U.S. patent application number 09/822870 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-28 for plastic container with snap lid.
Invention is credited to Diesterbeck, Frank.
Application Number | 20020175173 09/822870 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7939719 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020175173 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Diesterbeck, Frank |
November 28, 2002 |
Plastic container with snap lid
Abstract
A plastic container with a snap lid and with a snap element
provided on an upper edge area of the container for the lid to snap
onto, where the lid being snapped onto the container has an area
that comes into tight contact with the upper edge area of the
container, the areas of the lid and of the container cooperating
under tight contact generate a sealing region. The object of the
invention is to design a plastic container with snap lid, which
reliably fulfils special demands on leak-proofness. To this end,
the sealing region between the container and the lid is provided
with a circumferential seal made of a material of greater
elasticity than the container and the lid and in that the seal is
integrally moulded on at least one of the cooperation areas of the
lid and of the container generating the sealing region. The seal
can be located in a circumferential groove in the lid. The seal can
have two sealing regions spaced apart that are at different angles
to the main axis of the container, where the container and/or lid
has areas that provide for tight contact on the sealing regions.
The container and the seal are provided with elevations in the form
of ribs which come into contact when the lid is on. At the height
of the seal, the outer flank of the groove on the lid laterally
contacts the outside of the container.
Inventors: |
Diesterbeck, Frank;
(Marienheide, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.
624 Ninth Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20001
US
|
Family ID: |
7939719 |
Appl. No.: |
09/822870 |
Filed: |
April 2, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/782 ;
220/792; 220/795 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2401/10 20200501;
B65D 2543/005 20130101; B65D 2543/00027 20130101; B65D 2543/00648
20130101; B65D 43/0212 20130101; B65D 2543/00555 20130101; B65D
2543/00092 20130101; B65D 2543/00537 20130101; B65D 2543/00972
20130101; B65D 2543/00944 20130101; B65D 21/0219 20130101; B65D
2543/00685 20130101; B65D 2543/00583 20130101; B65D 2543/00796
20130101; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/0074 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/782 ;
220/792; 220/795 |
International
Class: |
B65D 041/18; B65D
041/48 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 1, 2001 |
DE |
200 06 093.7 |
Claims
1. Plastic container with a snap lid and with a snap element
provided on an upper edge area of the container for the lid to snap
onto, where the lid being snapped onto the container has an area
that comes into tight contact with the upper edge area of the
container, the areas of the lid and of the container cooperating
under tight contact generate a sealing region, characterised in
that the sealing region between the container and the lid is
provided with a circumferential seal made of a material of greater
elasticity than the container and the lid and in that the seal is
integrally moulded on at least one of the cooperation areas of the
lid and of the container generating the sealing region.
2. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the lid has a
circumferential groove with a base and with outer and inner flanks
to receive the top edge of the container and in that the seal is
located in the groove.
3. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the container
has a main axis and the seal has two sealing regions spaced apart
that are at different angles to the main axis of the container, and
in that in the snapped-on state of the lid both sealing regions of
the seal are in tight contact with at least one of the areas of the
lid and of the container cooperating under tight contact generating
the sealing region.
4. Container as per claim 3, characterised in that the seal has an
area that is arranged radially inward relative to the top edge of
the container and slopes downward towards the inside of the
container, the radially inwardly seal area contacts at least one of
the areas of the lid and of the container cooperating under tight
contact generating the sealing region.
5. Container as per claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the seal
has at least one circumferential sealing rib projecting towards the
container edge that tightly contacts the upper region of the
container.
6. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the container
has a main axis and the seal has two sealing regions spaced apart
that are at different angles to the main axis of the container, and
in that in the snapped-on state of the lid both sealing regions of
the seal are in tight contact with at least one of the areas of the
lid and of the container cooperating under tight contact generating
the sealing region, and in that the seal has at least one
circumferential sealing rib projecting towards the container edge
that tightly contacts the upper region of the container.
7. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that at least one
circumferential rib that contacts the seal is provided on the
container, opposite the seal.
8. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the container
has a main axis and the seal has two sealing regions spaced apart
that are at different angles to the main axis of the container, and
in that in the snapped-on state of the lid both sealing regions of
the seal are in tight contact with at least one of the areas of the
lid and of the container cooperating under tight contact generating
the sealing region and that at least one circumferential rib that
contacts the seal is provided on the container, opposite the
seal.
