U.S. patent application number 15/656431 was filed with the patent office on 2019-01-24 for container enclosure assembly.
The applicant listed for this patent is Doskocil Manufacturing Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to David VENESS.
Application Number | 20190023460 15/656431 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65014483 |
Filed Date | 2019-01-24 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190023460 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
VENESS; David |
January 24, 2019 |
CONTAINER ENCLOSURE ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A container enclosure assembly is configured to enclose a
container. The container enclosure assembly basically includes a
lid body and a first sealing member. The lid body has an opening,
an annular wall and an annular lip. The annular wall includes a
threaded portion. The annular lip extends radially from the annular
wall toward a center of the opening to define an annular sealing
recess between the threaded portion and the annular lip. The
sealing member is configured to be disposed in the annular sealing
recess between the threaded portion and the annular lip.
Inventors: |
VENESS; David; (Fort Worth,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Doskocil Manufacturing Company, Inc. |
Arlington |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
65014483 |
Appl. No.: |
15/656431 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00842
20130101; B65D 2543/00972 20130101; B65D 53/02 20130101; B65D
2543/00231 20130101; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D 43/0231
20130101; B65D 47/088 20130101; B65D 2543/00092 20130101; B65D
2543/00537 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 43/02 20060101
B65D043/02 |
Claims
1. A container enclosure assembly configured to enclose a
container, the container enclosure assembly comprising: a lid body
having an opening, an annular wall including a threaded portion,
and an annular lip, the annular lip extending radially from the
annular wall towards a center of the opening to define an annular
sealing recess between the threaded portion and the annular lip;
and a sealing member configured to be disposed in the annular
sealing recess between the threaded portion of the lid body and the
annular lip.
2. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 1, wherein
the lid body is configured to engage the container, the first
sealing member is disposed between the container and the annular
sealing recess when the container and the lid body are
assembled.
3. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 2, further
comprising a cover hingedly attached to the lid body to cover the
opening, the cover being configured to pivot about a hinge between
an open position and a closed position to provide access to the
storage cavity.
4. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 3, wherein
the sealing member is a first sealing member and the container
enclosure assembly further comprises a second sealing member that
is configured to be disposed on the annular lip of the lid body,
the second sealing member being disposed between the annular lip of
the lid body and the cover when the cover and the lid body are
assembled.
5. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 1, wherein
the sealing member is a flexible annular ring.
6. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 4, wherein
the second sealing member is a flexible annular ring.
7. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 1, wherein
the lid body is a one-piece member made of injection molded
plastic.
8. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 1, wherein
the first sealing member is fixed to the annular sealing member by
a snap-fit connection.
9. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 4, wherein
the second sealing member has a shape that corresponds to a shape
of the annular lip
10. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 9, wherein
the annular lip includes a first bevel surface and the second
sealing member includes a second bevel surface configured to
contact the first bevel surface of the annular lip.
11. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 10, wherein
the cover has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the second
sealing member.
12. The container enclosure assembly according to claim 11, wherein
the cover includes a third bevel surface configured to contact the
second bevel surface of the second sealing member.
13. A container assembly, comprising: a lid body having an opening,
an annular wall including a threaded portion, and an annular lip,
the annular lip extending radially from the annular wall towards a
center of the opening to define an annular sealing recess between
the threaded portion and the annular lip; a sealing member
configured to be disposed in the annular sealing recess between the
threaded portion of the lid body and the annular lip; and a
container, the first sealing member being disposed between the
container and the annular sealing recess when the container and the
lid body are assembled.
14. The container assembly according to claim 13, wherein the
container includes a neck, the neck has another threaded portion
configured to engage the threaded portion of the lid body.
15. The container assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first
sealing member is disposed between the neck and the annular sealing
recess when the container and the lid body are assembled.
Description
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0001] This invention generally relates to a container enclosure
assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a
container enclosure assembly having a pivoting cover and a sealing
member.
Background Information
[0002] Generally, a container enclosure assembly can be used for
enclosing various sizes of bottles, jars and containers. A
container enclosure can include a threaded top portion configured
to engage a threaded neck portion of a container. A container can
further include a hinged cover or a lid to enclose the
enclosure.
SUMMARY
[0003] Generally, the present disclosure is directed to various
features of a container enclosure assembly. In one embodiment, a
container enclosure assembly is provided having at least one
sealing member to enclose a container.
[0004] In view of the state of the known technology and in
accordance with the illustrated embodiment, a container enclosure
assembly is configured to enclose a container. The container
enclosure assembly includes a lid body and a first sealing member.
