Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02598235 2007-08-21
CONTAINERS WITH DISCONTINUOUS SEAL
Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to polymeric packages or containers, and, in
particular, to rigid polymeric containers having a container body and a
removable
lid, the lid and container configured to cooperatively close but with at least
one
discontinuous seal region present around the engageable body and lid.
Background
Enhancing the sealing and opening capabilities of rigid containers, both
disposable containers intended for one-time use and those intended for
repeated use,
is an area of ongoing development.
Summary of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is directed to generally rigid, polymeric containers
that have a body and a removable and replaceable lid configured for engagement
with the body. The containers are often thermoformed, and are typically
considered
"disposable" containers, in that they may be discarded after one use, or a
limited
number of uses, generally dictated by the strength, integrity, and/or quality
of the
polymeric materials used to form the container.
The present disclosure is directed to a container design that reduces the
forces needed to open (e.g., unseal) or vent a container. The designs of this
disclosure facilitate the removal of the lid from the container body. The
configuration, in some embodiments, also functions as a drain passage, for
example,
to assist in water drainage from the container body after washing.
The container includes a discontinuity feature in the sealing arrangement
between the container body and the lid that provides a passage for fluid from
the
exterior of the container to the sealing arrangement. In some embodiments, the
discontinuity feature, instead, provides a passage for fluid from the interior
of the
container to the sealing arrangement. In either case, the discontinuity
features
facilitates separating the container body and the lid when opening the
container.
The discontinuity feature may be present in one or both of the container body
or the
lid. In some embodiments, multiple discontinuity features are present in the
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container, and, in some of these embodiments, the features are distributed in
more
than one area of the container. In addition to the sealing arrangement
including its
discontinuity feature, the container can also include, for example along a
different
surface of the sealing arrangement, a leak-proof seal.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a top view of a rigid container, in this figure a rectangular
container, having a container body and a lid, according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional side view of the rigid container of FIG. 1 taken
along line 2A-2A of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion of the rigid container of FIG. 2A,
detailing the sealing arrangement;
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional side view of the rigid container of FIG. 1 taken
along line 3A-3A of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a portion of the rigid container of FIG. 3A,
detailing the sealing arrangement;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a second embodiment of a rigid container, in this
figure a square container, according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a top view of a third embodiment of a rigid container, in this
figure
a rectangular container, according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 6 is a top view of a fourth embodiment of a rigid container, in this
embodiment a circular container, according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 7 is a top view of a sixth embodiment of a rigid container according to
the present disclosure;
FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional side view of the lid of the rigid container of
FIG.
7 taken along line 8A-8A of FIG. 7;
FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of a portion of the lid of FIG. 8A; and
FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a rigid container body
according to the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
Many existing rigid containers are designed to inhibit and, in same cases,
prevent leakage from the interior volume of the container during storage and
use of
the container. In many instances, the objective is to create a high strength
sealing
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arrangement between the container body and the lid that is sufficiently secure
to
inhibit and/or prevent seepage of fluids, including liquids, from the interior
of the
container. One of the results of high strength seal designs is that the closed
sealed
container can be difficult to open. As container designs have progressed to
stronger
and tighter seals, the lids have become more difficult to remove from the
container
body. Not having access to the product inside the container can be as
frustrating, if
not more frustrating, than having a liquid leak out from the container. A
strong seal
can be generally undesirable to users that have weak hand strength or limited
range
of motion.
The containers of the present disclosure include a discontinuity in the
sealing
arrangement between the container body and the lid, the discontinuity allowing
the
flow of fluid (e.g., air) from the exterior of the container to the sealing
arrangement,
to interrupt the sealing contact of the container body and the lid surfaces
and to
facilitate removal of the lid from the container body.
Refemng to the figures, a rigid container is illustrated in FIG. 1, FIGS. 2A
and 2B, and FIGS. 3A and 3B. Container 10 includes a container body 20 and a
lid
30 that is removable and replaceable onto body 20. Container body 20 includes
an
interior volume 21 for receiving and storing items therein. Lid 30 inhibits
access to
interior volume 21.
