JP2010502393A - Non-round, moisture-proof, resealable container with a round sealing surface - Google Patents

Abstract

A hinged container is provided. The hinged container includes a bottom, a lid, and a hinge that connects the bottom and the lid to open and close the lid with respect to the bottom. One of the bottom and the lid is a circular, outwardly tapered outer seal member and has an outer seal member disposed at least partially within the outer periphery of one of the bottom and lid. The other of the bottom and lid is a circular, inwardly tapered inner seal member having an inner seal member at least partially disposed within the outer periphery of the other of the bottom and lid. When the bottom and the lid are closed, the inner seal member and the outer seal member form a seal by mutually engaging the surfaces tapered inward and outward to form a seal. Are opened, they are positioned so that the inwardly and outwardly tapered surfaces are separated in a concentric state.

Description

This invention is a reference to claims claiming priority and claims benefiting from provisional patent application 60 / 824,720 filed on September 6, 2006. is there.
This application is filed on US patent application Ser. No. 11 / 171,171 filed Jun. 30, 2005, No. 10 / 683,311 filed Oct. 10, 2003, and Oct. 10, 2002. This is a related application of the 60 / 417,533 filed. Each patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background art can be found in US Published Applications 2005 / 0,258,174A1 and 2004 / 0,173,612A1. All of each application is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to containers useful, for example, for primary bulk packaging of pharmaceutical and medical device products. Chemical and medical device products cause quality degradation due to moisture. Therefore, such products need to be packaged in a substantially wet environment throughout the life of the product.
Consumers prefer bulk packages that are designed in a flat, new and user-friendly shape (ie, non-round). Such a design package is convenient to place in a pocket or purse. In the case of a non-round package, the primary sealing surface of the package is also non-round.
Packages with non-round sealing surfaces typically incorporate a gasket in the sealing area. The gasket is compliant and creates a moisture tight seal in the package seal area when pressed. However, gaskets are an additional material that increases the overall cost of the package. Incorporation of the gasket requires a two-shot injection molding method or a secondary assembly operation.

US patent application Ser. No. 11/171171 US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 683,311 US Patent Application No. 60 / 417,533 US Patent Application Publication No. 2005 / 0258174A1 US Patent Application Publication No. 04 / 0173612A1 US Patent No. 4783056 U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,116 US Pat. No. 5,723,085 US Pat. No. 6,303,064 W / O2005 / 074571A3 specification US Pat. No. 4,807,425 US Pat. No. 6,769,558 US Pat. No. 5,911,937 US Pat. No. 6,214,255 US Pat. No. 6,130,263 US Pat. No. 6,080,350 US Pat. No. 6,174,952 US Pat. No. 6,124,006 U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,446

  It is to provide a non-round, moisture-proof, resealable container having a round sealing surface.

The inventors have found that a moisture-tight seal can be created without the use of a gasket by making the sealing surface substantially or exactly round. In some embodiments, a round seal surface simplifies the molding and assembly process and reduces the overall cost of the bulk package. In some embodiments, the container and the sealing element are made from the same material.
According to the present invention, a hinged container is provided that includes a bottom, a lid, and a hinge connecting the bottom and the lid. The bottom portion and the lid portion have an outer peripheral portion, and the lid pivots via a hinge and opens and closes with respect to the bottom portion.

The container has an outwardly tapered at least substantially circular outer seal member and at least a generally frustoconical surface, the outer seal member defining a central axis. The outer seal member is fixedly attached with respect to one of the bottom and the lid, and is at least partially disposed inside a corresponding outer periphery of the attached bottom or lid.
The inner and outer sealing members are wedged by the inner and outer tapered surfaces interengaging under a concentric condition when the bottom and lid are closed to form a seal. When the bottom and the lid are opened, the inwardly and outwardly tapered surfaces are positioned so as to disengage and separate from each other under a concentric condition.

