U.S. patent application number 10/526907 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-03 for container.
This patent application is currently assigned to Mars Incorporated. Invention is credited to Homann, Sabine.
Application Number | 20050242105 10/526907 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32010130 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050242105 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Homann, Sabine |
November 3, 2005 |
Container
Abstract
A container, consisting of a container body and a lid connected
to it, the container body and lid being manufactured separately.
Wherein the container body has a recess or projection in or on its
outer wall adjacent to its dispensing aperture, and the lid has a
connecting land extending outwards from its peripheral rim, with a
projection or recess provided at the end of the land distal from
the lid, which can be brought into engagement with the recess or
the projection on the container body.
Inventors: |
Homann, Sabine; (Bamberg,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FULBRIGHT & JAWORSKI, LLP
1301 MCKINNEY
SUITE 5100
HOUSTON
TX
77010-3095
US
|
Assignee: |
Mars Incorporated
6885 Elm Street
McLean
VA
22101-3883
|
Family ID: |
32010130 |
Appl. No.: |
10/526907 |
Filed: |
May 10, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
September 19, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP03/10457 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/840 ;
220/842 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00296
20130101; B65D 2543/00527 20130101; B65D 2543/00842 20130101; B65D
2543/00537 20130101; B65D 43/169 20130101; B65D 2543/00092
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/840 ;
220/842 |
International
Class: |
B65D 043/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 2, 2002 |
DE |
DE 10246086.8-27 |
Claims
1. A container, comprising: a container body and a lid connected to
it, the container body and lid being manufactured separately; the
container body having a recess or projection in or on its outer
wall adjacent to its dispensing aperture; and the lid having a
connecting land extending outwards from its peripheral rim, with a
projection or recess provided at the end of the land distal from
the lid, which can be brought into engagement with the recess or
the projection on the container body.
2. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess and the
projection are shaped such that the projection engages firmly in
the recess (16).
3. The container as claimed in claims 1, wherein the end of the
connecting land distal from the lid is designed such that, in the
assembled state, said end lies substantially flat against the outer
wall of the container body.
4. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container body
is formed substantially cylindrical and the lid substantially
round.
5. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hinged connection
is provided in the region of the connecting land of the lid.
6. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container body
and/or the lid consist substantially of plastics material.
7. The container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the container body
consists of a different plastics material from the lid.
8. The container as claimed in claim 6, wherein the container body
and/or the lid are produced by injection moulding.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a national stage filing of
PCT/EP2003/010457 filed Sep. 19, 2003 claiming priority to DE 102
46 086.8 filed Oct. 2, 2002.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a container, consisting of a
container body and a lid connected to it.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The state of the art describes a wide variety of containers
of various forms, such as bottles, tubes, tubular containers, etc.,
in which the dispensing aperture is closed with a lid, especially a
snap-fit lid. A fundamental distinction is made here between
containers in which the container body and lid are separate from
one another in the non-closed state, i.e. the lid no longer has any
connection with the container body after opening, and those
containers, in which there is still a connection between the lid
and the container body in the opened state.
[0004] In the latter case, this connection can be made in a variety
of ways. One preferred possibility, especially in the case of
tubular containers, is to form the container body and lid
integrally. These integral embodiments are usually manufactured by
injection moulding. In this case, it is inevitable that the
container body and lid are made from the same material.
[0005] One example of the container type mentioned can be found in
DE 44 12 907 C1. A further example and, in particular, a more
advanced manufacturing process is disclosed in WO 99/00238.
[0006] In order to ensure that the lid is hinged to the container
body in such a way that it is possible to open and close the
container frequently with no problems, i.e. that the plastic film
hinge between the container body and lid is, on the one hand,
sufficiently stable, and, on the other hand, sufficiently flexible
(a "living hinge" as it is called), particular measures are
necessary in the choice of material and in the manufacturing
process, such as those described in WO 99/00238. It is, for
example, customary to use certain additives in order to control the
properties of the plastics material in such a way as to ensure that
the hinge is sufficiently flexible. It is also meaningful, as
likewise described in WO 99/00238, to engage the lid with the
container body before the plastic has finally cured.
[0007] If, in order to avoid these disadvantages, one reverts to
the two-part design of the container body and lid, there is, on the
other hand, the disadvantage that, once the container has been
opened, the lid might fall off or be lost. If, despite having the
lid and container body formed separately, a connection between the
container body and lid is still intended even when the container is
in the open condition, the latter is in most cases too unstable or
aesthetically unacceptable in the prior-art embodiments.
[0008] The object of the invention is therefore to create a
container of the generic type in which the connection between the
container body and lid is more stable and reliable than what was
known in the state of the art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] This object is achieved, in accordance with the invention,
by means of a container of the generic type, comprising a container
body and a lid connected to it, wherein the container body and lid
are manufactured separately, the container body having a recess or
projection in or on its outer wall adjacent to its dispensing
aperture, and the lid having a connecting land extending outwards
from its peripheral rim, with a projection or recess provided at
the end of the land distal from the lid, which can be brought into
engagement with the recess or the projection on the container
body.
[0010] In one preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided
that the end of the connecting land distal from the lid is designed
such that, in the assembled state, said end lies substantially flat
against the outer wall of the container body.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided
that the container body is formed substantially cylindrical and the
lid substantially round.
[0012] The invention further provides that a hinged connection is
provided in the region of the connecting land of the lid.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container
body and/or the lid consist substantially completely of plastics
material, the container body preferably consisting of a different
plastics material from the lid.
[0014] The container body and/or lid are preferably produced by
injection moulding in this case.
[0015] The container of the invention unites the advantages of the
known two-part container type with those of the known one-part
type. The invention provides a container with a stably hinged lid,
which remains firmly connected to the container body even when the
container is in the opened state. On the other hand, it is
possible, by manufacturing the container body and lid separately,
to choose different materials for these two components. In this
way, it is only necessary, for example, for the plastics material
for the lid to contain additives which make it possible to achieve
enhanced flexibility in the region of the hinged connection, e.g. a
film hinge, such as certain plasticisers, whereas these additives
are not necessary for the container body, which reduces the costs
significantly. Furthermore, with separate production, it is also
possible to design the container body and lid differently in color,
surface structure, etc. In addition, it is conceivable to provide
differently designed lids for the same kind of container body,
without it being necessary to change the mould for the production
of the container body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In the following example, one preferred embodiment of the
invention will now be described in more detail with reference to
the attached drawing in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a
container body for the container of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a lid suitable for the container body of FIG.
1; and
[0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-section though the lid of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a container body 10 with a substantially
cylindrical basic shape. At one end, the container body 10 has a
dispensing aperture 12, whereas the other end 13 of the container
body 10 is closed. Adjacent to the dispensing aperture 12, a
peripheral flange 15 is formed on the outer wall 14 of the
container body 10, which has a recess 16 in one portion.
[0021] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show a lid 20 suitable for connecting with
the container body according to FIG. 1. The lid 20 is designed
substantially round and has an internal diameter which corresponds
approximately to the external diameter of the container body 10, so
that it is possible to seal the dispensing aperture 12 of the
container body 10 simply by pressing on the lid 20. At its
peripheral rim 21, the lid 20 has a tab 22 (which can be of any
design), which serves in particular to open the container. Opposite
the tab 22, at the peripheral rim 21 of the lid 20, there is
provided a connecting land 24 extending outwards from said rim, the
land having the material with a thinner portion (in a position
substantially central and transverse to its radial extent), said
thinner portion having the function of a film hinge 25. At the end
26 of the connecting land 24 distal from the lid, there is provided
a projection 27, which runs substantially perpendicularly to the
connecting land 24. The end 26, or the projection 27, are slightly
curved in the transverse direction, namely corresponding to the
curvature of the outer wall 14 of the container body 10. At the
outer ends of the projection 27, engaging lugs 28 can preferably be
provided.
[0022] After the container body 10 and lid 20 have been
manufactured separately, they can be assembled into the complete
container at any suitable time by inserting the projection 27 into
the recess 16 and anchoring it there by means of the engaging lugs
28. In this way, a firm connection is created between the container
body and the lid. The lid 20 can be swivelled about the film hinge
25 in such a way that a secure closure of the dispensing aperture
12 in the container body 10 is achieved. In this context, the
peripheral flange 15 can serve as a stop for the lid 20.
[0023] As an alternative, it is of course also possible to have a
recess provided at the end of the connecting land 24, which is
guided via a projection disposed on the outer wall of the container
body in a similar position to the recess 16 in FIG. 1 and engages
there in a similar manner.
[0024] It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to
cylindrical container bodies and round lids. On the contrary: any
cross-section is conceivable, as long as it is only ensured that
the lid is designed such that it is possible to seal the dispensing
aperture of the container body.
[0025] The invention will now be further explained with reference
to the following example.
EXAMPLE
[0026] The material used both for the container body and for the
lid is polypropylene, which can be processed in the range from 200
to 300.degree. C. In order to facilitate the formation of the film
hinge on the connecting land of the lid, the polypropylene for the
lid can also have a conventional commercially available plasticiser
added to it.
[0027] The container body, which is cylindrical in the case of this
example, and the rounded lid, the dimensions of which have been
adapted to the body shape, are produced in two separate moulds,
with a plurality of each part being contained in a mould. A
conventional injection moulding process is used for production.
[0028] After the injection process, the parts are ejected
mechanically onto a belt by means of a scraper. The two parts are
delivered separately to an assembly station, where they are aligned
and subjected to a handling process in which the two parts are
brought together. After that, the closure is performed
mechanically. The injection moulding step and subsequent processing
can be carried out completely independently of one another.
[0029] The features of the invention disclosed in the above
description, and in the claims and drawings can be essential for
implementing the invention in its various embodiments both
individually and in any combination.
* * * * *