Patent Application
20190092514
This invention relates generally to containers, and more specifically relates to containers with locking lids.
Prepared food products are frequently sold in disposable containers. Enclosed containers are used to insulate hot food products, reduce spills, and shield the food products from contaminants. Closed containers are frequently releasably secured in a closed position.
Various disposable containers are currently available with a locking mechanism for securing the lid to the base. Operating the locking mechanism is an additional step for the food server after closing the container. Common locking mechanisms require the server to manipulate a tab in one of the base or lid through a slit in the other of the base and lid. This manipulation takes a few seconds, which adds up to a large investment of time over the high quantity of products sold by fast food and concession stand style businesses.
In one form, a container is provided that includes a locking mechanism that releasably secures top and bottom portions of the container together when the container is closed without the need for undertaking an additional locking step. More particularly, one of the top and the bottom portions includes a plurality of resilient projections. The other of the top and the bottom portions includes a plurality of through openings or apertures. The projections and through openings are arranged and configured such that when the top and bottom portions are closed together, the projections are received by an interference fit in the respective through opening to resist removal of the top portion from the bottom portion.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale or to include all features, options or attachments. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/ or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
A two-piece container includes a bottom portion and a top portion. The bottom portion has a bottom panel with upstanding walls extending upwardly from the peripheral edges which together form an internal cavity open at the top. The top portion has a top panel. At least one of the top portion and the bottom portion includes locking projections projecting therefrom. The projections extend obliquely to the bottom and/or top panel. The locking projections are received within apertures in the other of the top portion and bottom portion when the top portion and bottom portion are pressed together to close the container.
In some forms, the upstanding walls extend from the edges of the bottom panel at an outward incline obliquely to the bottom panel. Adjacent ends of upstanding walls are coupled to form a corner therebetween. Each corner includes a generally upward extending projection extending above the top edge of the upstanding walls. The projection also can extend obliquely to the bottom panel, preferably at the same angle of inclination as the underlying wall or walls from which it projects.
The top portion has a top portion or top panel having a plurality of apertures, each aperture arranged and corresponding to a projection of the bottom portion. In some forms, the top portion has depending walls extending downwardly from peripheral edges of the top panel which together form an internal cavity open at the bottom. The depending walls preferably extend obliquely to the top panel. The top panel can have a generally polygonal shape, such as a rectangular shape, where the panel has four corners.
One exemplary container will now be described. Turning to
The bottom portion 110 of the exemplary container 100 has a rectangular shape, such as a square, with a locking projection 138 located at each corner. The locking projections 138 each extend outward relative to the center of the container 100 as they extend upward from the walls 112. As shown, the locking projections 138 include a fold line along their longitudinal axis 113a to increase the stiffness and resiliency of the resilient locking projections 138.
The sidewalls 112 of the bottom portion 110 can be angled to be inclined outwardly relative to the bottom panel 120 to form an angle therebetween as can be seen in
The acute angle 138a between the longitudinal axis 113a of the projections 138 and the horizontal 120a is in the range of between approximately 85 degrees and approximately 70 degrees. In a preferred form, the angle 138a is in the range of between approximately 80 degrees and approximately 75 degrees. In the illustrated form, the angle 138a is approximately 78 degrees.
The range of angles described above are exemplary only and not intended to be limiting of any embodiment. For desirable performance, the angle selected should not be so extreme that it is difficult to press the top portion 150 down onto the bottom portion 110 leading to the deformation described herein. On the other hand, the angle should not be so slight that the top portion is not held in place securely by the interference fit between the projections 138 in the bottom portion and the through openings or apertures 162 in the top portion. It should be noted that the choice of material for the container may affect the optimum angle 138a selected for a particular application.
The top portion 150 has a flat top panel 160 having at least two apertures 162 with four apertures 162 being illustrated, one at each corner of the top panel 160. The apertures 162 are arranged and sized to receive the locking projections 138 when the top portion 150 is placed on the bottom portion 110 to close the container 100. The apertures 162 are closer to each other in a direction parallel to the top panel than the corresponding locking projections 138 in the same direction. As a result, the locking projections 138, sidewalls 112, and/or the top portion 150 deforms when the container 100 is closed in order for the projections 138 to pass through the apertures 162. Once the container 100 is fully closed, the resilient locking projections 138 and/or top portion 150 return to or toward their undeflected shape, necessitating them to be deflected or deformed again in order to open the container 100. The interference fit between the locking projections 138 and the top portion 150 secures the top portion 150 to the bottom portion 110, thus forming an interference lock. Two locking projections 138 are spaced in a direction parallel to the top and bottom panels from each other that are separated by a distance greater than the distance between opposite, outside edges of the apertures 162. In order for the locking projections 138 to pass through the apertures 162, the locking projections 138 must be deflected or deformed until the furthest points are at least as close together as the outside edges of the apertures 162. This deflection or deformation positions the locking projections 138 within the area defined by the apertures 162 such that pushing the top portion and base potion together into a closed position pushes the locking projections 138 through the apertures 162.
