Lid top symmetry

Abstract

Examples include a box with a sidewall structure, a reversible lid with top and flanks, and a lock. At least a portion of the flanks covers at least a portion of the sidewall structure when the box is locked. The lock has an active actuator moveable from a locking to an opening position by applying pressure. The active actuator is connected to the portion of the sidewall structure and abuts against a locking tab of the lid when in the locking position. The flanks comprise an actuation area to displace the active actuator by applying the pressure. The box comprises a passive actuator paired to the active actuator. The paired actuators are 180 degrees from each other around the central axis. The passive actuator is inactivated by an inactivation configuration of the lid located at 180 degrees from the locking tab around the central axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container comprising a box, a reversible lid for the box, and a lock to maintain the lid in a closed position, the box comprising a base, a sidewall structure and an opening opposite to the base, the lid comprising a top and flanks, the top covering the opening when the lid is in the closed position, whereby the top is substantially 180 degrees symmetrical around a central axis normal to the top, whereby at least a portion of the flanks covers at least a specific portion of the sidewall structure of the box when the lid is in the closed position, the lock comprising a specific active actuator moveable from a locking position to an opening position by applying an actuation pressure onto the specific active actuator when the lid is in the closed position, whereby the specific active actuator is connected to the specific portion of the sidewall structure, whereby the specific active actuator abuts against a corresponding locking tab of the lid when in the locking position, the specific active actuator being displaceable by the actuation pressure by an unlocking displacement distance in a direction normal to the specific portion of the sidewall structure, whereby the flanks comprise a specific actuation area, the actuation area facing the specific active actuator, the specific actuation area being configured to permit displacing the specific active actuator from the locking position to the opening position by applying the actuation pressure at the specific actuation area when the lid is in the closed position, the box comprising a specific passive actuator connected to a second portion of the sidewall structure, the specific passive actuator and the specific active actuator being paired to be substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis when the lid is in the closed position, whereby the specific passive actuator is inactivated by a specific inactivation configuration of the lid when the lid is in the closed position, the specific inactivation configuration and the locking tab corresponding to the specific active actuator being substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis. 
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , whereby the container comprises one or more additional pair of active actuators, the container comprising for each such additional pair of active actuators respective additional locking tabs and respective additional actuation areas, each additional active actuator of each pair being paired to be substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis when the lid is in the closed position, the respective additional locking tabs being substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 2 , the container comprising a single additional pair of active actuators, whereby a specific flank comprises one of the respective additional actuation areas, such respective additional actuation area being a single actuation area of the specific flank. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 2 , whereby the single actuation area of the specific flank is located off-center of the specific flank. 
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 2 , whereby the single actuation area of the specific flank is located on the left hand side of the specific flank from the point of view of an observer of the specific flank when the box sits upright with the lid in the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 5 , whereby the lid comprises a flank opposite to the specific flank, such opposite flank comprising the specific actuation area and the additional actuation area paired with the single actuation area of the specific flank. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 2 , whereby the container comprises one or more additional pair of passive and active actuators, the container comprising for each such additional pair a respective additional inactive configuration and a respective additional locking tab, each additional passive actuator and additional active actuator being paired to be substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis when the lid is in the closed position, the respective additional inactivation configuration and respective additional locking tab being substantially symmetrically located at 180 degrees from each other around the central axis. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 1 , whereby each inactivation configuration generates pressure on the specific passive actuator when the lid is in the closed position, or prevents contact with the specific passive actuator when the lid is in the closed position. 
     
     
         9 . The container according to  claim 1 , whereby each actuation element is an aperture. 
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 1 , whereby each actuator comprises a dedicated flap. 
     
     
         11 . The container according to  claim 1 , whereby the lid comprises a transversal support element extended from a first end of the support element to a second end of the support element along the direction normal to the specific portion, the support element being attached or integrated to the top of the lid, whereby the specific portion is located between the first end and the specific actuation area when the lid is in the closed position, the first end being separated from the specific actuation area by a clearance of less than 1 cm and of more than 0.5 mm along the direction normal to the specific portion. 
     
     
         12 . The container according to  claim 1 , the container comprising a plurality of adjacent actuation areas having respective centroids separated by more than 1 cm and by less than 12 cm along a direction parallel to the top of the lid and tangential to the sidewall structure. 
     
     
         13 . A consumer product comprising a detergent product and a container according to  claim 1 , whereby the box comprises the detergent product and whereby the container is preferably a cardboard or paperboard container. 
     
     
         14 . A method to operate a locked container or a locked consumer product according to  claim 13 , the method comprising:
 unlocking of the container or consumer product by applying the actuation pressure on the specific active actuator through the specific actuation area;   in response to the first unlocking, rotating the lid of the open box 180 degrees in relation to the open box around the central axis;   in response to rotating the lid, reclosing the box, whereby the actuator acting during the first unlocking as active actuator acts during the reclosing as passive actuator, and whereby the actuator acting during the first unlocking as passive actuator acts during the reclosing as active actuator.