U.S. patent application number 10/895044 was filed with the patent office on 2006-01-26 for packaging container.
Invention is credited to Chih-Chien Chen.
Application Number | 20060016822 10/895044 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35656039 |
Filed Date | 2006-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060016822 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Chih-Chien |
January 26, 2006 |
Packaging container
Abstract
A packaging container mainly includes a box having a
horizontally outward extended flange provided along an upper rim
thereof, and a cover adapted to fitly close an open top of the box.
The box is provided at corners of the flange with upward projected
retaining catches, and an inner side of each retaining catch forms
an inward and downward inclined engaging recess. The cover is
correspondingly provided at corners with retaining bands adapted to
engage with the engaging recesses when the cover is closed onto the
box. Whereby the cover can be quickly and firmly connected to the
open top of the box for the packaging container to hold things
therein without the need of binding or tying the packaging
container.
Inventors: |
Chen; Chih-Chien; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE
FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
35656039 |
Appl. No.: |
10/895044 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/788 ;
220/4.21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00351
20130101; B65D 2543/0062 20130101; B65D 2543/00546 20130101; B65D
2543/00842 20130101; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D 43/0204
20130101; B65D 2543/00703 20130101; B65D 2543/00731 20130101; B65D
2543/00814 20130101; B65D 2543/00574 20130101; B65D 2543/00194
20130101; B65D 2543/00527 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/788 ;
220/004.21 |
International
Class: |
B65D 41/16 20060101
B65D041/16 |
Claims
1. A packaging container, comprising a cover and a box; said box
being provided along an upper rim with a horizontally outward
extended flange, on which a lower rim of said cover is fitly
abutted for said cover to close said box; said packaging container
being characterized in that said box is provided at corners of said
flange with upward projected retaining catches, an inner side of
each said retaining catch forming an inward and downward inclined
engaging recess; and that said cover is correspondingly provided at
corners with retaining bands adapted to engage with said engaging
recesses when said cover is closed onto said box; whereby said
cover is firmly connected to a top of said box through engagement
of said retaining bands with said retaining catches without the
need of any additional binding or tying means.
2. The packaging container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said box
is a rectangular open-topped box having a predetermined depth, and
said retaining catches are provided at four corners of said
rectangular box; and wherein each of said retaining catches
includes a forward projected tongue portion forming a flat top of
said retaining catch, two triangular sidewalls downward extended
from two front lateral sides of said tongue portion, and a curved
rear wall downward and outward extended from a rear side of said
tongue portion, so as to form said engaging recess between said
tongue portion, said sidewalls, and said rear wall; and wherein
said cover is a shallow tray provided along the lower rim with an
outward bent edge, and said retaining bands being provided at four
corners of said bent edge and being V-shaped with a pointed end
thereof pointing outward.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a container consisting of a
box and a matching cover, and more particularly to a packaging
container including a cover and a box that can be conveniently
closed together without the need of binding or tying, and can be
quickly opened again.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Most conventional containers for holding food include a
removable upper cover, and a lower box. The lower box is provided
along an upper rim with a flange to fitly engage with the upper
cover, so as to close the box. Some of these containers are made of
polylone, while others are made of synthetic resin through vacuum
molding. Alternatively, the cover may be integrally connected at
one side to the box. In either case, the cover is always held to a
top of the box using an elastic band, adhesive tapes or staples. In
the event the cover is not tightly closed to the box, it is very
possible to expose the contained food. And, inconvenient and
time-consuming packaging due to undesirable design of the packaging
container would have adverse influence on the service quality of
sellers using the packaging container.
[0003] Taiwanese patent publication No. 579359 entitled Container
for Fast Food and A Main Body Thereof discloses a packaging
container having an open-topped main body made of a synthetic resin
material, and a shallow cover for closing the open top of the main
body. The main body of the container is provided along an upper rim
of the open top with an outward extended flange, and the cover has
an inner surface adapted to releasably adhere to an upper surface
of the flange. The container for fast food is characterized in that
the upper surface of the flange is provided with two raised
portions that are spaced from each other by a predetermined
distance and provided with stronger adhesive to attach to the inner
surface of the cover more firmly than other areas of the upper
surface of the flange. The above-structured container still has the
disadvantage of having a cover that is either too easily loosened
from or not easily released from the main body once being tightened
thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a
novel packaging container having a box and a cover that can be
conveniently, quickly, and effectively fixed together without the
need of using other binding or tying means.