9. Container as per claim 7, characterised in that the container
and the seal are provided with elevations in the form of ribs which
are each positioned relative to one another such that the
elevations on the container and the seal come into contact when the
lid is on.
10. Container as per claim 8, characterised in that the container
and the seal are provided with elevations in the form of ribs which
are each positioned relative to one another such that the
elevations on the container and the seal come into contact when the
lid is on.
11. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that, at the height
of the seal, the outer flank of the groove accommodating the seal
on the lid laterally contacts the outside of the container in the
region of the top edge of the container.
12. Container as per claim 11, characterised in that the container
has a main axis and the seal has two sealing regions spaced apart
that are at different angles to the main axis of the container, and
in that in the snapped-on state of the lid both sealing regions of
the seal are in tight contact with at least one of the areas of the
lid and of the container cooperating under tight contact generating
the sealing region.
13. Container as per claim 11, characterised in that webs
projecting radially outward are integrally moulded on the outside
area adjacent to the top edge of the container, whose radial
extension is less than the container wall thickness.
14. Container as per claim 12, characterised in that at least one
web projecting radially outward is integrally moulded on the
outside area adjacent to the top edge of the container, whose
radial extension is less than the container wall thickness.
15. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that at least one,
radially projecting reinforcing rib is integrally moulded on the
container edge on the side of the snap element facing the top edge
of the container.
16. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the upper
region of the container has a downward-facing, circumferential
collar region on the outside, which is joined in the region of the
top edge of the container.
17. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the upper
collar region of the container has a radially projecting,
downward-facing, circumferential collar region on which a snap
element is integrally moulded.
18. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the lid has a
circumferential area spaced away from the seal that tightly
contacts the inside wall of the container.
19. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the container
has a main axis and the seal has two sealing regions spaced apart
that are at different angles to the main axis of the container, and
in that in the snapped-on state of the lid both sealing regions of
the seal are in tight contact with at least one of the areas of the
lid and of the container cooperating under tight contact generating
the sealing region and that the lid has a circumferential area
spaced away from the seal that tightly contacts the inside wall of
the container.
20. Container as per claim 18, characterised in that the sealing
lid region is designed as a circumferential rib having a bottom
edge, the rib is projecting downward from the underside of the
lid.
21. Container as per claim 19, characterised in that the sealing
lid region is designed as a circumferential rib having a bottom
edge, the rib is projecting downward from the underside of the
lid.
22. Container as per claim 20, characterised in that an area
projecting upward beyond the bottom edge of the rib is provided on
the inside wall of the container radially inward relative to the
circumferential rib.
23. Container as per claim 21, characterised in that an area
projecting upward beyond the bottom edge of the rib is provided on
the inside wall of the container radially inward relative to the
circumferential rib.
24. Container as per claim 1, characterised in that the container
has an inside wall and a main axis, in that the lid is provided
radially inwards from the inside wall of the container with at
least one projection integrally moulded on a top side of the lid
and extending towards the main axis of the container.
25. Container as per claim 24, characterised in that the top side
of at least one projection is spaced vertically away from the area
of the lid in tight contact with the inside wall of the
container.
26. Container as per claim 24, characterised in that at least one
projection is designed as a radial edge running circumferentially
around the inside of the lid.
27. Container as per claim 25, characterised in that at least one
projection is designed as a radial edge running circumferentially
around the inside of the lid.
28. Container as per claim 26, characterised in that at least one
projection is designed as a radial edge running circumferentially
around the inside of the lid.
29. Container as per claim 27, characterised in that inward-facing
projections are integrally moulded on the circumferential edge.
30. Container as per claim 28, characterised in that inward-facing
projections are integrally moulded on the circumferential edge.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a plastic container with a snap lid
and with a snap element provided on an upper edge area of the
container for the lid to snap onto, where the lid being snapped
onto the container and has an area that is in tight contact with
the upper edge area of the container, the areas of the lid and of
the container cooperating under tight contact generate a sealing
region.
[0002] Plastic containers of this kind are used to transport
various goods, particularly also in the industrial and food
sectors, and have proven to be very effective for this purpose.
