U.S. patent application number 11/727570 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-02 for airtight food container.
Invention is credited to Shin-Jai Chou.
Application Number | 20080237228 11/727570 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39792465 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080237228 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chou; Shin-Jai |
October 2, 2008 |
Airtight food container
Abstract
An airtight food container includes a main body and a top cover
that correspond to each other in their form and dimensions and,
therefore, may be produced by the same mold in an injection molding
process. A flange portion is formed at the rim of the main body.
One half part of the flange portion is provided with a protrusion
while the other half part thereof is recessed. Furthermore, an ear
portion having an enlarged surface is formed at the protrusion
portion and the recessed portion. Accordingly, one of two
completely identical main bodies (the top one) is turned upside
down (at 180.degree.) such that the opening is directed downward
and a top cover is formed. Besides, the recessed portion and the
protrusion portion of the flange portion of the top cover just
correspond to the protrusion portion and the recessed portion,
respectively, such that the top cover and the main body fit into
each other to form an airtight container.
Inventors: |
Chou; Shin-Jai; (Hsintien
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROSENBERG, KLEIN & LEE
3458 ELLICOTT CENTER DRIVE-SUITE 101
ELLICOTT CITY
MD
21043
US
|
Family ID: |
39792465 |
Appl. No.: |
11/727570 |
Filed: |
March 27, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/4.24 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00759
20130101; B65D 2543/00685 20130101; B65D 2543/00796 20130101; B65D
2543/00351 20130101; B65D 2543/00648 20130101; B65D 2543/00194
20130101; B65D 2543/00527 20130101; B65D 2543/00537 20130101; B65D
2543/0025 20130101; B65D 43/0212 20130101; B65D 2543/00296
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/4.24 |
International
Class: |
B65D 6/00 20060101
B65D006/00 |
Claims
1. An airtight food container, comprising: a) a main body having an
opening; and b) a top cover attached to the opening of the main
body; wherein the main body and the top cover is made by the same
mold in an injection-molding process, and the top cover and the
main body completely corresponds to each other in their form and
dimensions, and the main body includes: i) a bottom surface; ii) a
side wall encircling the bottom surface; and iii) a flange portion
formed at the opening rim of the side wall, one half part of the
flange portion being provided with a protrusion, at least one ear
portion having a greater area being outwardly extended from the
protrusion portion, a first projection being formed on the
horizontal surface of the ear portion and a second projection being
formed on the vertical side thereof; and iv) a recessed portion
disposed at one side of the flange portion opposing to the
protrusion portion, the form and the structure of the recessed
portion being symmetric to that of the protrusion portion in the
opposite direction, thereby forming a grooved-and-tongued matching
structure, whereby one of two completely identical main bodies is
turned upside down (at 180.degree.) such that the opening is
directed downward and a top cover is formed, and the recessed
portion and the protrusion portion of the flange portion of the top
cover just correspond to the protrusion portion and the recessed
portion, respectively, such that the top cover and the main body
fit into each other to form an airtight container.
2. The airtight food container as recited in claim 1 wherein the
external rim of the protrusion portion is tongued and grooved in a
staggered manner like a toothed wheel while the internal rim of the
recessed portion at the opposite side is, to the contrary, grooved
and tongued in a staggered manner like a toothed wheel.
3. The airtight food container as recited in claim 1 wherein the
ear portions are formed in a semicircular shape, and wherein the
first projections at the horizontal side are also formed in a
semicircular shape, and wherein the second projections at the
vertical side are formed corresponding to the arched surface of the
ear portions.
4. The airtight food container as recited in claim 1 wherein the
main body and the top cover are made of transparent material in an
injection molding process.
5. The airtight food container as recited in claim 1 wherein the
top cover is made of transparent material in an injection molding
process while the main body is made of nontransparent material in
an injection molding process.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a food container, and more
particularly to a structure having a main body and a top cover that
are produced by the same mold in an injection molding process.
Meanwhile, an airtight container is assembled by use of a
corresponding grooved and tongued configuration and an engaging
structure at the horizontal and the vertical side.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] There are various plastic containers formed in vacuum
molding process. They features shape variations and little
consumption of materials. For example, they are in shape of box,
cup, bowl, and the like. Accordingly, they are especially suitable
for the food preserving containers.
[0005] Foods have the wide variety of kinds. The fluid food such as
fruit jelly, pudding, cheese, and the like are required to be
transported from the manufacturing factories to the shops and
carried from the shops to the consumers' houses. The food
containers are needed to be sealed to prevent the food inside from
leakage during the transport.
