RECLOSABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER WITH READILY APPARENT TAMPER EVIDENT FEATURE

Abstract

A container includes a lid and base having flanges that are initially attached to each other by engagement of attachment regions of fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms provided in the flanges. Each of the frangible engagement mechanisms is frangibly detachable from its flange, and includes at least one wing extending from its attachment region. During a first opening of the container, the attachment regions initially remain fixed together, while the wings are bent at an oblique angle from the plane of the flanges. Upon reclosure of the container, the wings remain obliquely bent, and provide a readily apparent tamper indication. Wing hinges can be included between the wings and attachment regions to enhance the wing bending during initial opening. The lid and base can be separate, or can be attached to each other by a hinge, such as a living hinge or a scored hinge.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to containers having lids and bases, and more particularly to containers that are configured to provide a visual indication that the container has been previously opened.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plastic containers for distributing food and other consumer goods are in common use. Such containers, when used to contain food, often serve to extend the shelf life of perishable products, resulting in savings to the food industry and fresher food for the consumer.

Typically, such containers include a lid and a base that interlock with each other when closed. In many cases, the lid is attached to the base along one side of the container, for example by a living hinge or scored hinge. Depending on the type of food or other contents for which the container is intended, the container may be configured to prevent an exchange of air between the interior and exterior of the container when it is closed. Often, such containers are configured to be re-closable after they are initially opened, whereby the lid is once again attached to the base, so that the remaining contents can continue to be stored therein after a portion of the contents have been dispensed.

One concern of consumers is the integrity of the food within a container. Consumers want to be assured that the food has not been tampered with between the time when it was packaged by the supplier and the time of purchase. It is therefore desirable to include in such containers a “tamper evident” feature that provides a clear indication as to whether the container has been opened after it was originally sealed.

Tamper evident features for plastic containers are known in the art. Some known approaches tend to render the container difficult to re-close, and/or generate a waste product upon initial opening of the container, thereby requiring separate disposal of the waste product independent of the eventual disposal of the container. For example, opening the container may require that a tab, pull strip, or wrapping element be separated from the container and disposed of separately.

Other known approaches combine the tamper evident feature with a pull tab or other mechanism that is grasped by a user and used to remove the lid from the base. Because the same structure serves two different functions, i.e. as a pull tab to open the container and also as a tamper evident feature, these designs tend to be complex and expensive to implement.

A container is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/562,670, publication number US2010/0072217, which provides a lid attached to a base by a living hinge, and further provides tamper evidence that is independent of any container opening mechanism and does not generate a separate waste product. However, some of the embodiments disclosed therein provide only a minimal tamper indication that could be easily overlooked, while the remainder of the disclosed embodiments intentionally render the container difficult to re-close.

What is needed, therefore, is a container having a tamper-evident feature that is independent of any pull tabs or other container opening features, wherein the initial opening of the container does not generate a separate waste product, the container is easily re-closed and re-sealed after initial opening, and the tamper evidence provided after initial opening of the container is readily apparent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a container having a tamper-evident feature that is independent of any pull tabs or other container opening features, wherein the initial opening of the container does not generate a separate waste product, the container is easily re-closed and re-sealed after initial opening, and the tamper evidence provided after initial opening of the container is readily apparent.

The disclosed container includes corresponding lid and base flanges on at least one side of the container that extend beyond the rims of the lid and base. In embodiments, the lid and base may be joined along one side by a hinge, such as a living hinge or a scored hinge. In various embodiments, the lid and base are plastic.

The container further comprises at least one anchoring engagement mechanism that is configured to attach the lid flange to the base flange, where each of the anchoring engagement mechanisms includes a lid engagement mechanism attached to the lid flange and a cooperative base engagement mechanism attached to the base flange.

Upon initial closure of the container, the lid and base engagement mechanisms are securely joined to each other. Depending on the embodiment, the secure joinder of the lid and base engagement mechanisms may be by insertion of a protruding member provided in one of the lid and base engagement mechanisms into a recessed member provided in the other of the lid and base engagement mechanisms, thereby forming an interference fit. In other embodiments, the secure joining of the lid engagement feature to the base engagement feature can be formed by an adhesive, by spot-welding, by ultrasonic welding, or by any other attachment means known in the art.