However, transporting liquids or low-viscosity materials still
involves the problem of the sufficient leak-proofness of the
plastic containers. This is the case particularly when transporting
volatile or other types of critical goods, such as oils,
particularly mineral oils. In these cases, especially high demands
must be imposed on the leak-proofness of the plastic container,
which have not yet been fulfilled satisfactorily by previously
known plastic containers, even though numerous attempts have been
made to achieve sufficient leak-proofness by providing the
container edge and the lid with a corresponding profile.
Consequently, these goods are usually transported in metal
containers.
[0003] The object of the invention is to design a plastic container
with snap lid, which reliably fulfils the special demands imposed
on leak-proofness.
[0004] The object is solved by a plastic container with snap lid,
the sealing region between the container and the lid is provided
with a circumferential seal made of a material of greater
elasticity than the container and the lid and in that the seal is
integrally moulded on at least one of the cooperation areas of the
lid and of the container generating the sealing region. That means,
that the sealing region is provided with an integrally moulded,
circumferential seal that sits tightly between the container and
the lid when the lid is in place, where the seal is made of a
material of greater elasticity than that of the lid and/or the
bucket, particularly a rubber material. The seal is thus integrally
moulded on the container, consisting of the bucket and the lid. In
this way, the tolerances that can occur with a manually inserted
seal are avoided and the seal is fastened to the lid or the
container such that, even when exposed to external forces, e.g. if
containers fall, the seal is always located on the component in
unmoveable fashion. The seal is preferably integrally moulded by an
injection process, e.g. injection moulding, so that joints or the
like can be avoided. The seal can be injected in the same mould
immediately after the moulding of the associated container part, so
that particularly low manufacturing and fit tolerances can be
maintained.
[0005] The seal is advantageously integrally moulded on the lid,
where the width of the seal can be greater than the wall thickness
of the upper container edge, e.g. roughly 1.5 to 3 times greater,
without being restricted to this. The seal can have an essentially
horizontal sealing region and it can also be profiled, e.g. U or
V-shaped. One, two or even more different sealing regions can be
provided that differ in terms of their contact width, which can be
either linear or planar, their material thickness or other
characteristics. The sealing regions can be interconnected and/or
radially or axially separated from one another.
[0006] The seal is advantageously located in a circumferential
groove in the lid that is open towards the container edge, where
the seal can extend over the entire width of the groove and is thus
additionally secured against lateral shifting. The side flanks of
the groove can surround the inside and outside of the container
edge, preferably with slight lateral play, or none at all, without
being restricted to this.
[0007] The seal preferably has two, adjacent sealing regions that
are at different angles and tightly contact areas of the container
edge at different angles. To this end, the seal can have a U, V or
L-shaped cross-section, in particular, or other profiles, where the
sealing regions can be arranged on areas of the seal that face each
other, possibly also in a convex area, for example. The sealing
regions at different angles can be designed as a single part or
multiple parts, i.e. not of continuous design, where one or more,
or preferably all of the segments of the seal are integrally
moulded on the container and/or lid.
[0008] When the container is closed, the seal preferably has an
essentially horizontal area that tightly contacts the top edge of
the container edge and a radially inward area that preferably
slopes downwards and tightly contacts the inside of the upper
container edge. The downwardly sloping sealing region can extend
essentially vertically or at an angle when the container is in
upright position, where the two sealing regions can enclose an
angle of 90.degree. to 135.degree. or more. The sloping sealing
region thus also ends in a sloping area and preferably extends in
essentially linear fashion. The length of the sloping sealing
region can be roughly equal to the length of the horizontal sealing
region, e.g. one-quarter to the entire length of the same or more.
The container edge preferably likewise has a horizontal sealing
region and a radially inward bevel or chamfer for positioning the
vertical or angled sealing region. However, other designs are also
possible. As a result, forces are always absorbed in the region of
the flexible seal, even forces acting laterally on the sealing
region, so that a high degree of leak-proofness is ensured.
