US3048299A - Re-usable plastic containers - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 7, 1962 H. R. HUTCHINSON 3,048,299

RE-USABLE PLASTIC CONTAINERS Filed D60. 30, 1959 Fig. Fig. 3

United States Patent 3,048,299 RE-USABLE PLASTIC QONTAINERS Herman R. Hutchinson, Wyncote, Pa., assignor to Plastematic Corporation, Maivern, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 863,023 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-54) This invention relates to plastic containers which are sealed for protection of their contents and which after unsealing may be used for protected storage of their partially depleted contents or for other storage purposes.

The present invention more particularly relates to improvements in plastic containers such as disclosed in US Letters Patent 2,837,236 and 2,887,244 to Thomas E. Betner.

In accordance with the present invention, the open end of a plastic container body is provided with a preformed inner cover and with a film cover which overlies the inner cover. The outer film cover is heat-sealed both to the inner cover and to a tear-off bead integral with the container body. Thus, until the bead it torn off, there is a dual seal which isolates the container contents from atmosphere and from the space between the two covers. After the bead is torn off for initial access to the container con-tents, it remains attached to the inner cover by the film cover and with them forms a re-usable cover unit for the now unsealed container body.

More specifically, the tear-off bead of the container body is provided with a tab which initially serves as a means for tearing off the bead in unsealing of the container and thereafter serves as a handle for removable of the reusable cover unit formed by the two covers and the tornoft" bead.

The invention further resides in plastic containers having features of construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description of embodiments thereof and to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a container body;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, in section, of the upper open end of the container body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a preformed inner cover for the container body of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, in section, taken on line 22 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View, on enlarged scale, showing the inner cover of FIGS. 3 and 4 and an overlying film cover sealed to the container body of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view referred to in discussion of unsealing of the container of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, in section, of the unsealed container body and its re-usable cover unit; and

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 5 but with a modified outer film cover.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the container body 10 is formed, as by molding, of semi-rigid plastic material such as polypropylene, one of the various types of polyethylene, or the like. The open end of the container body is formed with an integral tear-off bead 11 which extends upwardly and outwardly from the upper edge 12 of the body. The upper edge 12 and the inner face of the bead form a peripheral notch whose apex is directed towards the apex of an opposite peripheral notch formed by the outer face of the bead and the adjacent area of the side wall 19 of the container body. These opposed notches define the line along which the bead, as later described, may be torn from the container body.

For tearing off of the bead 11 and for other purposes later described, the bead is provided with an integral tab 13 of size suited for gripping between the thumb and finger. The open end of the container body is also provided with an inwardly extending head 14 which preferably, and as shown, merges with the upper edge 12 to provide a cover-engaging surface of enhanced width greater than the thickness of the side wall 19.

The inner cover 15 (FIGS. 3, 4) is formed, as by molding, of suitable plastic such as polyethylene, polypropylene or the like. The depending skirt 16 of the cover is provided with a groove 17 for receiving the looking bead 14 of the container body (FIG. 5). At the upper end of its skirt, the cover 15 is formed with an outwardly extending flange 18 whose lower face engages the wide edge of the container body. The thickness of the flange 13 is substantially equal to the height of the tear-off head 11 so that with the cover 15 in place, its top is substantially flush with the upper surface of the body bead 11. The outer diameter of the cover flange 18 rather closely approximates the inner diameter of the tear-01f bead, but need not be a tight fit. The top of the cover 15 may be recessed as shown to afford stiffness in the plane of groove 17 and with economy of the plastic cover material.

After the container body is filled with its desired contents, the cover 15 is pressed into closed position (FIG. 5), and is held in such inserted position by the interlocking engagement of the body bead and cover groove. A plastic film cover 26 is subsequently applied over or stretched across the inserted inner cover 15 and the tearoff bead 11 of the container body. By application of heat and pressure, this outer film cover is heat-sealed adjacent its periphery both to the inner cover 15 and to the tear-off head 11. There are thus formed two con-centric annular seals 21A, 21B, the former between the film cover 26 and body bead 11 and the latter between the outer film cover 20 and the inner cover 15.

The outer seal 21A isolates rthe container contents from the ambient atmosphere, so protecting them from depiction or change due to leakage of any gaseous liquid or solid constituent and from any contaminant present in the ambient atmosphere. The inner seal 21B prevents leakage of any original or evolved constituent of the container body contents into the space between the two covers. This preserves the appearance of the sealed container and makes it feasible, particularly when the inner cover top is recessed, to utilize the space between the covers for any of various secondary packaging purposes, such as storage of ingredients for future addition to the container body contents, of instruction leaflets, or of premiums, or the like.

