U.S. patent application number 09/834528 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-17 for container lid having gasketless liquid seal.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ropak Corporation. Invention is credited to Luburic, Frano.
Application Number | 20020148846 09/834528 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25267133 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020148846 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Luburic, Frano |
October 17, 2002 |
Container lid having gasketless liquid seal
Abstract
Apparatus includes a lid and a container/lid combination, in
which the interface between the lid and container provides a
liquid-tight seal without the need for a separate gasket member or
device. Various embodiments include corresponding tongue and groove
elements, and mating tapered channels and edges. Detents or
engagement structures may be provided to hold the lid to the
container in the desired relationship.
Inventors: |
Luburic, Frano; (Anaheim,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
J MARK HOLLAND & ASSOCIATES
3 CIVIC PLAZA SUITE 210
NEWPORT BEACH
CA
92660
|
Assignee: |
Ropak Corporation
|
Family ID: |
25267133 |
Appl. No.: |
09/834528 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/792 ;
220/276; 220/780; 220/793; 220/795 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00296
20130101; B65D 2543/00629 20130101; B65D 2543/005 20130101; B65D
2543/00555 20130101; B65D 2543/00685 20130101; B65D 43/162
20130101; B65D 2543/00796 20130101; B65D 2543/0099 20130101; B65D
2251/105 20130101; B65D 2543/00379 20130101; B65D 2543/0074
20130101; B65D 43/0256 20130101; B65D 2543/00842 20130101; B65D
2401/25 20200501; B65D 2543/00101 20130101; B65D 2543/00537
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/792 ;
220/780; 220/793; 220/795; 220/276 |
International
Class: |
B65D 041/48; B65D
041/18 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for providing a liquid-tight seal, including: a
container having an upper edge defining an opening; and an
injection-molded lid configured to cover said opening, said lid
having a channel at its periphery, said channel configured to abut
and form a liquid-tight seal with said upper edge of said container
when said lid is assembled on said container.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which said container upper edge is
tapered from a relatively thinner dimension to a relatively thicker
dimension moving in from said upper edge toward a bottom portion of
said container, and said channel includes a corresponding tapered
section, said tapering relationship providing contacting and
sealing engagement between said lid and said container on both an
inner contact surface and an outer contact surface of said upper
edge.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which said channel also sealingly
contacts a transition surface on said container upper edge between
said inner contact surface and said outer contact surface, when
said lid and said container are assembled with each other.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 or claim 3, in which said channel on
said lid is formed by an inner skirt and an outer skirt, both of
which are generally downwardly directed, and said outer skirt
includes a lower portion spaced outwardly from said container upper
edge to facilitate engagement of said lid on said container.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 or claim 3, including cooperating
engagement detents on said lid and said container to hold said lid
and said container in said liquid-tight sealing relationship.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, including corresponding tongue and
groove members on said lid and said container to interfit with each
other within said channel, said tongue and groove members providing
said structure to abut and form a liquid-tight seal with said upper
edge of said container.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, in which said upper edge includes a
generally horizontal surface when said container opening faces
upwards, and said generally horizontal surface extends generally
about the periphery of said container, and said tongue and groove
members include a groove formed in said horizontal surface, said
lid channel including a corresponding generally horizontal surface
that confronts said generally horizontal surface of said container
edge, and said tongue and groove members further include a tongue
element formed on said generally horizontal surface of said lid
channel, said tongue element on said lid channel sized and
configured to seat within said groove in said container upper edge
in a liquid sealing manner when said lid and container are
engaged.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 or claim 7, in which said tongue member
is slightly larger than said groove member.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 or claim 7, in which said tongue member
is misaligned horizontally with respect to said groove member.
10. The apparatus of claim 6 or claim 7, in which at least a
portion of said tongue member has a cross-section that is sloped
inwardly.
11. The apparatus of claim 6 or claim 7, in which at least a
portion of said tongue member has a cross-section that is sloped
outwardly.
12. The apparatus of claim 6 or claim 7, in which at least a
portion of said tongue member has a cross-section that is sloped,
said tongue member is slightly larger than said groove member, and
said tongue member is misaligned horizontally with respect to said
groove member.