[0006] As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional food container according
to US D468,202S filed by the applicant of the present invention
includes a circular main body 40 and a circular cover 50. The
circular cover 50 has a U-shaped groove 51 at the rim thereof with
which the circular cover 50 is attached to the opening of the
circular main body 40 for a sealing purpose. As shown in FIG. 2, a
food container in accordance with US Des. 305,409 filed by the
Packaging Corporation includes a substantially rectangular main
body 60 and a rectangular cover 70. The cover 70 has a
.andgate.-shaped portion 71 at the rim thereof with which the cover
70 is attached to the opening of the circular main body 40 for a
sealing purpose.
[0007] However, both the circular and the rectangular airtight
container have the top cover and the main body that are produced by
different molds. Thus, the mold cost and the manufacturing and
processing cost will be increased. Meanwhile, the top cover and the
main body can't be directly stacked before use, thereby occupying
much space. This requires further improvements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A primary object of the invention to eliminate the
above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide an airtight food container
having a main body and a top cover that are produced by the same
mold in an injection molding process. Meanwhile, an airtight
container is assembled by use of a corresponding grooved and
tongued configuration and an engaging structure at the horizontal
and the vertical side. In this way, the mold cost may be reduced
and the manufacturing process can be simplified. Moreover, an easy
storage without occupying much space is achieved.
[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, an airtight
food container includes a main body and a top cover that correspond
to each other in their form and dimensions and, therefore, may be
produced by the same mold in an injection molding process. A flange
portion is formed at the rim of the main body. One half part of the
flange portion is provided with a protrusion while the other part
thereof is recessed. Furthermore, an ear portion having an enlarged
surface is formed at the protrusion portion and the recessed
portion. Accordingly, one of two completely identical main bodies
(the top one) is turned upside down (at 180.degree.) such that the
opening is directed downward and a top cover is formed. Besides,
the recessed portion and the protrusion portion of the flange
portion of the top cover just correspond to the protrusion portion
and the recessed portion, respectively, such that the top cover and
the main body fit into each other to form an airtight
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0010] The accomplishment of this and other objects of the
invention will become apparent from the following descriptions and
its accompanying figures of which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a circular food container of
the prior art;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rectangular food container
of the prior art;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment
of the invention, showing that both the main body and the top cover
are upwardly directed;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the stacking state of
the first embodiment of the invention wherein both the main body
and the top cover are upwardly directed;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cutaway view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG.
4;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of
the invention wherein the main body and the top cover are opposed
to each other;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the attachment of the
top cover to the main body in accordance with the first embodiment
of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded view of a second embodiment
of the invention, showing that the main body and the top cover are
differently colored;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a perspective assembly view of the second
embodiment of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a cutaway view of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion marked with 11 in
FIG. 10;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the
invention; and
[0023] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] First of all, referring to FIG. 3, an airtight food
container in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention
includes a main body 10A and a top cover 10B, both of which are
made of transparent material. The main body 10A has an opening that
is covered by the top cover 10B. As shown in FIG. 3, the opening of
the top cover 10B is directed upward as well for showing that the
top cover 10B completely corresponds to the main body 10A in their
form and dimensions. Thus, they can be formed by the same mold in
an injection-molding process, thereby ensuring a considerable
reduction of the mold cost. The main body 10A includes:
[0025] a bottom surface 11a;
[0026] a side wall 12a encircling the bottom surface 11a; and
[0027] a flange portion 13a formed at the opening rim of the side
wall 12a.
[0028] Since the top cover 10B completely corresponds to the main
body 10A in their form and dimensions, the bottom surface, the side
wall, and the flange portion of the top cover 10B are marked with
11b, 12b, and 13b, respectively, for a clear distinction from the
main body 10A. In order to simplify the following description of
the structure, the main body 10A and the top cover 10B are marked
with the same reference signs.
[0029] Further referring to FIG. 3, one half part of the flange
portion 13a, 13b of the main body 10A and the top cover 10B is
provided with a protrusion portion 20a in the front area of the
central line x-x in FIG. 3. At least one ear portion 30a having a
greater area is outwardly extended from the protrusion portion 20a.
A first projection 31a is formed on the horizontal surface of the
ear portion 30a while a second projection 32a is formed on the
vertical side thereof (see FIG. 11).
