CN104724376B

CN104724376B - Closure part for a container

Info

Publication number: CN104724376B
Application number: CN201510108783.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 梅里金·多尔斯; 约翰·博耶特·史蒂文斯
Original assignee: Dutch Newsia Co
Current assignee: Dutch Newsia Co
Priority date: 2008-12-15
Filing date: 2009-12-15
Publication date: 2021-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2029-12-15
Also published as: EP2367729A1; MX2011006406A; EP3495286B1; PL2743199T3; CN104724376A; WO2010071404A1; EP2743199A1; RU2516839C2; AR074677A1; BRPI0922671A2; ES2456492T3; ES2721927T3; RU2011129301A; PL2367729T3; CN102282079B; BRPI0922671B1; EP3495286A1; PL3495286T3; WO2010071424A1; CN102282079A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closure part for a container, said closure part being substantially made of thermoplastic material and comprising: a connecting portion for connecting to an edge of the accommodating member; and a lid pivotably connected to the connection portion, the connection portion including a spout and a circumferential first flange surrounding the spout, the lid including a circumferential lid flange extending towards the connection portion, a periphery of the lid flange and a periphery of the first flange being mutually adapted to allow the lid to be closed in a sealing manner on the first flange of the connection portion, and the spout having an area of at least about 50cm². The connecting portion includes a stacking profile disposed about the first flange.

Description

Closure part for a container

Background

The present invention relates to a closure part for a container.

WO2007/142522 of the present applicant discloses such a cover part. In the container assembly disclosed in that application, the containment component has a circumferential wall, which may be substantially made of paperboard coated with a material that seals the circumferential wall from the contents of the container, and a lid component attached to the rim of the containment component. The applicant used the container for baby food milk powder. The cover member has a connecting portion and a cover, wherein the cover is hingedly or pivotably connected to the connecting portion. The cover is placed on the connecting portion. The closure of the cover on the connecting portion can be improved.

WO2008/034172 discloses a resealable flexible container lid having a pivotable second part. The second portion is closed around the rim around the opening of the container. This publication is referred to as "loop tensioning". The rim forms an integral part of the container wall. The second part should pivot about or be turned relative to the first part connected to the lid. This may require a nearly rubber-like behavior. This construction increases the burden on the lid, particularly when frequent opening and closing is required while maintaining a good seal. Furthermore, the lid is not connected to further components by hinges.

EP-1.625.948 discloses a package for liquid paint having a plastic wall with an integrally formed peripheral flange. The package has a plastic lid with a wall having a channel for receiving the flange and an inner circumferential ledge that locks under the peripheral flange to provide a snap-fit action. The lid is not pivotally connected to the rest of the package.

JP-2004-001815 discloses a plastic container with a separate lid. The disclosed embodiments have several interlocking rim and encircling protrusions and corresponding recesses, which make opening in everyday use cumbersome.

JP-2006-282199 discloses containers for milk powder, for example. The container has a separate lid. The cap has: a second surrounding skirt attached to the outer wall of the container; and a first skirt portion connected to the cap. A removable wrap-around band connects the first skirt portion with the second skirt portion. The first edge has an inward projection that hooks behind a circumferential projection located on the outside of the container wall.

US-6.889.867 discloses a plastic container comprising a lid with a closure flap to sealingly close the container to prevent loss of moisture, i.e. water separates from the container. The cap is placed over the remainder of the container and rotated to create a mating thread. The sealing of the lid on the rest of the container is achieved by using ridges. The lid also has a relatively small annular dispensing opening that includes a wall having slots through which cleaning wipes can enter and exit the container. The dispensing opening has a circumferential wall to sealingly receive the circumferential wall of the closure panel. The lid is designed to retain moisture within the container. For this purpose, the opening is circular and as small as possible.

US4284200 discloses a child-resistant dispensing closure. The cover has a rim, and the opening is surrounded by a rim. Both edges have an extended lip to allow the lid to snap around the edges of the opening. The lid has a lug closely spaced from the fulcrum so that a prying device is required to pry the lid open, thereby providing a child-resistant closure.

US6761279 discloses a package for sticky food. The package has a container and a closure fitted on the container. The closure has a base and a lid. The base has specific means to cooperate with the utensil located on the container, thereby attaching the base to the container so that the rim of the container can seal the sealing element against the rim. The attachment means makes the package relatively complex. Furthermore, the sealing of the lid may be improved. Furthermore, stacking these packages may break the seal of the lid.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to provide a closure member for a container which is easy to open and close in everyday use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a lid part which provides a good, preferably airtight, seal to the container, preferably also after frequent daily use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a closure member which allows for a container which produces a minimum amount of waste.