According to the present invention, for each of the anchoring engagement mechanisms, one and only one of the lid engagement mechanism and the base engagement mechanism is a frangible engagement mechanism, in that it is at least partially surrounded by a frangible boundary, and is frangibly detachable from the flange in which it was formed. The other of the lid and base engagement mechanisms is referred to herein as the “fixed” engagement mechanism. The frangible engagement mechanism is configured such that when an opening force is applied to the container, the frangible engagement mechanism breaks free of the flange in which it is formed while the lid and base engagement mechanisms remain securely attached to each other. As a result, upon initial opening of the container, both of the lid and base engagement mechanisms remain attached to the flange in which the fixed engagement mechanism is formed.

According to the present invention, the frangible engagement mechanism of each anchoring engagement mechanism includes at least one “wing” that extends beyond a joining region of the frangible engagement mechanism. Upon initial opening of the container, the frangible boundary is severed first in a region that is proximal to the joining region, while the frangible boundary initially remains intact in regions proximate the wing or wings of the frangible engagement mechanism. As a result, the wing or wings are bent at an oblique angle out of the plane of the lid or base flange before the remainder of the frangible boundary is severed.

When the container is subsequently closed after the initial opening, the bent wing or wings pass easily through the orifice formed by the severing of the frangible boundary, and extend upward at oblique angles from the plane of the lid and base flanges, thereby rendering the bent wings readily apparent and immediately recognizable by a user. In embodiments, the lid of the re-closed container is attached to the base by a secondary attachment mechanism, such as by press-fitting together of protruding and recessed regions provided in the lid and base rims.

In embodiments, for at least one of the frangible engagement mechanisms, one or more wing hinges are provided between the joining region and the wing, thereby facilitating the bending of the wing during the initial opening of the container. In embodiments, the wing hinges are living hinges, and in some of those embodiments the wing hinges include at least one of a U-shaped region, a V-shaped region, a semi-circular region, or a scored profile.

The present invention is a container that includes a base surrounded by a base rim, a base flange extending outward from the base rim, a lid surrounded by a lid rim, the lid being attachable to the base so as to close the container, a lid flange extending outward from the lid rim, the lid flange being configured to lie flat against the base flange when the container is closed, a fixed engagement mechanism formed in a first flange that is either the lid flange or the base flange, the fixed engagement mechanism including a first attachment region, and a frangible engagement mechanism formed in a second flange that is the other of the lid flange and the base flange. The frangible engagement mechanism includes a second attachment region configured for secure attachment to the first attachment region when the container is closed, a wing extending from and attached to the second attachment region, and a frangible boundary at least partially surrounding the second attachment region and the wing, such that the frangible engagement mechanism is frangibly detachable from the second flange. The fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms are separate from and independent of any pull tabs that are included in the lid and base flanges.

The fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms are configured such that upon a first closure of the container the first and second attachment regions are securely attached to each other, the wing being attached to the second flange while lying flat against the first flange, upon completion of a first opening of the container after said first closure, the frangible boundary is broken free of the second flange, such that the frangible engagement mechanism is detached from the second flange and remains securely attached to the fixed engagement mechanism, an orifice being thereby formed in the second flange, and during said first opening of the container, the frangible boundary is severed first in a region proximate the second attachment region before it is severed in a region proximate the wing, thereby causing the wing to be bent at an oblique angle from a plane of the first flange before the frangible engagement mechanism is fully detached from the second flange, and upon a second closing of the container after said first opening, the wing passes through the orifice in the second flange and extends upward at the oblique angle from a plane of the second flange.

In embodiments, the frangible engagement mechanism further includes at least one wing hinge located between the second attachment region and the wing.

In any of the above embodiments, the wing hinge can be a living hinge. In some of these embodiments, the wing hinge includes at least one of a U-shaped portion, a V-shaped portion, and a semi-circular portion.

In any of the above embodiments, before said first opening, the frangible boundary can be attached by a perforated attachment to the second flange.

In any of the above embodiments, the frangible boundary can completely surround the frangible engagement mechanism, or the frangible boundary can only partially surrounds the frangible engagement mechanism, while a remaining boundary of the frangible engagement mechanism extends to an edge of the second flange and is not attached to the second flange.

In any of the above embodiments, the container can be a plastic container.

In any of the above embodiments, the lid can be attached to the base by a container hinge along a hinged side of the container. In some of these embodiments, the container hinge is a living hinge or a scored hinge. And in any of these embodiments the first and second flanges in which the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms are formed can extend from a side of the container that is opposite to the hinged side of the container.

