Item Counting Device for Container Lid

摘要

A container closure that counts items inserted into the container is disclosed. The closure includes a lid structure that has a container sealing means around a perimeter thereof and an aperture traversing the lid structure. A flap is adapted to substantially seal the aperture and is fixed with a hinge at one edge thereof to a bottom side of the lid structure. A counting mechanism is fixed to the lid structure and includes an actuating lever having an actuator linkage fixed to the flap. The counting mechanism is adapted to increment a counter of the counting mechanism when the flap is moved from a closed position towards an open position. Preferably the actuator linkage is a coil spring such that the flap only needs to travel a short distance towards its open position to actuate the actuating lever. Thereafter, once the actuator linkage has pulled the actuating lever into its actuating position and the counter has been incremented, the coil spring expands as necessary to permit the item to traverse the aperture between the flap and the lid structure.