Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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B32~8
C~NTAINEFt 1NlTti /~ SEAL,A~LY SNAP-ENGAGENG i_.i
The present invention relates to a container v~rith a lid suitable fior
sealabiy snap-engaging with, and onto, a container body ofi a
thermoformable plastics material, particularly suitable for packing moist
and/or greasy food produce, to be possibly warmed up in a microwave
oven.
There is a widespread need to have available pre-cooked foods
such as chicken on the spit, or pre-cooked dishes of various kinds
containing greasy or messy substances which t;an cause serious
inconvenience to the purchaser in case of leakage, e.g. whilst being
carried home from a point of sale.
i
The main object of the present invention is to provide a container
with a lid that will ensure a tight seal even if overturned, roughly handled,
carelessly pressed into shopping bags or trolleys or accidentally fallen.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container with
a lid suitable for acquiring desired configurations to fulfill a vvide range
of
needs in the packing field.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a container with
lid that is highly efficient and can be manufactured at competitive costs.
These and other objects that will be made better apparent below
are accomplished by a container including
- a tub body having a bottom, side wall, and
- a lid having a top wall and side wall,
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- said tub body and said lid having complementary flanged rims arranged
to snap-engage one onto thc: other,
- wherein said flanged rim of said tub body has, in sequence, a first flat
flanged section integral with said side wall of said tub body, an inwardly
bent section at least partly extending over said flat section, an intermediate
outuvardly convex section, a second flat flanged section substantially
parallel to said first flat section, and a protruding terminal volute-shaped
section delimiting an uninterrupted undercut recess vrith said second flat
section, and
wherein said rim of said lid has, in sequence, a volute-shaped
section being an extension of said side wall, an first protruding section
designed to engage, in use,
said first flat section, an inwardly extending section designed to
engage and overlap said inwardly bent section, a flat protruding flanged
section designed be located at an intermediate area of said outwardly
convex section, and a flared section ending with a flat flanged section
suitable for engaging engage with said undercut recess to form a snap-
engaging coupling with a plurality of peripheral uninterrupted sealing
areas.
The container according to the present invention can
advantageously have a rounded contour, e.g. circular or elliptical in shape,
and can be provided with at least one pair of lugs diametrically opposite to
each other and acting as support and handling grips, whereas said lid can
be provided with at least one tab to make removal of the lid easier once it
is engaged with the container.
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'fhe invention is described in further detail below with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a plan view of a container or tub body having a round
shape according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken
along line II-ll of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a top plan view of a round lid for the: container shown in
Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 shows a half front elevation and half cross-section view on an
enlarged scale taken along Iir:es ll-II of Figure 1 and IV'-li! of Figure 3;
Figure 5 shows a detail in cross-section on an enlarged scale of the
portion in cross-section shown in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a plan view of a round !id with a pulling tab;
Figure 7 shows a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken
along line VII-I'll of the lid shown of Figure b;
Figure 8 is a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken along
lines II-II of Figure 1 and Vll-Vil of Figure 6 and illustrates the round Lid
of
Figures 6 and 7 mounted on a container or tub body of Figures 1 and 2;
Figure g shows a detail in cross-section and on are enlarged scale of
Figure 8;
Figure 10 shows a plan view of a container or tub body circular in shape
having two diametrically opposite handles or grips;
Figure 11 is a half front elevation and half cross-section vie~nr taken along
line XI-XI of Figure 10;
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B3208
Figure 12 shows a half front elevation and half cross-section view along
line Xil-XII of Figure 10;
Figure 13 shows a top plan view of a round lid with two diametrically
opposed tabs;
