The invention relates to a box comprising a lower part, serving as a container, and a lid for closing the container in accordance with the preamble of patent claim 1.
Boxes of this generic type are known. In most of these boxes, the lids are hinged; the remainder are of the plug-on type and can be temporarily latched with the lower part of the box by suitable latching means. Particularly with respect to boxes that have hinged, that is to say pivotable, lids, the interior of the lower part serving as a container cannot be readily sealed, with the result that moisture-sensitive contents cannot be optimally protected against the ingress of moisture or extraneous odors. In the case of hinged lids, sealing compounds which are inserted or injected into the lid rest non-uniformly on the edge of the container and can therefore not be used as a seal.
An object of the present invention includes providing a box having a hinged or plugged-on lid which has a seal which optimally seals the interior of the lower part and prevents the ingress of air, moisture and extraneous odors.
This object is achieved by a box in accordance with one or more features of the invention. Advantageous embodiments of the box are outlined below and in the claims.
In the case of boxes with a lid which can be plugged on, and particularly even in the case of boxes with a lid that is hinged to the lower part, an optimal tight closure can be achieved by means of a plate which spans the entire opening of the lower part and rests with full-surface contact on the upper edge of the lower part and also by means of a spring element which presses the plate uniformly onto the lower part. The sealing effect is enhanced by a sealing region which extends at an acute angle to the central region of the plate. The spring elements mounted on the upper side of the plate are supported on the underside of the lid and permanently press the plate uniformly onto the lower part. The spring elements used are elastic flaps or spring elements projecting from the upper side of the plate. Alternatively, a foam element interposed between lid and plate can also serve as a spring. The flaps and/or the plate can be made of metal, in particular resilient metal, or plastic. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the underside of the plate is coated with a film, which additionally enhances the sealing effect on the upper edge of the lower part. The plate is dimensioned in such a way that it can be inserted toollessly into the lid of the box and latch therein after insertion. Optimum sealing between a lid that is hinged on the lower part and the lower part can also be achieved by the plate even if the lid does not come to lie parallel to the edge on the lower part due to large dimensional tolerances.
The invention is explained in more detail with reference to an illustrated exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:
The box designated by reference sign 1 comprises a lower part 3, serving as a container or contents receptacle, and a lid 5. In the present example, the lid 5 is pivotably connected to the lower part 3 by a hinge 7. The hinge 7 is designed in a conventionally known way and is therefore not described in further detail. Alternatively, the lid 1 can also be designed such that it is only able to be plugged on and such that it can be latched by means of protuberances on the lower part (no figure).
The lower part 3 comprises at the top a peripheral edge 9 which is of stepped design in the present example, i.e. the region of the peripheral container wall situated deeper and closer to the bottom 11 is larger in cross section than the region directed toward the upper edge 9. The upper edge 9, which delimits the opening cross section of the lower part 3, is terminated by an inwardly or outwardly directed curled flange 15. It can additionally be seen from
In the case of a plate 23 in which the flaps 25 are produced from the plate 23 by a punching/bending operation, a film 31 for covering the apertures formed when punching out the flaps 25 is arranged on the underside of the plate 23, preferably being adhesively bonded to the plate 23. The film 31 is advantageously produced from a soft material and extends into the edge region 29 of the plate 23. Consequently, beside the function of overlapping the apertures generated when punching out the flaps 25, the film 31 also functions in the edge region 29 as an elastic seal if the lid 5 is closed. Alternatively, instead of the flaps 25, foam can be adhesively bonded to the upper side of the plate 23 and serve as a seal and as a spring.
On closing the lid 5, the plate 23 comes uniformly all the way around into tight contact with the edge 9 on the upper edge of the lower part 3 along the opening of the lower part 3. This occurs irrespective of whether the lid 5 thus lies exactly parallel to the lower part 3 or not. The sprung arrangement of the plate 23 in the lid 5 always ensures uniform pressing of the plate 23 onto the lower part 3. The elastic and “floating” mounting of the plate 23 is obtained by the free edges of the elastic flaps 25 or the foam making contact with and being supported on the inner side of the lid surface 6 of the lid 5.
Of course, instead of or in addition to the film 31, the edge region 29 of the plate 23 can be coated with a sealing compound 33 which compensates for any unevenness which may be present along the upper edge 9 of the lower part 3 or on the plate 23 itself.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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01394/14 | Sep 2014 | CH | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CH2015/000132 | 9/11/2015 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2016/041094 | 3/24/2016 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170253391 A1 | Sep 2017 | US |