CA2186929A1

CA2186929A1 - Plastic pail lid with vent plug

Info

Publication number: CA2186929A1
Application number: CA002186929A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Stephen H. Arshinoff; Peter J. Lovell
Original assignee: Industrial Containers Ltd
Current assignee: Industrial Containers Ltd
Priority date: 1996-10-01
Filing date: 1996-10-01
Publication date: 1998-04-01

Abstract

A plastic pail lid with a vent plug. The pail lid has a recessed section of predetermined cross-section, with said lid within said recessed section having a membrane of reduced thickness therein. The membrane is openable to form a vent through said plastic pail lid. A
plug is provided for said vent, with a cross-section substantially conforming to said predetermined cross-section of said recessed section.

Description

21 ~3692~
-PLASTIC PAIL LID WITH VENT PLUG

The present invention is directed to a plastic pail lid with a vent plug, and especially to a tamper-evident lid having a vent and a plug for such vent. In particular aspects of the invention, the plastic pail lid is intended for use on pails for the packaging, storage and transportation of flowable materials.
Plastic pails are used in a variety of end-uses and in a variety of sizes. Such pails are used in the transportation of flowable materials, which may be in the form of solid particulate material or in the form of a liquid. Examples of such matters include paint, edible oils, lubricating oils, adhesives, other solvent-based materials as well as a wide variety of granular flowable materials.
Lids for plastic pails intended for use for such flowable materials generally have a pouring spout through which the flowable material within the pail may be dispensed during use. A wide variety of pouring spouts are known.
One of the difficulties encountered in pouring a fluid or other flowable material from a pail is that the flowable material passing from the pail must be replaced within the pail by air. In the absence of a vent for passage of such air, this results in a substantially uncontrolled flow of material, particularly large variations in the rate of flow of material. Such a problem may be overcome by providing a vent in the lid of the container. The vent may be in the form of an orifice, which may be plugged prior to use or preferably an incipient orifice that may be ruptured to form an orifice e.g. using a screwdriver, prior to pouring of the flowable material. One preferred example of an incipient orifice is a section of the lid that is of reduced thickness, referred to herein as a membrane but frequently referred to as a flash plug. The section of 21 ~6q~q -the lid of reduced thickness is a practical way of providing a vent, in that a user may use a sharp object e.g. a ~crewdriver to penetrate the section of reduced thickness and thereby quickly provide a vent to the lid, - 5 while preventing contamination prior to forming of the vent.
If all of the contents of the pail are dispensed at one time, the nature of the vent that is provided is a relatively low importance. However, if only a portion of the contents of the pail are dispensed at any one time, the result is a pail still containing flowable material in which the lid has a vent open to the air. Such a vent is also open to contamination by liquids, particularly water from rain or the like as well as solid contaminates e.g. dirt. A plug can be inserted into the vent to effect closure, but if the plug is of a kind that is used repeatedly, the problem of contamination of the contents of the pail rem~-~C. In addition, a suitable plug often is not readily available.
A plastic lid having a vent plug that substantially overcomes the defects of a plug intended for multiple use has now been found.
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention provides a plastic pail lid with a vent plug, comprising:
a plastic pail lid having a recessed section of predetermined cross-section, said lid within said recessed section having a membrane of reduced thickness therein openable to form a vent through said plastic pail lid;
a plug for said vent, said plug having a cross-section substantially conforming to said predetermined cross-section of said recessed section.
In a preferred embodiment of the plastic pail lid of the present invention, the vent plug has two annular raised sections thereon in spaced apart relationship, said spaced apart relationship substantially conforming to the thickness of the plastic pail lid and said raised -sections being such that only one raised section will pass through the recessed section.
In another embodiment of the plastic pail lid, the vent plug is part of a tamper-evident strip on the pail lid.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a plastic pail lid having a rim with an orifice for venting of said pail, said orifice having a plug therein, said plug being attached to a cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being located in an orifice cooperatively located on said rim of the container.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a tamper-evident vent plug for a container, said vent plug -having a container orifice plug attached to a planar cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being aligned with said container plug and said handle, said handle being attached to opposed sides of said cover plate and additionally having frangible gates that break when the end of the handle opposed to the cover plate is raised out of the plane of said cover plate.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a plastic pail lid having a rim with an orifice for dispensing of flowable materials from said pail, said orifice having a plug therein, said plug being attached to a cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being located in an orifice cooperatively located on said rim of the container.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a tamper-evident dispènsing orifice for a container, said dispensing orifice having a container orifice plug attached to a planar cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being aligned with said container plug and said handle, said handle being attached to opposed sides of said cover plate and additionally having frangible gates that break when the end of the handle opposed to the cover pate is raised out of the plane of said cover plate.
