Food is often placed in a transparent plastic container that includes a base with a large volume cavity that holds the food and with a lid that closes the cavity. Buyers want to be assured that, after the food was placed in the container as by a clerk at the food store, that the container has not been opened. There is a possibility that another customer has secretly opened the container to taste a bit of the food before closing it (and possibly leaving germs). Potential customers want to be assured that this has not happened.
Most lids have a periphery that is constant throughout the entire 360° periphery of the lid, and with the entire lid lying on top of a portion of the base, rather than inside the base. A container that could be easily closed by a clerk at a store after he/she loaded food into the base cavity, which automatically latched the lid closed so it required a customer to tear an exposed portion of the container to open the lid, and which formed a seal between the base and lid without the lid having to move down into the base cavity, would be of value.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a container is provided of the type that includes a sheet plastic base and lid which prevents the lid from opening the first time unless a barrier is broken, wherein the lid periphery has a simple outer lid rim part extending along almost its entire periphery and wherein the lid seals to the base without requiring the lid to be inserted into the base cavity. The base has a raised base outer rib extending along almost the entire base periphery and has a flat base seal wall inward of the base outer rib. The lid has a lid rim part with a radially (with respect to the container axis) outer rim part that lies flat against the flat base seal wall and with an outer edge that lies substantially against the base outer rib. As a result, the base outer rib prevents a person from grasping the lid rim part to lift the lid. However, there are two gaps in the base outer rib, with means in the gaps for moving a tab that includes a limited length of the base outer rib. When the tab is moved out of the way, a person can grasp the lid rim part and lift the lid.
To seal the base to the lid, the base is provided with an upstanding projection lying radially inside the base outer rib, and the lid is provided with a downwardly-opening groove that receives the projection and seals to it. The projection has primarily vertical inner and outer walls and the groove has inner and outer walls that receive the projection. The inner and outer walls of the projection and groove are closer together at the bottom than at the top, to provide a seal and to resist opening of the container.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The lid 14 has a center portion 40 that lies over most of the cavity when the container is closed, and has a lid rim portion 42 that lies radially outward of the center portion. The lid rim portion forms a lid groove rib 44 that forms a downward opening groove 46. The lid rim portion 42 also has a lid outer rim part 50 with an outer edge 52, and that lies on the base support wall 36 when the container is closed.
The lids of
The base and lid can be made from one of two pieces of sheeting, of a variety of materials. These include Oriented Polystyrene (OPS), Talc-Filled Polypropylene (TEPP), High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), Polypropylene (PP), Polythylene Terepthalate (PET), Amorphous PET (APET), Crystallized Polyethylene (CPET), polyacid (PLA), Polystyrene, Styrene Block Copolymer blends as well as Biodegradable and Compostable Fiber materials. The sheet thickness is preferably 0.01 to 0.07 inch thick.
Thus, the invention provides a container wherein the lid can be easily closed on the base, and thereafter the container resists initial opening of the lid until a move-away tab is torn and moved out of the way so a lid rim part can be grasped to lift the lid. The base has a base outer rib with a vertically undercut inner wall that resists lid lift-up. There are gaps at circumferentially opposite ends of the tab, with gap lines in the gaps and with at least one of the gap lines being a tear line that can be torn. The base also has an upward projection formed by a radially inner rib, that fits into a groove in the lid to form a seal between them, with the seal lying above the food-holding cavity. In one type of container the lid has a lid rim portion of uniform shape around its entire periphery, and the lid can be installed in a plurality of positions turned about the container axis from one another. In another container, the lid has a projection at at least one location that fits into a slot in the radially inner wall of the tab.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.
Applicant claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/002,672 filed Nov. 10, 2007.
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