The top portion 150 preferably includes depending sidewalls 152 extending downward from the periphery of the top panel 160. The sidewalls 152 depend from the top panel 160 at an oblique angle such that the lower edge of the sidewalls 152 are further apart than the top corners 161. As the container 100 is closed, the locking projections 138 are deformed inward and guided into the apertures 162 by the sidewalls 152. The angled sidewalls 152 serve as wedges or ramps acting upon the locking projections 138. When a downward force is exerted on the top portion 150 to close it onto the bottom portion 110, the angled sidewalls 152 exert a portion of this downward force onto the locking projections 138 in a direction generally orthogonal to the surface of the sidewalls 152. This exerted force creates stress within the locking projections 138 causing them to deflect or deform inward to the point at which the outer most portions of the locking projections are within the area of the apertures 162 such that they can be received therein.
In the illustrated container 100, the top portion 150 has a rectangular shape. The apertures 162 are located proximate the corners 153 of the top portion 150 so as to correspond with the locking projections 138 located at the corners 113 of the bottom portion 110. The apertures 162 are located at the corners 161 such that there is no portion of top panel 160 along the outer perimeter of the apertures 162 between the apertures 162 and the sidewalls 152. This enables the projections 138 to be cammingly engaged by the sidewalls 152 to be deflected inwards for smoothly sliding into and through the apertures 162. Referring to
The apertures 162 are generally L-shaped, with a first leg extending generally along a first sidewall 152 and the second leg extending generally along a second sidewall 152. Each leg of the apertures 162 is approximately 0.25 inches in width.
At each corner 113 of the bottom portion 110, a tab 114 is provided. As illustrated, two opposite sidewalls 112 include tabs 114 at both ends thereof. When constructed, the tabs 114 are folded relative to the respective sidewalls 112, such that they extend along the inner surface 112i of an adjacent one of the sidewalls 112. The locking projection 138 may be formed to extend upward from the sidewall 112 having the tab 114 such that a portion of the locking projection 138 extends from the tab 114. As a result, folding the tab 114 also folds the locking projection 138 to give it a generally L-shaped cross section. The folded tabs 114 are secured to the adjacent sidewalls 112 so that the bottom portion 100 is secured in its erected configuration. The tabs 114 are attached by an adhesive, such as a hot melt or cold melt adhesive. The adhesive can be a starch based adhesive or other type of adhesive usable in compostable, repulpable, and/ or recyclable containers.
The walls 152 of the top portion 150 are oblique to the top panel 160 such that they are slanted in a generally opposite direction as the walls 112 of the bottom portion 110. The bottom edges 153b of any pair of corners 153, whether adjacent to each other or diagonally spaced from each other, are spaced apart by a distance greater than or equal to the distance between the ends of the corresponding pair of projections 138. As such, the top portion 150 can be centered over the bottom portion 110 such that the tops of the projections 138 are covered by the top portion 150. Any pair of apertures 162, whether adjacent to each other or diagonally spaced from each other, are spaced apart by a distance less than the distance between the tips of the corresponding pair of projections 138.
As the top portion 150 is pressed down onto the bottom portion 110, the angled walls 152, 156 cammingly engage the projections 138 exerting an inward force causing them to deflect inwardly. The so deformed projections 138 are then able to pass through the apertures 162 with continued downward travel of the top portion 150 onto the bottom portion 110. Once the projections 138 extend through the apertures 162, the projections 138 can return toward their undeflected shape such that the tips of the projections 138 are spaced apart further than the corresponding apertures 162. The undeformed projections 138 form resilient locks that releasably secure the top portion 150 in place relative to the bottom portion 110.
In one form, the angle between the outside of the walls 152 of the top portion and the plane of the top panel 160 is equal to the angle 138a or up to 5 degrees greater than the angle 138a. For example, if the angle 138a is 77 degrees, the angle of the walls 152, 156 is between 77 degrees and 82 degrees. In another embodiment, the angle of the walls 152 is at most 2 degrees greater than angle 138a. The angles listed above increase tensional friction between the projections 138 and the top portion 150 without overly increasing the likelihood of damaging the container 100. If a lesser angle 138a is used, the inward force exerted on the projections 138 increases, thus increasing the likelihood of the projections 138 folding over, reducing the resiliency of the projections 138 such that it does not return to its original static shape. Alternatively, the force may be great enough to damage the top portion 150, causing the sidewalls 152 to detach from each other and/or tear. Too great of an inward force can further cause the L-shaped cross section of the projections 138 to flatten such that they no longer align with the L-shaped apertures 162.
