U.S. patent application number 11/049759 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-03 for silicone lid for sealing any type of open-ended container.
Invention is credited to Ken Yeung.
Application Number | 20060169693 11/049759 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36755405 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060169693 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yeung; Ken |
August 3, 2006 |
Silicone lid for sealing any type of open-ended container
Abstract
A silicone lid for sealing any type of open-ended container. The
lid includes a top having a first center and a bottom having a
second center. The second center being in the same center axis as
the first center. The center axis being a certain thickness. The
silicone lid is sealed to the container by placing the bottom of
the lid on an open-ended side of an open-ended container and
depressing the top forcing air out of the container and forming a
vacuum seal.
Inventors: |
Yeung; Ken; (Hong Kong,
HK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Stephen E. Feldman, P.C.
12 East 41st Street
New York
NY
10017
US
|
Family ID: |
36755405 |
Appl. No.: |
11/049759 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/287 ;
220/231; 220/305 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00037
20130101; B65D 2543/00092 20130101; B65D 2543/0037 20130101; B65D
2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/00842 20130101; B65D 43/0222
20130101; B65D 51/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/287 ;
220/305; 220/231 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/00 20060101
B65D051/00; B65D 51/12 20060101 B65D051/12; B65D 51/16 20060101
B65D051/16 |
Claims
1. A silicone lid for sealing any type of open-ended container
having a circumference, said silicone lid comprising, a top having
a first center; a bottom having a second center; and a rim lip
having a length, said length being dependent on the circumference
of said open-ended container.
2. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said silicone lid
is sealed to said container by placing the bottom of said lid on an
open-ended side of said open-ended container and depressing the top
of said lid thereby forcing air out of the container and forming a
vacuum seal
3. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said first center
and said second center have a center axis which is the same.
4. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 3 whereby said center axis
is a certain thickness.
5. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 4 whereby said rim lip is
thinner than said center axis.
6. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said silicone lid
is substantially circular.
7. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 5 whereby said rim lip
extends over an edge of said open-ended side of said container.
8. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 7 whereby said rim lip has
a protrusion for removing said lid from said container.
9. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid is
formed from silicone, and is pliable and able to conform to the
shape of said open-ended container.
10. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said top has
protrusions arranged around the first center.
11. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said bottom has
protrusions arranged around the second center.
12. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said open-ended
container is a bowl, pan, pot or cup.
13. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid comes
in a variety of sizes.
14. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said container
is made from plastic, glass, metal, wood, styrofoam or clay.
15. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid has
elastic characteristics which allow the edge of the open-ended
container to be depressed in the silicone material.
16. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid can be
placed on a flat surface with a bottom of the container placed on
its top, this action keeps the container from slipping off the flat
surface
17. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said silicone
lid has a high-friction coefficient.
18. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid keeps
contents of said container fresh by holding in moisture.
19. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid keeps
hot contents of said container hot.
20. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said silicone
lid has a heat resistant characteristic.
21. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid is
microwave-safe and dishwasher-friendly.
Description
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This particular invention generally pertains to silicone
lids for closing various types of open-ended containers found in
the kitchen. More specifically, it is directed to a lid that
provides a novel and improved sealing arrangement by producing a
vacuum seal on various types of open-ended containers made from a
variety of materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is a rather widespread commercial and industrial practice
to store a variety of goods or the like in recloseable containers.
Typically, these containers are comprised of a bowl-shaped
container member having at least an open end, and removably
associated therewith a closure member or lid. Normally, the closure
member has relatively flexible characteristics, and is
appropriately formed so as to have interfitting surfaces which
usually cooperate with corresponding cooperating surfaces on the
container to produce a snap-on type fit. The foregoing type of
interfitting and cooperating relationship provides an ordinary
seal. Such seal essentially serves the conventional purposes of
preventing spoilage of the contents in the container and, in
certain instances, undesired fluidic leakage into and from the
container for well-known purposes.
[0003] There have been numerous forms of prior art constructions
for providing the noted interfitting and cooperating relationship
between the container and closure lid members of the above
category. Often, many of these prior art constructions have
interfitting and cooperating surfaces which are rather complicated
in configuration and somewhat costly in production. Moreover, such
category of prior art containers failed to furnish effective seals,
especially through repeated usage. In addition, such container
members and closure members were generally difficult to quickly and
easily disassemble and reassemble. It is, of course, apparent that
if a perfect or effective seal was not attained, the container
would correspondingly be unsatisfactory for its intended use and
thereby fail to perform its intended function.
[0004] Aside from the foregoing enumerated disadvantages, the
typical prior art container constructions need to have a container
member that fits to a specific lid. The prior art does not furnish
any means for quickly, easily, and reliably sealing any type of
container member with a single lid for all types of containers.
[0005] Attempts have been made to generally improve upon the
effectiveness of the typical prior art container seal relationships
by providing a container having relatively simply constructed
interfitting and cooperating surfaces which provide for the seal.
By way of specific example, an attempt to provide for such an
improved resealable container is generally described in U.S. Pat.
