US3741431A

US3741431A - Container with snap-open cover

Info

Publication number: US3741431A
Application number: US00130267A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Burdick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-04-01
Filing date: 1971-04-01
Publication date: 1973-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-26

Abstract

A container having a snap-open cover in which the cover is provided with a skirt having a single arcuate cut-away portion, curled edge for strengthening and improved fulcrum zones joining the cut-away portion and curled edge which cooperates with a flattened peripheral ledge on the container bottom to facilitate opening in a snap action.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Burdick CONTAINER WITH SNAP-OPEN COVER [76] Inventor: Ralph V. Burdick, Colonial Green, Loudonville, NY.

[22] Filed: Apr. 1, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 130,267

52 us. c|..' 220/43 P 6/1967 Burdiclg, 220/43 P 12/1964 'Womer 220/43 P June 26, 1973 6/1965 Meyerhoefer 220/43 P 8/1967 Burdick, Jr. 220/43 R Primary Examiner-Herbert F. Ross Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Attomey-Kane, Dalsimer, Kane, Sullivan and Kurucz [57] ABSTRACT A container having a snap-open cover in which the cover is provided with askirt having a single acruate cut-away portion, curled edge for strengthening and improved fulcrum zones joining the cut-away portion and curled edge which cooperates with a flattened peripheral ledge on the container bottom to facilitate opening in a snap action.

2 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures 1 CONTAINER WITH SNAP-OPEN COVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to containers wherein are packaged, for the most part, semi-solid materials containing volatiles, such as shoe polishes, waxes, ointments, creams, paints and the like. The invention is described herein in terms of a container for packaging shoe polishes for simplicity of description, however, it is recognized that the particular description is by way of illustration only and the container described herein can be used for packaging any product which could normally be contained within a metallic container.

Containers of this type and for the particular uses intended must be designed to maintain a substantially airtight fit between the cover and the bottom portion. The cover and bottom are formed of resilient material and the cover is generally provided with a depending skirt portion which maintains an airtight engagement with the wall of the bottom. For opening in a snap-open action the cover skirt is in the prior art provided with an arcuate cut-away portion whereby downward pressure on the cover directly over the cut-away portion effects a rocking of the cover about fulcrum points and the extremities of the cut-away portion causing the cover skirt opposite the cut-away portion to rise off the bottom side wall.

Examples of such containers are found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,857 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,890. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,857 two cut-out portions are provided. One is provided in the zone of the cover whereat pressure for opening is applied while the remaining cut-out portion is provided opposite the first cut-out portion to relieve or release the cover skirt from sealing engagement with the' container bottom portion when the opening force is applied. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,890 there is provided a curl for strengthening the skirt of the cover in the zones whereat the cut-out portions are not present. I

The provision of two cut-away portions, as taught in the first of these patents, limits the effectiveness of the teaching of the second patent, namely strengthening through curling. Also, whenever uncurled cover edges are present there is scratching and scraping of adjacent covers or lids during storage, shipping and in the hopper. In addition, the necessity of providing in fabrication the two cut-out portions presents increased problems.

It has been found that by improving the fulcrum action an improved and more economical container can be provided with a single cut-away portion while providing the same effective sealing ability of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION tant curled edges, and the cut-away portion and the curled portion joined by depending fulcrum zones, the skirt sealingly embracing the beaded edge with each of the fulcrum zones and a contact zone of said curled portion opposite the cut-away portion contacting the flattened ledge, whereby downward pressure on the cover above the cut-away portion will unseat the cover as the fulcrum zones vare pivoted on the ledge and the contact zone is disengaged of the bead.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a container constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the container shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the arcuate cut-away portion of the skirt of the cover;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation of the container illustrating the contact zone of the skirt of the cover;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation similar to the view of FIG. 1 with the cover pivoted to the opening position;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view similar to the view of FIG. 2 but with the cover pivoted to the opening position as in'FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation taken along the line 7-7 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 3 illustrating a fulcrum zone of the cover contacting the flattened ledge of the bottom when the cover is in the closed position;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 88 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevation similar to that of FIG. 7 but illustrating a fulcrum zone when the cover is in an intermediate position between closed and open positions;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10-10 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary elevation similar to FIGS. 7 and 9 but illustrating a fulcrum zone when the cover is in the position of opening; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line 1212 in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 11.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings there is shown a container which has been constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention for use in containing semi-solid materials such as shoe polish or the like. The container comprises a cover portion 10 and bottom portion 12.

The bottom portion has an upwardly extending side wall 14 which is provided with a top peripheral edge 16 herein shown as having an outwardly expanded, rolled over, beaded edge around which the proper seal is effected by engagement with the cover portion as described below. An outwardly directed flattened periph eral ledge 18 is formed in said side wall 14 intermediate thereof. I

The cover portion 10 is provided with a downwardly directed circular skirt 20 which is joined to the top surface 22 of the cover by a strengthening knuckle 24 as is common in the art. A stacking ridge which is also known in the art is shown and indicated by the numeral 26.

