US2310113A - Food container - Google Patents

Description

-2 1943. c.- M. PLOCHMAN I 2,310313 FOOD CONTAINER Filedjlarch 8, 1941 ar/ Q72 b/fochmcm w Mm, W

Patented Feb. 2, 1943 flUNlfI-ED .smrss ATE-NT ()FFiC- E 'FOOD CONTAINER l Carl-M. 'Plochman, Chicago, 111. Application March 8, 1941, Serial Nol'382yl17 5 Claims.

1 The invention relates to sealed food containers and'amore particularly to containers of the'type in which food products such, for example as mustard, cheese, honey, :jams, jellies, etc., may be packaged for sale andin which the product may be kept in the'refrigerator or pantry shelf by the purchaser for partial consumption from time tositimeiuntilthe product is entirely used 'up.

-'It is a general object of the invention to provide a food container of this type embodying novel: closure means characterized by its simplicity of construction and use and its effectiveness'asfan efiicient sealing means not only when originallyxapplied to the container by the manufacturenr-but. also when reapplied numerous times 'by the consumer. V

1It..iis.another object of the invention to provide aniiarticlelof this type embodying a stopper member which has a novel cooperative relation with aisealing memberand which, when the food has been.consumed,.may be utilized alone apart from the sealing'means as a'coverforthe eontainer'lfor storing other foods which do ot require sealing.

It is a further'obiect ofthe invention toyprovide anew and improved container closure arrangement which operates 'onthe, principle of flexing a resilientsealing member into yieldable sealing relation with the :container, -as-distinguished'from compression .of the sealing member, to the'iend that it may be easilyapplied and removed with a minimum force expenditure by the' user, yet at the same I time provide an :efficient sealing effect.

Other-objects and advantages of theinvention Wilt-become apparent as the following description proceeds taken in connection with the accompanying drawing inwhich:

"Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a container and closure means therefor embodying the features of the present invention as seen in assembled relationship.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View similar to Fig. i lbut showing the parts in exploded or disassembled relationship.

have i shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detailf'the' preferredembbdimentifiut itis to 'benunderstood that I do notthei'eby' in tendoto limit the inventionto'the "specific-firm disclosed but intend to cover all'modififcations and alternative constructionsfalling within -the spirit and scope of the invention'as'expressed-in the appended claims.-

- I have illustrated in the. drawingm'erely for purposes of" disclosure, a container rlfl having a generallycylindrical butslightly taperedside wall I Landbeing' formed preferablyof glass for the purpose of enhancing therapp'earanceof the container so that-it may be used as anattractive article of tableware. .In this connection the container: is designed particularly," 'but'by"no means. exclusively, for such food products as mustard, cheese, honey and the like which may .be partially-consumed from time :toi time; "the container -being provided with means fforeffecting a hermetical seal in the meantime. When the contents is completely consumedthe container maybe reused forsuganiams, 'jlliesfpidkles and .the like which. do not necessarily require sealing and which-may be 'placeddirectlyon the table inthe container. v

7 One of the-problems encountered in the use of jars orcontainers of this type is the "provision of a simple =yet-efiective sealing means" whlch is 'easy' for the-housewife or other user to apply and -remove,- and'which at" the sametimywill' positivelyassure -eifective sealing. Ma'nyexpedients for accomplishing 4 this end" have been squeezing the bodyf a resilient gasket or washxer :between rigid substantiallyi flat opposed $1 .1-

iaces'on the container mouth. and caporsto'pper member, respectively. 2 Obviously isuch an arrangem'entnecessitates the use of considerable forcesufiicient to compres'slthe body of'theseah ring' mem berw Similarly the removal 0 Closure means sealed l in this fashion is frequently ex- 'tremely difficult.

I have accordingly provided a sealing {closure means which operates on a new andfdiflerent principle and which-isefiective to'overcom"the difficulties outlined .abovef'The principle"is"that of flexing airesilient sealing member b a; forceapplied at a point awayifrom" its sealingfcdntact area to exert a yieldable .se'aling fefiect at said apart from the sealin area, as distinguished from a compression between two rigid opposed surfaces at said area.

' Thus, in the instant embodiment, referring more particularly to the drawing, the open, generally cylindrical mouth portion of the container 19 is provided with an internal annular shoulder I2 having a flat upper face 13 disposed slightly below the top of the container. A flexible resilient sealing member [4 of any suitable material such, for example, as cardboard or rubber, and normally having a flat disk-shaped contour (see Fig. 2) is designed to seat peripherally on the face [3 of the shoulder l2 and extend in closing relation to the mouth of the container. A stopper l5, preferably of glass, and having a knob handle It; has an external diameter dimension less than that of the inner periphery of the mouth of the container but greater than that of the shoulder l2 so that it may fit within the mouth. The stopper is provided with a depending annular flange l1 radially inwardly of its edge and having a diameter dimension less than that of the shoulder l2. Upon application of the stopper l5 to the mouth of the container, the flange H is adapted for bearing engagement on the sealing member [4 radially inwardly of the shoulder.

Means are provided for exerting a downward closing force on the stopper so that the depending flange ll, which bears on the sealing member 14 inwardly of its peripheral contact with the shoulder l2, will cause the resilient sealing mem-- her to flex and assume a concave or dished shape (see Fig. 1). In the present instance a metallic rim is having a depending skirt portion I9 is provided with a plurality of bosses 2U struck on its internal surface. The bosses cooperate with an external ledge or shoulder 2|, in the present instance formed by an annular groove in the external wall of the container. The rim i8 is provided also with an internal annular flange portion 22 for engagement with an annular flat face portion 23 on the stopper [5.