The preferred angles given above vary based on the material from which the container 100 is constructed. Containers 100 formed of more rigid materials have walls 112, 152 that are closer to perpendicular to the horizontal panels 120, 160 because the same amount of force deforms the projections 138 inward by a lesser amount.
Applying sufficient force to pull the top portion 150 upward relative to the bottom portion 110 causes the projections 138 to deform such that they pass through the apertures 162, allowing the top portion to be removed. Once the top portion is completely removed, the projections 138 again return to the static shape. The sufficient force is greater than the weight of the bottom portion, such that lifting an empty container 100 by the top portion 150 does not cause the bottom portion 110 and top portion 150 to separate from each other.
The scores 213 that form corners 113 are oblique to the scores 221. The scores 213 angle outward from the scores 221 at angles of 112a along the sidewalls 112. Similarly the cut lines 215 angle outward from the scores 221 at an angle 116a substantially equal to the angle 112a. In a preferred form, the angles 112a and 116a are approximately equal to each other and are supplementary to the angle 138a. In one form, the angles 112a and 116a are between 95 degrees and 110 degrees. In a preferred form, the angles 112a and 116a are between 100 degrees and 105 degrees. In the form shown, the angles 112a and 116a are approximately 102 degrees. As described above, the preferred angle is determined by the rigidity of the material forming the container 100. The angles given above are based on a paperboard container. Varying the material or the thickness of the material may affect the preferred angles.
When the blank 210 is erected to form the bottom portion 110, the tabs 114 are folded along the scores 213 so as to extend along the inner surface of the adjacent sidewalls 112. Adhesive is applied to the inner surface of the sidewalls 112 and/or the outer surface of the tabs 114 to secure the bottom portion 110 in an erect position. In some forms, the adhesive is compostable, such as a starch based adhesive, such that the container 100 is recyclable, compostable, and/or pulpable.
As described above, the projections 138 are at least partially dissected by scores 213 such that when the blank 210 is erected the sheet material forming the projections 138 is folded to form a generally L-shaped cross section. In alternative embodiments, the material forming the projections 138 is bent instead of folded to form projections having a generally C-shaped cross section.
In one form, the angles 152a and 156a are equal to the angles 112a and 116a respectively or up to 5 degrees less than. In a preferred form, the angles 152a and 156a are between 2 degrees less than 112a and 116a respectively and equal to 112a and 116a respectively. In the embodiment illustrated by
The cut lines 255 are cut to separate adjacent sidewalls 152 and form form tabs 154. When the blank 250 is erected to form a top portion 150, the blanks are adhered, such as by a hot melt or cold melt adhesive, to the inner surface of the adjacent sidewalls 152. The adhesive secures the top portion 150 in an erected position.
While the exemplary container 100 only illustrates locking projections 138 extending from the bottom portion and apertures 162 in the top portion, it is understood that these could be switched such that locking projections extend from the top portion and are received in apertures of the bottom portion. In some forms, both the bottom portion and the top portion can include locking projections received in corresponding apertures in the other of the bottom portion and the top portion. These alternatives operate in the same manner by being configured such that the locking projections are received by the corresponding apertures when the top portion and bottom portion are pressed into a closed position and form an interference lock therewith.
In alternative embodiments, the container 100 is formed of materials other than paperboard or corrugated paper. For example, the container 100 could be formed of a plastic or composite. Instead of being assembled by folding die cut blanks as described above, a plastic or composite container would be molded, such as injection molded, to have the shape of the erected container 100 shown above.
In other alternatives, the container 100 has more or fewer projections 138. In preferred forms, the projections 138 are positioned at corners of the bottom portion 110 so as to be folded for additional strength and resiliency. Embodiments having additional projections may have a different shape, such as being hexagonal or octagonal instead of rectangular. Embodiments having fewer projections 138 may have fewer corners, such as a triangular shape, or may only have projections 138 on some of the corners of the bottom portion 110. Additionally, or alternatively, the projections 138 are located on the tops of curved walls instead of corners. For example, a container having a circular or oval shape can have generally C-shaped projections spaced along the rim of its sidewall.
In still further examples, the top portion 150 and bottom portion 110 of the container 100 are hingedly attached so as to have a clamshell configuration. For example, the container 100 is made of a single die cut blank with a score line separating the rear walls from each other. The projections 138 are located on the corners of the front wall so as to lock the top portion in a closed position. [Consider whether we need a drawing of this embodiment.]
In addition, one skilled in the art will appreciate variations in the above-described containers and related methods can be provided. For example, the angles 112a and 152a can vary from angles 116a and 156a respectively such that the projections 138 extend out more in one direction than the other. Additionally, one skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of methods are contemplated in the description above. For example, methods of making a flexible laminate, bag, and/or insert and methods of using the same.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations, are to be viewed as being within the scope of the invention.
