Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
9~
TITLE OE' THE INVENTION
''Storage Container Closure"
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Inven-t;on
_
. This invention relates to storage container closures,
and more particularLy to an improved closure for a
container having a generally cylindrical throat opening and
a seal member which may selectively be placed loosely in
the throat opening upon a first ledge or tig~tly upon a
second ledge.
Description of the Prior Art
Circumstances may arise where a sealable container is
needed for medium-term or long-term storage of articles or
substances, yet it is desirable for the container to be
easily openable for frequent or repetitive access to its
2s contents. One common instance is the use of an ice bucke-t
to store or transport ice cubes followed or preceded by use
of the same bucket for dispensing ice at a social gathering
such as a party or picnic. While a firm, positive seal of
the bucket is desirable during transport and storage, a
loose, easily opened closure of the bucket is preferred
during the frequent access to the ice at the gatherlng.
Storage containers heretofore available have been
provided with closures intended for either tig~t sealing or
loose covering, but not both. Alt~ough it may be possible
35 to loosely cover a container wit~ a lid intended for tight
sealing, typically no means are provided maintaining the
lid in a proper orientation and relationship with the
container, e.g., the lid may rest skewed and leave gaps or
may bind or become stuck. Similarly, containers provided
s~
with closures intended for loose covering ars typically not
provided with means for obtaining a tight seal using the
same parts.
U.S. patent number 3,75~,480, which is incorporated
herein by reference, discloses a three-part ~ress type seal
comprising a locally aistortable cLosure member
contractably and distensibly constructed and ~aving an
elastic memory such that it is adapted to ~ermetically
seal an open-mouthed container. The seal has a peripheral
bead which may be contracted from a first diameter to a
second smaller diameter by depressing a plunger whic~
distorts a seal member formed integrally with t~e bead.
Also disclosed is the use of such a seal to tightly close a
container having a generally circular t~roat with a
cylindrical wall and an annular ledge below the wall w~ich
are sealingly engaged by the seal bead.
Accordingly, there is a need for a container closure
adapted for two modes of closing, a first in which the
closure member rests loosely upon the container and is
easily removed or replaced, yet which provides a uniform
closing of the container, and a second in which t~e closure
member tightly seals the container. Furthermore, it is
desirable for suc~ a closure to have insulative
2s properties when used in a container with hot or cold
contents.
SUMMARY OF T~E INVE~ION
The present invention meets the aforementioned needs
by providing a closure for a container having a generally
circular throat opening and a closure member having an
elastically distortable seal member with a peripheral bead
portion which is selectively contractable from a first bead
diameter to a second, smaller bead diameter. The container
throat is configured with a substantially cylindrical upper
wall portion of a diameter greater than the first bead
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diameter, and an adjacently substantially cylin~lrical lower
wall portion of a diameter less than the first bead
diameter but no smaller than the second bead diameter. A
first inwardly projecting annuLar ledge is situated between
the upper and lower wall portions. A second inwardly
projecting annular ledge is situated immediately below the
lower wall portion. When the ctosure member is placed
loosely on the container, the peripheral bead rests upon
the first ledge encircled, but not engaged, by the upper
wall portion. When the perip~eral bead ;s selectively
contracted by a disto~ting force, the closure member may be
inserted farther into the container throat with t~e
peripheral bead resting upon the second ledge. The
distorting force may then be released, and the perip~eral
bead will then be sealingly engaged with lower wall portion
and seated upon the second ledge.
According to a feature of a preferred embodiment of
t~e invention, the closure member is provided as a three-
part press type seal according to the disclosure of U.S.patent 3,7~,480. According to another feature, it is
contemplated that the container may be an ice bucket or the
like. In this preferred embodiment, the dead air space
within the three-part press type seal is used in a noveL
2s way for its insulative value.
Further objects and features of the invention will
become apparent from the detailed description of a
preferred embodiment which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ~HE DRAWINGS
Fig. l is a perspective view of a covered ice
3~ bucket embodying the invention,
Fig. ~ is a top plan view of the ice bucket of
Fig. l,
Fig. 3 is a sectional side view taken along the
line 3-3 of Fig. 2;
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`\ zs~
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional vie~ similar to
Fig. 3, but showing the seal in the loose resting position:
Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4, but with the seal
s removed;
Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the ice bucket of
Fig. l with the seal removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
By way of disclosure of a preferred embodiment of the
invention and not by way of limitation, there is shown in
Figs. l and 2 an ice bucket comprising a container
indicated general1y at lO and a seal lt. The container lO
is substantially cylindrical with a closed bottom and a
generally circular throat opening. The seal 11, shown in
the tightLy sealed position, sits within the throat of the
container lO. There i5 an upper circumerential rim 12 on
the container l0. The seal ll has a protruding plunger l3
in its center encircled by a flared flange 14.
