Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A container and a lid for covering the container
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a container adapted to be
covered by a lid as well as to a combination of such container and lid.
BADKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Plastic container and lid combinations are well known.
However, for those containers adapted to receive fluid components it is of
the upmost importance to provide a fluid tight engagement between the
container and lid in order to avoid contamination of the fluid in the
container
from the outside environment or leakage of the fluid inside the container to
the outside, and also to accidently open in situations where the lid-covered
container is dropped or subjected to important impacts.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a container with an
improved upper peripheral edge region of its side wall that will overcome the
above described problems associated with plastic containers requiring very
efficient fluid tightness.
The present invention therefore relates to a container which is
adapted to be covered by a lid and which comprises an open cylindrical body
consisting of a bottom wall and a tapering side wall, the side wall having an
upper peripheral edge region adapted for receiving a lid in a fluid-tight
engagement, a first outer peripheral upwardly turned flange and a second
outer peripheral downwardly turned flange vertically spaced below the first
flange. The upper edge region is defined by a top wall, an outer side wall
and an inner side wall, the inner side wall consisting of a first inclined
portion
extending downwardly from the top wall to an inwardly entering snap
shoulder. The outer side wall consists of a first inclined portion extending
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downwardly from the top wall, a second inclined portion extending
downwardly from the first portion, the inclination of the first portion being
greater than that of the second portion with respect to a vertical axis, and a
third inclined portion extending downwardly and inwardly from the second
inclined portion. The first inclined portion of the inner side wall and the
secand inclined portion of the outer side wall cooperate to provide fluid
tightness when the container is lid-covered while the first inclined portion
of
the outer side wall facilitates sliding engagement of the container to a lid
and
provides a decompression zone after engagement of the lid to the container
to improve the fluid tightness.
The present invention also pertains to the combination of a
container as described above and of a lid, the lid comprising a generally flat
circular body having a peripheral edge portion; the peripheral edge portion
includes a U-shaped inner section contiguous with an inverted U-shaped
outer section while the outer portion has a lower edge adapted to be
received in the first flange of the container and opposite inner faces. The
inner faces including:
i) a first inclined portion for sliding along the first
inclined portion of the outer side wall of the container so as to lodge the
lower edge of the lid within the first flange of the container; and
ii) a snap shoulder contiguous with the first inclined
portion for engaging the third inclined portion of the container to secure the
lid to the container;
the first inclined portion of the container being distanced from the U-shaped
outer portion of the lid to provide a decompression zone for improving the
fluid tightness;
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present
invention will become apparent from the detailed description given
hereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detailed description,
while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, is given by way of
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illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit
and
scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a container and of
a lid made in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an elevational view of the container with the handle
removed; and
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a lid-
covered container resting on an open container and supporting a
superposed lid on which rests a container.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to figure 1, there are shown a container 10 and a lid
12.
Referring also to figures 2 and 3, the container 10 comprises
an open cylindrical body consisting of a bottom wall 14 and a tapering side
wall 16. The bottom wall has a peripheral flange 18 while the side wall 16
has an upper peripheral edge region 20 adapted for receiving the lid 12 in a
fluid tight engagement. The side wall also includes an outer peripheral
upwardly turned flange 22 and a second outer peripheral downwardly turned
flange 24 vertically spaced below the flange 22.
The upper peripheral edge region is defined by a top wall 26
and by an inner side wall consisting of a first inclined portion 28 which
downwardly extends from the top wall 26 to an inwardly entering snap
shoulder 30. The outer side wall of the region comprises a first inclined
portion 32 extending downwardly from the top wall 26, a second inclined
portion 34 extending from portion 32; the inclination of portion 32 is greater
than the inclination of the inclined portion 34 with respect to a vertical
axis.
A third inclined portion 36 extends downwardly and inwardly from the second
inclined portion 34; the inclination of portion 36 is greater than the
inclination
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of portion 34 with respect to a vertical axis. The inner side wall of the
container also includes a step or shoulder 38.
Flange 22 has an inverted L-shape in cross-section with a
horizontal wall 40 and a peripheral side wall 42. A series of
circumferentially
spaced ribs 44 are disposed within the flange 22.
The second flange 24 also defines a L-shape in cross-section
with a top wall 46 and a side wall 48. The side wall 48 displays, on its outer
face thereof, three vertically spaced peripheral ribs 50, 52, 54 which assist
in stabilizing the container when placed against similarly constructed
containers during transport, the ribs of one container contacting the ribs of
an adjacent container. The inner faces of the flange 24 are provided with a
series of circumferentially spaced ribs 56 which, in addition to reinforce the
flange 24, also serve to bear on the top wall 26 of container nested
therebeneath.
The contour of the pair of flanges is interrupted by means of a
break tab 58 which has weakened portions, three being shown at 60, 62, 64.
A handle 66 has its opposite ends engaged into a pair of
opposite holes 68 adjacent the break tab and extending between the two
flanges 22 and 24. Horizontal projections 69 extend beneath the holes to act
as stoppers for the handle.
The lid 12 comprises a circular body having a central portion
70 and a peripheral edge portion 72. The central portion comprises a pair
of concentric annular embossed portions 74 and 76, thus forming a pair of
recessed areas 78 and 80, the latter of which receives the flange 18 of a
superposed container. As can be seen in figure 2, the peripheral edge
portion 72 of the lid comprises a first U-shaped inner section formed of side
walls 82 and 84 joined by a rounded bottom wall 86. The U-shaped section
includes therein a series of circumferentially spaced ribs 88. The peripheral
edge portion also includes an inverted U-shaped section that includes the
side wall 84, a top wall 90 and an outer side wall 92 having an outwardly
extending edge 94. The inside portion of this outer inverted U-shaped
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portion comprises a shoulder 96, an inclined wall 98, a top wall 100, a first
inclined wall 102, a second inclined wall 103, a shoulder 104 and an inclined
wall 106.
As can be seen in figure 2, the lids may be stacked by having
their inclined wall 106 and rounded bottom wall 86 resting on the top wall of
a lid disposed therebeneath.
The lid and container are made of plastic material. The
configuration of the outer peripheral portion of the lid is such that it may
be
snapped into engagement with the upper peripheral region of a container.
This is accomplished by having the inclined wall 106 slide along the inclined
lid portion 32; simultaneously, the lid bottom wall 86 slides along container
wall 28. Then, shoulder 104 slides also on container surface 34 and the
elasticity of the plastic material of the lid and its configuration allow the
shoulder 96 to slide under surface 36 while shoulder 96 slides under
shoulder 30 to provide a secured tight engagement which provides good
resistance to impacts subjected to the engaged lid-container combination.
On the container, the inclined portions 28 and 34 of the
container defines a fluid tight cap with walls 98 and 102 of the lid. The
inclined portion 32 enables easy closure of the lid to the container while the
inclined wall 36 allows easy removal. Also, the inclined portion 32 is
distanced from the lid inner wall to provide a decompression zone. The
presence of shoulder 38 gives peripheral rigidity to the container while
reinforcing ribs 44 provide rigidity to the flange. The height of the rib wall
42
is such as to give a tamper-proof feature. The provision of the ribs 56
provides a shock absorbing effect during transport.
On the lid, the wall 106 enables easy closure of the lid to the
container while wall 103 provides easy removal. The semi circular wall 86
improves resistance for container stacking and fluid tightness.
Although the invention has been described above with
respect with one specific form, it will be evident to a person skilled in the
art
that it may be modified and refined in various ways. It is therefore wished to
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have it understood that the present invention should not be limited in scope,
except by the terms of the following claims.
