U.S. patent application number 10/236275 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-11 for sealing container.
Invention is credited to Chiang, Jou-Hsuan.
Application Number | 20040045969 10/236275 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31990622 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040045969 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chiang, Jou-Hsuan |
March 11, 2004 |
Sealing container
Abstract
A sealing container in which the container body has a plurality
of tapered retaining blocks protruded from the inside wall thereof
and equiangularly spaced around the opening in one end of the
container body, the sealing cap has a disk-like knob, a hollow
cylindrical plug axially extended from the center of one side of
the disk-like knob and filled with a desiccant for fitting into the
opening of the container body, and an annular retaining flange
extended around the periphery of the cylindrical plug for engaging
the tapered retaining blocks of the container body and forcing air
out of the container body after insertion of the cylindrical plug
into the opening of the container body.
Inventors: |
Chiang, Jou-Hsuan; (Taoyuan,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WILLIAM COLLARD
COLLARD & ROE, P.C.
1077 NORTHERN BOULEVARD
ROSLYN
NY
11576
US
|
Family ID: |
31990622 |
Appl. No.: |
10/236275 |
Filed: |
September 6, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/521 ;
215/227; 215/364; 220/787 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 39/0023 20130101;
B65D 51/30 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/521 ;
220/787; 215/364; 215/227 |
International
Class: |
B65D 025/04 |
Claims
What the invention claimed is:
1. A sealing container comprising a container body, said container
body having an inside wall defining a holding space and an opening,
and a sealing cap adapted to seal the opening of the container
body, wherein: said container body comprises a plurality of tapered
retaining blocks protruded from the inside wall and equiangularly
spaced around said opening, said tapered retaining blocks each
having a transversely extended and smoothly arched middle convex
portion, a sloping guide surface portion and a sloping retaining
surface portion respectively extended from said middle convex
portion toward the inside wall of said container body at two sides;
said sealing cap comprises a disk-like knob, a cylindrical plug
axially extended from the center of one side of said disk-like knob
for fitting into the opening of said container body, an annular
retaining flange extended around the periphery of said cylindrical
plug for engaging the tapered retaining blocks of said container
body after insertion of said cylindrical plug into the opening of
said container body, said annular retaining flange having a
smoothly curved ridge extended on the middle around the periphery
of said cylindrical plug, a tapered guide surface portion extended
from said smoothly curved ridge toward the periphery of said
cylindrical plug at one side for guiding said annular retaining
flange over the sloping guide surface portions of said tapered
retaining blocks of said container body, and a retaining surface
portion extended from said smoothly curved ridge toward the
periphery of said cylindrical plug at an opposite side for engaging
the sloping retaining surface portions of said tapered retaining
blocks of said container body.
2. The sealing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
container body has a cylindrical shape, and said opening of said
container body is formed in one end of said container body.
3. The sealing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
container body and said sealing cap are respectively
injection-molded from plastics.
4. The sealing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
cylindrical plug of said sealing cap is a hollow structure filled
with a desiccant.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a container and, more
particularly, to a sealing container, which forces air out of the
container body when sealed, keeping the container body in a tightly
enclosed status.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIG. 1 shows a sealing container constructed according to
the prior art. This structure of sealing container comprises a
cylindrical container body 1, and a sealing cap 4 adapted to seal
the container body 1. The container body 1 has inside annular
flanges 3 extended around the inside wall near the front opening 2.
The sealing cap 4 has a cylindrical plug portion 5 for fitting into
the front opening 2 of the container body 1. When the plug portion
5 inserted into the front opening 2 of the container body 1, a
friction force is produced between the inside annular flanges 3 and
the periphery of the plug portion 5, and therefore the sealing cap
4 is secured to the front opening 2 of the container body 1. In
order to prevent permanent deformation of the front part of the
container body 1 around the front opening 2, the height of the
inside annular flanges 3 is limited to a certain range. However,
this limitation affects the tightness of the engagement between the
plug portion 5 of the sealing cap 4 and the inside wall of the
container body 1.
[0005] FIG. 2 shows another structure of sealing container
according to the prior art. According to this design, the container
body 1' has an annular retaining groove 6 extended around the
inside wall near the front opening 2'; the sealing cap 4' has an
annular retaining flange 7 extended around the periphery of the
cylindrical plug portion thereof and adapted to engage the annular
retaining groove 6 of the container body 1'. This structure of
sealing container is still not satisfactory in function. Because
the outer diameter of the annular retaining flange 7 is greater
than the inner diameter of the container body 1' around the front
opening 2', the periphery of the front opening 2' of the container
body 1' will be deformed upon insertion of the sealing cap 4' into
the front opening 2' of the container body 1'. Further, in case the
annular retaining flange 7 fits the annular retaining groove 6 very
tightly, much air pressure will be produced when plugging the
sealing cap 4' into the front opening 2' of the container body 1',
thereby causing the sealing cap 4' not easy to be positioned in the
front opening 2' of the container body 1'. However, if the annular
retaining flange 7 does not fit the annular retaining groove 6
perfectly, the sealing cap 4' will be unable to seal the container
body 1' in an airtight status.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the
present invention to provide a sealing container, which can easily
be sealed to keep the container body in an airtight status. To
achieve this and other objects and according to one aspect of the
present invention, the sealing container comprises a container body
with an opening, and a sealing cap adapted to seal the opening of
the container body. The container body has a plurality of tapered
retaining blocks protruded from the inside wall near the front
opening. The sealing cap has a disk-like knob, a hollow cylindrical
plug axially extended from the center of one side of the disk-like
knob and filled with a desiccant for fitting into the opening of
the container body, and an annular retaining flange extended around
the periphery of the cylindrical plug for engaging the tapered
retaining blocks of the container body and forcing air out of the
container body after insertion of the cylindrical plug into the
opening of the container body. According to another aspect of the
present invention, the cylindrical plug of the sealing cap has a
hollow structure filled with a desiccant.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a sealing container
constructed according to the prior art.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing another structure of
sealing container according to the prior art.
[0009] FIG. 3 is an exploded view, partially cutaway, of a sealing
container according to the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the present invention before
sealing of the sealing cap.
[0011] FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing the sealing cap
sealed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an enclosed container is shown
comprised of a container body 10 and a sealing cap 20 adapted to
seal the container body 10.
[0013] The container body 10 has a holding chamber 11 adapted to
hold things, an opening 12 for the access to the holding chamber
11, and a plurality of tapered retaining blocks 13 protruded from
the inside wall and equiangularly spaced around the opening 12.
Each tapered retaining block 13 has a transversely extended and
smoothly arched middle convex portion 131 on the middle, a sloping
guide surface portion 132 and a sloping retaining surface portion
133 respectively extended from the middle convex portion 131 toward
the inside wall of the container body 10 at two sides.
[0014] The sealing cap 20 comprises a disk-like knob 21, a
cylindrical plug 22 of diameter slightly smaller than the opening
12 of the container body 10 axially extended from the center of one
side of the disk-like knob 21, an annular retaining flange 23
extended around the periphery of the cylindrical plug 22. The
annular retaining flange 23 has a smoothly curved ridge 231
extended on the middle around the periphery of the cylindrical plug
22, a tapered guide surface portion 232 and a retaining surface
portion 233 respectively extended from the smoothly curved ridge
231 toward the periphery of the cylindrical plug 22 at two
sides.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 4 again, when the cylindrical
plug 22 of the sealing cap 20 inserted into the opening 12 of the
container body 10, the smoothly curved ridge 231 of the sealing cap
20 is moved over the inside wall of the container body 10 toward
the tapered retaining blocks 13 to compress the air inside the
container body 10 and to force the air out of the container body
10. When the smoothly curved ridge 231 of the sealing cap 20 passed
over the tapered retaining blocks 13 of the container body 10, the
retaining surface portion 233 of the sealing cap 20 is forced into
engagement with the sloping retaining surface portion 133 of the
container body 10.
[0016] Because the maximum outer diameter of the annular retaining
flange 23 is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the
container body 10 around the opening 12, the container body 10 must
be springy. According to the present invention, the container body
10 is injection-molded from elastic plastics.
[0017] Further, the cylindrical plug 22 can be made hollow filled
with a desiccant (silica gel, caustic lime, or the like).
[0018] A prototype of sealing container has been constructed with
the features of FIGS. 3.about.5. The sealing container functions
smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.
[0019] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been
described in detail for purposes of illustration, various
modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention
is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
* * * * *