Dispenser for Personal Care Products With a Wide Lid-Activation Button

Abstract

A lid structure for use with a container for storing personal care products is disclosed. The lid structure includes a lid top that is connected by a hinge to a lid base. In exemplary embodiments, the lid structure includes a lid-activation button that when pressed allows the lid top to rotate about the lid base giving a consumer access to the contents of the container. The lid-activation button is wide enough to allow a consumer to easily make contact with the lid-activation button and cause the lid top to open. Additionally, the lid-activation button functions so that the lid top is released independent of where the lid-activation button is pressed by the consumer.

1 . A container for storing personal care articles comprising:
 a lid structure attached to the container, the lid structure having a top lid portion connected to a base lid portion by at least one hinge, the top lid portion having a lid fastener mechanism extending from the opposing side of the hinge, the base lid portion having a dispensing aperture formed therethrough;   a lid-activation button having a button fastener mechanism along a longitudinal edge of the button in communication with the lid fastener mechanism, the lid-activation button having a width greater than 52 mm; and   wherein the entire lid-activation button rotates about the same axis when depressed by a user to release the lid fastener mechanism from the button fastener mechanism and allow the top lid portion to rotate away from the bottom lid portion.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid-activation button extends the entire width of the lid structure. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid-activation button extends at least 75% of the entire width of the lid structure. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid-activation button extends at least 50% of the entire width of the lid structure. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the width of the lid-activation button is greater than 72 mm. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the width of the lid-activation button is greater than 105 mm. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 1  wherein a rigidity of the lid-activation button increases closer to the inner longitudinal edge. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7  wherein the rigidity of the inner longitudinal edge is at least 10% greater than a rigidity of a remainder of the lid-activation button. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid-activation button is an integral portion of the lid structure connected to the lid base via a living hinge. 
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 9  wherein the living hinge has a width at least 50% of the width of the lid-activation button. 
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 6  wherein the living hinge has a width that is substantially equal to the width of the lid-activation button. 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid-activation button is a separate piece from the rest of the lid structure. 
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid-activation button is attached to the lid base via a hinge mechanism extending from the inner longitudinal edge of the lid-activation button.