AU767428B2 - Container having permanently attached lid - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Container having permanently attached lid FIELD OF THE INVENTION The following invention relates to a container having a permanently attached lid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known to store food in a plastics container including a receptacle and a snap-on lid. The lid seals to the receptacle to keep food therein fresh. A problem with such a container is that the lid is often lost, rendering the container useless for the purpose of maintaining the freshness of food.

Another known container has a receptacle and a lid attached to the receptacle by a •hinge. However such a container is not practical for heating food in a microwave oven as the lid must be rotated about the hinge to remove the lid from the receptacle to allow the container to vent during the cooking process, and when so removed, the lid extends upwards from, or to the side of, the receptacle. An open lid of such a container might strike the roof, walls or door of a microwave oven, preventing proper rotation of the container on a turntable of the oven during the cooking process.

i It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate one or 'more of the disadvantages of the prior art and/or, more generally, to provide an S"improved container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a container including: a receptacle defining a receptacle interior, the receptacle having a base with a surface facing into the interior and an opposite surface, and having an opening spaced from the base; a lid configured to seal said opening; and a link permanently attaching the lid to the receptacle and configured to enable the lid to move from a closure position in which the lid seals the opening to a support position in which the lid is engaged with said opposite surface of the base, and from said support position to said closure position.

Preferably, the link is substantially constituted by a slender elongate formation, which is preferably of flexible material.

Preferably, each of the receptacle and the lid has a hole defined therein, the link passing through the holes.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the receptacle and the lid has a projecting tab, and wherein the respective hole is defined in the respective tab.

ooooo ooeo In a preferred embodiment, the link is in the form of a loop. Preferably, the loop is elliptical.

In another preferred embodiment, the link includes an elongate element having two opposite ends one end for engagement with the lid and the other end for engagement with the receptacle.

S In one preferred embodiment, the base defines a base ridge and the lid defines a ridgeengagement groove which is complementary with the base ridge, for receiving the base ridge when the lid is in the support position. In another preferred embodiment, the lid defines a lid ridge and the base defines a ridge-engagement groove which is complementary with the lid ridge, for receiving the lid ridge when the lid in the support position.

2a In a preferred embodiment, the container is adapted to be supported on a containersupporting surface and: the base has at least one support-engaging face for engaging the supporting surface at first spaced positions when the lid is not in the support position; and the lid has at least one support-engaging face for engaging the supporting surface at second spaced positions when the lid is in the support position, and the second spaced positions are more widely spaced than the first spaced positions, thereby more stably to support the container when the lid is in the support position.

oo *o In a preferred embodiment, the receptacle includes a ridge-like rim defining the opening, and the lid defines a sealing groove which is complementary with the rim for receiving the rim to seal the opening when the lid is in the closure position.

A container according to embodiments of the invention can be used to store food or other articles with the advantage that the risk of the container's lid becoming lost is minimised. The lid can also be removed from the opening, placed under the receptacle, and engaged therewith. This yields the further advantage that the receptacle is stably supported on the lid, for example when the container is used in a microwave oven to heat food.

oooo BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0*0*0* Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container having a receptacle and 0000*0 a lid attached thereto; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional elevational view of the container of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the container of Figure 1 with its receptacle supported on, and engaged with, the lid; and Figure 4 is a schematic partly cross-sectional elevational view, shown partly cut-away, of the container of Figures 1 to 3 showing the lid adjacent to, but parted from, the base of the receptacle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the accompanying drawings there is shown schematically a container 10 having a lid 11, a receptacle 12 and a link 13 (shown in broken-chain lines in Figures 2, 3 and The receptacle 12 has an interior 14. The lid 11 and the receptacle 12 are fabricated from moulded plastics material. However, in other embodiments, the components could be made from metal or other suitable materials, depending on the intended application of the container. The receptacle 12 has a base 15 and walls 16 extending from the base and terminating in a ridge-like rim 17 which defines an opening 18. In the embodiment shown, the opening 18 is generally rectangular, although in other embodiments it could be square, oval shaped, circular or of any other suitable shape.

The base 15 of the receptacle 12 has a downwardly projecting ridge 19 extending about the periphery of the base.

10 Projecting laterally from the receptacle 12 adjacent the rim 17 is a tab 20 having a **oo hole 21 therethrough.

The lid 11 includes, in its under-surface, a sealing groove 22 which is complementary with the rim 17 of the receptacle 12, and configured to receive the rim as a snap-fit to seal the opening 18.

555.5 The lid 11 also includes, at its upper side, a ridge-engagement groove 23 which is complementary with the ridge 19 and which extends along a continuous path about the lid. The groove 23 is configured to receive the ridge 19 as a snap-fit, in the configuration shown in Figure 3.

The lid 11 also includes a tab 24 which has a hole 25 therethrough.

The link 13 passes through the holes 21 and 25 as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. The link 13, in different embodiments, is made of moulded or extruded plastics material, rubber, fibrous material or any other suitable material capable of being formed as a link. In this regard, the word "link" is not limited to a closed loop of the type shown, but might, in other embodiments, be a straight piece passing through both holes 21 and 25 and having enlarged ends preventing the link being removed through the holes.

