JP2004315090A - Container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container whose lid body is engaged with a container body so as not allow the lid body to accidentally open. <P>SOLUTION: The container 10 has the body 100 and the lid body 200. The body 100 is provided with a peripheral wall 120 having a circumferential edge section 122 with a first cross section 122C by allowing the body to be folded outwardly along the whole length. The lid body 200 has the circumferential edge section having a second cross section by allowing the body to be folded downwardly along the whole length. The second cross section is complementary to the first cross section 122C in shape and accommodates the first cross section 122C and is sealed and engaged with the first cross section 122C. The lid edge contains four side flaps 226 which are foldable inwardly and upwardly, thereby keeping a sealing/engagement to provide hooks 226H which elastically self-extend respectively by making each acute angle with the external surfaces of a body wall section 120 so as to elastically contact the external surfaces. On the other hand, the lid edge section forms a clearance through which the hooks 266H extend between the section and the body surface 120B. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a container for storing, for example, food, the lid of which is engaged with a container body so as not to be accidentally opened.

  Such containers are generally known, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,291 and as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings. This container essentially has a vertical tubular body 1 of predetermined cross section with an outwardly folded edge 2. For the tubular body 1, box-shaped lids 3, 3 ′ having a cross section matching with the main body 1 cooperate, and the box-shaped lids 3, 3 ′ are provided with an edge 4 turned inward and The top end and the bottom end of the main body 1 are configured to be closed respectively.

  The lids 3, 3 'of this container are fixed and cannot be removed without breaking. Despite such a fixed arrangement, the lids 3, 3 'are not suitable for accommodating leakable materials such as powders and liquids because they are not tightly engaged with the main body 1.

  The present invention aims to alleviate or at least alleviate such drawbacks by providing an improved container.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a container including a main body and a lid for closing an opening of the main body. The body has a base and a peripheral wall rising from the base to define a receiving space. The peripheral wall is folded outwardly along its entire length to define an opening having a circumferential edge having a first cross section. The lid has a circumferential edge folded down along its entire length and having a second cross section, the second cross section being complementary in shape to the first cross section and the first cross section. The section is received and sealingly engaged with the first section. The lid edge includes two flaps on different sides of the lid that can be folded inward and upward for elastic self-expansion, these flaps being opposed to the outer surface of the body wall. At an acute angle, they resiliently abut to maintain sealing engagement. The lid edge forms a gap with the outer surface of the body where the flap extends.

  Preferably, the body wall slopes outward at an acute angle from the bottom to the top.

  When the flap is measured from the edge of the lid so that the flap can be elastically flipped outward by an over-center operation while contacting the outer surface of the main body wall when the lid is removed from the main body. Preferably has a dimension larger than the width of the gap.

  Further, it is preferable that the main body wall portion is inclined outward at an acute angle from the bottom portion to the top portion.

  In a preferred embodiment, the lid lip is folded up along its entire length and then down to form an annular rib including a second cross section.

  More preferably, the annular rib includes an inner portion having a cross-sectional shape complementary to that of the top of the inner surface of the body wall for surface sealing engagement with the body wall.

  More preferably, the lid edge is folded down along its entire length and then upwards to abut the annular rib, thereby forming an annular groove just inside the annular rib.

  The flap is preferably integrally connected to the lid edge along a fold line so that it can be easily folded.

  Preferably, the outer surface of the body wall has a relatively rough surface due to frictional engagement by the flap.

  More preferably, the body is formed from paper pulp.

  Even more preferably, the lid is also formed from paper pulp.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail and without limitation with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 through 9 of the drawings, there is shown a container 10 embodying the present invention, comprising a body 100 having a top opening and a separate lid 200 for closing the opening of the body 100. ing. Both the main body 100 and the lid 200 are formed from, for example, virgin pulp. The body 100 defines a substantially square base 110 and a container that stands upright from the base 110 and that contains food, especially food with a liquid (i.e., juice, sauce or soup) or a content such as a mere liquid. And four peripheral wall portions 120 that gradually expand as much as possible. The peripheral wall 120 is slightly outwardly inclined at an acute angle of about 15 degrees from the bottom to the top.

  The body wall 120 defines an opening with a circumferential edge 122 that is bent outwardly over its entire length to define a cross section 122C. That is, the main body edge 122 is smoothly curved outward and then slightly curved downward so that the cross section 122C has a relatively shallow inverted U-shape.

  The lid 200 has a substantially square shape, and includes a central panel 210 and a peripheral portion 220 surrounding the panel 210 and integrally connected thereto. The circumferential portion 220 is bent upward over the entire length and then bent downward to form a hollow annular rib 222R having a second cross section 222C for accommodating the first cross section 122C of the main body edge 122. It has an edge 222. The second cross section 222C has a relatively deep inverted U-shape including an upper portion that mates in a complementary shape with the first cross section 122C and has a surface sealing engagement.

  The circumferential rib 222 </ b> R of the lid 200 has opposing inner and outer portions slightly branched downward. The inner portion of the rib has a cross-sectional shape complementary to the cross-sectional shape of the top of the inner surface 120A of the main body wall portion 120 and is in surface sealing engagement. The outer portion of the rib is slightly longer below the inner portion of the rib and extends beyond the body edge 122 to form an annular gap 223 around the outer surface 120B with the outer surface 120B of the body wall 120. ing.

  Between the central panel 210 and the circumferential rib 222R, the peripheral edge 220 is first bent down from the panel 210 along its entire length and then outward, and then bent upward to form the rib 222R. By being adjacent, an annular groove 224G is formed immediately inside the annular rib 222R. The presence of the groove 224G allows the adjacent inner portion of the rib 222R to extend relatively deep into the container body 100. As a result, the area in which the edge 222 of the lid is sealingly engaged with the edge 122 of the lid is increased downward from the top of the inner surface of the main body wall 120, so that the lid 200 makes the main body 100 more effective. To prevent leakage of the liquid contents.

  The lid edge 222 has four bent pieces (tabs) 226 on the opposite sides of the lid 200. Each bent piece 226 is integrally connected to the lid edge 222 along a respective weakened bent line 225 formed by, for example, a punch hole, a press broken line, or simply a preformed fold. , Can be easily folded along these lines 225. Prior to use of the lid 200, the bent pieces 226 are first bent inward and downward along the line 225, and then bent upward and pressed into the ribs 222R to form respective hooks (tabs) 226H. Due to the integral connection along the fold line 225, the inwardly bent hook 226H resiliently expands.

  Since the hooks 226H are arranged at an angle upward, the lid 200 can be easily arranged on the main body 100. When the lid 200 closes the opening of the main body, the hook 226H of the lid 200 comes into contact with the edge 122 of the main body 100 and is pressed and contracted through the rotation about the bending line 225. As a result, the main body edge portion 122 is pushed away by the hook 226H and is sealed and engaged by the lid body edge portion 222. As the hook 226H descends and past the body edge 122, it immediately resiliently flips back and expands such that the distal end / edge of the hook 226H is positioned below and inside the body edge 122. Upward and elastically abut against the inclined outer surface 120B.

  In such a closed state of the container 10, the hooks 226H extend inwardly upward across the gap 223 at an acute angle (about 45 °). When the outer surface 120B of the main body wall is inclined outward (and downward), the hook 226H acts and abuts on the inclined wall surface 120B at an acute angle. Thereby, the sealing engagement between the lid 200 and the main body 100 is promoted and maintained, so that the lid 200 does not come off from the main body 100. In this regard, the wall surface 120B is formed with a relatively rough surface to ensure frictional engagement by the hooks 226H.

  The lid 200 can be easily opened by pulling upward from the body 100, preferably at one corner or one side. In this regard, gap 223 has a width G and hook 226H has a dimension H measured from lid edge 222 that is greater than gap width G. Thus, when the lid 200 is lifted from the body 100, the hooks 226 are resiliently downwardly outward through the over-center motion while their distal ends / edges temporarily hold the outer surface 120B of the body wall. And the main body 100 is opened. The over-center operation causes the hook 226H to pivot past the "center" angular position where its compression is maximized.

  The container 10 of the present invention may be configured to have any other suitable shape, including, for example, a substantially rectangular, triangular or circular base. The number of surfaces of the container body wall 120 is not limited, and the number of flaps / hooks 226H is not limited.

  Thus, for a three sided container body, the corresponding lid 200 may have two flaps 226H (rather than three) on different adjacent sides (rather than facing).

  While the invention has been described by way of example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other modifications and variations can be made to the described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. And / or modifications could be made.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of a container according to the present invention having a body and a lid for closing the body. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container of FIG. 1, in which a main body and a lid are separated and shown. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the main body of FIG. 2 as viewed from above. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the main body of FIG. 3 taken along line IV-IV. FIG. 5 is another side cross-sectional view of the body of FIG. 3 along line VV. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the lid of FIG. 2 as viewed from above. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 6 taken along line VII-VII. FIG. 7 is another cross-sectional side view of the lid of FIG. 6 along line VIII-VIII. FIG. 2 is a partial sectional side view of the container shown in FIG. 1, showing mutual engagement between a lid and a main body. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art container having a body and a top lid and a bottom lid closing the body. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 10, showing mutual engagement between the lid and the main body.

Claims (11)

A body defining a storage space having a base and a peripheral wall rising from the base, wherein the peripheral wall is folded outward along an entire length thereof and has an opening having a circumferential edge having a first cross section. A body defining the
A lid closing the opening of the main body and having a circumferential edge having a second cross-section folded down along the entire length thereof, wherein the second cross-section is the first cross-section. A lid that is complementary in cross-section and shape and that receives and sealingly engages the first cross-section;
With
The edge of the lid includes at least two flaps provided on different sides of the lid, wherein the at least two flaps form an acute angle with an outer surface of the body wall. Foldable inward and upward to resiliently self-expand so as to resiliently abut and maintain the sealing engagement;
A container, wherein an edge of the lid forms a gap between the outer surface of the main body and the flap.   The container of claim 1, wherein the wall of the body slopes outward at an acute angle from the bottom to the top.   When removing the lid from the main body, the flap is provided on the lid so that the flap can elastically rebound outward by an over-center operation while abutting against an outer surface of a wall of the main body. The container of claim 1, wherein the container has a dimension as measured from an edge that is greater than the width of the gap.   4. The container of claim 3, wherein the wall of the body slopes outward at an acute angle from the bottom to the top.   The container according to claim 1, wherein an edge of the lid is folded back along an entire length thereof and then folded down to form an annular rib including the second cross section.   The annular rib includes an inner portion having a cross-sectional shape complementary to the cross-sectional shape and shape of the top of the inner surface of the body wall for surface sealing engagement with the body wall. 5. The container according to 5.   The edge of the lid is folded back along its entire length and then upwards to abut the annular rib, thereby forming an annular groove immediately inside the annular rib. Container.   The container according to claim 1, wherein the flap is integrally connected to an edge of the lid along a folding line so that the flap can be easily folded.   The container of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the body wall has a relatively rough surface due to frictional engagement by the flap.   10. The container of claim 9, wherein said body is formed from paper pulp.   The container according to claim 10, wherein the lid is also formed from paper pulp.

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