HK1114589B - A cover for a container and a system of container covers - Google Patents

Description

Cover for a container and system of container covers

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a system of lids and container lids for containers and, more particularly, to a system of lids and container lids for containers that lock together when stacked.

Background

Rigid thermoplastic food containers are generally known. Users often gather a large number of containers of different sizes and shapes. When not in use, the user typically places the container randomly within the drawer. In this case, the unused container occupies a lot of space and it is difficult to match the base with the lid in an un-arranged drawer. To avoid this, some users stack the containers in cabinets. Although the base of the container is nested, thereby taking up less space than in a messy drawer, it is still difficult to match the base to the lid. In addition, the cover may tend to fall off because it is not laminated. When the containers are used to store food in use, the containers are typically stacked one on top of the other in a cabinet or refrigerator. These stacks may be unstable so that their dropping may cause food to spill from the container. Many users find it desirable to be able to store empty or in-use containers with sufficient space, greater stability and greater structural strength. The main object of the present invention is to provide such a container.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, the present invention provides a container that can be locked into a stack of containers. The container lid locks onto the top of the container base to define a sealed space for storage. In addition, the bottom of the second container base can be locked onto the top of the first container lid. In this way, when closed containers are stacked, they can form a locked stack that is structurally stronger and, therefore, more stable than conventional unlocked container stacks.

When the containers are not in use, their bases are formed into a nested stack and their covers can be locked to one another to form a locked cover stack. The locked cover stack may be locked to the top or base of the nested base stack to form a strong stack.

In some embodiments, the lid may be inverted and its bottom surface locked onto the bottom of the base.

In some embodiments, the container lid includes a first closure portion and a first engagement portion, and the base includes a second closure portion and a second engagement portion. The first closure portion of the lid is sealingly engageable with the second closure portion of the base to define a substantially sealed, leak-proof, sealable storage area for an item such as a food product. The first engagement portion of the cover can engage the second engagement portion of the second base to form a starting end of the locked container stack. The first closure portion of the lid may be engaged with the first closure portion of the second lid to form a locked lid stack. In some embodiments, the cover includes a third engagement portion that engages with the third engagement portion of the second cover when forming the stack of locking covers.

The lid and base can be manufactured in an economical manner from a thin size of plastic so that they can be washed after use, or they can be used as disposables, taking into account their purchase price to allow them to be used as consumable items. For example, the container lid may be made of a translucent material using conventional thermoforming machines to ensure satisfactory visibility of the contents of the container. The container is suitable for use in refrigerators, freezers, microwave ovens and dishwashers.

The features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description when taken with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a locked stack of two containers according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the locked container stack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the area indicated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the area indicated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the locked container stack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a locked stack of the bases of 5 containers and their covers;

FIG. 7 is a side isometric view of the locked container stack of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed view of the area indicated in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side plan view of the locked container stack of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a locked stack of 5 container lids;

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the locked cover stack of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged detailed view of the area indicated in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the locked cover stack of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a nested stack of 5 container lids;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the nested base stack of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side view of the nested base stack of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the present invention in which an inverted lid is locked to the bottom of the container base;

FIG. 18 is a side cross-sectional view of the container stack with the cover inverted in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged detailed view of the area indicated in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged detail view of the first area shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged detail view of the second area shown in FIG. 19; and

fig. 22 is a side sectional view of the container stack with the cover inverted in fig. 17.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components, there is shown in FIGS. 1-5 a first embodiment of the present invention. In the example of fig. 1, the locking container stack 100 includes two sealed containers 102 and 104. The container 102 includes a flexible lid 106 sealingly engaged on a base 108, and the container 104 includes a lid 110 sealingly engaged on a base 112 thereof. To form the locking container stack 100, the top surface of the cover 110 is locked to the bottom surface of the base 108. Together, the locking containers 102 and 104 form a more structurally robust composite stack 100 and, therefore, provide greater stability than conventional non-interlocking container stacks.

The container lid 106 can include at least one gripping tab 114 that facilitates removal of the lid 106 from the container base 108. In some embodiments, the grip tab 114 includes one or more intersecting ribs or textured surfaces to facilitate gripping of the tab 114 by a user.

A storage area 200 of the container 102 defined when the lid 106 is sealingly engaged with the base 108 can be seen in the cross-sectional view of fig. 2. Fig. 2 also shows a method of engaging the base 108 of the upper container 102 with the cover 110 of the lower container 104 to form the locked container stack 100. In the particular embodiment shown in fig. 2, the containers 102 and 104 utilize outside seals. The present invention can be implemented with various closure structures including an outer closure and an inner closure.

