DE9106197U1 - Safety locks for universal reusable tableware boxes - Google Patents

Description

Description

Applicant:

Company *

DR.STRUNKMANN-MEISTER TRUSTEE-

AND PARTICIPATION COMPANY MBH (Dr.SMT) Ainmillerstraße 5o

8000 Munich 4o

lo.May 1991 3/Uni - Cover

Safety closures for universal - reusable

Crockery boxes

The invention relates to closure parts, in particular lids and locking rings, with which both the individual dish box halves according to the invention of the utility model application DE G 91 o3 868.5 and the dish box halves locked against each other according to the invention mentioned can be closed in such a way that essentially liquid-tightness, and in the case of closed, locked boxes according to the invention mentioned, complete liquid-tightness, is achieved.

According to claim 9 of the utility model application mentioned, it is indeed possible to achieve liquid-tightness in a closed universal reusable crockery box consisting of two box halves locked together by means of a rubber sealing ring inserted between the outer and inner closing edge. However, this solution has

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two crucial disadvantages: Firstly, the rubber sealing ring increases the frictional resistance considerably during the counter-rotating movement of the box halves pressed together, which makes handling more difficult for the user and can lead to the rubber sealing ring becoming warped, which impairs the locking performance and increases wear. Secondly, the solution according to claim 9 of the utility model application mentioned only enables two crockery boxes locked together to be sealed in a liquid-tight manner, but not the individual box halves.

In contrast, the invention is based on the task of designing the shape of the closure parts in such a way that when the box halves are locked together by rotation, neither the frictional resistance is significantly increased nor does the rubber sealing parts become warped; furthermore, the invention makes it possible to close the individual box halves individually using lids according to the invention, which is necessary if, for example, meat with sauce is to be transported in one half of the box and potatoes and vegetables in the other half of the box, without the two menu components mentioned mixing.

A further disadvantage of the universal reusable crockery box according to the above-mentioned application is that this box practically becomes a bomb if steam-forming contents are placed in the microwave without the user having first unlatched the two halves of the box.

In contrast, the invention is also based on the object of designing the shape of the closure parts in such a way that

Dr.SMT/Uni-Lid

they safely conduct internal pressure to the outside despite the locked box halves being completely impermeable to liquids at normal pressure.

Examples of embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a central section through a box formed according to the Girlano principle (EP o 248 378 "dish container ¹¹ "), rotatably locked in accordance with the DE GebrM application G 91 o3 868.5 "universal reusable dish box". The box corresponds in proportions and dimensions approximately to the well-known hamburger box or box made of Styrofoam.

The Girlano principle makes it possible to stack similarly shaped vessels, such as plates, bowls and dishes, with the convex outer sides of one vessel in the concave interior of another similarly shaped vessel in a space-saving manner - "convex in concave" - and on the other hand to form closed vessels "concave against concave" with two similarly shaped vessels (the heights can be different) that are centered on top of each other with their openings.

.The invention according to EP o 248 378 solves the side retention problem, the invention of the DE GebrM application G 91 o3 868.5 enables a perfect mutual locking, in particular of box halves, concave against concave, to form closed boxes.

On the upright box half 1 , an identical box half 1" of which only a broken-off part is shown here is pressed and twisted into place so that

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the closing edges 2 and 2' lie firmly against each other.

Fig. 3 shows the locking ring in plan view, by means of which the complete liquid-tightness of the crockery containers is achieved when locked in place. The locking ring consists of three parts: the lower pressing ring 3 , the upper pressing ring 3* and the sealing lip 4 attached to the two pressing rings and between them.

Fig. 2 shows the locking ring in section along section line A in Fig. 3 in the non-compressed state. The locking ring is inserted into the stacking edge channel 5 , on the outer underside of which the stacking edge 6 of the box half 1 is located (5' and 6' for the inverted box half 1'). During the closing and locking process, the locking edge 2' and the horizontal part of the stacking edge channel 5 of the box half T placed at an angle press the two pressing rings 3 and 3' together, which press the sealing lip 4 lying between them outwards like a bead. Shortly before the rotary locking is completed, the upper pressing ring 3' jumps into the stacking edge channel 5' of the upper box half T and the outer bead of the sealing lip 4 lies all around against the gap formed by the locking edges 2 and 2' lying on top of one another, thus creating a liquid-tight seal for the interior of the box.

The box is preferably made of plastic that is both recyclable and microwave-safe, the press rings are made of sheet steel and the sealing lip is made of soft rubber.

The press ring 3' on its free side not facing the sealing lip 4 has the function of a sliding surface,

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i.e., it offers less frictional resistance to the horizontally rotating and vertically pressing movement of the upper closing edge 2' of the upper box half 1' during the closing and locking process than a rubber sealing ring inserted in accordance with claim 9 of DE GebrM application G 91 o3 868.5 and protects the sealing lip 4 from warping.

The free sides of both press rings are provided with grooves 7 and V_ , which run at an angle to offer the lowest possible rotational resistance, and direct steam pressure that arises inside the box, for example when a user puts the closed box into the microwave without first unlocking it, outwards into the stacking edge grooves 5 and 5'. The pressure thus acts directly on the joints between the sealing lip 4 and the inner edges of the box halves. Excess pressure opens this joint and escapes through the joint between the closing edges 2 and 2'.

The sealing ring also serves to stabilize the closed, locked box, which is particularly advantageous during transport, especially in larger containers.

The boxes, which are tightly closed with a locking ring, are suitable for transporting meals that extend beyond the edge of one half of the box, such as spaghetti, larger pieces of potato or meat, dumplings or steamed dumplings with vanilla sauce, etc.

Fig. 4 shows the same closed box as Fig. 1 in the same way, but with the side walls of the box halves partially broken away in order to show the edge and closure area enlarged without affecting the

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external proportions of the box as in Fig. 1. For the same reason, the two covers 8 and 9 according to the invention are also shown partially broken away. Cover 8 closes the upright box half 1 and cover 9 closes the box half 1' which is pressed on in the opposite direction and locked in place by rotation.

Fig. 5 shows the cover 8 in plan view. This cover

consists of a metal plate 1o , the top of which is shown in Fig. 5. The metal plate 1o is embossed in such a way that it has a raised sliding ring 11 on its top, which is provided with steam outlet openings 12 on its outer slopes. Grip holes 13 and 14 are located inside the sliding ring 11. In the center, the metal plate 1o has a repositioning hole 15 , through which the pressure plug 16 can be seen from above in Fig. 5. The perforations 17 in the corners of the metal plate 1o serve to increase the microwave permeability and to fix the plastic plate 18 , which has corresponding knobs in the same place that engage in the perforations 17 in a form-fitting manner.

The rubber clamping rings 19 and 19 ' are used to hold the lid 8 or 9 in each box half so that the two box halves can be pressed together and rotated into place after the two box halves have been filled. This is achieved by spreading the clamping rings 19 and 19' into the stacking edge grooves of the box halves when the lids are pressed in.

The plastic plate 18 is designed like a shell, such that the shell edge 21 runs centrally under the sliding ring 11. This design allows, on the one hand,

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Lid 8 can be guided through the grip holes 13 and/or 14 of the metal plate 10 when closing and opening the box half 1, and the bowl also serves to attach the overpressure plug 16, which is pushed out when there is excess steam pressure in the locked box half 1 and releases the overpressure hole 22. The steam can then escape to the outside through the overpressure hole 22 and the steam outlet openings 12 as well as through the gap between the closing edges 2 and 2'. The overpressure plug 16 can be pushed back into the overpressure hole 22 through the repositioning hole 15.

The clamping ring 19 also serves to connect the metal plate 1o with the plastic plate 18 to the cover 8. This connection can be released by removing the clamping ring 19 and the metal and plastic plates can then be separated from each other - e.g. for cleaning.

The lid 8 has the advantages of high stability and completely undercut-free parts with optimal grip, since the fingers can reach under the metal plate 1o through the grip holes 13 and 14. The plastic plate can be kept very thin, which is an advantage given the relatively high prices of such plastics, which are both recyclable and microwave-safe. Both halves of the box can be closed with a lid of design 8 and then locked together.

Another embodiment shows a lid 9, which consists only of a plastic plate, which has a handle shell 23 within the sliding ring 11' - here curved upwards because of the box half 1' placed upside down - which enables the lid 9 to be gripped and guided at the handle edges 24.

Dr.SMT/Uni-Lid

Here too, excess pressure in the locked box half 1' is diverted in such a way that an excess pressure plug 25 opens, which is prevented from falling out by a counterpart 26. In this embodiment, the sliding ring 11' must have grooves 27 which - like the grooves 7 and T of the press rings 3 and 3' of the locking ring - direct the pressure to the outside.

The design of the lid 8 is preferable for larger boxes, which should also have locking knobs 2o and 2o' to hold the lids - when the box halves are not locked - in addition to the spreading of the clamping rings 19 and 19', which is not necessary for boxes the size of the well-known hamburger boxes made of Styrofoam. The design of the lid 9 is preferable for the latter boxes because of the low manufacturing costs. To avoid undercuts, the handle edge 24 can be omitted for these small boxes.

The sliding rings 11 and 11' not only make it easier for the box halves to lock together, but also generate a constant, vertically acting contact pressure of the clamping rings 19 and 19' against the horizontal part of the stacking edge channels, which means that when the boxes are locked together, they are completely liquid-tight. This effect can be further improved by vulcanizing sealing rings 28 and 28 ' made of soft rubber onto the undersides of the lids inside the clamping rings 19 and 19', immediately adjacent to them.

For boxes with circular closing edges, the lids can be provided with extensions on their edges,

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which engage in the corresponding grooves of the stacking edge channels of the box halves like a bayonet lock and enable the lids to be locked into place with the box halves.

For a complete disclosure of the technical innovation of this invention, the description of the DE GebrM application G 91 o3 868.5 mentioned at the beginning is attached below - in the pagination of the present description -, identified by the additional marking at the top of the page: "Dr.SMT/Uni-Box".

The generic term of the main claim referred to in the description of the application G 91 o3 868.5 reads: "Storage and crockery box consisting of two similarly shaped plastic or metal bowls which can be stacked convexly and concavely", ...

The drawings belonging to the description of the application G 91 o3 868.5 are attached after the drawings belonging to the present application and are identified, as is the description that follows.

- 1o -

Claims (17)

- 1 Dr.SMT/Uni-Deckel claims 1. Locking parts for storage and tableware boxes,
which consist of two box halves, which are convex in
concavely stackable and concavely interlockable to form closed boxes, characterized in that a locking ring consisting of a lower pressing ring 3 and an upper pressing ring 3', both made of metal and /
or plastic or other material, as well as a sealing lip 4 made of rubber or other plastic material, which is attached to the two pressing rings and between them, in the relaxed state with an oval or semi-oval cross-section, and when pressed together by the pressing rings forms a convex outward-directed bead, which is attached all the way around from the inside to the joint between the
Closing edges 2 and 2' of the locked box fit tightly together. 2. Locking ring according to claim 1, characterized in that the free sides of the pressing rings 3 and 3' are provided with steam outlet grooves 7 and 7' running from the inside to the outside. 3. Locking ring according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the grooves 7 and T of
inside to outside obliquely to the circumferential direction of the
locking ring. 4. Locking ring according to claims 1 to 3, characterized
characterized in that the lower press ring 3 - 19 - - 19 Dr.SMZ/Uni-Lid rests in the stacking edge channel 5 of the lower box half 1 and the upper pressing ring 3' in the relaxed state protrudes over the closing edge 2 of the lower box half by a measure that is greater than the height of the inner side wall of the stacking edge channel 5, which is the same height as the height of the inner side wall of the stacking edge channel 5' of the upper box half 1'. 5. Locking ring according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the box half 1' placed upside down over a corner rests with its locking edge 2' on the free side of the upper pressing ring 3'. 6. Locking ring according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that when the box halves are closed and locked against each other, the upper pressing ring 3' also rests in the stacking edge groove 5' of the upper box half 1' and the two pressing rings 1 and 3' are held by the locking edges 2 and 2' at a distance which corresponds to twice the height of the inner side wall of a stacking edge groove, measured from the upper free pressing ring surface of the pressing ring 3' to the lower free pressing ring surface of the pressing ring 3, and that the sealing lip 4 is thereby held in tension and bulged outwards against the closing joint. 7. Locking ring according to claim 1 to 6, characterized in that excess gas pressure in the interior of the closed, locked box keeps the sealing lip 4 away from the closing joint between the closing edges 2 and 2', so that the sealing lip 4 releases the internal excess gas pressure to the outside. - 2o - Dr.SMT/Uni-lid ^2o 8. Closure parts as in claim 1.,
characterized in that the box halves are each closed by a lid 8, which consists of an upper metal plate 10 or of stable plastic or other material, with an embossed, raised sliding ring 11, which has steam outlet openings 12 on the slanted outer edge and handle openings 13 and 14 inside the sliding ring 11, as well as a repositioning hole 15 in the middle and perforations 17 in the corners; lid 8, which also consists of a lower plastic plate 18, which is bulged out downwards in the middle like a bowl, such that the bowl edge 21 runs radially in the middle under the sliding edge 11. 9. Lid 8 according to claim 8, characterized in that the metal plate 10 and the plastic plate 18 are held together by a clamping ring 19 made of rubber or other plastic material which runs around the edges of the plate and clamps it, whereby the clamping ring, when the lid 8 is pressed into the stacking edge channel 5 of the box half 1, is spread out into the stacking edge channel side walls and keeps the box half closed even when it is in the filled state with the lid 8 facing downwards. 10. Lid 8 according to claims 8 and 9, characterized in that when the box is closed and locked, the two lids 8 resting on one another with the sliding rings 11 are pressed with a certain pressure into the stack edge grooves 5 and 5', whereby the - 21 - Dr.SMT/Uni-Lid ²¹ Clamping rings pressed onto the horizontal parts of the stacking edge channels seal the box halves completely and liquid-tight. 11. Lid 8 according to claims 8 to 10, characterized in that inside the clamping rings 19 and 19', immediately adjacent to them, there are sealing rings 28 and 28' made of soft rubber or a plastic of high elasticity, which, when the box is closed and locked, are pressed together between the bend formed by the transition from the horizontal part of the stacking edge channel to the inner shell of the box half and the lid 8 and are nestled against the latter. 12. Lid 8 according to claims 8 to 11, characterized in that in the middle of the shell of the plastic plate 18 below the repositioning hole 15 there is an overpressure hole 22 which is closed with an overpressure plug 16 from the outside towards the interior of the box half. 13. Lid 8 according to claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the plastic plate 18 has knobs which engage positively in the perforations 17. 14. Lid 9 according to claims 8 to 13, characterized in that this cover 9 consists only of a plastic plate or of another stable material - which has a handle shell curved towards the inside of the box half with handle bar and handle edges 24 within the sliding ring 11', provided with a clamping ring 19' and sealing ring. - 22 - - 22 Dr.SMT/Uni-lid 15. Lid 9 according to claims 8 to 14, characterized in that there is an overpressure hole in the middle of the handle bar or elsewhere in the handle shell, which is closed with an overpressure plug 25 from the outside towards the inside of the box half, which overpressure plug 25 is provided with a counterpart 26 which prevents the pressed out overpressure plug 25 from falling out. 16. Cover 9 according to claims 9 to 15, characterized in that the sliding ring 11' has pressure relief grooves 27 which are designed in the same way as the grooves 7 and 7' of the pressing rings 3 and 3' of the locking ring. 17. Lids according to claims 8 to 16, characterized in that they are provided with extensions on their edges, which close the box halves firmly in a bayonet-like manner by means of corresponding grooves in the stacking edge groove side surfaces.