performed by providing a mould defining a plurality of mould cavities corresponding to the shapes of the body, the lid and/or the flexible member injecting a material into the plurality of mould cavities; once solidified ejecting the body, the lid and/or the flexible member from the mould.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The invention will in the following be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a nicotine pouch container according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a nicotine pouch container according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a partly exploded view of a nicotine pouch container according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows an intersection view of a nicotine pouch container according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0058] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a nicotine pouch container according to a second and a third embodiment of the invention.

[0059] FIG. 6a shows an exploded view of a nicotine pouch container according to the second and third embodiment of the invention.

[0060] FIG. 6b shows a close up of the flexible member according to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0061] FIG. 7 shows an intersection view of a nicotine pouch container according to the second and third embodiment of the invention.

[0062] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a nicotine pouch container according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

[0063] FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of a nicotine pouch container according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.

[0064] FIG. 10 shows an intersection view of a nicotine pouch container according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.

[0065] FIG. 11 shows an intersection view of a nicotine pouch container according to the fourth embodiment of the invention.

[0066] FIG. 12 shows a flow chart of use of the nicotine pouch container for opening the lid.

[0067] FIG. 13 shows a flow chart of method of production of the nicotine pouch container according to one embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0068] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a nicotine pouch container 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. The container 1 comprises a body 11 and a lid 12 which is configured to engage the body 11. The nicotine pouch container is in the illustrated embodiment shaped as a cylinder. The nicotine pouch container may have other shapes such as being frustoconical or hexagonal.

[0070] A first compartment C1 is defined by the body 11 and the lid 12. The lid 12 has a base part 121 and a second compartment part 122. The lid 12 is circular shaped. The second compartment part 122 and the base part 121 together defines a second compartment C2 of the nicotine pouch container, configured to store used nicotine pouches.

[0071] The second compartment C2 may be opened by gripping an opening surface 15 and lifting the second compartment part 122. In FIG. 1 the nicotine pouch container 1 is in a closed state in which both the first compartment and the second compartment are closed. The body is circumferentially surrounded by a flexible member 14 which is arranged tight around the periphery of the side wall 112 of the body 11.

[0072] In FIG. 2, an exploded view of the nicotine pouch container 1 is shown. The body 11 comprises a bottom wall 111 and a side wall 112 defining an interior. There is provided a body rim 113 around the sidewall 112. The rim 113 works as a stop surface for the lid from below when the lid 12 is assembled to the body 11. The interior is the first compartment C1 which is configured to store nicotine pouches. In the illustrated embodiment the side wall 112 extends from a peripheral edge of the bottom wall 112. Here the body 11, the flexible member 14, the base part 121 and the second compartment part 122 are shown as separate parts. Both the first compartment defined by the body 11 and the base part 121 and the second compartment C2 defined by the base part 121 and the second compartment part 122 are here open. The second compartment part 122 has a second compartment part rim 1222 which is configured to be in contact with the lid side wall 1211 from inside when the second compartment is closed. The flexible member 14 is here shaped as a cup with open bottom. The flexible member 14 is configured to surround a lower portion of the body 11 when the container 1 is assembled. The inside of the flexible member has a flexible member rim 144 which is configured to snap to the body 11 when the flexible member is assembled to the body 11 from below. The base part 121 is seen having a lid side wall 1211 and a lid bottom wall 1212.

[0073] In FIG. 3, a partly exploded view of the nicotine pouch container is shown. Here the flexible member 14 is assembled to the body 11 but the lid 12 is separated from the body 11. The flexible member has here been assembled to the body from below and snaped onto the body. The first compartment C1 is, thereby, open but the second compartment C2 is closed.

[0074] In FIG. 4, an intersection view of the nicotine pouch container 1 is shown. Here both the first compartment C1 and the second compartment C2 are closed. The first compartment C1 is limited by the lid bottom wall 1212, the side wall 112 of the body and the bottom wall 111 of the body 11. The second compartment C2 is limited by the top wall 1211, the second compartment part rim 1222 and the lid bottom wall 1212. Here it is apparent that the lid 12 has a gripping surface 1213 that may be used to open the first compartment C1 of the container 1. In the shown illustration an inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member which reveals said gripping member 1213. This force is a force that is too large to be applied by a child. From this state the first compartment C1 may be opened by lifting said gripping surface 1213. By releasing said force the flexible member 14 flexes back and the container 1 returns to the first state shown in FIG. 1 in which the gripping surface 1213 of the lid 12 is blocked by the flexible member 14.

[0075] In FIG. 5, a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention is shown. Here the flexible member only surrounds a fraction of the circumference of the body 11.

[0076] The parts of the container 1 according to the second embodiment of the invention are shown in FIG. 6a. The flexible member is here seen having two side walls 141, 142 which are configured to be pushed inwardly to open the container when the parts are assembled. The side walls 141, 142 are connected by a flexible member bottom wall 143. The body 11 is here seen having two spacings, along the circumference of the body 11 for the side walls 141 and 142 of the flexible member 14 which makes the outer surface of the side wall 112 of the container flush with the outer surface of the flexible member 14 when it is assembled to said body 11.

[0077] The flexible member is assembled to the body 11 from below such that the flexible member 14 snaps onto the body 11. The flexible member 14 may have two connection edges 145, 146 along the bottom surface 143 which are configured to hook into corresponding spacings of the body 11 in the snap fit.

