GB2061880A - Plastics container - Google Patents

Abstract

A non-returnable integrally moulded plastics container comprises an upper portion 2 hinged to a lower portion 1, the portions 1,2 having raised and recessed parts around their respective peripheries which cooperate to seal together when the container is closed. Positions of the raised and recessed parts extend along the sections of the peripheries of the portions at which the hinge 3 is provided so that, when the portions 1,2 are closed, the seal extends around the whole of the peripheries of the portions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plastic container The invention relates to a plastic container, particularly a non-returnable container of foamed plastic, consisting, as a one-piece unit, in an upper section and a lower section with a bending hinge provided between the two, with, in each case, raised and recessed portions disposed on the border area of the upper and lower sections, which raised and recessed portions, when the container is closed, lie on top of one another with at least one area in each case.

In known containers of this type the recessed or raised portions extend only over partial areas of the container. In said areas, when the container is closed, there is effected, by means of the surfaces of the raised and recessed portions which lie one on the other, both a fixing together in position of upper and lower portion, and a seal which is desired in particular to maintain the temperature of the contents of the container. The known containers have in the main, at the edge areas which are not provided with raised or recessed portions, flat edge areas which, when the container is closed, rest one upon the other in substantially symmetrical manner. Such level edge areas in the known containers, are situated particularly on the sides connecting onto the bending hinge and thereby onto the other part of the container.As an inescapable consequence, in these edge areas, the seal is only impoerfect, so that the heat-retaining effect of the packing is only incomplete and, when filled with foods comprising liquid constituents, the container has to be carried very carefully, so that no liquid can run out.

The invention has for its object to provide a container of the type first defined above which does away with the above-indicated disadvantages.

According to the invention the object is achieved in that on the upper section and on the lower section, in each instance, the recesses and raised portions are provided over the edge area on the hinge side so that a closed sealed surface extending right round is provided.

The container according to the invention is seal-tight on all sides so that neither liquid can flow out nor foreign bodies come in. In addition it provides the maintaining of temperature over a lengthy period.The transport of the filled container causes no problems, as nothing can run out.

Advantageously, the raising is provided as a bead which extends around the edge of the upper portion, and the recess as a stepped portion which extends around the edge of the lower portion towards the inside of the container.The edge of each container section receives additional stiffness in this manner. On the other hand, the surrounding bead, in containers of foamed plastic, has adequate elasticity which, when dimensioned correspondingly in relation to the bottom section, ensures a sealing application which is reliable all around the container. The bead in the upper portion of the closed container increases security against leaks of liquid in that it forces another detour upon it.

For containers with a shaped-in closure the closure may consist in the per se known manner in a slit flap on one container portion and in a tongue insertable into the slit on the other container portion, and flap and the tongue being situated outside the seal surface.

The seal surface extending around the container operates therefore also in reliable manner in the area of the closure.

For containers, the internal area of which is additionally provided with shaped flanges which divide the inner space of the upper and bottom portions into compartments, the surfaces of which rest upon one another when the container is closed, a reliable seal is desired between the individual compartments, in the case of the transport of different foodstuffs making up a complete meal. Such a seal cannot be provided by containers resting one on top of the other, and with mainly flat upper surface, as they are known. Advantageously, the upper sides of the flanges of a container portion may be designed as a groove, and those of the other upper portion may be designed as splines engaging into the groove.Thereby also the handling of such a divided container becomes free from problems, as the liquids present in the foods not only cannot make their way to the outside, but also they cannot penetrate into the adjoining compartment. The container can even be carried by the flap at no risk to the contents.

In simple manner the groove on a flange surface may be designed in such a manner that each compartment of the container portion which has the groove flanges is surrounded by beads surrounding its flange edges, and that a groove extends between the beads of adjoining compartments. Thereby the beads of each compartment engage into the walls of the compartment of the bottom portion, providing a seal in the same manner as is provided by the edge bead of the upper portion in the manner which has been depicted. In addition, the sealing effect between the compartments is increased by the fact that the flange of the bottom portion between the adjoining beads engage into the groove.

Examples of embodiment of the invention are represented in the drawing in which Figure 1 is a top view of an open plastic container according to the invention, Figure 2 is a cross-section through the container according to Fig. 1 correspondingly to the sectional line Il-Il, Figure 3 is another embodiment of a con tainer according to the invention open in top view, Figure 4 is a cross-section corresponding to the line lV-lV in Fig. 3, and Figure 5 is an enlarged detail.

The container represented in Fig. 1, open and seen from above, consists as one piece in a bottom portion denoted as a whole by 1, and in an upper portion denoted as a whole by 2. Both container portions are connected by an incorporated bending hinge 3 and are made in foamed plastic. Surrounding walls 1 b and 2b rise upwardly towards the outside, at a slant, from the bottoms 1 a and 2a of the container portions. The edge 4 of the bottom portion 1 has in this construction a stepped portion 5 surrounding the inside of the container. On its outside edge opposite the hinge 3 it has a tongue 6 formed by a widening 6 with a reinforcing seam 7 extending parallel with the side of the container.

The upper portion 2 of the container had on its edge 8 a surrounding bead 9. A flap 10 which sticks out is provided on the external longitudinal side. It has a longitudinal slit 11, the length of which corresponds to the tongue 6 in such a manner that the tongue 6 can be passed through the slit 11.

If the container is closed, i.e. the upper portion 2 is rotated about the bending hinge 3, the bead 9 engages onto the bottom portion 1 between the inner edge of the stepped portion 5, the corresponding surfaces apply in seal-tight manner one against the other, as shown in Fig. 5 in the area of the hinge 3.

The container is seal-tight all around the outline. For securing, the tongue 6 is inserted into the slit 11 of the flap 10. The seal obtained by the cooperation of the bead 9 with the stepped portion 5 makes it possible, should the need arise, to use the flap 10 as a carrying handle for the container.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a container is represented which is substantially constructed correspondingly to the of Fig. 1. Consequently, for elements that are substantially identical the same reference figures are used with a prime mark. In the container according to Fig. 3 the internal space of the bottom portion 1' and of the upper portion 2' is in each case subdivided by raised flanges 1 2 or 1 3 into a large compartment 1 4a or 1 4b and two small compartments 1 spa or 1 sub. The compartments 1 4b and 1 sub of the upper portion 2' have in this arrangement in each case a surrounding beam 1 6 on their upper edge.As a result there is created in each case a groove 1 7 on the surface of the flanges 1 3 between adjoining beads 1 6. The surface of the flanges 1 2 on the bottom portion 1' is dimensioned in such a way that it engages in seal-tight manner between the beads 1 6 into the groove 1 7 in the manner of a tongue and groove connection. When the container is closed the compartments 14 and 1 5 are thereby also applied in seal-tight manner against one another, the foodstuffs contained in them or their liquid constituents cannot become mixed during transport, even when carelessly handled.

The invention is not restricted to the examples of embodiment. Within the framework of the invention the containers may have different sizes, outlines and subdivisions.

Claims (7)

1. A plastic container, particularly a nonreturnable container of foamed plastic, consisting, as a one-piece unit, in an upper portion and a lower portion with a bending hinge provided between the two, with, in each case, raised and recessed portions disposed on the border area of the upper and lower portions, which raised and recessed portions, when the container is closed, lie on top of one another with at least one area in each ease, characterised in that on the upper portion (2) and on the lower portion (1) in each instance the raised portions (9) and the recesses (5) are provided over the edge area on the hinge side so that a closed sealed surface extending right round is provided.

2. A container according to Claim 1, characterised in that the raising is provided as a bead (9) which extends around the edge (8) of the upper portion (2), and the recess is provided as a stepped portion (5) which extends around the edge (4) of the lower portion (1) towards the inside of the container.

3. A container according to Claim 1 or 2 with an incorporated closure, characterised in that the closure consists in the manner known per se in a slit flap (10) on a container portion (2) and in a tongue (6) insertable into the slit (1 1), on the other portion (1), the flap (10) and the tongue (6) being outside the seal surface.

4. A container according to at least one of Claims 1 to 3 with incorporated flanges dividing the internal space of the upper and bottom portions into compartments, the surfaces of which support one another when the container is closed, characterised in that the upper edges of the flanges (13) of a container portion (2') are formed as a groove (17), and in that the flanges (12) of the other container portion (1') are formed as tongues engaging into the groove (17).

5. A container according to Claim 4, characterised in that each compartment (14b and 1 5b) of the container portion (2') which has the groove flanges (13) is surrounded by beads (16) which surrounds its flange edges, and in that the groove (17) extends between the beads (16) of adjoining compartments.

6. A container according to Claims 4 and 5, characterised in that the groove (17) extends on the flanges (13) of the upper portion (2').

7. A plastics container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 and 2 or to Figs. 3 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.