GB2302323A

GB2302323A - Container having a closure cover

Info

Publication number: GB2302323A
Application number: GB9612305A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giannino Sandrin
Original assignee: Grusan Di Sandrin Giannino & C
Current assignee: Grusan Di Sandrin Giannino & C
Priority date: 1995-06-19
Filing date: 1996-06-12
Publication date: 1997-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-12
Also published as: ES1034458U; GB9612305D0; ES1034458Y; DE29610407U1; AT1725U1; IT238854Y1; ITPN950028U1; FR2735448B3; FR2735448A1; GB2302323B; ITPN950028V0

Abstract

A container having a sealing closure between a body (11) and a cover (12) comprises a latching connection, making use of elastic deformation of the material of which the body and the cover are made. The cover (12) has means (15) for retention by projections in a recess (14) bounding the body (11). The connection may be partially released to open the container, the body (11) and cover (12) remaining attached along an edge region. The container may be e.g. a suitcase or a housing for fluorescent lighting tubes (16).

Description

CONTAINER WITH IMPROVED CLOSURE COVER The present invention concerns the closure, with or without sealing integrity, of containers for various uses, for example for light fixtures, that is to say containers for lamps to be fitted both externally and internally to walls, ceilings etc.

The innovative features refer, as will be described hereafter, to the system of mounting the closure cover of said containers.

Normally the known containers of that kind are provided with a cover which is fixed to the body of the container by means of mechanical fixing elements of various types such as pivot hooks, screws, elastic fasteners etc.

Possible closure of the container with sealing integrity is effected by means of an elastic seal which is accommodated along the entire perimeter between the edge of the container and the edge of the cover.

The use of elements for fixing and opening the container, even in the situation in which they remain joined to the body thereof or to the cover after opening, is not very practical and is rather expensive.

The main aim of the present invention is therefore that of providing a container, possibly with water-tight sealing integrity, whose cover does not require additional elements for fixing it to the body of the container, thus reducing the number of components of the arrangement, the cost thereof and the difficulties involved in fitting and removal.

A further aim of the present invention is that of providing a container in which the body and the cover can be connected in such a way as to hold the cover fastened to the body when the container is in the open condition (for example when action on the devices disposed in the interior of the body is required) or in such a way as to permit the cover to be detached from the body (for example when it is necessary to effect internal cleaning of the container).

According to the present invention, there is provided a container comprising a box-like body and a closure cover wherein the edge of the body and the edge of the cover are provided with respective projections capable of engagement and disengagement by virtue of elastic deformation of the material of which said body and said cover are made.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view in cross-section of a container according to the invention in the closure position; Figure 2 is a view in cross-section of the container of Figure 1 in a first open position; Figure 3 is a view in cross-section of the container in Figure 1 in a second open position; Figure 4 is a view in cross-section of the container in Figure 1 in a third open position; Figure 5 is a view in cross-section of the container in Figure 1 with the cover in the released position; Figures 6 and 7 are views in cross-section on an enlarged scale of two details of the container in Figure 1; and Figures 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views in section of another container according to the invention in the closure position and the partially open position respectively.

The container 10 which is described herein after with reference to Figures 1 to 7 is a container involving water-tight sealing integrity, which can be fitted to walls or to the ceiling, for accommodating lighting lamps, in particular of the fluorescent type.

It will be appreciated that a container according to the invention may be used in many different areas, as will be more clearly apparent hereinafter, such as for example a suitcase or another container which may or may not be of the sealing integrity type. In any case an important advantage is represented by the fact that it is possible to eliminate hooks, hinges, screws and elastic fasteners which are normally employed and which are of a complicated design configuration, expensive and likely to break, insofar as the present invention provides that the fixing means is produced integrally in manufacture and thus in a particularly economic manner on an industrial scale and being practically indestructible in normal use.

With reference to Figures 1 to 7, the fitting of a light fixture to a ceiling is described insofar as this represents one of the situations involving major inconvenience in terms of mounting and dismantling, and also cleaning the inside.

With reference in particular to Figures 1 to 4 the container 10 is formed substantially by a body 11 and a closure cover 12. Sealing integrity as between the body 11 and the cover 12 is achieved in known manner by means of an elastic seal 13. The seal 13 is accommodated in a recess 14 provided at the periphery along the entire edge of the body 11, and it is capable of co-operating with the peripheral edge 15 of the cover 12. Accommodated in the interior of the body 11 of the container 10 are one or more lamps 16 (there being two in the illustrated case) of fluorescent tube type, which are removably fixed to respective supports 17. A reactor 18 and a cable duct 19 are also provided in the body 11.

The characteristic of the invention lies in the particular system of fastening the cover 12 to the body 11 of the container 10. The peripheral recess 14 in which the seal 13 is fitted has a wall 20 (see Figure 6) whose internal surface is provided with two projections 22 and 23 which are preferably of the profiles shown in Figure 6. The end of the edge of the cover 12 has a bent portion 24 and a projection 25 which projects substantially orthogonally towards the outside of the edge, as shown in Figure 7.

In the closure position (Figure 1) the projection 25 on the cover 12 is completely fitted into the recess 14 and the projection 25 is engaged with the projection 22 of the recess. The rounded edge 15 of the cover 12 compresses the seal 13, of substantially circular section, which seal, by the effect of such compression, assumes the configuration of the recess 14, thus providing for the sealing integrity of the entire container.

In order to open the cover 12 use is made of the elasticity of the material constituting the body 11 and the cover 12 which are preferably made of plastics material. The point of a tool, for example a screwdriver 26, is inserted between the edge of the cover 12 and the wall 20 of the body 11 of the container 10 and it is lifted. In that way the projection 25 of the cover 12 is disengaged.

That operation is performed at suitable points on one side of the container in such a way as to free that part of the cover 12 from engagement with the body 11 (see Figure 2). The other part or the other side of the cover 12 however remains connected to the body 11 since the projection 25 is still engaged with the projection 22 and rotation through a certain angle permits the bent portion 24 to bear against the projection 23 and to continue the rotational movement about a corresponding different fulcrum or a plurality of different fulcrums.

As a result that provides for complete opening of the cover and thus accessibility to the internal parts of the container, while the cover 12 remains connected to the body 11 insofar as the rounded end 15 of the cover 12 interferes with the internal wall of the body 11, preventing disengagement thereof. When it is necessary for the cover 12 to be completely removed, for example for complete cleaning or replacement thereof, it is only necessary to complete the rotational movement about the point of connection to the body 11, forcing the rounded edge 15 against the internal wall of the body 11 in order completely to disengage the cover 12 from the body 11, making use of the elasticity of the material of which those two parts are made (see Figures 4 and 5 in succession).

To refit and reclose the cover 12 to the body 11 it is not necessary to use any tool since it is sufficient to press the edge of the cover into the recess 14, applying force thereto until the projection 25 engages with a latching action, by virtue of the elasticity of the material, with the internal projection 22 of the external wall 20 of the recess 14.

To facilitate opening and closing of the cover 12 the projections 22 and 23 of the wall 20 of the body 11 and the projection 25 of the edge of the cover 12 are profiled as shown in Figures 6 and 7, that is to say with inclined surfaces which guide mutual engagement of the projections and which constitute respective fulcrums which are differentiated for the sequential rotational movement of the cover 12.

The construction is particularly advantageous in the situation where the container 10 is of substantially parallelepipedic type (like that shown in the Figures) insofar as the cover 12 is disconnected at one side and remains connected to the body 11 at the opposite side.

As can be seen the solution is very simple, eliminating any additional element for fixing the cover to the body of the container, while being quick and easy to fit and remove, requiring a normal tool as a piece of common equipment.

Just by way of example the container according to the invention may alternatively be a suitcase or the like which does not require sealing integrity and which therefore does not include any seal. As can be seen from Figures 8 and 9 in which the same references indicate parts which are similar to those already described above, this case also involves the structural and functional features, with the associated advantages, already described hereinbefore with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

It will be appreciated that the container with improved closure as described hereinbefore may be the subject of numerous modifications which fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A container comprising a box-like body and a closure cover wherein the edge of the body and the edge of the cover are provided with respective projections capable of engagement and disengagement by virtue of elastic deformation of the material of which said body and said cover are made.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the projections of the body are arranged to project inwardly from a wall which defines externally to the body a recess and that the projection extends orthogonally outwardly from the bent edge of the cover.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the bent edge of the cover is rounded.

4. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the projection of the edge of the cover, in the closure position, is engaged with the projection and with the undercut configuration of the body.

5. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bent edge of the cover, in the open position, is engaged with the projection of the body.

6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said cover is arranged to be opened by means of successive rotational movement about a plurality of different fulcrums substantially at positions corresponding to said projections.

7. A container constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.