JP2005517596A - Container lid and combination of lid and bowl - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
A lid (10) for a container includes a main body portion (11), a peripheral sealing edge (12) that removably engages the upper peripheral edge of the bowl in use, and from the sealing edge A tab member (17) extending in the lateral direction. The tab members are semicircular and their peripheral edges are substantially aligned with the remainder (18) of the peripheral edge of the lid edge. The main body portion (11) of the lid is aligned with the tab member (17) at the sealing edge and has an inwardly extending reinforcing rib (19) that can be grasped with a finger when the lid is removed from the bowl. The outer surface of the base of the bowl combined with the lid is adapted to mate with reinforcing ribs that extend inwardly on the lid of the container that extends downward, thus positioning adjacent containers relative to each other when stacked. Like that.

Description

  The present invention relates to container lids that can be used in storing and transporting foods and other materials, and that can be used in microwave ovens for reheating food, container lids and container bowls. And the combination. Such containers have traditionally been made of a sufficiently strong plastic material that has a bowl and a removable lid and can accommodate various temperatures from the freezer to the microwave.

  Such known but not generally known containers are the square containers disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,032,837, and the US design patent specification. It is the circular container currently disclosed by number 411714. Both specifications disclose the use of laterally extending tab members that can be firmly grasped with fingers to help remove (release) the lid from the bowl.

However, one problem with containers of the type described above is a laterally extending tab that extends beyond the periphery of the container to increase the overall width of the container. This requires a larger storage space for the containers, especially in order to store a large number of such containers side by side in a storage compartment such as a cupboard, a refrigerator or a refrigerator freezer compartment.
Thus, the purpose of the first aspect of the present invention is to eliminate the problems as described above for a type of container having a tabbed lid that can be grasped with a finger to help remove (release) the lid from the bowl. It is to provide a container lid for a container that minimizes, if at all.

  In connection with the first aspect of the present invention, a main body portion, a peripheral sealing edge removably engaged with the upper peripheral edge of the bowl in use, and at least a laterally extending from the sealing edge of the lid A lid for a container having one tab member is provided. The tab member has a semicircular shape with its peripheral edge substantially aligned with the rest of the peripheral edge of the lid edge.

  In the case of a square or rectangular lid for a lid of a given shape, at least one corner of the lid is semicircular, and a semicircular tab member is formed integrally with the corner, thereby Preferably, the perimeter of this is substantially aligned with the remaining adjacent straight side of the perimeter of the lid.

Further, it is preferable that each of the four corners is semicircular and a tab member is provided at each of the four corners.
In the case of a circular or elliptical lid, at least two semicircular tab members are provided, and the inside of a line tangent to the outermost point of the curvature of the lid edge between these tab members. It is preferable that there is another outermost end.

Another problem with the container of the above-mentioned U.S. patent specification having a lid with a laterally extending tab member is that it is adjacent to the tab member when the tab member is grasped with a finger so as to release the lid from the bowl. The material of the lid is subject to high bending forces and can be weakened or even broken, especially by continued use of the container and the frequent bending of the lid that accompanies it.
Accordingly, an object of the second aspect of the present invention is to have a type with a lid with a rim that can be pinched with fingers or a tab member that can be pinched with fingers to help remove the lid from the corresponding bowl. The type of container is to provide a container lid for a container that reduces, if not at all, the problem as described above is completely solved.

  In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lid for a container having a main body portion and a peripheral sealing edge that removably engages an upper peripheral portion of the bowl in use. The main body portion of the lid has at least one inwardly extending reinforcing rib aligned with a portion of the periphery of the sealing edge that can be grasped with a finger when removing the lid from the bowl.

The reinforcing rib is preferably formed by molding on the outside of the remaining plane of the main body of the lid, and is a part of the lid having substantially the same thickness as the rest of the main body.
It is preferable that a plurality of reinforcing ribs extending inward are provided.
The peripheral sealing edge preferably has at least one tab member extending laterally therefrom and the inwardly extending reinforcing ribs are preferably aligned with the tab member.