13. The apparatus of claim 6 or claim 7, including cooperating
engagement detents on said lid and said container to hold said lid
and said container in said liquid-tight sealing relationship.
14. A container lid having a tapered channel at its periphery, said
channel configured to abut and form a liquid-tight seal with an
upper edge of a corresponding container when said lid is assembled
on the container, said tapering providing contacting and sealing
engagement between said lid and the container on both an inner
contact surface and an outer contact surface of said channel.
15. The lid of claim 14, including engagement detents on said lid
to engage corresponding detents on the container, to hold said lid
in said liquid-tight sealing relationship on the container.
16. A lid having a generally U-shaped cross section, both legs of
said cross section configured to abut a corresponding container to
thereby form a liquid-tight seal with the container.
17. The lid of claim 16, including inwardly directed engagement
detents on the outermost of said legs to engage corresponding
detents on the container, to hold said lid in said liquid-tight
sealing relationship on the container.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to containers and associated lids,
and more particularly to providing a liquid-tight seal between such
lids and containers without the need for separate gasket
elements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In order to effectively process, transport, and handle
various liquids, it is helpful and frequently necessary to provide
a liquid-tight seal between a lid and its associated container.
This is commonly accomplished by positioning a flexible gasket
along the contact area between the lid and container.
[0003] Using a separate gasket member requires additional costs,
inventory, assembly, and other factors impacting the economics and
ecological considerations of providing a liquid-tight
container.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an
improved lid and container combination.
[0005] It is another object of this invention to provide a
liquid-tight seal between a container having an upper edge defining
an opening, and an injection-molded lid configured to cover the
opening. The lid is characterized by a channel at its periphery,
with the channel configured to abut and form a liquid-tight seal
with the upper edge of the container when the lid is assembled on
the container.
[0006] A further object of this invention is to provide a container
and lid combination of the aforementioned character, in which the
container upper edge is tapered from a relatively thinner dimension
to a relatively thicker dimension moving in from the upper edge
toward a bottom portion of the container, and the channel includes
a corresponding tapered section. The tapering relationship provides
contacting and sealing engagement between the lid and the container
on both an inner contact surface and an outer contact surface of
the upper edge. The channel can also sealingly contact the "point"
of the container upper edge (or a similar transition surface
between the inner contact surface and the outer contact surface).
The channel on the lid may be formed by an inner skirt and an outer
skirt, both of which are generally downwardly directed, and the
outer skirt can includes a lower portion spaced outwardly from the
container upper edge to make it easier to align the lid on the
container. Cooperating engagement detents on the lid and the
container can help hold the lid and the container in the
liquid-tight sealing relationship.
[0007] An additional object of this invention is to provide a
container and lid combination of the aforementioned character, in
which corresponding tongue and groove members on the lid and the
container interfit with each other within the channel, the tongue
and groove members providing the structure to abut and form a
liquid-tight seal with the upper edge of the container. In certain
embodiments, the container upper edge includes a generally
horizontal peripheral surface when the container opening faces
upwards, the lid channel including a confronting generally
horizontal surface, and the tongue and groove members include a
tongue element formed on the lid channel's generally horizontal
surface sized and configured to seat within a groove element in the
container upper edge.
[0008] A related object of this invention is to provide a container
lid having a tapered channel at its periphery, the channel
configured to abut and form a liquid-tight seal with an upper edge
of a corresponding container when the lid is assembled on the
container. As indicated above, the tapering provides contacting and
sealing engagement between the lid and the container.
[0009] A similar object of this invention is the provision of a lid
having a generally U-shaped cross section, both legs of the cross
section configured to abut a corresponding container to thereby
form a liquid-tight seal with the container. The lid can include
inwardly directed engagement detents on the outermost of the legs
to engage corresponding detents on the container, to hold the lid
in the liquid-tight sealing relationship on the container.
