GB2300623A

GB2300623A - Food container with spring tensioned hinged lid

Info

Publication number: GB2300623A
Application number: GB9515141A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nichola Barry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-05-10
Filing date: 1995-07-24
Publication date: 1996-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2015-07-24
Also published as: GB2300623B; GB9509415D0; GB9515141D0

Abstract

A container (1) as commonly used in the sale and distribution by retail, of, for example, margarine, has a lid (3) attached to a container body (2) by one or more hinge elements (4), formed for example by one or more loops or hoops. The or each hinge element is pretensioned such that when the container (1) is opened, the lid (3) automatically rises clear of the opening of the container body (2), to allow for easy access to the contents. The hinge element (4) is joined with the lid (3) and container body (2) at points clear of the opening of the container (1) and the sealing surfaces (5, 6) of the lid (3) and container body (2).

Description

FOOD CONTAINER The present invention relates to containers as commonly used for the retail sale of margarine, butter and similar foodstuffs and spreads.

Such containers are usually manufactured in plastics, and typically have an oblong, square or possibly circular body portion, together with a correspondingly shaped lid which engages with the body portion about its edges to seal the container and preserve the container's contents.

The present invention aims to provide an improved food container.

Viewed from one aspect, the present invention provides a container for storing butter, margarine, spreads or other such foodstuffs, comprising a container body for holding the foodstuff and a lid for sealing the foodstuff therein, the lid being attached to the body by at least one hinge element, the hinge element being pretensioned, such that when the lid is initially unsealed, the hinge element causes the lid to rise automatically away from the opening of the container body to give access to the foodstuff, the hinge element being attached to the body and lid at positions spaced from sealing portions of the lid and body, e.g. the peripheral edges of the lid and body opening.

The invention comprises a conventional container of conventional material, size and shape, as is commonly used for the sale of margarine and similar foodstuffs, with the innovation of the lid being attached to the body of the container by one or more pretensioned hinge elements, e.g. a loop or hoop, between the lid and the container body, the or each loop or hoop standing away at its extremities from the actual opening of the container body and the sealing surfaces of the lid and the container body.

As the hinge element is pretensioned, the lid of the container, after being initially unsealed from the container body, will raise itself to a predetermined position, preferably at a right angle or greater to the container body, thus affording easy access to the contents of the container.

By having the ends of the hinge element clear from the sealing edges of the container, foodstuff does not accumulate at the hinge element.

The lid may fit snugly onto the container body as in a conventional detachable plastics margarine container, for example by a channel about the periphery of the lid which engages a lip of the container body.

When use has been made of the container and it is required to be re-closed and re-sealed, the lid, by virtue of its fixed and erect position above the opening of the container, may be easily deflected back down onto the body of the container, with for example the back of the hand, without the need to specifically direct it.

The lid is guided into place by the pretensioned hinge element. Thus, the container may be re-sealed without any particular manipulation or guidance by the user.

If one hinge element is used, this may be provided adjacent a corner of the container. Two or more hinge elements may also be used, and may be spaced along an edge of the container.

The hinge element or elements may comprise a narrow plastics strip, e.g. a plastics loop or hoop, attached to a side of the container body and the top surface of the lid.

Preferably, to aid the user in the opening of the container, a tab may be provided on the lid, preferably opposite to the hinge element or elements. The tab may extend out and away from the lid for a short but significant length. For example, if one hinge element is utilised on a corner of the container, the tab may be on the opposite corner of the lid, and if two hinge elements are utilised on adjacent corners or on one side of the container, then the tab may be located on the opposite edge of the lid in a position equidistant between the hinge elements.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a container in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a top view of the container of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of the hinged portion of the container of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the container of Fig. 1, with the lid open; Fig. 5 is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1-4, a container 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention comprises a body portion 2 and a lid 3, the lid 3 being attached to the body 2 by a hinge element 4, which is pretensioned, so that once the lid 3 is unsealed from the body 2, it automatically rises up from the body 2 to give access to the foodstuff, such as margarine.

Lid 3 includes a channel 5 which positively engages a lip on the edge 6 of the body portion 2 to seal the foodstuff in the container 1.

The hinge element 4 is attached to the lid 3 and body 2 at points A and B, which are spaced from the sealing portions 5,6 of the body 2 and lid 3.

A tab 7, opposite the hinge 4, allows the lid 3 to be easily and simply unsealed.

The container 1 allows easy access to the foodstuff without difficulty or mess, and allows the lid 3 to be simply reclosed by, for example, placing the back of the hand against the lid and pushing the lid down, with the hinge 4 guiding the lid 3 back into position on the container body 2.

As the attachment points of the hinge are spaced from the sealing edges 5,6 of the body 2 and lid 3, the margarine or other foodstuff does not accumulate at the attachment points.

The tab 7 provides a good grip which is away from the sealing edges of the container.

A second embodiment is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and differs from the first embodiment, in that the container 1 comprises a pair of spaced hinge elements 8 and a tab 9, the tab 9 being on the opposite edge of the container 1 to that of the hinge elements 8. The hinged elements 8 are spaced equally from the longitudinal centre line of the container, and the tab 9 is positioned at the centre-line, in the middle of the edge.

The container body, lid and hinge elements are of plastics construction, and may be made in any suitable manner.

The above are only specific examples of the present invention, and various modifications and alternatives are possible. For example, the body and lid may be circular, and the arrangement and number of hinge elements may be changed.

Claims

1. A container for storing butter, margarine, spreads or other such foodstuffs, comprising a container body for holding the foodstuff and a lid for sealing the foodstuff therein, the lid being attached to the body by at least one hinge element, the hinge element being pretensioned, such that when the lid is initially unsealed, the hinge element causes the lid to rise automatically away from the opening of the container body to give access to the foodstuff, the hinge element being attached to the body and lid at positions spaced from the container opening and sealing portions of the lid and body.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid is hinged to the body at at least one corner thereof.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid is hinged to the body at one or more positions along an edge thereof.

4. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the lid is attached to the body by a pair of spaced hinge elements.

5. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the hinge element comprises a narrow plastics strip.

6. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the hinge element is attached to the top surface of the lid and to a side of the container body.

7. The container of any preceding claim, wherein the lid includes a tab for aiding in the opening of the container.

8. A container for storing butter, margarine, spreads or other such foodstuffs, comprising a container body for holding the foodstuff and a lid for sealing the foodstuff therein, the lid being attached to the body by at least one hinge element, the hinge element being pretensioned so as to urge the lid upwards away from the opening of the container body to give access to the foodstuff, the hinge element being attached to the body and lid at positions spaced from the periphery of the container body opening and the periphery of the lid.

9. Containers as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.