[0005] To achieve the above and other objects, the packaging
container of the present invention mainly includes a box having an
outward extended flange provided along an upper rim thereof, and a
cover adapted to fitly close an open top of the box. The box is
provided at corners of the flange with upward projected retaining
catches. An inner side of each retaining catch forms an inward and
downward inclined engaging recess. The cover is correspondingly
provided at outer corners with retaining bands adapted to engage
with the engaging recesses when the cover is closed onto the box.
Whereby the cover can be quickly and firmly connected to the open
top of the box through engagement of the retaining bands with the
engaging recesses for the packaging container to hold things
therein without the need of binding or tying the packaging
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0007] FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a packaging
container according to the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 1 showing the
packaging container includes a cover and an open-topped box;
[0009] FIG. 3 shows the manner of closing the cover to the
open-topped box of the packaging container of the present
invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 shows a first manner of removing the cover from the
open-topped box of the packaging container of the present
invention; and
[0011] FIG. 5 shows a second manner of removing the cover from the
open-topped box of the packaging container of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 that are assembled and
exploded perspective views, respectively, of a packaging container
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As
shown, the packaging container in this embodiment is a rectangular
container and includes a cover 1 in the form of a shallow tray and
an open-topped box 2 having a predetermined depth. The box 2 is
provided along an upper rim with a horizontally outward extended
flange 21, on which an outward bent lower rim 12 of the cover 1 is
firmly abutted to thereby close the box 2.
[0013] The present invention is characterized in that the box 2 is
provided at each of four corners of the flange 21 with a
substantially upward projected retaining catch 22, and the cover 1
is correspondingly provided at each of four corners of the lower
rim 12 with a retaining band 11. When the cover 1 is closed onto
the box 2 with the retaining band 11 engaging with the retaining
catch 22, the cover 1 is firmly connected to the box 2 without the
need of any other additional binding or tying means.
[0014] Each of the retaining catch 22 includes a tongue portion 24
forming a flat top of the retaining catch 22, two triangular
sidewalls 25 downward extended from two front lateral sides of the
tongue portion 24, and a curved rear wall 26 downward and outward
extended from a rear side of the tongue portion 24, so that an
inward and downward inclined engaging recess 23 is enclosed in the
tongue portion 24, the sidewalls 25, and the rear wall 26. Each of
the retaining bands 11 is a substantially V-shaped band with a
pointed end thereof pointing outward.
[0015] Please refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 at the same time. To use the
packaging container of the present invention, simply position
desired things or foodstuff in the box 2, lightly close the cover 1
to the box 2 with the V-shaped retaining bands 11 at four corners
of the cover 1 aligned with the retaining catches 22 at four
corners of the box 2, and then apply a downward minor force to the
cover 1. The pointed ends of the four V-shaped retaining bands 11
are naturally pushed inward and collapsed by the tongue portions
24, allowing the retaining bands 11 to move downward into the
engaging recesses 23. At this point, an inherent elasticity of the
collapsed retaining bands 11 from aplastic or resin material
thereof enables the retaining bands 11 to elastically extend
outward again and be held in the engaging recesses 23 by the tongue
portions 24 above the engaging recesses 23. In this manner, the
cover 1 is conveniently and firmly connected to the open top of the
box 2 without the need of any other additional binding or tying
means.
[0016] Since the packaging container of the present invention is
made of a flexible plastic material with relatively high rigidity,
the retaining bands 11 and the retaining catches 22 have inherent
elasticity and are not subject to easy break during use. That is,
the retaining bands 11 and the retaining catches 22 are
structurally strong enough to effectively hold the cover 1 to the
top of the box 2, and therefore ensure the whole packaging
container of the present invention against undesired loosening of
the cover 1 from the box 2 to expose the contained things.
[0017] Please refer to FIG. 4. To open the packaging container of
the present invention, simply apply a minor force to pull two
diagonally opposite retaining catches 22 outward, and the
corresponding retaining bands 11 could be easily moved out of the
engaging recesses 23 to release the cover 1 from the box 2.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, a user may hold one corner of
the closed packaging container with one hand and pull a diagonally
opposite retaining catch 22 outward with the other hand, so as to
release the corresponding retain band 11 from the engaging recess
23 of the outward pulled retaining catch 22 and open the cover 1
easily.
[0018] The present invention has been described with a preferred
embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
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