US2194067A - Pocket case - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1940. J. CAMPBELL POCKET CASE Filed July 10, 1937 lNl/EA/TOR J. C MPBELL Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 8 "Claims.

The instant invention relates. to simply and manually closing and opening, automatically her metically sealing'containers for materials having a tendency to deteriorate on contact with moisture or air or either, or tending to sift or leak out.

An object of my invention is to provide a pocket case of simple and inexpensive construction which can be simply latched in its closed position to exclude air and moisture and to prevent leakage or sifting out of the materials. r Afurther object is to provide a light weight pocket case which may be latched in its closed position and with certain contents, such as cigarettes, will not only keep out moisture out will also float in water.

Still other and further objects are obvious from ing the forward end thereof partially in section with the latch in its pre-latching position, and

Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 showing the latch closed.

The lower portion of my improved case l is made by stamping, moulding, or casting, preferably in a single operation, out of any light weight material such as aluminum. Integral with'the upper edge of the side walls, an externally over;- hanging rim 2 is provided, and, at a distancev from the lower surface of said rim andon each side wall near the front wall, a projection 3 integral with such side walls. The cover 4 is similarly made, preferably in a single operation, of the same light weight material. The side wall-s 5 and the front wall 6 and rear wall 1 are integral with the cover, and a groove 8 is provided near the edge of cover 4 and near all the walls thereof so that they depressed material projects in the form of a knife edge 9 from the inside surfaceof the cover. The groove 8 is so positioned that on assembly of the cover to the lower portion of the case, a resilient gasket Ill contacts all of rim 2 of such lower portion. A formed depression H is positioned in the lower portion of front wall 6 and extends its entire length. Its position along wall 6 is such that on closure of the case the depression or groove ll registers with the latching member l5 immediately below rim let the lower front wall. At the lower end of rear wall lenough additional length of material is left in the forming operation to provide a pivot or hinge l2 for (01. ego-s5) steel spring l3 extending all around the case The side arms I3 of the steel spring are given a permanent form about a fulcrum point I l approximatelymidway their length, such that when the cover is in its open: position the pivot l2 takes a position along the rear wall and the rear portions of the sidewalls at some distance l4 below rim 2, while along the front wall and the forward 1 portions of the side walls .the spring rests on the lower surface of rim 2. The side arms l3 of the spring are so formed that the distance l4 from the lower face of rim 2 exceeds the distance from said face to the. upper portion of projection 3. Front portion l8 of steel spring l3 which extends along the lower front wall ofthe case carries thereon the formed latch l5 having integral therewith a formed flap I6 of thin material to lie flush on the lower front. wall of the case when it is latched. Latch ,I5 and its integral flap it are rotatable about such spring portion I8.

The case is assembled by forcing apart some K whatside members I3 of the spring to permit the passage of projection; 3 therethrough. As the spring is so formed that it cannot pass over rim 2, the case is thus simply assembled. So assembled, pivot, l2 occupies the position indicated at It I while the forwardly portions 'of side springmembers l3 contacting rim 2'will be out of contact,

with projections 3, thev latter being positioned a distance from the lower surface of the'rim greater 1 than thesectional diameter ofv spring I 3, as determined by formed latch IS, the flap l6 being parallel to thefront wall of the case. As latch I5 is constructed to project and engage groove I l,

obviously it projects beyond rim 2 with the flap- I6 inthis position and the case cannot be closed.

