The present invention relates generally to a storage container assembly including a container and a lid. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tamper-evident container and lid assembly providing evidence when one has removed or attempted to remove the lid from the container.
Sealable storage containers are often used to store items such as food, medicine, and the like. Such items are potentially dangerous to consumers if they have been contaminated before reaching the consumer. It is often difficult to determine whether the container has been previously tampered with or opened merely by examining the items themselves because many items do not provide an observable indication that have been tampered with or contaminated.
Thus, many producers of such items package their items in such a way that a consumer may readily examine a container and determine whether the contents of the container may have been tampered with after the item was packaged within the container. Such packaging often involves a seal or other indicia, either associated with the lid, the container, or both, that is broken or otherwise altered when the container is initially opened so that the seal or indicia cannot be replaced or repaired in the same condition. Thus, a seal or indicia in a condition different from its initial condition indicates to a consumer that the contents of the container should not be used because they may have been contaminated.
Many existing lids having tamper-evident features have several disadvantages. For example, existing tamper-evident lids are often not resealable. Thus, once the tamper-evident feature has been broken, the lid does not reseal to a container. Rather, the lid has a loose fit atop the container and often falls off when the container is moved or even slightly inverted. Other existing tamper-evident lids include multiple tamper-evident features (e.g., vertical membranes, perforations, or the like), thereby making the lid more susceptible to accidental breakage of the tamper-evident feature.
It would be desirable to provide a container assembly that addresses these disadvantages and provides tamper-evidence to a consumer.
According to one embodiment of the present invention a lid comprises a generally flat interior portion and an outer ridge area surrounding the interior portion. The outer ridge area includes a first ridge side, a ridge top, and a second ridge side. The first ridge side extends generally upward from the interior portion. The ridge top extends from the first ridge side and is generally parallel to the interior portion. The second ridge side extends generally downward from the ridge top. The second ridge side includes a top section and a bottom section. A thickness of the bottom section is smaller than a thickness of the top section. The bottom section includes at least one fixed tab and at least one tear band. The at least one fixed tab is separated from the at least one tear band by at least one vertical membrane.
According to another embodiment, a container assembly comprises a container including a bottom, at least one sidewall integrated with and extending from the bottom, and a lip portion extending outwardly from a portion of the at least one sidewall positioned generally opposite the bottom. The container assembly further comprises a lid including a generally flat interior portion and an outer ridge area surrounding the interior portion. The outer ridge area includes a first ridge side, a ridge top, and a second ridge side. The first ridge side extends generally upward from the interior portion. The ridge top extends from the first ridge side and is generally parallel to the interior portion. The second ridge side extends generally downward from the ridge top. The second ridge side includes a protrusion on an inner surface, a top section, and a bottom section. A thickness of the bottom section is smaller than a thickness of the top section. The bottom section includes at least one fixed tab and at least one tear band. The at least one fixed tab is separated from the at least one tear band by at least one vertical membrane. The protrusion on the inner surface of the second ridge side forms a seal with the lip portion of the container when the container assembly is in a closed position.
According to yet another embodiment, a tamper-evident lid comprises a generally flat disc portion and an outer ridge area surrounding the disc portion. The outer ridge area includes a first ridge side extending generally upward from the disc portion, a ridge top extending from the first ridge side and being generally parallel to the disc portion, and a second ridge side extending generally downward from the ridge top. The second ridge side includes a top section and a bottom section. A thickness of the bottom section is smaller than a thickness of the top section. The top section is separated from the bottom section by a thinned-out area. The top section includes at least one protrusion. The bottom section includes at least one fixed tab and at least one tear band. The at least one fixed tab is separated from the at least one tear band by at least one vertical membrane. A thickness of the vertical membrane is smaller than the thickness of the bottom section. The lid is formed from linear low density polyethylene.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the present invention. Additional features and benefits of the present invention are apparent from the detailed description and figures set forth below.
The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.
a is a cross-sectional view of a container assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.
b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area 1b of
a is a side view of the container of
b is an enlarged side view of Area 3b of
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
a illustrates a container assembly 10 according to one embodiment. The container assembly 10 includes a container 12 and a lid 14. The container 12, shown in more detail in
The container 12 may include one or more reinforcing elements molded into the sidewall 22 and/or the bottom 18 that reinforce or strengthen the container 12. In the illustrated embodiments, the container 12 includes a generally horizontal band 24 (see
The container 12 further includes a lip portion 28 positioned near or at the open top 26 of the container 12. The lip portion 28 extends from the sidewall 22 and includes a lip top 32 (see
The width W of the container 12 (
Turning now to
The second ridge side 46 of the lid 14 is generally divided into a top section 48 and a bottom section 50. The top section 48 has a greater thickness than the bottom section 50. The bottom section 50 includes at least one fixed tab 52 and at least one tear band 54. Two fixed tabs 52 and two tear bands 54 are included in the illustrated embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom section 50 of the lid 14 includes two fixed tabs 52 (the second fixed tab is not shown) positioned generally opposite one another along the perimeter of the second ridge side 46 and separated from one another by two tear bands 54a, 54b. It is contemplated that other amounts of fixed tabs and/or tear bands may also be used. It may be desirable, however, for more than one fixed tab and tear band to be used so that the tear band is less likely to flex and stretch to allow a user to remove the lid 14 without providing tamper evidence (e.g., breaking a vertical membrane, as described below).
The fixed tabs 52 are attached to and separated from the tear bands 54a, 54b by a thin, vertical membrane 56a, 56b (see
According to one embodiment, to remove the lid 14 from the container 12, a user generally grasps a section of the outer ridge portion 40 of the lid 14 that includes the fixed tab 52 and pushes up on the fixed tab 52 to break the vertical membrane(s) 56a, 56b. For example, a user may place his or her index finger at or near the ridge top 44 to grip the lid 14 and use his or her thumb to pry open the lid 14 by pushing up on the fixed tab 52. To assist in gripping the lid 14, the ridge top 44 may include a raised gripping feature 58 (see
In the illustrated embodiment, the tear bands 54a, 54b include pull tabs 60a, 60b positioned near or adjacent to the respective vertical membranes 56a, 56b. The pull tabs 60a, 60b are shown in more detail in
The tear bands 54a, 54b are attached to the top section 48 of the second ridge side 46 by a thinned-out area 60. The thickness of the thinned-out area is smaller than the thickness of the tear bands 54a, 54b. After the user lifts the fixed tab 52, thereby breaking at least one of the vertical membranes 56a, 56b, the user may grip the vertical pull tab 60a, 60b adjacent to the broken vertical membrane 56a, 56b and pull the tear band 54a, 54b such that the tear band 54a, 54b is removed from the second ridge side 46 along the thinned-out area 60. This process is then repeated to remove the remaining tear band 54a, 54b.
As mentioned above, in one embodiment of the present invention, the lid 14 or a portion thereof includes linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin. LLDPE may be desirable because it is generally flexible in nature, thereby promoting tearing of the vertical membranes 56a, 56b when the fixed tabs 52 are lifted. The flexible nature of LLDPE inhibits a consumer from being able to pull off the lid 14 without tearing or breaking the vertical membranes 56a, 56b. LLDPE is stiff enough, however, to form seal with a container.
According to one embodiment, the lid 14 includes a sealing feature to assist in reducing or eliminating leakage of the container 12. Referring back to
When the container assembly 10 is in a closed position (as in
As shown in
While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29/307796, filed May 13, 2008,now U.S. Pat. No. Des. 583,238 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 29307796 | May 2008 | US |
Child | 12251144 | US |