GB2268734A

GB2268734A - Container and lid assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2268734A
Application number: GB9214966A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Leonard Mead
Original assignee: Lin Pac Mouldings Ltd
Current assignee: Linpac Mouldings Ltd
Priority date: 1992-07-14
Filing date: 1992-07-14
Publication date: 1994-01-19
Also published as: GB9214966D0

Abstract

A container assembly has an open topped container 1 and a lid 2. The top rim 5 of the container is received between an outer flange 12 and an inner flange 13 of the lid. The flange 12 includes a peripherally spaced array of resilient catches 15 with barbed projections 18 which snap engage over surface 7 on the rim of the container to retain the lid. In its closure position the lid 1 is restrained from canting or flexing, twisting, bending or other distortion from its closure position by abutment of its inner flange 13 against the side wail of the container to prevent the lid from being manoeuvred and removed by manually disengaging the catches 15 progressively around the periphery of the assembly. A tool may be provided in combination with the assembly for simultaneously disengaging all of the catches 15 and maintaining them disengaged to permit removal of the lid. The lid may support coolant means for the contents of the container, e.g. food. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE "A container assembly" TECHNICAL FIELD & BACKGROUND ART The present invention relates to a container assembly of the kind having an open top container and a lid which is fitted to the container to close the open top and in which the lid and container snap engage together to retain the fitted lid closed.

Typically assemblies of the kind mentioned are in the form of tote boxes suitable for manual or mechanical handling in the transport and storage of, for example, food produce. In the handling of produce by container assemblies it is common for the produce to be loaded into the container and the lid fitted with the intention that the lid should not be removed, either inadvertently or otherwise, to open the container until the container assembly has reached its intended destination or the produce is intended to be dispensed from the container.

This is particularly so with food produce for hygienic purposes and also where produce such as meat is chilled and possibly hermatically sealed within the container in a non-oxidising atmosphere, for example nitrogen gas. It is usual for container assemblies of the kind discussed to be formed as plastics mouldings and snap engaging catch means between the lid and container are a convenient way of retaining the fitted lid closed as it is a relatively simple matter to form resilient snap engaging catch means integral with a plastics moulding.However, with known assemblies in which the plastics moulded lids and containers are engaged by snap fitting catch means it has been found that unauthorised removal of the lid is possible, possibly to pilfer or contaminate the container contents, by releasing or disengaging the resilient catch means progressively about the periphery of the container simultaneously with progressively flexing the container lid to clear the region of the catch means which has been disengaged until the lid can be fully opened to provide access to the container contents. Following this action the lid may be closed to re-engage the resilient catch means without external evidence of the unauthorised opening.As a consequence of such unauthorised opening it will be appreciated that not only may any contents remaining in the container be contaminated but also a desired inert atmosphere may be lost and the contents unnecessarily warmed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly of the kind discussed by which the disadvantages mentioned above for unauthorised opening of the container assembly may be alleviated.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION & ADVANTAGES According to the present invention there is provided a container assembly comprising a container part having a top opening and a lid part for fitment to a closure position on the container part to close the top opening; a first of said parts having an array of resilient catches which snap engage with the second of said parts as the lid part is fitted to its closure position so that said snap engagement retains the lid part in its closure position, and wherein said catches are spaced about the periphery of the top opening with the lid part in its closure position and said parts are arranged so that the lid part in its closure position is restrained from flexing, twisting, bending or canting from its closure position when said catches are disengaged and for removal of said lid part from its closure position to open the container part all said catches must be disengaged simultaneously from said second part while the lid part is maintained substantially in its closure position.

Further according to the present invention there is provided the combination of a container assembly as specified in the immediately preceding paragraph and a tool for use in removing the lid part from its closure position, said tool comprising a plurality of catch openers which are disposed in a similar array to the array of catches, the tool being arranged so that the catch openers can be presented one each to the respective catches engaging between the lid part in its closure position and the container part and the catch openers displaced relative to the catches to displace the catches so that they disengage from the second part and to retain all the catches simultaneously disengaged substantially with the lid part in its closure position for the lid part to be removable from the container part.

