US3470930A

US3470930A - Container and closure therefor

Info

Publication number: US3470930A
Application number: US697334A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward T Jurczenia
Original assignee: US Smokeless Tobacco Co LLC
Current assignee: US Smokeless Tobacco Co LLC
Priority date: 1968-01-12
Filing date: 1968-01-12
Publication date: 1969-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 1986-10-07

Description

Oct. 7, 1969 E- T. Junczzm 3,470,930

CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Jan. 12, 1968 INVENTOR. Edward T. Jurczenio' A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,470,930 CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Edward T. Jurczenia, San Carlos, Calif., assignor to United States Tobacco Company, New York, N.Y. Filed Jan. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 697,334 Int. Cl. B65d 25/00, 41/16 US. Cl. 150-5 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE SPECIFICATION This invention relates to closures, and more in particular to snap-fit closures which are used to seal containers such as those in which food and other products are sold to consumers.

, An object of this invention is to provide a closure that can easily be removed from and replaced upon the container by hand. p

A further object is to provide a closure that will continue to produce a leak-proof, airtight seal after the closure has been removed and replaced several times.

' A still further object is to provide a closure that is not accidentally removed from the container, if, for example, a person lifts the container by grasping the sides of the closure.

These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out below.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container closed with a lid made in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

A container 1 of molded flexible polyethylene is cylindrical in form, with a side wall 3. Covering the open top of container 1 is a lid or closure 5, comprising a circular or disc portion 7 and a vertical flange 9', extending down from the periphery of disc portion 7 along the side wall 3 of the container. The entire closure is a unitary piece of molded flexible polyethylene.

Located on the inner surface of flange 9 and extending around its entire circumference are two parallel ridges 6 and 8, which rest against and hug the outside surface of container wall 3. Between ridges 6 and 8, a circumferential channel 4 is formed with a surface 11, which is at an angle of approximately 30 degrees to the vertical; a surface 13 which is substantially vertical; and a surface 15, which is at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the vertical. A second channel 10, is formed above ridge 6 by a sloping surface 17, a vertical surface 18, and the lower surface 14 of the top of the closure.

The horizontal lip surface or upper edge 12 of container wall 3 abuts against surface 14. Protruding from surface 14 immediately adjacent the inner side of edge 18 is an annular ridge 16, which cooperates with the other structure to form a seal with side wall 3 to prevent leakage from the container. Sealing ridge 16 has a horizontal annular surface 19 and adjacent sloping side surfaces 21.

An integral circumferential bead 22 protrudes from the outer surface of container wall 3 and fits in channel 4. As will be explained more fully below, bead 22 acts ICC as a reinforcing rib tending to maintain the top of the container in its true cylindrical shape. The entire structure including that feature and the shape of channel 4, which has been described above, causes the closure flange to grip bead 22 very firmly, so that the chance of an accidental removal of the closure from the container is very slight. The strength with which closure 5 is held upon the container is further increased by channel 10, because if flange 9 were in contact with container wall 3 above ridge 6, it would prevent the surfaces of channel 4 from moving inwardly against bead 22.

To facilitate the removal of the closure from the container, the inner surface 24 of flange 9 slopes away from container wall 3 below ridge 8. The space or slot 27 between the lower edge of flange 9 and container wall 3 permits the flange to be grasped and pulled outwardly at any point on its circumference. At the same time, the flange is pushed upwardly, so that ridge 8 slides over the outside of bead 22, thereby freeing the closure from the container.

Located a short distance below the lower edge of the closure flange 9 and protruding from the outer surface of container wall 3 is a large circumferential rib 25, which, together with head 22, gives the container sufficient rigidity so that its open end retains a circular shape. This rigidity of shape is necessary in order to maintain the firm grip of the surface of channel 4 on bead 22 through the circumference of the container. A further important function of rib 25 is to reduce the possibility that a person lifting the container by its closure might inadvertently pry flange 9 away from the container wall and remove the closure. The space or slot 28 between the lower edge 26 of flange 9 and rib 25 is small enough that it is unlikely that a person would slip his finger tips between them unintentionally. By eliminating the danger that the closure will be accidentally detached from the container, rib 25 allows the closure to be used as a handle for lifting the container. At the same time, rib 25 still leaves edge 26 sufiiciently exposed to permit a person to force a finger beneath it, to grasp the bottom of the flange, and to draw it outwardly. In other words, rib 25 performs the important function of preventing the accidental removal of the closure without interfering with the removal of the closure when it is desired.