According to a first aspect of the invention, this is achieved by a closure part for a container, said closure part being substantially made of thermoplastic material and comprising:

a connecting portion for connecting to an edge of the accommodating member; and

a cover pivotally connected to the connection portion,

the connecting portion includes a gate and a circumferential first flange surrounding the gate,

the lid includes a circumferential lid flange extending toward the connection portion,

the periphery of the lid flange and the periphery of the first flange mutually fit to allow the lid to be closed in a sealing manner on the first flange of the connection, an

The area of the access opening is at least about 50cm²。

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a package for powdered infant nutrition. In such a package, it is important that foreign matter does not enter the package and contaminate the powder. On the other hand, the package needs to be opened repeatedly.

Powdered baby milk food is typically taken from a container using a metering spoon. Metering spoons are often included in the packaging. Therefore, in order to be able to properly take powder from the container, the access opening should be as large as possible.

All of these requirements appear to be difficult to introduce together into a single container. However, for example, the simplest way to provide a good seal for a container is to make the access opening as small as possible. Furthermore, a better sealing is usually achieved by (semi-) permanent closures.

However, the cover part of the present invention makes this possible. The present invention provides a lid member for a container having an access opening that is large enough to allow contents (e.g., powder) to be contained outside the container and has a seal that effectively reduces the entry of foreign matter. It has been unexpectedly discovered that the lid component with a large access opening of the present invention can be repeatedly closed and maintain a good seal.

The lid member of the present invention provides a good seal that prevents foreign matter from entering the container covered by the lid member. However, the lid of the lid part needs to be opened and closed frequently many times a day and provides a good seal after frequent use. Preferably, the sealing is achieved in an easy manner. In practice, it has been found that in embodiments an opening force of about 2-5N is acceptable. For the closing force, in embodiments, a force of about 6-15N is acceptable.

Since the container covered by the closure member needs to be disposable, the closure member is preferably inexpensive, allowing for mass production and providing minimal waste. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the lid part is easy to handle during production as well as during production of the complete container. Furthermore, a good seal is particularly desirable if the contents of the package are hygroscopic. Better closure reduces the exchange of air (with high moisture content) between the inside and outside of the package, thereby reducing the formation of lumps in the hygroscopic material (e.g. baby milk powder). Thus, the invention is particularly useful for storing infant milk powder in tropical climates.

The lid part of the invention can be used, for example, in containers with cardboard walls, but is not limited to this use. Typically, such paperboard walls are covered or coated with one or more sealing layers to seal the contents of the container from the environment. Examples of such packages are disclosed in applicants' WO2005075314 and WO 2007142522. To the extent this is a meaningful jurisdiction, these documents are incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth herein.

The lid part is particularly suitable for use with a container for storing powder. In fact, it is well suited for storing hygroscopic powders, in particular foods like baby milk powder. Manual opening and closing preferably requires very limited effort and/or force. Preferably, the lid can be opened manually by one hand. This is particularly relevant for infant milk powder packages, as the mother is preferably able to open and close the package while holding the infant.

In order to avoid direct hand contact with the contents, the lid is preferably provided with a holding means for holding and retaining a metering spoon or spoon. This further limits the choice of size.

The size of the handle of such a spoon is therefore limited. On the other hand, this may also limit the size of the packaging container. In embodiments, the handle of the spoon is long enough to enable a person to reach the bottom of the container. In an embodiment, the encircling first flange has: a first perimeter proximate the connection; and a second perimeter proximate to a rim of the flange at an end of the flange distal from the connection, the second perimeter of the wrap-around first flange being greater than the first perimeter thereof, and the lid having: a first inner perimeter proximate the lid; and a second inner periphery adjacent the rim of the lid flange, the second inner periphery of the lid being smaller than the first periphery adjacent the rim of the lid flange, the periphery of the lid flange and the periphery of the first flange being mutually adapted to allow the lid to be sealingly closed over the first flange of the connection portion with the lid flange of the lid surrounding the first flange. This allows easy closing and opening, especially for daily use. Furthermore, by sealing the lid flange around the first flange, it is easier to release the lid part after moulding.

In an embodiment, the first flange on the connection portion provides a snap-lock seal with the lid flange. The respective lid flanges (the seal strips (beads) on the lid) are thus interlocked with each other so that the first flanges make proper sealing interference. This sealing interference may provide a suitable sealing pressure to prevent moisture from entering or exiting the container, or it may be implemented to ensure that the maximum gap is small enough to prevent foreign matter from entering the container. These features also allow for sealing properties to be provided by using common engineering plastics and may help avoid the additional expense of two-component injection molded elastomeric materials.

Further, in embodiments, the flange and lid flange (also referred to as chimney (chimney) and snap seal features, respectively) may be interchanged to function as the same mechanism, and/or the two "chimney" features may be used instead. It should be noted that the chimney feature may have similar curvatures on the inner and outer walls, which allows the chimney feature to be injection molded so that the feature can be peeled off the mold without a special floating core, thus allowing faster cooling, lower cycle times, and thus lower cost. Furthermore, the arrangement of these sealing features allows for robust snap-in sealing performance for relatively large diameter bores.

Furthermore, the arrangement of the flanges or snap sealing features may be adjusted to allow for sufficient sealing performance, proper opening force and proper closing force. Also, the retention force provided by the snap seal prevents the lid from opening partially or completely, or appearing to open partially, when the package is disturbed by external forces. The specific curvature, angle and machining geometry (the chimney and seal strip features) of the flange and its assembly interference can be adjusted to vary the sealing pressure, opening force and closing force as may be required.

In an embodiment, the area of the access opening is at least about 60cm². This allows for better entry and exit of the hand. In an embodiment, the area of the access opening is at least about 75cm²。

In an embodiment, the area of the access opening is at least about 250cm². Thus, easy access to the adult's hand is provided, and still allowing the lid to be sealingly closed by a simple action. In an embodiment, the area of the access opening is at least about 200cm². These upper and lower limits provide a compromise between easy access by human hands, sufficient rigidity, good closure, and the possibility of providing a spoon or spoon which can be held in the lid and reach the bottom of the container assembly.

In an embodiment of the invention, the first flange defines the access opening. This can further increase the rigidity of the cover member.

In an embodiment, the first flange is flared or splayed away from the access opening such that a perimeter of the first flange is increased.

In an embodiment, the circumferential first flange is thickened circumferentially near or at the rim of the first flange and at an outer periphery of the circumferential first flange. Alternatively, or additionally, the inner periphery of the lid flange is thickened near or at said rim.

In an embodiment, the second inner perimeter of the lid flange is about 2% to 7% smaller than the first perimeter of the connecting portion. In particular, when the lid flange is made of a thermoplastic material, this has been found to provide a good seal but still remain sufficiently easy to open.

In an embodiment, the access opening is substantially circular or substantially oval. This provides a moisture tight seal in most cases. In some applications, even rectangular openings with rounded corners may be acceptable in terms of the degree of sealing. Such a shape allows a good seal. In order to provide a moisture-tight seal for the hygroscopic powder, large (in terms of the dimensions in question) straight parts are preferably avoided in the access opening or first flange and the lid.

In an embodiment, the area of the inlet and outlet is at least 50% of the area of the connecting portion. This allows enough space to allow one hand to deliver the spoon to access the contents. On the other hand, this allows a proper sealing and allows a proper spoon or spoon to be clamped inside the lid.

In an embodiment, the area of the port is about 60-70% of the area of the connection. This seems to be a suitable compromise.

In an embodiment, the inner diameter of the port is about 9 to 13 cm. In an embodiment, the diameter of the connection is at least 10 to 13 cm. These dimensions provide a good seal and sufficient capacity of the container.

In an embodiment, the lid flange is made of a thermoplastic material that allows the perimeter of the lid flange to expand when the lid is placed on the first flange, and the first and second perimeters of the lid flange are smaller than the perimeter of the first flange if the lid does not close the opening.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the first flange is selected to provide a rigid flange in view of the thermoplastic material of the first flange.

In an embodiment, the cover part is made of a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). These materials are readily available and handled. In addition, these materials provide a certain amount of flexibility and elasticity, which allows for good sealing and everyday use. Some of the parts of the cover member may be made of a more resilient rubber material by a co-moulding (co-moulding) process, if desired. The lid flange closing around the first flange may for example be moulded from a more resilient polymer material as is known in the art. Alternatively, the end of the lid flange may be made of a more resilient rubber material. This may be produced by a co-moulding process.

In an embodiment, the lid is made of a thermoplastic material having elasticity such that it allows the lid to be hermetically sealed on the connection by the lid flange and the first flange.

In an embodiment, the connecting portion comprises a wall provided with the access opening, the first flange extending from the wall, the wall and the lid providing a closure for the top of the receiving part when closing the access opening.

