GB2156660A

GB2156660A - Lid for a container

Info

Publication number: GB2156660A
Application number: GB08507183A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Cleary; Barry Cyril Adams
Original assignee: Alcan Ekco Ltd
Current assignee: Alcan Ekco Ltd
Priority date: 1984-03-23
Filing date: 1985-03-20
Publication date: 1985-10-16
Also published as: GB8407551D0; GB8507183D0

Abstract

A lid for a foil container comprising a sheet 2 of metallised cardboard which has perforations 4 extending from one parallel edge to another and being shaped so as to define a tab 7 which may be depressed with the finger to break the perforation. The lid is primarily intended for multi-compartment containers such as that shown where some compartments need to remain covered for cooking whilst others need to be uncovered. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lid for container This invention relates to a lid for a container and to a container when fitted with such a lid.

The invention is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with containers of the type used principally for food and comprising a single or multiple compartment tray made of metal, for example aluminium, foil.

This type of container is extensively used in the packaging of food which is then heated by the consumer before serving. The container lid which is present on the food when purchased may or may not need to be removed prior to heating, depending upon the type of food being heated and the required appearance or texture of the food when served. In many containers, the lid is retained on the container by folding over the foil outer lip of the container and, when removed, this lip needs to be prised out of the way before the lid can be removed. This operation is particularly inconvenient where the lid has to be removed from a container just removed from the oven or, where the lid has to be removed prior to heating, from the freezer. A further difficulty arises in multi-compartment containers where the food in one compartment is to be heated without the lid, and in another with the lid.

The present invention enables these problems to be overcome by the provision of a lid made of sheet material and having an edge to edge score or perforation (hereinafter referred to as "perforation") formed therein to thereby define two distinct parts of the lid, separated by said perforation. In order to enable simple removal of the lid, the user may break the perforation at some suitable point along its length by pressing down on one of said parts of the lid near the perforation, thereby forming a raw edge which can then be gripped to peel back the other part of the lid. Having removed this latter part of the lid, the first mentioned part can then be removed using the same technique, or left in place as desired.

The edges between which the perforation extends may be the same edge of the lid, or they may be different edges, for example in a rectangular lid (the most common shape) the perforation could extend between opposite parallel edges of the lid. The perforation may also be such as to define more than two distinct parts, depending upon the circumstances, and the intended use; this could be achieved by providing more than one edge to edge perforation, or by providing a further perforation or perforations which extend from an edge to meet an edge to edge perforation.

The perforation may be a straight line perforation, or may be curved, depending upon the circumstances. In the case that the perforation is required simply to aid removal of the lid as aforsaid, then the perforation may be positioned near to one corner, or at one end of the container in such a way that one of said parts of the lid is small in area compared to the other. If, on the other hand, it is required to efffect a distinction between one or more compartments in a multicompartment container by allowing some to be covered during heating and others not, then the position of the perforation will be dictated by the positions of the wall or walls between the compartments to be separated. In this case, it is likely that the areas of the two parts will be more similar although, even here, not necessarily equal to one another.

In an embodiment of the invention a small cutout, preferably of V-shape, is formed in the edge of the lid at each of the points where the perforation meets an edge. Preferably these cut-outs are positioned in such a way that the perforation meets the edge near the centre of the cut-out, for example, in the case of a Vshaped cut-out, at its apex.

In a further embodiment of the invention the line of perforation is such as to define a tab in one of said parts which is arranged to further assist opening by providing a specific area which the user can press in order to break the perforation. In addition to making opening easier, the use of a tab enables the manufacturer to control, to a certain extent, the position at which the user presses the lid in order, for example, to prevent damage to food beneath or injury to the user if the food is hot.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a lid made according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a twocompartment food container incorporating the lid of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the container comprises a two-compartment tray 1 made of metal foil having a lid 2 of sheet material such as metallised cardboard. The edges 3 of the tray 1 around the perimeter are folded over to retain the edges of the lid in the known manner. The wall between the two compartments lies below the lid in Fig. 2 and extends across the container, effectively dividing it in two.

The lid 2 is formed with a perforation 4 extending across its width at a position approximately corresponding to the inter-compartment wall beneath and effectively dividing the lid into two parts, referenced 5 and 6 in the drawings. The perforation is formed with a three-sided tab 7 for assisting removal of the lid. The ends of the perforation, as they approach the edges of the lid, are curved at 8,9 so that they meet the edge at an angle.

At the point of intersection between each end of the perforation and the edge of the lid, a Vshaped cut-out 10 is formed, the perforation entering the cut-out at its apex.

It will be seen that the illustrated container is intended to contain two different foods in the two compartments. The construction of lid described enables one compartment to be uncovered for heating, while the other compartment is left covered. This is achieved by depressing the tab 7 to break the perforation around its three sides and enable it to be flexed downwards slightly in order to allow the raw edge 11 of the part 5 of the lid to be lifted with the finger and peeled back, simultaneously tearing both sides of the perforation out to the cut-outs 10. When the two parts of the lid have become separated continued peeling back movement of part 5 will cause it to detach itself from the container without the necessity for prior raising of the folded-over edges 3. The container can then be placed in the oven, still with part 6 of the lid in place, for heating. If it is desired to remove the whole lid, it will be seen that this is readily achieved once the part 5 of the lid has been removed by grasping the tab 7 or elsewhere on the now-presented raw edge of the part 6 and peeling the part back in the same manner as with part 5. Once again, it will be seen that it is unnecessary to raise the folded-over edges 3 in order to remove the lid.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), the perforation either with or without tab 7 is positioned at one end of a rectangular container, or across the corner of the container and is intended simply as a means of removing the lid without having to raise-the folded-over edges 3. The small part of the lid which remains after the larger part has been removed may be left in place, or not as desired.

Claims

1. A lid for a container, said lid comprising a sheet of material having an edge to edge perforation formed therein to thereby define two distinct parts of the lid separated by said perforation.

2. A lid as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet is of rectangular shape and the perforation extends between opposite parallel edges of the sheet.

3. A lid as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the perforation is generally linear

4. A lid as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the perforation is generally curved.

5. A lid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a small cut-out is formed in the edge of the sheet at each of the points where the perforation meets the edge.

6. A lid as claimed in claim 5 wherein said cut-outs are of V-shape with the perforation ending at the apex of the V.

7. A lid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the line of the perforation is shaped in such a way as to form a tab in one of said parts which may be pressed by a user in order to assist breakage of the perforation.

8. A lid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said sheet is formed with more than one perforation to thereby define more than two distinct parts of the lid.

9. A lid for a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 0. A container when fitted with a lid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

11. A container as in claim 10 made of metal foil.

1 2. A container as claimed in either one of claims 10 or 11 which is shaped in such a way as to define a plurality of compartments separated by a wall or walls, and wherein the perforation extends over at least some of said wall or walls so that a part of the lid can be removed to uncover just a selected compartment or compartments.