It has been found that this container and lid combination gives very satisfactory results in the storage and shipment of food products. The seal formed is liquid tight and the closure may be removed and replaced without impairment of the sealing function.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the invention and is not intended in a limiting sense. It is contemplated that the invention is capable of many other embodiments, including for example, some in which the shapes of the containers and closures are different from those described.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of, an open mouth container having a curved mouth whose top edge is defined by a vertical side wall structure having adjacent inner and outer surfaces, and a flexible closure for said open mouth having a peripheral portion of its inner transverse surface in contact with said top edge and having a peripheral flange surrounding said top edge and extending downwardly adjacent said outer surface of said wall structure, said closure having an upper circumferential rib and a lower circumferential rib protruding from the inner surface of said peripheral flange and contacting said outer surface of said wall structure, a lower circumferential channel located between said upper rib and said lower rib, and an upper circumferential channel located between said inner transverse surface of said closure and said upper rib, said container having a circumferential rib protruding from said outer surface of said wall structure and contacting the surfaces of said lower circumferential channel of said flange to form an interlocking relationship with said ribs of said flange, said closure having an annular rib projecting from said inner transverse surface adjacent said inner surface of said wall structure and at lesser radius with its outer periphery exposed to said inner surface of said wall structure of said container, said ribs and said lower circumferential channel presenting cam surfaces which facilitate vertical movement of said closure relative to said container when said flange is moved outwardly away from said wall structure, and said inner surface of said flange being spaced at its lower edge at a distance from said outer surface of said wall structure to facilitate the grasping of said flange.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wall structure of said container has an outwardly protruding portion spaced below and parallel to the bottom edge of said flange of said closure thereby facilitating the lifting of said container at its top without the accidental removal of said closure from said container.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rib protruding from said container wall structure is of convex or rounded shape and said lower channel of said flange is defined by a vertical center surface, a sloping upper surface located between said center surface and said upper rib, and a sloping lower surface located between said center surface and said lower rib.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sloping upper surface meets said vertical center surface at an angle of approximately 150 degrees and said sloping lower surface meets said vertical center surface at an angle of approximately 135 degrees.

5. The combination of, a cylindrical open mouth container formed by an integral wall structure of flexible plastic and having a circular mouth whose top edge is defined by a vertical side wall structure having adjacent inner and outer surfaces, and a closure formed from a single piece of flexible plastic, said closure having a peripheral portion of its inner transverse surface in contact with said top edge and having a peripheral flange surrounding said top edge and extending downwardly adjacent said outer surface of said wall structure, said closure having an upper circumferential rib and a lower circumferential rib protruding from the inner surface of said peripheral flange and contacting said outer surface of said wall structure, a lower circumferential channel located between said upper rib and said lower rib, and an upper circumferential channel located between said inner transverse surface of said closure and said upper rib, said container having a circumferential rib protruding from said outer surface of said wall structure and contacting the surfaces of said lower channel of said flange to form an interlocking relationship with said ribs of said flange, said closure having an annular rib projecting from said inner transverse surface adjacent said inner surface of said wall structure and at lesser radius with its outer periphery exposed to said inner surface of said wall structure of said container, said ribs and said lower circumferential channel presenting cam surfaces which facilitate vertical movement of said closure relative to said container when said flange is moved outwardly away from said wall structure, the lower edge of said flange being spaced with respect to saidouter surface of said wall structure to facilitate the grasping of said flange, said wall structure having an outwardly protruding portion spaced a short distance below and parallel to the bottom edge of said flange of said closure thereby giving rigidity to said container, facilitating the lifting of said container at its top, and preventing the attendant accidental removal of said closure from said container.

6. The combination of, an open mouth container having a mouth whose edge is defined by a side wall structure, and a flexible closure for said open mouth having a peripheral portion of its inner transverse surface extending above said top edge and having a peripheral flange surrounding said top edge and extending downwardly adjacent said outer surface of said wall structure, said closure having an upper circumferential rib and a lower circumferential rib protruding from the inner surface of said peripheral flange and contacting said outer surface of said wall structure, a lower circumferential channel located between said upper rib and said lower rib, and an upper circumferential channel located above said upper rib, said container having a circumferential rib protruding from said outer surface of said wall structure and contacting the surfaces of said lower circumferential channel of said flange to form an interlocking relationship with said ribs of said flange.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein said closure includes a portion protruding into said mouth of said container and presenting a ledge surface along the inner surface of said mouth.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,778,525 1/1957 Lermer 220- 2,984,382 5/1961 Florsheim 220-60 3,297,194 1/ 1967 Schaper 220-72 FOREIGN PATENTS 866,652 4/ 1961 Great Britain.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.