WO1999025623A1

WO1999025623A1 - A container

Info

Publication number: WO1999025623A1
Application number: PCT/GB1998/003424
Authority: WO
Inventors: Simone Beadle; Alastair William Sanderson
Original assignee: Betts Uk Limited
Priority date: 1997-11-14
Filing date: 1998-11-13
Publication date: 1999-05-27
Also published as: AU1164699A; GB9724105D0; ZA9810402B

Abstract

A container comprising a body (11, 81) having a circular mouth (10) covered in use by a lid (12, 82) having a cylindrical wall (13, 84), the lid (12, 82) being deformable to engage a cam surface (17, 99) on the container body so that movement of the deformable portion (23, 84) causes separation of the lid and body. The lid (12, 82) may have a catch means (31, 86a) thereon that engages the body (11, 81) to prevent the separation of the lid unless the catch means (31, 86a) is rendered inoperative by for example rotation of the lid relative to the body.

Description

A CONTAINER

This invention relates to containers, and in particular to containers having press-on lids.

In WO 95/23743 there is disclosed a disc-shaped container having a body and a lid which is a press fit on the body. The lid has a circumferential side wall which is deformable into a groove in the side of the body so as to act against a surface of the groove causing the lid to separate from the body portion. The lid is readily separable from the body portion on squeezing the sidewall of the lid with one hand, and if the body is supported on a surface it is possible to open the container one handed. Such containers by their nature are easily opened by children.

The present invention provides a container with a push fit lid, which is more difficult to open, and therefore more secure, than the arrangement shown in WO 95/23743.

According to the present invention, there is provided a container comprising a body with a cylindrical mouth covered by a lid having a cylindrical wall which is a press- fit over the mouth, the lid being deformable to engage a cam surface on the container so that movement of the deformed lid portion over the cam surface tends to cause separation of the lid from the body, one of the lid and body having catch means adapted to engage the other of the lid and body to prevent separation of the lid and body unless the catch means is rendered inoperable.

Preferably the catch means is located on the lid and engages an undercut or detent on the container body. The body is preferably provided with an annular rib having the aforementioned cam surface on its side nearest the mouth of the container body, and the undercut or detent on its side away from the mouth. The body is preferably provided with a retainer means adjacent the mouth enabling the lid to make a snap fit therewith.

The container lid may have, on the inner surface of its cylindrical wall, a radial projection such as a rib or circumferentially spaced radial projections that make a snap connection with the retainer means on the body, the retainer means being preferably an annular rib.

The cylindrical wall may constitute the outer sidewall of the lid, or may be an inner cylindrical wall which engages the mouth of the container body and which is surrounded by an outer cylindrical skirt or sidewall.

Preferably the outer sidewall is deformable over the cam surface to cause the separation.

Preferably the catch means is rendered inoperative by placing the lid in predetermined alignment relative to the base.

The catch means may be released by relative rotation between the lid and body until the lid and body fall into a predetermined alignment permitting such release. The catch means may comprise circumferentially spaced axially extending claws fixed to the body or to the lid, which are resiliently biased to engage a detent means on the other of the body and lid.

Relative rotation of the lid may bring the catch means into alignment with spaces in or between the detent means, allowing the separation to take place. The catch means are preferably secured to a cylindrical wall of the lid, and when the cylindrical wall constitutes said outer sidewall the areas of the sidewall adjacent the catch means may be thickened. Alternatively the catch means may comprise a tear strip, preferably in the form of an annular collar, attached to the sidewall of the lid by frangible connections and engaging the body, the strip being removable to allow separation of the lid and body.

The lid is preferably moulded from a suitable plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyester. The body may be made of tin, glass, or a plastics material, and may also be made from the same material as the lid.

Preferably the container is substantially disc-like in shape having a cylindrical base, and the sidewall of the lid is concentric with substantially the whole length of the sidewall of the base.

The invention will hereinafter be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

Fig 1 is a side elevation of the lid for a disc like container according to the present invention,-

Fig 2 is a plan view of the lid of Fig 1;

Fig 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig 2;

Fig 4 is a side elevation of a base for a disc container according to the present invention;

Fig 5 is a plan view of the base of Fig 4 ;

Fig 6 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the inven ion;

Fig 7 is a cross-sectional view through the lid and container of Fig 6, Fig 8 is a cross-sectional view through a third embodiment of the invention, and

Fig 9 is a side elevation of the body portion of the container of Fig 8.

With reference to Figs 1 to 5 of the drawings, there is shown a disc-shaped container comprising a cup shaped body or base 11, as shown in Figs 4 and 5, and a lid 12 as shown in Figs 1-3.