As best shown in Fig. 3, the container l0 is
constructed in two parts comprising an outer container l7
and an inner container 16 nested within the outer
container 17. The inner l6 and outer 17 containers each
respectively have a substantially cylindrical wall l8, l9
and a substantially planar bottom 2l, 22. The outer
container l7 is somewhat larger than the inner container l6
30 SO that a dead air space 23 is formed therebetween.
Encircling the upper extent o~ the outer container l7
there is a flange comprising a horiztontal annular portion
24, a depending cylindrical portion 26 and an upstanding
slightly outwardly flarea portion 27. Encircling the upper
35 extent of the inner container l6 there is a second
horizontal annular portion 28 with a peripheral second
depending portion 29. The inner l6 ana outer l7
containers are preferably made of resilient materials such
as polypropylene and polyethylene so that the inner side of
the second depending portion resiliently engages the outer
side of the upstanding portion 27 in a well known manner
thereby by forming a unitary, yet disassembleable container
tO,
As is most easily seen in Figs. 5 and ~, at the upper
extent of the wall l8 of the inner container l~ there is
formed a throat opening 25 substantially circular in plan.
Formed in the throat opening 25 there is a substantially
cylindrical first wall portion 3l. Adjacent an~ betow the
first wall portion 3l there is formed in the throat opening
25 a substantially cylindrical second wall portion 32
having a diamater less than that of the first wall portion
3l. Between the first 3l and ~lecond 32 wall portions
there is formed an annular, inwardly exten~ing first ledge
33. Below the second wall portion 32 there is formed an
annular, inwardly extending second ledge 34. Thus, there
are upper and lower concentric ledges, the upper first
ledge 33 having a greater diameter than the lower second
ledge 34.
Referring to Fig. 3, there is illustrated a seal ll
tightly covering the container 10. The seal is constructed
in accordance with the disclosure of U.S. patent 3,7$6,480
which patent should be consulted for a detailed description
2s of its construction and operation. Briefly described, the
seal ll includes in its general organization an elastically
deformable seal member 36, a top wall 37, and a plunger
1~. About the periphery of the seal member 36 there is a
bead portion 38 and an upstanding rim 39. The upper edge
of the rim 39 engages the circumferencial edge of the top
wall 37.
The bead portion 38 has a circumferential outer edge
4l and an underside 42. The throat opening 25 of the inner
container 16 and the seal ll are dimensioned so that when
the seal member 36 i5 in its relaxed, undistorted state,
the inner diametar of the first wall portion 31 is slightly
greater than the outer diameter of the bead outer ed~e 41,
and the inner diameter of the second wall portion 32 is
slightly less than the outer alameter of the bead outer
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~25~i~
edge 4l. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the second
wall portion 32 is substantially egllal to or slightly
greater than the outer diameter of the bead outer edge 4l
5 when the seal member 36 is in its distorted state and the
bead is contracted.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the two closing modes of the
closure of the invention. In Fig. 3, the closure is in the
tight sealing mode. The seal ll is readied for insertion
by depressing the plunger 13 which acts upon the center of
the seal member 3~ to distort the seal member 3~ and
contract the bead portion 38 to a diameter small enough for
the seal ll to be inserted into the throat opening 2~ with
the bead underside 42 contacting the second ledge 34.
After insertion, the pLunger l3 is released and elastic
forces in the seal member 36 uniformly urge the bead
portion 38 outward. The container lO is thus tig~tly
sealed with bead outer edge 4l firmly engaging the second
wall portion 32 and the bead underside 42 seated upon the
second ledge 34. The seal ll may be removed by reversing
the process just described.
In Fig. 4, the closure is shown in the loose covering
mode. The seal ll is insertea in its undistorted state
into the throat opening 25 until the bead underside 42
2s comes to rest atop the first ledge 33. A small annular gap
i5 formed between the bead outer edge 41 and the first wall
portion 3l. 'rhe seal ll rests properly c~ntered and
oriented horizontally without wedging or binding. No gaps
are left between the bead underside 42 and the first ledge
33. The seal ll may be removed and replaced with ease.
According to the preferrea embodiment, the first leage
33, second ledge 34i and bead un~erside 4l are equa1ly
sloped, thereby imposing a centering action on the seal
ll. Although the first wall portion 31 and second wall
portion 32 are substantially cylindrical, it is desirable
to form the wall portions wit~ an upward and outward draft
angle for assistance in centering the seal 11 and for
facilitating unmolding of the container in its
manufacture. In the preferred embodiment, the draft angle
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-` ~$~
is one clegree from the vertical. It is within the scope of
the invention to provide other draft angLe~ or ledge
slopes, although the ledges must be close enough to
5 horizontal so that no wedging action occurs.
It should be appreciated that when the invention is
practiced according to the preferred emhodiment, the dead
air space 43 of the seal 11 bet:ween the seal member 36 and
top wall 37 is useful for thermally insulating the contents
o of the container ll. It should be understood, however,
that the closure of the invention is not limited to use in
ice buckets or other thermal containers.
While the invention has been descri~ed with reference
to a specific preferred embodiment, it should be understood
that it is wished to embody within the patent warranted
hereon all modifications and variations which come within
the scope of this invention's contribution to the art.
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