U.S. patent number 3,858,756 [Application Number 05/314,292] was granted by the patent office on 1975-01-07 for vented container and lid.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Alan I W Frank Corporation. Invention is credited to Edward W. Fulton.
United States Patent |
3,858,756 |
Fulton |
January 7, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
VENTED CONTAINER AND LID
Abstract
A vented container comprising an open-topped container and a lid
applied to the open top of the container, the lid being sealed to
the container wall at a circumferential zone except that at at
least one localized portion of said circumferential zone the lid is
spaced from the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly
through said circumferential zone, the lid above said
circumferential zone cooperating with the container wall to confine
liquid but having vent means for venting to the outside vapor which
has passed upwardly through said circumferential zone. The lid is
preferably shaped to lie in contact with the container wall
throughout a lower circumferential zone and an upper
circumferential zone providing a vapor receiving annulus between
said zones, except that at at least one localized portion of the
lower circumferential zone the lid is spaced from the container
wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through the lower
circumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus, and vent
means are provided for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor
receiving annulus. Desirably the lid lies in normal contact with
the container wall throughout the upper circumferential zone but is
distendable to permit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to
pass upwardly through the upper circumferential zone. The lid
preferably has a vent hole to the outside above the upper
circumferential zone.
Inventors: |
Fulton; Edward W. (Exton,
PA) |
Assignee: |
The Alan I W Frank Corporation
(Pittsburgh, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
23219375 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/314,292 |
Filed: |
December 12, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/374;
426/118 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
43/0218 (20130101); B65D 51/1666 (20130101); B65D
2543/00296 (20130101); B65D 2543/00509 (20130101); B65D
2543/00092 (20130101); B65D 2205/00 (20130101); B65D
2543/00537 (20130101); B65D 2543/00555 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
43/02 (20060101); B65D 51/16 (20060101); B65d
051/16 (); B65d 043/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/44R,44A,6R
;229/43 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Bernstein; Bruce H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hoopes, III; Edward
Claims
I claim:
1. A vented polystyrene container comprising an open-topped
container and a separate lid applied to the open top of the
container, the lid being shaped to lie in contact with the
container wall throughout a lower circumferential zone and an upper
circumferential zone providing a vapor receiving annulus between
said zones, except that at least one localized portion of the lower
circumferential zone the lid is spaced from the container wall to
permit vapor to pass upwardly through the lower circumferential
zone into the vapor receiving annulus, vent means being provided
for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor receiving annulus,
the separate lid lying in face-to-face contact with the container
wall throughout the upper circumferential zone but being
distendable to permit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to
pass upwardly through the upper circumferential zone.
2. A vented polystyrene container as claimed in claim 1 in which
the separate lid has a vent hole to the outside above the upper
circumferential zone.
3. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container
separate from the container having a part fitting over the lip of
the container and a part lying opposite the container wall below
the lip, the second mentioned part having a circumferential zone
adapted to be sealed to the container wall except that at least one
localized portion of said circumferential zone the second mentioned
part is shaped to provide a space between such part and the
container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly therethrough, the
second mentioned part of the lid above said circumferential zone
being shaped to lie in face-to-face contact with the container wall
to confine liquid, but the lid having means for venting to the
outside vapor which has passed upwardly through said space at said
circumferential zone.
4. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container
separate from the container shaped to contact the container wall
throughout a lower circumferential zone and an upper
circumferential zone providing a vapor receiving annulus between
said zones, except that at least one localized portion of the lower
circumferential zone the lid is shaped to be spaced from the
container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through the lower
circumferential zone into the vapor receiving annulus, the lid
having vent means for venting to the outside vapor from the vapor
receiving annulus.
5. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container
separate from the container as claimed in claim 4 in which the lid
is shaped to lie in face-to-face contact with the container wall
throughout the upper circumferential zone but is distendable to
permit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to pass upwardly
through the upper circumferential zone.
6. A polystyrene lid for an open-topped polystyrene container
separate from the container as claimed in claim 5 in which the lid
has a vent hole to the outside above the upper circumferential
zone.
Description
This invention relates to a vented container and lid. The invention
has especial utility in a container and lid for "take-out"
beverages such as hot coffee which may emit steam. The container is
substantially closed to confine liquid but the lid is shaped to
vent vapor such as steam to the outside.
