Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FOOD CONTAINER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Application No. CN
201820515911.1
having a filing date of April 12, 2018, the entire contents of which are
hereby
incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY
[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of articles for
daily use, in
particular to a food container.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Food containers are utensils commonly used in people's daily life.
Referring to
Fig. 1, which is a side sectional view of an existing food container, the
existing food
container includes a box body 1' with an opening and a box cover 2', wherein
the box
cover 2' detachably covers the opening of the box body 1'; the box body l'
includes a box
bottom 10' and a box wall 11' extending upward along the periphery of the box
bottom
10'; and the box cover 2' is of a plate-like structure and has an edge bent to
form a bent
portion 20'. When the box cover 2' covers the opening of the box body 1', the
inner side
of the bent portion 20' of the box cover 2' is fitted to and sealed against
the outer side of
the top of the box wall 11' of the box body 1' to achieve the purpose of
storing food
within the box body 1'.
[0004] However, due to the very simple structure, the existing food container
is poor in
sealing performance, and the box body 1' and the box cover 2' are liable to
separation
from each other such that food leakage occurs or external air, moisture,
microorganisms
or the like enters the food container and contaminates the food, thus
affecting the quality
of the food and shorting the shelf life of the food.
SUMMARY
[0005] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a
food container
with the advantages of having good sealing performance and a simple structure,
and
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being space-saving and convenient to hold, and a plurality of food containers
can be
stacked together.
[0006] A technical solution adopted in the present invention is as follows:
[0007] A food container includes a box body with an opening and a box cover,
wherein
the box cover detachably covers the opening of the box body; the box body
includes a
box bottom and a box wall extending upward along the periphery of the box
bottom; a
top edge of the box wall extends toward the outer side of the box body to form
a first
connecting strip; the first connecting strip is provided with a groove in the
middle, the
opening direction of the groove being same as that of the box body, and the
groove
encircling the box body to form a closed ring; the box cover includes a cover
plate and a
side wall extending upward along the periphery of the cover plate; a top edge
of the side
wall extends toward the outer side of the box cover to form a second
connecting strip;
the middle of the second connecting strip protrudes toward the direction of
the cover
plate to form a convex rib; when the box cover covers the opening of the box
body, the
outer surface of the side wall of the box cover is fitted to the inner surface
of the box
wall of the box body, the convex rib of the box cover is embedded into the
groove of the
box body to form a seal structure.
[0008] In the present invention, fitting between the box wall of the box body
and the
side wall of the box cover and fitting between the groove of the box body and
the convex
rib of the box cover achieve a good sealing effect, and firm joining of the
first connecting
strip and the second connecting strip achieves close fitting between the box
cover and the
box body and improves the sealing performance of the food container. Second,
the box
cover is composed of the cover plate and the side wall and has the
accommodating space
therein available for stacking other food container or article, thus achieving
a space
saving effect. Furthermore, when the box cover needs to be lifted, the user
can pull out
the edge of the box cover using his thumb, and at the same time fix the side
wall of the
box cover using other fingers, thereby easily removing the box cover; with the
side wall
of the box cover as a force receiving surface, the operation difficulty of
opening the food
container can be reduced; and when the user grasps the food container, his
thumb can
clasp the side wall of the box cover to improve the holding stability and
prevent food
spilling due to slip of the hand.
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[0009] Compared with the prior art, the food container of the present
invention has the
advantages of having good sealing performance, humanized design and a simple
structure, and being space-saving, convenient to hold, highly practical and
easy to
manufacture, and a plurality of food containers can be stacked together; and
the food
container can be used as a lunch box, a liquid containing cup or the like.
[0010] Further, an edge of the first connecting strip is bent toward the
direction of the
box bottom to form a first bent portion, and an edge of the second connecting
strip is
bent toward the direction of the cover plate to form a second bent portion;
and when the
box cover covers the opening of the box body, the first bent portion is fitted
to and sealed
against the second bent portion, so that the sealing performance of the food
container can
be further enhanced and a multi-sealing effect is achieved.
[0011] Further, the width of the second bent portion is greater than that of
the first bent
portion; the inner side of an edge of the second bent portion bulges to form a
lock
protrusion; and the lock protrusion extends to an edge of the second bent
portion.
[0012] With the lock protrusion, the position of the first bent portion can be
limited to
prevent the first bent portion from separating from the second bent portion
and further
improve the sealing performance of the food container; furthermore, the lock
protrusion
can serve as a force applying point for removing the box cover, and the user
can open the
food container by pulling out the lock protrusion, thus reducing the operation
difficulty.
[0013] Further, the inner surface of the box wall is provided with a
supporting step
bulging from the inner surface; the upper surface of the supporting step is
parallel to the
box bottom, and the distance between the upper surface of the supporting step
and the
top of the box wall is equal to the height of the outer surface of the side
wall of the box
cover to support the cover plate of the box cover.
[0014] The supporting step can function to support the cover plate of the box
cover to
improve the load bearing capability of the box cover, which is conducive to
stacking
more food containers or articles on the box cover to achieve the space saving
purpose.
[0015] Further, the outer diameter of the bottom of the box wall is smaller
than or equal
to the inner diameter of the bottom of the side wall of the box cover, so that
the inner
space of the box cover can accommodate the bottom of the box wall, and when a
plurality of food containers with food contained therein are stacked together,
as the side
wall retains the bottom of the box wall, the overall stability of stacking the
food
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container can be improved, and the number of stacked food containers can be
increased,
thus saving space and facilitating transport.
[0016] Further, the groove is formed by bending the first connecting strip,
and thus the
first connecting strip is somewhat elastic, such that the first bent portion
is more closely
fitted to the second bent portion, and the outer surface of the side wall of
the box cover is
more closely fitted to the inner surface of the box wall of the box body,
which is
conducive to improving the sealing performance.
[0017] Further, a plurality of reinforcing vertical ribs are arranged on the
outer surface
of the box wall to improve the mechanical strength.
[0018] Further, the plurality of reinforcing vertical ribs are uniformly
arranged at
intervals in a top area of the outer surface of the box wall, and the length
of each
reinforcing vertical rib is not greater than one fourth the height of the box
body.
[0019] Generally, the top of the box wall is mostly liable to deformation
under heat to
result in leakage of high-temperature liquid, so providing the reinforcing
vertical ribs in
this area can maximally reduce the possibility of leakage and improve the
safety; and
when the length of each reinforcing vertical rib is not greater than one
fourth the height
of the box body, the effect of improving the mechanical strength can be
achieved and
unnecessary material cost can be reduced.
[0020] Further, a central part of the outer surface of the box bottom is
recessed toward
the direction of an accommodating space of the box body to form a convex ring
at a
peripheral edge of the outer surface of the box bottom, thus facilitating
grasping it by a
finger, improving the holding stability and avoiding a food spilling accident.
[0021] Further, the outer surface of the box wall is provided with at least
one anti-slip
protrusion, so that the stability of grasping with a hand can be effective
improved.
[0022] For the sake of better understanding and implementation, the present
invention
is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of an existing food container;
[0024] Fig. 2 is a structure diagram of a food container of the present
invention;
[0025] Fig. 3 is a front view of the food container of the present invention;
[0026] Fig. 4 is a top view of the food container of the present invention;
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[0027] Fig. 5 is a sectional view in a direction A-A of Fig. 4;
[0028] Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a part I in Fig. 5; and
[0029] Fig. 7 is a bottom diagram of the food container of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Please refer to Figs. 2-7 at the same time, wherein Fig. 2 is a
structure diagram
of a food container of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a front view of the
food container
of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a top view of the food container of the
present
invention; Fig. 5 is a sectional view in a direction A-A of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is
an enlarged
view of a part I in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a bottom diagram of the food
container of the
present invention.
[0031] The food container of the present invention includes a box body 1 with
an
opening and a box cover 2, wherein the box cover 2 detachably covers the
opening of the
box body 1. The box body 1 includes a box bottom 10 and a box wall 11
extending
upward along the periphery of the box bottom 10. The box cover 2 includes a
cover plate
20 and a side wall 21 extending upward along the periphery of the cover plate
20, the
outer surface of the side wall 21 and the inner surface of the box wall 11
being form
fitted. Preferably, the height of the box cover 2 is not greater than one
fifth that of the
box body 1, to ensure a sufficient volume within the box body 1 for containing
food.
[0032] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a top edge of the box wall 11 extends toward
the
outer side of the box body 1 to form a first connecting strip 110; in this
embodiment,
preferably, the top edge of the box wall 11 extends horizontally toward the
outer side of
the box body 1 to form the first connecting strip 110. The first connecting
strip 110 is
provided with a groove 111 in the middle, the opening direction of the groove
111 being
same as that of the box body 1, and the groove 111 encircling the box body 1
to form a
closed ring. Preferably, the groove 111 is formed by bending the first
connecting strip
110. An edge of the first connecting strip 110 is bent toward the direction of
the box
bottom 10 to form a first bent portion 112. The bent part of the first bent
portion 112 is
arc-shaped to avoid injuring a user's hand due to its excessive sharpness.
[0033] The inner surface of the box wall 11 is provided with a supporting step
113
bulging from the inner surface. The upper surface of the supporting step 113
is parallel to
the box bottom 10, and the distance between the upper surface of the
supporting step and
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the top of the box wall 11 is equal to the height of the outer surface of the
side wall 21 of
the box cover 2 to support the cover plate 20 of the box cover 2. There are
various forms
of the supporting step 113. For example, there are two supporting steps 113,
and the two
supporting steps 113 are arranged at two sides of the box bottom 10
respectively and can
provide two-point support for the outer surface of the cover plate 20; as
another example,
there are more than two supporting steps 113, and the plurality supporting
step 113 are
arranged at intervals around the box bottom 10 and can provide multi-point
support for
the outer surface of the cover plate 20; as a further example, the supporting
step 113
forms a closed ring around the inner surface of the box body 1, with an
opening thus
formed being smaller than the size of the cover plate 20, and can support a
peripheral
edge of the outer surface of the cover plate 20.
[0034] A plurality of reinforcing vertical ribs 114 are arranged in a top area
of the outer
surface of the box wall 11, the plurality of reinforcing vertical ribs 114
being distributed
uniformly at intervals, and the length of each reinforcing vertical rib 114
being not
greater than one fourth the height of the box body 1. The outer surface of the
box wall 11
is also provided with at least one anti-slip protrusion 115.
[0035] As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, a central part of the outer surface of the
box bottom
is recessed toward the direction of an accommodating space of the box body Ito
form
a convex ring 101 at a peripheral edge of the outer surface of the box bottom
10, the
width of the convex ring 101 being 5-300 mm to facilitate the user holding it
with a
finger.
[0036] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a top edge of the side wall 21 extends
toward the
outer side of the box cover 2 to form a second connecting strip 210; in this
embodiment,
preferably, the top edge of the side wall 21 extends horizontally toward the
outer side of
the box cover 21 to form the second connecting strip 210. The middle of the
second
connecting strip 210 protrudes toward the direction of the cover plate 20 to
form a
convex rib 211. An edge of the second connecting strip 210 is bent toward the
direction
of the cover plate 20 to form a second bent portion 212, the second bent
portion 212 and
the first bent portion 112 being form fitted, and the width of the second bent
portion
being greater than that of the first bent portion 112 and smaller than the
height of the side
wall 21. The inner side of an edge of the second bent portion 212 bulges to
form a lock
protrusion 213, the lock protrusion 213 extending to an edge of the second
bent portion
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212 and having two inclined surfaces which are oblique toward the cover plate
20 and
toward the outer side of the cover plate 20 respectively, with an arc
transition formed
between the two inclined surfaces to avoid injuring the user's hand due to its
excessive
sharpness.
[0037] When the box cover 2 covers the opening of the box body 1, the outer
surface of
the side wall 21 of the box cover 2 is fitted to the inner surface of the box
wall 11 of the
box body 1, the convex rib 211 of the box cover 2 is embedded into the groove
111 of the
box body 1 to form a seal structure, and the first bent portion 112 is fitted
to and sealed
against the second bent portion 212.
[0038] The box wall 11 is oblique toward the outer side of the box bottom 10,
and thus
the inner diameter of the box wall 11 gradually increases from the periphery
of the box
bottom 10 to the first connecting strip 110. The side wall 21 of the box cover
2 is oblique
toward the outer side of the cover plate 20, and thus the inner diameter of
the side wall
21 gradually increases from the periphery of the cover plate 20 to the second
connecting
strip 210. The outer diameter of the bottom of the box wall 11 is smaller than
or equal to
the inner diameter of the bottom of the side wall 21 of the box cover 2, so
that the inner
space of the box cover 2 can accommodate the bottom of the box wall 11, and
when a
plurality of food containers are stacked together, the side wall 21 retains
the bottom of
the box wall 11.
[0039] The food container may be circular, elliptical, rectangular,
pentagonal,
hexagonal or in other irregular shape. Further preferably, the box bottom 10
of the
embodiment is circular, and the cover plate 20 is also circular. The volume of
the food
container is within the range of 100-50000 ml. The food container is made of
food-grade
polypropylene, high-impact polystyrene, biaxially oriented polystyrene,
natural inorganic
mineral-filled polypropylene composite, paper product or the like to be
conducive to
degradation or recycling, and is made by using molds.
[0040] The working principle of the food container of the present invention is
as
follows:
[0041] After food is contained, the user puts the box cover 2 onto the opening
of the
box body 1, and joins the first connecting strip 110 and the second connecting
strip 210;
by pressing the convex rib 211 into the groove 111, the first bent portion 112
is closely
fitted to the second bent portion 212, and the side wall 21 of the box cover 2
is closely
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fitted to the box wall 11 of the box body 1, and the lock protrusion 213 can
have a
retaining effect to prevent the first bent portion 112 from separating from
the second bent
portion 212 and achieve good sealing of the food within the food container.
The user can
stack together a plurality of food containers with food contained therein to
reduce the
accommodating space and facilitate transport, and the convex ring 101 of the
box bottom
facilitates grasping. When the box cover 2 needs to be lifted, the user can
pull out the
lock protrusion 213 with his thumb, and at the same time fixes the inner
surface of the
side wall 21 of the box cover 2 by other fingers, thereby easily removing the
box cover 2.
[0042] The foregoing embodiments only represent several implementations of the
present invention, and are described concretely in detail, but should not be
understood
for this reason to limit the patent scope of the present invention. It should
be noted that
for those of ordinary skill in the art, a number of modifications and
improvements can be
made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all
these
modifications and improvements are encompassed within the protection scope of
the
present invention.
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