Lid 30 attaches on to container body 20 via sealing arrangement 25,
generally located proximate a periphery 28 of container body 20 and a
periphery 38
of lid 30. Sealing arrangement 25 securably retains lid 30 onto body 20.
Sealing
arrangement 25, preferably, forms along and between lid 30 and body 20 and
secures lid 30 and container body 20 so as to inhibit passage of fluid from
interior
volume 21 to the exterior of container 10. Lid 30 includes a tab 35 that
provides a
grasping surface to facilitate removal of lid 30 from container body 20. In
accordance with this disclosure, sealing arrangement 25 includes a
discontinuity in
at least one position along the length of sealing arrangement 25 around
periphery 28,
38, that also facilitates removal of lid 30 from container body 20.
Each of container body 20 and lid 30 includes surfaces that can cooperatively
form sealing regions of sealing arrangement 25. These surfaces are configured
to
engage (e.g., frictionally) with each other. In the specific embodiment
illustrated,
these surfaces of container body 20 include an inner side wall 22, a top wall
24, and
an outer side wall 26, with outer wall 26 being closest to periphery 28. Lid
30
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includes corresponding cooperating surfaces, i.e., an inner side wall 32, a
top wall
34, and an outer side wall 36, with outer wall 36 being closest to periphery
38.
Container body 20 and lid 30 can be manufactured so that one or more of the
paired
cooperating surfaces inhibit fluid movement as part of sealing arrangement 25.
That
is, sealing arrangement 25 has at least one pair of walls with sealing regions
in
contact, preferably in frictional contact (e.g., inner walls 22, 32, top walls
24, 34, or
outer walls 26, 36). In many embodiments, walls 22, 24, 26 of container body
20
may be referred to as a lip, and walls 32, 34, 36 of lid 30 may be referred to
as a
groove. It will be appreciated that the sealing regions may extend along a
portion or
the entire length of paired body and lid walls.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a portion of container 10 is illustrated where
sealing arrangement 25 has three wall pairs with sealing regions, that is,
inner walls
22, 32, top walls 24, 34, and outer walls 26, 36, having sealing regions in
frictional
contact. In accordance with this disclosure, however, sealing arrangement 25
is
configured or constructed with a discontinuity in one or both walls of a
sealing
region to intentionally interrupt the engagement between cooperating surfaces
of
container body 20 and lid 30.
Container 10 includes at least one discontinuity feature 50, e.g., an
indentation, divot, groove, bump, etc., within sealing arrangement 25 that
forms a
discontinuity within sealing arrangement 25. That is, feature 50 breaks the
continuous nature of sealing arrangement 25 in the sealing region between
cooperating surfaces, inner walls 22, 32, top walls 24, 34, and/or outer walls
26, 36,
of container body 20 and lid 30 extending around container 10. In the
embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 1, discontinuity feature 50 is present within container
body 20
within the sealing region formed by walls 26, 36. In particular, discontinuity
feature
50 is an indent 52 present in outer wal126 of container body 20.
In this embodiment of FIG. 1, three indents 52 are present in a corner of
container body 20 and three additional indents 52 are present in an opposite
corner
of container body 20. That is, the two sets of three indents 52 are positioned
generally 180 apart. It should be understood that for a rectangular
container, such
as container 10 of FIG. 1, because lid 30 could be positioned in two different
orientations, the discontinuity features are preferably present at two
opposite
corners. In this embodiment, indents 52 are present proximate lid removal tab
35,
when lid 30 is engaged with container body 20. As shown, discontinuity feature
50,
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such as indent 52, can be formed in a corner of sealing arrangement 25 that is
defined by a radius, so that no matter how lid 30 is oriented, the benefits of
discontinuity feature 50 are realized.