The outer film cover may be of any heat-sealing film material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene or laminates of these materials which include cellophane, Mylar, Saran and the like. The cover film may be wholly transparent for visibility of any product or source identification printed or embossed on the inner cover, or the film may have such printing thereon with consequent saving of the much greater cost of printing the molded inner covers or embossing them during molding.

The inner cover 15- is preferably of the snap-in type, as described, to relieve the heat- seals 21A, 21B from strains incident to shipping and other handling of the sealed container. Conversely, the outer film cover as sealed to the body bead and to the inner cover prevents any vertical or angular displacement of the inner cover with respect to the container body.

When initial access to the container contents is desired, the tab 13 may be pressed upwardly (FIG. 6) by the thumb or finger. This locally breaks the tear-off head from the container body along the tear-line defined by a the opposed notches above described. As the tab is lifted, the tear initiated by the break 22 progresses in opposite directions along the tear-line until the tear-off is completed at the opposite side of the container body. As the tear progresses from the initial break, the inner cover attached to the body head by film cover 26 tilts out of the upper end of the container body. When the itear-ofi of the body head is completed, the container body has a smooth beadless top edge 12 (FIG. 7). A re-usable snapin cover unit for such modified container body is now afforded by the inner cover 15, the film cover 2t) and the head 11 with its tab 13. The cover film is not torn by removal of the body bead and remains attached to the inner cover 15 and to the bead 11 which remains peripherally continuous.

The unsealed container is now suited for coveredstorage of its partially depleted contents or, after being emptied, for other covered-storage uses. In such subsequent use, the interlocking engagement between the body bead 14 and the cover groove 17 prevents accidental dislodgement of the cover unit. The tab 13 though originally part of the body of the container, is now part of the reusable cover unit and provides a finger grip or handle, facilitating removal of such unit from the modified container body.

In the container above described, the film cover 20 may be applied to the filled container as a pre-cut disc or it may, as described for example in copending applications Serial Nos. 852,040 and 859,685, be cut from a film web after, or concurrently with, the heat-sealing operation.

In the modification shown in FIG. 8, the container body and the inner cover are of the same construction as above described, but the outer cover 20A heat-sealed to the tear-01'1" head of the body and to the inner cover is an annulus rather than a disc. In general, the description of FIGS. 1 to 7 is applicable to FIG. 8 and need not be repeated.

Containers embodying the invention need not be of the circular shape shown, but may be oval, rectangular or other desired shape with retention of advantages above discussed. Because the container body, the inner cover and the outer cover are chemically inert plastic, a wide variety of pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs and the like may be inexpensively packaged without danger of contamination. Also since the covers and body are heat-sealed, the use of adhesives, with consequent possibility of contamination, is avoided. Using film of the usual heat-sealing types, the two seals 21A, 21B are hermetic seals. When the container contents are of nature requiring that the container be able to breathe, such characteristic may be attained by use of a cover film which has bene irradiated or otherwise treated to obtain micro-porosity, permitting passage of gas but precluding passage of moisture.

What is claimed is:

l. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having at its open end an integral tear-ofi bead extending around the entire periphery of said body, a preformed inner plastic cover for closing said open end of the container body, and a plastic film cover applied over said inner cover and leaving a space between said covers said film cover being peripherally heat-sealed both to said tear-off bead and to the contiguous area of said inner cover to provide a dual seal isolating the container contents from the atmosphere and from the space between said covers.

2. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having at its open end an integral tear-01f bead extending around the entire periphery of said body, a preformed inner plastic cover for closing said open end of the container body, said preformed cover and said container body having interlocking surfaces for mechanical retention of said inner cover in container-closing position, and a plastic film cover applied over said inner cover and peripherally heat-sealed both to said tear-elf bead and to the contiguous area of said inner cover leaving a space between said covers and providing a dual seal isolating the container contents from the atmosphere and from the space between said covers until said head is torn off for initial access to the container contents, said tear-off bead, said film cover and said inner cover remaining sealed to each other for removal as a unit from said container body and thereafter serving as a re-usable cover unit for the container body which is held in position by said interlocking surfaces.

3. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having at its open end an integral tear-01f bead extending around the entire periphery of said body, a tab integral with said tear-ofi. bead of the container body, a preformed inner plastic cover for closing said open end of the container body, and a plastic film cover applied over said inner cover and peripherally heat-sealed both to said tear-off bead and to the contiguous area of said inner cover, said tab, in initial opening of the container, serving as means for tearing said head from the container body with concurrent removal of said inner cover and said film cover from the container body and subsequently serving as a handle of a re-usable cover unit formed by the torn-off bead, said inner cover and said film cover as remaining sealed to said head and to said inner cover.

4. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having at its open end an integral tear-off bead extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom throughout the entire periphery of the container body and an inwardly extending locking bead, a snap-in plastic cover having a groove which receives said locking bead of the container body and a top flange of thickness corresponding with the height of said tear-off bead, and a plastic film cover overlying said snap-in cover and peripherally heat-sealed both to said tear-off bead and to the contiguous flange area of said snap-in cover to provide seals isolating the container contents until said head is torn off to permit initial access to them, said tear-off bead, said film cover and said inner cover thereafter remaining attached to each other jointly to serve as a re-usable snap-in cover unit retained in position by engagement between said groove and said locking bead.

5. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having at its open end an integral tear-off bead extending around the entire periphery of the container body, a tab integral with and extending outwardly from said tear-oif bead of the container body, a preformed plastic inner cover for closing said open end of the container body, said preformed cover and said container body having interlocking surfaces for retaining the cover in container-closing position, and a plastic film cover overlying said inner cover and peripherally heat-sealed both to said tear-01f bead of the container body and to the contiguous area of said inner cover to provide a seal isolating the container contents until said bead is torn off for initial access thereto, said tab, in the initial opening of the sealed container, serving as a means for tearing said bead from the container body and subsequently serving as a handle of a re-usable cover unit formed by the torn-ofi bead, said inner cover and said film cover as remaining sealed to said head and to said inner cover, said re-usable cover being retained in position by said interlocking surfaces.

6. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having an integral tear-off bead extending upwardly and outwardly from its upper edge throughout the entire periphery thereof and a locking bead extending inwardly from said upper edge, a plastic snap-in cover having a groove which mates with said locking bead of the container body and having an upper face which is substantially flush with the upper face of said tear-oft bead, and a plastic film cover peripherally heat-sealed to said upper faces of the tear-oft bead and the snap-in cover to provide a seal isolating the container contents until said bead is torn off for initial access thereto, said tear-oft bead and said snap-in cover as joined by said film snap-in cover serving as a re-usable cover unit retained in position by mating engagement between said groove and said locking bead.

7. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having an integral tear-01f bead extending upwardly and outwardly from its upper edge throughout the entire periphery thereof and a locking bead extending inwardly from said upper edge, said tear-0E bead having an integral tab eX- tending therefrom, a plastic snap-in cover having a groove receiving said locking bead of the container body and having an upper face which is substantially flush with the upper face of said tear-01f bead, and a plastic film cover peripherally heat-sealed to said upper faces of the tear-off bead and the snap-in cover to provide a seal isolating the container contents, said tab serving as a means for tearing said bead from the sealed container for initial access to its contents and subsequently serving as a handle for a re-usable snap-in cover unit formed by the torn-01f bead, said snap-in cover and said film cover as remaining sealed thereto, said re-usable snap-in cover unit being retained in position by engagement between said groove and said locking bead.

8. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having an integral tear-off bead extending upwardly from and coextensive with the peripheray of the open end of said body, a preformed inner plastic cover fitting into said open end of the container body with its upper face flush with the upper edge of said tear-off bead, and an outer plastic film cover having contiguous peripheral areas respectively heat-sealed to said body tear-off bead and to the adjacent peripheral area of said inner cover to provide a dual seal for isolation of the container contents, said preformed inner cover, said outer film cover and said tearoff bead being removable as a unit from the container body as said bead is torn from the container body for initial access to its contents.

9. A sealed container comprising a plastic body having an integral tear-off bead extending upwardly and outwardly from and coextensive with the periphery of the open end of said body and having below said open end an inwardly extending locking bead; a preformed snap-in cover having a recessed upper face, a peripheral flange of thickness substantially equal to the height of said tearoff bead and a groove for mating with said locking bead; and a plastic film cover applied over said preformed cover and peripherally heat-sealed both to said tear-0E bead of the body and said flange of said preformed cover to provide a dual seal isolating the container contents from the atmosphere and from the space between said film cover and the recessed upper face of said preformed cover; the tear-off of said bead effecting concurrent removal of said film cover and said preformed cover from the container body for initial access to its contents; said tear-01f bead thereafter remaining sealed to said inner cover and said film cover to provide a reusable snap-in cover unit retained in position by engagement between said groove and said locking bead.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,837,236 Betner June 3, 1958 2,866,586 Moore Dec. 30, 1958 2,880,859 Tupper Apr. 7, 1959 2,886,198 Herter May 12, 1959 2,887,244 Betner May 19, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,048,299 August 7, I962 Herman R. Hutchinson ears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that error app ters Patent should read as ant requiring correction and that the said Let corrected below.

line 32, for "removable" read removal after "wide" insert upper after "covers" insert a comma.

Column 1, column 2, line 15, column 3, line 62,

Signed and sealed this 19th day of March 1963.

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Images