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.

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.

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.