The lid body has an opening, an annular wall and an annular lip.
The annular wall includes a threaded portion. The annular lip
extends radially from the annular wall toward a center of the
opening to define an annular sealing recess between the threaded
portion and the annular lip. The first sealing member is configured
to be disposed in the annular sealing recess between the threaded
portion and the annular lip.
[0005] Also other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the
disclosed container enclosure assembly will become apparent to
those skilled in the art from the following detailed description,
which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses
one embodiment of the container enclosure assembly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of
this original disclosure:
[0007] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a container enclosure
assembly with the cover in a closed position in accordance with one
illustrated embodiment;
[0008] FIG. 2 an elevational view of the container enclosure
assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 with the cover in an open
position;
[0009] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the container enclosure
assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container enclosure
assembly as seen along section line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and
[0011] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view of
FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to
the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the pet
products field and food storage field from this disclosure that the
following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for
illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention
as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
[0013] Referring initially to FIGS. 1 to 3, a container enclosure
assembly 10 is provided in accordance with an illustrated
embodiment. The container enclosure assembly 10 comprises a lid
body 12, a first sealing member 14. The container enclosure
assembly 10 further comprises, a cover 18 and a second sealing
member 20. The container enclosure assembly 10 is configured to be
used with a container C as part of a container assembly. In other
words, FIGS. 1 to 5 also illustrates a container assembly, which
has the container enclosure assembly 10 and the container C.
[0014] The container enclosure assembly 10 of the illustrated
embodiment enables a user to access contents stored in the
container C with convenience by making it easy to open and close
the cover 18. In one embodiment, the cover 18 can be opened and
closed in one step. In particular, the cover 18 preferably encloses
the container C via a detachable latching system with the lid body
12, such as a snap-fit connection, that enables the cover 18 to be
opened and closed with convenience. The attachment between the
cover 18 and the lid body 12 will be further discussed below.
Preferably, as shown, the snap-fit connection is a cantilever
snap-fit connection in which the cover 18 is pivotally attached to
the lid body 12 between an open condition (FIG. 1) and a closed
condition (FIG. 2) to provide access to the container C. While the
cover 18 and the lid body 12 are illustrated as having a snap-fit
connection, it will be apparent to those skilled in the pet
products field from this disclosure that the cover 18 can be
configured to be movably attached to the lid body 12 via a variety
of mechanisms to provide easy and convenient access to the
container contents.
[0015] The container enclosure assembly 10 is further provided such
that the lid body 12 and the cover 18 sealingly enclose the
container C. Preferably, the lid body 12 and the cover 18 enclose
the container C to provide an airtight and watertight enclosure for
the container C. This way, the contents of the container C can be
easily accessed and stored away via a with convenience while the
contents can remain freshly stored in the container C for an
extended period of time.
[0016] The container C is an example of a container or storage
vessel that can be used with the container enclosure assembly 10.
The container C defines a storage cavity 22 configured to store
contents. In particular, the container C can be configured to store
foodstuffs and/or preferably liquids. As shown, the container C
further has a neck 24 defining an access opening 24a to the storage
cavity 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the container C is
illustrated as a large mouth container. It will be apparent to
those in the pet products field and food storage field that the
container C can be of various sizes and shapes to store contents.
For example, the container C can also be a bottle, a jar or other
type of storage container, as needed and/or desired.
[0017] The container C is preferably made of a rigid or semi-rigid
material such as plastic material. In particular, the container C
can be formed from a thermoplastic material to store consumables
such as foodstuffs and liquids of varying temperatures.
Specifically, the container C can be manufactured from
polypropylene or polyethylene polymers or copolymers. For example,
the container C can be formed from plastics belonging to the
polyolefin group, such as high-density polyethylene, more
preferably from a polypropylene. Polypropylene is cost-effective
and one of most commonly used plastics for molding many consumer
products. Thus, the container C is preferably injection molded from
polypropylene. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the
pet products field from this disclosure that the container C can be
manufactured from any type of rigid and/or semi-rigid material that
can store foodstuffs. For example, the container C can
alternatively be manufactured from container glass. Container glass
includes a low content of magnesium oxide and sodium oxide content
in comparison to flat glass. Container glass also includes a higher
content of water-insoluble oxides than flat glass, such as silica,
calcium oxide and aluminum oxide.
[0018] The neck 24 of the container C has a threaded portion 26.
The threaded portion 26 of the neck 24 is configured to fixedly
engage the lid body 12, as will be further discussed below. In the
illustrated embodiment, the threaded portion 26 includes outer
threads that are disposed on an outer surface 34 of the neck 24. It
will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure
that the neck 24 includes inner threads disposed on an inner
surface 36 of the neck 24 to engage the lid body 12. The neck 24
can include as many threads of varying sizes and degrees as needed
and/or desired to engage the lid body 12. The threaded portion 26
is conventional and will not be further discussed herein. The
attachment between the lid body 12 and the container C will be
further discussed below.
[0019] The lid body 12 will now be discussed with reference to
FIGS. 2 and 3. The lid body 12 is preferably constructed of a rigid
or semi-rigid material such as polypropylene or polyethylene.
Preferably, the lid body 12 is a one-piece member made of injection
molded plastic. The lid body 12 can be constructed of the same
material as the container C for the reasons discussed above.
Preferably, the lid body 12 is constructed of a substantially rigid
or semi-rigid material that can provide an amount of flexibility so
that the lid body 12 can threadedly engage with the container C, as
will be discussed below. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid
body 12 is preferably injection molded from polypropylene.
[0020] The lid body 12 includes an annular wall 28. The annular
wall 28 defines a peripheral rim 28a having a shape that
corresponds to the shape of the neck 24 of the container C. The lid
body 12 further includes an annular lip 30 that extends radially
inward from the annular wall 28 towards a center of the lid body
12. The lid body 12 further includes an annular sealing recess 32,
as best seen in FIG. 5. The annular sealing recess 32 is defined by
a space disposed radially between the annular wall 28 and the
annular lip 30.
[0021] The annular wall 28 has an outer surface 34 and an inner
surface 36. The outer surface 34 includes a plurality of
indentations 38 extending circumferentially about the annular wall
28 at a location that is adjacent to the peripheral rim 28a. The
indentations 38 are configured to prevent flexing around the
peripheral rim 28a. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid body 12
further includes a pair of protrusions 40 on the outer surface 34
at a location that is adjacent to the peripheral rim 28a. The
protrusions 40 are separated by a receiving groove 42 that is
configured to detachably receive the cover 18. Thus, the
protrusions 40 are configured to detachably engage the cover 18, as
will be further discussed. The outer surface 34 of the lid body 12
further includes a pair of outwardly extending flanges 44 each
having a receiving hole 44a. The receiving holes 44a are a part of
a mechanical bearing to pivotally attach the cover 18 to the lid
body 12, as will be further discussed below.
[0022] The annular wall 28 has a threaded portion 46 disposed on
the inner surface 36. The threaded portion 46 of the annular wall
28 engages the threaded portion 26 of the neck 24 of the container
C. While the threaded portion 46 of the lid body 12 is illustrated
as being inner threads and the threaded portion 26 of the container
C is illustrated as being outer threads, it will be apparent to
those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the
configurations can be reversed, as needed and/or desired. For
example, as stated above, the lid body 12 can include one or more
threads disposed on the outer surface 34 that engage with the
container C having one or more threads on an inside surface of the
neck 24. The container C and the lid body 12 can also have
different types of attachment means and structures as needed and/or
desired. The threaded portions 26 and 46 are conventional and will
not be further discussed herein.
[0023] The annular sealing recess 32 will now be discussed with
reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The annular sealing recess 32 is formed
on the inner surface 36 of the lid body 12. As stated above, the
annular sealing recess 32 includes the space disposed radially
between the annular wall 28 and the annular lip 30. Alternatively,
the annular sealing recess 32 is defined by the space disposed
radially between the annular wall 28 and the annular lip 30. As
shown, the annular sealing recess 32 is disposed on the inner
surface 36 of the lid body 12 facing the opposite side of the
peripheral rim 28a. The annular sealing recess 32 can receive the
first sealing member 14, as will be further discussed below. Also,
as shown in FIG. 4, the annular sealing recess 32 extends
circumferentially around the inner surface 36 of the lid body 12.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this
disclosure that the lid body 12 can include a sealing recess that
extends partially circumferentially around the inner surface 36 of
the lid body 12 to receive a non-annular sealing member (not
shown).
[0024] The annular lip 30 of the lid body 12 defines an opening 48
having a shape that preferably corresponds to the shape of the
access opening 24a of the container C. The annular lip 30 includes
a first flat surface 30a that extends radially inwardly from the
inner surface 36 of the annular wall 28 toward the center of the
lid body 12. The annular lip 30 further includes a bevel surface
30b that extends downwardly toward the center from the first flat
surface 30a. The annular lip 30 further preferably includes a
second flat surface 30c extending radially inward from the bevel
surface 30b. The annular lip 30 defines a sealing surface
configured to support the second sealing member 20, as will be
further discussed below. While the annular lip 30 is illustrated as
including the first flat surface 30a, the bevel surface 30b and the
second flat surface 30c, it will be apparent to those skilled in
the art from this disclosure that the annular lip 30 can have
additional or fewer stepped, flat, horizontal, vertical, or
tapering surfaces as needed and/or desired. For example, the
annular lip 30 can be configured to include just the first flat
surface 30a that can extend toward the center in varying degrees as
needed and/or desired.
