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US 7,581,671 B2Granted
Shipping container
AssigneeErdie End Caps, LLC
InventorJason S. Erdie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a shipping container, a paper tube, an end cap and a method. The shipping container includes a tube and an end cap. The tube has a cylindrical body and an open end. The cylindrical body has a mounting opening formed therein adjacent to the open end. The end cap includes a circular sidewall that is adapted to be received by the open end of the tube such that the circular sidewall radially surrounds the cylindrical body. The circular sidewall includes a projection that extends away from the circular sidewall and into the mounting opening so as to releasably secure the end cap to the tube.
Claims18
A shipping container comprising:
- a tube having
- a cylindrical body,
- an open end, and
- a mounting opening formed in the cylindrical body adjacent to the open end;
- and
- an end cap adapted to be releasably secured to the tube, the end cap having a circular sidewall that is adapted to radially surround the cylindrical body of the tube proximal to the open end,
- an opening provided through the circular sidewall that defines and extends substantially around a deflectable tab portion of the circular sidewall, and
- a projection formed on an inner side of the deflectable tab portion of the circular sidewall, wherein the projection is adapted to extend into the mounting opening formed in the cylindrical body of the tube when the circular sidewall radially surrounds the cylindrical body of the tube proximal to the open end so as to releasably secure the end cap to the tube, and wherein the projection comprises
- a top edge portion that is arranged to contact against a top peripheral portion of the mounting opening and thereby prevent the end cap from being separated from the tube when the projection is extending into the mounting opening,
- a bottom ramp portion arranged opposite the top edge portion for promoting outward deflection of the deflectable tab when the end cap is pressed onto the open end of the tube such that the circular sidewall radially surrounds the cylindrical body of the tube, and
- a side ramp portion arranged between the top edge portion and the bottom ramp portion, the side ramp portion promoting outward deflection of the deflectable tab when the end cap is rotated relative to the tube when the projection is extending into the mounting opening.
8 more elements
A method for opening a shipping container that comprises:
- a tube having
- a cylindrical body,
- an open end, and
- a mounting opening formed in the cylindrical body adjacent to the open end;
- and
- an end cap adapted to be releasably secured to the tube, the end cap having a circular sidewall that is adapted to radially surround the cylindrical body of the tube proximal to the open end,
- an opening provided through the circular sidewall that defines and extends substantially around a deflectable tab portion of the circular sidewall, and
- projection formed on the deflectable tab portion of the circular sidewall, wherein the projection is adapted to extend into the mounting opening formed in the cylindrical body of the tube when the circular sidewall radially surrounds the cylindrical body of the tube proximal to the open end so as to releasably secure the end cap to the tube, and wherein the projection comprises
- a top edge portion that is arranged to contact against a top peripheral portion of the mounting opening and thereby prevent the end cap from being separated from the tube when the projection is extending into the mounting opening,
- a bottom ramp portion arranged opposite the top edge portion for promoting outward deflection of the deflectable tab when the end cap is pressed onto the open end of the tube such that the circular sidewall radially surrounds the cylindrical body of the tube, and
- a side ramp portion arranged between the top edge portion and the bottom ramp portion, the side ramp portion promoting outward deflection of the deflectable tab when the end cap is rotated relative to the tube when the projection is extending into the mounting opening;
- the method comprising:
- rotating the end cap relative to the tube when the projection is extending into the mounting opening until the projection is not received within the mounting opening, the side ramp portion promoting outward deflection of the deflectable tab when the end cap is rotated relative to the tube when the projection is extending into the mounting opening;
- and
- pulling the end cap away from the tube to separate the end cap from the tube and thereby expose the open end of the tube.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.