An improved container

A sealed container for the storage of a plurality of articles, such as a plurality of different solid medications, said sealed container including:

• an open topped receptacle having a lip that defines an opening through which the articles may pass into and from said receptacle;
• closure means, including a cover having a first edge portion that is hingedly connected to said receptacle and wherein said cover is sealably connected to said receptacle such that said cover closes said opening, said cover being capable of movement about said hinged connection between said closed position and an open position wherein said opening is exposed, said cover including an internal face on one side thereof that faces the interior of said receptacle through said opening and an external face on an opposing side of said cover, and
• a flap having a first portion that is hingedly connected to a second edge portion of said cover, said flap having a first face and an opposing second face, said flap being initially temporarily retained in a first operative position whereby said first face at least partially overlies a portion of said cover that is covering said opening such that said first face at least partially overlies said external face said flap being capable of subsequent movement between said first operative position and a second operative position in which said first face and said external face are now visible about said hinged connection connecting said flap to said cover, and wherein after initially opening said receptacle, to temporarily close said receptacle said cover is returned to its closed position and retained in this position by wrapping said flap around portions of said receptacle other than said cover and retaining said flap in this said flaps third operative position by releasable retaining means.

A container including:

• a receptacle having a base wall, a front wall and an opposing rear wall, and a lip that defines an opening through which articles may pass into and from said receptacle;
• closure means for closing said opening, said closure means including a cover having a first edge portion hingedly connected to said front wall portion, or to said receptacle in the vicinity of said front wall portion, and an opposing second edge portion, said cover being capable of movement between a closed position in which it closes said opening and an open position, said cover having an internal face that faces the interior of said receptacle when said cover is in its closed position and an external face;
• a flap having a first flap portion hingedly connected to said cover's second edge portion and a second flap portion hingedly connected to said first flap portion along opposing intermediate edge portions of said first and second flap portions, said first and second flap portions in combination being capable of overlying said external face of said cover, and
• a tab having a first tab portion that is connected to said second flap portion and a second tab portion hingedly connected to said first tab portion along opposing intermediate edge portions, whereby when said closure means is in its first operative configuration, said opening is closed by said cover, said first and second flap portions overlie said cover and said tab extends generally outwardly away from said front wall of said receptacle, and whereby when said closure means is in its second operative position, said opening is closed by said cover and is retained in this position by said first and second flap portions that overlie said rear wall and said base wall respectively and wherein said second portion of said tab is releasably secured to said front wall of said receptacle.

A blank for the production of a container of the type previously described herein, said blank being composed of cardboard or like packaging material, said blank including:

• a base wall of generally rectangular shape, said base wall having a front edge portion and an opposing rear edge portion, a first side edge portion located between said front and rear edge portions and an opposing second side edge portion that is also located between said front and rear edge portions;
• a rear wall of generally rectangular shape that extends along and is hingedly connected to said rear edge portion;
• a front wall of generally rectangular shape having a front wall first edge portion and an opposing front wall second edge portion, said front wall side edge portion extending along and being hingedly connected to said front edge portion, said front wall being substantially identical to said rear wall;
• a first side wall of generally rectangular shape that extends along and is hingedly connected to said first side edge portion;
• a second side wall of generally rectangular shape that extends along and is hingedly connected to said second side edge portion, said first side wall being substantially identical to said second side wall;
• a cover of generally rectangular shape having a cover first edge portion and an opposing cover second edge portion, said cover first edge portion extending along and being hingedly connected to said front wall second edge portion, said cover being substantially identical to said base wall;
• a flap, including a first flap portion and a second flap portion that is hingedly connected to said first flap portion, said first flap portion and said second flap portion in combination when lying substantially flat being generally of rectangular shape and substantially identical to said cover,
• said first flap portion being generally rectangular in shape and substantially identical to said rear wall, said first flap portion having a first flap first edge portion and an opposing first flap second edge portion, said first flap first edge portion extending along and being hingedly connected to said cover second edge portion,
• said second flap portion being generally rectangular in shape and having a second flap first edge portion that extends along and is hingedly connected to said first flap second edge portion, said second flap portion having a second flap free end portion that is spaced from said second flap first edge portion;
• a tab having a first tab portion and a second tab portion that is hingedly connected to said first tab portion,
• said first tab portion having a first tab first end portion that is connected to and extends away from said second flap free end portion and a first tab first edge portion that is spaced from said first tab first end portion and wherein the distance separating second flap first edge portion and said first tab first edge portion is substantially the same as the distance separating said front edge portion from said rear edge portion, and
• said second tab portion having a second tab first edge portion that is hingedly connected to said first tab first edge portion.