The detailed views of fig. 3 and 4 show an embodiment of a closure portion for engaging the lid 110 with the base 112 of the container 104 and an engagement portion for engaging the lid 110 of the container 104 with the base 108 of the container 102. In fig. 3, the base 108 includes a bottom surface 300 and a sidewall 302 extending from the periphery of the bottom surface 300.

Referring to fig. 4, the cover 110 includes a first closure portion 400 in the form of a raised locking ring. In the embodiment of fig. 4, the cover 110 further includes a first engagement portion 402. The first closure portion 400 of the cover 110 may be engaged with the second closure portion 404 of the base 112 to provide a leak-proof, sealable closure. Additionally, the first engagement portion 402 of the cover 110 may be engaged with the second engagement portion 406 of the base 108 of the container 102 to form the locking container stack 100.

The first closure portion 400 includes an inner wall 408, a retention bead 410, and an outer wall 412. The inner wall 408, the retention bead 410, and the outer wall 412 define a first sealing surface 414 that is part of the lower surface of the lid 110. The retention bead 410 may include rounded shoulders 416 and 418. The outer wall 412 extends between the retention bead 410 and the flange 420. The flange 420 can provide a convenient gripping surface to facilitate removal of the cover 110 from the base 112.

As shown in fig. 4, the second closure portion 404 of the base 112 is a raised locking ring that extends from the upper edge of the sidewall of the base 112. The second closure portion 404 includes an inner wall 422, a retention bead 424, and an outer wall 426. The inner wall 422, the retention bead 424, and the outer wall 426 define a second sealing surface 428 that is part of the upper surface of the base 112. The retention bead 424 may include a rounded shoulder 430. The outer wall 426 extends between the retention bead 424 and the flange 432. The flange 432 can provide a convenient gripping surface to facilitate removal of the cover 110 from the base 112.

The first and second closure portions 400 and 404 are slightly different sizes so as to form a press fit therebetween. The press fit between the first and second closure portions 400 and 404 can provide a sealing engagement between the closure portions. As a result, a reliable seal may be formed between the first and second sealing surfaces 414 and 428 around the perimeter of the base 112 and lid 110 when the two components are engaged.

The engagement of the first and second closure portions 400 and 404 may be achieved by audible and/or tactile feedback indicating a secure closure of the container. The feedback may also be provided by a press fit and/or gas venting. Audible and/or tactile feedback may also occur in the lid-to-base engagement.

In the example of fig. 4, the inner wall 408 of the first closure portion 400 of the cover 110 extends to the first engagement portion 402. The first engagement portion 402 includes an inner wall 434, a lower side wall 436, and an outer wall 438. The outer wall 438 includes a truncated portion 440.

The second engagement portion 406 of the base 108 is complementary to the first engagement portion 402 of the cover 110. In the example of fig. 4, the second engagement portion 406 includes a notch 442. When the base 108 is pressed down on the cover 110, the undercut 442 of the second engagement portion 406 in the base 108 engages the cutback 440 of the first engagement portion 402 on the cover 110. The notch 442 may be designed to provide a friction fit or snap engagement with the cap cutback 440. In this manner, the base and cover can be locked together within the locking container stack 100 of FIG. 1.

The first and second closure portions 400 and 404 and the first and second engagement portions 402 and 406 shown in FIG. 4 are examples only, and many other types of closure portions and engagement portions can be used with the present invention. For the first example, the first and second engagement portions 402 and 406 may be complementary locking rings. Alternatively, the second engagement portion 406 of the base 108 may include external ribs that are complementary to the snap-in slots of the first engagement portion 402 of the cover 110. Since these and many other types of closure and engagement portions are well known in the art, they will not be described in detail herein. In other aspects, the engagement portion may include a discontinuous locking ring, detent, or button.

Fig. 5 again shows the locking container stack 100 of fig. 1. The container 102 is shown in a closed position and the lid 106 cooperates with the base 108 to define a sealed compartment. The lid 106 is sufficiently flexible to allow a user to create a vacuum in the container 102 once sealed. To create the vacuum, for example, a user may depress the lid 106 when closing the container 102. The restoring force exerted on the lid 106 by the resiliency of the lid 106 material will force the lid 106 to return to its normal position, thereby creating a vacuum.