[0009] The seal can have one or more circumferential sealing ribs
projecting towards the container edge, which contact an area of the
container, particularly the top edge of the container. The height
of the sealing ribs can be less than the wall thickness of the
container. The container edge can be plane or provided with one or
more circumferential ribs, pairs of which can form a groove that is
at least partially engaged by one or more sealing ribs. The sealing
ribs can be provided on different areas of the seal, e.g. on a
horizontal and/or vertical or angled area. The cross-sections of
the sealing ribs need not be the same as the circumferential
grooves of the container edge, as long as a sufficient sealing
effect is achieved. The cross-section of the groove of the
container edge can be equal to or smaller than the cross-section of
the sealing rib, so that the groove is completely filled by the
flexible sealing rib when the lid is in place. The groove
cross-section can also be larger than that of the engaging sealing
ribs and, in this context, counteract the lateral shifting of the
same, for example, a purpose that can also be fulfilled by just a
web. The web or edge delimiting the groove can also tightly contact
the seal. If necessary, one or more ribs can also be provided on
the container edge that engage recesses provided for this purpose
in the flexible seal. In particular, the seal and container edge
structures that come into contact can be incompatible or
non-complementary, so that elevations on the seal do not lie
opposite depressions in the container edge, but rather contact
elevations on the container edge, e.g. in the flank area of the
same. This results in non-congruent interlocking that ensures high
and reliable leak-proofness. In this context, the height of the
sealing ribs is preferably less than the wall thickness of the
container, e.g. 1/2 to 1/5 of the same or less, without being
restricted to this.
[0010] The container edge can also be provided with at least one
rib for sealing the container that comes into contact with a plane
area of the seal. The rib is preferably so high that, when the lid
is on, the rib at least partially or essentially completely digs
into the seal, which has greater elasticity than the container
material.
[0011] The seal preferably has a height or thickness such that it
simultaneously acts as a deformation zone when force is exerted on
the container or the lid in the sealing region, so that deformation
of the more rigid lid and container areas is avoided when exposed
to certain forces.
[0012] In order to seal the container when the lid is on, the
horizontal and/or vertical or downward-sloping area of the seal can
make flat contact with a partial area, or preferably the entire
surface area (i.e. over the entire radial extension) of the
corresponding contact areas of the container or lid.
[0013] Webs projecting radially outward, which can be designed as
circumferential ribs whose radial extension is less than the
container wall thickness, can be integrally moulded on the
outwardly downward-sloping area of the outer container wall
adjacent to the top edge of the container. These ribs can be made
of the same material as the container wall and essentially serve to
reduce the friction when putting on the lid, where they only have a
secondary sealing function, which is primarily fulfilled by the
flexible and compressible seal. Two or more circumferential ribs of
this kind can also be provided on the outer edge of the container.
When the lid is in place, the ribs preferably make contact without
play, but also without any significant pretension, so that the lid
is precisely positioned in the region of the seal, or are spaced
apart with slight play, without being restricted to this.
[0014] In order to stabilise the sealing region, a radially
projecting reinforcing rib is integrally moulded, preferably on the
outside, on the container edge on the side of the snap element
facing the top edge of the container. The reinforcing rib
preferably runs radially around the container. It can also be
divided and consist of several reinforcing segments. Alternatively
or additionally, one or more additional reinforcing ribs can be
integrally moulded on the side of the snap element facing towards
or away from the top edge of the container. The thickness, i.e.
height and/or width, of the reinforcing rib can be in the region of
half the wall thickness of the container, preferably in the region
of the wall thickness or also greater. Arranging the reinforcing
rib adjacent to the flexible seal makes the sealing region of the
container particularly stable. The lid is preferably in contact
with the radially outer side of the reinforcing rib with or without
pretension, so that forces acting on the side of the lid are
absorbed directly by the reinforcing rib. For this purpose, the
radially outer side of the reinforcing rib can have a plane area.
The space between the reinforcing rib and the snap element can be
designed to accommodate the snap edge of the lid. If necessary,
reinforcing ribs can also be provided on the inside of the
container.
[0015] Advantageously, the snap connection of the lid is also
equally effective after the container has been opened once, i.e.
the snap region and the sealing region are not separated by an area
of thinner material that serves as a tamper-proof seal, for
example, and in which the lid area has to be partially or
completely removed or folded over in order to open the container.
The snap element can be provided directly on the top edge of the
container or at a distance away from it, e.g. also on an outwardly
projecting edge.