The base 11 is a plastics moulding, preferably made from polypropylene or polyester, and is a cup shaped base having a cylindrical sidewall 13, forming a circular open mouth 10, and a flat bottom 20. The sidewall 13 has a first annular rib 14 adjacent to the mouth 15 of the base and axially spaced therefrom a second annular rib 16 nearer the bottom 20. The second annular rib 16 has a substantially frustoconical upper surface 17 with an axially directed lower surface 18. The second rib 16 has a plurality (preferably three or more) of circumferentially spaced cutouts 19 formed in the rib 16. In the illustrated embodiment, three cut-outs 19 each extend over an arc subtending an angle of about 30° at the axis of the base, and are irregularly spaced between centres such that cut-outs 19A and 19B are spaced by an angle B of 130°, cut-outs 19A, 19C are spaced by an angle D of 120° , and 19B, 19C are spaced apart by an angle C of 110°.

The lid 12 is also a plastics moulding formed from polypropylene or polyester and has a circular top end wall 21 and a cylindrical side wall 23 such that the lid 12 is a press on fit over the base 11 with the side wall 23 being a sliding fit over the base sidewall 13. The lid sidewall 23 has on its radially inner surface an annular array of circumferentially spaced radial projections 24, which in use resiliently snap over the first annular rib 14 on the base 13, to secure the lid to the base. The bottom edge 25 of the side wall 23 will, when the lid is assembled to the base, rest on or be proximate to the inclined upper surface 17 on the second annular rib 16.

The lid has formed on its outer sidewall 23 a plurality of catch members 31, one member 31 for each respective cut- out 19. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment: there are three circumferentially spaced catch members 31 on the radially outer surface of the side wall 23.

Each catch member 31 comprises an arcuate claw formed integrally with the sidewall, and has a free end 32 which projects beyond the lower edge 25 of the sidewall 23. The areas of the sidewall 23 adjacent the claws 31 may be of a thickened cross-section as shown. The free end 32 of each claw 31 has a radially inwardly facing groove 34, the lower surface of which, in use, engages the lower surface 18 of the second annular rib 16, to hold the lid and base together.

The free end 32 of each claw 31 has a chamfered lower end surface 35 which assists the claw in riding over the second annular rib 16. The claws 31 have an arcuate length just less than the arcuate lengths of the cut-outs 19 and are spaced angularly apart in the same arrangement as for the cut-outs 19, so that the cut-outs and claws align only when the lid and base are in a predetermined alignment in relation to each other. In the illustrated embodiment, correct alignment is indicated when an arrow 36 moulded into one claw 31 is in alignment with an arrow 30 on the base 11 adjacent to one of the cut-outs 19. Additionally or alternatively the lid and base could be provided with a mutually engagable and disengagable notch and lug which engage when the lid is in said predetermined alignment.

When the lid 12 is placed onto the base 11, the resilience in the side wall 23 allows the annular array of projections 24 to ride over the first annular rib 14 and simultaneously the free ends 32 of the claws 31 will ride over the second annular rib 16. Were it not for the claws, the lid 12 would be released by pressing the lid side wall 23 into the groove between the two ribs 14 and 16 on the base. This would cause the lower edge 25 of the lid to move up a cam surface provided by the upper inclined surface 17, axially separating the lid from the base, and pushing the projections 24 back over the first rib 14 in a manner similar to that described in WO 95/23743. However, the engagement of the catch means 31 on the second rib 16 prevents such separation.

In order to render the catch means 31 inoperable so that separation can occur, the lid 12 is rotated until the arrows 36 and 30 are in alignment, at which point the catch means 31 are in alignment with the cut-outs 19. If the lid side wall 23 is now squeezed into the groove between ribs 14 and 16, causing the end face 25 to ride up the cam surface 17, the lid may be separated from the base.

An alternative form of container lid and body are shown in Fig 6, and Fig 7. As described above, the lid 62 comprises a top end wall 61, and a side wall 63 having an annular array of spaced radial projections 64 on its inner surface. The top end wall 61 has an inwardly projecting annular seal 65 formed on its inner surface.

The body 71 may be a shallow container as shown in Fig 6, or could be any other desired shape having a cylindrical neck 71A or nozzle over which the lid 62 is fitted. The base 71 has a first rib 74 adjacent the mouth, and a second rib, or annular projection, 76 axially spaced from the first rib 74. As previously described, the second rib 76 has a frusto conical upper surface 77, which may have a slight concavity, and an under surface 78 which may act as a detent.

An annular tear-off scrip 66 is moulded integrally with the sidewall 63 of the lid 62 and is connected to the lower edge of the side wall 63 by frangible bridges 67. The tear- off strip 66 has an inwardly projecting annular boss 69 which is engagable with the under surface 78 of the second rib 76 on the base. The strip 66 prevents the lid side wall 63 from being squeezed inwardly to engage and ride-up the surface 77 and thereby separate the lid from the body.