Figure 14 is a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken along
line X!V-XIV of Figure 13;
Figure 15 is a half front elevation and half cross-section vievr taken along
line XV-XV of Figure 13;
Figure 16 shows a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken
along lines XII-XII of Figure 10 and XV-XV of Figure 13 illustrating a round
lid with two tabs inserted into a tub or container body wifih two
diametrically
opposed handles;
d
Figure 1 ~ shows a detail in cross-section and on an enlarged scale of
Figure 16;
Figure 18 is a plan view of tub body or container oval in shape with two
side handles;
Figure 19 is a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken along
line XIX-XIX of Figure 18;
Figure 20 is a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken
along line XX-XX of Figure 18;
Figure 21 is a plan view of an oval lid with two diametrically opposed
tabs;
Figure 22 is a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken
along 4ine XXII-XXff of Figure 20;
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Figure 23 shows a half front elevation and half cross-section view
taken al~ng line XXlil-XXIII of Figure 20;
Figure 24 illustrates a half front elevation and half cross-section view
taken along fines XIX-XIX of Figure 18 and XXII-XXII of Figure 21
illustrating a (id ova( in shape inserted onto a tub body or container oval in
shape;
Figure 25 shows a detail in cross-section on an enlarged scale of Figure
24;
Figure 26 shows a half front elevation and half cross-section view taken
along lines XX-XX of Figure 18 and Ili-XXlll of Figure 21 illustrating a lid
oval in shape with two tabs inserted onto a tub body or container with two
diametrically opposed handles; and
r
Figure 27 shows a detail in cross-section on an enlarged scale of Figure
26.
In the accompanying drawings, similar or identical components are
designated by the same reference numerals.
With reference first to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, it
will be noted that a container with a lid (Figure 4) made of a
thermoformable material according to the invention, ger,er ically designated
at 1, comprises a container or tub b~dy 2 circular in shape rnrhen viewed
from top, provided with a bottom 3, preferably internally embossed or
knurled, and a side wall 4, and a fd 5 also circular in shape when viewed
from tap with a ceiling 6 and a side wall ~. the side wails of both the tub or
container body 2 and of the lid 5 have snatching flanged edges 8 and g,
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B320~
respectively, suitable for being coupled to one another by snap-
engagement.
More particularly, bottom 3 of the tub is connected to side wall 4
through a radiused portion 10 convex downwards, whose outer wall acts
as a support for the tub, whereas at its inner side it delimits an annular
receiving duct lower than bottom 3, so that it is recessed with respect to
radiused portion 1g.
Flanged edge 8 of the container body has a substantially stepped
shape that starting from side wall 4, comprises the following sequence of
straight sections and annular areas, i.e. a first flat section 11 overhanginly
extending outwards integral, on one side, with side wall 4 of the container
body 2 and, on the other, with a section 12 at least partly curved inwardly
s
above the first flat section 1~, an intermediate conve;~c protruding section
13, followed by a second overhanging flat section 14 substantially parallel
to flat section 11, and a volute or end protruding scroll 15. Close to the
second flat section 14, volute 15 delimits an uninterrupted concave
undercut recess 16 facing towards the inside of the tub.
Edge 9 of lid 5 has correspondingly in sequence: an approx. 180°
volute 18 having one end adjacent to side wall 7 and its other end
connected to a first protruding overhanging section 1 g which, in turn, is
designed to abut against, and engage, in use, the first flat section 11 of
edge 8 of tub 2. Flat section 19 is radiused to slightly r~scessed section 20
slightly greater in size than inwardly curved section 12 of the edge of tub 2
that, in use, it is designed to engage, overlap, and extend beyond, as
better illustrated in Figure 5.
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More particularly, recessed section 20 is preferably formed with a
inwardly curved section radiused to flat section 19, and a straight section
designed to engage, and overlap the connection bet~N~een sections 12 to
13 of the edge of the tub or container body 2, adjacent to which there is
provided a flanged protruding flat section 21 designed to be located at an
intermediate zone of convex section 13.
Flat section 21 is adjacent to a slightly flared section 22 terminating
with an end flanged flat portion 23 designed to abut against undercut
recess 16.