No. 2,850,786. The type of resealable container described in the
above patent includes a plastic open ended container having an
outer rim which is slidably insertable within a corresponding
groove formed in the removable closure member. While this type of
container was generally considered an improvement, it, however,
needs the user to purchase both the open-ended container with its
proper lid. That is, the arrangement has an interfitting lid with a
cooperating bowl.
[0006] Other attempts to improve upon the foregoing type of seal
arrangement have resulted in the manufacture of containers which
enable the formation of at least double mechanical type seals
between the closure lid member and container member. Although these
attempts, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,985,354 and
3,460,711, provide for a plurality of seals between the mating
containers and closure members, they nevertheless are subject to
several disadvantages. Among such disadvantages are the fact that
the closure lid members are somewhat complicated in construction
and manufacture. In addition, they are, in general, not as easily
removable or replaceable as could otherwise be commercially
desired. Moreover, in using this latter category of container, a
user would not, in an easy fashion, be able to automatically and
accurately ascertain whether or not the interfitting and
cooperating surfaces of the lid and container had formed adequate
and effective seals.
[0007] Other flexible containers have been proposed, such as
described generally in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,131, which essentially
provide for a pop-top type of closure lid which produces an audible
sound. The foregoing described container, however, suffers from the
disadvantage in that only a single seal is provided which may not,
under all circumstances, be able to provide the type of sealing
that might be desired in certain situations.
[0008] In view of the foregoing comments directed to the various
prior art constructions of resealable containers, it will be
appreciated that such heretofore known prior art containers do not
facilitate an easy and quick attachment and detachment of the lid
to the closure member in a simple, economical, and reliable
manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A silicone lid or closure member for sealing any type of
open-ended container. The lid includes a top having a first center
and a bottom having a second center. The second center being in the
same axis as the first center. This axis being a certain
thickness.
[0010] To facilitate sealing the container, the silicone lid is
placed on an open-ended side of an open-ended container. A user
then depresses the center of the lid forcing air out of the
container and allowing a vacuum seal to form between the lid and
the container. The vacuum seal is quite strong and reliable for its
intended purpose
[0011] Other features of the silicone lid include a peripheral edge
that is thinner than the center axis and a rim lip which extends
over an edge of the open-ended side of said container. The silicone
lid further comprises a protrusion for removing the vacuum-sealed
lid from the container as well as having protrusions arranged
around the top and bottom center axis.
[0012] The lid is formed from silicone, and is pliable and able to
conform to the shape of the open-ended container. The lid also has
elastic characteristic which allow the edge of the open-ended
container to be embedded or depressed in the silicone material.
Once the lid is removed from the container, the lid will return to
its normal state.
[0013] The silicone lid comes in a variety of sizes and can fit
most standard kitchenware such as bowls, pans, pots and cups found
in a kitchen. The kitchenware, however, must possess a uniform edge
so that a proper seal can be attained.
[0014] Another advantage of the silicone lid is that the lid can be
placed on a flat surface with the bottom of the container placed on
its top. This action keeps the container from slipping off the
surface when mixing items in the container because of a
high-friction coefficient of silicone.
[0015] Some other features of the silicone lid is (1) keeping the
contents of container fresh by holding in moisture and (2) keeping
hot contents of container hot due to non-heat resistance
characteristics of silicone. The lid is also microwave-safe and
dishwasher-friendly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The following description of preferred embodiment of the
present invention will be better understood when read in
conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood,
however, that the invention is not limited to the precise
arrangements shown.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a back view of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a right view of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the present
invention.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0024] In most kitchens, left-overs are always in the refrigerator.
Most of these left-overs are stored in ordinary kitchen bowls with
plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Other items are stored in containers
that have interlocking tops.
[0025] Problems that occur with the interlocking containers is that
the interlocking containers are not easily stored because the tops
and the lids do not easily stack. Another problem is that if a
person buys more than one brand of interlocking container, the lids
are not one size fits all and they do not interconnect to each
other. Finding a particular lid that fits a particular container
can be tedious at times.
[0026] The problem with plastic wraps is that liquids such as soups
and gravies always leak out of the container and items cannot be
stored one on top of another without squashing the item
underneath.
[0027] That is why the present invention is a lid that fits any
type of container that can be found in a kitchen. The present
invention is also strong enough to hold items on top of the
container without crushing the food held in another container
stored beneath it. The present invention also vacuum seals the food
held in the container so the food does not spoil. Other advantages
will become apparent as the invention is discussed below.
[0028] In FIG. 1, a front view of the present invention is shown.
Here, the present invention is in the shape of a circle even though
other shapes, such as, squares or rectangles may be used. The lid
10 of the present invention has a peripheral edge 11 with a
protrusion 12. This protrusion 12 allows a user to remove the lid
10 from a container (not shown).
[0029] The lid itself is made from a soft, durable silicone
material. The silicone material easily molds to its surroundings
but is rigid enough to provide protection for the contents held
within the bowl. The edges of the lid are smooth to ensure that a
proper seal is attained between the container and the lid.