[0016] The snap element for attaching the lid is preferably
provided on the outer wall of the container, or also on the inside,
if appropriate.
[0017] The lid preferably has an outward-facing sliding bevel,
which can be joined to the top edge of the lid or a region below
it, preferably on an essentially vertical section. The sliding
bevel can be located immediately above the reinforcing rib provided
above the snap element on the outer wall of the container and a
small distance away from it. The sliding bevel can be radially
flush with the snap edge of the lid on the outside, or extend
beyond it, although it preferably extends radially beyond the areas
projecting away from the container wall.
[0018] The upper edge of the container preferably has a
circumferential collar region projecting radially outward and
facing downward, on which the snap element is integrally moulded.
In this context, a reinforcing rib integrally moulded above the
snap element and facing outward can also be integrally moulded on
the circumferential container collar, thus also reinforcing it,
and/or above the circumferential collar region right on the
container wall. Due to the downward-facing collar region, which is
spaced apart from the container wall, the snap region is isolated
from the sealing region in terms of the forces acting on them.
[0019] The downward-facing, circumferential collar region is
preferably joined at the top edge of the container, i.e. at the
height of the sealing region or at a distance of a few times the
wall thickness away, e.g. one or two times, without being
restricted to this.
[0020] The container preferably has a collar region projecting
radially outward and facing downward, which is located below the
lid when it is on the container and extends radially to the lid or
also beyond it. This circumferential collar region can be
integrally moulded on the container wall separately and, in this
context, be flush with the bottom edge of the circumferential
collar region with the snap edge, or spaced apart from it in terms
of height. This circumferential collar region is preferably
designed as a continuation of the collar region accommodating the
snap element, i.e. as a shoulder continuing down and to the
outside.
[0021] A corresponding tamper-proof seal can be provided in this
area. The bottom edge of the lid can sit on this collar region with
or without pretension, or display a slight amount of play in
relation to it, preferably such that the bottom edge of the lid
cannot be reached under manually. This circumferential collar
region can have a radial constriction for the partial or complete
reception of the bottom edge of the lid.
[0022] The circumferential collar region or regions can be
reinforced by vertical ribs, which can be located in the inside of
the collar region and connected to the outer wall of the container.
The reinforcing ribs preferably have a recess or notch at the
bottom, due to which the collar region retains a certain degree of
flexibility and can act as a deformation zone.
[0023] The lid preferably has a circumferential area that is spaced
vertically and/or radially away from the flexible seal and tightly
contacts the inside wall of the container when the lid is in place.
This sealing region can be made of the same material as the lid.
The sealing region can be designed as a downwardly projecting rib
or also as a shoulder on the under-side of the lid, for example,
and is preferably located above an indentation in the container
wall when the lid is in place. When the lid is in place, the
sealing region can rest on the indentation, or be spaced away from
it, preferably in such a way that the underside of the rib or of
the shoulder of the lid rests on the container indentation when
additional containers are stacked on top or when an external force
is applied. In this context, the lid area can tightly contact a
preferably essentially vertical container region in linear fashion,
or over a vertical height, preferably at the height of a
reinforcing rib or the snap edge provided on the outside of the
container.
[0024] In order to increase the reliability of the container seal,
an area projecting upward beyond the bottom edge of the rib can be
provided on the inside wall of the container, which is radially
inside relative to the web-like or circumferential rib integrally
moulded on the inside of the lid. To this end, individual
projections or webs can provided that are spread over the
circumference. This area is preferably also designed as a
circumferential rib. The height of this rib, which prevents inward
shifting of the rib of the lid, is preferably smaller than the wall
thickness of the container or the lid rib, without being restricted
to this. The upwardly projecting areas of the container can be
slightly spaced apart or contact the side of the rib of the lid
with or without pretension. In this context, the rib of the lid can
also be located in a press fit between the radially adjacent
container areas on the inside and outside.
[0025] The shoulder of the inside wall of the container, which is
located below the rib or a shoulder of the lid or the like, can be
located roughly at the height of the snap element or a reinforcing
rib, or at distance of one or a few times the wall thickness of the
container.
