The present invention relates to a container and, in particular, a racetrack-shaped container with lid.

Containers, such as containers for storing food products, come in all different sizes and shapes and are composed of various materials. The most common food container shapes include rectangular, square, circular, oval and tub-shaped. Manufacturers select a particular shape of container based on various factors, including what food product will be stored in the container, ease of use of the container and manipulation and handling of the container, as well as visual aesthetics.

Two commonly used food container shapes are cylindrical and oval. However, cylindrical and oval-shaped containers have drawbacks which may render their respective shapes less than optimal. For example, with regard to both cylindrical and oval-shaped containers, when these containers are packaged in a shipping box or crate and placed side-by-side, due to their round shape, there is empty or void airspace in the shipping container between the respective cylindrical or oval containers. As a result, a significant percentage of each shipping box is filled with void airspace, rather than with the respective containers.
DE29809960 discloses a device for storing canned food comprising which is arranged such that when the device is closed, the ambient air surrounding the canned food is minimised.
FR2417446 discloses an apparatus for storing dry fruits, especially dates comprising a container in the shape of a raretrack comprising a continuous lip extending around the sidewall of the container and a removable lid comprising a skirt and inwardly extending projections or spacers to engage the lip of the containers. The device is arranged to ensure the preservation and conservation of the fruits through the inclusion of venting means.
GB2116524 provides a device for properly aligning the sealing member of a cover relative to the sealing rim of a container. The device includes at least one alignment tab which cooperates with at least one alignment slot to align the sealing member of a cover with respect to the sealing rim of a container. Accurate alignment of the sealing member and sealing rim ensures a proper seal and prevents deformation of the container and cover due to misalignment.

An additional disadvantage with both cylindrical and oval-shaped containers is that, when these items are placed on a store shelf front-to-back, the cylindrical and oval containers can rotate, spin or pivot, relative to each other, on the store shelf. Thus, the containers on the store shelf may not be property aligned with their labels facing directly forward.

Often food containers include a snap tight lid, which is firmly attached to a top opening of the container. The tight fit ensures that the lid will remain attached to the container and, in some cases, provides an airtight engagement between the lid and a container body. One disadvantage of having such a tight fitting lid is that it may be difficult to remove the lid to gain access to the contents contained therein.

There is a need in the art for a new and improved container which overcomes the deficiencies of prior art containers.

The present invention relates to a container which, in cross-section, is in the shape of a racetrack and, as such, its sidewalls contain two opposing parallel sides and two opposing curved, semicircular sides, thus forming the racetrack. Preferably, the dimensions of the racetrack-shaped sidewall are maintained from a bottom of the container uniformly to proximate a top opening opposite the bottom The top opening has the same racetrack-shaped dimensions as the bottom of the container.

Advantageously, the container is made of a transparent or translucent material, such as a plastic material, so that one can see the contents of the container through its sidewalls. A lip in the form of a flange extends from the opposing parallel sides and a portion of the curved sides of the racetrack-shaped top opening of the container, while a central portion of the curved sides does not include a lip. The absence of a lip on a central portion of the curved sides allows one to more easily remove a lid attached to the container over the top opening.

The present invention, in one form, relates to a container comprising a container body having a bottom, a sidewall extending up therefrom, and a top opening opposite the bottom, the sidewall having two opposing parallel sides and, two opposing curved sides forming a racetrack shape, wherein the top opening has the same racetrack shape as the bottom, and the top opening is in the form of a complete racetrack shape defined by the sidewall of the container body; a lip of the container body extends outward from the opposing parallel sides and a portion of the curved sides of the racetrack shape of the top opening, wherein a central portion of at least one of the curved sides does not have a lip disposed thereon; and a removable lid adapted to snap onto the container body over the top opening and wherein the removable lid comprises a skirt with an inwardly extending bead, wherein the bead engages the container body below the lip when the removable lid is disposed on the container body, and the removable lid has a plurality of tabs extending radially outward from a central portion of the removable lid toward the skirt.

Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a container, with the lid not shown, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the container of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the container and lid, in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the container of Figure 1, shown from above;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the lid of Figure 3, shown from below;

Figure 6 is a partial side elevation of the container of Figure 3, shown with the lid disposed on the container body;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the container of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the container, taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the container, taken along line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Referring now to Figures 1-9, container 10 comprises container body 12 and lid 30 (Figure 3). Container body 12 has a bottom 14 and a sidewall extending upward therefrom comprising two opposing curved sides 18a, 18b and two opposing parallel sides 20a, 20b. Opposite the bottom 14 is a top opening 15. The container body 12, in cross-section, has a racetrack shape defined by the two opposing curved sides 18a, 18b and the two paraiiei sides 20a, 20b. The racetrack-shaped dimensions are uniformly maintained from the bottom 14 to proximately the top opening 15, where lips 22a, 22b extend slightly outwardly from the sides 20a, 20b and from a portion of sides 18a, 18b of the container body 12. The perimeter of the top opening 15 is in the shape of a complete racetrack defined by opposing curved sides 18a, 18b and opposing parallel sides 20a, 20b.