The lid and container are shown in the assembled condition in Fig 7 with the projections 64 having a snap fit engagement with the rib 74 adjacent the mouth of the container, and the tear-strip 66 engaging the detent 78 on the second rib 76.

In order to release the lid 62, the tear-strip 66 is removed allowing the bottom portion of the sidewall 63 to be squeezed radially inwardly to ride-up the surface 77, thereby forcing the lid upwards to cause separation from the body.

With reference to Figs 8 and 9 there is shown yet another embodiment of the invention in which the container 80 comprises a flexible tubular body 81 having a shoulder 91 located in one end of the body, and which has a nozzle 92 projecting from the shoulder. The nozzle 92 is closed by a lid 82.

The lid 82 has a top end wall 83 having a coaxial inner cylindrical sidewall 85 which engages the nozzle 92, the lid also having an outer skirt 84. The inner sidewall 85 has an inwardly projecting annular rib 86 adjacent its lower end which is engagable with a raised discontinuous annular rib 96 on the outer surface of the nozzle 92. The sidewall may have axial slits 88 therein which allow the wall to flex when the lid is pressed onto the nozzle 92. When the lid 82 is pressed onto the nozzle 92, the rib 86 passes over the rib 96 which acts as a detent to prevent removal of the lid.

The tube shoulder 91 has a coaxial outer sidewall 90 to which the tubular body 81 is welded. The sidewall 90 has an annular groove 93 in its outer surface, and joins an adjacent frustoconical portion 94 extending upwardly and inwardly to join the nozzle 92. - a -

The lid 83 has a tamper evident tear-off band 87 connected to the lower end of its skirt 84 by frangible bridges, the band 87 being engagable with the groove 93 in the shoulder. The annular rib 86 on the inner sidewall 85, has a pair of radially inwardly raised lugs 86A, spaced diametrically apart. These lugs 86A prevent the disengagement between rib 86 on the lid and the rib 96 on the body unless the lid 82 is rotated relative to the body 81 such that the lugs 86A align with arcuate spaces 95 in the discontinuous rib 96.

When the lid 82 is pressed onto the nozzle 92, the rib 86 and lugs 86A pass over the rib 96 as previously described, and the tear off band 87 engages in the groove 93. To remove the lid 92, the tear-off band 87 is first removed, the lid 82 is turned in relation to the body 81 until the lugs 86A align with the spaces 95. Guide marks 97 may be formed on the body 91 and lid to assist the alignment, as previously described with reference to Fig 1 to 5.

The skirt 84 of the lid is then squeezed inwardly. The end face of the skirt 84 engages the upper surface 99 of the frustoconical portion 94 which acts as a cam surface causing the lid to disengage from the nozzle 92.

Claims

1. A container comprising a body with a circular mouth covered in use by a lid having a cylindrical wall which is a press-fit over the mouth of the body, the lid being deformable to engage a cam sur ace on the body so that movement of the deformed lid portion over the cam surface tends to cause separation of the lid from the body, one of the lid and body having catch means adapted to engage the other of the lid and body to prevent the separation of the lid and body unless the catch means is rendered inoperable.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lid has, on the inner surface of its cylindrical side wall, an annular array of projections adapted to make a snap fit with retainer means provided by a first annular rib on the body, to secure the lid to the body.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the catch means is located on the lid, and engages a detent on the container body.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the body is further provided with a second annular rib, the side of said second annular rib nearest the mouth of the body having said cam surface thereon, and the detent being formed by an undercut on the side of said second annular rib away from the mouth.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to

4, wherein the catch means is rendered inoperable by placing the lid in a predetermined alignment relative to the body.

6. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to

5, wherein the catch means is released by relative rotation between the lid and the body to bring about said predetermined alignment.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the catch means comprise a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending claws secured to the body or lid, each claw being resiliently biased to engage a detent or a respective detent on the other of the body and lid.

8. A container as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the catch means is released by relative rotation of the lid so that the catch means align with cut-outs, or gaps between the detent (s) .

9. A container as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the catch means are irregularly spaced around one of the lid or body, and the cut-outs are irregularly spaced around the other of the lid and body in a corresponding arrangement, so that there is only one relative position between the lid and body in which the catch means are released from the detent (s) .

10. A container as claimed in any one of claim 1 to 5 , wherein the catch means includes a tear strip attached to the lid side wall by frangible connections, the strip being removable to allow separation of the lid and body.

11. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the annular projections which engage the first annular rib are located on an inner cylindrical wall on the lid which also has an outer skirt, the outer skirt being deformable to engage cam surfaces on the body.