Various alternate configurations for placement of discontinuity feature(s) 50
are provided. FIG. 4 illustrates a square container, container 110, having a
series of
discontinuity features 50 in the sealing arrangement in each of the four
corners.
With such an arrangement, having four discontinuity features 50 positioned 90
apart, discontinuity feature 50 will facilitate removal of the lid from the
container no
matter on which corner the removal tab is located.
FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate placement of discontinuity features 50 in a
rectangular container. A series of discontinuity features 50 could
additionally or
alternately be located in non-radiused portions, e.g., to either side of the
corners, as
shown on container 120. Such a configuration would be advantageous if the
removal tab on the lid were located in a position other than at a corner.
Yet another alternate embodiment is shown in FIG. 6, as circular container
130, having discontinuity features 50 positioned e.g., generally evenly,
around the
sealing arrangement of the container, so that no matter where the lid removal
tab is
seated, the benefits of having the discontinuous seal are realized. In each of
the
embodiments of FIGS. 4 through 6, discontinuity feature 50 is present in a
wall of
the container body and breaks the continuous nature of the sealing arrangement
in
the sealing region between cooperating surfaces of the container body and the
corresponding lid.
Referring to FIG. 7 and FIGS. 8A and 8B, another alternate rigid container
having a discontinuous sealing arrangement is illustrated as container 150.
Container 150 includes a container body 152 (illustrated only in FIG. 7 in a
top
view) and a lid 153 that is removable and replaceable onto the container body.
Lid 153 attaches on to the container body via sealing arrangement 125
proximate lid periphery 138, which securably retains lid 153 onto body 152.
Sealing
arrangement 125, preferably, forms along and between lid 153 and container
body
152 so as to inhibit passage of fluid from the interior volume to the exterior
of
container 150. In accordance with this disclosure, sealing arrangement 125
includes
a discontinuity in at least one position around along the length of sealing
arrangement 125.
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Each of container body 152 and lid 153 includes surfaces that can
cooperatively form sealing regions of sealing arrangement 125, these surfaces
being
configured to engage (e.g., frictionally) with each other. In this embodiment,
various surfaces of sealing arrangement 125 include 'cut back' or 'negative
angle'
walls to increase the engagement of lid 153 with container body 152. For lid
153,
FIG. 8B, the surfaces that engage with cooperating surfaces on container body
152
includes inner side wall 132, top wall 134, and outer side wall 136. As in
other
embodiments, cooperating paired surfaces of body 152 and lid 153 have sealing
regions that inhibit fluid movement as part of sealing arrangement 125. In
accordance with this disclosure, sealing arrangement 125 is configured or
constructed with a discontinuity in one or both walls of a sealing region to
intentionally interrupt the engagement between cooperating surfaces of
container
body 152 and lid 153.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, discontinuity feature 50 is
present within lid 153 within the sealing region formed by outer wall 136 and
the
cooperating wall on body 152 (not illustrated). In particular, discontinuity
feature
50 is a rib 54 present in outer wall 136 of lid 153. Rib 54 extends the entire
length
of sealing arrangement 125 around container 150. Discontinuity feature 50,
i.e., rib
54, creates a discontinuity to facilitate easy removal of lid 153 from
container body
152. Such a rib 54, or other raised or elevated discontinuity feature 50, may
also
assist in applying pressure to the opposite side of the sealing arrangement
125, to
create a stronger continuous seal via the inner surface of the feature.
Referring to FIG. 9, yet another alternate rigid container having a
discontinuous sealing arrangement is illustrated as container 160. Container
160
includes container body 162 and also a lid (not illustrated in FIG. 9) that is
removable and replaceable onto container body 162. The lid inhibits access to
the
interior volume of container body 162.
Similar to the previous embodiments, each of container body 162 and its lid
includes surfaces that cooperatively engage at sealing regions of a sealing
arrangement. These surfaces are configured to engage (e.g., frictionally) with
each
other. In accordance with this disclosure, the sealing arrangement is
configured or
constructed with a discontinuity in one or both walls of a sealing region to
intentionally interrupt the engagement between cooperating surfaces of
container
body 162 and its lid.
