• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    A container assembly, such as a Petri dish or a contact plate, for use as a microorganism sampling device comprises a base member, a cover and a locking mechanism which provides secure locking plug between the cover and the base element. The locking mechanism is designed so that it does not lock up, except following the application of a specific intentionally applied compression force, and which can be easily released from the blocking engagement without the need rotary movement or torsional force.
    公开号:BE1019224A5
    申请号:E2011/0021
    申请日:2011-01-18
    公开日:2012-04-03
    发明作者:
    申请人:Becton Dickinson Co；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    CONTAINER ASSEMBLY
    Background of the invention Field of the invention
    The present invention relates to a container assembly for use in sampling and culturing microorganisms. More particularly, the invention relates to a container assembly having a base and a lid where the lid is detachably coupled to the base by a locking mechanism.
    Discussion of the related art
    Containers for growing microorganisms are commonly referred to as Petri dishes or contact plates and are well known in the art. These devices typically include a lower container or base or box portion for the growth medium and a peripheral sidewall. The lower container is typically used in conjunction with a lid having an upper wall and a peripheral side wall that is adapted to fit on the side wall of the lower container. Generally, the side wall of the lid forms a snug fit with the lower container to prevent the lid from binding to the lower container. A contact plate is a significantly smaller version of a Petri dish, whose can component is preloaded with the growth medium and is provided with a base to grip the contact plate to allow it to be pressed against a surface to obtain a sample of any microorganism present on the sampled surface. Containers such as these are manufactured by several manufacturers and are readily available.
    The contact plates and Petri dishes are typically made from a bulk polymer material at a cost low enough to be discarded after a single use. The box portion of the contact plate is filled with a generally convex heap of growth medium. With the lid removed, the contact plate is gripped by its base and the pile of growth medium is pressed against a surface to be tested for bacterial and / or fungal contamination. The lid is then replaced and the contact plate is stored in an environment favorable to the growth of microorganisms. A typical contact plate is loaded with the growth medium under sterile conditions and packaged for shipment to the end user.
    Contact plates and Petri dishes for microorganisms are commonly used in large numbers every day by a technician. A technician can use several hundred containers each day to test different microorganisms. To allow the technician to handle a large number of containers efficiently, the covers must be easily removed and replaced without sticking or bonding to each other. In some cases, it is desirable to have the lid sufficiently loosened to allow the technician to remove the lid with one hand while dispensing the sample into the Petri dish for testing. Other uses of the Petri dish require the lid to be attached to the base to prevent accidental separation of the lower case cover but allow removal of the box with minimal effort.
    A problem that sometimes occurs with the Petri dishes and contact plates during use is the risk that the technician will disturb the growth medium after the sample has been taken. This typically results in inaccurate sampling results since undesired microorganisms are often transferred to the growth medium by accidental contact or separation of the base cover exposing the growth medium to an unexpected environment. To reduce the risk of accidental contact with the growth medium, various methods have been proposed for attaching the lid to the base container to prevent accidental separation of the lid from the base container. These efforts have often resulted in high friction forces that may complicate the separation of the container lid. For example, two known designs of contact plates are those which are the subject of US Pat. Nos. 5,854,065 and 6,602,704. Both designs provide a locking mechanism in which the cover and the base are held together by a compression fit that may be too tight for, allow easy clearance between the lid and the base container or too loose, which can lead to accidental separation of the base container lid when handling the contact plate.
    Another approach for securing the lid to the base container is the subject of US-6,969,606 and US-6,969,607 and US-7,452,711 which disclose a lockable contact plate in which the locking members are made of pairs radial sheaths and tongues. However, this approach requires a rotational movement (with a torsional force) of the cover relative to the base in order to block or unblock the locking elements. Repeated rotation using a twisting force can have ergonomic problems for users such as technicians who can handle several hundred containers each day. In addition, a rotation locking mechanism may be inherently excessive in torque / being too tight when it is locked so that excessive torque is required to open the locking elements.
    Therefore, what is needed is a biocable Petri dish or a lockable contact plate that does not lock, except by the application of a specific intentionally applied compression force, which can not exhibit excessive torque. which provides secure locking engagement between the cover and the box, and which can be easily disengaged from the blocking engagement without the need for rotational movement or torsional force.
    Summary of the invention
    The present invention relates to a container assembly for use in sampling microorganisms. In particular, the invention relates to a container assembly having a base and a lid, wherein the lid can be attached to the base while being easily separable from the base.