The lid part in the container assembly of the present invention will usually be formed as a plastics moulding as, usually, will the container part. However, a characteristic of the invention is that the lid part in its closure position is restrained from flexing, twisting or otherwise being distorted or canted substantially from its closure position to alleviate the possibility of disengaging the resilient catches progressively about the periphery of the closed container assembly whilst distorting or manoeuvring the lid part progressively as the catches are disengaged to clear those catches until all of the catches have been disengaged for removal of the lid part from the container part.With this in mind the peripherally spaced array of catches should be adequately spaced and of sufficient number to ensure, for example, that an individual will be unlikely to be capable of releasing all of the catches simultaneously by manipulation single handedly. Typical tote boxes for food produce are of rectangular parallelopipedon form with top openings in the order of 50 x 100 cms so several, say ten, resilient catches may be widely and regularly spaced about the periphery of the assembly making it extremely inconvenient for a person to manually disengage all of the catches simultaneously for removal of the lid part from its closure position.

Desirably the lid part in its closure position seals the top opening and may form an hermetically sealed storage chamber in the container assembly. For this purpose a sealing ring may be provided between the lid part and container part to extend about the periphery of the top opening. Usually sealing rings are of a resilient material and in its closure position when the catches are snap engaged, the sealing ring is compressed to provide an efficient seal. It is realised that if the catches are disengaged progressively as previously discussed the resilience of the sealing ring may lift the lid part slightly relative to the top opening but this lift should be negligible and considered as part of the closure position for the lid provided that the lift is not adequate for each catch if disengaged progressively to be clear of returning to its snap engaged condition.

The lid part may have an inherent structure which is sufficiently rigid to be restrained from flexing, twisting, bending or otherwise being distorted progressively from its closure position. Such a rigid structure if formed in plastics is likely to be relatively expensive. It is therefore preferred that the aforementioned restraint to distortion of the lid substantially from its closure position is provided by a flange of the lid co-operating with the container part adjacent to its open top.In a preferred arrangement the flange of the lid part (which flange will usually be continuous relative to the periphery of the top opening with the lid part in its closure position) is received within the top opening of the container part during fitment of the lid part and, with the lid part in its closure position, lies closely adjacent to an inner face of an upstanding wall of the container part.

By this latter structure it is intended that abutment between the flange on the lid part and the container part, typically a side wall of the container part, will restrain the lid part from being distorted or canted manually from its closure position sufficiently to disengage, and maintain disengaged, the resilient catches progressively about the periphery of the lid part.

Preferably the catches are formed integral with the first part, particularly if the first part is formed as a plastics moulding. It is also preferred that the catches snap engage automatically between the two parts as the lid is fitted to the container.

The catches will usually be in the form of resilient tongues carrying shoulders and guide faces for the shoulders which are arranged so that as the lid part is fitted to the container part, the guide faces slide over the second part causing the resilient tongues to flex and the shoulders to snap engage automatically over abutment surfaces of the second part when the lid part attains its closure position and the engagement of the shoulders with the abutment surfaces retains the lid part in its closure position.

To facilitate authorised opening of the container assembly, the previously mentioned tool may be provided in combination with the assembly. The tool will usually be purpose built for a particular container assembly and conveniently the catch openers on the tool comprise projections such as wedges which are presented from a frame of the tool and are displaceable in unison relative to the catches so that the projections or wedges displace the catches against their resilient biasing to substantially simultaneously disengage all of the catches from the second part.For convenience of using a catch release tool, each catch may have a guideway for receiving a wedge member or other projection which is displaceable relative to the first part to displace the catch against its resilient biasing to disengage the catch from the second part so that when wedge members or other projections are located in the guideways of all of the catches to disengage all the catches with the lid part substantially in its closure position, the lid part can be removed from the container part.

The array of catches may be located on the container part to engage with the lid part as the latter is fitted.

Preferably however the catches are located on the lid part to snap engage with the container part as the lid part is fitted to its closure position.

DRAWINGS One embodiment of a container assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of the assembly showing its lid and container fitted and secured together; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the lid and an optional coolant facility; Figure 3 shows one of an array of catches provided on the lid and also illustrates part of a tool for disengaging the catch from the container; Figure 4 is a perspective view of part of the assembly shown in Figure 1 taken on the line IV - IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section of the assembly similar to that section shown in Figure 4 and illustrates disengagement of the catch by use of the tool shown in Figure 3;; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a special purpose tool intended for simultaneously disengaging all of the catches in the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a section of the lid illustrating the attachment thereto of the optional coolant facility, and Figure 8 shows a possible modification for attachment of the optional coolant facility.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION ~ OF DRAWINGS The container assembly illustrated is in the form of a tote box conveniently used for the handling of fresh food produce and which is of generally oblong rectangular parallelopipedon shape having a container 1 and a lid 2 each of which is formed as a plastics moulding. Typical dimensions for the assembly are 100 cms length, 50 cms width and 30 cms depth. The container 1 has a rectangular base (not shown) upstanding from which are four side walls 3 that form a rectangular top opening 4 to the container.