[0030] A recessed portion 20b opposing to the protrusion portion
20a is formed behind the central line x-x in FIG. 3. Meanwhile, the
form and the structure of the recessed portion 20b are symmetric to
that of the protrusion portion 20a in the opposite direction,
thereby forming a grooved-and-tongued matching structure. The ear
portion, the first projection, and second projection of the
recessed portion 20b are marked with 30b, 31b, and 32b,
respectively.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 4, which is a perspective view of the top
cover 10B placed within the main body 10A, and FIG. 5, which is a
cutaway view thereof, the top cover 10B and the main body 10A
completely corresponds to each other in their form and dimensions.
Therefore, a problem-free stacking of the top cover 10B and the
main body 10A without occupying additional space is achieved. As
shown in FIG. 5, the protrusion portion 20a and the ear portion 30a
thereof are illustrated at the left side of the drawing while the
recessed portion 20b and the ear portion 30b thereof are shown at
the right side of FIG. 5.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 6, the top cover 10B is removed from the
main body 10A and turned upside down (at 180.degree.) such that the
opening is directed downward. Meanwhile, the recessed portion 20b
previously behind the central line x-x is moved to the place above
the protrusion portion 20a of the main body 10A. As depicted above,
the top cover 10B and the main body 10A completely corresponds to
each other in their form and dimensions and are placed in the
opposite direction. Therefore, the recessed portion 20b and the
protrusion portion 20a the flange portion 13b of the top cover 10B
correspond to the protrusion portion 20a and the recessed portion
20b, respectively. As shown in FIG. 7, the top cover 10B and the
main body 10A can fit into each other to form an airtight container
10.
[0033] FIGS. 8 and 9 show a second embodiment of the invention that
is substantially identical to the first embodiment. However, the
difference lies in that the main body 10C is made of nontransparent
material in the injection molding process. Meanwhile, only the top
cover 10B of the assembled airtight container 10 is
transparent.
[0034] FIG. 10 is the cutaway view of the above-mentioned
embodiment wherein the top cover 10B is positioned on the top of
the main body 10A. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the part marked
with 11 in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 11, the ear portion 30a of the
protrusion portion 20a and the ear portion 30b of the recessed
portion 20b fit into each other. In order to establish an airtight
attachment of the top cover 10B to the main body 10A, the
horizontal side of the ear portion 30a, 30b includes a first
projection 31a, 31b, and the vertical side thereof a second
projection 32a, 32b such that a double attachment in the horizontal
and the vertical direction is created in combining the two ear
portions 30a, 30b to each other. In this way, the tightness can be
enhanced. According to this embodiment, the two ear portions 30a,
30b are formed in a semicircular shape. Besides, the first
projections 31a, 31b at the horizontal side are also formed in a
semicircular shape. In addition, the second projections 32a, 32b at
the vertical side are formed corresponding to the arched surface of
the ear portions 30a, 30b.
[0035] Referring back to FIG. 6, the external rim of the protrusion
portion 20a of the main body 10A is so corrugated that notched
portions 21a and protruded portions 22a are formed in a staggered
manner like a toothed wheel. The internal rim of the recessed
portion 20b at the opposite side includes protruded portions 22b
and notched portions 21b in a staggered and corresponding manner
like a toothed wheel. When the top cover 10B corresponding to the
main body 10A in structure is turned upside down at 180.degree.,
the above-mentioned protruded portions 22b and notched portions 21a
are changed to be the notched portions 21a and the protruded
portions 22a corresponding to the main body 10A. In this way, the
first projection 31a, 31b at the horizontal side of the ear portion
30a, 30b and the second projection 32a, 32b at the vertical side of
thereof fit into each other when the top cover 10B is attached to
the main body 10A. Moreover, a more airtight attachment of the top
cover 10B to the main body 10A is ensured by use of the flange
portions 13a, 13b that are grooved and tongued in a staggered
manner.
[0036] FIG. 12 shows a third embodiment of the invention that is
substantially identical to the first embodiment. However, the
difference lies in that the main body 10D and the top cover 10E are
formed in a rectangular shape. The other parts like the protrusion
portion 20a and the recessed portion 20b remain unchanged. In
accordance with a fourth embodiment in FIG. 13, the main body 10F
is made of nontransparent material in the injection molding
process. The other parts correspond to that of the third
embodiment.
[0037] Based on the above-mentioned configuration, the airtight
food container in accordance with the invention includes a main
body structure that fulfills the function of the top cover, thereby
simplifying the manufacturing process and lowering the production
cost.
[0038] Many changes and modifications in the above-described
embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without
departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the
progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed
and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *