GB2400092A

GB2400092A - Stack of containers

Info

Publication number: GB2400092A
Application number: GB0305410A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Steabben Hepworth; Simon James Skillings
Original assignee: Turner Intellectual Property Ltd
Current assignee: Turner Intellectual Property Ltd
Priority date: 2003-03-10
Filing date: 2003-03-10
Publication date: 2004-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2023-03-10
Also published as: GB2400092B; GB0305410D0

Abstract

Stacked containers (12) are each detachably secured to one another by a rotary connector formation (14), each adjacent container (12) being rotatable about an axis defined by said rotary connector formation (14) between a first rotary position whereat the adjacent containers (12) are fixedly secured together and a second rotary position whereat the adjacent containers (12) are separable. Each container (12) includes a guideway (30) extending in a direction parallel to said axis and an elongate locking member (32) is slidably received in said guideway (30), the locking member (32) associated with a given container being longitudinally movable between a release position and a locking position projecting axially into the guideway (30) associated with an adjacent container (12) to thereby lock said container (12) in said first rotary position. In the release position the locking member (12) is axially withdrawn from the guideway (30) of the adjacent container to enable the connector (14) to be rotatably moved to said second rotary position for separation of the containers.

Description

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STACK OF CONTAINERS

The present invention relates to a stack of containers and, in particular, to a stack of containers including a locking member to lock adjacent containers together.

In the retail environment it is common to package groups of items, which are often bought in bulk at the same time as each other, in a series of interlocking containers.

To prevent theft from the containers prior to purchase, the containers are often packaged in boxes, or otherwise wrapped, to lock the containers together and prevent unauthorised access.

It is a general aim of the invention to provide a stack of containers including a locking mechanism to lock the containers together and prevent unauthorised access.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a stack of so containers wherein adjacent containers are detachably secured to one another by a rotary connector formation, each adjacent container being rotatable about an axis defined by said rotary connector formation between a first rotary position whereat the adjacent containers are fixedly secured together and a second rotary position whereat the adjacent containers are separable, each container including a guideway extending in a direction parallel to said axis and an elongate locking member slidably received in said guideway, the locking member associated with a given container being longitudinally movable between a locking position and a release position, the locking member in said locking position axially projecting into the so guideway associated with an adjacent container to thereby lock said # À À ÀÀe t Àtea c e À.

container in said first rotary position, the locking member in said release position being axially withdrawn from the guideway of the adjacent container to enable the connector to be rotatably moved to said second rotary position.

Preferably the locking member associated with each container is resiliently biased to its release position.

Preferably the container defining the top container of the stack is closed by lo a lid, the lid having locking means being co-operable with the locking member of the top container for locking the locking member in the locking position.

Various aspects of the present invention are hereinafter described, by way Is of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view of a stack of containers according to an embodiment of the invention; and so Figure 2 shows the locking member of the stack of containers of Figure 1.

A stack of containers 10 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1.

The stack of containers 10 preferably includes a plurality of cylindrical containers 12 where adjacent containers are secured to one another by a rotary connector formation 14. t À À

À À . e The rotary connector formation 14 preferably includes a screw thread 16 formed around the rim 18 of each of the containers 12 which is engageable with a screw thread 20 formed in a collar 22 extending from the bottom of the container 12 located directly above.

The uppermost container 12 is preferably closed by a lid 24. The lid 24 preferably includes a screw thread 26 formed in a collar 28 provided around the rim of the lid 24, which is engageable with the screw thread 16 formed around the rim 18 of the uppermost container 12.

In order to engage and disengage adjacent containers 12, each container 12 is rotatable about an axis A defined by the rotary connectors 14 between a first rotary position where the containers 12 are fixedly secured together and a second rotary position where the containers 12 are separable.

Each container 12 includes a guideway extending in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation A of each container 12.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the guideway is in the form of a passageway 30 formed in the sidewall of each container 12. The JO passageway 30 is open at each end and, when each rotary connector 14 is in its first rotary position, communicates (at each end, where applicable) with an adjacent open end of the passageway 30 of an adjacent container 12.

An elongate locking member 32 is preferably slidably received within the Is passageway 30 of each container 12.

