BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is generally directed to storage containers, and more particularly to a canister with a lid seal.
2. Description of Related Art
Plastic canisters have become quite popular for storing items, and particularly dry food products and cooking ingredients such as flour and sugar, in bulk. Typical canisters define a generally rectangular or circular cylinder enclosure with an open end that is used to load and remove food product to and from the canister. A lid can be secured at the open end for food storage. Typically, the food products are stored in a canister located in a food storage area of a kitchen, and a canister can be transported to a food preparation area as desired. When larger canisters are loaded to full capacity or near capacity, the size and weight of the canister can render grasping and transporting the canister difficult.
Furthermore, the intended duration of food storage can vary from canister to canister depending on the nature of the stored food product. For instance, some products are quickly consumed, such that the canisters need only store the food product for a matter of hours or a few days. In other applications, a user may desire to store food product in the canister for extended periods of time such as, for example, weeks and even months.
Traditional canisters typically include a container base and a lid that snugly seats over the top opening to close the container base. No additional seal is provided, other than the interference between lid and base. Some conventional containers or canisters include a compression gasket or seal made of an elastomeric material disposed at the downward facing or horizontal interface between the lid and the canister body at the open end. Some conventional containers or canisters also include a secondary closure, such as a mechanical latch. Some plastic containers have an attached flap that is molded to the lid via a living hinge. When the lid is attached to the canister at the open end, the user can press the flap down, thus causing the flap to swivel about the hinge and snap under a rim of the container. This snapping action pulls the gasket tight to increase the force between the seal surface of the gasket and the container rim. Unfortunately, such products can be tedious to use, as they require the user to perform a two step process. First, the user must secure the lid onto the container. Second, the user must manually snap the hinged latch or latches in one or more locations in order to install the lid onto and remove the lid from the container. Moreover, such living hinges can wear over time with repeated use and ultimately fail. This can degrade the effectiveness of the seal between the lid and the canister or container body be reducing or eliminating the ability to latch. Additionally, such containers are substantially more complex, and thus more expensive, to manufacture compared to conventional containers and canisters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one example of a canister constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows an exploded side view of the lid and container base of the canister shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the container base portion of the canister shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section taken along line IV-IV of the canister of FIG. 1 and depicts one example of a seal arrangement between the lid and the base.
FIG. 5 shows a cross-section similar to that of FIG. 4, but depicts an alternative example of a seal arrangement between the lid and the base.
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the container base of another example of a canister constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
The disclosed container is described and depicted as a food storage canister that solves or improves upon one or more of the above-noted or other problems and/or disadvantages in the prior art. It is desirable to provide a canister lid that forms a reliable air tight seal with the base to preserve food product for extended periods of time stored in the container base. The disclosed food storage canister has a canister body or base with an open top and a lid that seals against the body. It would also be desirable to provide a canister that can be easily transported even when fully loaded and heavy. In one example, the disclosed container has a handle to facilitate easy grasping and transport of the canister when it is loaded to the point that carrying the canister without a handle would be difficult and cumbersome. It would further be desirable to provide a cost-effective food storage canister with a more user-friendly and durable seal between the lid and the canister body. The disclosed storage container or canister has an integrated sealing apparatus and securing mechanism to ensure that the lid is reliably secured to the canister body and to assist in maintaining a tight seal between the lid and base.
Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show one example of a food storage container in the form of a canister 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The canister 10 has a base or canister body 12 and a removable lid 14. The lid 14 can be removed from and installed on the base 12 as desired. In the present example, the canister base 12 has a bottom 16 and an upstanding side wall 18 that is connected to and extends up from a perimeter of the bottom 16. A food storage space 20 is defined by the bottom 16 and the upstanding side wall 18 as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the lid 14 has been removed from the canister base 12. The base 12 also has a top opening 22 at a top end 24 of the side wall 18 to provide access into the interior storage space 20 when the lid 14 is removed.
As shown in FIG. 3, the canister base 12 in this example is shaped generally in the form of a rectangular cylinder with rounded corners. The side wall 18 has four wall panels including a front panel 26a, a back panel 26b, and a pair of opposed side panels 26c, 26d. In this example, the side wall 18 is tapered slightly such that the storage space 20 is wider or slightly larger at the top opening 22 than at the bottom 16. As will be evident to those having ordinary skill in the art, the height, diameter, size, and overall shape of the canister base 12 can vary considerably and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the base 12 can be in the form of a circular cylinder or other suitable configuration. In addition, the size of the base 12, i.e., the storage volume within the storage space 22, can also vary within the spirit and scope of the invention. The base 12 can be provided in any desired size or in a series of different or graduated sizes such as, for example, a 1.0 pint, a 1.5 pint, a 1.0 quart, a 2.0 quart, a 3.0 quart, a 1.0 gallon, and/or a 1.5 gallon bases of graduated size. Certainly, other size and shape variations can also be provided within the spirit and scope of the invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the base 12 has an annular rim 30 extending circumferentially around the base near the top end 24. In the disclosed example, the rim 30 is a flange extending laterally or radially outward from a top edge of the side wall 18 on the base 12. A front part of the rim 30 on the front panel 26a is formed as a forward extending lip 32. The lip 32 in the disclosed example extends forward and curves slightly downward. Opposed side parts 34 of the rim 30 project laterally outward from the side panels 26c and 26d. A rear part 36 of the rim 30 projects rearward and outward from the side wall top edge on the base 12. In the disclosed example, an upstanding transition wall 38 or buttress wall projects upward from part of an outer edge of each of the side parts 34. Each wall 38 transitions from a front portion of the respective side part 34 having no transition wall to an increasing transition wall height moving rearward toward the back of the base 12. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, a back wall 40 extends upward from an outer edge of the rear part 36 on the rim 30. The back wall 40 extends laterally between the transition walls 38 and the sides of the back wall are integrally connected with each of the transition wall 38.
In the example shown in FIGS. 1-3, a hand opening 42 is formed below a top edge 44 of the back wall 40 and through the back wall. The material strip of the wall left above the hand opening 42 creates a handle 46 that can be utilized to carry the canister 10. In order to carry the canister, a user can place their fingers through the hand opening 42 and grasp the handle 46, which provides a secure grip on the canister. The handle 46 can be very useful to transport a large sized canister 10 that is filled with a substance such as a food item. For example, if the base 12 has a larger storage space 20 that can hold, for example, three quarts, a gallon, or a gallon and a half of a substance, the handle can be particularly useful to a user so that they can carry the canister with only one hand. A conventional canister of this size would typically have to be carried by an ordinary person using both hands. Such a canister would be difficult to grasp with only one hand because of its size and because of the weight of the large quantity of food product within.
As will be evident to those having ordinary skill in the art, the shape, size, and configuration of the rim 30, the transition walls 38, the back wall 40, and the handle 46 can vary considerably and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. The shape of the hand opening 42 as well as its position on the back wall 40 or another wall of the canister 10 can vary and will dictate the location and size of the handle 46. The handle need not be positioned on a back of the canister, but instead can be positioned on a corner or a side of the body 12, if desired. Alternatively, the canister need not be rectangular, as noted above, and thus the handle can be placed in an appropriate location on a canister having a different shape. In the disclosed example, the transition walls 38 can be provided as an aesthetic or ornamental feature of the canister. However, the transition walls 38 also act as structural support or as a buttress for the back wall 40 and handle 46. Thus, using a material that is light weight, such as plastic, can still yield a strong and durable canister construction using the disclosed handle configuration. The rim 30 in this example is at the top edge of the side wall. The rim could be eliminated entirely or be constructed extending from an outer surface of the side wall as well.
As shown in FIG. 3, the top surface of the rim 30 defines an upward facing ledge 50 that completely surrounds the top opening 22 in the base 12. In the disclosed example, the ledge or surface 50 defines a downward lid stop or seat for the lid 14 when installed on the base. Also as shown in FIG. 3, an elongate rib 52 projects inward from an interior surface on each of the side wall panels 26a-26d. In the disclosed example, each rib 52 is a continuous elongate projection with one on each of the side wall panels. Each rib 52 is positioned spaced downward from but near the top end 24 of the base, or the location of the rim 30.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid 14 in the disclosed example includes a top panel 60 and a perimeter skirt wall 62. The skirt wall circumferentially surrounds the lid 14 and is coupled to the perimeter edge of the panel 60. The size and shape of the top panel 60 in the disclosed example is configured to generally match that of the base 12, and particularly the top opening 22, so that the lid can cover and close off the top opening. Thus, the top panel 60 in the disclosed example is generally flat and has a somewhat rectangular shape with rounded corners to coincide with the generally rectangular cylinder shape of the base 12. As will be evident to those having ordinary skill in the art, the general shape and configuration of the lid 14 can vary from that disclosed and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the perimeter skirt wall 62 has an upper wall section 64 that surrounds and faces a top side 66 of the top panel 60. The perimeter skirt wall 62 also has a lower wall section 68 that surrounds and faces a bottom side 70 of the top panel 60. In the disclosed example, a top lip 72 projects radially outward from an upper edge of the upper section 64 and extends circumferentially around the entire lid 14. The top lip 72 provides a positive grasping point for an individual to grasp the lid 14 when removing or carrying the lid and also adds strength and rigidity to the lid. The lip 72 in another example could extend radially inward from the top edge of the upper section 64 on the skirt wall 62. Alternatively, the lip 72 could project both radially inward and radially outward if desired. The lid 14 can alternatively be provided with other surface features and structures making it easier for a user to grasp and hold the lid.
In the disclosed example, the upper section 64 of the skirt wall 62 is positioned radially outward of the lower section 68. This radial offset creates a downward facing step or shoulder 74 at the juncture between the upper section 64 and the lower section 68 and at about the level of the bottom side 70 of the panel 60. A projection 76 is generally wedge shaped in cross-section and extends circumferentially around the lid 14. The projection 76 is positioned at or near the bottom edge 78 of the lower section 68 on the skirt wall 62. The projection 76 includes an exterior or outerfacing surface 80 that is angled upward and outward from the bottom edge 78 relative to a plane of the lower section 68. A top surface 82 of this projection 76 in this example is generally normal or perpendicular to the exterior surface 84 of the lower section 68. An inward horizontal step 83 is formed above the projection 76 on the lower skirt wall section 68.
The step 83 and the shoulder 74 each terminate at the exterior surface 84 on the lower section 68. The exterior surface 84 is thus recessed inward relative to the outermost tip of the projection 76 and to the exterior surface 86 of the upper section 64 on the skirt wall 62. This effective recess is located between the shoulder or stop 74 and the step surface 83 above the projection 76. This so-called recess creates a gasket or seal groove adjacent to the exterior surface 84 surrounding the lid 14 on the lower section 68. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, a gasket or seal 90 that may generally be described as an O-ring is seated in the recess or groove between the shoulder 74 and the projection 76. As is described below, the seal or gasket take on a number of different configurations and constructions and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the example described herein, the seal or gasket creates a wiper seal at the top end 24 of the base 12.
FIG. 4 shows the construction of one example of a gasket or seal 90 suitable for use with the canister of the present invention. In this example, the seal 90 is generally rectangular in cross section and has an inner surface 92 that bears against the exterior surface 84 of the skirt wall lower section 68. The seal 90 also has a top surface 94 that generally faces and lies adjacent the shoulder or stop 74. The seal 90 also has a bottom surface 96 that generally faces and lies adjacent the top surface 82 of the projection 76. The top and bottom surfaces of the seal 90 may bear against their adjacent surfaces or may lie loosely adjacent but slightly spaced from the adjacent surfaces as desired. This may depend on how snug a fit is desired for a particular gasket design, or as to whether the seal 90 is to be easily or readily removable and replaceable.
In the example of FIG. 4, the seal 90 also has an exterior or outer facing surface 98 that is opposite the inner surface 92 and the faces outward around the lid 14. In this example, a plurality of sealing ribs 100 project outward from the outer surface 98. The number of sealing ribs 100 can vary within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as can the particular shape, width, rib spacing, and projection height of such ribs. The seal 90 can be constructed from any suitable resilient material that is capable of resilient deflection and sealing and compatible with the mating materials of the lid 14 and the base 12. In one example, the seal 90 is constructed of a silicon material. The sealing ribs 100 can thus deflect and deform as necessary to create a tight seal against the appropriate base surfaces and yet not permanently deform during normal use.