A second configuration of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 6-9. In fig. 1, the containers 102 and 104 are in a closed state, which is suitable when the containers are put into use. On the other hand, fig. 6 shows the utility of an embodiment of the present invention when storing containers. The bases of several empty containers are nested together in a stack 602 on top of a stack 604 of container lids. This stack is more stable than similar stacks of the prior art for two reasons: (1) the lowermost container base 606 not only sits on the uppermost cover 608, but also locks the base and cover together, (2) locks the cover together in the stack 604.

In the example of fig. 6, the container is generally square in shape with rounded corners. In other embodiments of the invention, the container has other shapes such as rectangular, circular or oval.

In fig. 7 and in particular in the detailed description of fig. 8, the nesting of the container bases in their stack 602 can be clearly seen. The case of such a suit will now be described with reference to figures 14 to 16.

Fig. 8 illustrates a method of locking the lowermost container base 606 to the uppermost container cover 608. Repeating the terminology used above with respect to fig. 4, the first engagement portion 402 of the cover 608 engages the second engagement portion 406 of the base 606.

The stability of the storage stack 600 can be understood from fig. 9. The container bases are nested together in stack 602, the container covers are locked together in stack 604, and the two stacks are locked together. Where cover stack 604 is on top of base stack 602, the order of the various stacks may be changed. In this configuration, the first closure portion 400 of the lowermost cover is joined to the second closure portion 404 of the uppermost base.

Figures 10-13 illustrate the locked stack of container caps 604 from figures 6-9. The container cover 608 forms a wall that is thinner in thickness than the container base. The cover 608 may be made of any suitable plastic and may be formed by any suitable technique, such as thermoforming. The cover 608 may be formed of polypropylene, and the thickness of the initiation layer is 7 to 60 mils, preferably 12 to 25 mils. The wall thickness of the cover 608 may vary due to the thermoforming process. A thinner container cover 608 can reduce material costs and increase flexibility for easier separation and engagement with the container base. The cover 608 may remain suitably flexible to achieve a proper seal even during normal freezing temperatures.

The container cover 608 may have a central region 1000. The central area 1000 may include molded indicia such as manufacturer indicia or may allow the user to affix a label or write down information such as the date or user's name. When the central region 1000 includes a writable region, the region may be in an opaque color capable of receiving a contrasting color from the writing device. The writable region may be incorporated into the material of the container cover 608 or may be printed on the material.

Figures 11 and 13 emphasize the compactness of the locking stack 604 of container covers. This compactness is a significant advantage in the present invention when the lid is stored for future use.

Figure 12 shows in detail some possible closing and engaging parts for locking the covers together. The particular arrangement of fig. 12 shows a stack of locked covers 604, wherein the covers are locked to each other by two different engagement mechanisms. First and still using the terminology of fig. 4, the first closure portion 400 of the cover 608 engages the first closure portion 400 of the cover 1200 directly beneath it in the stack. As illustrated, these first closure portions 400 are raised locking rings, each with two shoulders 416 and 418. When the cover 608 is locked onto the cover 1200, the upper shoulder 416 of the cover 1200 fits over and engages the lower shoulder 418 of the cover 608. In this manner, the covers are locked together, thereby forming a structurally stable cover stack 604. The double locking ring structure allows the cover stack to be formed with limited tolerance during the bonding process. In addition, the deviation in the engagement position can be restricted.

To form the second lid-to-lid engagement mechanism shown in fig. 12, each lid extends beyond its first engagement portion 402 to form a third engagement portion 1202. As illustrated, the third engagement portion 1202 is comprised of an upper projection 1204 and a lower projection 1206. Each protrusion is convex on one side and concave on the other side. The lower protrusion 1206 of the cover 608 fits over the upper protrusion 1204 of the cover 1200 and receives the upper protrusion 1204, thereby locking the covers 608 and 1200 together. Although optional, this third engagement portion 1202 can increase the structural stability of the cover stack 604, particularly where the cover is thermoformed from a thinner material. The third engagement portion 1202 can be formed in various ways known in the art, if desired.

Fig. 14-16 show the nested stack from the container base 602 of fig. 6. The container base 606 may be made of a suitable plastic of sufficient thickness so as not to deform from the heat of microwave cooking and top rack washing. It should also remain firm when lifted with hot food. Base 606 may be made of any suitable plastic and may be made by any suitable technique (e.g., co-extrusion, lamination, or molding). In one embodiment, the container base 606 is formed from polypropylene.

Figures 15 and 16 emphasize the compactness of the nested stack 602 of container bases. As with the nested stack of container lids 602, this compactness is a significant advantage in the present invention when the lids are stored for later use.

