[0001] The present invention relates to a container particularly but not exclusively for
containing food, whose lid engages with the container body against accidental opening.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Containers of this type in general have been known, such as the one as disclosed
in US Patent No. 4,915,291 and shown in Figures 10 and 11 of the accompany drawings.
This container essentially has an upright tubular body 1, of given cross-section,
provided with outwardly turned edges 2. With the tubular body 1, two box-like lids
3 and 3' cooperate, having mating cross-sections, and provided with inwardly turned
edges 4 and adapted to close respective top and bottom ends of the body 1.
[0003] The lids 3 of this container are secure and cannot be removed without destruction.
Despite of the secure disposition, the lids 3 are not sealingly engaged with the body
1, and this makes the container unsuitable for containing matter that can leak such
as powder or liquid.
[0004] The invention seeks to mitigate or at least alleviate such a drawback by providing
an improved container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to the invention, there is provided a container comprising a body and a
lid for closing an opening of the body. The body has a base and a peripheral wall
upstanding therefrom to define a receptacle. The peripheral wall defines the opening
which has a circumferential edge portion that turns outwardly along its entire length
to have a first cross-section. The lid has a circumferential edge portion that turns
downwardly along its entire length to have a second cross-section complementary in
shape to and for enclosing the first cross-section for surface sealing engagement
therewith. The lid edge portion includes at least two flaps on different sides of
the lid, which are foldable inwardly and upwardly to be resiliently self-expanding
for bearing resiliently at an acute angle against an outer surface of the body wall
to thereby maintain the sealing engagement, with the lid edge portion forming a gap
with the body wall outer surface across which the flaps extend.
[0006] Preferably, the body wall is inclined from bottom to top at an acute angle outwardly.
[0007] It is preferred that the gap has a width and the flaps have a dimension measured
from the lid edge portion that is larger than the width of the gap such that the flaps
are resiliently flippable outwardly through an over-centre action while bearing against
the body wall outer surface upon removal of the lid from the body.
[0008] It is further preferred that the body wall is inclined from bottom to top at an acute
angle outwardly.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the lid edge portion turns upwardly along its entire length
before turning downwardly to thereby form an annular rib including the second cross-section.
[0010] More preferably, the annular rib includes an inner side that has a profile complementary
in shape to that of a top part of an inner surface of the body wall for surface sealing
engagement therewith.
[0011] More preferably, the lid edge portion turns downwardly along its entire length before
turning upwardly to adjoin the annular rib, thereby forming an annular groove immediately
within the annular rib.
[0012] It is preferred that the flaps are integrally connected to the lid edge portion along
fold lines such that the flaps are readily foldable.
[0013] Preferably, the body wall outer surface has a relatively rough surface texture for
frictional engagement by the flaps.
[0014] More preferably, the body is moulded from paper pulp.
[0015] Further more preferably, the lid is also moulded from paper pulp.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0016] The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with
reference to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a container in accordance with
the invention, which has a body and lid for closing the body;
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container of Figure 1, showing its
body and lid separately;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the body of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the body of Figure 3, taking along line
IV-IV;
Figure 5 is another cross-sectional side view of the body of Figure 3, taking along
line V-V;
Figure 6 is a top plan view of the lid of Figure 2;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the lid of Figure 6, taking along line
VII-VII;
Figure 8 is another cross-sectional side view of the lid of Figure 6, taking along
line VIII-VIII;
Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional side view of the container of Figure 1,
illustrating inter-engagement between the lid and the body;
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a prior art container, which has a body and top
and bottom lids closing the body; and
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the container of Figure 10, illustrating
inter-engagement between the lids and the body.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] Referring to Figures 1 to 9 of the drawings, there is shown a container 10 embodying
the invention, which container 10 comprises a body 100 having a top opening and a
separate lid 200 for closing the opening of the body 100. The body 100 and the lid
200 are both moulded from virgin paper pulp for example. The body 100 has a generally
square base 110 and a four-sided peripheral wall 120 upstanding integrally therefrom,
while gradually expanding, to define a receptacle for containing matter such as food
and in particular food with liquid content (i.e. juice, sauce or soup) or mere liquid.
The peripheral wall 120 is inclined slightly outwards from bottom to top at an acute
angle of about 15°.
[0018] The body wall 120 defines the opening that has a circumferential edge portion 122
which turns outwardly along its entire length to have a cross-section 122C. More specifically,
the body edge portion 122 is smoothly curved outwardly and then slightly downwardly
such that the cross-section 122C has a relatively shallow inverted U-shape.
[0019] The lid 200 is of a generally square shape, having a central panel 210 and an integrally
connected peripheral portion 220 surrounding the panel 210. The peripheral portion
220 has a circumferential edge portion 222 that turns upwardly and then downwardly
along its entire length to form a hollow annular rib 222R of a second cross-section
222C for enclosing the first cross-section 122C of the body edge portion 122. The
second cross-section 222C has a relatively deep inverted U-shape including an upper
part that is complementary in shape to and matches with the first cross-section 122C
for surface sealing engagement therewith.
[0020] The circumferential rib 222R of the lid 200 has opposite inner and outer sides slightly
diverging downwardly. The rib's inner side has a profile complementary in shape to
that of the top part of an inner surface 120A of the body wall 120 for surface sealing
engagement therewith. Downwardly, the rib's outer side is slightly taller than the
rib's inner side and extends beyond the body edge portion 122 to form an annular gap
223 with and around an outer surface 120B of the body wall 120.
[0021] As between the central panel 210 and the circumferential rib 222R, the peripheral
portion 220 turns initially downwardly along its entire length from the panel 210
and then outwardly before turning upwardly to adjoin the rib 222R, thereby forming
an annular groove 224G immediately within the annular rib 222R. The presence of the
groove 224G allows the adjacent inner side of the rib 222R to extend relatively deeper
into the container body 100. This enlarges the area of sealing engagement of the lid
edge portion 222 with the body edge portion 122 downwardly from the top of the inner
surface 120A of the body wall 120, whereby the lid 200 can seal more effectively with
the body 100 against leakage of liquid content.
[0022] The lid edge portion 222 includes four flaps (or tabs) 226 on respective opposite
sides of the lid 200, which are integrally connected to the lid edge portion 222 along
respective weakened fold lines 225 formed by, for example, punched slots or pressed
dashes or simply a preformed crease such that the flaps 226 are readily foldable about
these lines 225. Before the lid 200 is used, the flaps 226 should first be folded
about the lines 225 inwardly and upwardly into the rib 222R, thereby providing respective
hooks (or clasps) 226H. By reason of the integral connection along the fold lines
225, the in-turned hooks 226H are resiliently self-expanding.
[0023] The upward angular disposition of the hooks 226H enables easy placement of the lid
200 onto the body 100. When the lid 200 closes upon the body opening, the hooks 226H
of the lid 200 are pressed to contract through pivoting about their fold lines 225
upon hitting the edge portion 122 of the body 100, thereby giving way to the body
edge portion 122 which is then sealingly engaged by the lid edge portion 222. As soon
as the hooks 226H are lowered past the body edge portion 122, they immediately flip
back and expand by resiliency and thus bear with their distal ends/edges upwardly
resiliently against the inclined outer surface 120B of the body wall 120 at positions
below and inwardly of the body edge portion 122.
[0024] In such a closed condition of the container 10, the hooks 226H extend at an acute
angle (about 45°) inwardly and upwardly across the gap 223. Given that the body wall
outer surface 120B is inclined outwardly (and downwardly), the hooks 226H act at an
acute angle upon and bear against the inclined wall surface 120B to thereby encourage
and maintain the sealing engagement between the lid 200 and the body 100, counteracting
removal of the lid 200 from the body 100. In this regard, the wall surface 120B is
made to have a relatively rough surface texture for frictional engagement by the hooks
226H.
[0025] The lid 200 can easily be opened by being pulled, conveniently at one corner or on
one side thereof, upwardly away from the body 100. In this regard, the gap 223 has
a width G and the hooks 226H have a dimension H measured from the lid edge portion
222 that is larger than the gap width G. Thus, upon lifting of the lid 200 from the
body 100, the hooks 226H are resiliently flippable downwardly and outwardly through
an over-centre action, with their distal ends/edges continuing to grip the body wall
outer surface 120B for the time being, to thereby release the body 100. By over-centre
action, the hooks 226H pivot past a "centre" angular position at which compression
of the hooks 226H maximizes.
[0026] It is envisaged that the subject container 10 can be designed to have any other suitable
shapes, for example including a generally rectangular, triangular or circular base.
The number of sides of the container body wall 120 is not restricted, nor is the number
of flaps/hooks 226H. Thus, in the case of a three-sided container body 100, the associated
lid 200 may have only two flaps 226H (instead of three) on different i.e. adjacent
(rather than opposite) sides.
[0027] The invention has been given by way of example only, and various other modifications
of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in
the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended
claims.
1. A container comprising:
a body having a base and a peripheral wall upstanding therefrom to define a receptacle,
the peripheral wall defining an opening having a circumferential edge portion that
turns outwardly along its entire length to have a first cross-section; and
a lid for closing the opening of the body and having a circumferential edge portion
that turns downwardly along its entire length to have a second cross-section complementary
in shape to and for enclosing the first cross-section for surface sealing engagement
therewith;
wherein the lid edge portion includes at least two flaps on different sides of
the lid, which are foldable inwardly and upwardly to be resiliently self-expanding
for bearing resiliently at an acute angle against an outer surface of the body wall
to thereby maintain the sealing engagement, with the lid edge portion forming a gap
with the body wall outer surface across which the flaps extend.
2. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body wall is inclined from bottom
to top at an acute angle outwardly.
3. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gap has a width and the flaps have
a dimension measured from the lid edge portion that is larger than the width of the
gap such that the flaps are resiliently flippable outwardly through an over-centre
action while bearing against the body wall outer surface upon removal of the lid from
the body.
4. The container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the body wall is inclined from bottom
to top at an acute angle outwardly.
5. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lid edge portion turns upwardly along
its entire length before turning downwardly to thereby form an annular rib including
the second cross-section.
6. The container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the annular rib includes an inner side
that has a profile complementary in shape to that of a top part of an inner surface
of the body wall for surface sealing engagement therewith.
7. The container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lid edge portion turns downwardly
along its entire length before turning upwardly to adjoin the annular rib, thereby
forming an annular groove immediately within the annular rib.
8. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flaps are integrally connected to
the lid edge portion along fold lines such that the flaps are readily foldable.
9. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body wall outer surface has a relatively
rough surface texture for frictional engagement by the flaps.
10. The container as claimed in claim 9, wherein the body is moulded from paper pulp.
11. The container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the lid is also moulded from paper pulp.