FACETED CONTAINER

CONTENANT PREFORME

English Abstract

A storage container (10) is disclosed comprising a bottom surface (12), and sidewalls
(14) extending from the bottom surface to an upper rim (16). An internal storage chamber
(18) is defined by smooth continuous sidewalls (20) and a floor surface (22). The external
surface of the sidewalls comprises a lower fluted portion (24), an upper sealing surface band
(28), and a horizontal flange (26) separating the band from the fluted portion. One container
nests within a like-configured second container, with raised ridges (32) of the inner
container contacting the smooth sidewalls (20) of the outer container. Air pressure is
equalized by the fluted portion (24) to prevent the nested containers from locking together in
the nested condition. A lid component fits over the upper rim (16) of the container base, and
seals against the upper sealing surface band (28).

Claims

Claims
1. A storage container, comprising:
a container bottom surface and sidewalls extending from the bottom surface to anupper rim, the bottom surface and the sidewalls having inwardly directed surfaces
defining an upwardly opening chamber, the sidewall inwardly directed surfaces
being smooth and uninterrupted;
the base sidewalls having a faceted lower portion extending continuously about the
perimeter of the container, the faceted portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart,
vertically extending, upwardly open facet channels, with adjacent said channels
separated by a relatively high peaked ridge; and
one said container nesting within a chamber of a like-configured second container,
the ridges of the one container contacting the inward sidewall surfaces of the second
container.
2. A storage container according to claim 1, wherein the one container nests within the
second container up to a top end of the one container fluted portion.
3. A storage container according to claim 2, wherein the container sidewalls defining an
upper continuous smooth surface band proximate the upper rim and extending
about the perimeter of the container.
4. A storage container according to claim 3, wherein the container sidewall faceted
portion is separated from the container smooth band by a horizontal, outwardly
projecting flange extending about the perimeter of the container.
5. A storage container according to claim 4, wherein the container is a cylindrical bowl.
6. A sealed storage container comprising:
a container base having an upwardly opening chamber defined by a bottom surface
and sidewalls extending from the bottom surface to an upper rim, the container base
sidewalls defining a continuous smooth surface band proximate the upper rim and
extending about the perimeter of the container base;
a lid having a top panel extending outward to a peripheral edge and a downturnedskirt connected to depend from the lid peripheral edge and to fit over the upper rim
of the base to enclose the base chamber, and the lid skirt having an inwardly directed

flange for engaging and sealing against the container base band; and
the base sidewalls defining a faceted lower portion extending continuously about the
perimeter of the container base, the faceted portion comprising a plurality of spaced
apart, vertically extending, upwardly open facet channels separated by a plurality of
relatively high peaked ridges.
7. A container according to claim 6, wherein the container base sidewalls having a
smooth uninterrupted inward facing surface defining the base chamber, and one
container base being nestable within the chamber of a like-configured second
container base.
8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the one container base contacting the
inward facing surface of the second container base sidewalls by the one container
base peaked ridges.
9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the one container base nests within the
second container base up to a top end of the one base faceted portion.
10. A container according to claim 9, wherein the container base faceted portion is
separated from the container base smooth band by a horizontal, outwardly projecting
flange extending about the perimeter of the base.

Description

21 64884
FA(~ STORAGE CONTAINER
Back~round of the Invention
Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to storage containers having a lid and a base, and
S more particularly to such containers wherein the lid fits over and seals against an upper rim
of the base.
The Prior Art
Storage containers incorporating a lid and a base component are well known and
available consumer items. The lid and base are molded of plastic material and the base is
10 made to be semi-transparent. For food storage applications, a typically configured storage
container lid includes a downturned peripheral skirt, sized and dimensioned to fit over the
upper rim of the container base. The down-turned skirt has an inward directed surface that
engages and seals against the outside surface of the container base, proximate an upper rim.
Thus, the lid forms a tight seal with the outer surface of the base rim when pressured over
15 the base rim.
U.S. Patent No. 4,471,880 discloses such a lid and base combination. As disclosed
therein, the lid skirt has an inner diameter sized to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter
of the base rim such that the lid slcirt, when pressured downward over the base rim, flares
outward to fit thereover. The resiliency of the lid then draws the skirt inward to create a
20 tight seal between the skirt and the container base rim.
The base container of the patent is a cylindrical bowl, smooth along its internal and
external surfaces. The bowl can nest within a like-configured second bowl to conserve
space during transportation, display in a retail environment, and during storage within the
home. While the bowl and lid effectively create a sealed container, one shortcoming found
in the bowl configuration is that the smooth radiussed external surfaces of nested bowls lock

21 64884
-
together, making the withdrawal of one bowl from a second bowl in which it is nested
difficult.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problem by providing a base
5 container having a smooth internal surface and a faceted or fluted lower external surface.
The faceted portion comprises a series of vertically projecting, upwardly open channels that
extend about the periphery of the base. Adjacent facet channels are separated by a relatively
high, vertically projecting, peaked ridge. When one container base is inserted in nesting
fashion into a second like-configured base, contact is established between the peaked ridges
10 of the one base with the smooth intemal surfaces of the second base. Because the surface
areas in contact are small, and the open channels of the first base act to equalize the air
pressure between the bottom of the second base and the ambient air, the nested container
bases are not locked together and separate easily.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a sealing storage
15 container having a container base nestable in a like-configured second base.
A further objective is to provide a sealing storage container having nesting container
base components, each base having a vacuum defeating configuration in the nestedcondition.
Still a further objective is to provide a sealing storage container having a nesting
`\ 20 base component, the base component having an upper sealing surface and a lower vacuum
defeating surface.
Yet a further objective is to provide a sealing and nesting storage container having
integral vacuum defeating means in the nested condition and that is economically and
readily produced.

