IL35957A - A container having a time controlled locking mechanism - Google Patents

Description

7»T »s A container having a time controlled locking mechanism GIORA BELKIN TP*?} KTPl 8 33518:3 This invention relates to a container having a time controlled locking mechanism. The invention had particular but not exclusive application to cigarette containers having such time controlled locking mechanisms* It will be realized, however, that the invention is equally applicable to other forms of containers wherein it is desired to limit accessibility to the contents thereof to predetermined timeae It is well known that as cigarette smoking becomes a fixed habit, the act of reaching for and lighting the cigarette tends to become automatic and to be carried out without conscious attention. It is thus very difficult for a person with whom this habit has become ingrained to decrease his consumption of cigarettes as long as a supply of cigarettes is readily available to him. It has therefore been suggested that a possibly effective way of overcoming excessive smoking is to present a hindrance thereto as a result of which the extraction and lighting of a cigarette becomes a matter of conscious choice and deliberate action. In this way it is hoped to gradually space out the smoking of cigarettes over intervals of time which can be of increasing length.

In pursuance of this aim various proposals have been made for the provision of cigarette containers having a time controlled locking mechanism as a result of which the smoker can only have access to his cigarettes at predetermined times and it is only at such predetermined times that his reaching for a cigarette, whether instinctive or planned, will result in obtaining a cigarette.

Such heretofore proposed containers have all included clockwork mechanisms of greater or lesser complexity with the effective operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved container having a time controlled locking mechanism wherein the tensioning of the mechanism is effected automatically by the user as a consequence of the steps he takes to open the container at the determined time.

According to the present invention there is provided a container having a time controlled locking mechanism comprising at least two portions coupled together for movement into and out of a closing relationship, latch means located within the container and comprising a pair of component latching members respectively coupled to said portions for locking said portions together, a releasing member located in one of said portions, manually actuatable means accessible from outside the container and coupled to the releasing member, displacement of the former resulting in displacement of the latter into releasing engagement with one of said latch components, a spring biased displaceable detent mounted in said one portion and arranged, in the locking condition of the container to inhibit movement of the releasing member, a clockwork mechanism located in said one portion and drivingly coupled to a displacing element, a predetermined displacement of said displacing element in a given direction resulting in the displacement of the detent against its biasing and the consequent freeing of the release member for movement and tensioning means coupled to the manually actuatable means and adapted to engage with the displacing element so that the displacement of the formtx required to effect releasing displacement of the releasing member is accompanied by displacement of the dis~ Thus with a container in a ccordance with the present invention and especially a cigarette container, the user will only be able to open the container and have access to- its contents when a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

Even after the elapsing of this predetermined time interval opening of the container does not take place automatically but is depende t on a conscious action to be undertaken by the user in displacing the manually actuatable means.

Preferably the oontainer is provided with means whereby the predetermined time intervals can be varied and thus as the smoker, for example, as he becomes gradually weaned of his habit, can arrange for these time intervals to be of increasing length.

Preferably visual means are provided for givin an indication involved of the time intervals/and/or remainder of time before opening is facilitated.

As an optional feature of the present invention the container can be provided with emergency means whereby access can be had to the contents of the box without waiting for the expiry of the time interval but only as a result of a conscious action on the part of the user which action can be rendered quite difficult. Such emergency means may be called into use when, for example, the clockwork mechanism fails or when the user finds the strain of waiting for the elapsing of the predetermined time interval overwhelming.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same can be carried out in practice reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1 and 2 are respective side and rant elevations of a time controlled cigarette container in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the container shown in Pig. 3 taken along the line IV-IV (just prior to opening), and Fig. 5 is a sectioned plan view of the container taken along the line V-V of the view shown in Fig. 4.

As seen in Figs, 1 and 2 of the drawings the cigarette container consists essentially of a rectangular box 1 comprising a lid portion 2 and a body portion 3 coupled together by a hinge 4 which extends transversely across a rear wall of the box.

