DE20312823U1 - Snap-fit closure for small food container applied and released by finger pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

A food container has a surrounding rim with a snap-fit closure which maintains its closed position by radial pressure. The closure is released by the application of finger pressure at a pre-determined point.

Description

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Lid for tightly closing a container, especially for food

The present invention relates to a lid for tightly closing a container, in particular for food.
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There are countless examples of containers that can be closed with a lid in order to store objects and, in particular, to package food. Depending on the type and, in particular, the manufacture of the container, it is always clear that the container lids represent a weak point in some way: the lids are often less mechanically robust than the rest of the container, they are often also less airtight than the rest of the container, for example, they cannot be resealed as foil lids or, if they can be resealed, their mechanism is complicated to handle and/or manufacture.

The present invention is based on the object of creating a lid for tightly closing a container, in particular for food, which is reclosable and yet easy to handle and manufacture.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a lid having the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

According to the invention, a lid for tightly closing a container, in particular for food, has a circumferential collar which snaps between a first dimensionally stable shape and a second dimensionally stable shape by applying pressure to at least one specific point on the lid. In the first dimensionally stable shape, it can be radially pre-tensioned against and/or around the edge of an opening of the container in order to seal around it. By applying pressure to a specific point, the lid snaps into the second dimensionally stable shape in order to release the edge of the opening and to be removed.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The features of the subclaims and further preferred features of the invention are also illustrated therein.
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Figure 1 shows a spatial view of two vessels each with a lid according to the invention,

Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of the vessels according to Figure 1, the lids of which are separated by hand,

Figure 3 shows a spatial view of a carrying device of the vessels according to Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 shows a sectioned, exploded side view of the vessels and the lids according to the invention according to Figures 1 and 2 and the carrying device according to Figure 3,

Figure 5 shows a sectional side view of a vessel with a lid according to the invention according to Figures 1, 2 and 4,
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Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional view of the vessel according to Figure 5, the lid of which is operated manually for opening,

Figure 7 shows a three-dimensional view of the vessel according to Figures 5 and 6, the lid of which is removed by hand after operation according to Figure 6 and closed again as shown.

Figure 8 shows a three-dimensional view of the vessel according to Figures 5 to 7, which is placed by hand on its lid and
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Figure 9 shows a three-dimensional view of the vessel according to Figures 5 to 8, which is placed in a recess in its lid according to Figure 8.

Figure 1 shows an essentially spherical structure 2.

Looking at Figure 2, it is clear that the structure 2 can be separated by hand 4 into two hemispherical containers 6, each of which is closed by flat, circular lids 8. Figure 2 also shows that a carrying strap 10, which can already be seen in Figure 1 (only the ends 10 are shown), is fastened in eyelets 12 in a tab 14, which is designed as a projection of a ring 14. This carrying device 10, 12, 14 alone is shown in Figure 3, and its detachable fastening between

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the lids 8 is clear from the exploded view according to Figure 4: The ring 14 of the carrying device has on its radial inner edge a thickening 16 with a rectangular cross-section, which fits in a form-fitting manner in recesses 18 with a corresponding cross-section in the lids 8 when the lids 8 lie on top of one another as can be seen in Figure 1. The recesses 18 are arranged concentrically on the circular outer surface of the lids 8, which can also be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is useful for taking a closer look at the structure of the vessel chambers 6 and in particular at the locking mechanism of the lids 8. Here it will also be seen how the two lids are attached to each other so as to overlap each other in order to achieve the shape according to Figure 1.

Firstly, in Figure 5, the vessel 6 can be seen as a hemispherical bowl. The vessel wall 6 is double-walled and made of stainless steel with a thermally insulating material or vacuum in between. This creates a thermos cup into which, for example, hot coffee can be poured without burning one's fingers when touching the bowl 6. In addition, because in the transport arrangement according to Figure 1 only the outer walls of the vessels 6 form the outer skin of the structure 2 according to the invention, the coffee remains hot during transport, even though the lids 8 are not further thermally insulated.