The upper ends of the side walls 3 provide a peripheral rim 5 to the open top. The upper ends of the side walls are doubled so that the rim 5 includes a peripheral outer flange 6 extending downwardly from the top of the container and the bottom edge of which flange 6 presents a downwardly directed peripheral abutment surface 7.

The lid 2 has a generally planar closure part 10 of oblong rectangular shape and extending around the periphery of which is a downwardly directed channel 11 formed between an outer peripheral flange 12 and an inner continuous flange 13. The flanges 12 and 13 of the lid 2 oppose each other in substantially parallel relationship and when the lid is fitted to close the top opening 4 of the container 1, the rim 5 of the container is closely received within the channel 11 between the flanges 12 and 13 (as shown in Figures 4 and 5). Preferably the side walls 3 of the container are in sliding, substantially face-to-face abutment with the flange 13 of the lid.

Formed in the outer flange 12 of the lid are ten identical catches 15 which are disposed three in each of the longer side edges of the lid and two in each of which the shorter side edges. The catches are spaced substantially regularly about the periphery of the lid and each catch has a downwardly directed resilient tongue 16 formed between parallel slots 17 in the flange 12.

Extending from the bottom end region of the tongue 16 are a pair of inwardly directed barb-like projections 18 between which is formed a guideway 19. Each projection 18 has an upwardly extending and inwardly directed chamfered face 20 which provides a lead-in to a shoulder 21 of the projection.

The container assembly when closed is, in the present example (but not necessarily), to provide an hermatic seal to its contents and located and secured within the bottom of the channel 11 is a sealing ring 30 which extends continuously about the length of the channel. Produce such as fresh meat which is to be transported and/or stored in the container assembly may be chilled and loaded into the container 1 following which the container may be purged of air and provided with a non-oxidising atmosphere such as nitrogen. The lid 2 is fitted to close the open top floor of the container by a push fit so that the container rim 5 is received, as aforementioned, within the channel 11.

During this initial fitment the lead-in faces 20 of the catches 16 slide over the rim flange 6 to displace the tongues 16 against the resilient biasing of the plastics material outwardly from the plane of that flange 6 until the shoulders 21 of the catches snap engage, automatically under the natural resilience of the plastics material in the tongues 16, over the abutment surface 7 to firmly retain the lid 2 in a closure position. In this latter position the seal 30 is compressed to seal between the container rim 5 and the lid within the channel 11 as shown in Figure 4.

In the event of an authorised attempt to remove the lid 2, without damage, from the container 1 by a person manipulating the catches 15, each tongue 16 may individually be flexed outwardly of the flange 6 for the shoulders 21 of a particular catch to clear the abutment surface 7 to disengage that catch, however the catches 15 are peripherally spaced too far apart for more than two catches to be disengaged, without considerable inconvenience, by one person. Furthermore, in the event that one or two catches are disengaged and an attempt is made to lift the lid from the container without damage or evidence of tampering to the lid, the inner flange 13 of the lid will be urged into abutment with the side walls 3 of the container.This abutment restrains the lid from being canted or bent, twisted or otherwise distorted from its closure position sufficiently for the catches which are disengaged (while other catches are still engaged) to be prevented from re-engaging so that when those catches are manually released they return under the biasing afforded by their natural resilience to re-engage with the abutment surface 7. Consequently opportunist pilfering or unauthorised access to the contents of the container is alleviated from such persons who do not wish to damage the container and thereby provide evidence of tampering and do not have available a special purpose tool 40 (Figure 6) which may be provided for authorised opening of the container.

The tool 40 comprises a rectangular frame 41 conveniently supported by legs 42 on a base 43.

