Key retention system for product packaging with retaining ear closed relief slot
AssigneeSEE Forming L.L.C.
InventorsMark Allan Erickson, Scott James Sadowski, Muzammil Hussain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A package for a product, a key retention system, and a retaining key utilize a closed relief slot in the retaining key to enable flexure of a retaining car on the retaining key during movement of the retaining key between locked and released configurations.
Claims20
A package for a product, comprising:
- a container body configured to support the product and including a key support, the key support including first and second walls defining a channel;
- and
- a retaining key supported by the key support and extending through the channel, wherein the retaining key is configured for movement along a longitudinal axis between locked and released configurations, wherein in the locked configuration the retaining key retains a portion of the product when the product is supported by the container body and in the released configuration the retaining key is retracted to facilitate removal of the product from the container body when the product is supported thereby, wherein the retaining key includes:
- a retaining ear extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and configured to frictionally engage the first wall of the key support within the channel during at least a portion of the movement of the retaining key between the locked and released configurations;
- and
- a closed relief slot formed in the retaining key adjacent to the retaining ear and configured to enable flexure of the retaining ear during the at least a portion of the movement of the retaining key between the locked and released configurations.
A key retention system for retaining a product, comprising:
- a key support including first and second walls defining a channel;
- and
- a retaining key supported by the key support and extending through the channel, wherein the retaining key is configured for movement along a longitudinal axis between locked and released configurations, wherein in the locked configuration the retaining key retains a portion of the product when the product is supported by the container body and in the released configuration the retaining key is retracted to facilitate removal of the product from the container body when the product is supported thereby, wherein the retaining key includes:
- a retaining ear extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and configured to frictionally engage the first wall of the key support within the channel during at least a portion of the movement of the retaining key between the locked and released configurations;
- and
- a closed relief slot formed in the retaining key adjacent to the retaining ear and configured to enable flexure of the retaining ear during the at least a portion of the movement of the retaining key between the locked and released configurations.
A retaining key for use in a key retention system for retaining a product in a container body, the key retention system of a type that includes a key support including first and second walls defining a channel, the retaining key configured to be supported by the key support and extend through the channel for movement along a longitudinal axis between locked and released configurations, wherein in the locked configuration the retaining key retains a portion of the product when the product is supported by the container body and in the released configuration the retaining key is retracted to facilitate removal of the product from the container body when the product is supported thereby, the retaining key comprising:
- a retaining ear extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and configured to frictionally engage the first wall of the key support within the channel during at least a portion of the movement of the retaining key between the locked and released configurations;
- and
- a closed relief slot formed in the retaining key adjacent to the retaining ear and configured to enable flexure of the retaining ear during the at least a portion of the movement of the retaining key between the locked and released configurations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.