[0010] Other objects and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following specification and the accompanying
drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the
container lid of the invention assembled with a container.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view along reference
line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, but illustrates the preferred
action to engage the lid with the container.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view along reference
line 4-4 of FIG. 1.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view along reference
line 5-5 of FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3,
but illustrates one of the many alternative embodiments of the
invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2,
but illustrates the alternative embodiment of FIG. 6.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 6,
but illustrates another of the many alternative embodiments of the
invention.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7,
but illustrates the alternative embodiment of FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a preferred hinged, rectangular,
recessed lid embodiment of the invention. Persons of ordinary skill
in the art will understand, however, that the invention can be
practiced in a wide variety of shapes and sizes of containers and
corresponding lids, including without limitation round, square,
rectangular, hinged lids, non-hinged lids, etc.
[0021] In FIGS. 1-5, a container 10 and lid 30 cooperatively engage
to provide a liquid-tight seal. Although not critical to the
invention (as further explained below), the lid 30 is illustrated
as including a hinge member 31. After removal of a tearstrip 33, a
first portion 32 of the lid remains relatively fixed to the
container 10, while the hinge 31 permits a second portion 34 can be
raised away from the container (to permit access to the contents
thereof) and lowered back into resealing engagement with the
container.
[0022] Persons of ordinary skill in the art also will understand
that the invention is useful for containers and lids regardless of
whether they incorporate tearstrips (for tamper-evidencing or other
purposes), and regardless of the tearline pattern for any such
tearstrips. Certain basic concepts regarding tearstrips, their
patterns, and related matters are disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No.
5,617,968, and the teachings of that patent are expressly
incorporated by reference herein. Among other things, for
embodiments in which the tearstrip pattern leaves resealing
structures on the lid after removal of the tearstrip, those
resealing structures (such as the cooperating detents described
herein) can continue to help maintain the liquid-tight sealing
relationship between the lid and container, even after removal of
the tearstrip and the opening and reclosure of the lid onto the
container.
[0023] The preferred embodiment of the lid 30 and container 10 are
fabricated by injection molding or some similar process, preferably
to provide a suitably strong, lightweight, liquid-tight container
assembly. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that
any suitable process and materials can be used, so long as it
provides the liquid-tight sealing described herein.
[0024] FIGS. 2-5 illustrate various aspects of the preferred
liquid-tight sealing relationship between lid 30 and container 10.
Container 10 preferably includes a generally tapered upper edge 12
that defines an upwardly directed opening. Lid 30 preferably covers
that opening, and includes a mating peripheral channel 40.
Preferred channel 40 is configured to abut and form a liquid-tight
seal with the upper edge 12 of the container when the lid 30 is
assembled on the container 10. Channel 40 may be conveniently
described as having a generally U-shaped cross section, with both
inner leg 42 and outer leg 44 of the cross section configured to
abut container edge 12 to form the desired liquid-tight seal with
the container 10. Preferably, the tolerances and precise angles and
dimensions of the upper edge 12 and the channel 40 are such that a
liquid-tight seal can be achieved at that interface without using a
separate gasket element.
[0025] The preferred container upper edge 12 is tapered from a
relatively thinner dimension to a relatively thicker dimension
moving in from the upper edge 12 toward a bottom portion 11 of the
container (FIG. 1). Preferred channel 40 includes a corresponding
tapered section. The tapering relationship provides contacting and
sealing engagement between the lid 30 and the container 10 on both
an inner contact surface (abutting leg 42) and an outer contact
surface (abutting leg 44) of the upper edge 12.
[0026] Channel 40 can also sealingly contact the "point" of the
container upper edge (or a similar transition surface between the
inner contact surface and the outer contact surface). Persons of
ordinary skill in the art will understand that, in such
embodiments, substantially the entire channel surface (the channel
sides and bottom, or the inner sides and bottom of the "U") is in
sealing contact with the container's upper edge.
[0027] The sealing engagement between channel 40 and upper
container edge 12 can be further enhanced by providing the upper
edge 12 slightly larger than the channel 40, to ensure an
interference fit with the lid and container are assembled
together.
[0028] The legs 42 and 44 of channel 40 may also be described as an
inner skirt 42 and an outer skirt 44, both of which are generally
downwardly directed. Outer skirt 44 preferably includes a lower
portion 46 spaced outwardly from the container upper edge 12. This
spacing is preferably provided by a shoulder section 45, and makes
it easier to "seat" or align the lid 30 onto the container 10.
