Plastic Container And Closure

Abstract

A plastic container having a bottom portion and a lid member for closing the container inside the edges of the bottom portion opening, the sidewalls of the bottom portion having an inwardly facing groove along its periphery, the lower wall of the groove facing an abutment surface and the bottom portion sidewalls decreasing in thickness below its edges and the groove, the lid member having a depending sidewall the lower end of which has an outwardly projecting ridge extending around less than the entire circumference thereof so as to present a no-ridge area, the lid member ridge lying wholly within the groove when closing the container, and the lid having a tongue member in the vicinity of the no-ridge area for facilitating easy opening of the lid.

Description

The present invention is concerned with a plastic container having a bottom portion adapted to form a storage space and made of a relatively thin, preferably embossed, flexible plastic material, and a lid member adapted to be inserted when closing the container, inside the edges of bottom portion at the opening thereof, the sidewalls of the bottom portion at said opening presenting a step-forming increase of the internal dimensions of the bottom portion, thereby forming an abutment surface for the lid member, and also a slight increase in wall thickness between the lid abutment surface and the top of said sidewalls, said increase in wall thickness being directed towards the interior of the box and extending around essentially the whole of the said opening, thereby to form one part of a snap lock arrangement cooperating with the lid member, and wherein the lid member presents on the outside of a side edge portion, intended to abut the abutment surface of the bottom portion, a ridge or similar raised portion which extends essentially around the whole circumference of the lid and comprises the other member of the snap lock arrangement.

In containers of the type aforedescribed, which may be used for storing small spare parts or the like in car repair workshops etc., it is to advantage with respect to the purpose for which the container is used that the actual container portion, i.e. the bottom portion, is relatively flexible. Furthermore, from the aspect of manufacture, it is also to advantage if the bottom portion of the container can be given an essentially uniform thickness, without a too complicated change in shape at the rim portion thereof. At the same time, it is necessary that the container with lid applied represents a highly stable unit, which can withstand rough handling whilst being transported, and stored without inadvertently opening. In addition to and in spite of this, the container must be capable of being opened and closed easily, and to withstand repeated opening and closing operations during a long period of use, without relinquishing the ability to effectively secure the lid. Containers known to the art do not satisfy the above requirements and desiderata.

Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide in a container which presents a uniform material thickness of the bottom portion thereof and the wall members of which are relatively thin and flexible, but which presents considerable stability when the lid is applied, a means by which the lid and bottom portion can be connected together so that they cannot be separated unintentionally but which nevertheless enables the lid to be removed and replaced repeatedly without impairing the effective sealing of the container.

This object is achieved by means of the invention, which is mainly characterized in that the increase in wall thickness in the bottom portion of the container and/or the ridge in the lid is omitted within at least one peripheral section at which removal of the lid from the container is commenced when opening said container.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container with lid applied;

FIG. 2 is a section II-II in FIG. 1 through an edge portion of the bottom portion and lid of the container, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same container with the lid removed.

The container consists of a bottom portion 1 and a lid 2, suitably made of the same material, primarily a soft and flexible plastic material. The material of the bottom portion is substantially of uniform thickness and is relatively thin, which is an advantage both with respect to the intended use of the container and to its manufacture. The walls 3 of the bottom portion 1, however, present at the rim portion of the container opening a somewhat thicker portion 4, which forms a ridge projecting inwardly of the opening to form one part of a snap lock by which the lid is held firmly in position. Immediately below the wall portion 4 the walls present a stepped portion which form an abutment surface 5 for the lid 2. This prevents the lid from being pushed too far into the container.

As is evident from the aforegoing, the lid 2 is intended to be inserted into the opening of the container, to close the container. The lid is essentially flat, but presents at its periphery a stiffening member 6 which in cross section has the shape of an inverted U. At the bottom edge surface of the outer limb member of the U-shaped member 6 is a ridge or collar 7, adapted to comprise the other part of the aforementioned snap lock. To facilitate the insertion of the lid into the container opening the thicker portion 4 of the sidewalls 3 is so designed that the opening is largest at the outer edge 8 of the walls 3 and narrowed downwardly, to be widened at the bottom of portion 4 so that the collar 7 on the on the lid rests in a groove formed between the portion 4 and the abutment surface 5 when the lid is applied to the container, that is when the container is closed. The lid is provided at one corner with a tongue 9 which projects away from the bottom portion of the container and forms a finger grip, to facilitate an opening of the container.

In accordance with the invention the collar 7 on the lid is excluded in the vicinity of the tongue 9, whereby when opening the lid by means of the tongue 9 the lid offers practically no resistance. The thicker wall portion 4 is also excluded at corresponding positions, to afford space for the corners of the lid when opening the container. In the container shown in FIG. 3 the thicker wall portion 4 has been omitted at all four corners of the bottom portion, to permit optional positioning of the lid and to permit a lid to be used in which the collar free corner is differently positioned. The tongue 9 indicates quite plainly where the opening movement is started.

Thus, the lid can be removed quite easily by means of the tongue on the lid 2, since there are no locking means at the position where opening of the container commences. The resiliency necessary to realize the function of the snap lock is provided for by the U-shaped member 6 of the lid. The invention thus provides for a relatively simple and inexpensive design of the bottom portion and lid of the container, and ensures an effective sealing of the lid when the container is closed without rendering the container difficult to open.

It should be understood that the invention is not restricted to that which has been illustrated and described in the aforegoing, but can be varied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A plastic container, having a bottom portion (1) adapted to form a storage space and made of a relatively thin, preferably embossed, flexible plastic material, and a lid member (2) adapted to be inserted when closing the container, inside the edges (8) of the bottom portion at the opening thereof, the sidewalls (3) of said bottom portion at a slight distance from said opening having an inwardly facing groove extending around the entire periphery of said opening; the lower wall of said groove thereby forming an abutment surface (5) for said lid member (2); said bottom portion sidewalls gradually increasing in thickness from said edges toward the top wall of said groove and extending substantially around the entire opening; thereby to form one part of a snap lock arrangement cooperating with said lid member, and wherein said lid member (2) has a depending sidewall extending between said edges and said abutment surface; the lower end of said lid member sidewall having an outwardly projecting ridge (7) extending around less than the entire circumference thereof so as to present a no-ridge area for said lid member sidewall; said ridge comprising the other part of the snap lock arrangement and being adapted to lie wholly within said groove against said abutment when closing the container; said lid also having a tongue member (9) thereon projecting outwardly from the container for facilitating opening thereof, said tongue member being located above said no-ridge area, whereby said snap lock arrangement is not effected at said no-ridge area and easy opening of said

2. A container according to claim 1, characterized in that said lid (2) is provided with stiffening means extending about the entire periphery of said lid; said stiffening means being U-shaped in cross section with one

3. A container according to claim 1 wherein said bottom portion and said lid member are shaped to form a substantially rectangular container, said bottom portion sidewall being of uniform cross section between said edges and said groove at each corner of said bottom portion to additionally facilitate easy opening of said lid member at each of its corners.