Located within the lid portion 2 is an inner transverse wall 5 which is spaced from an outer transverse wall 6 of the box and which define between them a region 7 in which is located the entire time control mechanism now to be described.

An elongated bar-like locking member 8 constituting a latching member extends through the lid portion 2 adjacent a side wall 9a thereof. The member 8 is pivotally mounted on an axle 10 which is located within an elongated slot 1 t formed in the locking member 8, The axle 10 constitutes the head of an axle pin 10a located within and secured to the inner wall transverse 5» Thus the bar 8 is capable of pivotal movement about the axle 10 and is also capable of limited movement in an axial direction with respect to the axle 10, Abutting the axle 10 is an axle retaining ring 12 secured to an inner side wall 13a which is parallel to and spaced from the outer side wall and between which the locking member 8 extends. Located between a corresponding outer side wall 9b of the body portion 3 of the con- inner tainer 11 and a/corresponding side wall 13b of the body portion 3b which is aligned with and constituting an extension of the inner side wall 13a Is a fixed elongated anchoring member 14, a F awin h nchorin locking member 8 terminates in a semi-barbed portion 8a anu a rounded end portion 8 , the rounded portion 8b bein^ separated from the semi-barbed portion 8A by an inset 8c.

The upper end of the locking member 8 is provided on the one hand with a shoulder 15 and on the other hand with a branch limb 16 (see Fig.4) which terminates at its free end with a downwardly extending toothed portion 16a. As seen in Fig, 3 of the drawings in the locked position of the container the shoulder 15 rests on a fixed abutment 17 secured to the lid.

An elongated leaf spring 18 is pivotally mounted at a turned over poi*tion 18a thereof on a fixed axle 19 secured to the lid portion 2 and consists of a first substantiall horizontal limb 18b which is adapted to pi'ess on the shoulder 15 thereby biasing the locking member 8 downwardly and of a downwardly directed limb 18 aJapted to press on the member 8 BO as to tend to rotate it in a clockwise direction about the axle 10 when viewed ts in i'ig. 3· A clockwork mechanism 20 is schematically shown as being located in the lid region 7. This mechanism 20 drives a boss 21 which is formed integrally with a driven disc 22. Secured to and projecting outwardly from the disc 22 is a releasing lug 23 whilst secured to and projecting upwardly from the disc 22 and located along a diameter thereof acsymetrically with respect to the center of the disc 22 are a pair of tensioning lugs 24a and 24b. A peripheral portion 25 of the disc 20 is formed with radial serrations into any one of which the toothed portion 16a of the branch limb 16 can extend thereby preventing the driven disc 22 from rotating.

Spaced above the u iven disc 2 is a tensioning disc 26 having a centrally disposed, downwardly directed centering axle Secured to and extending centrally upwardly from the tensioning disc 26 is a square sectioned coupling block 28 . Formed integrally with and extending downwardly :;rom the edge of the tensioning disc 26 is an engaging lug 29a whilst secured to an extension 30 of the tensioning disc 26 at a position diametrically opposite that of the lug 29a is a downwardly extending engaging lug 29b. 'fhus the lugs 29a and 2 b are located along a diameter of the tensioning disc 26 and are located assymetrically with respect to the center of the tensioning disc 26 in a manner similar to the assymetric location of the tensioning lugs 24a and 24b on the driven disc 22.

The coupling block 28 extends through a cylindrical bore fori-ted in a collar member 3t · I'he lower end of e collar member 31 fits into a central aperture formed in a releasing disc 32 sandwiched between the tensioning disc 26 and the outer transverse wall 6 of the lid portion 2, the collar 31 eing secured to the releasing disc 32 so that rotation of the collar 31 results in rotation of the releasing disc 32, Extending diametrically out of the releasing disc 32 is a releasing am 33 whose free end 34 ojects downwardly. i'he upper surface of the collar member 31 is radially serrated and mates with a correspondingly radially serrated surface of _n annular cap 35 through which passes a bolt 36 which screws into a corres ondingly threaded bore foraedin the coupling block 28 thereby securing the cap 35 to the block 28. Located within an annular cylindrical recess 37 formed in the cap 35 is a compression spring 38 which is anchored at its upper end to the cap 35 and at its lower end to an upwardly extending boss 39 formed inte rall with the outer transverse wall 6 of the lid 2 square sectioned bore 40 centrally.

As can be seen when the cap 35 in screwed to the coupling block 28 by moans of the bolt 3 the spring 38 is compressed and the cap 35 is coupled to the collar 32 by the intermeshing serrated surfaces. When, on the other hand the screw coupling of the cap 35 to the coupling block 28 is released b removal of the bolt 36 the spring 38 forces the cap 35 and collar s&ember 3lapart and, in view of the fact that the upper end of the square sectioned coupling block 28 is located in the square sectioned bore 40 formed in the cap 35 , rotation of the cap 35 whilst accompanied by rotation of the coupling block 28 is not accompanied by rotation of the collar member 31· Pivo ally mounted with respect to the transverse outer wall 6 of the lid portion 2 on a pivotal axle 4* is a pivotal catch 42 constituting a detent having at one end a retaining shoulder 42a and at the other end an abutment nose 42b. A compression spring 43 bears at one end on a fixed portion of the lid portion 2 and at the other end is located in a recess44 formed in the catch 42, the spring 43 thereby tending cc rotate the catch 42 in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in Pig. 5· There s furthermore provided in the upper portion of the lid an emergency release mechanism 45 which consists of a plug 46 which is slidable in a transverse aperture 47 formed in the lid region 7. Secured to the plug 46 is a press pin 48 which projects out of a side wall 49 of the lid portion 2 and is screw-coupled to the plug 46· Secured to the lug 46 at a surface thereof remote from the press pin 48 is a release pin 50 which is also slidable within an appropriate aperture formed in the lid portion 2, the outer tip of the release pin 50 bearing on the abutment nose42b of the catch 42* The plug 46 is biased outwardly with respect to t lid portion 2 by means of a eompreosion spring 51 which bears at one end on the plug 46 and at the other end on a fixed, portion of the lid portion 2, The plug 46 is inhibited in its outward motion under the influence of the spring 51 by its abutting an appropriate shoulder 52 formed in the lid portion 2, The mode of operation of the time co -rolled container so as to allow for its effeotive looking and its bei g periodically rendered capable of opening will now be described* The normal location of the control components when the container is locked is as shown in Figures 1» 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings whilst the position of the components just prior to opening of the container is as shown in ig. 4 of the drawings* As seen in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 when the container is in a locked condition the locking member 8 is latched to the fixed anchoring member 14, the flange l &of the latter being located in the recess 8c between the semi-barbed end 8a and rounded end 8b of the locking member 8. Downward movement of the locking member 8 under the influence of the limb 18b of the spring 18 so as to open the locking mechanism is prevented in view of the fact that the shoulder 15 of the locking member 8 bears on the fixed abutment 17» At the same time, the fact that the limb 18c of the spring 18 bears against the locking member 8 results in the locking member 8 being firmly pressed against the anchoring member 14 thereby preventing accidental opening, as a result of possible vibration* During this time the releasing arm 33 of the releasing disc 32 is retained between the fixed abutment 155 and the retaining shoulder 42a of the pivoted catch 42* It is thus not possible 31 which is in its turn coupled to the releasing disc 32· Therefore* as long as the releasing arm 33 of the releasing dlac 32 is locked, as described above, rotation of the cap 35 is itself prevented except when, as indicated above, and for a purpose still to be described the meshing engagement between the cap 35 and the collar 31 is released by the removal of the bolt 36· Now, the clockwork mechanism 20 having been previously tensioned, hy means to be described below, operates ao as to cause the rotation of the driven disc 22 in an anticloc wisewise direction as viewed in Figure 5· After a predetermined time interval, which depends on the initial angular position of the releasing lug 23 secured to the driven disc 22, the releasing lug 23 will have been rotat-ably displaced sufficiently to bear against the retaining shoulder 42a of the pivoted catch 42· The latter will be pivotally displaced in a clockwise direction about its axle 41 and against the biasing effect of the spring 43 sufficiently for the retaining shoulder 42a no longer to be located adjacent the releasing lever 33· When this has occurred rotation of the cap 35» which is now facilitated, is transmitted via the collar 31 to the releasing disc 32 and the latter is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 5 until the releasing limb 33 is disposed adjacent the branch limb 16 of the locking member 8· Continued rotation of the releasing disc 32 resul s in the end portion 34 of the releasing limb 33 displacing the shoulder 15 from off the fixed abutment 17 whereupon the locking member 8 is presse downwardly under the influence of the limb 18b of the leaf spring 18» The rounded end 8b of the locking member 8 slides over the flange 14a of the fixed anchoring member 14 and the locking member 8 disengages from the anchoring member 14 and the container can be opened by the tilting of its lid portion 2 with respect to the body portion 3 about the axle 4· As a consequence of the downward motion of the locking member 8 under the influence of the leaf spring 18 during release, the toothed portion 16a of the branch limb 16 engages the peripheral serrations 25 of the driven disc 22 and in consequence, and as long as this engagement persists (i.e. as long as the container is open) the driven disc 22 is prevented from rotating and so the clockwork mechanism 20 stops operating.

Additionally, with the downward motion of the locking member 8 and the consequent disengagemen of the enclosing member 14» the do\«iward and sideward motion of the rounded end 8b with respect to the flange 4a results in the application of a sidewardly directed force to the anchoring member 14. As a result a slight opening of the container is effected.

At the same time, however, as the cap 35 is rotated so as to cause rotation of the releasing disc 32, the tensioning disc 26 which is directly coupled to the coupling block 28 is also rotatably displaced (in view of the fact that the square sectioned coupling block 28 mates in the correspondingly square sectioned coupling bore 40 formed in the cap 35· With the continued rotation of the tensioning disc 26 with respect to the driven disc 22 the engaging lugs 29a and 29b will respectively abut the on lu s 2 a an b and e t nued r ati n f rotation of the driven disc 22 thereby automatically tensioning the clockwork mechanism 20.

It is thus seen that the one and the same action by the user of the box in rotating the opening cap 55 when the time has come to open the box leads not only to the opening of the box but also to the tensioning of the clockwork mechanism so as to put it in the required tension for subsequent operation.

When the cap 35 has been fully rotated so that the end 34 of the releasing arm 33 strikes the branch 16 of the locking member 8 so as to cause the releasing mechanist! to operate, this rotation of the cap 35 will have taken place against the biasing effect of the spring 8· Thus when the cap 35 is released by the operator it will return to its original position under the tensioning effect exerted by the spring 38 and will therefore return to the original positions both the releasing disc 32 and the tensioning disc 26, With the return of the releasing disc to its original position the releasing arm 33 will again become locked between the fixed abutment 155 and the retaining shoulder 42a of the catch member 42 (it will be evised that the reverse rotation of the driven disc 22 which takes place when it is being tensioned during the opening procedure by the rotation of the cap 35 displaces the releasing lug 23 from abutment with the catch 42 of the releasing lug 23 and therefore allows the catch 42 to pivot back into its initial position under the influence of the compression spring 43)· As indicated above the predetermined times at which the locking mechanise! becomes releasable are determined by the relative angular position of the releasing lug 23· i e mechanism just described provides means for varying this angular position as desired and thereby vary- ; ing the time intervals involved. This can be effected as ^ follows. If, when the mechanism is in a locked condition, i.e. the releasing limb 33 is retained between the fixed abutment 155 and the retaining shoulder 42a of the catch 42 the screw 36 is removed, the compression spring 38 will force the cap 35 away from the collar 31 thereby disengaging the cap 35 from the collar *ith which it has previously been in meshed engagement. If now the cap 35 is rotated this will result in the rotation of the coupling member 28 and the corresponding rotation of the tensioning disc 26 without however leading to the rotation of the releasing disc 32 which remains lucked. Thus, the angular position of the tensioning disc 26 can be varied as desired as of course can be the angular position of the tensioning lugs 29a and 29b. This variation of the initial angular position of the tensioning lugs 29a and 29b carries with it as a consequence that the ultimate position of the releasing lug 23 attached to the driven disc 22 will depend on the final position to which this driven disc is rotated by the tensioning lugs 29a and 29b during the tensioning procedure which will take place prior to the opening of the box. Thus, if it is arranged, that the engaging lugs 29a and 29b are initially spaced from the tensioning lugs 24a and 24b by a relatively large angular spacing then the predetermined time interval involved will be relatively short whilst if it is arranged that this angular spacing is relatively small then the time intervals involved will be correspondingly long.

The mechanism just described can be provided with visual means whereby it can be readily seen what are the predetermined time intervals and/or the remaining time before opening can take place* Thus, the outer transverse wall 6 of the box can be provided, opposite the tensioning disc, with a transparent window and the rel tive angular position of the disc can be observed and in this way a visual indication is given of the time intervals involved.

If for any reason the user wishes to circumvent the time controlled mechanism just described (for example, at* a consequence of a broakdown of the time controlled mechanism, or where in emer encies the user must have access to the contents of the box) the emergency release mec anism 45 can be employed. Thus inward displacement of the press pin 48 against the strong counter-bias effected by the compression spring 51 results in a corresponding inward displacement of the release pin 50 which bearing against the abutment nose 42b of the catch 42, causes a pivotal displacement of the catch 42 similar to that caused by the abuttal thereon by the release lug 23 during the normal operation of the time controlled mechanism. ¾ith such pivotal displacement of the catch 42 opening of the box can be effected in a manner identical to that described above for normal time controlled operation.

Closing of the container is simply effected by restoring the lid portion 2 to a closed position whereupon the locking membei.' 8 is pushed upwardly by the anchoring member 14 whilst the limb 18c of leaf spring 18 pushes the locking member 8 to the left as shown in "Figure 3 so t the flange 14a engages between the barbed portion 8a and the rounded portion 8b. At the same time the shoulder 15 is replaced on the fixed abutment 17 thereby preventing the downward displacement of the locking member 8 under the influence of the limb 18b of the leaf spring 18· With the upward displacement of the locking member 8 during closin the peripheral serration 25 of the driven disc 22 and thus, with the closing of the container, the driven disc 22 can begin to rotate under the influence of the clockwork laechanisa 20 and will, after this predetermined period, result in rendering the box capable of being opened.

Whilst in the specific arrangement described above release of the locking member 8 takes place as a result of facilitating the downward displacement of the member 8 under the influence of the spring 18b and the provision of the elongated aperture 11, a simplified arrangement may be envisaged wherein the spring 18b as well as the elongated aperture 11 are dispensed with and release of the locking member 8 is simply effected by its displacement by the releasing arm 33 and the simultaneous opening of the box. It will be understood that, in this case, if the box is not simultaneously opened the spring 18a will again force the locking member 8 back into locking engagement.

It will thus be seen that the time controlled mechanism just described facilitates the production of a container, whether a cigarette container or container of other commodities, to which access can or should be had only at predetermined intervals, means being provided that the clockwork mechanism inherent in such a mechanism is automatically tensioned prior to the opening of the box and as a result of the operations inherent in opening the box. Furthermore, simple means are provided whereby the predetermined times can be readily varied. Finally, the mechanism just described can, if desired, be provided with an additional means whereby the box can be opened in emergencies without waiting for the clockwork mechanism as a whole to operate.