The inner and outer seal members are optionally configured to provide a moisture tight seal.
The inner and outer seal members are optionally configured to be resealable.
The inner and outer seal members are optionally substantially mated.
The inner and outer seal members are optionally substantially aligned when the bottom and lid are closed.
The hinged container optionally has a generally bivalve shape.
The hinge is optionally integral with the bottom and the lid.
The bottom optionally has a non-round perimeter.
The lid optionally has a non-round outer periphery.
Each perimeter is optionally aligned when the container is closed.
Any one or more of the lid, the seal member attached to the lid, the bottom, the seal member attached to the bottom, and the hinge are optionally made from the same material.
Any one or more or all of the lid, the seal member attached to the lid, the bottom, the seal member attached to the bottom, the hinge, are optionally made from the same material.

The hinged container optionally incorporates a child safety function structure to make it difficult for the child to open. In one embodiment, the child safety function structure includes at least one push tab that protrudes from the notch in its closed or home position. When the push tab is pushed in, the child safety function structure latch mechanism releases the catch function structure of the lid so that the lid can be opened. A spring element associated with the push tab pushes the push tab back to the home position.
In accordance with the present invention, a round, resealable surface is maintained between the bottom and top package components, thereby allowing the package shape to be non-round. In some embodiments, a moisture tight seal is obtained without the use of a separate gasket material, and in some embodiments, the benefits of a round seal surface can be provided in a non-round package shape.

  A non-circular moisture-tight resealable container having a round sealing surface is provided.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating each element of a seal in a container by showing the bottom and lid in cross section of the container according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the container of FIG. 1 with the lid removed. FIG. 3 is a detailed view of each element for sealing the container of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of each component of the container of FIGS. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of each component of another embodiment of the container. FIG. 6 is a plan view of each component of the child safety function structure according to another embodiment of the container of FIG. FIG. 7 is a front view partially cut away to show the latch mechanism of the child safety function structure in another embodiment of the container in the assembled state. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the pushing tabs on the side of the child safety function structure portion of the container in the assembled state of FIG. 5 in the pushing position. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 8 taken along line 9-9.

  A typical bulk package of the present invention includes at least two components: (1) a bottom or first component and (2) a lid or second component. In one embodiment, the bottom can function as a lid, or vice versa. These two components are connected by a flip top hinge, often referred to as a bivalve package or hinged container assembly. Bulk packages are manufactured using an injection molding process. In one embodiment, the lid and bottom are made of polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). PP and PE are general-purpose plastics having high moisture resistance. Other suitable materials include, but are not limited to, polyethylene (PE-high density, low density, LLD, VLLD), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), Examples include cyclic olefin copolymer (CoC), polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), polyester terephthalate (PET), polyamide (nylon), acetal copolymer or homopolymer resin, and liquid crystal polymer. In another embodiment, the bottom includes a dry plastic and may be composed of an outer surface made of PP or PE and an inner surface made of a dry plastic.

The product is typically bulk filled into the bottom. In one embodiment, the product guide component is assembled on the filled bottom and after filling the product, a lid is placed over the bottom to close the bottom. In one embodiment, the product guide component assembled in the bottom is covered with a lid to close the product guide component. During this closing process (i.e., the process of snapping components together), a moisture tight seal is created between the lid and the bottom. In one embodiment, during the closing process, a moisture tight seal is created between the lid and the product guide component assembled in the bottom.
The present invention relates to resealable containers and, more particularly, to an edible film package assembly incorporating a sealing mechanism for storing and packaging moisture sensitive, i.e. moisture sensitive items.

The edible film package assembly includes upper and lower components that can be attached by hinges, the upper component having a circular inner skirt or inner seal that is partially or completely spaced from the outer periphery, the lower component comprising: It has a skirt or sealing surface that is partially or completely spaced from the outer periphery. In various embodiments, each outer periphery is round or non-round, and can optionally be substantially mated and aligned.
In one embodiment, a rectangular functional structure called a product tray is provided in the lower component. The product tray has a four-side configuration that includes three sides consisting of vertical walls or stoppers and one side consisting of inclined walls, and the compartment created by these sides creates a stack of edible films. Hold.
The circular sealing surface of the lower component includes a wall that engages the upper component, which is the lid, to provide a tight fit between the upper and lower components. In some embodiments, a moisture tight seal is created when the package is closed.

