U.S. patent application number 12/800823 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-14 for flexible container closure.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ideavillage Products Corp.. Invention is credited to Anand Khubani.
Application Number | 20110170807 12/800823 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44258578 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110170807 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Khubani; Anand |
July 14, 2011 |
Flexible container closure
Abstract
A device for holding an open-topped flexible container and
releasably and reliably closing its open top but readily exposing
that open top when access to the interior of the container is
desired.
Inventors: |
Khubani; Anand; (Towaco,
NJ) |
Assignee: |
Ideavillage Products Corp.
|
Family ID: |
44258578 |
Appl. No.: |
12/800823 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61335822 |
Jan 12, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
383/81 ;
220/254.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 33/16 20130101;
B65D 47/0842 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/81 ;
220/254.3 |
International
Class: |
B65D 33/16 20060101
B65D033/16 |
Claims
1. A closure for a flexible container, said closure comprising
inner and outer telescoping rings surrounding an included space
between which rings the open top of a container is adapted to be
received, a cover capable of covering said included space, means
for releasably receiving said cover on said rings, a first flexible
strip connecting said rings to one another and permitting movement
of said rings to and from their telescoping condition, and a second
flexible strip connecting said cover to one of said rings and
permitting movement of said cover to and from its position covering
said included space.
2. The closure of claim 1, in which one of said flexible strips
comprises two laterally spaced parts, and the other of said
flexible strips is located between said spaced parts of said one
strip.
3. The closure of claim 2 in which said one strip is said first
strip.
4. In the closure of any of claims 1-3, cooperating means on said
inner and outer rings respectively effective when said rings are
telescoped to retain them in telescoped condition.
5. In the closure of claims 1-3, cooperating means on a ring and
said cover respectively effective when said cover is received on
said ring to retain said cover on said ring.
6. In the closure of claim 5, cooperating means on said inner and
outer rings respectively effective when said rings are telescoped
to retain them in telescoped condition.
7. The closure of any of claims 1-3, in which said cover telescopes
with respect to one of said rings in being moved to its position
covering said included space.
8. The closure of claim 7, in which said cover telescopes with
respect to said inner ring.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Priority is claimed on Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 61/335,822 filed Jan. 12, 2010.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A "SEQUENCE LISTING", A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM
LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0004] When, as is often the case, products such as snacks are
provided in flexible sealed containers, which must be opened to
provide access to the products, and only a portion of the products
are to be used, it is necessary to close and re-seal the container
in order to preserve the products for future use. The same
closing-and-seal problem occurs when one uses a flexible container
to store or transport a product. Such closing and resealing
presents a problem of convenience and permanency, particularly when
the presumably closed and sealed container is subject to handling,
as when it is carried from place to place--home to workplace for
example. The container itself, once opened and being flexible, is
hard to seal. Moreover, manipulating a flexible container to obtain
only a portion of its contents is by no means easy.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with the present invention these problems are
solved through the use of a ring-and-cover unit to which the open
top of the container is reliably and sealingly secured with its top
held open between a pair of rings for ready access to the
container's contents, and with the cover portion of the unit being
movable between a closed position sealing the top and an open
position exposing the interior of the container. The rings and the
cover are movably connected to one another to constitute an easily
handled and stored unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE OF DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a three-quarter front perspective view of a
flexible container, with its contents, secured to the closed and
sealed unit of the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of
FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the
container unit of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the
container-unit combination with the unit in open position and
contents being inserted into the container; and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a three-quarter perspective exploded view of a
flexible container and the closure unit of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0011] The container closure of the present invention comprises a
pair of telescoping rings 2 and 4 between which the upper open end
6 of a flexible container 8 is adapted to be received, and a cover
10 movable between a closed position in which is received within
the ring 4 covering the ring opening and an open position exposing
the interior of said container 8. Preferably hinges 12 and 14
flexibly connect the rings 2 and 4 and the cover 10. The parts may
be made of any suitable material.
[0012] The ring 2 comprises a body 16 having a thickened upper
portion 18 with an inwardly facing protuberance 20 extending
therearound. The ring 4 is designed to releasably fit within and
sealingly engage the ring 2. To that end it comprises a body 22
which telescopes within the body 16 of the ring 3 and which
preferably has an outwardly facing recess 24 designed to receive
the protuberance 20 of the ring 2.
[0013] The cover 10 comprises a top wall 26 which covers the
exposed interior of the rings 2 and 4, from which a wall 28
depends, the wall 28 fitting closely within the ring 4 and having
an outwardly facing depression 30 designed to receive an inwardly
facing protrusion 32 on the ring 4.
[0014] The ring 4 and the cover 10 are flexibly connected to the
ring 2 by flexible strips 12 and 14 respectively defining flexible
hinges, thereby to produce a unit the movable parts of which are
held together whether the unit is open or closed (Compare FIG. 1
and FIG. 5).
[0015] All of the parts may readily be formed by a suitable
somewhat resiliently flexible material to permit telescoping and
sealing.
[0016] In use, the open top of the flexible container 8, either
empty or with contents, is threaded up through the ring 2 and
preferably folded over as at 4a. The ring 4 is then telescoped
within the ring 2, closely engaging the container top 4a
therebetween so that it remains in place with its top spread open
to receive or dispense container contents as the case may be and
with the container sealed to the rings. At this point in time the
cover 10 is in its open position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. When
removing or adding contents is finished the cover 10 is moved to
cause its wall 20 to telescope within and sealing engage the ring
4, thus securely closing and sealing the container 8, producing a
unitary assemblage which may readily be stored, handled or
transported while preventing the contents of the container from
escaping and keeping them protected from adverse exterior elements.
When access to the interior of the flexible container is desired,
one need merely lift the cover 10 (see FIG. 4). The cover remains
attached to the rings 2 and 4, ready to be moved to closing
position when that is appropriate.
[0017] To remove the container 8 from the rings 2 and 3 all that
need be done is to lift the ring 4 from the ring 2, the cover 10
preferably remaining in the ring 4 whether it remains in the ring 2
or not.
[0018] While but a single embodiment of the present invention have
been specifically disclosed, it will be apparent that many
variations of structure may be made without departing from the
spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims:
* * * * *