    According to one embodiment of the present invention, a container assembly comprises a base member having a bottom wall, a continuous side wall; and a cover having a substantially planar top wall, a side wall depending on the peripheral outer edge of the top wall having a distal edge and an inner surface with an inner dimension supplementing an outer dimension of the continuous side wall of the base member; the base member and the cover further comprising an interlocking locking mechanism for securing the base member to the locking engagement cover.
    By "distal" is meant less than the meaning of the present application.
    In a further embodiment of the present invention, a container assembly for use in sampling a surface to check for the presence of microorganisms, comprises a base having a bottom wall, a side wall, a rim extending toward the exterior from the side wall and at least two latch members located on a peripheral edge of the flange; and a cover having an upper wall, a side wall extending from the top wall and having an inner surface and an inner dimension, to be placed on the base and to cover the side wall of the base, and at least two lid key elements positioned on a distal edge of the lid side wall, wherein the at least two latch members and at least two lid key members engage to secure the lid to the base.
    In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for locking a container assembly includes the steps of providing a lid having at least two lid key members positioned on the outer edge of the lid; providing a base member having a bottom wall, a side wall, a flange extending outwardly from the side wall and at least two latch members positioned on a peripheral edge of the flange; aligning the cover over the base member so that each of the at least two cover key elements are directly above each of the at least two lock members; pressing the lid so that each of the at least two lid key elements engages each of the at least two latch members to secure the lid to the base member.
    In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for unlocking a container assembly includes the step of providing a lid having at least two lid key members positioned on the outer edge of the lid, in an engagement blocking means with a base member having a bottom wall, a side wall, a flange extending outwardly from the side wall, a continuous wall depending on a peripheral edge of the flange in a downward direction and at least one two latch elements positioned on a peripheral edge of the flange; compressing the base member at a point on the continuous wall below each of the lock members to unlock the cover.
    In one embodiment, said interlocking locking mechanism operates in the absence of any rotational movement of said cover with respect to said base member.
    In one embodiment, said interlocking locking mechanism comprises at least two pairs of locking members, each of said pairs of locking elements comprising: a cover key member; and a basic lock member.
    In one embodiment, said lid key member is positioned on a distal edge of said lid.
    In one embodiment, said base member further comprises a flange extending in an outer direction from said side wall of said base member, and wherein each of said base latch members is positioned on a peripheral edge of said base member. flange.
    In one embodiment, each basic latch member further includes a ramp section, a notch, and a narrow section base.
    In one embodiment, said lid key member further comprises: a rib section having a first end and a second end; a vertical abutment wall at each of said first and second ends of said rib section. For example, each of said rib sections is held in blocking engagement by said notch of each of said lock members.
    In one embodiment, said interlocking locking mechanism operates in the absence of application of torsional force on said cover with respect to said base member.
    In one embodiment, the type of force required to engage said interlocking locking mechanism consists of a compressive force.
    In one embodiment, said interlocking locking mechanism comprises two pairs of locking elements. For example, said two pairs of locking members are radially spaced at approximately 180 degrees.
    In one embodiment, said base element comprises a growth medium. For example, said growth medium comprises tryptic soy agar.
    The various features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by taking into consideration the detailed description and the accompanying drawings which describe the preferred embodiments of the invention.
    Brief description of the drawings
    The following is a brief description of the drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the container assembly according to one embodiment of the invention showing the base and the lid.
    Fig. 2 is an exploded side elevational view of the container assembly according to the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Figure 3 is a top view of the base according to the embodiment, as shown in Figure 1.
    Figure 4 and a top view of the cover of the embodiment, as shown in Figure 1.
    Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the container assembly of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the basic element of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the lid of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 8 is a partial sectional side view of the base and lid showing the side wall and the tab on the basis of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 9 is a partial sectional view showing the lid raised on the base of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view of a lock member of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 11 is a front view of a cover key member of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 12 is a partial sectional view of a cover key member of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 13 is a partial sectional view of a cover key member and a lock member of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, following initial contact prior to engagement of the locking mechanism. .
    Fig. 14 is a partial sectional view of a lid key member deflecting a latch member of the embodiment of Fig. 1 during engagement of the latching mechanism.
    Fig. 15 is a partial sectional view of a cover key member and a lock member of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, after engagement of the locking mechanism.
    Fig. 16 is a side elevational view of the container assembly of the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1.
    Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the container assembly of the embodiment as shown in Fig. 1.
    Detailed description of the invention
    It will be readily understood that the components of the present description, as generally described and further illustrated in the figures, can be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description, as shown in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the description, but is merely representative of the exemplary combinations of the components.
    A container assembly 10 having a base member 12 and a lid 14 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The container assembly 10 has a size and shape suitable for supporting the medium of the container. growth for the. growth of microorganisms, such as bacteria. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the container assembly 10 has a width and height, as commonly used in industry for devices used to sample microorganisms. An interlocking locking mechanism 111 is used to retain or lock the cover 14 on the base 12.
    A locking mechanism is provided which, when engaged, typically allows the assembly to be lifted by the cover 14 or to fall from a height of a laboratory bench (approximately 4 feet) without accidental separation of the base member 12 from the cover 14. A locking mechanism, as used herein, means a system which locks the cover 14 on the base member 12 and requires a positive lock and a movement or action of unlocking by a user rather than overcoming a frictional retaining force that can hold the cover on the base member to detach the cover 14 from the base member 12. An interlocking locking mechanism defines furthermore, the locking mechanism being a mechanism which is engaged / blocked or released / unlocked by a non-rotating (non-rotating) action or movement without the application of a torsional force or a force of tation.
    With reference to the drawings, the container assembly 10 typically has a substantially circular shape, as commonly used in the industry. The base member 12 has a bottom wall 16 which forms a support surface suitable for supporting a conventional agar growth medium that can be used to sample surfaces to determine the presence or absence of microorganisms. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall 16 has a slightly convex top surface 18 and a slightly concave lower surface 20. In one embodiment, the bottom wall 16 includes a plurality of perpendicular intersection peaks 22 to define a grid system 24. The grid system 24 is provided to facilitate the counting of microorganisms, as is known in the art.
    The base member 12 includes a side wall 26 which extends away from the plane of the bottom wall 16 in an axial direction generally upward with respect to an axial dimension of the base member 12 and to define a wall height. The side wall 26 is a continuous structure that encircles the bottom wall 16 and defines an upper cavity 28 in the base member 12. Preferably, the side wall 26 has an annular or circular shape that extends from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 16 for containing the growth medium and receiving the cover 14. The side wall 26 has a cross section, as shown in Figures 8 and 9 with a substantially inverted U-shape, formed by a wall 30 which extends upwardly from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 16, an upper portion 32 and an outer wall 34 which extends in one say In the illustrated embodiment, the inner wall 30 and the outer wall 34 are oriented substantially in the same direction and have a slight taper that converges toward the upper portion 32 to assist the flow. manufacturing and facilitating removal of the base member 12 from the mold used to form the base member 12. The base member 12 is typically formed as a single unitary piece from a plastics material transparent transparent such as polystyrene. Typically, the base member 12 is made by injection molding so that the taper of the inner wall 30 and the outer wall 34 facilitates removal of the injection molded portion from the mold cavity.
    As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the outer wall 34 has a distal lower end and a rim 36 extending therefrom. The rim 36 in the illustrated embodiment extends in a radially external direction relative to the base member 12. The rim 36 in preferred embodiments is continuous and has a substantially annular shape and defines a surface lid support with a shape and a dimension for receiving and supporting the lid 14. Preferably, the flange 36 has a uniform width around the outer wall 34 and lies in a horizontal plane which is substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis of the base 12.
    A continuous wall 38 depends on the peripheral edge of the flange 36 in a downward direction. As shown, the wall 38 extends away from the bottom wall 16 and the rim 36 in a generally downward direction and defines a circular support wall for the base member 12. The wall 38 includes an upper edge 40 which is contiguous with the flange 36 and extends to a free bottom edge 42. Preferably, the wall 38 is substantially annular in shape to stabilize the base member 12 when placed on a table or other support surface . In a preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of the lower edge 42 of the wall 38 is greater than the diameter of the upper edge 40 to help stabilize the base member 12 and help stack and nest multiple sets of containers.
    The base member 12 has a lower cavity 44 defined by the bottom wall 16 and the wall 38. A plurality of ribs 46, as shown in Figure 6, extend in a generally internal direction from a surface Internal wall 38. Each rib 46 has a lower surface 48 which is shaped to receive an upper portion of a lid 14, when a plurality of container assemblies are stacked, as shown in FIG. 8. Preferably, the lower surface 48 ribs 46 are shaped and dimensioned to contact an upper surface of the lid 14. In one embodiment, four ribs 46 are provided and they are uniformly spaced about 90 ° apart in the lower cavity 44. adjustment between a cover 14 and the ribs 46 on an adjacent base member 12 preferably provides a reliable stacking arrangement to prevent sets of containers mpiles to slide laterally relative to each other. Preferably, the ribs 46 and the wall 38 are of a size to receive an upper portion of a lid 14 without bond or glue so that a set of containers 10 can be lifted from a stack without accidentally separating the lid 14. a respective base element 12.
    The cover 14 has a generally flat upper wall surface 50, as shown in FIG. 2. The cover 14 is preferably made of a transparent plastics material such as polystyrene which is rigid but can also provide some limited flexion to the cover 12 without crack or break. In the embodiment shown, the top wall surface 50 has a slightly concave shape as shown in Fig. 17 which is designated to be generally planar here. In alternative embodiments, the upper wall surface 50 may have a slightly convex shape, if necessary. The cover 14 has a side wall 52 depending on a peripheral outer edge 54 of the upper wall 50 of the cover 14.
    The side wall 52 extends in a generally downward direction relative to the top wall 50 and has a slightly outward taper. Referring to Figure 2, the side wall 52 has a distal end 56 having an outer dimension that is slightly larger than the outer dimension of the top wall 50 so that the side wall 52 has a slightly frustoconical shape. In one embodiment of the invention, the side wall 52 has a conicity of about 7 ° with respect to a vertical axis of the cover 14.
    The distal end 56 of the side wall 52 of the lid 14 has a flange 58 which extends radially outwardly from the side wall 52, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. The flange 58 has a shape substantially annular with a uniform width. The flange 58 has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the distal end 56 of the side wall 52. The flange 58 provides a visual and tactile indication to the user of the position of the lid 14 to reduce the risk that the user accidentally contacts the bottom wall 16 of the base member 12 and contaminates the growth medium on the bottom wall 16.
    The flange 58 has a lower surface 60 which is oriented in a generally downward direction relative to the normal orientation of the cover 14 when placed on the base 12. As shown in FIG. 7, there is shown a plurality of projections 62 in the form of bumps that extend outwardly from the bottom surface 60. In a preferred embodiment, the projections 62 are evenly spaced around the periphery of the bottom surface 60 of the flange 58. The projections 62 have a shape and a size to space the lower surface 60 of the rim 58 of the rim 36 of the base member 12.
    The flange 36 of the base member 12 supports the side wall 52 of the cover 14 when the cover 14 is placed on the base member 12, as shown in Figure 9. The projections 62 are in contact with the flange 36 to to form a small gap between the rim 36 and the base member and the rim 58 of the lid 14. The small gap allows air to flow into and out of the cavity 28 like this may be desired or necessary for many applications to promote the proper development of microorganisms. The space formed between the flange 36 and the flange 58 also prevents inadvertently creating a blockage or seal of mold between the lid 14 and the base 12 so that the lid 14 can be easily separated from the base 12.
    Figures 1 to 17 show a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the invention for securing the base member 12 and the cover 14 in releasable locking engagement which engages in the absence of any movement The locking mechanism comprises at least two pairs of locking elements radially spaced apart from one another, preferably at equidistance (i.e. positioned at 180 degrees), wherein each pair of locking members comprises a cover key member 102 and a base lock member 103 adapted to align.
    In one embodiment of the invention, each base lock member 103 is integral with the outer surface of the wall 38 and the rim 36. As shown in Fig. 10, the lock member 103 extends from flange 36 in an axial direction generally upward with respect to an axial dimension of the base member 12 and has an inwardly directed ramp section 104 leading to a notch 105 and a narrow section base Each lid key member 102 is positioned on the distal end 56 of the lid 14 and has a rib section 107 with a vertical abutment wall 108 at each end. The rib section 107 has a radial width (A) and a height (B) greater than the rim 58. The vertical abutment walls 108 have a radial width (C) and a height (D) greater than the rib section. .
    The arrows 110 on the upper surface 50 of the lid 14 indicate the location of the lid key members 102 on the outer circumference of the lid 14, although other shapes or other designs of indicators may be used in alternative embodiments. In order to engage the locking arrangement, the cover 14 is placed on the base member 12 so that the arrows 110 and hence the cover key members 102 are positioned above and in proximity to the housing elements. latch 103 on the base 12, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The cover 14 is then pushed in a downward or compressive motion so that the rib section 107 engages the ramp section 104 thereby bringing each key 102 to deform on the inside and / or each lock element 103 to deflect outwards (due to the degree of elasticity communicated by being made from a plastic material such as polystyrene) until that the rib section 107 slides beyond the section of the ramp 104 and fits in alignment with the notch 105 and the narrow section 106, thus returning to their original configuration, as shown in FIG. in FIGS. 13 to 15. This interlocking action of the locking elements typically provides a tactile indication and clearly audible to the user that the locking mechanism is fully engaged and that the cover 14 is retained on the locking element. base 12, with the notch 105 which prevents the vertical movement of the rib section 107 and the vertical abutment walls 108 which limit any rotational movement of the cover 14 relative to the base member 12.
    In order to disengage or unlock the locking mechanism, the wall 38 of the base member 12 is pressed inwardly or is pressed at the points 333 directly below each of the lock members 103, thereby causing the element base 12 and each latch member resiliently bending outwardly thereby releasing the rib section 107 from the notch 105 of the base latch member. The rib section 107 may also deflect slightly in a similar manner as during the engagement of the locking member to slide past the notch 105.
    An increase in the length of the cover key member 102 allows for greater misalignment tolerance between the cover key member 102 and the lock member 103. The rib section 107 has a dimension of minimum width equal to the width (W) of the notch 105 of the lock member 103 and a maximum height dimension equal to the height (H) of the narrow section 106 of the lock member 103 with a cross section rounded or arcuate to facilitate sliding beyond latch member 103. The retaining force of the locking mechanism can be increased by increasing the degree of coupling or overlap between rib section 107 and notch 105. The amount of force required to engage the locking mechanism can be controlled by the transverse profile of the rib section 107 and the angle of the ramp section 104.
    Therefore, no rotational movement or torsional force is required to engage or disengage the locking mechanism of the present invention. This is a major ergonomic benefit for users such as lab technicians, who may need to open and close hundreds of these containers each day.
    The misalignment of the locking members allows the cover 14 to be placed on and depressed on the base member 12 without the engagement of the locking member of this embodiment of the invention. However, any attempt to misuse the interlocking locking mechanism of the present invention by successively attempting to rotate the cover to align and engage the locking elements fails because the radial width dimensions (C) and of greater height (D) than the vertical abutment walls 108 prevent the lock member 103 from coupling with the rib section 107 or eventually cause the lock members 103 to break the base member 12 if one attempts to force the latch elements 103 around the vertical abutment walls 108.
    Another advantage of the locking mechanism of the present invention lies in the fact that the degree or resistance of attachment between the cover and the base is constant and unaffected by the application of any additional excessive compressive force applied to the cover as a result of engaging the locking elements (i.e. the force required to disengage the locking elements remains the same regardless of the amount of compressive force applied as a result of the engagement). Thus, following the alignment of the rib section 108 with the notch 105, any additional compressive force acts on the rim 36 and not on the lock member 103. In contrast, a rotational locking mechanism may exhibit a too much torque / being too tight when locked, since the locking elements are subjected to any additional excessive torsion forces applied to the cover as a result of the engagement of the locking elements resulting in an increase in force required to successively release the locking elements or a complete failure of the rotary locking mechanism.
    Preferably, the container assembly 10 is sized to be compatible with other commercially available contact plates and petri dishes and handling devices. In a preferred embodiment, the base member 12 has a radius of about 2.75 inches and a height of about 0.375 inches. The outer wall 34 of the side wall 26 preferably has a radius of about 2.46 inches and a height 82 of about 0.15 inches.
    The microbiological medium is commonly referred to as culture medium or growth medium. The growth medium is used to aid the growth of microorganisms and is available in different formulations depending on the type of organism to be developed, and is typically differentiated by format. The dehydrated growth medium is a dry powdered version of the growth medium. The prepared medium is a reconstituted dehydrated growth medium that is combined with supplements or additives and is available for immediate use by the technician. The prepared medium is mainly available in bottle, tube or plate formats. The agar may be used in the formulations to create a solid gel-like consistency on the growth medium to prepare the medium for a contact plate or a Petri dish. Typical formulations of prepared plate media for use in environmental monitoring procedures are based on trypticase soy agar with or without neutralizing agents such as lecithin and polysorbate, Sabouraud dextrose agar with or without neutralizing agents such as lecithin and polysorbate and DE neutralizing agar.
    Contact plates or RODACs are typically used to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedures. cleaning and hygiene as part of a comprehensive microbiological monitoring program. The growth medium in the contact plates forms a convex or dome-shaped upper surface, thus allowing intimate contact between the medium and a flat surface.
    The method for obtaining a sample using a contact plate according to one embodiment of the invention is as follows. Typically, the growth medium contained in a contact plate requires refrigeration. Before use, a technician removes the refrigeration plate and allows the plates to warm to room temperature in the original packaging. After warming up, the technician opens the original packaging in a clean, closed room. The technician removes the number of plates required for sampling and closes the packaging. At this point, the technician can label the board with a unique identification number or barcode.
    The technician then transports the plates into the room or area to be tested, such as a disinfected manufacturing environment. It should be noted that the contact plate locking members typically have a misalignment prior to use so that the cover is not blocked on the base member. With one hand, the technician removes the top of the plate, holding the bottom of the plate with thumb and forefinger. The technician then slowly rolls the plate on the sample surface; it uses the index finger to compress the upper surface of the growth medium firmly against the test surface to ensure that the entire upper surface of the growth medium is in intimate contact with the test surface. After sampling, the lid is placed on the upper part of the middle filled base. The technician then has the choice to use the arrows on the top wall of the cover to align the locking elements, then pressing to lock the cover on the base or not to align the locking elements to simply close the cover on the base without blocking. The technician captures the data of the sampling location, the time and the plate used.
    This process is then repeated until the required number of locations has been sampled. The plates are then returned to the laboratory where they are incubated at a specific temperature for a defined period of time. According to a predetermined schedule, the plates are then revised for growth by visually inspecting the colony forming units (CFU). If CFUs are present in the specific incubation time, the technician can gram colonies or other type of subculture medium or use an automated system to identify the microorganism. If the growth is negative or once the organism has been identified, the plates are discarded as they represent a waste that is harmful to the body.
    The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
    权利要求:
    Claims (15)
    [1]
    A container assembly comprising: a base member having a bottom wall and a continuous side wall; a lid having a substantially planar upper wall, a side wall depending on a peripheral outer edge of said upper wall having a distal edge and an inner surface with an inner dimension supplementing an outer dimension of said side wall of said base member; and an interlocking locking mechanism for securing said base member to said locking engagement cover, said interlocking locking mechanism comprising at least two pairs of locking members, each of said pairs of locking members comprising: a lid key member, and a base latch member, said lid key member being positioned on a distal edge of said lid, wherein said base latch member is located radially outside said side wall of said lid key member; base member thereby defining a space between itself and said side wall of said base member, said base lock member being cantilevered with said base member to be resiliently deformable, wherein said cover is positionable on said base member with said side wall of said cover encircling said side wall of said base member and wherein upon placing said cover on said base member, each lid key member is forced into said space with resilient deformation of said corresponding base lock member, reciprocally engaging said lid key members. with said basic latch elements fixing said lid on said base member.
    [2]
    An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said interlocking locking mechanism operates in the absence of any rotational movement of said cover with respect to said base member.
    [3]
    An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said base member further comprises a flange extending in an outer radial direction from said side wall of said base member, and wherein each of said basic latch members is positioned on a peripheral edge of said flange.
    [4]
    The assembly of claim 1, wherein each basic latch member further comprises a ramp section, a notch, and a narrow section base.
    [5]
    An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cover key member further comprises: a rib section having a first end and a second end; and a vertical stop wall at each of said first and second ends; second ends of said rib section.
    [6]
    An assembly according to claim 5, wherein each of said rib sections is held in blocking engagement by said notch of each of said lock members.
    [7]
    An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said interlocking locking mechanism operates in the absence of application of torsional force on said cover with respect to said base member.
    [8]
    An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the type of force required to engage said interlocking locking mechanism consists of a compressive force.
    [9]
    The assembly of claim 1, wherein said interlocking locking mechanism comprises two pairs of locking members.
    [10]
    The assembly of claim 9, wherein said two pairs of blocking members are radially spaced approximately 180 degrees apart.
    [11]
    An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said base element comprises a growth medium.
    [12]
    The assembly of claim 11, wherein said growth medium comprises trypticase soy agar.
    [13]
    Container assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a wall (38) depending on said flange in a downward direction.
    [14]
    The container assembly of claim 13, wherein said base latch member extends from said flange in an upward direction opposite to said dependent wall.
    [15]
    The container assembly of claim 14, wherein said basic latch members are aligned on said dependent wall.
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    法律状态:
    优先权:
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    US68907310|2010-01-18|
    US12/689,073|US9493733B2|2010-01-18|2010-01-18|Container assembly|
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