AU2008100202A4

AU2008100202A4 - An improved container

Info

Publication number: AU2008100202A4
Application number: AU2008100202A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Anton Ewald Kotze
Original assignee: AMEC PLASTICS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: AMEC PLASTICS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2008-03-04
Filing date: 2008-03-04
Publication date: 2008-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-04

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: An improved disposable container The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing known to us: 00 FIELD OF THE INVENTION CI The present invention relates to a disposable container. In particular, the tinvention is directed to a food container having a lid which can be wholly removed in a Ssimple and reliable manner, leaving an aesthetically pleasing base holding the contents of the container.

C-i BACKGROUND ART S[Mere reference to background art herein should not be construed as an admission _that such art constitutes common general knowledge in relation to the invention.] 00 10 It is common practice for food products to be sold in disposable food containers.

SIt is also common practice for one or more of such food containers to be opened and used for displaying the contents thereof for sale.

Many such disposable containers have a plastic base and a plastic film lid which is attached to the rim of the plastic base. The plastic film lid is commonly attached to the rim of the plastic base by heat bonding. In such cases, when the plastic film lid is peeled off from the rim of the plastic base, some of the plastic film is often left stuck to the rim of the base. This is unsightly, and the base is rendered unsuitable for shelf display in retail outlets. Retailers must then transfer the food product to a fresh container.

It can also be difficult to find a free edge of the thin film to enable it to be peeled from the base.

It is an aim of this invention to provide a disposable container which overcomes or ameliorates the disadvantage or problem described above, or which at least provides a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form, the present invention provides a disposable container having a base with an inner rim portion around the top thereof; an outer rim portion frangibly connected to the inner rim portion; and a lid attached to the outer rim portion.

To open the container, the outer rim portion is torn away from the inner rim portion, typically by grasping a comer tab portion of the outer rim portion and detaching it from the inner rim portion along the frangible connection between the two rim portions.

The outer rim portion (with the lid attached thereto) can then be discarded.

In another form, the present invention provides a disposable container having 00 0 a base with an inner rim portion around the top thereof; N, a tear-away strip frangibly connected to the inner rim portion; t a manually graspable tab connected to the tear-away strip; an outer rim portion frangibly connected to the tear-away strip; and a lid attached to the outer rim portion.

To open the container of this form of the invention, the tab on the tear-away strip is grasped and pulled to detach the strip from the inner and outer rim portions along its frangible connections to the two rim portions, thereby separating the two rim portions.

_The outer rim portion (with the lid attached thereto) can then be discarded.

00 tO0 In both forms, the lid remains wholly attached to the discarded outer rim portion, and no portion of the lid remains on the inner rim portion of the base.

The base may be a plastic base, and the lid may be a film lid which is attached to the outer rim portion. For convenience and brevity of description, the base will hereinafter be described as a "plastic base" and the lid will be described as a "film lid".

However, it will be understood that the present invention should not be considered to be limited to a plastic base and a film lid.

The plastic base forms a receptacle which may be adapted to contain food or any other suitable substance. The plastic base typically consists of a bottom, sides, an inner rim portion and an opening. The plastic base may have any shape. Typically the bottom of the plastic base is a planar surface and is flat. However, it may be curved. Typically the bottom of the plastic base is rectangular in shape. However, it may be square, round, oval or any other shape.

Typically, there are four sides to the plastic base. However, where the bottom of the plastic base is round, oval or any other shape, there may be more or less than four sides to the plastic base. Typically, the sides of the plastic base are planar and are flat.

However, the sides of the plastic base need not be flat, and may be curved. The sides of the plastic base may project approximately perpendicularly from the bottom of the plastic base, or obliquely thereto.

The bottom of the plastic base and the sides of the plastic base may be joined by a curved or sharp edge.

Typically, the inner rim portion of the plastic base is a thin planar portion. The inner rim portion of the plastic base typically projects laterally outwardly from the sides of the plastic base, such that the inner rim portion of the plastic base is approximately 4 00 parallel to the bottom of the plastic base. The inner rim portion of the plastic base may form a top flange of the plastic base.

tThe sides of the plastic base may be joined to the inner rim portion of the plastic base by a curved or sharp edge.

The opening of the plastic base may be rectangular in shape. However, depending on the shape of the bottom of the plastic base, the angle at which the sides of the plastic NI base meet the bottom of the plastic base and the shape of the sides of the plastic base, the N opening of the plastic base may be square, round, oval or any other shape.

_The plastic base may be made of any kind of plastic, or other suitable material.

OO

The plastic base may be transparent or opaque. It may be marked with any form of N, numerical, pictorial or other markings.

Typically, the outer rim portion is also a thin planar portion, and projects laterally outwardly from the inner rim portion of the plastic base, in the same plane as the inner rim portion. The outer rim portion may be formed integrally with the inner rim portion during manufacture of the container.

In an embodiment of the first mentioned form of the invention, there is one frangible connection, namely the connection between the outer rim portion and the inner rim portion. The frangible connection extends the entire way around the periphery of the inner rim portion of the plastic base. The frangible connection is broken by pulling on a corner tab portion of the outer rim portion.

In an embodiment of the second mentioned form of the invention, there are two frangible connections, namely the connections between the tear-away strip and the outer and inner rim portions. The frangible connections extend the full length of both sides of the tear-away strip. The frangible connections are broken by pulling on the tab.

The tab may be located at any suitable point along the tear-away strip. Typically, the small tab is located on the underside of the tear-away strip.

Typically the tear-away strip is thin and planar, and projects laterally outwardly from the inner rim portion of the plastic base, in the same plane as the inner rim portion of the plastic base. The tear-away strip may be formed integrally with the inner and outer rim portions during manufacture of the container.

Typically, the frangible connection(s) consist of line(s) of weakness such as line(s) of reduced thickness, or score line(s). Preferably, the lines of weakness maintain an airtight seal. However, the frangible connection(s) may consist of line(s) of perforations for some products.

00 Typically, the film lid is attached to the top of the outer rim portion. However, the film lid may be attached to the sides of the outer rim portion or underneath the outer rim tportion. The film lid may be attached such that the edges of the film lid line up Sapproximately with the outside edges of the outer rim portion. The film lid may be attached to the outer rim portion by heat bonding. However, adhesive, or any other suitable method of attachment may be used.

N, The film lid may be made of any kind of plastic. The film lid may be transparent Nor opaque. It may be marked with any form of numerical, pictorial or other markings.

_A benefit of the invention is that removal of the film lid from the plastic base is 00 /0 relatively easy. It is not necessary to locate a free edge of the thin film to enable it to be Speeled from the base. In one embodiment, the outer rim portion is detached by grasping a corner tab portion of the outer rim portion and pulling diagonally across the container to break the frangible connection between the two rim portions. This leaves two pieces, the base and the outer rim portion with the lid attached thereto. The outer rim portion with the lid attached thereto can then be discarded. In another embodiment, removal involves pulling the tab on the tear-away strip to break the frangible connections between it and the two rim portions, thereby separating the two rim portions. This leaves three pieces, the base, the tear-away strip, and the outer rim portion with the lid attached thereto. The tear-away strip and the outer rim portion with the lid attached thereto can then be discarded.

A further benefit of the invention is that no unsightly remains of the film lid are left on the plastic base. As the film lid is attached to the outer rim portion and not the plastic base, the film lid is wholly removed when the outer rim portion is removed.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practice, one or more embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a right hand side view of a container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the container of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an inverse plan view of the container of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows an inverse perspective view of the container of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the container of Figure 1.

00 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT SAs shown in the drawings, in one embodiment a disposable plastic container consists of a plastic base 11 in the form of a receptacle adapted to contain food, or any other suitable substance.

The plastic base 11 consists of a bottom 12, sides 13, and an inner rim portion 14.

The bottom 12 is generally planar, and rectangular in shape. However, it may be square, N round, oval or any other shape. The sides 13 of the plastic base 11 extend obliquely Supwardly from perimeter of the base, to define a cavity of generally inverted frusto square pyramidal shape. The connections of the sides 13 to the bottom 12 are preferably 00 10 rounded.