In the embodiment of fig. 15, the walls 302 of the container base have a design angle that allows nesting. This design angle allows the notch 442 in the base of each container to nest within another container. The space between one container cutout 442 and the other container sidewall 302 ensures easy denesting.

In fig. 15, the container bases are nested together as shown, but they are not locked to each other. In many applications, nesting the container bases together without locking them together can provide sufficient structural robustness to the base stack 602. However, the techniques of the present invention can be applied to the container bases themselves, and thus, a mechanism can be provided to lock the bases together. The same type of closure and engagement portions suitable for locking the covers together or locking the covers to the bases may be employed to lock the bases together.

FIGS. 17-22 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention. The locked container stack 1700 of fig. 17 includes, from top to bottom, a first container cover 1702 locked onto the top of a first container base 1704. The base 1704 is nested within the second base 1706. The bottom surface of the second base 1706 is locked to the second cover 1708. However, unlike the above-described embodiment, the second cover 1708 is upside down. The structure of the unlocked container stack 1700 is best understood from the side view of fig. 22 and the side detail view of fig. 19.

As shown in FIG. 20, the first container cover 1702 is engaged with the first container base 1704 as described in the above embodiments. Using the technique of fig. 4, the first closure portion 400 of the cover 1702 sealingly engages the second closure portion 404 of the base 1704. Although the first and second closure portions 400, 404 are shown in fig. 20 as raised locking rings, any suitable closure portion known in the art may be used herein. For example, the form of the closed contour may take the form of a continuous and discontinuous type of medial incision, lateral incision, one incision, a pair of incisions and three incisions.

FIG. 19 shows the container base 1704 nested within the container base 1706 in the same manner as described above with respect to FIGS. 14-16.

Referring to fig. 21, the second engagement portion 406 of the base 1706 is as described above with respect to fig. 4. The second engagement portion 406 includes a notch 442. In the inverted cover embodiment of fig. 21, the first engagement portion 402 of the cover 1708 is slightly different from the first engagement portion shown in fig. 4. Although there is a cutback 1710 which functions the same as the cutback 440 in fig. 4, in this embodiment it is reversed. When the base 1706 is pressed down onto the inverted cover 1708, the notch 442 of the base 1706 engages the cutback 1710 of the inverted cover 1708. The notch 442 may be designed to provide a friction fit or snap fit with the notch 1710 of the inverted cap.

In another embodiment, a third engagement portion of a cover as described above with respect to FIGS. 10-13 may be added.

The container, although reusable, may also be formed in a very economical manner so that consumers can view it as a disposable item and can replace separately retainable lids and bases. The base and cover may be made by thermoforming a clarified polypropylene homopolymer material. In another embodiment, the container can also be made by thermoforming a clarified random polypropylene copolymer material. Alternative plastic materials suitable for making containers by thermoforming include PS (polystyrene), CPET (crystalline polyethylene terephthalate), APET (amorphous polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (high density polyethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PC (polycarbonate), and foamed polypropylene. The material used is typically transparent to allow the user to see the contents of the container.

The container may include visual indicia of the closure between the container lid and the container base. The visual indicia may be a color change in the area where the container lid engages the container base. In one embodiment, the closure portion on the container lid can be a first color and the closure portion on the container base can be a second color. When the closure portions are engaged, the first and second colors form a third color that is visible to a user to indicate that the container is sealed.

The container may include a roughened outer surface to reduce slippage and to improve user handling, particularly if the user's hands are wet or greasy.

The container may include a self-venting feature. When the closed container and its contents are heated in a microwave oven, the pressure in the closed container increases. Thus, the container lid may include a self-venting mechanism that can open when the pressure in the container exceeds a predetermined value.

The container may be divided to separate the food in the container. The divider may be integral with the container or may be a separate component. The base may include only the divider or both the base and the cover may include the divider. The divider located in the cover may only partially engage the divider in the base to avoid splashing, or it may engage the divider in the base sufficiently to change the degree to which the interior chamber is resistant to leakage.

The container may include a band that indicates the temperature of the container and its contents.

The grip tab may include an relieved portion that reduces interference contact with the base during removal or engagement of the lid while still providing an adequate closure portion to maintain proper sealing of the container. The relieved portion of the grip tab allows venting by allowing a portion of the lid to be opened from the base while still maintaining a seal around the remaining perimeter of the container. This feature is advantageous in microwave cooking, where the lid prevents food from splashing onto the inner walls of the microwave oven, while still allowing the container to vent. By using a gripping tab, the cover can be removed from the base without undue effort. This lower opening force also reduces the likelihood of container failure due to stress and fatigue. A lower opening force can improve the ability of the user to maintain control over the container components when removing the lid from the base, and therefore can reduce the likelihood of spillage of the contents stored in the container.

The terms "a" and "an" and "the" and other similar terms used in the context of describing the present invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value may be incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed.

Although the present invention is described herein in connection with the preferred embodiments, it is not intended that the invention be limited to these preferred embodiments. Instead, it should be recognized that: various modifications and adaptations to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description, and such modifications and adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can appropriately use these modifications, and the present invention can be implemented in other ways than the specifically defined ones. Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover all modifications, improvements and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims (16)

1. A first cap for a container, the first cap comprising:

a first enclosing section;

the first engaging portion is provided at a first side of the housing,

wherein the first closure portion is sealingly engageable with the second closure portion of the base such that the first cover and the base define a substantially sealed storage area when the first and second closure portions are brought into engagement with one another, the first engagement portion is engageable with the second engagement portion of the base,

the first closure portion includes a locking ring, the locking ring of the first closure portion includes an inner wall, a retention bead and an outer wall, an

The locking ring includes an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, each shoulder including an inner surface and an outer surface,

the respective outer walls of the two or more first lids lockingly engage each other in the lid stack,

the outer surface of the upper shoulder of the lower first cover fits into and engages the inner surface of the lower shoulder of the adjacent upper first cover,

each of the two or more first covers has a third engaging portion;

each of the third engaging portions includes an upper side projection and a lower side projection, the upper side projection and the lower side projection being convex on one side and concave on the other side such that the lower side projection of the upper first cover fits over and receives the upper side projection of the lower first cover.

2. The first cover of claim 1, wherein: the first cover comprises a thermoformed plastic.

3. The first cover of claim 1, wherein: the first engagement portion includes a truncated portion.

4. The first cover of claim 1, wherein: the first engagement portion includes a rib that is engageable with a catch of the second engagement portion of the base.

5. The first cover of claim 1, wherein: the first engagement portion includes a catch that is engageable with a rib in the second engagement portion of the base.

6. The first cover of claim 1, wherein: the first cover includes a grip tab.

7. The first cover of claim 1, wherein: the first cover includes a top side and a bottom side, the bottom side of the first cover contacting the base when the first closure portion of the first cover is engaged with the second closure portion of the base.

8. The first cover of claim 7, wherein: the top side of the first cover is in contact with the base when the first engagement portion of the first cover is engaged with the second engagement portion of the base.

9. The first cover of claim 7, wherein: when the first engagement portion of the first cover is engaged with the second engagement portion of the base, the bottom side of the first cover contacts the base.

10. The first cover of claim 1, wherein: the third engagement portion of the first cap includes a rib, the third engagement portion of the second cap includes a catch, and the rib of the third engagement portion of the first cap is engageable with the catch of the third engagement portion of the second cap.

11. A system of container lids, the system comprising:

a first cover comprising a first closure portion and a first engagement portion, the first closure portion being sealingly engageable with a second closure portion of the base such that, upon engaging the first and second closure portions with one another, the first cover and the base define a substantially sealed storage area,

the first closure portion includes a locking ring, the locking ring of the first closure portion includes an inner wall, a retention bead and an outer wall, an

The locking ring includes an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, each shoulder including an inner surface and an outer surface,

the respective outer walls of the two or more first lids lockingly engage each other in the lid stack,

the outer surface of the upper shoulder of the lower first cover fits into and engages the inner surface of the lower shoulder of the adjacent upper first cover,

each of the two or more first covers has a third engaging portion;

each of the third engaging portions includes an upper side projection and a lower side projection, the upper side projection and the lower side projection being convex on one side and concave on the other side such that the lower side projection of the upper first cover fits over and receives the upper side projection of the lower first cover; and

a second cover including a first closing portion and a first engaging portion,

wherein the first closure portion of the first cover is engageable with the first closure portion of the second cover.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein: the first and second covers each comprise a thermoformed plastic.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein: the first and second lids each include a grip tab.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein: the first and second lids each include a top side and a bottom side, the bottom side of the first lid being in contact with the top side of the second lid when the first closure portion of the first lid is engaged with the first closure portion of the second lid.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein: each of the third engagement portions includes a rib and a catch groove, and the rib of the third engagement portion of the first cover is engageable with the catch groove of the third engagement portion of the second cover.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a third cover including a first closing portion and a first engaging portion,

wherein the first closure portion of the third cover is engageable with the first closure portion of the second cover.