The present invention is illustrated by the embodiments shown in the drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a plug vent in a lid;
Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of a vent plug;
Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a vent plug;
Fig.s 4A-4C are schematic representations of stages - in formation and use of a vent;
Fig. 4D is a schematic representation of another lS embodiment of a vent;
Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of an alternate vent plug for use in the rim of a container; and Fig. 5A is a schematic representation of the anchor pivot of A-A of Fig. 5.
Fig. 1 shows a vent plug generally indicated by 1 passing through a lid generally indicated by 2. Lid 2 has a section of uniform cross-section shown as 3, with a vent 4 therethrough. Vent 4 is of a uniform cross-section. Even though such cross-section of vent 4 is preferably circular, square or rectangular, other convenient shapes may be used. The lower section of lid 2, as shown in Fig. 1, has portions of membrane 5, shown on both sides of vent 4. It is understood that parts of membrane 5 in the ruptured condition shown in Fig. 1, would likely be arranged around vent 4 in a non-regular manner. As discussed herein, a common technique for rupturing membrane 5 of vent 4 in lid 2 is by use of screwdriver, which would result in non-uniform rupturing of membrane 5. Membrane 5 prior to rupture would be of relatively uniform thickness, but it is likely to be form as a flash plug and persons skilled in the art will -understand the limitations on uniformity in thickness inherent therein.
Vent plug 1 is shown passing through vent 4 of lid 2. Vent plug 1 is shown as being tapered at its lower end, 6. Vent plug 1 has two annular raised sections, 7 and 8. Raised section 7 is shown juxtaposed to membrane 5, whereas raised section 8 is shown as being above lid 2. Vent plug 1 is shown as substantially conforming to the size of vent 4. In practice, as discussed herein, raised section 7 is intended to be of a size that will pass through vent 4 but substantially provide a seal on the under side of lid 2. In contrast raised section 8 is such that it will not pass through vent 4. Raised section 7 and raised section 8 are spaced apart by a distance that approximates the thickness of lid 2.
Lid 2 as shown in Fig. 1 is shown as having the recessed section that forms vent 4 as being recessed from the upper side of lid 2. The recessed section may however be recessed from the under side of lid 2, which would reduce contamination in the form of water e.g.
rain, and dirt from accumulating in the recess prior to rupture and use. Lid 2 is also shown as having the vent on the major surface of the lid. However, in a preferred embodiment, it could be conveniently located on the rim of the container lid, on containers that are of a construction capable of having a dispensing orifice therein, as discussed herein with respect to the vent plug shown in Fig. 5.
It is understood that the location of the vent could be highlighted by indicia on the lid, especially if the location of the vent is not readily visible to the eye.
Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a vent plug. Vent plug 10 of Fig. 2 has a substantially rectangular cross-section, being tapered at its lower end 11. Two annular raised sections, 12 and 13, are shown as extending around vent plug 10 in a spaced apart arrangement. Vent plug 10 of Fig. 2 is shown as being of 21 P~6929 -narrower width on the section disposed away from end 11.
In particular, the embodiment of Fig. 2 is one representation of a vent plug that would be part of a tamper evident strip around the edge of the lid, and 5 which would need to be broken in order to access the contents of the pail. Such tamper evident strips are known.
Fig. 3 shows a vent plug 20 as passing through a lid generally indicated by 21. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 lid 21 has a raised section 22 around the circumference of vent 23 in lid 21. Raised section 22 is intended to provide for further sealing with raised section 24 on vent plug 20 for at least two reasons. The most important reason is probably that raised section 22 15 makes it more difficult for liquid lying on the top of lid 21 from accessing vent 23 through lid 21, thereby cont~m;n~ting the contents of the pail. Another reason - is that a more effective seal may be obtained with the vent plug.
Fig. 4A shows a recessed section 30 in a lid 31.
Recessed section 30 has a membrane 32 extending across the width of recessed section 30, thereby providing a seal to prevent solid or liquid cont~m;n~nts from passing through the lid.
Fig. 4B shows membrane 32 of Fig. 4A as being ruptured, forming ruptured membrane 33. Thus Fig. 4B
represents the vent of a lid in which the lid has been penetrated to allow passage of air, in preparation for or after dispensing of flowable material from the pail.
Fig. 4C shows a vent plug, substantially as described herein, entering into recessed section 30.
Fig. 4C shows an alternate embodiment of a vent 35, prior to being pierced, in lid 31. In this embodiment, vent 31 is in the form of a dome extending above the 35 surface of lid 31. The dome has a weakened area i.e. an area of reduced thickness, indicated by 3 6.

2 1 ~6929 -In use, the membrane within the recessed section is pierced with a suitable object. Some of the contents of the pail are then poured from a spout (not shown), until the desired amount of flowable material has been dispensed. A vent plug is then inserted into the recessed section of the lid i.e. the vent, to seal the vent from the atmosphere. In the preferred embodiment, the vent plug is part of a tamper-evident strip around the periphery of the container, which must be removed to 10- access the contents of the container.
Fig. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of a vent plug.
The vent plug, generally indicated by 40, is particularly intended to be located on the rim of the container, although it could be located elsewhere on the lid.
Certain designs of containers have a relatively wide rim, and it is possible to provide an orifice in the rim in a location that accesses the contents of the pail and not the exterior or seal region of a pail, as will be understood by per~ons skilled in the art. It will be further understood that the orifice that accommodates plug 42, discussed below and illustrated in Fig. 5 will normally be curved in shape rather than with straight sides as shown in Fig. 5.
Vent plug 40 has cover plate 41 which has plug 42 on the underside thereof, as indicated by the dotted lines.
Plug 42 is intended to conform in shape to an orifice in the rim of the container, and to effect sealing thereof.
Handle 43 extends from both sides of cover plate 41, meeting at handle end 44 so as to form a continuous handle attached to opposed sides of cover plate 41.
Handle 43 is additionally attached to cover plate 41 at gates 45 and 46.
At a location shown as being substantially opposite gates 45 and 46, but which may be varied, cover plate 41 has anchor pivot 47. A cross-section of anchor pivot 47 is shown in Fig. 5A. Anchor pivot 47 has a ball 48 connected to cover plate 41 by shaft 49.

21 '8692~
-In u~e of the vent plug 40 of Fig. 5, anchor plVOt 47 is inserted into an orifice in the rim of the container cooperatively located for that purpose. Vent plug 40 is then rotated to align plug 42 with the orifice located in the rim of the container, and pressed into position. The container would be stored or shipped in such a condition. At the time of dispensing of the contents of the container, handle 43 is lifted at handle end 44. In doing so, and prior to detachment of vent plug 40 from the container, gates 45 and 46 are broken, thereby showing evidence of opening of the container.
Handle end 44 is then lifted further, to remove vent plug 40 from the container, in the course of which anchor pivot 47 and plug 42 are detached in sequence from the container.
The present invention provides vents plugs for use on plastic pails. Both types of vent plug can provide evidence of tampering with the container. In addition, the vent plugs provide a convenient and useful method of plugging vents in containers for flowable materials.

Claims

1. A plastic pail lid with a vent plug, comprising:
a plastic pail lid having a recessed section of predetermined cross-section, said lid within said recessed section having a membrane of reduced thickness therein openable to form a vent through said plastic pail lid;
a plug for said vent, said plug having a cross-section substantially conforming to said predetermined cross-section of said recessed section.

2. The plastic pail lid of Claim 1 in which the vent plug has two annular raised sections thereon in spaced apart relationship, said spaced apart relationship substantially conforming to the thickness of the plastic pail lid and said raised sections being such that only one raised section will pass through the recessed section.

3. The plastic pail lid of Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the vent plug is part of a tamper-evident strip on the pail lid.

4. A plastic pail lid having a rim with an orifice for venting of said pail, said orifice having a plug therein, said plug being attached to a cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being located in an orifice cooperatively located on said rim of the container.

5. A tamper-evident vent plug for a container, said vent plug having a container orifice plug attached to a planar cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being aligned with said container plug and said handle, said handle being attached to opposed sides of said cover plate and additionally having frangible gates that break when the end of the handle opposed to the cover pate is raised out of the plane of said cover plate.

6. A plastic pail lid having a rim with an orifice for dispensing of flowable materials from said pail, said orifice having a plug therein, said plug being attached to a cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being located in an orifice cooperatively located on said rim of the container.

7. A tamper-evident dispensing orifice for a container, said dispensing orifice having a container orifice plug attached to a planar cover plate that has an anchor pivot and a tamper evident handle, said anchor pivot being aligned with said container plug and said handle, said handle being attached to opposed sides of said cover plate and additionally having frangible gates that break when the end of the handle opposed to the cover plate is raised out of the plane of said cover plate.