Any of the above embodiments can further include a pull tab configured to facilitate opening of the container, the pull tab being separate from and independent of the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms.

In any of the above embodiments, when the container is closed after the first opening thereof, the lid can be attached to the base by a secondary attachment mechanism that is independent of the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms.

In any of the above embodiments, the secure attachment of the first and second attachment regions can include an interference fit between the first and second attachment regions, and/or spot welding of the first attachment region to the second attachment region.

The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view from above, drawn to scale, of a container in an embodiment of the present invention shown fully open before first closing thereof;

FIG. 2 is a close-up view drawn to scale of one of the anchoring engagement mechanisms of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view from above, drawn to scale, of the container of FIG. 1 shown after first closing thereof;

FIG. 3B is a top view drawn to scale of the container of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a close-up perspective view, drawn to scale, of one of the anchoring engagement mechanisms of FIG. 3B;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view drawn to scale of one of the anchoring engagement mechanisms of FIG. 4A shown with the lid and base flanges shown as slightly separated immediately before first closing of the container;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view drawn to scale of the container of FIG. 2 shown after it has been re-opened;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view drawn to scale o the container of FIG. 5 shown after re-closing thereof;

FIG. 6B is a close-up view drawn to scale of one of the single-wing anchoring engagement mechanisms of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 6C is a close-up view drawn to scale of the double-wing anchoring engagement mechanism of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 is a view from above, drawn to scale, of an embodiment of the present invention in which the lid and base are not connected by a hinge, and wherein anchoring engagement mechanisms are provided along two opposing sides of the container;

FIG. 8A is a view from above, drawn to scale, of a container in an embodiment of the present invention in which the frangible engagement mechanisms extend to an edge of the container, the container being shown fully open before first closing thereof;

FIG. 8B is a top view drawn to scale of the container of FIG. 8A, shown after first closing thereof; and

FIGS. 9A-9I are close-up cross-sectional views drawn to scale of frangible engagement mechanisms having various different configurations of wing hinges according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a container having a tamper-evident feature that is independent of any pull tabs or other container opening features, wherein the initial opening of the container does not generate a separate waste product, the container is easily re-closed and re-sealed after initial opening, and the tamper evidence provided after initial opening of the container is readily apparent.

With reference to FIG. 1, the disclosed container includes a lid 100 and a base 102 with corresponding lid 114 and base 116 flanges on at least one side of the container that extend respectively beyond a lid rim 118 and a base rim 120 of the container. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the container is a plastic container. The embodiment of FIG. 1 also includes a hinge 112 that joins the lid 100 to the base 102, where the hinge 112 is on the side of the container opposite to the flanges 114, 116.

The container of FIG. 1 further comprises three lid engagement mechanisms 104a, 104b, 104c and three cooperative base engagement mechanisms 106a, 106b, 106c (referred to collectively as items 104 and 106) that are configured to engage with each other and thereby attach the lid flange 114 to the base flange 116. Each of the lid and base flanges 114, 116 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 further comprises a plurality of pull tabs 108, each of which corresponds to an indentation 110 in the opposing flange, so that when the container is closed, a user can separately grasp pairs of the pull tabs 108 and pull them apart to open the container. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the engagement mechanisms 104, 106 are separate from, and independent of, the pull tabs 108.

With reference to FIG. 2, according to the present invention, for each pair of cooperative engagement mechanisms 104, 106, one and only one of the lid engagement mechanism 104 and the base engagement mechanism 106 is a frangible engagement mechanism (104 in FIG. 2), in that it is frangibly separable from the flange in which it is formed. In FIG. 2 the frangible engagement mechanism is fully surrounded by a frangible boundary 202, while in other embodiments the frangible engagement mechanism 104 is partially surrounded by the frangible boundary 202, while a remainder of the frangible engagement mechanism 104 extends to an edge of the lid 100 or base 102. FIG. 2 is a close-up view from above of one of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104b of FIG. 1.

The lid engagement mechanism 104 comprises a lid joining region 200 that is configured to be securely joined to a base joining region 400 of the base engagement mechanism (discussed in more detail below with respect to FIG. 4B). Each of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 further includes at least one “wing” 204 that extends beyond the joining region 200, but remains within the frangible boundary 202. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 further includes a pair of wing hinges 206 located between each of the wings 204 and the joining region 200.