In the preferred embodiment, the link 13 is elliptical as shown. The link may be formed from a length of material attached end-to-end to form a loop, the ends being joined by heat bonding, glueing, inter-locking or by other means.

In use, the receptacle 12 can hold food or other articles and the lid 11 can be snapengaged with the receptacle to cover the opening 18 thus sealing the opening and the interior 14. Thus the position of the lid 11 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be considered as the lid's "closure" position. It will be noted that the tabs 20 and 24 are in close proximity to each other with the holes 21 and 25 aligning with each other when the lid 11 is in this position.

S. The lid 11 can be removed from the opening 18 but not detached entirely from the :10 receptacle 12 due to the presence of the link 13. The longer axis of the ellipse of the link 13 is large enough to enable the lid 11 to be moved between the "closure" Sposition as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and a position as shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which the lid is disposed under the receptacle 12. This may be considered as the lid's "support" position. When the lid 11 is moved into the "support" position, the receptacle 12 can then be pressed onto the lid 11, such that the ridge 19 snaps into engagement in the groove 23.

.oe.•i It will be appreciated that where the container 10 is in this configuration with the lid 11 in its "support" position), the container can, for example, be placed on the turntable of a microwave oven. The lid 11, by being disposed under the receptacle 12, will support the receptacle (hence the term "'support" position') and will provide minimal obstruction, if any, within the confined space of the oven, as the turntable rotates.

It will also be appreciated that while the larger axis of the ellipse of the link 13 is large enough to permit the lid 11 to be moved between its "closure" and "support" positions, the smaller axis of the ellipse is sufficiently small for the link to be largely unobstructive.

To enable easy washing of the receptacle 12 and the lid 11, the lid can be parted from the receptacle, while still being connected to the receptacle by the link 13. Then, both the receptacle and the lid can be placed face-down in a dishwasher, or opened at an 6 angle to each other, preferably substantially face-down in a dishwasher. The permanent connection of the lid 11 to the receptacle 12 by the link 13 is advantageous as it prevents the lid and receptacle being completely separated during the washing process. During manual washing and drying, the link 13 enables the receptacle 12 and the lid 11 to be placed substantially face-down, or at an angle to each other, on a dish rack without becoming detached from each other.

In an embodiment (not shown) of the invention, the lid 11 includes faces for engaging a support surface on which the container 10 is supported, these faces being more 10 widely spaced than corresponding faces provided at the bottom surface of the base Thus, when the lid 11 is its "support" position, it provides more stable support for the receptacle 12 than would be the case if the lid were not in its "support" position that is, if the receptacle were directly supported on the support surface rather than on the lid. This feature would make the container 10 particularly suitable for uses such as in a microwave oven, where stable support of the container during rotation of the microwave oven's turntable is desirable.

It should be appreciated that the invention, being defined by the claims, is not limited to the embodiments described, but extends to modifications and alterations thereto as would be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, rather than having sealing groove 22 and ridge-engagement groove 23 at opposite faces of lid 11, these grooves could both be at the same face thereof.

Claims (13)

1. A container including: a receptacle defining a receptacle interior, the receptacle having a base with a surface facing into the interior and an opposite surface, and having an opening spaced from the base; a lid configured to seal said opening; and a link permanently attaching the lid to the receptacle and configured to enable the lid to move from a closure position in which the lid seals the opening to a support position in which the lid is engaged with said opposite surface of the base, and from said support position to said closure position.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the link is substantially constituted by a slender elongate formation.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the elongate formation is of flexible material.

4. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein each of the receptacle and the lid has a hole defined therein, the link passing through the holes.

A container according to claim 4 wherein each of the receptacle and the lid has a projecting tab, and wherein the respective hole is defined in the respective tab. 0,

6. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the link is in the form of a loop.

7. A container according to claim 6 wherein the loop is elliptical.

8. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the link includes an elongate element having two opposite ends one end for engagement with the lid and the other end for engagement with the receptacle. 8

9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base defines a base ridge and the lid defines a ridge-engagement groove which is complementary with the base ridge, for receiving the base ridge when the lid is in said support position.

A container according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the lid defines a lid ridge and said base defines a ridge-engagement groove which is complementary with the lid ridge, for receiving the lid ridge when the lid in said support position.

11. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, adapted to be supported on a container-supporting surface and wherein: the base has at least one support-engaging face for engaging said supporting surface at first spaced positions when the lid is not in said support position; and the lid has at least one support-engaging face for engaging said supporting surface at second spaced positions when the lid is in said support position, wherein the second spaced positions are more widely spaced than said first spaced positions, thereby more stably to support the container when the lid is in said support position. o

12. A container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the receptacle includes a ridge-like rim defining the opening, and the lid defines a sealing groove which is complementary with the rim for receiving the rim to seal the opening when the lid is in said closure position. ##ooo 25

13. A container substantially as described herein with reference to the o accompanying drawings. S.DATED this 29 t h day of August 2003 CHRISTIAN MEYER MARGARET MEYER Patent Attorneys for the Applicants: HALFORD CO