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In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, discontinuity feature 50 is present
within container body 162. In particular, discontinuity feature 50 is an
aperture 56
through a portion of the sealing region including outer walls of the sealing
arrangement. Aperture 56 is present in a radiused corner of container body
162.
Aperture 56 facilitates removal of any lid sealed onto container body 162, by
providing a discontinuity in the sealing region. Aperture 56 also allows
liquid, e.g.,
water, to drain from container body 162 when inverted, e.g., for drying after
washing, such as in a dishwasher.
Overall, discontinuity feature 50 is sufficiently sized (e.g., deep, tall,
wide) to
form a discontinuity in a sealing region between the cooperating surfaces of
the lid
and the container body to which it seals. For example, indent 52 (see FIGS. I
and
3B) is sufficiently deep to provide a discontinuity in the sealing region
between lid
30 and container body 20. In that embodiment, indent 52 is sufficiently deep
so that
container outer wall 26 and lid outer wall 36 do not have continuous
engagement
therebetween. In another example, rib 54 (see FIG. 8B) is sufficiently tall or
high to
provide a discontinuity in the sealing region between lid 153 and container
body
152. In another example, aperture 56 has a sufficient area (width x height) to
provide a discontinuity in the sealing region between the lid and container
body 162.
Discontinuity feature 50 is located in a sealing region of a sealing
arrangement (e.g., sealing arrangement 25 or 125), such as, for example, in
inner
side wall 22, top wall 24, outer side wa1126 of container body 20 or inner
side wall
32, top wall 34, outer side wall 36 of lid 30. It is understood that other
configurations of sealing regions will have different surfaces. Discontinuity
feature
50 can extend or occupy only a portion of the wall or surface within a sealing
region,
the entire height of the wall or surface, or additionally be present in or
extend to
other surfaces, such as, for example, onto removal tab 35.
Containers 10, 110, etc. according to this disclosure are plastic containers.
The plastic is typically thermoplastic, although thermosetting materials could
be
used. Examples of suitable plastic materials include polyethylene (both HDPE
and
LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, and polystyrene.
Materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may also be used, but are typically
more
expensive. These polymeric or plastic materials can be made from typical
petroleum-based materials (as is conventional), or, these and other materials
could
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be made from natural materials such as corn and other starch sources. Other
materials similar to plastic and suitable for the containers of the present
invention
are paperboard, hardboard, and pressboard. A polymeric film or layer may be
present on the surface of the material to enhance resistance to moisture
(e.g.,
increase waterproofing) of non-plastic materials. Plastics, and the other
suitable
materials, are sufficiently rigid so that the container maintains its shape
without
collapsing or wrinkling under normal use conditions. In most embodiments, the
container body and lid are made from the same polymeric material.
In most embodiments, depending on the material used for the container, the
container is blow molded or press molded. Other suitable forming techniques
include injection molding, although this forming technique is typically more
expensive.
For blow molded or press molded containers, both the container body and
lid, typically have a thickness that is no more than 2 mm, often no more than
1 mm.
Depending on the material used for the container, the thickness could be no
more
than 0.7 mm or no more than 0.5 mm. Of course, thinner containers would also
be
suitable. A disposable container should be sufficiently thick and rigid to
withstand a
single use, including microwave exposure. In some embodiments, the container
is
sufficiently rigid to withstand use over several days, including repeated
daily use,
multiple microwave exposures, and dishwasher temperatures.
The above description and the attached drawings provide a description of
various embodiments for improving the openability and operability of a rigid
container. It is understood that the various elements and details of the
discontinuity
features illustrated in the figures and/or discussed above are interchangeable
among
the various container designs, and that variations of the various elements and
details
are within the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, the various elements
and details
of the discontinuity features can be used generally any sealing arrangement
and/or
sealing region configuration. Since many embodiments of the disclosure can be
made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the
invention
resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
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