The peripheral sealing edge preferably has a plurality of tab members extending laterally therefrom, and the reinforcing ribs extending inward are preferably aligned with each of these tab members.
The outer surface of the base of the bowl combined with such a lid is mated with reinforcing ribs that extend inwardly above the lid of the container that extends downward, thus positioning adjacent containers relative to each other when stacked. .

Also, consider a lid for a container that can implement both the first and second aspects of the present invention and has a preferred form as described above.
Also consider a container having a bowl combined with a removable lid as described above.
Two preferred embodiments implementing both the first and second aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, there is shown a square container lid according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The container lid is constituted by the main body 11. The main body is formed along the peripheral sealing edge 12 and the peripheral edge of the lid adjacent to the inside of the edge 12 to remove the upper peripheral edge 14 of the associated bowl shown in FIGS. And a groove 13 that can be received.

  In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, like the four corners 16 of the associated bowl, the four corners 15 of the lid of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are semicircular and are semicircular tabs. It is formed integrally with the member 17. The perimeters of these tab members are substantially aligned with the remaining adjacent straight side surfaces 18 of the perimeter of the lid, and thus the tab members extend further laterally than the maximum distance between the opposite side surfaces 18 of the lid. There is nothing.

  In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the lid of this preferred embodiment includes four inwardly extending upstanding ribs that are aligned with each corner to form a cross-shaped structure as shown in the drawings. 19 is formed. These standing ribs reinforce the lid near each corner. Regardless of these standing ribs, the four tabs are grasped with fingers when removing (releasing) the lid from the bowl.

In this preferred embodiment, the stand-up ribs 19 are formed by molding the required part of the main body of the lid outside the remaining plane of the main body, and thus the material thickness of these stand-up ribs is It is almost the same as the remaining thickness of the main body.
Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the associated bowl 20 has the upper peripheral edge 14, the side wall 21 and the base 22 described above. The outer surface of the base has a cross-shaped recess 23 that matches the cross-shaped upright reinforcing rib structure on the lid, and when the plurality of containers are stacked, the base of the bowl of the adjacent container and the lid are connected to each other. Can be positioned in relation to each other (can fit snugly).

  Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, there is shown a circular container, indicated generally at 24, having a lid 25 according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The lid is composed of a main body 26 provided with a peripheral sealing edge 27 detachably engaged with the upper peripheral edge 28 of the corresponding bowl 29.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, two pairs of radially opposing semicircular tab members 30 are formed integrally with the periphery of the lid, and these are the lids between the tab members. Is located on the inner side of a line that is tangent to the outermost point of the curvature of the peripheral edge 31. Thus, the tab member does not extend laterally beyond the diameter between the radially opposing portions 31 of the lid.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the lid is formed with standing ribs 32 that extend inwardly in four radial directions. These upstanding ribs are aligned with the tab members and have a cross-shaped structure as shown in the drawing. Thereby, the part of the lid adjacent to each tab member is reinforced. Regardless, the tab member is grasped with a finger when the lid is removed (released) from the bowl. Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the standing ribs 32 are formed by molding a necessary part of the main body of the lid outside the remaining plane of the main body, and thus the thickness of these ribs is It is almost the same as the rest of the main body of the lid.

  The corresponding bowl 29 has the upper peripheral edge 28, a cylindrical side wall 33, and a base 34. The outer surface of the base 34 has a cross-shaped recess (not shown). And this recessed part corresponds with the cross-shaped standing reinforcement rib on a lid | cover, and when the some container is stacked, the base part of a bowl of an adjacent container and a lid | cover are located mutually.