[0078] The side walls of the flexible members are configured to flex inwardly by application of inwardly directed forces onto said flexible side walls 141, 142. The container is opened by applying said inwardly directed force to flex the side walls 141, 142 of the flexible member and reveal the gripping surfaces 1213 of the lid 12. The lid 12 is thereafter opened by gripping said gripping surfaces 1213 and lifting the lid 12.

[0079] As shown in the close-up of FIG. 6b each side wall 141, 142 may have a ridge 144a-144d extending inward towards the body when assembled. In this embodiment, the side walls of the flexible member flexes between the ridges which are held in contact with the housing, when a force is applied inwardly. In a third embodiment which in large is working as the second embodiment, the side walls 141 142 of the flexible member 14 do not have the ridges 144a-144d. In that embodiment, the full length of the side walls is flexed towards the housing when inwardly directed forces is exerted onto said side walls 141, 142. The container 1 is, in this embodiment opened by moving the entire portion of the side walls 141, 142, inwardly and thereafter gripping the gripping surfaces 1213 and lifting the lid 12.

[0080] In FIG. 7, an intersection view of the container 1 according to the second and third embodiment of the invention is shown. Here the flexible member 14 is shown in its unflexed state in which an inwardly directed force must be applied to the flexible member in order to reveal the gripping surface 1213 of the lid 12 and open the container 1. Here the force must be applied to any of the side walls 141, 142 of the flexible member 14 in order to open the container 1. Thereby, it does matter where on the periphery of the container the force is applied, which makes it harder for a child to open the container.

[0081] In FIG. 8, a perspective view of a nicotine pouch container 1 according to a third embodiment of said invention is shown. Here the flexible member 14 is shaped as a ring.

[0082] This shape of the flexible member 14 is more clearly seen in FIG. 9 in which the parts of the container 1 are shown separately. The body 11 is here seen having a groove 114 which is limited by the second body rim 115 for the ring-shaped flexible member 14 to be assembled in said groove 114.

[0083] In FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, intersection views of the container 1 according to the third embodiment of the invention are shown.

[0084] The flexible member 14 is here assembled to the body from above. The side wall of the flexible member moves along the body side wall until the stop surface of the flexible member snaps onto the body 11.

[0085] The groove is adapted for the flexible member to fit outside said groove and enclose the groove so as to create a space in which the flexible member may be pushed into the groove to expose the gripping surface 1213.

[0086] The stop surface limits the movement of the flexible member in relation to the body 11 so as the flexible member is confined inside the groove.

[0087] In FIG. 11, the flexible member is shown its first unflexed state whereas in FIG. 10 the flexible member is in its second flexed state in which an inwardly directed force is applied to said flexible member 14. When the inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member 14 the container may be opened by gripping the gripping surface of the lid and lifting the lid.

[0088] In FIG. 12, a flow chart is shown over a method to open the nicotine pouch container 1. The first step A of the method is, when the flexible member 14 is in its first state as is shown in FIG. 11, to apply an inwardly directed force to the flexible member 14 until the gripping surface 1213 of the lid 14 is revealed. An upper portion flexible member is thereby pressed inwardly in relation to the lid so that the gripping surface 1213 of the lid 12 is revealed. Once the gripping surface of the lid 12 is revealed, which state is shown in FIG. 10, it is possible to grip it.

[0089] The second step B of the method is to grip the gripping surface 1213.

[0090] The third step C of the method is to lift the lid 12 by applying a force onto the gripping surface of the lid. Thereby, the lid 12 is separated from the body 11 and the flexible member 14 of the nicotine pouch container 1.

[0091] In FIG. 13, a flow chart is shown illustrating the steps of a method to of manufacturing the nicotine pouch container 1 according to any of the embodiments of the nicotine pouch containers above.

[0092] The first step S1 is manufacturing a body 11 with a bottom wall 111 and a sidewall 112 defining an interior.

[0093] The second step is manufacturing S2 a flexible member 14 being sized and configured to mesh with an outside of the side wall 112 of the body 11. The last step is assembling S3 the flexible member 14 onto outside of the side wall 112 of the body 11 so that the flexible member 14 is configured to flex towards the side wall 112 of the body when an inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member 14.

[0094] As an optional step, which can be performed before or after the other steps it is illustrated a further step of manufacturing S1a a lid 12 comprising a top wall 1221 and a lid side wall 1211 wherein the lid side wall comprises a gripping surface 1213, wherein the gripping surface 1213 of the lid side wall is blocked by the flexible member 14 in a first state, and revealed in a second state in which the inwardly directed force is applied to the flexible member 14.

[0095] The manufacturing method may be carried out by providing a mould defining a plurality of mould cavities corresponding to the shapes of the body 11, the lid 12 and the flexible member 14.

[0096] Further, the method may include injecting a material into the plurality of mould cavities and, once the material has been solidified, ejecting the body 11, the lid 12 and the flexible member 14 from the mould and subsequently assemble the lid 12 and the flexible member 14 to the body 11.

[0097] It is to be understood that any one of the embodiments above may be combined with other embodiments as described herein without departing from the inventive concept. The claims limit the scope of the protection sought.