  In certain embodiments, the container may be molded according to one or more molds similar to those disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 4,783,056 and 4,812,116, respectively. In yet another embodiment, using such processes and molds, assemblies including caps, containers, springs, hinges are described in the aforementioned US Pat. Nos. 4,783,056 and 4,812,116. In yet another embodiment, it can be manufactured according to US Pat. No. 5,723,085 or US Pat. No. 6,303,064. These patent documents are incorporated herein by reference. In these patents, the container is closed immediately after molding to create a moisture tight seal.

In yet another embodiment, the flexible functional structure of the lid is used to create a moisture tight seal of the container. A flexible lid seal is described in W / O2005 / 074571A3.
In one embodiment, a film guide is assembled on the lower component. The film guide is assembled after product filling. The film guide is resiliently engaged on the lower component to form a permanent seal connection or a non-seal connection with the lower component. The film guide has a circular functional structure along the upper surface that forms a resealable moisture seal with the sealing surface of the upper component.
The bulk package of the present invention has great flexibility with respect to its overall shape and may be symmetric or asymmetric in nature. Preferred shapes are optionally square with rounded corners, optionally triangular with rounded corners, oval, optionally rectangular with rounded corners and trapezoids, etc. Numerous shapes are included.

  In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a wet and resealable container and lid assembly. Here, “resealable” means that the lid of the container is opened or reopened many times (for example, 10 times or more), closed or reclosed, and yet the moisture-tight property is maintained. Shall. As used herein, “dampness” and “moisture sensitivity” refer to the amount of moisture penetrating into the container (after one day) in terms of moisture, less than about 1500 micrograms, in some embodiments about 500 micrograms. And less than about 300 micrograms, and these values are recorded using the following test methods: (a) placing 1 gram ± 0.25 gram molecular sieve in a container and (b) ) Assembling the container, (c) placing the closed container in an environmental chamber under conditions of 80% relative humidity and 22.2 ° C., (d) after 1 day, measuring the weight of the container including the molecular sieve (e ) After 14 days, measure the weight of the container containing the molecular sieve, and (f) the weight obtained by subtracting the weight of the material after 14 days from the initial weight divided by 14 of the elapsed days, and in micrograms of water per day Moisture container erosion And those determined by the test method to calculate the amount.

  In yet another embodiment, the container can be resealed after repeated opening and closing of the lid. For example, the seal keeps the penetration rate low after repeated opening and closing of the lid. In one particular embodiment, the seal maintains low moisture penetration characteristics after 50 repeated opening and closings. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,812,116, 4,807,425, 5,723,085, and 6,769,558 describe examples of seal configurations. These patent documents are incorporated herein by reference. In another particular embodiment, a resealable container may be realized by incorporating a flexible lid seal geometry. A flexible lid seal is described in W / O2005 / 074571A3.

In other examples, desiccant may be incorporated into the package by making one or more packaging components from a desiccant plastic. In one embodiment, the bottom of the hinged container has an inner surface made of dry plastic and an outer surface made of PP or PE. The bottom can be made using a two-shot injection molding process. In yet another embodiment, the film guide can be made of a dry plastic.
Upon repeated opening and closing of the container, the desiccant plastic or desiccant entrained plastic re-establishes a low relative humidity environment within the container assembly within a short period of time (eg, as short as about 10 minutes).

The desiccant entrained plastic may contain silica gel as a desiccant or molecular sieve as a desiccant. Depending on the application as intended by the end user, a molecular sieve or silica gel desiccant may be placed in the sleeve. For example, molecular sieves can be used in applications where low relative humidity (RH) (eg, less than 10% RH) is required during the shelf life. In other examples, the silica gel can maintain 10-30% RH during the product shelf life.
Suitable desiccant entrained plastics include, but are not limited to, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,911,937, 6,214,255, 6,130,263, 6,080,350. No. 6,174,952, No. 6,124,006, and No. 6,211,446. These patent documents are incorporated herein by reference. By changing the amount of the desiccant used during blending and the polymer type, the moisture capacity and collection efficiency of the entire plastic with the desiccant can be controlled.

  In yet another embodiment, the container is provided with a child safety feature that is relatively easy for an adult to open, but is much harder for a child to open. In a preferred aspect of this embodiment, the child safety function structure meets the criteria for a child safe sealed container (CRC). The US government has established a CR protocol to evaluate the effectiveness of sealed containers. The Pediatric Safety Protocol Test is specified by the Federal Food and Drug Administration in CFR Title 16 Part 1700. In general, pediatric safety sealed containers should be effective for infants under 5 years of age and should be user-friendly for users over 50 years of age, especially over 60 years of age.

1-4, one embodiment of a hinged container 10 is shown and includes a bottom 12, a lid 14, and a hinge 16 connecting the bottom and the lid. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinged container 10 has a bivalve shape as a whole, but this need not be the case. For example, the hinge 16 may be omitted or the shapes of the bottom 12 and the lid 14 may be changed. Optionally, bottom 12, lid 14, or any of them may have a non-circular perimeter as shown, but these perimeters may be round.
The bottom portion 12 has an outer peripheral portion 18, and the lid 14 has an outer peripheral portion 20. Optionally, the outer perimeters 18 and 20 of the bottom and lid are substantially mated (having substantially the same shape) and are substantially aligned when the bottom and lid are closed (ie, each outer perimeter). Are substantially aligned around the entire circumference). However, it is not essential that the bottom and lid peripheries 18 and 20 match to form the seal of the illustrated embodiment, so mating or alignment is not a requirement. These outer peripheries 18 and 20 may be mated but not aligned, eg, offset from each other.

The lid 14 can be opened and closed with respect to the bottom 12 by a hinge 16. Optionally, the hinge can be integrated into the bottom 12 and the lid 14 but need not be integrated into the bottom 12 and / or 14. Optionally, pin-type hinges or other types of hinges can be used.
A film guide 22 is also provided that dispenses a stack of sheets 24. The structure, characteristics, and mounting of the film guide will be described in detail below.
The container 10 and the lid 14 in this embodiment have a circular, outwardly tapered outer seal member 26 that defines a central axis 28. The taper is applied outward and descends vertically (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) toward the distal end of the flange forming the outer seal member 26. In other words, the diameter at the distal end (of the outer seal member) is larger than the diameter of the flange forming the outer seal member 26 at a position spaced above the distal end.
The outer seal member 26 is fixedly attached to either the bottom or the lid (in the example, the lid), and is at least partially disposed inside the outer periphery corresponding to the attached bottom or lid. In the present embodiment, the outer seal member 26 and the lid 14 are integrated to form each part of a single material piece as shown. Alternatively, the outer seal member 26 and the lid 14 can be separate members, or else the material can be made by one shot injection molding.

The container 10 and the bottom 12 in this embodiment have a circular, inwardly tapered inner seal member 30 which is centered (collinear in the present embodiment when the container is closed). Therefore, the same central axis as the central axis 28) is defined. The taper is applied inward and ascends vertically on the side wall 32 of the film guide 22 as shown in FIGS. In other words, the diameter of the side wall 32 at the upper corner position (of the inner seal member) is smaller than the diameter in the seal region below the upper corner section, as shown in FIGS.
The degree of taper shown in each figure is exemplary only and seals if the material used is stiffer, softer or more flexible than polypropylene, or depending on the set geometry of the seal member The degree can be varied if the member is more or less flexible or depending on the coefficient of friction between the seal members 26 and 30.

Sidewall 32 need not taper from the bottom position to the top position, and the flange defining outer seal member 26 need not taper from the bottom position to the top position. It is sufficient to taper the mutual engagement portions of the inner seal member 30 and the outer seal member 26, and this taper facilitates the wedge fastening between the seal members.
The inner seal member 30 is attached to the outer seal member 26 in a fixed state with respect to the other of the bottom and the lid (here, the bottom), and the inside of the outer peripheral portion 18 corresponding to either the bottom or the lid to which the inner seal member is attached. At least partially. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner seal member 30 is an outer portion above the film guide 22 that is a separate portion from the bottom portion 12. In other embodiments, the inner seal member 30 and the bottom 12 can be integrated or made by one shot injection molding the material. Optionally, any one or more of a lid, a seal member attached to the lid, a bottom, a seal member attached to the bottom, and a hinge are made from the same material. Optionally, all of these members can be made from the same material that does not need to be soft enough to form a conventional gasket. Thus, the material is substantially rigid when the container is used and its flexibility is not significant. Optionally, any one or more or all of the lid, the seal member attached to the lid, the bottom, the seal member attached to the bottom, and the hinge may be made from polypropylene.