I may accomplish the advantages of the invention by utilizing a
conventional container with a non-conventional lid. The lid is
shaped to confine liquid in the container even against sloshing
whan a container filled with liquid such as coffee is being carried
yet provides for venting of vapor or steam. I provide a vented
container comprising an open-topped container and a lid applied to
the open top of the container, the lid being sealed to the
container wall at a circumferential zone except that at least one
localized portion of said circumferential zone the lid is spaced
from the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly through
said circumferential zone, the lid above said circumferential zone
cooperating with the container wall to confine liquid but having
vent means for venting to the outside vapor which has passed
upwardly through said circumferential zone. The lid is preferably
shaped to lie in contact with the container wall throughout a lower
circumferential zone and an upper circumferential zone providing a
vapor receiving annulus between said zones, except that at least
one localized portion of the lower circumferential zone the lid is
spaced from the container wall to permit vapor to pass upwardly
through the lower circumferential zone into the vapor receiving
annulus, and vent means are provided for venting to the outside
vapor from the vapor receiving annulus. Desirably the lid lies in
normal contact with the container wall throughout the upper
circumferential zone but is distendable to permit vapor from the
vapor receiving annulus to pass upwardly through the upper
circumferential zone. The lid preferably has a vent hole to the
outside above the upper circumferential zone.
Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become
apparent as the following description of a present preferred
embodiment of the invention proceeds.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred
embodiment of the invention in which
FIG. 1 is an isometric fragmentary view of a vented container and
lid embodying my invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view to enlarged scale and with a portion cut
away of the lid shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lid taken on the
line III--III of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the
container and lid, the portion of the lid shown in FIG. 4 being
taken on the line IV--IV of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the
container and lid, the portion of the lid shown in FIG. 5 being
taken on the line V--V of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in plan and partly in
horizontal cross section on the line VI--VI of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the
container and lid, the portion of the lid shown in FIG. 7 being
taken on the line VII--VII of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view partly in plan and partly in
horizontal cross section on the line VIII--VIII of FIG. 7.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral
2 designates an open-topped container which may be of conventional
form. The container shown is circular in cross section and tapers
somewhat to maximum diameter at the top. Its bottom may be of any
construction, having nothing to do with the invention. The
container, as well as the lid, may be made of any suitable
material, such as polystyrene. The thickness of the container wall
may vary widely depending on the intended use of the container. The
wall of the container shown in the drawings may be of the order of
one-tenth inch. The container wall has an inner annular shoulder 3
and in the form shown the thickness of the container wall is
greater below the shoulder than above the shoulder. The top rim of
the container may be rounded as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 and may
terminate in a small external shoulder 4.
The lid in the form shown has a body portion 5 which may be flat
spanning the mouth of the container. The body portion 5 meets at
right angles a substantially vertical annular portion 6 which
merges into an upwardly and inwardly inclined annular portion 7.
The upwardly and inwardly inclined annular portion 7 merges into a
substantially vertical portion 8 throughout part of its peripheral
extent. Throughout that part of the peripheral extent of the
upwardly and inwardly inclined annular portion 7 the substantially
vertical portion 8 meets at right angles a substantially horizontal
annular portion 9 as shown in FIG. 4 and at the right in FIG. 3.
Elsewhere about the peripheral extent of the portion 7 such portion
itself meets the substantially horizontal annular portion 9 as
shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 and at the left in FIG. 3. The substantially
horizontal annular portion 9 meets an annular U-shaped portion 10
which fits over the top rim of the container. A slit vent 11 is
formed in the portion 10 of the lid as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and
8.
The lid is sealed to the container wall at the shoulder 3 as shown
in FIG. 4 except that at least one localized portion of the
shoulder 3 the lid is spaced from the shoulder as shown in FIGS. 5
and 7 to permit vapor to pass upwardly past the shoulder 3 into a
vapor receiving annulus or annular space 12. In the form shown the
lid is spaced from the shoulder 3 at four localized portions of the
shoulder spaced apart at equal intervals peripherally of the lid.
The lid above the shoulder 3 of the container cooperates with the
container wall to confine liquid but has vent means, shown as in
the form of the slit vent 11, for venting to the outside vapor
which has passed upwardly into the vapor receiving annulus 12.
The lid is shaped to lie in contact with the container wall
throughout a lower circumferential zone at the shoulder 3 and an
upper circumferential zone above the vapor receiving annulus 12 at
13 except that, as above explained, at least one localized portion
of the shoulder 3 the lid is spaced therefrom to permit vapor to
pass upwardly into the vapor receiving annulus 12. The lid lies in
normal contact with the container wall at 13 throughout the
periphery of the container wall but is distendable due to vapor
pressure to permit vapor from the vapor receiving annulus to pass
upwardly between the container wall and the lid and out through the
vent 11.
While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of
the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention
is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied
within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *