GB2245549A

GB2245549A - Container with plug-fitting lid

Info

Publication number: GB2245549A
Application number: GB9014745A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henryk Dudzik
Original assignee: Lawson Mardon USA Inc
Current assignee: Amcor Specialty Cartons Americas LLC
Priority date: 1990-07-03
Filing date: 1990-07-03
Publication date: 1992-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2010-07-03
Also published as: GB2245549B; GB9014745D0

Abstract

A container includes a body (11) having an inner flange 30 terminating in a lip 34 which receives a plug-fitting lid 20. A rim 40 secured to the body, preferably by formations 15, 44 is integrally moulded with an overhang of the lid and is joined to it by a line 50 of weakness. Means such as a slot (51, Fig. 2) is provided for insertion of a tool for breaking along the line of weakness, to separate the lid from the rim. The arrangement provides security against spillage if a container is dropped and, when the lid and rim have been separated, rigidifies the body and provides tamper evidence. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER WITH PLUG-FImTING LID This invention relates to a plastics moulded container of the type having a body closed by a plug-fitting lid.

One example of a container of this type is described and illustrated in US-A-4887735. That document discloses a two-part container body, in which a rim portion is sealingly snap-engaged in the mouth of a skirt to form a permanent connection. The rim portion defines a radial inner flange provided with a lip having a formation for releasable, plug-fitting snap-engagement of a lid in the lip. The lid overhangs the lip to permit a tool to be used to lever off the lid.

Another example is described and illustrated in GB-A-2198718.

That document discloses a frusto-conical flange formed integrally with the inner wall of a skirt in a one-piece moulding, the flange again having a lip for releasable plugfitting engagement of a lid.

A long-standing problem with metal and plastics containers of this type is that the lid may come unplugged from the body, if a filled container is dropped due to the sudden increase in pressure in the container. The present invention is concerned with providing a simple way of substantially reducing or eliminating this problem.

The present invention provides a plastics moulded container comprising a body having a basle, a skirt and a mouth opposite to the base, the body having a flange within the skirt and provided with a lip defining the mouth, and a removable lid having a portion plug-engageable in the mouth the lid having an overhang around the lip for insertion of a tool beneath the overhang to lever off the lid, the container including a rim around the overhang and secured to the body, the rim being integrally formed with the overhang as part of a single plastics moulding and being joined thereto by a frangible line of weakness around the overhang, and means permitting insertion of said tool beneath the overhang to separate the rim and the overhang along the line of weakness.

The connection between the rim and the overhang reinforces the connection between the lid and the body, so that, if the filled container is dropped, the lid is unlikely to separate from the body and spill the contents.

In order to obtain access to the contents, it is only necessary to separate the rim and the lid along the line of weakness and, thereafter, the reinforcing connection is destroyed and the lid can be removed in conventional manner by means of a tool inserted under the overhang of the lid.

The separation along the line of weakness also serves as tamper evidence. It is preferred that the line of weakness comprises a line of perforations, so that the tamper evidence is visually more obvious, and the separation is more easily effected. This also provides for audible separation, so that lack of such sound is also evidence that the container has already been opened.

One or more slots may be provided adjacent the line of weakness for receiving a tool, which may be used both to separate the rim and the lid and to lever off the lid.

The rim may assist in strengthening the skirt and resist undue flexing near the mouth, after the lid has been removed.

To this end, the rim includes a part close-fitted in the skirt and having one or more formations to resist its removal.

The skirt is preferably cylindrical, but could, for example, be of rectangular cross-section.

It is know to provide lines of weakness and tear-off strips for tamper evidence. US-A-4759463, for example, discloses an outer flange on the skirt of a body on which is seated a flange of the lid. The flanges are peripherally secured together and a tearoff strip is provided in the lid flange to separate the lid from the body flange.

This idea would be impractical in most containers of the type with which the invention is concerned, due to the small space between the skirt and the lip. It is important to retain a good overhang of the lid over the lip, for a tool to be engaged under the overhang to lever off the lid. A very thin strip in a moulded container would be difficult to grip and liable to break or stick.

Provision of the removable strip on external flanges is inappropriate, because it substantially increases the cost of moulding the body, destroys the clean finish of the exterior of the body and makes it difficult to print directly on the body exterior.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig 1 is a sectional view of a part of a container according to the invention, and Fig 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the lid.

The lid and the body of the container are injection mouldings in polypropylene and basically have the construction described and illustrated in GB-2198718, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The body has a base, a cylindrical skirt and a bail handle, all as shown in Fig.1 of GB-2198718, but not shown in the drawings of this application.

The skirt 11 of the body is cylindrical and its top end 12, remote from the base, has an external, annular rebate 13. A frusto-conical flange 30, co-axial with the skirt, extends inwardly of the body from the inner wall 14 of the skirt. The flange extends at an acute angle to the inner wall, as viewed in cross-section, and narrows in diameter towards the top end 12.

The flange terminates in an annular lip 34, co-axial with the skirt. The lip has an annular bead, or projection 33 on its inner circumference.

A circumferential groove 15 is provided in the inner wall 14 of the skirt and located between the top end 12 and the flange 30.

The lid 20 comprises a plug portion as described and illustrated in GB-2198718 and includes a central cover portion 21 (Fig.2) surrounded by a channel portion 22 and a plug wall 26. The plug wall has an external groove 25, shaped complementary to the bead 33 on the lip 34, and snap-engages with the bead to retain the lid in plug-fitting engagement in the lip. A radially outwardly projecting portion is integral with the plug wall 26 and defines an overhang 27. The overhang has a channel portion 28 which receives the axial end 36 of the lip remote from the skirt, the overhang seating on the axial end and having a portion which overhangs the lip. A tool, such as a screw-driver can be inserted under the overhang to lever off the lid in conventional manner.

A rim 40 is moulded integrally with the lid. The rim comprises an annulus 41 having a rebate 42. the annulus seats on the top end 12 of the skirt with the rebated parts 13,42 interlocked. A cylindrical portion 43 depends from the annulus, defining a perimetral wall, and is a close fit with the inner wall 14 of the skirt. The cylindrical portion has a circumferential, outer projection 44, which is complementary to the groove 15 in the skirt, and snap-engages in the groove to secure the rim to the skirt.

The annulus 41 of the rim has upper and lower inner peripheral walls 45a,45b which are inclined to each other and the container axis and define an edge at an apex of the walls, as viewed in cross-section. The overhang 27 similarly defines an edge between two walls 29a,29b and the two edges are joined by perforations defining a frangible line of weakness 50.

At least one slot 51, and preferably three equiangularly spaced slots, is provided in the annulus 41 of the rim 40. The slot adjoins the line of weakness 50 and is sufficiently sized to permit entry of a screw-driver.

After filling of the container, the lid 20, together with the integral rim 40, is fitted on the body. The lid is plug-fitted in the lip 34 and the cylindrical wall 43 of the rim tightly engages in the skirt. The rim is firmly retained by engagement of the annulus on the skirt and by engagement of the projection 44 in the groove 15 and a rigid connection is provided between the lid and the body. This arrangement firmly retains the lid, in the event that the container is dropped.

In order to open the container, a screw-driver is inserted in the slot 51 and levering action applied to the overhang 27.

this action levers off the lid and causes breaking of the perforated line of weakness 50, with an attendant audible noise.

Alternatively, the screw-driver may be run along the line-of weakness to break the perforations. Tamper evidence is, thereby, clearly provided.

The rim 40 remains firmly attached to the body and rigidifies the body, reducing any tendency of the container wall to flex in the region of the mouth of the container.

Claims

1. A plastics moulded container comprising a body having a base, a skirt and a mouth opposite to the base, the body having a flange within the skirt and provided with a lip defining the mouth, and a removable lid having a portion plug-engageable in the mouth, the lid having an overhang around the lip for insertion of a tool beneath the overhang to lever off the lid, the container including a rim around the overhang and secured to the body, the rim being integrally formed with the overhang as part of a single plastics moulding and being joined thereto by a frangible line of weakness around the overhang, and means permitting insertion of said tool beneath the overhang to separate the rim and the overhang along the line of weakness.

2. A plastics moulded container according to Claim 1, wherein the skirt and said rim have mutually engageable formations for snap-engagement of the rim on the skirt to effect said securance to the body.

3. A plastics moulded container according to Claim 2, wherein the skirt has a groove in its inner surface around the perimeter of the skirt, and the rim has a perimetral wall which is a close fit with said inner surface, the perimetral wall surrounding the flange and having a formation engageable in the grDcVe.

4. A plastics moulded container according to Claim 3, wherein the rim has a portion engageable with the end wall of the skirt opposite to the base, said rim portion and said end wall having complementary rebates for interlock of the portion with the end wall.

5. A plastics moulded container according to any preceding claim, wherein the line of weakness is defined by a line of performations.

6. A plastics moulded container according to any preceding claim, wherein the skirt and the flange are annular and the flange projects radially inwardly from the inner wall of the skirt away from the base at an acute angle to the inner wall, as viewed in cross-section.

7. A plastics moulded container according to any preceding claim wherein said means permitting insertion of said tool comprises at least one slot in the rim adjacent the line of weakness.

8. A plastics moulded container substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.