[0026] In order to stabilise the sealing region, the lid can be
provided, preferably on the immediately radially inside area of the
container wall, with at least one radially inward projection that
can be integrally moulded on the top side of the lid. The
projection or projections can be of annular, box-like (e.g. cubic
or prismatic) or web-shaped design, without being restricted to
this. Inside reinforcing ribs can be provided in order to stabilise
the box-like or annular projections.
[0027] The top side of the projection(s) is advantageously spaced
away from, preferably above, the lid area in tight contact with the
inside wall of the container, where the point of contact in the
vertical direction can be virtually punctiform or linear. The
cross-section of the projections can be designed in the shape of a
skew triangle or rectangle, where the top and/or bottom edge of the
side walls of the projections can be designed to slope down towards
the inside of the container. The radially inward end wall of the
projections can be vertical or at an angle. The projections can be
integrally moulded on the top edge of the lid. The top edge of the
projections is preferably located below the top edge of the lid,
thus creating another shoulder. This avoids integral moulding at
the height of the sealing region on the inside of the container,
which can lead to material stress or deformation, e.g. due to
shrinkage processes.
[0028] The projections facing the centre of the lid are
advantageously designed such that vertically extending connecting
surfaces with the circumferential sealing rib can be largely or
entirely avoided in the sealing region, such as in the form of
lateral surfaces on the projections or web-like projections. To
this end, projections extending over a relatively large part of the
circumference, or preferably a radial circumferential edge on the
inside of the lid, can be provided. In this context, the lateral
surfaces of the projections can be located at a radial distance
from the circumferential sealing region on the top side of the
projections, so that when looking at the lid from below, a
circumferential groove with an e.g. roughly trapezoidal or
triangular cross-section and inwardly facing wider areas results.
The projections, particularly also an annular, circumferential
projection, can possibly also be reinforced with inside ribs, which
then preferably end at a radial distance from the sealing or
support rib in contact with the inside wall of the container, or
rest against it at a distance from the sealing region of this
rib.
[0029] In this context, the top side of the projections can contact
the inside edge of the lid essentially horizontally, preferably at
a downward angle of less than 150, e.g. 5.degree., towards the
inside of the container.
[0030] The lid surface blocking the container opening can be
positioned level with or below the inside sealing region,
preferably level with or below the snap edge.
[0031] A spout can be mounted on the lid, which is preferably
located roughly at one-quarter the diameter of the lid surface
area, thus resulting in practical handling of the bucket when
pouring a liquid.
[0032] An example of the invention is described below and explained
on the basis of the figures. The figures show the following:
[0033] FIG. 1 A partial cross-section of a container with lid
according to the invention, with another container stacked on
top,
[0034] FIG. 2 A detail view of a container with lid according to
FIG. 1,
[0035] FIG. 3 A detail cross-section of a container according to
FIG. 1,
[0036] FIG. 4 A top view of a container with lid according to FIG.
1,
[0037] FIG. 5 A diagram of stacked lids according to FIG. 1,
[0038] FIG. 1 shows an injection-moulded plastic bucket 1 with lid
2 snapped on, where a flat area is provided on top edge 4 of outer
wall 3 of the bucket. Top edge 4 is connected to a circumferential,
radially-projecting collar 5, on which an outwardly projecting snap
edge 6 is integrally moulded, which is engaged from below by a
circumferential snap edge 7 of the lid with a hooked projection.
The areas of the lid and the bucket that snap together are designed
to be essentially horizontal and without rounded outer edges, so
that a particularly secure snap connection is provided by the
resulting interlocking connection. The snap edges of the bucket and
the lid can possibly also be angled downwards towards the outside,
thus strengthening the interlocking connection.
[0039] The region of lid 2 associated with top edge 4 of the bucket
is designed in the shape of a groove or channel, where outer flank
8 of groove 34 is in lateral contact with the two, vertically
spaced circumferential ribs 9 of the bucket. The radial extension
of ribs 9 is considerably less than the wall thickness of the
bucket, roughly one-third in this case. Due to the rounded top edge
of rib 9 and the small width of the ribs, the lid can easily be
pushed onto the bucket, even if sits very tightly against the edge
of the bucket. Here, ribs 9 are located at the height of section 12
of the seal, where the lid can rest on the outer wall of the bucket
at this height with little or virtually no pretension, even in the
absence of these ribs.
[0040] A seal made of an elastic and compressible rubber material
is injected as a single piece on the horizontal base of the groove
in the lid and on radially adjacent inside flank 10. In order to
improve the material bond, the groove base and the area of contact
of the rubber seal with it are provided with congruent elevations
and depressions. Sealing region 12 associated with inside groove
flank 10 is at an angle to the vertical, at an angle of roughly
20.degree. here, where the angle can also taken on values between 5
and 45.degree., without being restricted to this. When the lid is
snapped on, angled section 12 of seal 11 rests against downwardly
sloping bevel 13, which is adjacent to the inside of top edge 4 of
the bucket (see also FIGS. 2, 3) and whose slope corresponds to
that of the contact surface of section 12 of the seal, without
being restricted to this. As a result of this special design of the
seal, the bucket is securely sealed even when strong forces act on
the edge of the bucket. The section of the lid that surrounds
section 12 of the seal on the inside is also of bevelled
design.
[0041] Circumferential collar 5 of the bucket is joined at the
height of top edge 4, so that the cavity 14 delimited by collar 5
extends up close to the top edge, i.e. up to about once the wall
thickness. The region of top edge 4 of the bucket is thus also
designed as a U-shaped, circumferential profile.
[0042] The essentially vertical leg of U-shaped top edge 4
transitions towards the outside into a bevel 15 with an angle of
roughly 300 to the horizontal, thus forming a stepped shoulder.
Snap edge 6 is integrally moulded below this shoulder, where a
radial, circumferential reinforcing edge 16 is integrally moulded
between the snap edge and the shoulder, at the height of the
shoulder here, which, in this example, is flush towards the outside
with snap edge 6 and has a corresponding width, i.e. vertical
extension. The bottom edge of reinforcing edge 16 is designed to
correspond to that of snap edge 6, so that snap edge 7 of the lid
can also engage the groove located between edges 6 and 16, to which
end the top edge of snap edge 6 also slopes down towards the
outside. When completely snapped on, the edge of the lid thus rests
against the outer edge of snap edge 6, reinforcing edge 16 and the
two ribs 9, where a slight gap is provided between bevel 15 and
sliding bevel 17 of the lid located above it. Sliding bevel 17 can
also be located above the bottom edge of the lid rim surrounding
the top edge of the container, so that a web projecting downwards
towards bevel 15 is formed, which can possibly also rest on bevel
15 or an essentially horizontal section of the same.
[0043] Circumferential collar 5 has a circumferential shoulder 18
below snap edge 7 that projects away from snap edge 7 beyond the
outer edge of lid 2, where snap edge 7 can rest on shoulder 18
under pretension, or a gap can be provided between the snap edge
and the shoulder. Shoulder 18 has a tamper-proof seal 19, after
whose removal snap edge 7 can be grasped manually from below and
the lid pulled off. Several tear-off tabs can also be provided that
are adjacent or extend over a fairly large segment of the
circumference of the bucket. If necessary, a tamper-proof seal can
also be attached to snap edge 7. It is important to mention here
that the lid area between the groove accommodating the seal and the
snap edge preferably does not have any significant thinning of the
material, so that high stability, and thus high leak-proofness, is
ensured between the snap connection and seal 11 or the area of the
lid located inside bucket 1.
[0044] The lid has a circumferential sealing rib 20 on the inside
relative to seal 11, which only tightly contacts the inside wall of
the bucket along part of its height, where the sealing region in
this example is formed by the bottom end of the rib, which is
provided roughly at the height of reinforcing edge 16 or the snap
edge. Rib 20, which essentially projects vertically downward, is
located at the height of an inwardly projecting shoulder 21 of the
inside wall of the bucket and at a slight vertical distance from
it. When slight vertical pressure is applied to the lid, rib 20
rests on indentation 21. If the sealing function of the rib is
dispensable, individual, downward-facing, web-like projections can
also be provided as an alternative. Indentation 21 is delimited on
the inside by a circumferential ridge 22, in place of which
individual projections can also be provided, where ridge 22 extends
above the bottom edge of rib 20 and prevents the inward movement of
rib 20. Rib 20 can also be received in a press fit between ridge 22
and the adjacent, outer wall area of the bucket. The sealing region
of rib 20 is formed in that (see FIG. 2) rib 20 is angled slightly
outward and dimensioned such that its bottom edge 35 would come to
rest radially outside the inside wall of the bucket when the lid is
removed. In this case, the thickness of the bottom edge roughly
corresponds to the rib thickness, preferably more than 1/4 of the
same, where it is slightly tapered here. As a result, radially
pretensioned contact with the inside wall of the container is
consistently achieved when the lid is on. The overhang when the lid
is removed is smaller than the rib thickness here and amounts to
roughly 1/4 the thickness of the bottom edge.
[0045] A circumferential, inside edge 23 sloping slightly down
towards the inside, is integrally moulded on rib 20 above the
sealing region, on which inwardly facing bevels 24 or, in spots
with a wider edge, essentially vertical wall areas 25 are
integrally moulded in segments, which transition into the
horizontal lid area 26. Area 26 is located below snap edge 6, where
its outside diameter is dimensioned, as shown, such that it is
possible to stack buckets. This results in projections with a
triangular cross-section that are integrally moulded on a
trapezoidal groove open towards the bottom.
[0046] In order to enable improved force transmission in, and
simultaneous stackability of, buckets without lids inside one
another, outer wall 3 of the bucket has a taper or angle to the
outside of less than 3.degree., preferably 2.degree., where smaller
angles are also possible. In order to be able to better absorb in
the edge region the forces that occur when buckets with lids are
stacked, the distance between the side of wall 25 of the
projections facing the centre of the bucket and the opposite outer
wall of the bucket 27 is further designed to allow only slight
play, e.g. with a distance of less than 2 mm, preferably 1 mm.
[0047] As shown in the enlarged diagrams in FIGS. 2 and 3, top edge
4 of the bucket collar is equipped with two, circumferential ribs
36, which engage the teeth on the underside of seal 11, where some
of the downwardly projecting ribs 37 of the teeth of the seal come
into contact with ribs 36 on the top edge of the bucket, e.g. in
their flank region, thus preventing lateral shifting of ribs 37,
and some make contact next to ribs 36 in the groove formed between
them, or outside of this on container edge 4. This incongruent
design of the two structures makes the bucket highly
leak-proof.
[0048] As further illustrated by the Figure, vertical reinforcing
ribs 38 that run perpendicular to the outer wall are provided in
cavity 14, which have recesses 33 open towards the bottom, where
the apex of the recess is offset towards the outer wall of the
bucket.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, circumferential edge 23 of the lid,
which is located on the inside of bucket wall 3, is provided with
segments 28, 29 of different radial width, this resulting in an
effective reinforcing profile, in order to absorb forces on the
sealing region of rib 20 or seal 11. According to the example, the
circumferential extension of segments 28, 29 is a multiple of their
width. The projections are thus of box-shaped design. Bevels 24 and
vertical wall areas 25 end at the same distance from the main axis
of the bucket, where areas 30 delimiting bevel 24 on the side are
inclined towards the periphery of the lid. A closable spout, which
is located at about one-quarter the diameter of the bucket, is also
located in the central area 26 of the lid.
[0050] As shown in the stacking diagram in FIG. 5, the bottom edge
of snap edge 7 of the lid rests on sliding bevel 17, and bottom
edge 35 of sealing rib 20 on horizontal leg 31 of groove 34 holding
seal 11. The bottom edge of box-shaped projection 32 can
alternatively or additionally rest on the top edge of the
projection of the lid below.
1 List of reference numbers 1 Bucket 2 Lid 3 Outer wall 4 Top edge
5 Collar 6, 7 Snap edge 8 Outer flank 9 Rib 10 Flank 11 Seal 11a
Sealing rib 12 Vertical section 13 Bevel 14 Cavity 15 Bevel 16
Reinforcing edge 17 Sliding bevel 18 Shoulder 19 Tamper-proof seal
20 Sealing rib 21 Indentation 22 Ridge 23, 24 Bevel 25 Wall 26 Area
27 Outer wall 28, 29 Segment 30 Area 31 Horizontal leg 32 Bottom
edge 33 Recess 34 Groove 35 Bottom edge 36, 37, 38 Rib
* * * * *