Flap I6, is therefore flicked by the thumb nail or other finger or sharp fiat instrument to rotate it about spring portion l8 and takes up a position 40 substantially perpendicular to the lower front wall. 'Byj such rotation latch l5 now occupies a position. under rim 2' and no longer prevents closing down the cover, while the forwardly porstrikes formed flap By such closing resilient gasket Ill rests on rim ;2, and, as the closing is against the. tension offorrned side spring members l3 ful'cruming about a point l1 about midway their length,'pivot l2 and the rearmost portions of said side spring members are brought still closer to the respective portions of rim 2, while the forwardly portions of such side spring members are forced down harder onto the increasing taper of projections 3 as shown in Figure 3. If the cover is now released without latching it will fly open under the tension of the side spring members. But having closed down the cover as described, to latch the case flap I6 is now depressed until it isflush against the lower front wall, latch l5 by such rotation entering the formed depression or groove ll of the front wall of the cover as shown in Figure 4. This forces the gasket intoz; still more intimate contact with the rim, while the tension of the displaced spring is now 'such that the case remains positively latched in that the rearmost positions of thespring are forced back down the lower case portion I again ful- To open the case, the thumb cruming about [1. or finger nail, or a thin flat object is inserted between the flap' l6 and the lower front wall, whereupon, on flicking the flap upwardly, the case opens assisted by the spring tension. I make the groove 8 in the cover triangular so that projection 9 formed thereby on the inside will permit maximum filling of the case in that, on closing down the cover, no difficultyis experienced by leaving a clearance for this inner wall of the resilient gasket, for its knife edge cuts cleanly into the contents with a minimum of resistance.

I have found that when making my case of aluminum of the size customary for packaging cigarettes in the usual quantities as sold, the latched case with its contents is of such total weight compared to its volume that it floats in water. As on latching rim 2 is forced into resilient liner or gasket ID, the contents are hermetically sealed against air and water and are thus preserved indefinitely without any additional wrapping being required.

My improved case may be made in any manufacturing operation, such as stamping, casting, cutting, moulding, etc., and of any appropriate material, preferably light weight. I realize that various modifications may be made in details without departing from my invention, and I limit myself only as set forth in the annexed claims. What I claim is: l. A pocket case made of light weight material comprising a lower portion having walls, outwardly projecting flanges on said walls at their upper edges, stops on said walls spaced from said flanges, a cover with depending walls adapted to cover said flanges and said stops, projections on the interior of said cover and spaced from the depending walls a distance approximately the width of said flanges, a resilient gasket between the inside of said depending walls and projections, a formed spring pivoted at the lower edge of a depending wall and formed sothat on assembly with said lower portion the portions of said spring remote from said pivot engage the lower surface of said flanges whilethe spring portions proximate to said pivot are at a distance from said flanges, said spring encircling said lower portion of the case below the flanges and in its said remote portions above said stops, a

latching groove in said depending walls, and a cover;dow'n a'gainstthe tension of the spring and rotating said projection about the spring after such closing.

2. In a case a cover depending wall, a groove therein, a spring pivoted on the cover depending wall remote from said groove, a lower wall, an outwardly projecting flange, a pair of aligned stops on said lower wall below said flange and proximate to said groove when said cover wall is closed over said lower wall, said spring encircling the lower wall and formed that when the coverdepending'wall isopen the spring portions remote from said groove are at a distance below the flange while those spring portions proximate to fsaid groove contact the flange, a latching projection rotatable on the spring proximate to thegroove, and a depending flap integral with and at substantially right angles to the proje ction for rotating the projection below and un'derthe flange enabling the cover depending wall'to be closed down over the projection to position the groove so that on rotation the projection engages the groove, positively latching the cover depending wall to the lower wall and forcing the spring portion remote from the groove against the flange and the spring portion proximate the groove onto the stops still further than occurs on'merely closing down the cover.

3. A case comprising a rectangular lower portion having integral walls, a continuous flange on said walls at their upper edge and projecting beyond the outer surface proper of said walls, a stop on each side wall thereof spaced from said flange and near the front wall, a rectangular cover portion with integral walls depending in the closed position below said stops, a rectangular spring pivoted at its rear side at the lower edge of the rear cover wall, said rectangular spring being so formed that it may be sprung over the stops and in the covers open position its pivoted rear and the rearward portions of its sides occupy a position a distance below the flange of the lower rear wall and the rearward portions of the side walls while its front side and the forwardly portions of its sides contact respectively the flange at the lower front wall and at the forward portions of the lower side walls, a groove in the upper front wall near its lower edge, and a latching projection rotatably carried on the front spring portion which projection on closing the cover is rotatable under the flange of the lower front wall and when the cover is completely closed is rotatable to engage the groove in the upper front wall latching the case against the tension of the spring sides by retaining the pivoted rear spring portion against the flange at the rear wall and the rearward portions ofthe spring sides against the rear portions of the flange at the side walls while retaining the forwardly portions of the spring against the stops on the lower side walls.

4. A case comprising a lower portion having front, rear, and side walls, an outwardly projecting flange at the upper portion of said walls, a stop on each Side wall positioned below said flange and near the front wall, a cover with depending front, rear, and side walls adaptedto enclose said flange and said stops, a spring piv-' oted to said rear cover wall at its lower edge and encircling said lower portion below said flange and above said stops with the side members of the spring so formed that when the front portion of the spring lies against the lower face of said flange the rear portion of the spring is at a distance from the flange greater than the dista'nce of the stops from the flange, a latching element on the front wall of said cover, a cooperating latching element on the front portion of said spring and rotatable thereon and adapted on closing down the cover onto the lower portion to latch the cover to the lower portion against the opening tension exerted by the side portions of the spring which on closing the cover down have been displaced upwardly in the rear portion against the flange a distance greater than downwardly in the forward portion against the stops.

5. A container comprising a lower portion having an enclosing wall, an outwardly projecting flange at the upper portion of said wall, a pair of stops on said wall below the flange and in a plane parallel thereto, a cover with a depending wall adapted to enclose said flange and'said stops, a spring pivoted to said cover, wall at the portion thereof most remote from said stops and encircling said lower portion within and below said flange and above said stops, the spring portions between said stops and the region of said pivoting being so formed that when the. proximate portion of the spring is nearest the lower face of said flange the remote spring portion is at a distance from the flange greater than the distance of the stops from the flange, a latch element on said cover, and a cooperating latching element on said spring adapted on closing the cover over said lower portion to be rotated on said spring to the latched position.

6. A container comprising a lower enclosing wall, an outwardly projecting flange at the upper portion of said wall, a pair of stops on said wall below said flange and in a plane substantially parallel thereto, a depending wall adapted to enclose said flangeand stops, a spring pivoted to said depending wall at the portion thereof remote from said stops and encircling said lower enclosing wall below said flange and above said stops with the spring portions between the stops and the pivot so formed that when'the proximate spring portion is nearest the lower face of the flange the remote spring portion is at a distance from the flange greater than the distance between the flange and stops, a latching groove in said depending wall, and a latching projection rotatable on said spring and adapted on closing said depending wall over said enclosing wall positively to engage said groove on a partial rotation.

'7. A container comprising a lower portion having an enclosing wall, an outwardly projecting flange at the upper portion of said wall, a plurality of aligned stops on said wall in a plane below and substantially parallel to said flange, a cover with a depending. wall adapted to enclose said flange and said stops, a spring pivoted to said cover wall at the portion thereof remote from said stops and encircling said lower portion below said flange and above said stops, thespring portions between the stopsnearest the pivot region and the pivot region being so formed that when the proximate spring portion is nearest the .lowerface of said flange the remote spring portion is at a distance from the flange greater than the distance between the stops and the flange, a latching element on said cover, and a cooperating latching element on said spring adapted on closing the cover down over said lower portion to be rotated on said spring to the latched position with the remote ,spring portions against the flange and the proximate spring portions over" the stops.

8. A container comprising a lower portionhaving an enclosing wall, an outwardly projecting flange in the upper region of said wall, a pair of stops on said wall below said flange and in a plane substantially parallel thereto, a cover with depending wall adapted to enclose said flange, a spring pivoted on said cover in the regionthereof remote from said stops and engaging said lower portion below said flange and above said tendency of said formed spring tensioned duringv said complete closure. v

J OI-IN CAMPBELL.

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