As one can readily appreciate, once edges 8 of the container body
and edge 9 of the lid are coupled with one another, they will ensure a seal
along two sealing lines or bands: one between flat sections 11 and 19 and
Y r
the other between section 20 and the radiused connecting portion
between sections 12 and 13, so that tightness is provided at several
sealing points between the container body 2 and lid 5, such a sealing
being stable in time aISO ow9ng $~ the end section 23 o~f the lid edge being
securely engaged with the peripheral recess 16.
Preferably, for stiffness purposes, and thus for greatEvr stability of
the lid and the sealing, wall ~ of lid 5 is formed at a short distance from
volute 1$ with a protruding step 24 that is located for example at a level
between flat sections 21 and 23 of edge 9, thereby delimiting a section 25
of end wall 7 wider than the rest of wall 7. If desired, section of wall 25
can
be outwardly convex, e.g. as indicated at 26 in Figure 5, to impart a
greater camber strength to the inner edge 9, thereby causing it to be more
rigidly anchored, in use, to rim 3 of tub 2.
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Figures 6 to 9 illustrate a round lid 5 with a side pulling tab 27e By
looking particularly at figures 6 and 9, it will be noted that tab 27 is an
extension of flat section 23, and at its base or root it is weakened by two
connected juxtaposed notches 28 in order to take better advantage of the
flexibility of the thermoplastic material, whereby in use flap 27 will extend
close to the inner section of volute 15 of edge 8 of tub 2, from which it
protrudes so as to be comfortably and easily gripped between the index
thumb fingers to be pulled to cause a swift release of lid 5 from tub 2.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 10 to 17 the
container body or tub 2 is circular in shape when viewed from top and is
provided with a pair of handles 29 and 30 overhangingly protruding that
have preferably the same shape and are arranged to iae diametrically
b b
opposite to one another. fore particularly, handles 23 and 30 are a
widened extension or outwardly extending projection of end volute 15 of
rim 8 of tub 2 at a widening portion formed with a wide recess 37 at flat
section 14. Handles 29 and 30 are a convenient support and handling
means for container 1 besides providing the user with an irr~mediate and
clear indication of how to use the container 1, i.e. with the tub at the
bottom and the lid at the top.
The lid 5 has two accordingly diametrically opposite tabs or lugs 32
and 33 so shaped that, in use, they are arranged to be fitted into a
respective recess 31 of handles 29 and 30. As shown in t=figure 13, tabs
32 and 33 on one side thereof, i.e. on respective opposite sides, have a
respective recess 34, in use designed to act as a guide for the insertion of
the user's finger between the handle and the tab in order to lift and thus
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hold the tab between user's two fingers to easily and quickly remove the
!id from the tub.
The embodiment illustrated in Figures 13 to 2~' is an oval container
35 with a container or tub body 3fi provided with a pair of diametrically
opposite handles ~9 and 3g on the tub's long axis, and a lid 37 oval in
shape having two tabs 3~ and 33 corresponding diametrically opposite
with respect to the main axis of the lid. The assembly is shaped as
container ~ circular in shape with fi~nro handles and it is used in the same
way.
It will be noted that a container with a tub and lid as described
above is suitable for being used for packaging liquid, semi-liquid, even
greasy produce, especially ready-made food produce or roast produce
such as roast poultry, and so forth, that also contain sauces and grease or
oil which, if leaking from the container, could cause highly undesirable
soiling and staining, particularly pesky in case they affect clothing items
worn by the purchaser of the produce. The container according to the
invenfiion, owing to the snap closing and partly resilient deformation of the
moulded and specifically shaped edges of the lid on anc~ against the edges
of the tub accordingly moulded and shaped provides, as described above,
two circumferential concentric seals without solution of continuity, thereby
providing a double barrier that is wholly effective in preventing any liquid
from leaking out of the container. Sealing is also ensured even if the
container is clumsily handled, given that, within wide limits, the resilient
distortion of the material of the edges 3 and 9 of the tub and those of the
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83~0~
lid make sure that a reliable barrier against leakage is maintained in and
case,
The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous
modifications all within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims,
1 I.