[0030] Viewing the lid 10 from the front, longitudinal protrusions
14 are arranged around a center 13 of the lid 10. These protrusions
14 are made for two purposes. One is an aesthetic value adding to
the visual effects of the lid 10. The other reason is for
functionality. The protrusions 14 increase the surface area of the
lid 10. This becomes an advantage when a user wants to store items,
such as other bowls, on top of the lid 10. These protrusions 14
will keep objects resting on the lid 10 from slipping off the lid
10. Another advantage is when the bowl is used as a friction device
as will be discussed in FIG. 7.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows the back view of the present invention. The
back view is very similar to that of FIG. 1. As can be seen the
back view shares the same center point 22 and peripheral edge 21.
This view also shows the back view of the protrusion 24 located on
the peripheral edge 21.
[0032] The back side of the lid 20 also has longitudinal
protrusions 23 surrounding its center 22. These are used for the
embodiment shown in FIG. 7 discussed below.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows the side view of the present invention. In this
view the thickness of the lid 30 can be clearly seen. Here, the
center thickness 35 of the lid 30 can be defined by the distance
between the front center 31 and back center 32. The thickness 36
for the peripheral edge 33 is shown to be much thinner then the
center thickness 35.
[0034] Also seen are the front longitudinal protrusions 34 which
are raised by a predetermined thickness. The thicker these
protrusions are the more surface area will be added to the lid.
[0035] In FIG. 4 is another view of the present invention. Here,
the protrusion 41 can be clearly seen on peripheral edge 43 of the
lid 40.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a side view of the first embodiment of the present
invention. The first embodiment shows a lid 50 sealed to an
open-ended container 53. In this example, a bowl is used but other
containers such as metal pots or ceramic cups may be used. Also
keep in mind that even though in the preferred embodiment we use
kitchen containers, the lid can be used for any type of open
container. That is, these lids can close any type of open-ended
container having a uniform edge and need not be limited to only
kitchen items.
[0037] The method for sealing the lid 50 to the container 53 is as
follows. First the lid 50 is placed on the open-ended portion of
the container 53. Remember, the lid 50 itself is made from a soft
silicone material. Just by placing the lid on the container the lid
itself conforms to the uniform edge of the bowl and provides
limited food protection.
[0038] To seal the lid 50, a user will place an index finger on the
center 51 of the lid 50 and press down. By pressing down on the lid
50, the air inside the container 53 is forced out of the bowl 53
because the downward pressure causes the lid 50 to depress and
makes the air volume inside the bowl 53 decrease. While the air is
being forced out the bowl 53, the silicone lid edges 52 are pushed
down upon the lid 50 forming a rim lip 57 between the peripheral
edge 52 and container edge 55. This rim lip varies in size
depending on the circumference of the bowl. (Please note, for
larger or smaller containers different size lids may be utilized
for convenience but is not necessary to attain the vacuum
seal.)
[0039] Once a sufficient amount of air is forced from the bowl 53
the user removes his/her finger and the lid 50 because of the air
volume pressure within the bowl 53 allows the lid 50 to seal to the
bowl 53. Now any contents that were in the bowl are protected from
spoiling. The resultant seal is very strong and will only be broken
when a user decides to open the container.
[0040] Another feature of silicone is its heat resistance.
Therefore, if the contents of the bowl were hot, the heat would
remain inside the bowl for a considerable amount of time.
[0041] Removal of the lid from the bowl is just as easy as sealing
the lid. All a user must do is pull the peripheral protrusion 56 up
and towards the center 51 of the lid 50. This action allows air to
be re-introduced into the bowl 53, increasing the air volume and
allowing the vacuum seal to be broken.
[0042] FIG. 6 is another view of the embodiment discussed above.
This view shows the front view of the lid 60 while the lid 60 is a
sealed position. In the sealed position, the center 61 of the lid
60 is slightly depressed within the bowl 62 due to the air volume
pressure in the sealed bowl.
[0043] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In
this embodiment, the lid 71 is used a friction device. This
embodiment is best used for when a user is mixing items in the bowl
70. Often when a user mixes items on a hard surface with a low
friction coefficient making the surface slippery. The bowl often
has to be held tightly by the user otherwise the bowl will end up
on the floor. But using the lid between the hard surface and the
bowl instead of the surface directly cuts down on any messy
accidents that might occur because the friction coefficient is
increased.
[0044] For example, a user can place the lid 71 on a hard surface
72 and place the bowl 70 on the lid 71. Since silicone has a high
friction coefficient the bowl 70 will not slide off the lid 71 and
the lid 71 will stay firmly on the counter.
[0045] It is readily apparent that the above-described fitting
device meets all of the objects mentioned above and has the
advantage of wide commercial utility. It should be understood that
the specific form of the invention hereinabove described is
intended to be representative only, as certain modifications within
the scope of these teaching will be apparent to those skilled in
the art.
[0046] Accordingly, reference should be made to the following
claims in determining the full scope of the invention.
* * * * *