  The inner and outer seal members engage in a concentric state when the bottom and lid are closed, and are positioned so that the taper surfaces applied inward and outward are wedged to form a seal. Is done. The inner seal member 30 and the outer seal member 26 disengage under a concentric condition when the bottom and the lid are opened (ie, under a condition where the two axes substantially coincide as shown). Thus, the taper surfaces applied inward and outward are positioned so as to separate. Since the seal length or contact length of the inner seal member 30 and the outer seal member 26 from the top position to the bottom position is relatively short, the amount of deviation from the same center position when the lid 14 is pivoted with respect to the bottom 12 is small. There are few. Alternatively, when the lid 14 is pivoted open, the hinge 16 experiences transverse “play” perpendicular to the shaft 28 and the inner seal member 30 and the outer seal member 26 are separated. There is a method of keeping the lid 14 and the bottom 12 closer to the same central state. In the case of an integral hinge, the narrow cross-section at the position of the bent portion of the hinge is thinned to be thinned or weakened to form a long integral hinge such as a strap, or other methods known in the art Can be provided.

Optionally, inner seal member 30 and outer seal member 26 are shaped to provide a moisture tight seal as defined herein. Optionally, inner seal member 30 and outer seal member 26 are shaped to have resealability as defined herein.
Referring back to the film guide 22, the film guide 22 has a side wall or outer flange 32 and an inner flange 34 (shown in FIG. 4) that are concentric in this embodiment, but need not be concentric. . Each flange is connected by a circular web 36. The web 36 has a dispensing opening 38 and a lid 40 associated with the opening.
The bottom 12 has specific functional structures that cooperate with the film guide 22 to define a dispenser that dispenses a stack of sheets 24 within the container 10. The bottom portion 12 includes a circular flange 42, a reentrant portion 44 that defines an inclined ramp portion that rises from the left to the right in FIG. 4, and a stopper that detains the laminate of the sheet 24 product in a clear position on the inclined ramp portion. 46. In order to further clarify the position of the laminated body, an additional stopper (not shown) may be arranged on each side of the laminated body.

  FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the container 10 with the film guide 22 shown as a separate piece lifted upward from its assembled position. When the film guide 22 is lowered to the assembly position, its inner flange 32 and outer flange 34 receive the flange 42 on the bottom 12, and one or both of the inner flange 32 and outer flange 34 engage the flange 42, and the film guide 22. Are tightened accordingly with respect to the bottom 12. Accurate positioning of the film guide 22 in the fixed position with respect to the bottom 12 is beneficial in accurately aligning the inner seal member 30 and the outer seal member 26. The inner flange 32, the outer flange 34, and the flange 42 should have complementary shapes and may be round, but this is not necessary, and these flanges may be the inner seal member 30 and outer seal member 26 if desired. An inner and outer seal member similar to can be defined. This configuration may be beneficial if it is desired to place the inner seal container within the outer seal container or if the film guide 22 is to function as a container lid.

  Further, when the film guide 22 is lowered to the assembly position, the folded lid 40 comes into contact with the inclined ramp portion defined by the reentrant portion 44, and a stopper as indicated by reference numeral 46 comes into contact with the web 36. This configuration may be beneficial to prevent the sheet 24 product stack from sliding and misaligning in the transverse direction. In the assembled container, when the lid 14 is opened, the user inserts a finger from the dispensing opening 38 to attach the top sheet of the laminate of the sheet 24 product to the finger, and the dispensing lid 40 is inclined. The sheet can be dispensed by sliding on the top surface. If this operation is repeated, the next sheet can be dispensed. Each sheet can be, for example, an edible soluble sheet composed of a breath refresher component.

Other dispensing means may be provided. For example, the film guide 22 may be omitted, and the flange 42 may be further extended to contact the lid 14 when the container 10 is closed, and the outer seal member 26 and flange 42 may be configured as inner and outer seal members, or They can interact in the opposite way. In this case, tablets, capsules, cosmetic powders, creams or gels, or other articles or supplies supplies can be housed in the flange 42 and surrounded by the bottom 12 and lid 14 webs. .
With reference to FIGS. 5-9, the other Example of the container which employ | adopted the child safety functional structure part is shown. In this embodiment, the inner seal member 130 and the outer seal member (not shown) have similar shapes and function in a manner similar to the inner seal member 30 and the outer seal member 26 illustrated in FIGS. Thus, a seal is formed when the bottom 112 and the lid 114 are closed. However, the bottom 112 has another functional structure that cooperates with the film guide 122 to clamp the film guide 122 in a fixed position relative to the bottom 112. These other functional structures include a plurality of positioning pins 150, for example, four positioning pins 150 attached to the bottom 112. The locating pins 150 fit into corresponding recesses on the lower surface of the film guide 122 when the film guide 122 is lowered to its assembled position on the bottom 112. Each positioning pin maintains the film guide 122 in a fixed position relative to the bottom 112.

  The child safety function structure 152 employed in the present embodiment is formed of a flexible plastic material, and is generally designated by reference numeral 154, and includes two latch mechanisms, one on each side of the child safety function structure. At least one push tab, shown as push tab 156. When the lid is closed, the latch mechanism engages with the catch function structure 170 on the lid 114 to lock the lid to the bottom 112. When the pushing tab is pushed in as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the latch mechanism is released from the catch function structure and the lid is opened as will be described in detail below. Each push tab 156 is provided with a spring 158 associated with the push tab 156 so as to bend when the push tab 156 is pushed. When the pushing tab is released, the biasing force generated in the bent spring returns the pushing tab 156 to its home position.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the child safety functional structure 152 can be attached to the bottom plate 160 that can be connected to the bottom 112, or can be incorporated into the bottom 112. Each side of the bottom 112 is provided with a notch 162 that receives each push tab 156 when the child safety function structure 152 and the bottom plate 160 are assembled into the bottom 112. In the assembled state, each push tab 156 projects outwardly from the side wall of the bottom 112 through these notches 162.

  The latch mechanism 154 protrudes through the opening 155 in the bottom 112 and includes at least one latch portion 164 (here two latch portions 164 are shown) having a downward abutment 166. Here, “downward” means facing away from the opening direction of the lid 114, and is not necessarily referred to the direction with respect to the peripheral portion of the container. Each latch portion 164 engages a catch 170 that extends downwardly from the lid 114 (here, two catches 170 are shown). Each catch has an upward abutment 172 that receives the downward abutment 166 of the latch portion 164 and locks the lid 114 onto the bottom 112 when the lid 114 is in its closed position on the bottom 112. Here, “upward” means facing the opening direction of the lid 114, and is not necessarily referred to the direction with respect to the peripheral portion of the container.

When the user unlocks the lid 114 and opens the container, the user pushes the push tab 156 into the container. By this operation, when each downward support 166 on each latch part 164 is separated from each upward support 172 on each catch 170, the latch part 164 is detached from the catch 170 and the lid 114 is opened. When the push tab 156 is stopped from being pushed, the spring 158 pushes the push tab back to its home position, causing the push tab to protrude outward.
Although the child safety function structure is illustrated as being connected to the bottom, it may be incorporated in the lid. In such embodiments, the latch mechanism can be positioned on the lid and the catch feature structure can be positioned on the bottom. Moreover, although the child safety functional structure is shown in a state of being incorporated in a relatively flat container, as long as the container uses a bottom, a lid, and a hinge connecting the lid to the bottom, various arbitrary shapes can be used. It can be incorporated in a container.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications can be made within the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Hinged container 12, 112 Bottom 14 Lid 16 Hinge 18, 20 Outer peripheral part 22, 122 Film guide 26 Outer seal member 28 Center axis 30, 130 Inner seal member 32 Side wall 34 Inner flange 36 Web 38 Distribution opening 40 Lid 42 Flange 46 Stopper 150 Positioning pin 154 Latch mechanism 155 Opening 156 Pushing tab 158 Spring 160 Bottom plate 162 Notch 166 Downward abutment 164 Latch part 170 Catch function structure 172 Upward abutment

