Portable dispensing containers

Claim 2

A one piece dispenser molded of plastic material for storing and dispensing articles stacked in horizontal layers comprising: a container having a bottom and having integral side walls rising from the bottom; said side walls delineating an open top; a lid disposed at the open top of the container for closing the open top of the container, said lid having a free overhanging edge; an integral segmented hinge connecting one edge of said lid to a top edge of the container walls, said segmented hinge comprising an elongated central hinge portion having a relatively thin cross section and outboard substantially shorter hinge portions spaced from the ends of said central hinge portion, said outboard portions having a substantially thicker cross section thereby permitting easier flow of plastic material through the hinge portions to the top during molding; snap latch means mounted on the free overhanging edge of the lid; latch-engaging means on the upper edge of one of the container walls engagable with the snap latch means of the lid securing the lid in closed position relative to the open top of the container upon downward pressure on the lid; said container having an opening adjacent the said bottom arranged to present a portion of the lowermost horizontal article within the container for hand engagement and withdrawal from the container.

Claim 3

A dispenser for storing and dispensing articles as set forth in claim 1 in which the opening adjacent the bottom of the container is delineated by spacing the lower edge of one of said walls above the bottom of the container to provide an open slot for withdrawal of the lowermost horizontal article from the container.

Claim 4

A dispenser for storing and dispensing articles as set forth in claim 1 in which the opening adjacent the bottom of the container is delineated by spacing the lower edge of one of said walls above the bottom of the container to provide an open slot for withdrawal of the lowermost article from the container, said slot having an opening of a generally inverted V shaped configuration extending upwardly from the upper edge of the slot, said opening providing clearance for finger engagement with the lowermost horizontal article of a stack which is resting upon the bottom of the container.

Claim 5

A dispenser for storing and dispensing horizontal articles as set forth in claim 1 in which the lid has a continuous downwardly projecting rib interfitting with and engaging the internal wall surfaces of the container adjacent said opening for imparting rigidity to said container when the lid closes the top thereof and in which the hinge, which interconnects with one edge of the lid with an upper edge of one of the side walls, is arranged to spring bias the lid in a direction to normally spring the lid to an open position upon single handed release of the latch means mounted on the free edge of the lid.

Claim 6

A dispenser for storing and dispensing horizontal articles as set forth in claim 1, in which the molded wall of the container, which includes the molded integral segmented hinge connection between the wall and the lid of the dispenser has two sets of spaced vertical ribs forming a shallow recess therebetween, one of the vertical ribs in each set connecting with a leg integral with the bottom of said container, and has double sensitive adhesive tape received in the recess between said ribs adapting the container to be adhesively secured to a vertical surface with the dispensing opening presented for single hand engagement and withdrawal of the articles individually from the dispenser.

Claim 7

A molded one piece dispenser for storing and dispensing relatively flat disposed articles individually from a stack of articles within the dispEnser comprising: a generally rectangular container having a bottom and having integral molded side walls rising upwardly from the bottom and delineating an open top; said container formed from yieldable plastic material; a lid interfitting the open top of the container for closing the open top of the container; a segmented molded hinge interconnecting one edge of said lid with an upper edge portion of one of said side walls and forming an integral connection between the edge of the wall and lid, said lid having a free angulated opposite edge for overhanging an opposite side wall of said container; a lip extending externally and peripherally from an upper edge portion of the side walls, and; snap latch means mounted on the free angulated opposite edge of the lid and engageable with the lip on the upper edge of the side wall opposite the said hinge for securing the lid in closed position; said hinge being generally semi-cylindrical in cross section projecting outwardly from the wall and lid of the dispenser, said semi-cylindrical hinge section being biased in a direction to normally spring the lid to an open position upon one-handed release of the snap latch means mounted on the free edge of the lid; said semi-cylindrical hinge having interrupting slots spaced apart along the length of the hinge, said slots inhibiting a fracture of part of the hinge from extending along the entire length of the said molded hinge; one of said sides having an opening adjacent the bottom of the container arranged to present the lowermost article of the stack for single hand engagement and withdrawal from the container.

Claim 8

A molded one piece dispenser for storing and dispensing relatively flat disposed articles individually from a stack of articles within the dispEnser comprising: a generally rectangular container having a bottom and having integral molded side walls rising upwardly from the bottom and delineating an open top; said container formed from yieldable plastic material; a lid interfitting the open top of the container for closing the open top of the container; a segmented molded hinge interconnecting one edge of said lid with an upper edge portion of one of said side walls and forming an integral connection between the edge of the wall and lid, said lid having a free angulated opposite edge for overhanging an opposite side wall of said container; a lip extending externally and peripherally from an upper edge portion of the side walls, and; snap latch means mounted on the free angulated opposite edge of the lid and engageable with the lip on the upper edge of the side wall opposite the said hinge for securing the lid in closed position; said hinge being generally semi-cylindrical in cross section projecting outwardly from the wall and lid of the dispenser, said semi-cylindrical hinge section being biased in a direction to normally spring the lid to an open position upon one-handed release of the snap latch means mounted on the free edge of the lid; said semi-cylindrical hinge having interrupting slots spaced apart along the length of the hinge, said slots inhibiting a fracture of part of the hinge from extending along the entire length of the said molded hinge; one of said sides having an opening adjacent the bottom of the container arranged to present the lowermost article of the stack for single hand engagement and withdrawal from the container.

Claim 9

A dispenser for storing and dispensing articles as set forth in claim 6 in which the snap latch means, which is mounted upon the free edge of the lid, is in the form of a spur projecting downwardly from the free edge portion of the lid; said spur having a camming portion which is angulated from the edge of the lid inwardly toward an exterior wall of the dispenser; said angulated section terminating in a latch surface engagable with the lower edge of the lip which extends externally from the upper edge portion of the side wall, thereby to latch the lid in closed position upon forcing the lid downwardly to the said closed position, and; a series of abutments projecting downwardly from the lid and interspaced between the latching elements, said abutments engaging the internal surface of the wall between the latch elements as the lid is shifted to said closed position, and; said abutments engaging the internal surface of the yieldable wall and preventing the same from being sprung inwardly as a consequence of the camming action of said latching elements.