[0029] Cooperating engagement detents 48 (on the lid 30) and 50 (on
the container 10) can help hold the lid 30 and the container 10 in
the liquid-tight sealing relationship, or at least hold them more
tightly together. As explained elsewhere herein and in my U.S. Pat.
No. 5,617,968, these detents can be used in combination with
various tearstrip configurations to provide desired initial sealing
and subsequent resealing, as well as other benefits.
[0030] Preferably, these detents 48 and 50 are formed as an
outwardly extending bead 50 around the periphery of the container
and an inwardly projecting bead 48 on the interior of flange 46.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand, however, that
either or both of the beads 48 and 50 can be interrupted rather
than completely encircling the lid or container, or can be
positioned at strategic locations about the periphery to provide
the desired engagement and retention.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates, among other things, the preferred motion
to engage the lid 30 with the container 10. By pushing in the
direction indicated by arrow A, the skirt or flange 46 pivots
outwardly and then back inwardly, as the lid "snaps" onto the
container as the beads 48 and 50 pass over each other. For
applications in which the seal between the lid 30 and container 10
does not need to be as rugged or withstand as much handling or
force, the detent engagement described herein may not be
necessary.
[0032] FIGS. 1 and 4 also illustrates the relationship of inner
"walls" such as corner structure 47. Persons of ordinary skill in
the art will understand that, in certain applications, it may be
necessary or desirable to include various shapes (such as wall 47)
within the lid 10, spaced from the channel/seal elements of the lid
and container. In such embodiments, the desired liquid-tight seal
can best be maintained by providing the inner flange 42 (see FIG.
4) on the lid in abutting contact with the container upper edge 12
around the full perimeter of the container.
[0033] FIG. 5 further illustrates aspects of the preferred
tearstrip 33 and breakline 27 and hingeline 29. Those breaklines
and hingelines are preferably formed in lid 30 to facilitate the
hinging of the first portion 32 (see FIG. 1) and second portion 34
(see FIG. 1) at hinge 31. Forming such frangible lines 27 and
bendable lines 29 in the lid makes it easier to break loose (as to
the vertical line 27) and pivot (along the horizontal line 29) the
second portion 34.
[0034] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate one of the many alternative
embodiments of the invention. Most of the general description above
applies to this embodiment as well. For example, engagement of the
lid and container of this embodiment is illustrated by arrows C and
D in FIG. 6, similar to arrows A and B in FIG. 3.
[0035] However, the container upper edge in FIGS. 6 and 7
preferably includes a generally horizontal surface 112, and the lid
channel preferably includes a confronting generally horizontal
surface 114. Corresponding tongue and groove or "tooth and slot"
members 116 (on the lid) and 118 (on the container) preferably
interfit with each other within the peripheral lid channel. The
tongue and groove members 116 and 118 provide the structure (or
further structure) to abut and form the desired liquid-tight seal
with the upper edge of the container.
[0036] Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that,
among the many alternative embodiments of the invention, the tongue
and groove elements 116 and 118 may be reversed from that shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7 (so that the tongue is located on the container and
the groove is located on the lid). In addition, and as discussed
below, the shape, size and alignment of the tongue and groove
generally and with respect to each other can vary widely and still
provide (and even enhance) many of the benefits of the invention,
including the sealing relationship between the lid and container.
Among other things, the tongue 116 can be formed slightly larger
than the groove 118 to help ensure sealing contact between the two
when the lid and container are assembled with each other.
[0037] Similarly, horizontally offsetting the tongue and groove 116
and 118 from each other can provide enhanced or "forced" sealing
contact between the tongue and groove. In such an embodiment,
during assembly of the lid onto the container, the tip of tongue
116 would initially contact one sloping surface of groove 118 and
then "slide" into the bottom of groove 118 (resulting in a "seated"
relationship similar to that shown in FIG. 7). Persons of ordinary
skill in the art also will understand that this misalignment and
consequent beneficial effect can occur even if one or both of the
tongue and groove are "symmetrical" and vertical as shown in FIGS.
