U.S. patent number 3,609,263 [Application Number 05/035,032] was granted by the patent office on 1971-09-28 for plastic containers and cover closures therefor.
Invention is credited to Sandro Clementi.
United States Patent |
3,609,263 |
Clementi |
September 28, 1971 |
PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND COVER CLOSURES THEREFOR
Abstract
A resilient plastic container and a cover therefor with
interlocking engagement at the periphery of the cover and the
container, wherein the edge of the container is in an inverted
U-form having an outer member with a terminal outstanding rim and
an abutment in spaced relation; said cover including a U-shaped
trough having an outer member terminating in a flat flange
extending outwardly with a downturned extension having a rearwardly
facing projection for snapping in under the abutment on the
container in closed position of the cover therewith; and an
interiorly directed bead on the container for frictional engagement
with the outer element of said U-shaped channel at the periphery of
the cover.
Inventors: |
Clementi; Sandro (Leominster,
MA) |
Family
ID: |
21880207 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/035,032 |
Filed: |
May 6, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/792;
206/519 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
21/0233 (20130101); B65D 43/0212 (20130101); B65D
2543/0099 (20130101); B65D 2543/00685 (20130101); B65D
2543/00296 (20130101); B65D 2543/00509 (20130101); B65D
2543/00555 (20130101); B65D 2543/00092 (20130101); B65D
2543/00629 (20130101); B65D 2543/00796 (20130101); B65D
2543/00537 (20130101); B65D 2543/0074 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
43/02 (20060101); B65D 21/02 (20060101); B65d
043/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/6R,97C,97F
;229/1.5B,43 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lowrance; George E.
Claims
I claim:
1. In combination, a container and a cover for the container, said
container comprising:
a bottom, a connected sidewall, said sidewall having an upper edge,
an outwardly extending element on said edge, a downward extension
on said outwardly extending element, said extension being spaced
from the sidewall, an outwardly extending footlike member on the
extension and an outstanding abutment at the junction of the
outstanding element and the extension;
said cover comprising a main body member having an upwardly
extending element adjacent the periphery thereof, an outwardly
extending element on the upwardly extending element and a downward
extension at the terminal edge of the outwardly extending element,
an inwardly extending projection at the inner aspect of said
extension adapted to snap in under the abutment on the container
with the outwardly extending element of the cover in substantial
contact with the outwardly extending element at the edge of the
container.
2. In combination, a container and a resilient cover for the
container, said container comprising:
a bottom, a sidewall connected thereto, said sidewall having an
upper edge, a multiple flange at said upper edge including an
outstanding member, a downward extension thereon spaced from the
sidewall, a terminal outstanding member on the lower edge of the
downward extension, and an outwardly extending abutment at the
juncture of the outstanding member and the extension;
said cover comprising a main body portion for disposition in the
container at the upper edge thereof, and a multiple flange on the
main body portion at the periphery thereof; said cover flange
comprising a U-shaped trough having an outer and an inner wall, an
outstanding member on the outer wall of the U-shaped member, a
downturned extension at the periphery of the cover outstanding
member, and an inwardly projecting rim on the downturned extension,
constructed and arranged to latch under the abutment but being
resilient enough to be capable of manual release therefrom to
remove the cover.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container terminal
outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container terminal
outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim in spaced
relation thereto.
5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container terminal
outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim and
extends outwardly at least as far as the edge of the cover
downturned extension.
6. The combination of claim 1 including a bead on the sidewall of
the container in position to impinge upon the outer wall of the
U-shaped trough of the cover.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many different constructions have been provided in an attempt to
provide plastic containers with covers which will not accidentally
open for instance when dropped; but most attempts have been
failures in that the plastic material is of course flexible and
resilient and when the container is full of relatively heavy
material and falls from an appreciable height any snap-in
interengagement in the prior art between the upper edge of the
container and the rim of the cover is very apt to spring loose.
Otherwise actual locks or latches are necessary, some of them being
separate and external, etc., but in any case relatively cumbersome
and expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the general object of this invention to provide a relatively
simple cover having closure means relative to the top rim or edge
of the container, which will not become loose under vibration or
under the shock of dropping; and to this end the novel container is
provided with a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall terminating in
an inverted U-shaped flange having several different parts.
Extending from the sidewall of the container at the topmost edge
thereof there is an outwardly extending generally flat annular
flange terminating in a downward extension, the latter terminating
in an outwardly extending member or foot, there being an abutment
at the junction of the downward extension extending radially
outwardly.
The cover comprises a main body portion, a surrounding U-shaped
portion having an inner element and an outer element that are
connected, a flat flange extending radially outwardly from the top
edge of said outer member and terminating in a downwardly extending
element having a rearwardly directed projection thereon for
snapping under the abutment of the container edge, the sidewall
having a bead in a position to frictionally engage the outer
element of the U-shaped member of the closure structure of the
cover.
The terminal member or foot of the container edge extends at least
as far outwardly as does the final downward extension on the cover,
and together with the inverted U-shaped construction located
inwardly thereof, acts as a bumper guard and also as an annular
handle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a view in elevation illustrating the invention with the
cover in engaged relation on the container, and
FIG. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale showing two containers
nested, the upper container having its cover applied thereto.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a molded
plastic container 10 and a cover member therefore at 12. The
container has a bottom 14 and a connected sidewall 16. The sidewall
16 adjacent the top thereof extends slightly outwardly as shown at
18 in FIG. 2 and then rises on an incline to terminate in an
inverted U-shaped construction comprising an inner element 20 and
an outwardly extended connected flangelike element 22 and a
downward extension 24 spaced from the element 20. The downward
extension 24 terminates in an outwardly extending flange or foot
26. There is an outstanding annular abutment 28 at the junction of
the outwardly extending element 22 and the downward extension 24
but this does not extend outwardly to the extent of the outwardly
extending flange or foot 26. All these parts are annular and
continuous.
The sidewall 16 is preferably provided with an offset as at 30, the
container having slanting walls for nesting in similar containers.
A shoulder or offset at 30 comes to rest on an inwardly directed
shoulder 32, 32 of the next below container. Adjacent its upper
edge the sidewall 16 is provided with an inwardly directed bead 34
for a purpose to be described, and if desired a strengthening rib
36.
The cover comprises a main body member 36 having adjacent the
periphery thereof an inverted U-shaped construction 38 including an
inner wall 40 and an outer wall 42 having circumferentially spaced
strengthening ribs 44 connecting the same.
The outer wall 42 terminates in a horizontally extending annular
outwardly extending flange 44 which in turn terminates in a
downward extension 46, the latter having an inward projection 48
which is adapted to snap under the abutment 28 to hold the parts in
locked position. The projection 48 gradually extends on an incline
as at 50 down to the terminal point 52 of the downward extension 46
allowing the user to insert the tip of the finger therein to bend
out the extension 46 enough to remove the cover from the
container.
The outwardly extending foot 26 on the container edge construction
extends radially outwardly past the extension 46 to provide for a
lateral bumping element protecting the container against sidewise
shocks and also acting as a handle whereby carrying the container
with the cover in place may be lifted and carried.
The inverted U-shape at the top of the container is gripped between
the outer wall 42 and the extension 46 upon which is projection 48,
so that it will be seen that the parts are frictionally locked
together and are also mechanically locked together by projection
48. The bead at 34 very tightly impinges upon the outer aspect of
wall 42 of the U-shaped member 38 of the cover and it has been
found that this construction provides for extremely tight and safe
closure for the container which will not open accidentally.
* * * * *