Upstanding on the frame 41 adjacent to the inner rectangular opening thereof are ten upstanding wedge shaped projections 44. The rectangular opening presented by the frame 41 substantially corresponds in shape and size to the outer surface of the peripheral flange 6 of the container rim 5 and the wedge shaped projections 44 are disposed on the frame 41 to correspond in their array with the guideways 19 provided in the array of catches 15. To open the container assembly by aid of the tool 40, the container 1 with its fitted lid 2 is lowered with its base leading through the rectangular opening of the frame 41 so that the container may be guided by the frame for the catch guideways 19 to co-incide one each with the wedge like projections 44.As the container is lowered onto the base 43 of the tool the projections 44 move, one each, into the guideways 19 of the respective catches 15 between the tongue 16 of that catch and the rim flange 6. As a consequence the tongues 16 are subjected to a wedge action which causes them to flex outwardly of the flange 6 to disengage the catch shoulders 21 from the abutment surface 7 (as shown in Figure 5) and release the catches. When the container assembly has been lowered sufficiently to stand on the tool base 43 all of the catches are disengaged simultaneously by the wedge-like projections 44 which projections maintain the catches 15 disengaged for the lid to be removed from the container.If required, the projections 44 on the tool may be of sufficient height so that they both disengage the catches and hold the lid at an elevated position so that the container is lowered from the lid onto the base of the tool and the lid is effectively automatically disengaged and raised from the container.

As a further possibility when the catches have been disengaged by the projections 44, the frame 41 carrying the projections (possibly with the legs 42) may be lifted from the tool to carry the lid and separate it from the container.

It will be noted from Figure 1 that the outer top face of the lid 2 is provided with a rectangular recess 10A.

This recess is substantially complementary to the rectangular base of the container 1 so that several similar container assemblies can be stacked as a vertical column with the base of the container of an overlying container being accommodated within the recess 10A of the immediately adjacent underlying container in the column.

Although the shoulders 21 of the catches 15 are located in a common plane in the illustrated example, it will be appreciated that the shoulders 21 of the respective catches can be at different depths with respect to the top of the lid 2 provided that the abutment surface 7 of the container is profiled or modified to correspond to the different depth shoulders which snap engage with it; in this latter arrangement the effective heights of the respective wedges 44 on the tool 40 may differ to correspond with various depths which may be provided for the tongues 16 with respect to the top of the lid.

As an optional feature which is particularly useful where the container assembly is intended for the storage of chilled produce such as fresh food, the lid 2 may be modified to carry on its side which is presented to the open top of the container, coolant means indicated at 50 in Figures 2 and 7. The coolant means 50 will generally be in the form of pre-frozen satchets of gel or liquid as are well known in the art for chilling purposes or may be in the form of ice blocks. In the modification shown in Figures 2 and 7 the coolant means 50 is carried by a plastics moulded tray 51 having opposed outwardly directed flanges 52. Moulded onto the inner face 10B of the top closure are a pair of spaced tracks 53 which form opposed channels 54.The flanges 52 of the tray 51 snap engage, one each in the opposed channels 54 to firmly retain the tray on the underside of the lid 2 and retain the coolant means 50 between the lid and the tray. It will be noted that the tray 51 is provided with openings (shown in the form of slots) to expose the coolant means to the atmosphere within the container assembly and so that the atmosphere can circulate and be cooled by the coolant means. By this modification it will be appreciated that it is a simple matter to remove the tray 51 and coolant means 50 from the lid for refrigeration purposes and subsequent refitting to the lid. Furthermore the location of the coolant means on the underside of the lid in the top of the container is believed to be particularly advantageous as it alleviates the disadvantages of prior proposals for chilling foodstuffs where frozen satchets were interspersed, often unhygienically, among the foodstuff within the container; also it provides an efficient cooling effect to the container contents as convection currents are created by the air or other gas chilled by the coolant means 50 at the top of the container falls through the container contents while the less cool air or gas rises to be chilled. An alternative method of fitting the tray 51 to the underside of the lid 2 is shown in Figure 8 where the tracks 53 are replaced by headed studs or bosses 56 which are moulded to project from the underside of a lid and the tray flanges 52 are provided with slots or recesses 57 which are sprung into engagement with the bosses 56 to firmly and removably retain the tray 51 fitted to the lid.

