Claims
- 1. A container and a closure member therefor, said container comprising a mouth opening having a circumferential upper surface providing a fulcrum bearing and an outward projection extending circumferentially around the mouth opening, said closure member being formed of a pliable plastic material having a single normal configuration and comprising a cover panel having a flat top surface near the center thereof and having a circumferential skirt depending from the periphery thereof, said skirt of the closure member having an inward flange adapted to be pressed over the outward projection about the mouth of the container for securing the closure member upon said container, said cover panel of the closure member being formed with a hinge line encircling the flat surface in the center and disposed inside of the container mouth opening, said skirt of the closure member being normally operable to hold the inward flange in a secured position below the outward projection around the mouth opening of the container and being further operable axially to release the inward flange from the secured position when the flat central surface of the panel is depressed by external force to pivot the peripheral part of the cover panel about the hinge line and the fulcrum bearing of the upper surface of the container, said container having a planar surface extending outwardly below the skirt to prevent access to the bottom of the skirt whereby the closure member cannot be pried up from the container, an enlargement in the container spaced below the outward projection to form an annular groove therebetween, said inward flange of the skirt of the closure member normally extending into the annular groove in the secured position, the circumferential upper surface of the mouth opening of the container being positioned to abut against and provide a fulcrum bearing for the closure member, said fulcrum bearing being disposed circumferentially outside of the hinge, said closure member being operable to be deformed from the single normal configuration in response to the external force and pivot as a lever about said fulcrum bearing when the center is depressed to move the inward flange upwardly from the secured position in the annular groove and thereafter returns to the single normal configuration with the release of said force on the center, said hinge line being formed by a discontinuity in the thickness of the material forming the cover panel of the closure member, said flat central panel being formed of a thickness which is substantially less than the thickness of the peripheral parts of the cover panel, the parts being joined to form the hinge line with an abrupt change in material thickness.
- 2. A container and a closure member therefor, said container including a mouth opening having a circumferential upper surface providing a fulcrum bearing and an outward extending projection extending circumferentially around the mouth opening, said closure member being formed of a pliable material having a single normal configuration comprising a cover panel having a flat top surface near the center thereof and having a continuous circumferential skirt depending from the periphery of the cover panel, said skirt of the closure member having an inward extending flange which deflects over and engages the container outward projection when the closure member is placed in position over the mouth of the container and pressed downward towards the mouth to a sealed position in which position the circumferential upper surface around the mouth opening of the container abuts the under surface of the cover panel at a position spaced towards the center of the cover panel from the circumferential skirt of the closure member, said cover panel including a line of marked reduction in thickness encircling a portion of the flat top surface at a position radially inward from the position the container circumferential upper surface abuts the under surface of the cover panel forming a hinge line separating the top panel surface into a center portion and a substantially stiff outer portion and enabling bending of the top surface therebetween, said skirt and flange of the closure member being normally operable to deform and deflect over the container outward extending projection when the closure is pressed towards the container mouth thereby to hold the closure in position sealing the container mouth closed with the skirt and included flange resisting expansion of the skirt circumferentially which otherwise would release the flange from the engaged position extending below the container outward projection, said closure member being removable from the engaged position over the container projection in response to a downward pressure against the center portion of the flat top surface of the closure of sufficient force to deform and bend the top panel at the hinge line causing a pivoting of the stiff outer portion of the cover panel about a fulcrum bearing formed by the abutting container mouth upper surface thereby pulling the skirt upward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the closure cover panel and causing the skirt flange to deflect over the container outward projection and move to a position above the projection whereby with the release of pressure the closure member is unsealed from the container mouth and returns to its single normal undeformed configuration with the skirt flange positioned above the container outward projection and resting loosely on the container mouth for easy removal therefrom.
- 3. A container and a closure member therefor as defined in claim 2 in which said container includes a planar surface extending outwardly below the skirt to prevent access to the bottom of the skirt so the closure member cannot be pried from the container.
- 4. A container and a closure member therefor, said container including a mouth opening, said closure member being formed of a pliable material having a single normal configuration comprising a cover panel having a flat top surface near the center thereof and having a depending circumferential skirt extending from the periphery of the cover panel, said skirt of the closure member and said container having projection and recess members comprising cooperating engaging parts to hold the closure member on the mouth when the closure member is placed in position over the mouth of the container and pressed downward towards the mouth to a sealed position, said cover panel including a line of marked reduction in thickness encircling a center portion at a position radially inward from the skirt of the closure to form a hinge line separating the cover panel into a substantially stiff center portion and substantially stiff outer portion and enabling bending of the cover panel therebetween, said skirt of the closure member being continuous and fixed to the outer portion of the cover panel and being normally operable to expand circumferentially and allow the cooperating projection and recess members on the skirt and container to be forced into engagement when the closure is pressed towards the container mouth thereby holding the closure in a sealed position over the container mouth with the skirt resisting expansion circumferentially which otherwise would release the projection and recess members from the engaged position, said container mouth including a circumferential upper surface extending around the mouth opening which surface abuts the under surface of the outer portion of the cover panel at a position between but radially spaced from both the panel hinge line and the depending skirt, said container having a flat surface extending outwardly in a plane below the skirt when the closure member is in the sealed position for preventing access to the exposed end of the skirt and disengagement of the closure member from the container by prying upward on the skirt, said closure member being removable from the sealed position in response to an externally applied downward pressure in the axial direction against the center portion of the cover panel of sufficient force to cause a downward movement of the center portion and bend the cover panel at the hinge line and pivot the stiff outer portion of the cover panel about the abutting container mouth upper surface thereby pulling the skirt axially upward in a direction opposite to the downward movement of the center portion of the closure cover panel with such force that the skirt and container engaging members are forced from the engagement whereby with the release of the external downward pressure the closure member returns to its single normal configuration but resting loosely on the container mouth for easy removal therefrom.
- 5. A container and a closure member therefor, said container including a mouth opening, said closure member being formed of a pliable material having a single normal configuration comprising a cover panel having a depending circumferential skirt extending from the periphery of the cover panel, said skirt of the closure member and said container having projection and recess members comprising cooperating engaging parts to hold the closure member on the mouth when the closure member is placed in position over the mouth of the container and pressed downward towards the mouth to a sealed position, said cover panel including a line of marked reduction in thickness encircling a center portion at a position radially inward from the skirt of the closure to form a hinge line separating the cover panel into a substantially stiff center portion and a substantially stiff outer portion and enabling bending of the cover panel therebetween, said skirt of the closure member being continuous and fixed to the outer portion of the cover panel and being normally operable to increase in diameter by elongating circumferentially and allowing the cooperating projection and recess members on the skirt and container to be forced into engagement when the closure is pressed towards the container mouth thereby holding the closure in a sealed position over the container mouth with the skirt resisting expansion circumferentially which otherwise would release the projection and recess members from the engaged position, said container mouth including a circumferential upper surface extending around the mouth opening which surface abuts the under surface of the outer portion of the cover panel at a position between but radially spaced from both the panel hinge line and the depending skirt, said closure member also being removable from the sealed position in response to an externally applied downward pressure in the axial direction against the center portion of the cover panel of sufficient force to cause a downward movement of the center portion and bend the top panel at the hinge line resulting in a pivoting of the stiff outer portion of the cover panel about the abutting container mouth upper surface thereby pulling the skirt axially upward and causing it to move in a direction opposite to the downward movement of the center portion of the closure cover panel causing the skirt and container engaging members to be forced from the engagement whereby with the release of the external downward pressure the closure member returns to its single normal configuration but resting loosely on the container mouth for easy removal therefrom, said container also having a flat surface extending outwardly in a plane below the skirt when the closure member is in the sealed position for preventing access to the exposed end of the skirt and disengagement of the closure member from the container by prying upward on the skirt, and that inwardly spaced portion of said closure member cover panel positioned radially inward from the position at which the container upper surface abuts the under surface of the cover panel outer portion being of equal or lower heighth above the container than the highest portion of the cover panel portion spaced radially outward from that inwardly spaced portion such that stacking of the containers and closures one above the other will not depress the cover panel center portion and cause the closure to become unsealed.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 860,505, filed Sept. 24, 1969, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
787737 |
Jun 1968 |
CAX |
442634 |
Apr 1927 |
DE2 |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
860505 |
Sep 1969 |
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