U.S. patent application number 10/051629 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-08 for container having a permanently attached lid.
Invention is credited to Meyer, Christian, Meyer, Margaret.
Application Number | 20020104847 10/051629 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25646560 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020104847 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Meyer, Christian ; et
al. |
August 8, 2002 |
Container having a permanently attached lid
Abstract
There is disclosed a container (10) including a receptacle (12)
having an opening (18) and a lid (11) for closing the opening. The
container further includes a link (13) which permanently attaches
the lid to the receptacle. The link is configured to enable the lid
to move between a position in which the lid seals the opening and a
position in which the lid is underneath the receptacle and engaged
with a ridge (19) extending about the periphery of the base (15) of
the receptacle.
Inventors: |
Meyer, Christian; (Orange,
AU) ; Meyer, Margaret; (Orange, AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
John S. Egbert
Harrison & Egbert
7th Floor
412 Main Street
Houston
TX
77002
US
|
Family ID: |
25646560 |
Appl. No.: |
10/051629 |
Filed: |
January 18, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/836 ;
220/375; 220/843 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00537
20130101; B65D 21/0222 20130101; B65D 2543/00842 20130101; B65D
55/16 20130101; B65D 43/0218 20130101; B65D 2543/00509 20130101;
B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/00555 20130101; B65D 2543/00194
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/836 ;
220/843; 220/375 |
International
Class: |
B65D 043/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 18, 2001 |
AU |
PR 2572 |
Jul 27, 2001 |
AU |
PR 6656 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A container including: a receptacle defining a receptacle
interior, the receptacle having a base with a surface facing into
the interior and an opposite surface, and having an opening spaced
from the base; a lid configured to seal said opening; and a link
permanently attaching the lid to the receptacle and configured to
enable the lid to move between a closure position in which the lid
seals the opening and a support position in which the lid is
engaged with said opposite surface of the base for supporting the
receptacle.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the receptacle and the
lid projecting tab having a hole defined therein, the link passing
through the holes.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein the link is in the form of a
loop.
4. The container of claim 3, wherein the loop is elliptical.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein the base defines a base ridge
and the lid defines a ridge-engagement groove which is
complementary with the base ridge, for receiving the base ridge
when the lid is in said support position.
6. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid defines a lid ridge
and said base defines a ridge-engagement groove which is
complementary with the lid ridge, for receiving the lid ridge when
the lid in said support position.
7. The container of claim 1, adapted to be supported on a container
supporting surface and wherein: the base has at least one
support-engaging face for engaging said supporting surface at first
spaced positions when the lid is not in said support position; and
the lid has at least one support-engaging face for engaging said
supporting surface at second spaced positions when the lid is in
said support position, wherein the second spaced positions are more
widely spaced than said first spaced positions, thereby more stably
to support the container when the lid is in said support
position.
8. The container of claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes a
ridge-like rim defining the opening, and the lid defines a sealing
groove which is complementary with the rim for receiving the rim to
seal the opening when the lid is in said closure position.
Description
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The following invention relates to a container having a
permanently attached lid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is known to store food in a plastics container including
a receptacle and a snap-on lid. The lid seals to the receptacle to
keep food therein fresh. A problem with such a container is that
the lid is often lost rendering the container useless for the
purpose of maintaining the freshness of food.
[0006] Another known container has a hinged lid. However such a
container is not practical for heating food in a microwave oven as
the lid must be removed to allow the container to vent during the
cooking process. An open lid of such a container might strike the
roof walls or door of a microwave oven, preventing proper rotation
of the container on a turntable of the oven during the cooking
process.
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or
substantially ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the
prior art and/or, more generally, to provide an improved
container.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] According to the invention there is provided a container
including:
[0009] a receptacle defining a receptacle interior, the receptacle
having a base with a surface facing into the interior and an
opposite surface, and having an opening spaced from the base;
[0010] a lid configured to seal the opening; and
[0011] a link permanently attaching the lid to the receptacle and
configured to enable the lid to move between a closure position in
which the lid seals the opening and a support position in which the
lid is engaged with the opposite surface of the base for supporting
the receptacle.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the
receptacle and the lid has a projecting tab having a hole defined
therein, the link passing through the holes.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the link is in the form of a
loop. Preferably, the loop is elliptical.
[0014] In one preferred embodiment, the base defines a base ridge
and the lid defines a ridge-engagement groove which is
complementary with the base ridge, for receiving the base ridge
when the lid is in the support position. In another preferred
embodiment, the lid defines a lid ridge and the base defines a
ridge-engagement groove which is complementary with the lid ridge,
for receiving the lid ridge when the lid in the support
position.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the container is adapted to be
supported on a container supporting surface and the base has at
least one support-engaging face for engaging the supporting surface
at first spaced positions when the lid is not in the support
position; and the lid has at least one support-engaging face for
engaging the supporting surface at second spaced positions when the
lid is in the support position, and the second spaced positions are
more widely spaced than the first spaced positions, thereby more
stably to support the container when the lid is in the support
position.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the receptacle includes a
ridge-like rim defining the opening, and the lid defines a sealing
groove which is complementary with the rim for receiving the rim to
seal the opening when the lid is in the closure position.
[0017] A container according to embodiments of the invention can be
used to store food or other articles with the advantage that the
risk of the container's lid becoming lost is minimized. The lid can
also be removed from the opening, placed under the receptacle, and
engaged therewith. This yields the further advantage that the
receptacle is stably supported on the lid, for example when the
container is used in a microwave oven to heat food.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be
described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
drawings wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container having
a receptacle and a lid attached thereto;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional elevational view of
the container of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the container of
FIG. 1 with its receptacle supported on, and engaged with, the lid;
and
[0022] FIG. 4 is a schematic partly cross-sectional elevational
view, shown partly cut-away, of the container of FIGS. 1 to 3
showing the lid adjacent to, but parted from, the base of the
receptacle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] In the accompanying drawings there is shown schematically a
container 10 having a lid 11, a receptacle 12 and a link 13 (shown
in broken-chain lines in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4). The receptacle 12 has
an interior 14. The lid 11 and the receptacle 12 are fabricated
from moulded plastics material. However, in other embodiment, the
components could be made from metal or other suitable materials,
depending on the intended application of the container. The
receptacle 12 has a base 15 and walls 16 extending from the base
and terminating in a ridge-like rim 17 which defines an opening 18.
In the embodiment shown, the opening 18 is generally rectangular,
although in other embodiments it could be square, oval shaped,
circular or of any other suitable shape.
[0024] The base 15 of the receptacle 12 has a downwardly projecting
ridge 19 extending about the periphery of the base.
[0025] Projecting laterally from the receptacle 12 adjacent the rim
17 is a tab 20 having a hole 21 therethrough.
[0026] The lid 11 includes, in its under-surface, a sealing groove
22 which is complementary with the rim 17 of the receptacle 12, and
configured to receive the rim as a snap-fit to seal the opening
18.
[0027] The lid 11 also includes, at its upper side, a
ridge-engagement groove 23 which is complementary with the ridge 19
and which extends along a continuous path about the lid. The groove
23 is configured to receive the ridge 19 as a snap-fit, in the
configuration shown in FIG. 3.
[0028] The lid 11 also includes a tab 24 which has a hole 25
therethrough.
[0029] The link 133, which passes through the holes 21 and 25, is
made, in different embodiments, of moulded or extruded plastics
material, rubber, fibrous material or any other suitable material
capable of being formed as a link. In this regard, the word "link"
is not limited to a closed loop of the type shown, but might, in
other embodiments be a straight piece passing through both holes 21
and 25 and having enlarged ends preventing the link being removed
through the holes. In the preferred embodiment, the link 13 is
elliptical as shown. The link may be formed from a length of
material attached end-to-end to form a loop, the ends being joined
by heat bonding, glueing, inter-locking or by other means.
[0030] In use, the receptacle 12 can hold food or other articles
and the lid 11 can be snap-engaged with the receptacle to cover the
opening 18 thus sealing the opening and the interior 14. Thus the
position of the lid 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be considered
as the lid's "closure" position. It will be noted that the tabs 20
and 24 are in close proximity to each other with the holes 21 and
25 aligning with each other when the lid 11 is in this
position.
[0031] The lid 11 can be removed from the opening 18 but not
detached entirely from the receptacle 12 due to the presence of the
link 13. The longer axis of the ellipse of the link 13 is large
enough to enable the lid 11 to be moved between the "closure"
position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a position as shown in FIGS.
3 and 4 in which the lid is disposed under the receptacle 12. This
may be considered as the lid's "support" position. When the lid 11
is moved into the "support" position, the receptacle 12 can then be
pressed onto the lid 11, such that the ridge 19 snaps into
engagement in the groove 23.
[0032] It will be appreciated that where the container 10 is in
this configuration (i.e. with the lid 11 in its support position),
the container can, for example, be placed on the turntable of a
microwave oven. The lid 11, by being disposed under the receptacle
12, will support the receptacle (hence the term "support'
position") and will provide minimal obstruction, if any, within the
confined space of the oven, as the turntable rotates.
[0033] It will also be appreciated that while the larger axis of
the ellipse of the link 13 is large enough to permit the lid 11 to
be moved between its "closure" and "support" positions, the smaller
axis of the ellipse is sufficiently small for the link to be
largely non-obstructive.
[0034] To enable easy washing of the receptacle 12 and the lid 11,
the lid can be parted from the receptacle, while still being
connected to the receptacle by the link 13. Then, both the
receptacle and the lid can be placed face-down in a dishwasher, or
opened at an angle to each other, preferably substantially
face-down in a dishwasher. The permanent connection of the lid 11
to the receptacle 12 by the link 13 is advantageous as it prevents
the lid and receptacle being completely separated during the
washing process. During manual washing and drying, the link 13
enables the receptacle 12 and the lid 11 to be placed substantially
face-down, or at an angle to each other, on a dish rack without
becoming detached from each other.
[0035] The lid 11 includes faces 26 for engaging a support surface
(such as a microwave oven turntable) on which the container 10 is
supported, these faces being more widely spaced than corresponding
faces 27 constituted by the lower extremities of the ridge 19.
Thus, when the lid 11 is its "support" position, it provides more
stable support for the receptacle 12 than would be the case if the
lid were not in its "support" position--that is, if the receptacle
were directly supported on the support surface rather than on the
lid. This feature makes the container 10 particularly suitable for
uses such as in a microwave oven, where stable support of the
container during rotation of the microwave oven's turntable is
desirable.
[0036] It should be appreciated that the invention, being defiried
by the claims, is not limited to the embodiments described, but
extends to modifications and alterations thereto as would be
understood by those skilled in the art. For example, rather than
having sealing groove 22 and ridge-engagement groove 23 at opposite
faces of lid 11, these grooves could both be at the same face
thereof.
* * * * *