Claims (9)

1. CIAIMS - 1. A container having a time controlled locking echanism coraprising at least two portions coupled together for movement into and out of a closing relationship, latch means located within the container and comprising a pair of component latching members respectively coupled to said portions for locking said portions together, a releasing member located in one of said portions, manually actuatable means accessible from outside the container and coupled to the releasing member, displacement of the former resulting in displacement of the latter into releasing engagement with one of said latch components, a spring biased displaceable detent mounted in said one portion and arranged, in the locking condition of the container to inhibit movement of the releasing member, a clockwork mechanism located in said one portion and drivingly coupled to a displacing element, a predetermined displacement of said displacing element in a given direction resulting in the displacement of the detent against its biasing and the consequent freeing of the release member for movement and tensioning means coupled to the manually actuatable means and adapted to engage with the displacing element so that the displacement of the former required to effect releasing displacement of the releasing member is accompanied by displacement of the displacing element in an opposite direction thereby causing tensioning of the clockwork mechanism.

2. A container according to Claim 1, wherein said latching members are spring biased into locking engagement.

3. 5. A container according to Claim 2, wherein one of said latching members located in the other portion is fixed and the other of said latching members located in said one portion is capable of limited displacement into and out of locking engagement, first spring means being provided for biasing said other latching member into a disengaging position, ?and fixed abutment means against which said other latching member is adapted to abut so as to inhibit its displacement by said first spring means, said other latching member comprising an elongated bar piyotally mounted on an axle in such a manner as to allow for limited movement in an axial direction second spring mwans being provided for retaining said latching members in locking engagement when said portions are in said closing relationship, the arrangement being such that the releasing engagement of said other latching member with said releasing member displaces said other latching member from abutment with said fixed abutment means and frees it for displacement by said first spring means.

4. A container according to Claim 3, wherein said other latching member is provided with means which is adapted to engage with said displacing element upon the disengaging displacement of said other latching member by said first spring means so as to prevent displacement of the displacing element by the clockwork mechanism in the unlocked condition of the container.

5. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wher in said manually actuatable means is spring biased against displacement.

6. Δ container according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein said first and second spring means are constituted by the respective limbs of a leaf spring and are separated by a turned over portion of the leaf spring which is mounted on a fixed support.

7. A container according to an one of the receding claims, frequency of said locking mechanism*

8. · A container according to Claim 7» wherein said manually actuatable means is coupled to said tensioning means via a clutch mechanism, means being provided for e gagi g or elease ing said clutch mechanisa. so that displacement of said manually actuatable means is accompanied either by joint displacement of the tensioning means and release member or by the displacement of said tensioning means with respect to said release member.

9. A container according to Claim 8, herein said manually actuatable means comprises a rotatable cap coupled to said release member and via said clutch mechanism to said tensioning means* 10, A container according to Claim 9, wherein said clutch mechanism comprises a pair of meshable serrated surfaces formed on or coupled to said cap and said tensioning means respectively, means for causing said surfaces to intormesh against spring biasin means tending to keep them apart. 11 · A container according to Claim 10 wherein said cap is coupled to said tensioning means by means of a polygonally sectioned coupling block secured at one end to the tensioning means and located at the other end in a corresponding polygonally shaped aperture formed in said cap whilst said releasing member is secured to a cylindrically apertured collar which surrounds said block, corresponding surfaces of said collar and cap being formed with said serrated surfaces. 12· A container according to Claim 1 1 wherein the means for causing said surfaces to intsrmeshe-s consists of a screw coupling said cap to said block, a coil spring being located in/Sylindrical annular recess formed in said cap and serving on the one hand to bias said cap against rotary displacement thereof and, on the other hand to bias said intermeshing surfaces apart* 13» A container according to any one of claiias 7 to 12, wherein visual means are provided for indicating the timing and/or remaining cycle time frequency/of the locking mechanism. 14· A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is furthermore provided a displace-able element adapted to bear against said detent and means access-ible from outside the container for displacing said element against spring biasing so cause said displacement of said detent against its biasing* 15» A container having a time controlled locking mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the Applicants TNERS IS/DD