AU2006241339B2 - A container assembly - Google Patents

A container assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
AU2006241339B2
AU2006241339B2 AU2006241339A AU2006241339A AU2006241339B2 AU 2006241339 B2 AU2006241339 B2 AU 2006241339B2 AU 2006241339 A AU2006241339 A AU 2006241339A AU 2006241339 A AU2006241339 A AU 2006241339A AU 2006241339 B2 AU2006241339 B2 AU 2006241339B2
Authority
AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
lid
receptacle
produce container
recess
container
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
AU2006241339A
Other versions
AU2006241339A1 (en
Inventor
John Lam
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Multisteps Pty Ltd
Original Assignee
Multisteps Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Multisteps Pty Ltd filed Critical Multisteps Pty Ltd
Priority to AU2006241339A priority Critical patent/AU2006241339B2/en
Publication of AU2006241339A1 publication Critical patent/AU2006241339A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of AU2006241339B2 publication Critical patent/AU2006241339B2/en
Ceased legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Abstract

A produce container assembly includes a receptacle which defines an access opening, the access opening being circumscribed by a rim of uniform, continuous height. A lid is releasably attachable to the receptacle to close off the access opening, the lid having a shoulder portion defining a land against which the rim of the receptacle bears and a skirt arranged outwardly of the shoulder portion, the skirt defining at least one recessed formation for enabling the lid to be gripped for removal of the lid from the receptacle.

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 MULTISTEPS PTY LTD COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: A container assembly The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 20596 clean spec 7 Feb 2014 2 A Container Assembly Field of the Invention This invention relates to containers. More particularly, the invention relates to a produce container assembly. 5 Background to the Invention A produce container, in particular for fresh produce, normally has a receptacle and a lid. The lid may be a separate item which is detachable from the receptacle or basket. To enable the produce within the container to be ventilated, recessed regions are defined between the lid and the basket to form ventilation slots through which cross flow of air can occur. A problem 10 with this configuration, however, is that it reduces the structural integrity of the container. Summary of the Invention The present invention, provides a produce container assembly which includes: a receptacle having a base circumscribed by an upwardly extending wall portion to define an access opening; 15 a lid releasably attachable to the receptacle to close off theaccess opening, the lid including a shoulder portion having a plurality of landings against which the wall portion bears when the lid is closed, wherein the plurality of landings are spaced apart to form at least one recess to facilitate removal of the lid from the receptacle. 20 Ventilation slots may extend partially into the wall portion of the receptacle.
20596 clean spec. 3 An upper edge of the wall portion may terminate the rim. The rim may be defined by a re-entrantly folded downwardly depending lip formation. The lid may have a crown. The crown may stand proud of the shoulder portion, 5 Ventilation slots may be defined in the crown extending at least partially towards or down sides of the crown. The skirt of the lid may be re-entrantly, upwardly folded. Preferably, two recessed formations are defined, on opposed sides of the lid. The lid and the receptacle may have complementary locking formations for 10 releasably locking the lid to the receptacle. The locking formations may be in the form of tabs carried on one of the lid and the receptacle with the other of the lid and the receptacle having sockets in which the tabs are removably received. Preferably, the lid carries the tabs and the receptacle carries the sockets. Each side of the lid may carry a plurality of spaced tabs, 15 Preferably a lid is hingedly attached to the receptacle to close off the access opening, the lid having a shoulder portion defining a land against which the rim of the receptacle bears and a skirt arranged outwardly of the shoulder portion, the skirt defining at least one recessed formation for enabling the lid to be gripped for removal of the lid from the receptacle. 20 The assembly may include ventilation openings defined in at least one of the lid and the receptacle, the ventilation openings being spaced from a junction defined between the lid and the receptacle when the lid is attached to the receptacle to close off the access opening of the receptacle.
20596 clean spec. 4 Brief Description of the Drawings An embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a three dimensional view of a receptacle of a container 5 assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the receptacle; Figure 3 shows a three dimensional view of a lid of the container assembly; Figure 4 shows a bottom view of the lid; Figure 5 shows a side view of the lid; 10 Figure 6 shows a plan view of a container assembly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 7 shows a side view of the container assembly of Figure 6. Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiment In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally 16 designates a receptacle for a container assembly 9 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The receptacle 10 includes a base or floor 12 circumscribed by an upwardly extending wall portion 14. The wall portion 14 defines an access opening 16- The access opening 16 is bounded by a rim 18 of uniform, continuous height without any recesses or depressions. 20 The rim 18 is defined by a re-entrantly folded downwardly extending lip 20. Sockets 22 are defined at spaced intervals about each side of the lip 20. The sockets 22 form part of a locking formation of the receptacle 10.
5 Referring to Figures 3 to 5 of the drawings, a lid 30 of the container assembly 9 includes a shoulder portion 32 bounded by a skirt 34. The skirt 34 is arranged outwardly of the shoulder portion 32. The shoulder portion 32 defines a land 36 against which the rim 18 of the receptacle 10 bears, in use. The skirt 34 is re-entrantly, 5 upwardly folded and has a pair of opposed recesses 38 defined therein. These recesses 38 are provided to gain purchase on the lid 30 to enable the lid 30 to facilitate removal of the lid 30 from the receptacle 10. The lid 30 further includes a crown 40. The crown 40 stands proud of the shoulder portion 32 to accommodate the contents of the container assembly 9. 10 In order to aid in ventilation of the contents of the container assembly 9, the crown 40 of the lid 30 has a plurality of ventilation slots 42 defined in it. Each side of the lid 30 has a plurality of inwardly directed tabs 44. These tabs 44 engage the sockets 22 in the rim 18 of the receptacle 10 for releasably locking the lid 30 to the receptacle 10. 15 The lid 30 is also a moulding of synthetic plastics material and is transparent. Referring now to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, a further embodiment of the container assembly 9 is shown. With reference to the previous drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts, unless otherwise specified. In this embodiment of the invention, the lid 30 is displaceably arranged relative 20 to the receptacle 10. More particularly, the lid 30 is hingedly attached to the receptacle 10 by a flexible hinge 46. The flexible hinge 46 is, as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings, substantially W-shaped to provide improved flexibility and strength of the hinge 46. It will be appreciated that, in this embodiment, the container assembly 9 is a one piece moulding with the hinge 46 securing the lid to the receptacle 10. 25 Apart from this variation, the construction of the container assembly 9 is substantially as described with reference Figures. 1-5 of the drawings. It will, however, be noted that, because of the presence of the hinge 46, only one recess 38 is defined in the skirt 34 of the lid 30. The recess 38 is defined in the skirt 34 of the lid 30 opposite the hinge 46. 30 In use, once the contents have been packed into the receptacle 10 of the container assembly 9 through the access opening 16, the lid 30 is applied to the receptacle 10. The lid 30 is releasably locked to the receptacle 10 by the tabs 44 being received in the sockets 22 of the receptacle 10. When a plurality of container assemblies 9 are stacked, the rim 18 of the 35 receptacle 10 bears against the land 36 defined by the shoulder portion 32 of the lid 30. Because the rim 18 is continuous, i.e. of uniform height, the load distribution is m:\sneci\130000\130-131Xl30f85Armnchbdon 6 uniform about the rim 18 of the receptacle 10 and the crush resistance of the container assembly 9is thereby improved. Further, because there are no discontinuities in the rim 18, there are no highly stressed regions of the rim 18 when subjected to a load. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations 5 and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. m:\speci\1 30000\1 30-131\1 30658cmpchb.doc