6 and 7.
[0038] Thus, a wide range of "tongue and groove" embodiments of the
invention exist other than the vertically symmetrical, aligned
embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. By way of further example,
FIGS. 8 and 9 are similar to FIGS. 6 and 7, but illustrate yet
another of the many alternative embodiments of the invention.
Again, most of the foregoing description regarding the embodiment
of FIGS. 6 and 7 applies as well to the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and
9. Among other things, engagement of the lid and container of this
embodiment is illustrated by arrows E and F in FIG. 8, similar to
arrows C and D in FIG. 6.
[0039] In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, however, the tongue or
tooth 216 is preferably misaligned with the groove or slot 218. As
will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, this
intentional misalignment ensures and enhances the contact (and the
force of the contact) between tooth 216 and slot 218. Preferably,
the lid, container, tooth, and groove (or at least some of them)
are formed of a material having "shape memory" that tends to
"force" surface 217 of tooth 216 into an enhanced contact with its
confronting surface in slot or groove 218. This "shape memory" is
beneficial not only with this "misalignment" feature, but with the
slope, relative size, and other tooth/slot features described
herein.
[0040] Tooth 216 also is preferably sloped, in contrast to the
vertically symmetrical V-shape shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIGS. 8
and 9, both sides of tooth 216 are sloped in the same direction
(shown as sloping downwardly to the right, or "outward", in FIG.
8). Persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that
sloping downwardly to the left (or "inward") would provide at least
some benefits similar to those discussed with respect to the
embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9. Similarly, at least some degree of
these benefits can be enjoyed in embodiments where the tooth or
tongue 216 has differing slopes (rather than symmetrical, as shown
in FIGS. 6 and 7), even if one surface of tooth 216 slopes to the
left and the other slopes to the right.
[0041] Among other things, and especially if both sides of tooth
216 are sloped the same direction and the material of tooth 216 is
sufficiently flexible and has "shape memory" (as discussed above),
tooth 216 can bend or deform slightly and seat itself tightly into
slot 218 as the lid and container are assembled together.
[0042] The sloped, misaligned structure and relationship of tooth
and slot 216 and 218 illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 (or a downward
left--or "inward"--sloping embodiment, not shown) also can provide
enhanced sealing in the event of slightly increased internal
pressure (or slightly decreased pressure, such as can occur with
"burping" gas from the container) within the "sealed" container.
For embodiments such as those of FIGS. 6-9, the desired sealing
relationship between the lid and container can occur primarily or
exclusively via the aforementioned tongue and groove (or tooth and
slot) structures. In certain embodiments (not shown in FIGS. 8 and
9), additional sealing contact can occur between the inner lid
skirt 221 and the confronting container sidewall. FIGS. 8 and 9
instead illustrate an embodiment in which one or more burp ribs 223
are provided to help form a burp space 220 between container
sidewall 219 and inner lid skirt 221. As mentioned above, such a
gap is not necessary (for example, none exists in the embodiment of
FIGS. 6 and 7), but it can facilitate certain applications of the
invention, such as the ability to "burp" gas or air from the
container.
[0043] The embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 preferably further includes
a lead-in angle 222 at the lower outer edge of the lid's inner
flange 221, to facilitate seating of the lid onto the container.
Lead-in angle 222 does not have to be provided in order to practice
the invention, but simply means that the lid and container do not
have to be as precisely aligned with each other to smoothly engage
each other (as compared to not having such a lead-in angle
222).
[0044] In addition, persons of ordinary skill in the art will
understand that the various features mentioned above (tongue larger
than corresponding groove, misalignment between tongue and groove,
sloped tongue, etc.) can be used in various iterations and
combinations with each other in various embodiments of the
invention.
[0045] Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described with some specificity, the description and drawings set
forth herein are not intended to be delimiting, and persons of
ordinary skill in the art will understand that various
modifications may be made to the embodiments discussed herein
without departing from the scope of the invention, and all such
changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the
appended claims.
* * * * *