The disclosed construction of the lid 14 and seal 90 creates a multi-point seal or multiple seal locations between the lid 14 and the base 12. The lid and base also create a positive lock or latch to retain the lid 14 in place and to maintain the seal. In this example, the projection 76 and the angled surface 80 are sized and arranged so that when the lid is inserted downward into the top opening 22 of the base 12, the projection 76 snaps over the multiple ribs 52 on the interior surface of the base. As shown in FIG. 4, the projection 76 catches on the ribs 52 to retain the lid 14 in place. The material of the lid projection 76, the base side wall 18, and/or the ribs 52 can be such that resilient deformity of the materials permits the lid to be removed when desired by forcibly snapping the projection 76 back over the ribs 52 in an upward direction toward the top opening 22.
A first seal in the disclosed example is created between the abutting surfaces of the shoulder or stop 74 on the lid 14 and the top surface or ledge 50 on the rim 30. Positive abuttment between these two surfaces can be created by controlling the spacing between the projection 76, the ribs 52, the ledge 50, and the shoulder or stop 74. A second seal is created in this example by positive interference between the projection 76 and the interior side wall surface of the base 12 just below the ribs 52. Again, the degree of interference and resultant seal created at this contact point can be created by dimensional control of the base side wall and the projection. A third seal in this example is created by surface to surface contact between the interior side wall surface of the base 12 and the seal ribs 100 on the outer surface of the seal or gasket 90. This third seal could be characterized as a third, fourth, and fifth seal created by the three ribs I00 in the disclosed example. The degree of interference between the seal ribs 100 and the side wall inner surface on the base 12 can again be manipulated according to the dimensional design of these compliments.
As will be evident to those having ordinary skill in the art, the design and configuration of the seal 90 can vary and yet fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates one of many possible alternative examples of a seal 110 suitable for use with the canister 10 disclosed herein. In this example, all of the canister and seal components are essentially the same except that the alternate seal 110 in this example has an outer surface 112 with a single wiper seal projection 114 projecting from the surface. The wiper seal projection 114 in this example is substantially similar in shape and configuration to the lid projection 76 described previously. The wiper seal projection 114 has an angled outer facing surface 116 that angles outward and upward relative to the bottom surface 96 of the seal 110. The wiper seal projection 114 also has a top surface 118 and is generally perpendicular or normal to be outer surface 112 on this seal 110.
As discussed previously, the canister base 12 can vary within the spirit and scope of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates one example of an alternative canister base 120 that is substantially similar to the base 12 described previously. In this example, the base 120 also has a back wall 122 that extends between the two transition walls 38. However, the back wall 122 in this example does not have a hand opening and thus does not have a handle that could be described as similar to the base 12 and handle 46 of the prior example. In this example, the configuration of the base 120 can be suitable for smaller quantity or volume canisters. In one example, the base 120 could be suitable for smaller 1 pint, 1.5 pint, or 1 quart sized canisters. Such a base could be easily and readily grasped by a user simply by wrapping their hand around the outer surface of the base side wall 18. There would be no need for a handle. Also, the back wall 122 on the smaller sized canisters may be too small to provide a hand opening suitable to fit a hand of a user. In this example, since the base 120 is relatively small in volume, the back wall 122 and the underside of the rim back part 36 could instead be easily grasped if a user chose to carry the canister base 120 by holding the back wall instead of by gripping around the side wall 18.
The canister examples and the various seals disclosed herein have been provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to specifically limit the scope of the invention only to these examples. Design variations and modifications can be employed in the disclosed canisters. A number of possible alternatives and modifications have been mentioned above. In another example, multiple O-ring type seals or gaskets can be used in place of the seals 90 or 110 disclosed herein. In a further example, the elongate ribs 52 can be replaced by a plurality of shorter ribs or projections spaced apart circumferentially around the interior of the side wall 18 on the base 12. The materials utilized to fabricate the base 12 and lid 14, as well as the gasket or seals 90 or 110, can vary within the spirit and scope of the invention. In one example, both the lid and base can be injection molded from plastic or thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, thermoplastic elastomer, and the like.
Although certain storage containers have been described herein in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.
Patent Application
20080041858