The skirt is provided with an arcuate cut-away portion 28 which extends over a distance of the skirt which is not more than half the circumference thereof. The

ieneslsohm32,15: mvidedw h a strengthening ourl a distancconsiderably less than oneehalf the e 1 pletely overlies and seat ing the desired seal.

the open position),

re rneirider of the. skirt, withthefeitception of fulcrum j Iciairni slightly below the curled portion. I; 3 In the embodimentdisclosedhereirrwhich istl' e ferred embodimen tgthecutaway portionexten s ference or the skirt; n F gs. 1,1,4, manutsfme 5 7 cover is shown mine closed; positio with

fulcrum zones

30 and 32 abuttingflt he upper surface offlutteried ledge 18. Since the fulc'rum zones projectslightlybelo the curled portiohga srnlallf space exists betweenythep upper surface of ledge 18 andcurl 34 adjacenpeaeh of f the fulcrum zones 30 and S Zfin the closed flposition of the cover. These slightsp aceswhich arj somewhaftlekagge rated in the Pigs; zjtreyindicated byjfthendmgrglSQfi and BSQA zone of curl341dirctlyoppdsitelcti eivay Portion 28 is indicdwdib. he HW le m iiiwainipilffilfiu aunt abutting the upper of flattened jleldge ls tlye}y adjaicgmi gain of said fulcrum zongs nlheslosued pppositqsaid eueawa 1 ortioiabuein said] flattened The cover is showndinyeposition identified herein as the open position inFIG.S.;5, 6 ,f11 hhdllzind isyshown in FIGS .9 and 10in a position intermediate betwee the closed and open positionslb When it is desired topper; the container, aiforce is applied to the coverabbvecut-away porti'od28asfill: trated by the arrow in F lqf l causing thedepend j fulcrum zones to roll; ojrlftheiipper surface offledgejf as illustrated by thebrokenli ries labeled and C in FIGS. 8, .10 and 123mm: pivoting of the eover about 1 these points of contactQThe eontactzoneidfl is r ais edk; and passes over the "bead 1621s the coverflntovesifrorn the closed position through the interrn cjstepositiontoh FIG. 7 is a sectionqtakenfon FIG. 3 at thefulcr um zone 32. FlGS. 9 a nd \11ares iews sirhilartoFlG; FIG. 11' being thelopen position of theacover ahdFIG 9 being aninterm ediate' g ition. Sincetliejer t cut away portion occupiesa; p ir t' or section of {the circuit: ferenee of theski ft whibhj is; less thanone cumference. The ehanging of the contgictpomtio fulcrum and the upperlsurface of ledge .JSQes IIus "on the fulcrum zones and thatlin the"elosed positionof"

Claims

1. In a container of the character described, adapted for use in containing semi-solid material such as shoe polish and the like, having a cover portion and a bottom portion: said bottom portion including a circular bottom, an upwardly extending side wall, a top beaded edge of said side wall, and an outwardly formed flattened peripheral ledge intermediate said side wall; said cover portion including a top surface, a downwardly extending resilient skirt joined to said top surface at the periphery thereof, a single arcuate cut-away portion of said skirt, a curled portion of said skirt formed with bending resistant curled edges, uncurled fulcrum zones joining said cut-away portion and said curled portion and depending below said curled portion, said skirt sealingly embracing said beaded edge with each of said fulcrum zones and a contact zone of said curled portion opposite said cut-away portion abutting said flattened ledge in the closed position of said cover, said depending fulcrum zones providing spaces between the upper surface of said ledge and said curled portion respectively adjacent each of said fulcrum zones in the closed position of said cover, whereby downward pressure on said cover above said cut-away portion will unseat said cover as said fulcrum zones are pivoted on said ledge and said contact zone is disengaged of said bead.

2. A cover for a container adapted for use in containing semi-solid material such as shoe polish and the like, said cover to cooperate with a bottom portion including a circular bottom, an upwardly extending side wall, a top beaded edge of said side wall, and an outwardly formed flattened peripheraL ledge intermediate said side wall; said cover portion including a top surface, a downwardly extending resilient skirt joined to said top surface at the periphery thereof, a single arcuate cut-away portion of said skirt, a curled portion of said skirt formed with bending resistant curled edges, uncurled fulcrum zones joining said cut-away portion and said curled portion and depending below said curled portion, said skirt sealingly embracing said beaded edge with each of said fulcrum zones and a contact zone of said curled portion opposite said cut-away portion abutting said flattened ledge in the closed position of said cover, said depending fulcrum zones providing spaces between the upper surface of said ledge and said curled portion respectively adjacent each of said fulcrum zones in the closed position of said cover, whereby downward pressure on said cover above said cut-away portion will unseat said cover as said fulcrum zones are pivoted on said ledge and said contact zone is disengaged of said bead, and said cut-away portion extending over a distance of said skirt which is less than one-half the circumference of the skirt presenting a curled edge over the major portion thereof reducing scraping of adjacent covers during storage, shipping and in the hopper.