21 64884'
.
These and other objectives, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are
achieved by a preferred embodiment which is described in detail below and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Description of the Accompanying Dr?win~
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the subject container base.
Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof.
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view thereof.
Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.
Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial transverse sectional view thereof taken along the line 6-6
of Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of two container base units nested together.Fig. 8 is an enlarged partial sectional view through the two nested containers, taken
along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring first to Figs. 1,2,3,6, and 8, the subject container base 10 is shown to
comprise a bottom 12, sidewalls 14 extending from the bottom 12 to an upper rim 16. An
internal chamber 18 is defined by inner sidewall surfaces 20 and a floor surface 22. The
inner surfaces 20 are continuous and smooth and extend continuously about the periphery of
the chamber 18.
The base sidewalls 14 are formed to provide a fluted or faceted lower portion 24, a
horizontal outwardly directed flange 26 positioned proximate the upper rim 16, and an upper
peripheral sealing surface band 28 positioned between the flange 26 and the upper rim 16.
The sealing band 28 extends about the periphery of the base and is smooth and uninterrupted
therealong.

2 1 6 4
The lower fluted portion 24 comprises convex, vertically extending facet channels 30
that extend from the bottom 12 to the flange 26. Adjacent channels 30 are separated by
raised ridges 32 that likewise extend vertically from the bottom 12 to the flange 26. The
sectional configuration of the faceted exterior of the base is illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6.
It will be appreciated that the base container l O is essentially bowl shaped, with one
container 10 being nestable within a second like-configured container. Figs. 7 and 8
illustrate two such bowls in the nested condition. From Fig. 8 it will seen that the ridges 32
of the inner container engage against the smooth internal sidewalls 20 of the outer container
and that a gap 38 Is formed between the channels 30 of the inner container and the sidewalls
10 20 of the outer container. The function of this configuration will be explained below.
As the inner container base is nested within the outer base, the air pressure of the
volume 40 below the inner base is equalized with the ambient air pressure by the channels
30. Air can pass via the channels 30 whereby preventing any vacuum from forming within
the outer container. The result is that the nested containers are not bound together and can
15 separate easily from one another.
The surface engagement between the nested containers, fultherrnore, is minimi7edsince the only surfaces of the inner container that contacts the outer container inner
sidewalls 20 are the uppermost surfaces of the ridges 32. This minim~l surface engagement
minimi7~s frictional resistance to separation of the containers. The containers thereby
cannot lock together in the nested condition, but rather are easily parted. The utility of such
20 containers to those with low manual dexterity or strength is appreciable.
The subject container 10 is intended for use with a lid of the configuration set forth
in U.S. Patent No. 4,4~1,880, which is incorporated by reference herein. The lid has a
central domed portion and a downturned peripheral skirt, with a nominal internal diameter
25 of the skirt being slightly less than the diameter of the container rim 16. The lid is applied
by pressing the central domed portion downward, whereby causing the lid skirt to deflect
outward and over the upper rim 16. When downward pressure is removed, the lid central

2 1 64884
portion exerts a resilient, inwardly directed force upon the lid skirt. An inward facing
surface of the lid skirt is thereby drawn inward into a tight, sealing engagement with the
upper sealing surface band 28 of the container. The faceted lower portion 24 of the
container does not interfere with the application of the lid to the upper portion 24 of the
5 base. A container with a lid attached thereto can still nest, if so desired, within the base
container of a second, like-configured container.
It will further be appreciated that the faceted external surface configuration of the
base container coexists with the smooth internal chamber sidewall configuration. It is
desirable to have smooth internal chamber sidewalls that are easily cleaned, and which
10 define a chamber that can be emptied in a convenient manner. The subject container retains
this advantage while providing an external geometry that makes nesting and unnesting
containers easier.
The lid and base components are formed of plastic material such as polypropylene,
by conventional molding processes such as injection molding. While the preferred15 embodiment shows the base as a cylindrical bowl, the invention need not be so limited in its
application. For example, a rectangular bowl can be formed having a smooth internal
surface and an outer surface comprising a lower faceted portion, an upper smooth sealing
band, and a horizontal flange separating the faceted portion from the band. Also, while the
preferred use of the subject container and lid is for food storage, other types of containers
20 can utilize the subject invention. Other embodiments, which will be apparent to those
skilled in the art, and which utilize the teachings herein set forth, are intended to be within
the scope and spirit of the subject disclosure as well.

Representative Drawing