SAt their upper end, the sides 13 are joined to the inner rim portion 14, preferably in a rounded connection. The inner rim portion 14 is planar and projects laterally outwardly, generally parallel to the bottom 12, to form a top flange of the plastic base 11.

Typically, the bottom 12, sides 13, and an inner rim portion 14 are formed integrally in a plastics thermo moulding process.

The container 10 also includes an outer rim portion 15 around the inner rim portion 14. The outer rim portion 15 is generally planar and extends laterally outwardly around the inner rim portion 14 in the same plane as the inner rim portion.

In the illustrated embodiment, a tear away strip 16 is located between the inner rim portion 14 and the outer rim portion 15, and frangibly connected thereto. That is, there are respective frangible connections between the tear-away strip 16 and the inner and outer rim portions 14,15. Typically, the frangible connections each consist of a line of perforations extending entirely around inner rim portion 14. However, the frangible connections may be formed by lines of weakness such as lines of reduced thickness, or score lines.

A small tab 17 is located on the underside of the tear-away strip 16. However, it may be located above the tear-away strip.

The tear away strip 16, tab 17 and outer rim portion 15 may be formed integrally with the inner rim portion 14 during the thermo moulding process.

The container 10 also includes a lid 18 which is attached to the outer rim portion and generally coterminous therewith. The lid 18 may be a film lid. Typically, the lid 18 is attached to the top of the outer rim portion 15 by heat bonding. However, glue, or any other suitable method of attachment may be used. The lid 18 may be made of plastics material, or other suitable material such as paper.

00 In use, the lid 18 is removed from the base by grasping the tab 17 located on the N, tear-away strip 16 and pulling on the tab to break the frangible connections between the ttear-away strip 16 and the two rim portions 14,15, thereby separating the two rim Sportions. This leaves three pieces, the base 11, the tear-away strip 16, and the outer rim portion 15 with the lid 18 attached thereto. The tear-away strip 16 and the outer rim portion 15 with the lid 18 attached thereto can then be discarded.

N In another embodiment (not illustrated), the outer rim portion 15 is frangibly N connected directly to the inner rim portion 14 along a line of weakness extending around _the inner rim portion, omitting the tear away strip described above.

00 10 In this embodiment, perforated line or line of weakness is torn by pulling on a N, corner tab portion 14 of the outer rim portion 3.

In one embodiment, the lid 18 is removed from the base by grasping a corner tab portion of the outer rim portion 15 and pulling diagonally across the container to break the frangible connection between the two rim portions. This leaves two pieces, the base 11, and the outer rim portion 15 with the lid 18 attached thereto. The outer rim portion with the lid 18 attached thereto can then be discarded.

In both embodiments, there is no need to peel the plastic film lid 18 off the plastic base 11. Thus, after removal of the lid, the base 1 1 is presentable as no unsightly remains of the plastic film lid 18 are left on the base 11. The base 11 can then be used for presentation of food in a retail display.

It is to be understood that the terminology employed above is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

The foregoing embodiment is intended to be illustrative of the invention, without limiting the scope thereof. The invention is capable of being practised with various modifications and additions as will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and operation described and illustrated, but only by the following claims which are intended, where the applicable law permits, to include all suitable modifications and equivalents within the spirit and concept of the invention.

Throughout this specification, including the claims, where the context permits, the term "comprise" and variants thereof such as "comprises" or "comprising" are to be interpreted as including the stated integer or integers without necessarily excluding any other integers.

Claims

2. A disposable container having Sa base with an inner rim portion around the top thereof; Sa tear-away strip frangibly connected to the inner rim portion; C, a manually graspable tab connected to the tear-away strip; an outer rim portion frangibly connected to the tear-away strip; and a lid attached to the outer rim portion.
3. A disposable container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tab is located on the underside of the tear-away strip.
4. A disposable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer rim portion is substantially coplanar with, and projects laterally outwardly from, the inner rim portion. A disposable container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base is in the form of a receptacle having a generally planar bottom, and side wall(s) extending from the bottom to the inner rim portion, and wherein the inner and outer rim portions are generally parallel to the bottom.