In an embodiment, the connecting portion comprises a circumferential rim having a circumferential groove for receiving the rim of the receiving part. In an embodiment, the circumscribed area of the circumferential edge is larger than the area of the inlet and outlet.

In an embodiment, the connecting portion comprises stacking cams. In another embodiment, the stacking cams are arranged around the first flange. These cams allow stacking of lid parts during container production and also stacking of containers. The position of the cams prevents loads on the lid and forces from the side.

The invention also relates to a container assembly comprising a container part and a lid part, wherein the container part has a circumferential wall and a bottom wall, the lid part comprises a connection portion for connection to a rim of said circumferential wall and a lid pivotably connected to said connection portion, said connection portion comprises an upper wall provided with an access opening which can be closed by said lid, and said connection portion is provided with stacking means surrounding said access opening and being complementary to stacking means located at the bottom of said container part.

In an alternative embodiment, the invention is directed to improving the closure of a container assembly.

According to this aspect of the invention, this is achieved by a container assembly comprising a containment part having a circumferential wall and a bottom wall, a lid part comprising a connection for connecting to a rim of said circumferential wall and a lid pivotably connected to said connection, said connection comprising an upper wall provided with an access opening which is closable by said lid, and said connection being provided with stacking means surrounding said access opening and complementary to stacking means located at the bottom of said containment part.

Furthermore, the invention provides a lid part for a container assembly, said lid part comprising a connecting portion and a lid, wherein the connecting portion is for connecting to a rim of the receiving member, the cover being pivotally connected to the connecting portion, the connecting portion including a circumferential U-shaped rim for receiving an upper edge of a side wall of the receiving member, wherein the inner wall of the U-shaped rim comprises a U-shaped stiffener extending beyond the legs of the U-shaped rim, and the connecting portion includes a wraparound abutment surface abutting an upper surface of the cover member, the reinforcing bead and the abutment surface being positioned relative to each other, such that when said cover member is superposed on the second cover member, the extended lower end of said reinforcing bead is placed on said wraparound abutment surface of said second cover member, and moving a leg of the U-shaped edge of the cover member away from the wraparound abutment surface of the second cover member.

The present description is directed to improving the closure of containers. In fact, it is directed to improving the reliability of such closures. In this invention, the stacking means is arranged so that it surrounds the lid when the lid seals the access opening. The stacked appliances on the connection are thus arranged around the inlet opening. Thus, when the container assemblies are stacked on top of each other, they do not load the lid with forces that could compromise the seal. For example, since containers are often used for infant milk powder, it is very important that the container assembly is sealed and remains sealed.

In an embodiment, the stacking means on the connecting portion comprise a cam. For example, these profile plates can easily be made as extended wall parts. Alternatively, one or more edges may be provided around the inlet. Such rim is positioned such that it allows opening towards and access to the lid for opening and closing.

In an embodiment, the cams are arranged at the corners of a rectangle enclosing the lid when sealing the access opening. By arranging the stacking means on the connecting portion in this way, a rotation-free stacking can be achieved.

In an embodiment, the height of the cam is at least the height of the lid when sealing the access opening. In fact, when the stacking means located on the coupling portion are at least as high as the lid, they prevent the bottom of the next container assembly stacked on top of this container assembly from even touching the lid.

In an embodiment, said connecting portion comprises a circumferential rim for receiving an upper edge of a side wall of said container assembly in a groove, the inner circumference of said rim being complementary to the circumference surrounding said stacking means of said lid members to provide stacking means for stacking a series of lid members. The stacking means on the connecting portion thus have the function during production of keeping the cover parts stacked and positioned and subsequently keeping the container assemblies securely stacked without loading the covers.

In an embodiment of the lid having a U-shaped rim, the abutment surface is connected to the U-shaped rim and defines an access opening closed by the lid. The invention also relates to a container comprising a lid part as described above and comprising a containment part, wherein the containment part comprises a bottom and a circumferential containment wall connected to the bottom and ending in a rim, and the circumferential containment wall is intended to receive the lid part.

The aspects discussed in this patent may be combined to provide additional advantages. Several aspects described in the present description, shown in the drawings or described in the claims may form part of a divisional application.

Alternatively, the present invention may be defined based on the following.

