Lid and box associated therewith

Abstract

 There is described a lid with associated box, which is provided with teeth (4) which are pressed during the closing of the lid (1) on the box (2), into openings (7) provided therefor in said box, and due to the hook-shaped lengthwise profile of said teeth, the teeth can no more be pulled out from said openings, unless by bending and breaking said teeth which are provided therefor with a break line (5).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a lid and to a box associated therewith.

[0002] With the usual packages, the contents of the box is easily reached as raising of the box does not bring any problem. The removing and putting back of the lid may occur without leaving any clue. Such misuse mostly occurs with ice-cream and in some cases, also with other food products the user or consumer of which wants to know what the box or package does contain. Vandalism may also be the cause of such defacing of the package. Such reach- ability of the product brings automatically the danger per se of falsifying or adding foreign materials without such actions leaving traces afterwards.

[0003] The invention has for object to obviate such drawbacks and other ones, and to provide a lid with associated box whereby it is completely excluded to reach the contents of the box or package without leaving visible permanent traces of the defacing.

[0004] To obtain such a result according to the invention, the lid is provided with teeth which are pressed during the closing of the lid on the box, into openings provided therefor in said box, and due to the hook-shaped lengthwise profile of said teeth, the teeth can no more be removed from said openings unless by bending and breaking said teeth which are provided therefor with a break line.

[0005] In an advantageous embodiment, said teeth are in the shape of a wedge in the lengthwise direction and the base of said wedge projects along the one side at least from a tooth to form said hook-shaped profile, while said break line lies level with the base of said wedge.

[0006] Other details and advantages of the invention will stand out from the following description, given by way of non limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :

Figure 1 is a front view of part of a lid with associated snap tooth.

Figure 2 is a cross-section along line II-II in figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of part of the box in which is provided an opening wherein fits a snap tooth.

Figure 4 is a cross-section along line IV-IV in figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of part of the box and the lid pressed thereon.

Figure 6 is a cross-section along line VI-VI in figure 5.

[0007] The lid according to the invention as shown in the figures, has a snap rim.

[0008] In the various figures, the partly- visible lid is shown in 1. That portion of the box which cooperates with the snap rim of lid 1, is shown in 2'.

[0009] On the end of the snap rim 3 from lid 1 are locally provided teeth 4, so-called snap-in teeth. As considered along the lengthwise direction of such a tooth, the tooth is in the shape of a wedge, whereby the tooth has a hook-like profile relative to the snap rim 3. The base 4' of wedge 4 forms the hook proper. A break line 5 is present level with said base 4', on the opposite side.

[0010] The box 2 has along the outer circumference thereof or locally at least, a rim 6 projecting outwards, with an opening 7. The width of said opening 7 along the section plane corresponding to figure 4, is of such a size as to allow pressing the tooth down into said opening until the base 4' of the wedge 4, which base forms said hook, lies captive underneath said projecting rim 6. When the snap rim 3 of the lid 1 is provided with a plurality of teeth which are all pressed into the corresponding openings 7 of the box, the lid can no more be removed from the box unless said teeth 4 are bent and tear along said break line 5. Bending of a tooth 4 occurs in the direction as shown by arrow 8 (figure 6). It is clear that the hook formed by base 4' may lie on the other side of the snap rim, in which case the break line 5 will however have to lie on the lid outer side.

[0011] When considering figures 5 and 6 which pertain to a sealed box, it is clear that the lid 1 can not be removed as long as the teeth 4 have not been bent and broken relative to the snap rim 3 of lid 1. Such tearing-off occurs along said breaking line 5 and may in many cases be made by hand or as required with a sharp object.

[0012] From the above description of a lid with the associated box, it appears clearly that the tooth closure makes it possible to deliver a product which is lockingly packaged and the package of which may remain undamaged which shows to the consumer that no one has already opened the box.

[0013] It must be undersbod that the invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments and that many changes may be brought therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0014] For instance the invention might also be used in cases where a box is hingedly connected along the one side thereof with a lid which has then at least along the opposite side at least one snap-in tooth, in such a way that in this case also it may be noticed whether the package has been opened in a fraudulent way.

Claims

1. Lid and associated box, which is provided with teeth (4) which are pressed during the closing of the lid (1) on the box (2), into openings (7) provided therefor in said box, and due to the hook-shaped lengthwise profile of said teeth (4), the teeth can no more be pulled out from said openings (7), unless by bending and breaking said teeth which are provided therefor with a break line (5).

2. Lid as defined in claim 1, in which said tooth (4) is in the shape of a wedge in the lengthwise direction and the base of said wedge projects along the one side at least from the tooth to form said hook-shaped profile.

3. Lid as defined in either one of claims 1 and 2, in which said break line (5) lies level with the base of said wedge.

4. Lid as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which said tooth (4) extends in the operative position of the lid (1) and box (2), along the direction of the circumferential edge of the box.

5. Lid as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which said openings (7) are provided in a circumferential rim (6) of the box.

6. Box for a lid as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, which has at least locally, a rim (6) which extends in the operative position of said box (2) and lid (1), in a plane which extends at right angle or substantially at right angle to said tooth (4).

7. Box as defined in claim 6, which has locally at least,a projecting portion wherein lies said opening.

8. Lid with associated box as defined in any one of the preceding claims, in which the lid has a snap rim wherewith it connects tightly with said associated box.

Drawing