Claims

1. A container assembly comprising a container part having a top opening and a lid part for fitment to a closure position on the container part to close the top opening; a first of said parts having an array of resilient catches which snap engage with the second of said parts as the lid part is fitted to its closure position so that said snap engagement retains the lid part in its closure position, and wherein said catches are spaced about the periphery of the top opening with the lid part in its closure position and said parts are arranged so that the lid part in its closure position is restrained from flexing, twisting, bending or canting from its closure position when said catches are disengaged and for removal of said lid part from its closure position to open the container part all said catches must be disengaged simultaneously from said second part while the lid part is maintained substantially in its closure position.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the lid part in its closure position seals the top opening and forms an hermetically sealed storage chamber in the assembly.

3. An assembly as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 in which the lid part is restrained from flexing, twisting, bending or canting from its closure position by a flange of the lid co-operating with the container part adjacent to its open top.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 in which the flange of the lid part is continuous relative to the periphery of the top opening with the lid part in its closure position.

5. An assembly as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4 in which the flange of the lid part is received within the open top of the container part during fitment of the lid part and with the lid part in its closure position said flange lies adjacent to an upstanding wall of the container part.

6. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the catches are formed integral with said first part.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 in which the catches comprise resilient tongues carrying shoulders and guide faces for said shoulders which are arranged so that as the lid part is fitted to the container part, said guide faces slide over said second part causing said resilient tongues to flex and the shoulders to snap engage over abutment surface means of the second part when the lid part attains its closure position and engagement of the shoulders with the abutment surface means retains the lid part in its closure position.

8. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which each catch comprises a guideway for receiving a catch opening projection that when displaced relative to the first part will displace the catch against its resilient biasing to disengage the catch from the second part whereby when catch opening projections are located in the guideways of all said catches to disengage all of the catches with the lid part in its closure position, the lid part is removable from the container part.

9. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the catches are located on the lid part.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9 in which the lid part comprises a plastics moulding and the catches are formed integral therewith.

11. An assembly as claimed in either claim 9 or claim 10 in which the lid part has a peripheral flange within which a rim of the container is received, said rim extending about the periphery of the top opening and said catches being located on the peripheral flange of the lid to snap engage with said rim of the container part in the closure position of the lid part.

12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11 in which said rim comprises a flange on the container part which is adjacent to its top opening and presents an abutment face with which the catches snap engage.

13. An assembly as claimed in either claim 11 or claim 12 when appendant to claim 4 in which the rim of the container part is received within a peripheral channel in the lid part, said peripheral channel being formed by an outer peripheral flange and an opposed inner continuous flange, said catches being located on said outer peripheral flange and said inner continuous flange being received within the open top of the container part during fitment of the lid part to lie adjacent to an inner face of an upstanding wall of the container part and to restrain the lid part from flexing, twisting, bending or canting from its closure position.

14. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the lid part carries coolant means which is presented to the top opening when the lid part is in its closure position for cooling or maintaining cool contents of the container part.

15. An assembly as claimed in claim 14 in which the coolant means is carried on the lid part to be removable for re-cooling following use.

16. An assembly as claimed in either claim 14 or claim 15 in which the coolant means comprise satchets of coolant material.

17. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16 in which the coolant means is carried by a tray removably attached to the lid part.

18. An assembly as claimed in claim 17 in which the tray is sprung into engagement with the lid part to be firmly retained thereon and to retain the coolant means between the tray and the lid part.

19. The combination of a container assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and a tool for use in removing the lid part from its closure position, said tool comprising a plurality of catch openers which are disposed in a similar array to the array of catches, the tool being arranged so that the catch openers can be presented one each to the respective catches engaging between the lid part in its closure position and the container part and the catch openers displaced relative to the catches to displace the catches so that they disengage from the second part and to retain all the catches simultaneously disengaged substantially with the lid part in its closure position for the lid part to be removable from the container part.

20. A combination as claimed in claim 19 in which the catch openers comprise wedge projections which are presented from a frame of the tool and are displaced in unison relative to the catches so that said wedge projections displace the catches against their resilient biasing, substantially simultaneously to disengage all of the catches from the second part.

21. The combination as claimed in claim 20 when appendant to claim 9 in which the container part is receivable within the frame so that relative displacement of the frame over the container part automatically moves the wedge projections to disengage the catches on the lid part from their engagement with the container part.

22. The combination as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21 when appendant to claim 8 in which said catch openers are disposed to be received within the guideways of the respective catches.

23. A container assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying illustrative drawings.

24. A container assembly as claimed in claim 23 and modified substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying illustrative drawings.

25. The combination of a container assembly as claimed in either claim 23 or claim 24 and a tool substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying illustrative drawings.