[0025] As stated above, the first sealing member 14 is configured
to be disposed in the annular sealing recess 32 that is disposed
radially between the threaded portion 46 of the lid body 12 and the
annular lip 30. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first sealing
member 14 is disposed vertically between the neck 24 of the
container C and the annular sealing recess 32 when the container C
and the lid body 12 are assembled. The first sealing member 14 is a
mechanical seal that fills the space between two mating surfaces
(i.e., the lid body 12 and the container C). The first sealing
member 14 is an annular ring that is a flexible member. In
particular, the first sealing member 14 can be configured as an
O-ring or a gasket.
[0026] The first sealing member 14 is preferably constructed of any
material that provides a degree of yielding or flexibility such
that the first sealing member 14 can deform and tightly fill the
annular sealing recess 32 and fill any slight irregularities. The
first sealing member 14 is also constructed to withstand high
compressive loads when the lid body 12 is attached to the container
C. The first sealing member 14 can be constructed from a flat
material such as a sheet of paper, rubber, silicone, metal, cork,
felt, neoprene, nitrile rubber, fiberglass, polytetrafluoroethylene
(otherwise known as PTFE or Teflon.TM.) or a plastic polymer (such
as polychlorotrifluoroethylene). Preferably, the first sealing
member 14 is constructed of a thermo-rubber plastic or
thermoplastic elastomer. The first sealing member 14 can be
produced by extrusion, injection molding, pressure molding or
transfer molding.
[0027] The first sealing member 14 can be fixed to the annular
sealing recess 32 by a variety of methods. For example, the first
sealing member 14 can be overmolded to the lid body 12.
Alternatively, the first sealing member 14 can be held in the
annular sealing recess 32 by friction forces such as by an
interference fit or a press-fit connection. Further, the first
sealing member 14 can be fixedly attached to the first lid body 12
by an adhesive.
[0028] The second sealing member 20 can be disposed on the annular
lip 30 of the lid body 12. As shown, the second sealing member 20
is disposed vertically between the annular lip 30 and the cover 18
when the cover 18 and the lid body 12 are assembled. In other
words, the second sealing member 20 is sandwiched between the
annular lip 30 and the cover 18 in the assembled state.
[0029] The second sealing member 20 is a flexible member that is
preferably constructed of the same material as the first sealing
member 14. Therefore, the material of the second sealing member 20
will not be further discussed. As shown, the second sealing member
20 has a shape that corresponds to the annular lip 30. In
particular, the second sealing member 20 includes a raised surface
50, a first flat surface 20a, a bevel surface 20b and second flat
surface 20c. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, when assembled, the raised
surface 50 of the second sealing member 20 abuts the annular wall
28 of the lid body 12. The first flat surface 20a of the second
sealing member 20 abuts the first flat surface 30a of the annular
lip 30. The bevel surface 20b of the second sealing member 20 abuts
the bevel surface 30b of the annular lip 30. The second flat
surface 20c of the second sealing member 20 abuts the second flat
surface 30c of the annular lip 30. Preferably, the second sealing
member 20 extends farther radially inward than the annular lip 30
extends. In this way, the second sealing member 20 seals a space
between the cover 18 and the lid body 12 when the container
enclosure assembly 10 is assembled. It will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that the second sealing member 20 can be
modified to include additional or fewer surfaces, that are
vertical, horizontal, flat, beveled or tapering, to accommodate
additional or fewer surfaces of the annular lip 30 as needed and/or
desired.
[0030] The second sealing member 20 is disposed on the annular lip
30. The second sealing member 20 can be overmolded to the lid body
12. The second sealing member 20 can also be attached to the lid
body 12 via an adhesive. While the second sealing member 20 is
illustrated as being disposed on the lid body 12, it will be
apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the
second sealing member 20 can be fixedly attached to the cover 18 to
provide a seal between the cover 18 and the lid body 12.
[0031] The cover 18 is hingedly attached to the lid body 12 to
cover the access opening 24a of the container C and the opening 48
of the lid body 12. The cover 18 is preferably constructed of a
rigid or semi-rigid material that provides an amount of flexure to
enable the cover 18 to be opened easily by the user. The cover 18
is preferably injection molded from polypropylene. The cover 18 can
be constructed of the same material as the lid body 12 and/or the
container C. Thus, the material for the cover 18 will not be
further discussed herein.
[0032] As shown, the cover 18 is configured to pivot about a hinge
between an open position and a closed position to provide access to
the storage cavity 22. As shown, the cover 18 has a substantially
circular shape having a circumference that is smaller than the lid
body 12. The cover 18 has an attachment portion 52 and an operating
portion 54.
[0033] The attachment portion 52 is defined by a set of outwardly
extending flanges having receiving holes 52a configured as a socket
that receive a hinge pin 56. The attachment portion 52 is
configured to engage the pair of flanges 44 of the lid body 12. The
receiving holes 52a of the attachment portion 52 and the receiving
holes 44a of the lid body 12 are configured to receive the hinge
pin 56 so that the cover 18 is hingedly connected to the lid body
12. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge pin 56 is a rigid rod
that can be constructed of metal or plastic. Preferably, the hinge
pin 56 is made of steel.
[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the lid body 12 and the cover
18 are connected by a barrel hinge. It will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from this disclosure that the lid body 12 and
the cover 18 can be pivotally attached via a variety of other
conventional methods. For example, instead of a barrel hinge, the
cover 18 and the lid body 12 can be connected by a thin, flexible
sheet of plastic integrally attaching and extending between the
cover 18 and the lid body 12.
[0035] In the illustrated embodiment, the operating portion 54 is a
tab. The operating portion 54 is a handle for the user to operate
in order to open and close the cover 18. The operating portion 54
further includes a downward extending flange 58 that interacts with
the protrusions 40 of the lid body 12. The flange 58 includes a
protrusion 58a that is configured to be received by the receiving
groove 42 of the lid body 12 via a snap-fit connection.
[0036] As best seen in FIG. 5, the cover 18 includes a first flat
surface 18a, a bevel surface 18b extending radially inward from the
first flat surface 18a. The cover 18 further includes a second flat
surface 18c extending radially inward from the bevel surface 18b.
The cover 18 further includes a third flat surface 18d extending
perpendicularly to the second flat surface 18c. As shown, the cover
18 has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the second sealing
member 20. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from
this disclosure that the cover 18, the second sealing member 20 and
the annular lip 30 can be configured to have varying numbers of
surfaces that are flat, horizontal, vertical, stepped, tapering and
beveled configured to correspond to one another when the container
enclosure assembly 10 is assembled.
[0037] In understanding the scope of the present invention, the
term "comprising" and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended
to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated
features, elements, components, groups, but do not exclude the
presence of other unstated features, elements, components, or
groups. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings
such as the terms, "including", "having" and their derivatives.
Also, the terms "part," "section," "portion," or "member" when used
in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a
plurality of parts unless otherwise stated.
[0038] As used herein, the following directional terms "vertical",
"radial", "circumferential" as well as any other similar
directional terms refer to those directions of a container
enclosure assembly in an upright position. Accordingly, these
directional terms, as utilized to describe the container enclosure
assembly should be interpreted relative to a container enclosure
assembly in an upright position on a horizontal surface.
[0039] Also it will be understood that although the terms "first"
and "second" may be used herein to describe various components
these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms
are only used to distinguish one component from another. Thus, for
example, a first component discussed above could be termed a second
component and vice-a-versa without departing from the teachings of
the present invention. The term "attached" or "attaching", as used
herein, encompasses configurations in which an element is directly
secured to another element by affixing the element directly to the
other element; configurations in which the element is indirectly
secured to the other element by affixing the element to the
intermediate member(s) which in turn are affixed to the other
element; and configurations in which one element is integral with
another element, i.e. one element is essentially part of the other
element.
[0040] While only selected embodiments have been chosen to
illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and
modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope
of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example,
unless specifically stated otherwise, the size, shape, location or
orientation of the various components can be changed as needed
and/or desired so long as the changes do not substantially affect
their intended function. Unless specifically stated otherwise,
components that are shown directly connected or contacting each
other can have intermediate structures disposed between them so
long as the changes do not substantially affect their intended
function. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and
vice versa unless specifically stated otherwise. The structures and
functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment.
It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a
particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is
unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other
features, also should be considered a separate description of
further inventions by the applicant, including the structural
and/or functional concepts embodied by such feature(s). Thus, the
foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present
invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the
purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims
and their equivalents.
* * * * *