  In both embodiments of the present invention, the recess 35 is provided between the peripheral edge portion and the cross-shaped standing reinforcing rib. Matching ribs are provided along the outer surface of the base of the container bowl so that when multiple containers are stacked, the bases and lids of adjacent container bowls are positioned relative to each other. To help).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the upper peripheral edge of the bowl of the container may be circular and extend outward and may have tab members 37, 38 formed integrally with the bowl, respectively. Tab members 17 and 30 formed at the periphery of the lids 10 and 25 have a semicircular recess deep inside to receive the tab members 37 and 38 respectively on the bowl, and remove (release) the lid from the bowl. ) Having a concave surface provided with a shallow semicircular concave portion on the outside that can be gripped by a finger. Regardless of helping to position the lid on the bowl, the recessed interconnects having tab members 37 and 38, respectively, produce an audible sound, such as a click, so that the lid is safe from the upper edge of the bowl. Is engaged. This is best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. 7, the skirt portion of the lid tab member 17 at the corner 15 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 and the skirt portion of the lid tab member 30 of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 6 are folded back inward. Ribs 40 are provided. These ribs are attached to the free end 41 of the skirt portion of the respective tab members 37 and 38 of the bowl with a snap fitting feature that simultaneously generates an audible (clicking) sound when the lid is fitted to the bowl. Engage on the side.

  It is understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described using the examples described above, since modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention are readily made by those skilled in the art. Will be done.

FIG. 1 is a top side perspective view of the top of a container lid of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the top of the container bowl combined with the lid of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the combination of the lid | cover and bowl of a container which implement | achieves the lid | cover of 1st preferable embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a container lid and bowl combination according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the combination of the container lid and bowl of FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lid of the combination of FIGS. FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the interrelationship between the edge of the lid and the bowl of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (14)

  A main body portion, a peripheral sealing edge removably engaged with the upper peripheral edge of the bowl in use, and at least one tab member extending laterally from the sealing edge of the lid, The tab member has a semi-circular shape, and its peripheral edge is substantially aligned with the rest of the peripheral edge of the lid edge.   A square or rectangular lid for a correspondingly shaped bowl, wherein at least one of the corners of the lid is semi-circular and the semi-circular tab member is integral with the corner The lid of claim 1, wherein the periphery of the lid is substantially aligned with the remaining straight side of the periphery of the adjacent lid.   The lid of claim 2, wherein each of the four corners is semi-circular and the tab member is provided at each of the four corners.   A circular or elliptical lid, provided with at least two semicircular tab members, on the inside of the line tangent to the outermost point of curvature of the lid edge between the tab members. The lid of claim 1, wherein there is another outermost end.   A main body portion and a peripheral sealing edge that removably engages with the upper peripheral edge of the bowl in use, wherein the main body portion of the lid removes the lid from the bowl at the peripheral edge of the sealing edge A lid for a container having at least one inwardly extending reinforcing rib aligned with a finger gripping portion.   6. The reinforcing rib is part of the lid, formed by molding outside the remaining plane of the main body of the lid, the thickness of which is approximately the same as the remaining thickness of the main body. Lid.   The lid according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a plurality of inwardly extending reinforcing ribs are provided.   The lid according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the peripheral sealing edge is at least one tab member extending laterally therefrom, and inwardly extending reinforcing ribs are aligned with the tab member.   9. The peripheral sealing edge according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the peripheral sealing edge has a plurality of tab members extending laterally therefrom, and inwardly extending reinforcing ribs are aligned with each of the tab members. lid.   The outer surface of the base of the bowl with which the lid is assembled fits with the reinforcing ribs that extend inwardly above the lid of the container that extends downward so that they are positioned relative to each other when stacked with adjacent containers. A lid according to any one of claims 5 to 9, in combination with a bowl.   A lid for a container that fulfills the features of any one of claims 1 to 4 together with the features of any one of claims 5 to 10.   A container having a bowl combined with the removable lid of any one of claims 1-11.   A lid for a container whose essential points are explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.   A container having a bowl and a lid as outlined with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Images