. The dimensional relationship of the parts is such that after the flexible sealing member I l and the glass stopper are seated in position and the rim [8 is pressed over the container until the bosses 26 snap into engagement over the shoulder 21, the flange ll on the stopper will depress the sealing member against the force of its own resiliency to its flexed concave position as seen in Fig. 1. The sealing member is sufficiently resilient so that after the rim has been snapped'onto the top of the container the tendency of the sealing member to return to its normal or flat position (Fig. 2) effects a tight yet .yieldable sealing relation at its periphery with theupper face l3 of the shoulder member l2, and particularly with the inner peripheral upper edge thereof. Thus, it will be apparent that the sealing effect is caused by a flexing force on the resilient disk at a point away from the sealing area so that the resistance of the disk to flexure results in a yieldable sealing force exerted on the internal shoulder of the container. Such an arrangement creates a permanent and effective seal yet, at the same time, does not require nearly the applying or removing force necessary for a ,seal of the type wherein a resilient gasket or the like is compressed bodily or squeezed between rigid surfaces.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 4 of the drawing, I have illustrated the relationship of the container and the stopper when used separately means. After the contents of the jar, as originally packaged, is consumed, the container may be refilled with various food products such as sugar and the like, not requiring sealing. The depending annular flange I1 011 the stopper, being dimensioned to engage the sealing member radially inwardly of the shoulder I2 on the container, is designed to fit within the shoulder l2 after the sealing member l4 and the rim I8 have been discarded. In this position shown in Fig. 4, the flange in cooperation with the shoulder l2, serves the purpose of centering or interfitting means which provides an efficient, though unsealed, closure for the container.

It will be apparent from a consideration of the foregoing that a novel and advantageous container structure has been provided which is simple and accordingly inexpensive to manufacture, which has marked sealing advantages attainable by a simple manipulation requiring but slight eifort for both applying and releasing, and which utilizes part of the novel means for effecting such seal to provide a suitable closure means for the container when refilled with a food product which does not require sealing.

I claim as my invention:

l. A container for food products including, in combination, a mouth portion having an internal shoulder formed thereon, a sealing member formed. of a resilient material seated on said shoulder in closing relation to said mouth portion, a rigid stopper bearing on said sealing member inwardly of said shoulder, said mouth portion having an external groove formed therein, and a clamping member having means adapted for holding engagement in said grooves and an inner peripheral flange adapted for engagement with said stopper, the dimensional relationship of said groove, holding means, flange, stopper and shoulder being such that, upon engagement of said holding means with said groove, said stopper will be depressed against the resiliency of said sealing member causing it to assume a concave position in which a yieldable sealing thrust is exerted on said shoulder by the marginal edges of said sealing member.

2. A glass container for food products including, in combination, a cylindrical mouth portion having an internal annular shoulder formed thereon, a disk-shaped sealing member formed of a resilient material peripherally seated on said shoulder in closing relation to said mouth portion, a glass stopper having an annular depending flange adapted for engagement with said sealing member radially inwardly of said shoulder upon application of said stopper to the mouth of the container, and means for holding said stopper in a depressed position against the resiliency of said sealing member causing it to assume a concave position, said stopper being adapted to seat on said shoulder with said flange fitted within said shoulder when said holding means and said sealing member are no longer employed.

3. A container for food products including, in combination, an annular shoulder defining the mouth portion of said container, a disk-shaped sealing member formed of a flexible resilient material seated on said shoulder in closing relation to said mouth portion, a closure member having an annular depending flange adapted for engagement with said sealing member radially inwardly of said shoulder upon application of said closure member to the mouth of said container, and means for exerting a predetermined downward closing thrust on said closure member to a position in which said sealing member is flexed downwardly to a concave position, such position constituting the permanent sealing position of said sealing member in which the peripheral edge thereof acts to exert, through its resiliency, a yieldable sealing thrust on said shoulder and from which position said peripheral edge is free to yield upwardly.

4. A structure of the character described comprising, in combination, a receptacle having an annular internal horizontal ledge spaced downwardly from its open upper end and having external locking means to interengage with a clamping device, a flexible sealing disk fitting within said open end and bearing upon said ledge, a closure fitting within said upper end and having a downwardly projecting annular flange on its lower face spaced a substantial distance inwardly from its perimeter and resting upon the upper face of said disk a slight distance inwardly from said ledge, and an annular clamping device surrounding the upper end of said receptacle and comprising an inwardly-extending flange portion overlying said closure and a skirt portion fashioned tosnap into engagement with said locking means when said device is pressed downwardly, thereby causing said annular flange on the closure to exert a downward pressure on said sealing disk to flex the latter slightly downwardly into concave form and thereby insure sealing contact between said disk and said ledge.

5. A structure of the character described comprising, in combination, a receptacle having an annular internal ledge spaced downwardly from its open upper end and having an external looking shoulder, a flexible sealing disk fitting within said open end and bearing upon said ledge, a closure fitting within said upper end and having a downwardly projecting annular flange spaced inwardly from its perimeter and resting upon said disk a slight distance inwardly from said ledge, and clamping means engaging said closure and the locking shoulder on said receptacle, said clamping means when in operative position exerting a downward pressure on said closure and causing the said flange thereon to exert a downward pressure on said disk to flex the latter into concave form and thereby insure sealing contact between said sealing member and said ledge.

CARL M. PLOCHMAN.

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