As shown in Figure 2, each elongate locking member 32 preferably includes an elongate body portion 34 having an enlarged head portion 36 at one end thereof, and a tail portion 38 protruding from the other end thereof.

r I t. e

e. a À Ace . ece e Each locking member 32 also preferably includes a biasing member 40 which, in use, is located between the enlarged head portion 36 and a lip 42 formed in the passageway 30.

s In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the biasing member 40 is deemed by a resilient member having a concertina shape. It is envisaged however that in other embodiments the biasing member 40 may be defined by a compression spring.

lo When located within the passageway 30 of a respective container 12, each locking member 32 is preferably movable between a locking position where the tail portion 38 protrudes into the passageway 30 of the container 12 located directly below, and a release position where the locking member 32 is contained entirely within the passageway 30 of the respective container Is 12.

In the locking position, protrusion of the tail portion 38 into the passageway of an adjacent container 12 prevents relative rotation of the two containers relative to each other. It thereby prevents separation of the two To containers 12 since it renders it impossible to move the respective rotary connector formation to the second rotary position.

For the lowermost container 12, the tail portion 38 of the associated locking member 32 preferably protrudes out of the bottom of the passageway 30 of as the container 12 and into a hollow area 44 defined by a collar 46 extending from the bottom of the container 12.

In other embodiments it is envisaged that the lowermost locking member 32 may be omitted from the stack of containers l O. 8 À 8 8 8. À t, , - À '. e.t8 t. . À The provision of the biasing member 40 between the enlarged head portion 36 of each locking member 32 and the lip 42 provided in the passageway 30 of each container 12 means that each locking member 32 is biased to its release position.

Each locking member 32 is preferably moved to its locking position by pushing it downwards from above, and thereby causing compression of the biasing member 40 between the enlarged head portion 36 and lip 42.

lo The downward force required to move each locking member 32 to its locking position is preferably provided by the locking member 32 located directly above. This is preferably achieved by choosing the dimensions of the locking members 32 so as to ensure that on movement of the uppermost locking member 32 to its locking position, the tail portion 38 of the uppermost locking member 32 pushes the enlarged head portion 36 of the next locking member 32 downwards thereby pushing the tail portion 38 of that locking member 32 into contact with the enlarged head portion 36 of the next locking member 32, and so on. In this way, the downward force is transmitted to the lowermost locking member 32 via the locking members so 32 located in-between.

The downward force required to move the uppermost locking member 32 is preferably provided by inserting a screw 48 through an aperture 50 formed in the lid 24 into the top of the passageway 30 of the uppermost container 12. The length of the screw 48 is chosen such that the downward screwing action of the screw 48 pushes downwards on the enlarged head portion 36 so as to cause the required downward movement of the uppermost locking member 32. s

r r 1. r I e r e r e Àr e e e; c e À e. e e e cI c e e' c e The use of a screw 48 to provide the initial downward force means that the locking members 32 cannot be unlocked without an appropriate tool. It therefore prevents opportunist thieves from obtaining access to the containers, while making it possible to lock and unlock the locking members 32 relatively easily with an appropriate tool.

Interengagement between each of the locking members 32 means that all of the locking members 32 are moved simultaneously between their locking/release positions.

Claims

1. A stack of containers wherein adjacent containers are detachably secured to one another by a rotary connector formation, each adjacent container being rotatable about an axis defined by said rotary connector formation between a first rotary position whereat the adjacent containers are fixedly secured together and a second rotary position whereat the adjacent containers are separable, each container including a guideway extending in a direction parallel to said axis and an elongate locking member slidably lo received in said guideway, the locking member associated with a given container being longitudinally movable between a locking position and a release position, the locking member in said locking position axially projecting into the guideway associated with an adjacent container to thereby lock said container in said first rotary position, the locking member in said release position being axially withdrawn from the guideway of the adjacent container to enable the connector to be rotatably moved to said second rotary position.

2. A stack of containers according to Claim 1 wherein the locking so member associated with each container is resiliently biased to its release position.

3. A stack of containers according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the container defining the top container of the stack is closed by a lid, the lid having locking means being co-operable with the locking member of the top container for locking the locking member in the locking position.

4. A stack of containers substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.