In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 1, all of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 are formed in the lid flange 114 of the container. In other embodiments, all of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 are formed in the base flange 116, or are distributed between the lid flange 114 and the base flange 116. Also, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid and base flanges 114, 116, and all of the lid and base engagement mechanisms 104, 106 are located along a single side of the container. In other embodiments, as is discussed below with reference to FIG. 7, the flanges and engagement mechanisms are distributed along at least two sides of the container.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the container of FIG. 1 in an initially closed configuration, FIG. 3B is a top view of the container of FIG. 3A, and FIG. 4A is a close-up perspective view of one of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104b of FIG. 3B. FIG. 4B is a close-up view of the lid engagement mechanism 104 of FIG. 1 positioned above the base engagement mechanism 106, thereby allowing the features of the base engagement mechanism 106 to be separately viewed. In particular, complementary indentations 406 can be seen that are provided in the base flange so as to accommodate the wing hinges 206 when the container is initially closed.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 3A-4B, when the container is initially closed, the joining regions 200, 400 of the lid engagement mechanism 104 and the base engagement mechanism 106 are securely joined to each other, while all of the wings 204 lie flat against the opposing flange 116. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4B, the secure joinder of the lid engagement mechanism 104 to the base engagement mechanism 106 is by insertion of a protruding member 200 provided in the lid engagement mechanism 104 into a recessed member 400 provided in the base engagement mechanism 106, thereby forming an interference fit. In other embodiments, the secure joining of the joining regions 200, 400 can be by an adhesive, by spot-welding, by ultrasonic welding, or by any other secure attachment means known in the art.

With reference to FIG. 5, according to the present invention, all of the frangible engagement mechanisms are configured such that when an opening force is applied to the container, for example by grasping and pulling pairs of the pull tabs 108 apart from each other, and the lid flange 114 is separated from the base flange 116, the frangible boundaries 202 of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 are severed, while the joining regions 200, 400 remain attached to each other, such that the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 break free of the flange 114 or flanges in which they are formed. As a result, upon initial opening of the container, the lid engagement mechanism 104 and base engagement mechanism 106 remain engaged with each other, and both of them 104, 106 remain attached to the flange 116 in which the non-frangible engagement mechanism 106 is formed. Accordingly, orifices 500a, 500b, 500c (referred to collectively herein as element 500) are formed in the flange 114 or flanges in which the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 were initially formed.

As the frangible boundary 202 is severed during initial opening of the container, it is severed first in a region that is proximal to the joining region 200, while the frangible boundary 202 initially remains intact in regions proximate the wing or wings 204 of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104. As a result, the wing or wings 204 are bent at an oblique angle out of the plane of the lid or base flange before the remainder of the frangible boundary is severed. The wing hinges 206 that are included in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 enhance this bending of the wings 204 to an oblique angle away from the adjoining flange 106.

With reference to FIG. 6A, when the container is subsequently closed after the initial opening, the bent wings 204 pass easily through the orifices 500 formed by the severing of the frangible boundaries 202, and extend upward at oblique angles from the plane of the lid flange 114 and the base flange 116, thereby rendering the bent wings 204 readily apparent and immediately recognizable by a user. This can be seen more clearly in the close-up views of FIGS. 6B and 6C. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-6C, the lid of the re-closed container is attached to the base by a nesting and interference fit of protruding and recessed regions 118, 120 provided at the rims 118, 120 of the lid 100 and base 102, which serves as a secondary attachment mechanism of the lid 100 to the base 102.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6C, the lid 100 and base 102 are attached to each other by a hinge 112. With reference to FIG. 7, in other embodiments the lid 100 and base 102 are not attached to each other. Instead, in the illustrated embodiment, engagement mechanisms 104a-104f are provided along two opposing sides of the lid 100 and base 102.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6C, the frangible engagement mechanisms are entirely formed within the lid flange 114 and fully surrounded by the frangible boundaries 202. With reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B, in other embodiments the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 are only partially surrounded by the frangible boundaries 202, while remainders of the frangible engagement mechanisms 104 extend to edges of the flanges 114 in which they are formed, and are thereby fully detached from the flange 114 even before the container is first opened. FIG. 8A is a view from above of an embodiment shown open before first closing thereof, and FIG. 8B is a view from above of the container of FIG. 8A shown after the first closing thereof.

FIGS. 9A through 9I present, in cross section, a variety of different configurations of wing hinge 206 that are included in various embodiments of the present invention. It can be seen from the figures that in various embodiments the wing hinge 206 includes at least one portion that is U-shaped, V-shaped, or semi-circular in shape. For clarity of illustration, item numbers are provided only for FIG. 9A, but are easily extended to FIGS. 9B-9I.

It should also be noted in FIGS. 9A through 9I that the frangible boundary 202 includes regions 900 proximate the wings 204 that are initially attached with perforations to the surrounding flange 114, while regions 902 of the frangible boundary 202 that are proximate the joining region 200 are fully severed from the surrounding flange 114 even before the first opening of the container. This arrangement further enhances the bending of the wings 204 out of the plane of the flange 116 when the container is first opened.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. Each and every page of this submission, and all contents thereon, however characterized, identified, or numbered, is considered a substantive part of this application for all purposes, irrespective of form or placement within the application. This specification is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure.

Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, the scope of the invention is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications. The disclosure presented herein does not explicitly disclose all possible combinations of features that fall within the scope of the invention. The features disclosed herein for the various embodiments can generally be interchanged and combined into any combinations that are not self-contradictory without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the limitations presented in dependent claims below can be combined with their corresponding independent claims in any number and in any order without departing from the scope of this disclosure, unless the dependent claims are logically incompatible with each other.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a base surrounded by a base rim;a base flange extending outward from the base rim;a lid surrounded by a lid rim, the lid being attachable to the base so as to close the container;a lid flange extending outward from the lid rim, the lid flange being configured to lie flat against the base flange when the container is closed;a fixed engagement mechanism formed in a first flange that is either the lid flange or the base flange, the fixed engagement mechanism including a first attachment region; anda frangible engagement mechanism formed in a second flange that is the other of the lid flange and the base flange, the frangible engagement mechanism comprising: a second attachment region configured for secure attachment to the first attachment region when the container is closed;a wing extending from and attached to the second attachment region; anda frangible boundary at least partially surrounding the second attachment region and the wing, such that the frangible engagement mechanism is frangibly detachable from the second flange;the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms being separate from and independent of any pull tabs that are included in the lid and base flanges;the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms being configured such that: upon a first closure of the container the first and second attachment regions are securely attached to each other, the wing being attached to the second flange while lying flat against the first flange;upon completion of a first opening of the container after said first closure, the frangible boundary is broken free of the second flange, such that the frangible engagement mechanism is detached from the second flange and remains securely attached to the fixed engagement mechanism, an orifice being thereby formed in the second flange; andduring said first opening of the container, the frangible boundary is severed first in a region proximate the second attachment region before it is severed in a region proximate the wing, thereby causing the wing to be bent at an oblique angle from a plane of the first flange before the frangible engagement mechanism is fully detached from the second flange; andupon a second closing of the container after said first opening, the wing passes through the orifice in the second flange and extends upward at the oblique angle from a plane of the second flange.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the frangible engagement mechanism further includes at least one wing hinge located between the second attachment region and the wing.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the wing hinge is a living hinge.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the wing hinge includes at least one U-shaped portion.

5. The container of claim 3, wherein the wing hinge includes at least one V-shaped portion.

6. The container of claim 3, wherein the wing hinge includes at least one semi-circular portion.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein before said first opening the frangible boundary is attached by a perforated attachment to the second flange.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the frangible boundary completely surrounds the frangible engagement mechanism.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the frangible boundary only partially surrounds the frangible engagement mechanism, while a remaining boundary of the frangible engagement mechanism extends to an edge of the second flange and is not attached to the second flange.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is a plastic container.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid is attached to the base by a container hinge along a hinged side of the container.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein the container hinge is a living hinge.

13. The container of claim 11, wherein the container hinge is a scored hinge.

14. The container of claim 11, wherein the first and second flanges in which the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms are formed extend from a side of the container that is opposite to the hinged side of the container.

15. The container of claim 1, further comprising a pull tab configured to facilitate opening of the container, the pull tab being separate from and independent of the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms.

16. The container of claim 1, wherein when the container is closed after the first opening thereof, the lid is attached to the base by a secondary attachment mechanism that is independent of the fixed and frangible engagement mechanisms.

17. The container of claim 1, wherein the secure attachment of the first and second attachment regions includes an interference fit between the first and second attachment regions.

18. The container of claim 1, wherein the secure attachment of the first and second engagement regions includes spot welding of the first attachment region to the second attachment region.