A closure member for a container, said closure member being substantially made of thermoplastic material and comprising: a connecting portion for connecting to an edge of the accommodating member; and a cover pivotally connected to the connection portion, the connection portion including an access opening and a circumferential first flange surrounding the access opening, the cover including a circumferential cover flange extending toward the connection portion, a periphery of the cover flange and a periphery of the first flangeThe edges are adapted to each other to allow the lid to be closed in a sealing manner on the first flange of the connection portion, and the area of the access opening is at least about 50cm²。

In an embodiment, the encircling first flange has: a first perimeter proximate the connection; and a second perimeter proximate to a rim of the flange at an end of the flange distal from the connection, the second perimeter of the wrap-around first flange being greater than the first perimeter thereof, and the lid having: a first inner perimeter proximate the lid; and a second inner periphery adjacent the rim of the lid flange, the second inner periphery of the lid being smaller than the first periphery adjacent the rim of the lid flange, the periphery of the lid flange and the periphery of the first flange being mutually adapted to allow the lid to be sealingly closed over the first flange of the connection, and the lid flange of the lid surrounding the first flange.

In embodiments, the area is at least about 75cm²。

In embodiments, the area is less than about 200cm²。

In an embodiment, the first flange defines the access opening.

In an embodiment, the circumferential first flange is thickened circumferentially near or at the rim of the first flange and at an outer periphery of the circumferential first flange.

In an embodiment, the second inner perimeter of the lid flange is about 2% to 7% smaller than the first perimeter of the connecting portion.

In an embodiment, the access opening is substantially circular or substantially oval.

In an embodiment, the area of the inlet and outlet is at least 50% of the area of the connecting portion.

In embodiments, the inner diameter of the port is about 9 to 13cm, in embodiments the diameter of the connection is about 10 to 13 cm.

In an embodiment, the lid flange is made of a thermoplastic material, allowing the perimeter of the lid flange to expand when the lid is placed on the first flange, and the first and second perimeters of the lid flange are smaller than the perimeter of the first flange if the lid does not close the opening.

In an embodiment, the cover part is made of a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

In an embodiment, the lid is made of a thermoplastic material having elasticity such that the lid allows the lid to be hermetically sealed on the flange of the connection by the lid flange and the first flange.

In an embodiment, the connecting portion comprises a circumferential rim having a circumferential groove for receiving the rim of the receiving part.

In an embodiment, the connecting portion comprises stacking cams.

In an embodiment, the circumscribed area of the circumferential rim is larger than the area of the inlet and outlet.

In an embodiment, the encircling first flange has: a first perimeter proximate the connection; and a second perimeter proximate to a rim of the flange at an end of the flange distal from the connection, the second perimeter of the wrap-around first flange being smaller than the first perimeter thereof, and the lid having: a first inner perimeter proximate the lid; and a second inner periphery adjacent the rim of the lid flange, the second inner periphery of the lid being larger than the first periphery adjacent the rim of the lid flange, the periphery of the lid flange and the periphery of the first flange being mutually adapted to allow the lid to be sealingly closed over the first flange of the connection portion, and the first flange surrounding the lid flange.

A container comprising a closure member of the preceding item and comprising a containment member, wherein the containment member comprises: a bottom; and a surrounding containment wall connected to the base and terminating in an edge, the surrounding containment wall for receiving the cover component.

Drawings

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to embodiments of a closure part and a container assembly using the closure part shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates the use of a closure member on a container assembly;

a top perspective view of the cover member with the lid open is shown in fig. 2;

fig. 3 shows a perspective view of fig. 2 from below;

in fig. 4 a bottom view of the cover part with the closed cover is shown;

the cross-sectional view indicated in fig. 4 is shown in fig. 5;

details of the cross-section of the lid flange are shown in figure 6; and

the stacked cover members are shown in fig. 7.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1 a container assembly 1 with a lid part 2 according to the invention is shown. The container has a receiving part 3. The containing part 3 may be made of cardboard and coated with a synthetic paint layer as known in the art to make it suitable for containing food or liquid. The receiving part may also be made of plastic or metal. Preferably, it is used to contain food or liquids. In an embodiment, the containing part 3 may have a synthetic paint layer on its inner surface, a sealing membrane made of a sealing membrane being attached to the containing part 3 along or below the edge, in an embodiment 1 to 3cm below the edge. For example, the sealing film may be attached to the inner surface of the accommodating member 3 by heat sealing. Some space may thus be provided between the lid and the seal, for example for storing a measuring spoon or spoon.

