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Application US20200385183
Published 2020-12-10
Airtight Child Resistant Case With Elongated Compartments
A package for preserving freshness and storing elongated items. The package is preferably biodegradable, substantially airtight, child resistant and reusable. Various seal constructions are described for sealing a case body portion against a case lid portion. The respective sealing surfaces of the case lid portion and case body portion are complementary, but spaced. A continuous elastomeric seal is provided in the seal space between the complementary sealing surfaces. The seal may be over-molded onto or otherwise attached and is configured to be compressed along the entire sealing length of the sealing surface when the case lid portion is pivoted into the latched position. The compressed elastomeric seal provides a spring force that retains the latch in the latched position and a spring force that is resolved into sealing vectors perpendicular to the sealing surface along the entire length of the sealing surface to ensure a seal along the sealing surface.
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- 1. A container comprising:
a case body portion having an open box rectangular cuboid configuration including a back surface, parallel side walls, a parallel top wall and interior bottom wall, the top, bottom and side walls together defining a containing having a rectangular opening into an interior of the case body, the interior of the case body extending from distal edges of the top, bottom and side walls to an interior side of the back surface; the case body portion further comprising a first continuous sealing surface provided on the interior of the case portion, the first continuous sealing surface extending along the distal edge of the top wall and extending along a portion of the side walls and then extending at an angle from one edge of the side wall toward the opposite edge of the side wall and then across the back surface; the case body portion further comprising a body latch portion configured to engage a complementary lid latch portion, the body latch portion located on a portion of the case body that is movable from a latching position to a release position; the case body portion further comprising a pivot opening provided in each of the parallel side walls, the pivot openings provided in the parallel side walls being coaxial with one another; a case lid portion comprising a back wall complementary to the rectangular opening defined by the top, interior bottom and side walls of the case body portion, a front wall that is smaller than back wall, parallel side walls extending from the front wall to the back wall so as to define a straight back side edge and a straight front side edge, and a partially cylindrical bottom wall, the front wall, parallel side walls, partially cylindrical bottom wall and a portion of the back wall together defining a first storage chamber; a plurality of dividing walls provided within the first storage chamber and extending from the back wall to the front wall to divide the first storage chamber into at least three compartments; wherein the parallel side walls connecting the front wall and back wall of the case lid portion have an inclined upper edge and a sealing surface portion defined at the upper edge and wherein the inclined upper edge and sealing surface extend at an acute angle of inclination relative to the straight back edge and wherein the upper edge and sealing surface portion extends at a complementary obtuse angle of inclination relative to the straight front edge such that a portion of a sealing force applied in a direction perpendicular to the back wall is resolved into a sealing vector that is perpendicular to the inclined upper edge; wherein the back wall of the case lid portion, front wall of the case lid portion and inclined upper edges of the side walls of the case lid portion together define a sealing second continuous surface that is complementary to the first continuous sealing surface of the case body portion, but dimensioned to provide a seal space between the case body portion and the case lid portion; wherein the partially cylindrical bottom wall of the case lid portion has a shape that allows pivoting of the case lid portion within the case body portion about a pivot point between an open position and a closed position and wherein the pivot point is located equidistant from the back wall of the case lid portion, front wall of the case lid portion and bottom surface of the case lid portion; the case lid portion further comprising a case lid latch portion configured to engage a complementary body latch portion, the case lid latch portion located on the back wall of the case lid portion; a continuous elastomeric seal insert over-molded onto the case body portion along the first continuous sealing surface provided on the interior of the case portion to provided an elastomeric seal in the seal space between the complementary first and second sealing surfaces, wherein the continuous elastomeric seal is configured to be compressed along the entire length of the complimentary first and second continuous sealing surfaces when the case lid portion is pivoted into the latched position, the compressed elastomeric seal providing a spring force that retains the latch in the latched position and a spring force that is resolved into sealing vectors perpendicular to the sealing surface along the entire length of the sealing surface portion to ensure a seal along the sealing surface portion.
- 19. A container comprising:
a case body portion including a back surface, parallel side walls and parallel top and bottom walls, the top, bottom and side walls together defining a containing having a rectangular opening into an interior of the case body, the interior of the case body extending from distal edges of the top, bottom and side walls to an interior side of the back surface; the case body portion further comprising a continuous sealing surface provided on the interior of the case portion, the continuous sealing surface extending along the distal edge of the top wall and extending along a portion of the side walls and then extending at an angle from one edge of the side wall toward the opposite edge of the side wall and then across the back surface; the case body portion further comprising at least one body latch portion configured to engage a complementary lid latch portion, the body latch portion located on a portion of the case body that is movable from a latching position to a release position; the case body portion further comprising a pivot opening provided in each of the parallel side walls, the pivot openings provided in the parallel side walls being coaxial with one another; a case lid portion comprising a back wall complementary to the rectangular opening defined by the top, bottom and side walls of the case body portion, a front wall that has a height that is in the range of 30-70% of the height of the back wall, parallel side walls extending from the front wall to the back wall so as to define a straight back side edge and a straight front side edge, and a partially cylindrical bottom wall, the front wall, parallel side walls, partially cylindrical bottom wall and a portion of the back wall together defining a first storage chamber that is airtight except at the opening that defines the sealing surface; at least one dividing wall provided within the first storage chamber and extending from the back wall to the front wall to divide the first storage chamber into at least two compartments; wherein the parallel side walls connecting the front wall and back wall of the case lid portion have an inclined upper edge and a sealing surface defined at the upper edge and wherein the inclined upper edge and sealing surface extend at an angle of inclination of between 30° and 60° relative to the straight back edge and wherein the upper edge and sealing surface extend at a complementary obtuse angle of inclination relative to the straight front edge such that a portion of a sealing force applied in a direction perpendicular to the back wall is resolved into a sealing vector that is perpendicular to the inclined upper edge; wherein the back wall of the case lid portion, front wall of the case lid portion and inclined upper edges of the side walls of the case lid portion together define a sealing surface that is complementary to the sealing surface of the case body portion, but dimensioned to provide a seal space between the case body portion and the case lid portion; wherein the partially cylindrical bottom wall of the case lid portion has a shape that allows pivoting of the case lid portion within the case body portion about a pivot point between an open position and a closed position and wherein the pivot point is located equidistant from the back wall of the case lid portion, front wall of the case lid portion and bottom surface of the case lid portion; the case lid portion further comprising case lid latch portion configured to engage a complementary body latch portion, the case lid latch portion located on the back wall of the case lid portion; and an elastomeric seal insert over-molded onto one of the case body portion and the case lid portion to provide a continuous elastomeric seal provided in the seal space between the complementary sealing surfaces, wherein the continuous elastomeric seal is configured to be compressed along the entire sealing length of the sealing surface when the case lid portion is pivoted into the latched position, the compressed elastomeric seal providing a spring force that retains the latch in the latched position and a spring force that is resolved into sealing vectors perpendicular to the sealing surface along the entire length of the sealing surface to ensures a seal along the sealing surface.