Claims (31)

A hinged container,
(A) a bottom portion having an outer peripheral portion;
(B) a lid having an outer periphery;
(C) a hinge connecting the bottom and the lid, and a hinge that can pivot the lid to open and close with respect to the bottom;
(D) a circular, outwardly tapered outer seal member that defines a central axis and is fixedly attached with respect to one of the bottom and lid; An outer seal member at least partially disposed therein;
(E) a circular, inwardly tapered inner seal member that defines a central axis and is fixedly attached with respect to the other of the bottom and the lid and of the corresponding outer periphery at the other of the bottom and the lid; An inner seal member at least partially disposed therein;
Including
(F) When the inner seal member and the outer seal member close the bottom portion and the lid, the inwardly tapered surface and the outwardly tapered surface are concentric with each other. When they are wedged together to form a seal and the bottom and lid are opened, the inwardly tapered surface and the outwardly tapered surface are uncoordinated to each other. A hinged container that is positioned to separate together. The hinged container of claim 1, wherein the inner seal member and the outer seal member are configured to provide a moisture tight seal. The hinged container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner seal member and the outer seal member have a form that allows release. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an outer peripheral part of the bottom part and an outer peripheral part of the lid are substantially combined. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer peripheral portion of the bottom portion and the outer peripheral portion of the lid are substantially aligned when the bottom portion and the lid are closed. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which has a bivalve shape as a whole. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the hinge is integrated with the bottom and the lid. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the bottom portion has a non-round shape. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the lid has a non-round shape. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein each outer peripheral portion is aligned when the container is closed. The hinged container according to claim 1, wherein the lid and the sealing member attached in the lid are made of the same material. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the bottom and the sealing member attached in the bottom are made of the same material. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the lid and the hinge are made of the same material. 14. A hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the bottom and the hinge are made from the same material. 15. A hinged container according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the bottom is made from two materials, one of which is a desiccant entrained polymer. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the lid is made of polypropylene. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the sealing member is mounted in a polypropylene lid. 18. A hinged container according to any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the bottom is made from polypropylene. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the seal member attached in the bottom is made of polypropylene. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein a film guide is attached to the bottom. 21. The hinged container of claim 20, wherein the film guide comprises a desiccant entrained polymer. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the hinge is made of polypropylene. The hinged container according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein a latch portion is provided at the bottom, a catch is provided at the lid, and the latch portion is positioned to engage with the catch when the lid and the bottom are closed. 21. The hinged container of claim 20, further comprising at least one push tab on the latch portion, wherein the latch portion is released from the catch when the push tab is pushed. 25. The hinged container of claim 24 further comprising a spring that returns the push tab from its pushed position. 26. A hinged container according to any one of claims 23, 24, 25, wherein the latch portion has an abutment that engages the abutment on the catch when the lid and bottom are closed. A hinged container,
(A) a bottom having an opening;
(B) a movable lid having a form to cover the opening when closed;
(C) a hinge that connects the bottom and the lid, and a hinge that can pivot the lid to open and close with respect to the opening in the bottom;
(D) at least one catch provided to be associated with one of the bottom and the lid;
(E) at least one latch provided to be associated with the other of the bottom and the lid so that it can be positioned and engaged with the catch when the lid is closed to cover the bottom opening; A latch that is movable to engage and open the lid;
(F) at least one push tab provided in association with the latch, movable between a first position projecting outward of the container and a second position pushed inward of the container; A push tab from which the latch disengages from the catch by moving from the first position to the second position;
Including hinged container. A biasing force further comprising a spring associated with the push tab, wherein the push tab contacts the spring when the push tab moves from the first position to the second position, and pushes the push tab back into the spring into the first position. 28. The hinged container of claim 27, wherein: 29. A hinged container according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the catch has an upward abutment, the latch has a downward abutment, and the downward abutment engages the upward abutment. 30. A hinged container according to any of claims 27, 28, 29, wherein the catch is associated with the lid and the latch is associated with the bottom. 31. A hinged container according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein the catch, the latch and the push tab cooperate with each other to form a child safety functional structure for the hinged container.

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