The cover part 2 is shown in further detail in fig. 2 and 3, which show a 3-dimensional view of the cover part 2 with the opened cover 4, viewed from above (fig. 2) and from below (fig. 3), respectively. The cover part 2 comprises a connecting portion 5, a (living) hinge 9 and a lid 4. The cover 4 is thus pivotally connected to the connecting portion 5. The connecting portion 5 defines an access opening 6. In this embodiment, the first flange 7 delimits the access opening 6. The lid 4 is provided with a lid flange 8, the lid flange 8 fitting over the first flange 7 to close the access opening 6 and hermetically seal the container assembly 1. In this embodiment, the access opening is substantially elliptical. The inlet and outlet 6 may also be circular. Alternatively, the gate 6 may have a rectangular shape with rounded corners. However, it is important in all of these embodiments that the lid flange 8 fits around the flange 7 to provide a gas-tight seal with the access opening 6.

The connecting portion 5 further comprises a wall 11, which wall 11 is provided with said access opening 6. On the wall 11 there is a cam element 14. The use of such profile plates 14 is explained in WO2007142522 by the applicant. Such a cam 14 provides part of the stacking means for stacking lid parts in production. Furthermore, these cams 14 provide a part of stacking means for stacking the entire container assembly, for example, when stored. In this embodiment, profile plate 14 is disposed on attachment portion 5. This has the advantage that the cover 4 is not loaded. Thus, the quality of the closure is not compromised. However, the height of lid 4 in the closed position is equal or substantially equal to the height of cam 14. Thus, when the container assemblies are stacked, the load of the containers can keep the lids in compression and prevent loads from other directions.

The connecting portion 5 is also provided with a circumferential rim 12, which may be referred to as a U-shaped rim. It has a groove 13 to receive the upper edge of the side wall of the receiving part 3. The fixing of the connection 5 to the side wall can be achieved by any means known in the art. In an embodiment, hot melt glue is provided in the grooves 13.

Fig. 4 shows an upside down view of the cover part 2 with the cover closed. In this figure a cross section is indicated. This cross section is further illustrated in fig. 5. This cross-section shows more clearly how the lid flange 8 of the lid 4 closes over the flange 7 of the connecting portion 5. This is shown in more detail in fig. 7.

Fig. 5 also shows the connecting edge 12 more clearly. A stiffener 20 providing additional stiffness to the rim 12 is shown in the view of fig. 5.

Fig. 6 shows a detail of the lid flange 8 closing over the flange 7 of the receiving part 5. The lid flange 8 fits around the flange 7 of the receiving part 5 in a clamping manner. In the case of fig. 7, the lid is closed over the connection 5, the periphery 23 of the flange 7 at the edge 15 being equal to the (inner) periphery of the lid flange 8 at the location 22. At position 16 the lid flange 8 becomes thicker. The flange 7 flares outwards. It is shaped so that its outer peripheral surface fits against the inner peripheral surface of the lid flange 8. The lid flange 8 is made of a thermoplastic material. This allows some degree of flexibility. In particular, here, the lid flange has a thickness in view of the elasticity of the thermoplastic material used. The lid flange 8 is slightly resiliently fitted around the relatively rigid flange 7. For closing the lid and for making frequent closing of the lid easy, the lower end of the lid flange 8 has a bevelled edge. This makes it easy to flip the edge of the lid flange 8 over the edge of the flange 7. When not fitted over the flange 7, the lid, and in particular the lid flange 8, is dimensioned such that the smallest inner periphery of the lid flange is smaller than the smallest (circumscribing or outer) periphery of the flange 7. Preferably, the outer periphery of flange 7 at edge 15 is larger than the inner periphery of lid flange 8 at location 22. Thereby, the lid 4 cannot be spontaneously turned closed. In an embodiment, the flange 7 flares outwards. The shape of the lid flange conforms to this shape or conforms to this shape when the lid flange is slightly stretched. The lid flange 8 is stretched slightly to fit resiliently around the flange 7. This achieves a gas-tight seal. In practice, for example in the embodiment shown in the figures, the minimum diameter of the flange 7 is 101.89mm and the maximum diameter is 112.65 mm. In an embodiment, the thermoplastic material is polypropylene (PP). In this case, the inner diameter of the cap is, for example, 101.36mm and 112.12 mm. The outer diameters are for example 104.0mm and 114.8 mm. For such materials, the thinnest portion D1 of lid flange 8 may be about 0.7 to 0.8mm, and the thickest portion D2 may be about 1.1 to 1.2 mm. The height of the lid flange 8 is about 3.9 to 4.5mm and the height of the corresponding flange 7 is about 2.9 to 3.1 mm. In practice, the diameter of the lid flange may be about 3% to 7% smaller than the corresponding diameter of the flange 7. In practice, the lid flange 8 may be slightly inwardly constricted at an angle of about 2 to 5 degrees. Due to its elasticity, when the lid flange 8 is closed around the first flange 7, the lid flange 8 may stretch slightly and the lid flange 8 will no longer shrink and fit tightly around the first flange 7. In the figure, the co-operating narrowing of the lid flange 8 and the flange 7 draws the lid onto the outer surface of the wall 11 of the coupling portion to provide additional sealing of the rim of the lid flange 8 with the wall 11.

In order to provide a certain amount of elasticity to the lid flange 8 and at the same time sufficient rigidity to the connection portion, in particular the flange 7 thereof, and in order to allow an economical and large-scale manufacturing of the lid part, in an embodiment the lid part is made of a thermoplastic material. In particular, it is made of Polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). The material in the embodiment is sufficiently flexible and resilient to allow the lid flange 8 to stretch around the flange 7. Thus, hermetic sealing can be performed.

In an embodiment, the container with the lid part has a volume of about 0.5 to 2 liters. The volume is determined by the depth, width and height of the container. In order to be able to provide a metering scoop of sufficient length to reach the bottom of the container inside the container, one of the dimensions of the diagonal cross-section or the width or depth is preferably of the same order of magnitude as the height of the container. Furthermore, it is preferred that the spoon can be clipped inside the lid. In practice, the container may have a depth of about 9 to 13cm, a width of about 11 to 16cm, and a height of about 10 to 18 cm. The spoon or spoon may have an overall length of about 9 to 11 cm. Thus, depending on the total length of the spoon or spoon used, the access opening may need to have a maximum diameter of at least about 9 to 11 cm. The area of the access opening 6 may be at least about 50% of the cross-sectional area of the container in which the closure member is fitted. The upper limit achievable may be about 85%. In the illustrated embodiment, the number may be about 60% to 70%. This may allow the area of the lid to be sufficiently large, as well as the maximum diameter. At the same time, it leaves enough space to be allocated to the stacking cams 14 located on the connecting portion 5.

A large access opening is preferred for easy access to the measuring device. Furthermore, for hygienic reasons, when the filled container is provided to the public in a shop, the measuring device may be arranged to be clipped into a clip provided inside the lid or between the lid and the product seal, the measuring device additionally being provided in the container and below the lid (i.e. in the space provided between the lid and the product seal). In an embodiment, the cover has at least a minimum size to fit the measuring device.

For easy opening, the lid 4 comprises an opening flange 21, where the opening flange 21 is attached to the rim of the lid flange 8. The opening flange 21 is blocked at its edge by the tamper evident band 22. The belt 22 has a profile plate that grips the edge of the opening flange 21. The strap 22 is attached to the connection portion 5 by a thin bridging material. These bridges should be thin enough to break when the opening flange 21 passes the cams of the strip 22.

Fig. 7 shows two superposed cover parts 2, 2'. The cams 14 on the connecting portion 5 provide a secure stacking to define the position of the lid parts when producing the container assembly and to prevent loading of the lid 4. Here, the stacking cams are arranged on the wall 11. In fact, as shown in figure 1, a first use of profile plate 14 is to provide part of a stacking means which works with complementary stacking means located at the lower part of the containing part, in particular at the bottom. This allows to stack several containers securely by stacking them on top of each other. Furthermore, since the stacking means on the lid part is provided on the connecting part around the lid (in the closed state), the closing of the lid is not impaired when stacking container assemblies provided with lid parts. Indeed, in the embodiment shown, the stacking means on the lid part extend slightly above the lid to make the closure more secure or not compromise.

A second use of the stacked appliances on the cover part is possible if the positioning of these stacked appliances is adapted to the size of the connection part. The effect and use of the above-described stacked cover members are thus achieved.

The positioning of the stacking means 14 on the connecting portion is such that the container assembly stacked on the lid part cannot rotate, i.e. it cannot rotate about an axis perpendicular to the access opening. To this end, in this embodiment, profile plates 14 are disposed at the corners of a (virtual) rectangle. Complementary stacking means at the bottom of the receiving part provide abutment at the sides of the rectangle with stacking means 14 on the cover part 2.

In this embodiment, the stacking of utensils on the containment component is provided by a circumferential rim at the bottom of the containment component as shown in FIG. 1.

Furthermore, it is clear that the above description and the enclosed drawings are intended to illustrate some embodiments of the invention and do not limit the scope of protection. Further embodiments falling within the scope and spirit of the invention and within the obvious combinations of prior art and this patent disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Claims

1. A stackable container for powdered infant nutrition comprising:

a cover member;

a containment component having an upper edge, wherein powdered infant nutrition is within the containment component;

a sealing membrane attached to an inner surface of the receiving member below the upper edge; and

a scoop disposed between the lid component and the sealing membrane within the containment component, wherein the containment component includes a base and a circumferential containment wall connected to the base and terminating in a rim, the circumferential containment wall for receiving the lid component, the lid component being made of a thermoplastic material and including:

a connecting portion for connecting to an edge of the accommodating member; and

a cover pivotally connected to the connection portion,

the connecting portion includes an upper wall having a circular or oval access opening with a circumferential first flange surrounding the access opening and extending from the upper wall,

the periphery of the circumferential lid flange and the periphery of the circumferential first flange mutually fit to allow the lid to be closed in a sealing manner over the circumferential first flange of the connection portion, and

the area of the inlet and outlet is at least 50cm²，

Thereby enabling access to the scoop through the access opening to extract powdered infant nutrition from the containment component;

wherein the connecting portion further includes stacking cams extending from the upper wall to a height corresponding to the height of the lid and disposed around the circumferential first flange corresponding to four corners of the virtual rectangle,

complementary stacking means are provided at the bottom of the containment part, which complementary stacking means provide abutment at the sides of the imaginary rectangle with the stacking cams on the lid part of similar containers when they are stacked together.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein

The surrounding first flange has:

a first perimeter proximate the connection; and

a second perimeter proximate to a rim of the surrounding first flange at an end of the surrounding first flange distal from the connection, the second perimeter of the surrounding first flange being greater than its first perimeter, and

the wrap-around lid flange has:

a first inner perimeter proximate the lid; and

a second inner perimeter proximate the rim of the wrap-around lid flange,

the second inner periphery of the lid is smaller than the first periphery, the periphery of the circumferential lid flange and the periphery of the circumferential first flange are mutually adapted to allow the lid to be sealingly closed over the circumferential first flange of the connection portion, and the circumferential lid flange of the lid surrounds the circumferential first flange.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the circumferential first flange defines the access opening.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the circumferential first flange flares or flares away from the access opening such that a perimeter of the circumferential first flange is increased.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the circumferential first flange is thickened circumferentially near or at the rim of the circumferential first flange and at the outer periphery of the circumferential first flange.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the area of the access opening is at least 50% of the area of the connecting portion.

7. The container of claim 2, wherein the circumferential lid flange is made of a thermoplastic material to allow a perimeter of the circumferential lid flange to expand when the lid is placed over the circumferential first flange, and wherein the second inner perimeter of the circumferential lid flange is smaller than the perimeter of the circumferential first flange in a case where the lid does not close the access opening.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the circumferential first flange is selected to provide a rigid flange in view of the thermoplastic material of the circumferential first flange.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein said closure member is made of a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid is made of a thermoplastic material having elasticity such that the lid allows the lid to hermetically seal over the circumferential first flange of the connection portion via the circumferential lid flange and the circumferential first flange.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein the connecting portion includes a circumferential rim having a circumferential groove for receiving the rim of the containment component.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein the circumscribing area of the circumferential rim is greater than the area of the access opening.

13. The container of claim 11,

the surrounding first flange has:

a first perimeter proximate the connection; and

a second perimeter proximate a rim of the surrounding first flange at an end of the surrounding first flange distal from the connection portion,

the second periphery of the surrounding first flange is smaller than the first periphery thereof, an

The wrap-around lid flange has:

a first inner perimeter proximate the lid; and

a second inner perimeter proximate the rim of the wrap-around lid flange,

the second inner periphery of the lid is larger than the first periphery, the periphery of the circumferential lid flange and the periphery of the circumferential first flange are mutually adapted to allow the lid to be sealingly closed over the circumferential first flange of the connection, and the circumferential first flange surrounds the circumferential lid flange.

14. A container according to claim 1, wherein a seal is provided between the edge of the circumferential lid flange (8) and the surface of the upper wall (11) surrounding the circumferential first flange.

15. The container of claim 1, wherein the complementary stacking means at the bottom of the containment component comprises a circumferential rim at the bottom of the containment component.

16. A container according to claim 11, wherein a seal is provided between the edge of the circumferential lid flange (8) and the surface of the upper wall (11) surrounding the circumferential first flange.

17. The container of claim 11, wherein the complementary stacking means at the bottom of the containment component comprises a circumferential rim at the bottom of the containment component.