The present subject matter relates generally to storage containers, and more particularly to storage containers having tamper evident features.
Plastic containers may be used for packaging and storing various items. Such containers may be used in a retail setting, for example in order to display a quantity of goods stored therein for sale as a unit. The items stored in such containers may be food items, such as perishable food items, or may be other items which are subject to tampering, spoilage, and/or theft of one or more of the items from the container.
Such storage containers may be provided with tamper-evident features to provide an indication of whether the container was previously opened, such as prior to a sale to a consumer. For example, such features may be desired to indicate the container has been opened or otherwise tampered with, such as may be indicative of potential theft, contamination, spoilage, or other concerns.
Existing tamper-evident features may have limitations, such as may be easily circumventable or the difference between the container in an unopened state and a post-opening state may be slight or subtle, such that the previous opening of the container is not readily identifiable at a quick glance.
Accordingly, storage containers with features for improved, e.g. more reliable or easily discerned, indication of prior opening, would be useful.
Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be apparent from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In an exemplary embodiment, a container is provided. The container defines a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The vertical, lateral, and transverse directions are mutually perpendicular. The container includes a base and a lid. The base extends along the vertical direction between a floor approximately at a bottom of the base and an opening approximately at a top of the base. The lid and the base are configured to selectively move between an open position and a closed position. A storage volume of the container is defined by and between the base and the lid in the closed position. The container also includes a first tab on the base. The first tab extends from the base approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. The first tab includes a first locking member. The container further includes a bump projecting upward along the vertical direction from the first tab. The container also includes a second tab on the lid. The second tab includes a second locking member configured to interlock with the first locking member such that the base and the lid are retained in the closed position when the first locking member and the second locking member are interlocked. The bump deflects at least a portion of the second tab upward along the vertical direction when the lid and the base are in the closed position.
In another exemplary embodiment, a container is provided. The container includes a base and a lid. The base and the lid are configured to selectively move between an open position and a closed position. A storage volume of the container is defined by and between the base and the lid in the closed position. The container also includes a first tab on the base with a first locking member positioned on the first tab, and a second tab on the lid with a second locking member positioned on the second tab. The second locking member is configured to interlock with the first locking member such that the base and the lid are retained in the closed position when the first locking member and the second locking member are interlocked. The container also includes a bump projecting from one of the first tab and the second tab such that at least a portion of the second tab is deflected when the lid and the base are in the closed position.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “includes” and “including” are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Similarly, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). In addition, here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged. Such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “generally,” “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a 10 percent margin, i.e., including values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value. In this regard, for example, when used in the context of an angle or direction, such terms include within ten degrees greater or less than the stated angle or direction, e.g., “generally vertical” includes forming an angle of up to ten degrees in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise, with the vertical direction V.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” In addition, references to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “an embodiment” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Moreover, each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring now to the figures, an exemplary container will be described in accordance with exemplary aspects of the present subject matter.
The container 100 may be repeatedly opened and closed multiple times, and may include features to indicate that the container 100 has been opened (such as opened after items such as food items have been placed therein) and then reclosed. Specifically,
Referring again to
The base 102 may extend along the vertical direction V from a floor 106, e.g., approximately at the bottom of the base 102, to an opening 108. The opening 108 may be defined at or approximately at the top of the base 102. The lid 104 may include an opening 112, and the opening 112 may be positioned approximately at the bottom of the lid 104 when the lid and the base 102 are in the closed position. The lid 104 may extend along the vertical direction V from the opening 112 to a ceiling 110. When in the closed position, the ceiling 110 may be above the opening 112, and the ceiling 110 may be positioned approximately at a top of the lid 104 and a top of the overall container 100 as a whole. As noted above, the term “approximately” is used herein to include plus or minus ten percent, such as “approximately at” a top or bottom includes offsets from the topmost or bottommost edge or surface by up to ten percent of a total vertical dimension (e.g., height) of the overall container 100 when the container 100 is in a closed position.
The lid 104 and the base 102 may be releasably coupled at the opening 108 of the base 102 and the opening 112 of the lid 104 when the lid 104 and the base 102 are in the closed position. For example, the openings 108 and 112 may be superimposed on each other and/or may overlap when the base 102 and the lid 104 are in the closed position. In some embodiments, a perimeter seal 126 may be provided around each opening 108, 112. For example, the perimeter seal 126 may include a convex curved portion on one of the base 102 and the lid 104 and a corresponding concave curved portion on the other of the base 102 and the lid 104, and the respective curved portions may be located proximate to and around each opening 108, 112, such that, when the base 102 and the lid 104 are in a closed position, a storage volume 140 (see, e.g.,
The container 100 may further include a flange around the perimeter of the base 102 with a ridge 124 which extends from the flange, e.g., upward along the vertical direction V. In additional embodiments, the ridge 124 may be positioned on the lid 104 and may, for example, extend downward along the vertical direction V when the lid 104 is coupled to the base 102 in the closed position. The ridge 124 may be positioned outward of the perimeter seal 126, e.g., where outward refers to farther from the geometric center of the container 100. Thus, as may be seen, e.g., in
In the illustrated exemplary embodiments, the base 102 is relatively deep and the lid 104 is relatively shallow, e.g., a distance from the floor 106 to the opening 108 is much greater than, such as several times greater than, the distance from the ceiling 110 to the opening 112 of the lid 104. Accordingly, the internal storage volume 140 is predominantly provided in the base 102 in the exemplary container 100 embodiments illustrated in the accompanying FIGS. In other embodiments, however, the proportions of the base 102 and the lid 104 may vary, such as may be approximately equal, or the base 102 may be relatively shallow while the lid 104 is relatively deep.
The container 100 may also include a first tab 116. The first tab 116 may be positioned on the base 102 such as the first tab 116 may extend from the base 102 approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction V, e.g., as illustrated in
The container 100 may further include a bump 130. For example, as may be seen in
Referring now to
As seen throughout the FIGS., when the container 100 is in the initial open position or the initial closed position, the frangible portion 142 remains directly connected to the first tab 116, e.g., across the line of reduced strength 132, such as at the connected portions between each perforation in the illustrated exemplary embodiments. Once the container 100 has been re-opened, e.g., opened after the initial closed position, the frangible portion 142 may still be connected to the first tab 116 but only indirectly connected, such as connected via the second tab 118, lid 104, hinge 114, and base 102, as illustrated for example in
In some embodiments, the first locking member 134 may be positioned on the frangible portion 142. For example, the first locking member 134 may be positioned on the first tab 116 outward of the line of reduced strength 132, e.g., as illustrated in
Where the frangible portion 142 remains attached to other parts of the container 100, e.g., the second tab 118, the previous opening of the container 100 may be evidenced by the presence of the frangible portion 142, such as in contrast to other tamper indicating features which are fully separate from a package when detached, such that an observer may not know such package was previously opened if the observer is not aware that such other tamper indicating feature should be present. As such, the container 100 of the present disclosure may provide a more reliable tamper indication.
As may be seen in
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
This application claims benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/518,593, having a filing date of Aug. 10, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63518593 | Aug 2023 | US |