Advantageously, the exterior surface of sides 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b are smooth and non-contoured. Preferably, the material which comprises container body 12 is transparent or translucent so that one can see the contents disposed within container 10. The material may be any suitable transparent or translucent material including, but not limited to, thermoplastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene.

The dimensions of the container 10 allow a user to hold the container in the palm of one's hand. In particular, the curved sides 18a, 18b, i.e. semicircular-shaped portions, allow the container 10 to securely fit in the palm of one's hand.

Lips 22a, 22b are in the form of flanges which extend radially outward from the perimeter of the top opening 15. Advantageously, lips 22a, 22b extend along the entire perimeter of sides 20a, 20b, respectively, and approximately half the perimeter of the curved sides 18a, 18b. Lips 22a, 22b are absent from central portions 16a, 16b of the curved sides 18a, 18b, respectively. The presence of lips 22a, 22b provides a sufficient snap tight arrangement between the lid 30 and container body 12, while the absence of lips 22a, 22b on the center portions 16a, 16b allows for easy removal of lid 30.

Lid 30 also has a racetrack shape, having exterior dimensions only slightly larger than that of the container body 12. A plurality of ribs 32 may be provided to form a textured surface on the exterior surface, around the perimeter of lid 30, to provide a friction surface, which enables one to more easily grasp and remove lid 30 from container body 12.

Referring now specifically to Figures 5-9, lid 30 has a center portion 34, a ridge portion 35 and a skirt 36. A plurality of tabs 37 extend radially outwardly from an interior wall which forms the ridge 35. A continuous bead 38 around the entire periphery of the lid 30 extends radially inward from an interior facing surface of the skirt towards the center portion 34. When lid 30 is disposed on the container body 12, the bead 38 is disposed below the lip portions 22a, 22b and the plurality of tabs 37 abut an interior facing surface of the sides 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. To close the container 10, one places the lid 30 over the top opening 15 and presses the lid downward onto the container body 12 until the lid 30 snaps into place.

The absence of lips, such as 22a, 22b on central portions 16a, 16b, allows the lid to be more easily removed from the container body, since no lips engage with the bead 38 adjacent the center portions 16a, 16b. The resiliency of the material which comprises lid 30, which can be any suitable thermoplastic, allows the ridge 35 to form a hinge between skirt 36 and center portion 34, thereby allowing the skirt to resiliently move radially outward, thus permitting the bead 38 to ride up and over the lips 22a, 22b when the lid 30 is removed from and applied to the container body 12.

The present container can be used to store food items. Examples of food items include, but are not limited to, powdered beverage sticks. Other food items include individually wrapped food items which do not need to be stored in an airtight food container.

The racetrack shape of the present container 10 provides advantages and features to the container 10 which are absent in prior art containers having different shapes. For example, the non-curved sides defined by the opposing parallel sides 20a, 20b allow one to apply graphics to these sidewalls, and thereby provide for better graphic placement than on curved surfaces of cylindrical-shaped and oval-shaped containers.

In addition, the parallel sidewalls 20a, 20b allow one to align a series of containers front-to-back on a store shelf in perfect alignment. The flat sidewalls 20a, 20b ensure that abutting containers will not spin or rotate relative to each other while on a store shelf. Therefore, the present container provides for a more orderly and efficient use of space on a store shelf.

Further, the dimensions of the present container, being in the form of a racetrack, allow for a more efficient packing of a plurality of containers 10 into a shipping box or crate, as compared with cylindrical or oval-shaped containers. The parallel sides 20a, 20b allow more containers 10 to be packed within the same space, as there will be less void airspace between individual containers 10 packed within the shipping box. As a result, transportation costs to ship the present container are reduced since more containers can be packed within the same shipping space. In addition, the parallel sides of the racetrack-shaped container allow for a more efficient use of store shelf space, maximizing the amount of product which can be stored on a shelf and minimizing the amount of wasted airspace or voids. Further, the present container has more capacity when compared to an oval-shaped container having me same length and width, again due to the parallel sides of the racetrack.

Yet an additional advantage of the present container is that the material is transparent or translucent, which allows a user to view the contents of the container without removing the lid, As a result, a user looking at the container can inventory its contents.

Although the invention has been described above in relation to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be effected in these preferred embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.