Claims (11)

1. A produce container including: a receptacle having a base circumscribed by an upwardly extending wall portion to define an access opening; 5 a lid releasably attachable to the receptacle to close off theaccess opening, the lid including a shoulder portion having a plurality of landings against which the wall portion bears when the lid is closed, wherein the plurality of landings are spaced apart to form at least one recess to facilitate removal of the lid from the receptacle. 10
2. The produce container of claim 1, wherein the at least one recess is centred along one side of the lid.
3. The produce container of claim 1, wherein the at least one recess includes a plurality of recesses, each recess being centred along a side of the lid.
4. The produce container of claim 1 , wherein the lid includes a gripping tab corresponding 15 with the recess.
5. The produce container of any one of the preceding claims, further including a plurality of ventilation openings.
6. The produce container of claim 5, wherein the ventilation openings are disposed on the base. 20
7. The produce container of claim 6, wherein the ventilation openings extend onto the sidewalls.
8. The produce container of any one of the preceding claims, further including a locking formation for releasably locking the lid to the receptacle.
9. The produce container of claim 8, wherein the locking formation includes a locking tab 25 disposed on one of the lid and the receptacle and a complementary socket disposed on 20596 claims clean 7 Feb 2014 8 the other of the lid and the receptacle wherein the locking tab is removably received within its respective socket.
10. The produce container of claim 1, wherein the lid is hingedly attached to the receptacle.
11. The produce container of claim 10, wherein the recess is disposed on the sidewall 5 opposite the hinge.
AU2006241339A 2006-11-23 2006-11-23 A container assembly Ceased AU2006241339B2 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2006241339A AU2006241339B2 (en) 2006-11-23 2006-11-23 A container assembly

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2006241339A AU2006241339B2 (en) 2006-11-23 2006-11-23 A container assembly

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
AU2006241339A1 AU2006241339A1 (en) 2008-06-12
AU2006241339B2 true AU2006241339B2 (en) 2014-05-15

Family

ID=39537731

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
AU2006241339A Ceased AU2006241339B2 (en) 2006-11-23 2006-11-23 A container assembly

Country Status (1)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2006241339B2 (en)

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5456379A (en) * 1994-10-03 1995-10-10 Krupa; Calvin S. Blueberry container

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5456379A (en) * 1994-10-03 1995-10-10 Krupa; Calvin S. Blueberry container

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2006241339A1 (en) 2008-06-12

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Date Code Title Description
FGA Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent)
MK14 Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired