WO2006112606A1

WO2006112606A1 - Unitary sealing cover

Info

Publication number: WO2006112606A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/000766
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dong Suk Jo; Sam Kyu Lim
Original assignee: Dong Suk Jo
Priority date: 2005-04-20
Filing date: 2006-03-06
Publication date: 2006-10-26
Also published as: KR100593726B1; CN101119902A

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a unitary sealing cover for hermetically sealing an opening formed at an airtight container. The unitary sealing cover includes a cover part (2) for covering an opening formed at an airtight container (6), and a sealing wing part (3) formed along the outer cir¬ cumference of the cover part (2) such that the sealing wing part (3) can be elastically coupled to the side surface of the airtight container (6). The sealing wing part (3) is inclined with respect to the cover part (2). The sealing wing part (3) has a plurality of concave grooves (32), which are arranged along the outer circumference of the cover part (2) at predetermined intervals. The sealing wing part (3) is provided at the surface thereof with one or more protruding parts (31), each of which has a projection (4) formed at the tip end thereof.

Description

UNITARY SEALING COVER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a unitary sealing cover for hermetically sealing an opening formed at an airtight container, and, more particularly, to a unitary sealing cover comprising a cover part, the inner surface of which is brought into tight contact with the opening of the airtight container, and a wave-shaped sealing wing part formed along the outer circumference of the cover part such that the sealing wing part can be brought into tight contact with the outer surface of the airtight container, wherein the cover part and the sealing wing part are integrally formed by compression molding or injection molding such that the sealing cover can hermetically seal any airtight containers irrespective of kinds and sizes of the airtight containers, the sealing wing part is formed in the shape of a wave such that protruding parts of the sealing wing part are individually folded, and therefore, it is possible for a user to easily and conveniently attach and detach the sealing cover to and from the airtight container, the cover part and the sealing wing part are integrally formed such that the user can easily and conveniently remove foreign matter from the sealing cover, and the sealing cover is made of a synthetic resin having high elasticity, such as silicon, such that the sealing cover is not toxic to humans and can be used for a long period of time, whereby material resources are saved while environmental pollution is prevented. Background Art

[2] Generally, closing or sealing a container is accomplished by directly mounting a gasket or packing at the opening of the container, fitting a ring or gasket in a groove formed at the inner surface of the container, which is made of wood or plastic, or forming an additional hanger at the outside of the container. Usually, a disposable wrap is wound on the container to seal the contents in the container.

[3] Once the disposable wrap is used, however, the adhesive force of the wrap is lowered, and therefore, the reuse of the wrap is difficult. As a result, the used wrap is dumped along with garbage, which may cause environmental pollution.

[4] Also, when a container cover for sealing the opening of the container includes only a cover part, it is difficult to completely seal the opening of the container, and therefore, the contents in the container are easily damaged. For this reason, a packing or gasket is further formed at the container cover so as to seal the opening of the container. In this case, however, the container cover and the packing are individually manufactured and then assembled, which is time-consuming and troublesome. Also, when the container is to be washed, it is required to separate the packing from the container cover, wash the packing and the container cover, and reassemble the packing and the container cover, which is also time-consuming and troublesome.

[5] Also, the sealing force of the conventional container cover is decreased when the opening of the container is somewhat changed. Furthermore, when one of the container and the container cover is lost or broken, the other is disused.

[6] A container cover has been proposed in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. The details of the container cover are described in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0067983 (Korean Dual Application No. 20-2003-0027569). Specifically, the container cover comprises: a cover plate, which is brought into contact with a container at the inside thereof; and a sealing member formed in the shape of a ring, the sealing member having an edge part fixed along the inside edge of the cover plate, the other parts of the sealing member being brought into elastic contact with the inside of the cover plate in a detachable fashion. This container cover has advantages in that the container cover can be used irrespective of kinds and sizes of the containers, a process of attaching and detaching the cover to and from the container is simply carried out, whereby the use of the container cover is easy and convenient, and waste of resources is prevented, thus, environmental pollution is prevented, because the container cover is not disposable. In the above-described container cover, however, the sealing member is horizontally formed. For this reason, it is necessary to vertically fold the horizontal member with respect to the cover plate in order to mount the sealing member at the opening of the container. Consequently, it is required that the entirety of the sealing member be folded with respect to the cover plate, whereby the use of the container cover is very inconvenient.

[7] Furthermore, the cover plate and the sealing member are individually formed, and therefore, the manufacture of the container cover is very complicated and troublesome. In addition, when the container cover is to be washed, it is required to separate the sealing member from the cover plate, wash the sealing member and the cover plate, and reassemble the sealing member and the cover plate, which is time-consuming and troublesome.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[8] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary sealing cover that can be used in any cylindrical airtight containers irrespective of kinds or sizes of the airtight containers.

[9] It is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary sealing cover that can be manufactured by compression molding or injection molding through a single process such that the unitary sealing cover can be manufactured without performing an undesirable assembly process, the unitary sealing cover can be easily and conveniently used by a user, the unitary sealing cover can be washed by the user without disassembly and assembly of the unitary sealing cover, whereby the productivity is increased, penetration of foreign matter into the unitary sealing cover is prevented, and the airtight container can be easily and conveniently opened and closed by the user.

Technical Solution

[10] In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a unitary sealing cover comprising: a cover part for covering an opening formed at an airtight container; and a sealing wing part formed along the outer circumference of the cover part such that the sealing wing part can be elastically coupled to the side surface of the airtight container, wherein the sealing wing part is inclined with respect to the cover part, the sealing wing part has a plurality of concave grooves, which are arranged along the outer circumference of the cover part at predetermined intervals, and the sealing wing part is provided at the surface thereof with one or more protruding parts, each of which has a projection formed at the tip end thereof.

[11] Preferably, the unitary sealing cover further includes a folding part formed at the connection between the cover part and the sealing wing part for allowing the sealing wing part to be folded in the direction opposite to the cover part thereby.

[12] Preferably, the cover part and the sealing wing part, which are integrally formed, are made of liquefied silicon or synthetic resin having high elasticity. More preferably, the cover part is made of a hard synthetic resin while the sealing wing part is made of a soft synthetic resin.

Advantageous Effects

[13] According to the present invention with the above-stated construction, the sealing wing part is brought into tight contact with the outer circumference of the cylindrical airtight container, which is smaller than the cover part, and therefore, the sealing cover according to the present invention can hermetically seal any airtight containers irrespective of kinds and sizes of the airtight containers. Also, the sealing wing part is formed in the shape of a wave such that the protruding parts of the sealing wing part are individually folded. Consequently, it is possible for a user to easily and conveniently attach and detach the sealing cover to and from the airtight container.

[14] Furthermore, the cover part and the sealing wing part are integrally formed. Consequently, the user can easily and conveniently remove foreign matter from the sealing cover. In addition, the sealing cover is made of a synthetic resin having high elasticity, such as silicon. Consequently, the sealing cover according to the present invention is not toxic to humans and can be used for a long period of time, and therefore, material resources are saved while environmental pollution is prevented. Brief Description of the Drawings

[15] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [16] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a unitary sealing cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[17] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1;

[18] FIG. 3 is a front view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1;

[19] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1;

[20] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the unitary sealing cover applied to an airtight container; [21] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1 illustrating sealing the airtight container using the unitary sealing cover; and [22] FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a unitary sealing cover according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for the Invention [23] Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [24] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a unitary sealing cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a sealing wing part is formed at the outer circumference of a cover part such that the sealing wing part is inclined inward. The sealing wing part extends along the outer circumference of the cover part such that concave grooves are arranged at predetermined intervals. [25] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1. As shown in

FIG. 2, projections are formed at the tip end of the sealing wing part. [26] FIG. 3 is a front view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1. As shown in

FIG. 3, the sealing wing part is provided at the surface thereof with one or more protruding parts. [27] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1. As shown in

FIG. 4, a folding part is formed at the connection between the cover part and the sealing wing part. [28] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the unitary sealing cover applied to an airtight container. As shown in FIG. 5, the unitary sealing cover according to the present invention is coupled to the airtight container. [29] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the unitary sealing cover shown in FIG. 1 illustrating sealing the airtight container using the unitary sealing cover. The folding operations of the sealing wing part by the folding part are sequentially shown in FIG. 6.

[30] FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a unitary sealing cover according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[31] The construction and operation of the unitary sealing cover according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[32] Typically, the present invention provides a unitary sealing cover 1 for hermetically sealing an airtight container having an opening formed in the sectional shape of a circle, although the airtight container is generally formed in the sectional shape of a circle or a rectangle. The sealing cover 1 comprises a cover part 2 and a sealing wing part 3. The cover part 2 is formed in the shape of a circular plate, i.e., a disk, such that the cover part 2 can be mounted on the opening of the airtight container 6. The sealing wing part 3 is integrally formed with the sealing cover 1 such that the sealing wing part 3 extends along the outer circumference of the cover part 2. The sealing wing part 3 is constructed in the shape of a wave.

[33] The sealing cover 1 is manufactured by compression molding or injection molding.

Preferably, the interior angle formed by the inner surface of the cover part 2, which hermetically seals the opening of the airtight container 6, and the sealing wing part 3 is between 0 and 90 degrees, between which the interior angle is appropriately selected depending upon the shape of the airtight container 6.

[34] More preferably, the interior angle formed by the inner surface of the cover part 2 and the sealing wing part 3 is approximately 30 degrees, at which the elastic force of the sealing wing part 3 is maintained.

[35] The sealing wing part 3, which is integrally formed at the outer circumference of the cover part 2 and elastically coupled to the side surface of the airtight container 6, has a plurality of concave grooves 32, which are arranged along the outer circumference of the cover part 2 at predetermined intervals. The sealing wing part 3 is inclined inward toward the center of the cover part 2. Also, the sealing wing part 3 is provided at the surface thereof with one or more protruding parts 31.

[36] The protruding parts 31 and the concave grooves 32 formed at the sealing wing part

3 may be formed by the provision of at least one concavo-convex structure. According to the present invention, four protruding parts 31 and four concave grooves 32 are provided such that the sealing wing part 3 is formed in the shape of a round wave, whereby the sealing cover 1 can be easily attached to and detached from the airtight container 6 and the sealing force provided by the sealing wing part 3 is increased.

[37] When the protruding parts 31 formed at the sealing wing part 3 are folded upward, the protruding parts of the sealing wing part 3 can be individually folded by the concave grooves 32. That is, it is not required to simultaneously fold the entirety of the sealing wing part 3. Consequently, a user can easily and conveniently manipulate the sealing wing part 3.

[38] At the tip end of each of the protruding parts 31 of the sealing wing part 3 is formed a projection 4, by which the sealing wing part 3 is easily caught by the hand of a user such that the user can easily and conveniently attach and detach the sealing cover 1 to and from the airtight container 6.

[39] At the connection between the cover part 2 and the sealing wing part 3 is formed a folding part 5, by which the user can easily and conveniently seal the opening of the airtight container 6 using the sealing wing part 3.

[40] In this case, it is preferable that the folding part 5 have a thickness less than that of the sealing wing part 3, whereby the sealing wing part 3 can be more easily folded in the direction opposite to the cover part 2.

[41] As shown in FIG. 6, the position of the folding part 5 is higher than that of the inner surface of the cover part 2, which hermetically seals the opening of the airtight container 6. As a result, when the cover part 2 is brought into tight contact with the opening of the airtight container 6, the user can easily find the position where the sealing cover 1 is mounted, and therefore, the user can easily and conveniently attach and detach the sealing cover 1 to and from the airtight container 6.

[42] The sealing of the airtight container 6 is accomplished as follows: the sealing wing part 3 is folded in the direction opposite to the cover part 2 by the folding part 5, the opening of the airtight container 6 is covered by the cover part 2, and the folded sealing wing part 3 is returned to its original position using the elastic force generated by the folding part 5. In this way, the sealing of the opening of the airtight container is easily and conveniently accomplished.

[43] Preferably, the sealing cover 1 including the cover part 2 and the sealing wing part

3, which are integrally formed, is made of non-toxic liquefied silicon or synthetic resin having high elasticity such that the sealing cover 1 can be manufactured by compression molding or injection molding.

[44] More preferably, the cover part 2 is made of a hard synthetic resin, and the sealing wing part 3 is made of a soft synthetic resin. In this case, when the sealing wing part 3 is folded in the direction opposite to the cover part 2, the folding operation of the sealing wing part 3 by the folding part 5 is more easily performed.

[45] A unitary sealing cover according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the cover part 2 is formed in the shape of a semicircle such that the center of the cover part 2 is convex outward, whereby the contents stored in the airtight container 6 are appropriately protected while being hermetically sealed. Consequently, it is possible for a user to easily and conveniently store the contents in the airtight container 6 in a sealed state irrespective of the height of the contents stored in the airtight container 6.

[46] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. For example, the shapes of the cover part 2 and the sealing wing part 3 constituting the sealing cover 1 according to the present invention can be modified and changed so long as the cover part 2 and the wave-shaped sealing wing part 3 are integrally formed. Industrial Applicability

[47] As apparent from the above description, the present invention can be appropriately used in a container sealing application.

Claims

[1] A unitary sealing cover comprising: a cover part (2) for covering an opening formed at an airtight container (6); and a sealing wing part (3) formed along the outer circumference of the cover part (2) such that the sealing wing part (3) can be elastically coupled to the side surface of the airtight container (6), wherein the sealing wing part (3) is inclined with respect to the cover part (2), the sealing wing part (3) has a plurality of concave grooves (32), which are arranged along the outer circumference of the cover part (2) at predetermined intervals, and the sealing wing part (3) is provided at the surface thereof with one or more protruding parts (31), each of which has a projection (4) formed at the tip end thereof.

[2] The cover according to claim 1, further comprising: a folding part (5) formed at the connection between the cover part (2) and the sealing wing part (3) for allowing the sealing wing part (3) to be folded in the direction opposite to the cover part (2) thereby.

[3] The cover according to claim 1, wherein the cover part (2) and the sealing wing part (3), which are integrally formed, are made of liquefied silicon or synthetic resin having high elasticity, and the cover part (2) is made of a hard synthetic resin while the sealing wing part (3) is made of a soft synthetic resin.