US3609263A - Plastic containers and cover closures therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A resilient plastic container and a cover therefor with interlocking engagement at the periphery of the cover and the container, wherein the edge of the container is in an inverted Uform having an outer member with a terminal outstanding rim and an abutment in spaced relation; said cover including a U-shaped trough having an outer member terminating in a flat flange extending outwardly with a downturned extension having a rearwardly facing projection for snapping in under the abutment on the container in closed position of the cover therewith; and an interiorly directed bead on the container for frictional engagement with the outer element of said U-shaped channel at the periphery of the cover.

Description

United States Patent [7 2] Inventor Sandro Clementi 928 West St., Leominster, Mass. 01453 [2]] Appl. No. 35,032 [22] Filed May 6, 1970 [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 [54] PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND COVER CLOSURES THEREFOR 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 220/60 R, 220/97 F [51] Int. Cl .t B65d 43/10 [50] Field of Search 220/60 R, 97 C, 97 F; 229/1 .5 B, 43

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,256,975 6/1966 Puente 220/60 R X 3,373,896 3/1968 Davis 220/60 R 3,474,928 10/1969 Hurtt 220/60 R 3,510,023 5/1970 Ullman et al. 220/60 R FOREIGN PATENTS 1,025,316 4/1966 Great Britain 220/6 R Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Attorney-Charles R. Fay

ABSTRACT: A resilient plastic container and a cover therefor with interlocking engagement at the periphery of the cover and the container, wherein the edge of the container is in an inverted U-form having an outer member with a terminal outstanding rim and an abutment in spaced relation; said cover including a U-shaped trough having an outer member terminating in a flat flange extending outwardly with a downturned extension having a rearwardly facing projection for snapping in under the abutment on the container in closed position of the cover therewith; and an interiorly directed bead on the container for frictional engagement with the outer element of said U-shaped channel at the periphery of the cover.

sz *n n PATENTEU SEP28 m INVENTOR. @h M PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND COVER CLOSURES THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many different constructions have been provided in an attempt to provide plastic containers with covers which will not accidentally open for instance when dropped; but most attempts have been failures in that the plastic material is of course flexible and resilient and when the container is full of relatively heavy material and falls from an appreciable height any snap-in interengagement in the prior art between the upper edge of the container and the rim of the cover is very apt to spring loose.

Otherwise actual locks or latches are necessary, some of them being separate and external, etc., but in any case relatively cumbersome and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the general object of this invention to provide a relatively simple cover having closure means relative to the top rim or edge of the container, which will not become loose under vibration or under the shock of dropping; and to this end the novel container is provided with a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewall terminating in an inverted U-shaped flange having several different parts. Extending from the sidewall of the container at the topmost edge thereof there is an outwardly extending generally flat annular flange terminating in a downward extension, the latter terminating in an outwardly extending member or foot, there being an abutment at the junction of the downward extension extending radially outwardly.

The cover comprises a main body portion, a surrounding U- shaped portion having an inner element and an outer element that are connected, a flat flange extending radially outwardly from the top edge of said outer member and terminating in a downwardly extending element having a rearwardly directed projection thereon for snapping under the abutment of the container edge, the sidewall having a bead in a position to frictionally engage the outer element of the U-shaped member of the closure structure of the cover.

The terminal member or foot of the container edge extends at least as far outwardly as does the final downward extension on the cover, and together with the inverted U-shaped construction located inwardly thereof, acts as a bumper guard and also as an annular handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in elevation illustrating the invention with the cover in engaged relation on the container, and

HO. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale showing two containers nested, the upper container having its cover applied thereto.

PREFERRED EMBODlMENT OF THE lNVENTlON As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention comprises a molded plastic container and a cover member therefore at 12. The container has a bottom 14 and a connected sidewall 16. The sidewall 16 adjacent the top thereof extends slightly outwardly as shown at 18 in FIG. 2 and then rises on an incline to terminate in an inverted U-shaped construction comprising an inner element 20 and an outwardly extended connected flangelike element 22 and a downward extension 24 spaced from the element 20. The downward extension 24 terminates in an outwardly extending flange or foot 26. There is an outstanding annular abutment 28 at the junction of the outwardly extending element 22 and the downward extension 24 but this does not extend outwardly to the extent of the outwardly extending flange or foot 26. All these parts are annular and continuous.

The sidewall 16 is preferably provided with an offset as at 30, the container having slanting walls for nesting in similar containers. A shoulder or offset at 30 comes to rest on an inwardly directed shoulder 32, 32 of the next below container. Adjacent its upper edge the sidewall 16 is provided with an inwardly directed bead 34 for a purpose to be described, and if desired a strengthening rib 36.

The cover comprises a main body member 36 having adjacent the periphery thereof an inverted U-shaped construction 38 including an inner wall 40 and an outer wall 42 having circumferentially spaced strengthening ribs 44 connecting the same.

The outer wall 42 terminates in a horizontally extending annular outwardly extending flange 44 which in turn terminates in a downward extension 46, the latter having an inward projection 48 which is adapted to snap under the abutment 28 to hold the parts in locked position. The projection 48 gradually extends on an incline as at 50 down to the terminal point 52 of the downward extension 46 allowing the user to insert the tip of the finger therein to bend out the extension 46 enough to remove the cover from the container.

The outwardly extending foot 26 on the container edge construction extends radially outwardly past the extension 46 to provide for a lateral bumping element protecting the container against sidewise shocks and also acting as a handle whereby carrying the container with the cover in place may be lifted and carried.

The inverted U-shape at the top of the container is gripped between the outer wall 42 and the extension 46 upon which is projection 48, so that it will be seen that the parts are frictionally locked together and are also mechanically locked together by projection 48. The bead at 34 very tightly impinges upon the outer aspect of wall 42 of the U-shaped member 38 of the cover and it has been found that this construction provides for extremely tight and safe closure for the container which will not open accidentally.

lclaim:

1. ln combination, a container and a cover for the container, said container comprising:

a bottom, a connected sidewall, said sidewall having an upper edge, an outwardly extending element on said edge, a downward extension on said outwardly extending element, said extension being spaced from the sidewall, an outwardly extending footlike member on the extension and an outstanding abutment at the junction of the outstanding element and the extension;

said cover comprising a main body member having an upwardly extending element adjacent the periphery thereof, an outwardly extending element on the upwardly extending element and a downward extension at the terminal edge of the outwardly extending element, an inwardly extending projection at the inner aspect of said extension adapted to snap in under the abutment on the container with the outwardly extending element of the cover in substantial contact with the outwardly extending element at the edge of the container.

2. In combination, a container and a resilient cover for the container, said container comprising:

a bottom, a sidewall connected thereto, said sidewall having an upper edge, a multiple flange at said upper edge including an outstanding member, a downward extension thereon spaced from the sidewall, a terminal outstanding member on the lower edge of the downward extension, and an outwardly extending abutment at the juncture of the outstanding member and the extension;

said cover comprising a main body portion for disposition in the container at the upper edge thereof, and a multiple flange on the main body portion at the periphery thereof; said cover flange comprising a U-shaped trough having an outer and an inner wall, an outstanding member on the outer wall of the Ushaped member, a downturned extension at the periphery of the cover outstanding member, and an inwardly projecting rim on the downturned extension, constructed and arranged to latch under the abutment but being resilient enough to be capable of manual release therefrom to remove the cover.

minal outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim and extends outwardly at least as far as the edge of the cover downtumed extension.

6. The combination of claim 1 including a bead on the sidewall of the container in position to impinge upon the outer wall of the U-shaped trough of the cover.

Claims (6)

1. In combination, a container and a cover for the container, said container comprising: a bottom, a connected sidewall, said sidewall having an upper edge, an outwardly extending element on said edge, a downward extension on said outwardly extending element, said extension being spaced from the sidewall, an outwardly extending footlike member on the extension and an outstanding abutment at the junction of the outstanding element and the extension; said cover comprising a main body member having an upwardly extending element adjacent the periphery thereof, an outwardly extending element on the upwardly extending element and a downward extension at the terminal edge of the outwardly extending element, an inwardly extending projection at the inner aspect of said extension adapted to snap in under the abutment on the container with the outwardly extending element of the cover in substantial contact with the outwardly extending element at the edge of the container.

2. In combination, a container and a resilient cover for the container, said container comprising: a bottom, a sidewall connected thereto, said sidewall having an upper edge, a multiple flange at said upper edge including an outstanding member, a downward extension thereon spaced from the sidewall, a terminal outstanding member on the lower edge of the downward extension, and an outwardly extending abutment at the juncture of the outstanding member and the extension; said cover comprising a main body portion for disposition in the container at the upper edge thereof, and a multiple flange on the main body portion at the periphery thereof; said cover flange comprising a U-shaped trough having an outer and an inner wall, an outstanding member on the outer wall of the U-shaped member, a downturned extension at the periphery of the cover outstanding member, and an inwardly projecting rim on the downturned extension, constructed and arranged to latch under the abutment but being resilient enough to be capable of manual release therefrom to remove the cover.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container terminal outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container terminal outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim in spaced relation thereto.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container terminal outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim and extends outwardly at least as far as the edge of the cover downturned extension.

6. The combination of claim 1 including a bead on the sidewall of the container in position to impinge upon the outer wall of the U-shaped trough of the cover.

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