The section through the lid 8 according to Figure 5 shows a disk-shaped magnet 20 in the middle. Arranged in such a way that the outer sides of the lids 8 attract each other, the magnets 20, as shown in Figure 2, cause the lids 8 to be secured to one another in an overlapping manner according to the invention, so that the vessel shape according to the invention is obtained according to Figure 1. The magnets 20 are preferably injected into the injection-molded lids 8, but can also be glued, snapped in or otherwise firmly and, if possible, non-removably secured.

Finally, Figure 5 shows a section through the cover 8 of a spring plate 22 as the core of the cover 8, which is essentially circular in a plan view not shown. In the cross section according to Figure 5, the spring plate 22 is slightly curved upwards. Its radial outer edge 24 is bent axially downwards by slightly more than 90 degrees (24). Not visible in the view according to Figure 5 are slots that are evenly distributed approximately every 10 degrees on the circumference (360 degrees in total) axially from below through the edge

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up to the bend. This creates the edge 24 in a shape of individual axially downward-pointing tabs - similar to tabs that are attached to the roof edge of circus tents for decorative purposes, for example. Each of these edge tabs 24 is prestressed with its lower end 25 radially inwards against the outer wall of the vessel 6 in the area of the edge 26 of its opening, which is closed by the lid 8. In order to close the opening in a liquid-tight manner, an axially projecting, annular sealing bead 27 runs on the inside of the lid, which is pressed against the inner edge of the opening of the vessel chamber 6 in the closed state. The sealing bead 27 is part of a coating 28 that surrounds the entire core made of spring sheet 22. The coating 28 also covers the downwardly directed tabs 24 of the edge 24 including their spaces between them, so that overall in its external shape a continuously circumferential edge 24 is produced, which supports the sealing effect of the bead 27, in particular in the area of the lower end 26 of the edge 24. The coating preferably consists of elastic, in particular food-resistant, in particular rubber-like material. To produce the lid, the core of spring sheet 22 is preferably overmolded by the coating 28.

According to the invention, the lid 8 is provided with the coating 28 at least in the region of its sealing engagement with the edge 26 of the opening of the vessel 6.

Pressure, for example with the thumb 29 as shown in Figure 6, on the center of the lid 8 will cause the spring plate 22 at the angle 8 to snap from its upwardly curved, convex, dimensionally stable shape into a downwardly curved, concave, dimensionally stable shape. This has the immediate consequence that the lower ends 25 of the edge tabs 24 of the spring plate 22 detach from the outside of the vessel chamber 6 and are therefore no longer prestressed against it. The lid 8 is now loose and can simply be lifted upwards from the vessel chamber 6 by hand as shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, the lid 8 can also be closed again by applying pressure radially from the outside on its edge 24. According to the design according to Figure 5, the spring plate 22 pops from its downwardly curved, concave, dimensionally stable shape according to Figure 7 into the upwardly curved, convex, dimensionally stable shape according to Figure 5, so that the vessel chamber 6 is closed again.

The hemispherical shape of the vessel chambers 6 is particularly pleasant to the touch. However, if one places a vessel chamber 6 designed in this way on a flat surface,

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If one were to place the vessel chamber 6 on the ground, it could easily roll and spill its contents. To counteract this, the lid 8 has a concentric depression 30 in the middle in which the vessel chamber 6 is placed as shown in Figure 9 and does not roll.

Claims (6)

1. Lid for tightly closing a container ( 6 ), in particular for foodstuffs, with a circumferential collar ( 24 ) which can be radially prestressed in a first dimensionally stable shape against and/or around the edge ( 26 ) of an opening of the container ( 6 ) in order to seal around it, and which snaps into a second dimensionally stable shape by pressure on a specific point ( 20 ) of the lid ( 8 ) in order to release the opening edge ( 26 ). 2. Lid according to claim 1, characterized by a core ( 22 ) made of spring sheet. 3. Lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a coating ( 28 ) made of elastic, in particular food-resistant, in particular rubber-like material, at least in the region of the sealing engagement with the opening edge ( 26 ). 4. Lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a magnet ( 20 ), in particular for fastening two such lids ( 8 ) to one another. 5. Lid according to claim 4, characterized in that a carrying and/or holding device ( 10 , 12 , 14 ) can be attached between the two lids ( 8 ), in particular by means of an adapter ring ( 14 ). 6. Lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a recess ( 30 ) in which the vessel ( 6 ) can be placed.