초록 ▼

The combination of a reusable lid and a container, the lid being provided with locking tabs and the container being provided with openings designed to accept the locking tabs and to make an interlocking connection by relatively rotating the lid and container. A latch element is formed on the lid for

The combination of a reusable lid and a container, the lid being provided with locking tabs and the container being provided with openings designed to accept the locking tabs and to make an interlocking connection by relatively rotating the lid and container. A latch element is formed on the lid for engagement with one of a plurality of cooperating catch elements formed on the container. The engaged catch element prevents removal of the lid from the container until the latch element is depressed inwardly far enough to allow the lid to be turned to a position in which the tabs may be removed from the openings.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A lid/container combination comprising:a molded lid having a central crown portion, a circularly shaped rim portion surrounding said crown portion, mutually spaced locking tabs formed integral with and depending from said rim portion, each locking tab comprising a body portion that depends from s

1. A lid/container combination comprising:a molded lid having a central crown portion, a circularly shaped rim portion surrounding said crown portion, mutually spaced locking tabs formed integral with and depending from said rim portion, each locking tab comprising a body portion that depends from said rim and has a bottom end and an enlarged locking portion on said bottom end of said body portion characterized by a shoulder that faces upward and extends both circumferentially and radially of said rim, and latch means projecting from said rim; and a container having an open end, a closed end, a first circumferentially continuous side wall extending from said open end to said closed end, a radially-extending annular wall attached to and surrounding said side wall at said open end, said annular wall having an upper surface, a second side wall attached to and depending from said annular wall, said second side wall being spaced from said first side wall, a plurality of openings in said annular wall, each of said openings comprising a first portion that is wide enough to accept said body portion and said enlarged locking portions of said tabs and a second portion that is wide enough to accommodate said body portion but too narrow to accept said enlarged locking portion, and a plurality of mutually spaced catch members projecting upward from said upper surface in position so that said latch means can releasably engage one of said catch members when said lid is secured to said container; whereby said lid (a) may be coupled to said container by inserting said tabs into said first portions of said holes and (b) may be secured to said container by rotating said lid relative to said container in a direction to shift said tabs so that said shoulders underlie said annular wall and thereby prevent said tabs from being pulled out of said openings, and engagement of said latch means with one of said catch members prevents relative rotation of said lid and container in a direction that would permit removal of said locking tabs from said openings. 2. A container/lid combination comprising:a container having an open end, a closed end, a first circumferentially continuous side wall extending from said open end to said closed end, a transversely-extending annular wall attached to and surrounding said side wall at said open end, a second circumferentially continuous side wall attached to and depending from said annular wall, said second side wall being spaced from and surrounding said first side wall, and a plurality of openings in said annular wall; and a molded lid having a central crown, a circularly shaped rim surrounding said crown comprising an annular flange and a circumferentially continuous side wall depending from said flange, said flange having an outer periphery and said depending side wall of said rim being located at the periphery of said flange and having a bottom end, and mutually spaced locking tabs formed integral with and depending from said bottom end of said depending side wall of said rim, each of said locking tabs comprising a body portion having a bottom end with a radially enlarged locking portion that is characterized by a shoulder that faces upwardly and extends both circumferentially and radially outward of said depending side wall of said rim; each of said openings in said annular wall comprising a first portion that is sized to accept said body portion and said enlarged locking portion of one of said tabs and a second portion that is sized to accommodate said body portion but not said radially enlarged locking portion of one of said tabs, whereby said lid (a) may be coupled to said container by inserting said locking portions of said tabs through said first portions of said holes, and (b) may be secured to said container by rotating said lid relative to said container in a direction to shift said tabs so that said body portions reside in said second portions of said holes and said shoulders underlie and engage said annular wall and thereby prevent said tabs from being pulled out of said openings. 3. A container/lid combination according to claim 2 wherein said first and second portions of said openings each have an outer edge with the outer edges of said first portions being located at a greater distance from the center of said lid than the outer edges of said second portions.4. A container/lid combination according to claim 2 wherein said depending side wall of said rim has a maximum diameter less than that of said annular wall.5. A container/lid combination according to claim 4 wherein said annular wall has an upper surface and said container is provided with a plurality of mutually spaced catch members that project upward from said upper surface, and further wherein said rim comprises a latch means on its periphery for releasably engaging one of said catch members and thereby preventing relative rotation of said lid and container in a direction that would permit removal of said locking tabs from said openings.6. A container/lid combination according to claim 5 wherein said rim has a lower edge and said latch means comprises a radially-projecting portion of said rim that projects outwardly far enough to be intercepted by one of said catch members when lid is applied to said container, said radially-projecting portion having an end edge that is demarcated by a silt in said rim that intersects said lower edge whereby under a manually applied force said radially-projecting portion can yield inwardly far enough to disengage it from an interfering catch member and thereby permit rotation of said lid in a direction to permit removal of said locking tabs from said openings.7. A container/lid combination according to claim 6 wherein said continuous side wall at said container has an upper and edge and said annular wall is spaced below said upper end edge, said rim comprises concentric inner and outer walls, said slit is in said outer wall, and said upper end edge of said continuous side wall projects above said annular wall and is received between said inner and outer walls of said rim.8. A container/lid combination according to claim 2 wherein said first side wall of said container has an upper end edge and said rim comprises concentric inner and outer depending walls, and further wherein said upper end edge of said first side wall is received between said inner and outer walls of said rim when said lid is attached to said container.9. A container/lid combination according to claim 8 wherein said annular wall has a top surface, and further wherein when said lid is attached to said container via interlocking of said tabs and said annular wall, said outer wall of said rim will be engaged with said top surface of said annular top wall.10. A container/lid combination comprising a container and a lid adapted for connection to said container,said container having an open top end and a closed bottom end defined by a tubular side wall and a bottom wall formed integral with said side wall, said side wall having a top end portion, a flat annular flange formed integral with and extending radially outward from said tubular side wall adjacent to said top end portion, a skirt formed integral with and depending from said annular flange in surrounding spaced relation to said side wall, and a plurality of like circumferentially-spaced holes in said flange, each hole being elongate circumferentially of said flange and comprising a first portion having a relatively large dimension measured radially of the container and a second portion contiguous with said first portion having a relatively small dimension measured radially of the container; and a lid for closing off said open top end of said container, said lid comprising a crown portion and a rim formed integral with and surrounding said crown portion, said rim being characterized by concentric inner and outer walls formed so as to accommodate therebetween said top end portion of said tubular side wall, said inner and outer walls each having a bottom end, and a plurality of mutually spaced locking tabs formed integral with and depending from said bottom end of outer wall, said tabs being shaped and sized to fit in said first portions of said holes and the spacing of said locking tabs being such as to permit all of said locking tabs to be aligned with and inserted into said holes, each locking tab being hook-shaped in radial cross-section and having an upwardly facing surface that is exposed in said first portions of said holes when said lid is in a first rotational position relative to said container and underlies and engages said flange radially of said second portions of said holes when said lid is in a second rotational position relative to said container. 11. A container/lid combination according to claim 10 wherein said flange has an outer edge and said skirt is formed integral with said outer edge of said flange.12. A container/lid combination according to claim 11 wherein said skirt has a bottom edge and said bottom end of said outer wall of said rim is engaged with said flange when said locking tabs are located in said holes and said lid is in said second rotational position.13. A container/lid combination comprising:a container having an open end, a closed end, a first circumferentially continuous side wall extending from said open end to said closed end, a transversely-extending annular wall attached to and surrounding said first side wall adjacent to said open end, a second side wall attached to and depending from said annular wall, said second side wall surrounding and spaced from said first side wall, a plurality of openings in said annular wall, and a plurality of mutually spaced catch members that project upwardly from said annular wall; a molded lid having a central crown portion, a circularly shaped rim portion surrounding said crown portion and comprising concentric inner and outer walls defining a channel therebetween for accommodating the upper end of said continuous side wail, and mutually spaced locking tabs formed integral with and depending from said rim portion; said openings and locking tabs being shaped so that (a) said tabs can be inserted in said openings when said lid is in a first rotational position relative to said container and (b) said tabs extend under and are restrained by said annular wall when said lid is in a second rotational position relative to said container, whereby said lid can be applied to or detached from said container when said lid is in said first rotational position and is locked to said container when said lid is in said second rotational position; and a latch means on the periphery of said rim for releasably engaging one of said catch members and thereby preventing relative rotation at said lid and container in a direction that would permit removal of said locking tabs from said openings, said latch means comprising an outwardly bulging portion of said side wall and a separation between one end of said bulging portion and said side wall, whereby said bulging portion may be deformed manually to disengage it from a catch member with which it is engaged and thereby permit said lid to be rotated in a direction to permit removal of said tabs from said openings. 14. A lid/container combination comprising:a molded lid having a circular central crown portion, a circularly shaped rim portion surrounding said crown portion, said rim portion comprising a radially projecting annular flange having an outer edge, a circumferentially continuous wall of circular cross-sectional shape formed integral with and depending from said radially projecting flange at said outer edge, said wall having a bottom edge, and a plurality of locking tabs formed integral with and depending from said wall, said locking tabs being spaced along said bottom edge with each locking tab comprising a top body portion that is formed integral with said wall and has a bottom end and an enlarged locking portion on said bottom end of said body portion, said enlarged locking portion being characterized by a shoulder that faces upward and extends radially outward of said top body portion; and a container having an open end, a closed end, a first circumferentially continuous side wall extending from said open end to said closed end, a transversely extending radially-extending annular wall attached to and surrounding said side wall at said open end, a second side wall attached to and depending from said annular wall, said second side wall being spaced from and surrounding said first side wall, and a plurality of openings in said annular wall, each of said openings comprises a first portion that is wide enough to accept said body portion and said enlarged locking portion of one of said locking tabs and a second portion that is wide enough to accommodate said body portion but too narrow to accept said enlarged locking portion of one of said locking tabs; said openings and locking tabs being shaped and spaced so that (a) said enlarged locking portions of said locking tabs can be inserted through said openings when said lid is in a first rotational position relative to said container and (b) said shoulders of said locking tabs extend under and are restrained by said annular wall of said container when said lid is in a second rotational position relative to said container, whereby said lid can be applied to or detached from said container when said lid is in said first rotational position and is locked to said container when said lid is in said second rotational position. 15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said wall of said rim portion has an outer surface, and said top body portions of said tabs have, an outer surface that is a continuous with said outer surface of said wall of said rim portion.16. The combination of claim 15 wherein said rim portion has another circumferentially continuous wall depending from said flange, said another circumferentially continuous wall being concentric with a surrounded by said first named circumferentially continuous wall of said rim portion, and said first side wall of said container extends between said two circumferentially continuous walls of said rim portion when said lid is locked to said container.17. The combination of claim 14 wherein when said lid is attached to said container via interlocking of said tabs and top annular wall, said outer wall of said rim will be engaged with said annular top wall.18. The combination of claim 17 including a latching means comprising a latch element and a plurality of catch elements, said latch element being an integral portion of said rim, and said catch elements being mounted on and spaced along said top annular wall, whereby when said lid is assembled to said container, said latch element and one of said catch elements will engage one another to provide a latching function to prevent rotation of the lid in a direction to free it from the container.19. The combination of claim 18 wherein the latch element comprises an outwardly deformed portion of said second wall of said rim, with one end of said latch element being demarcated by a slit in said second wall, said one end of said latch element being in position to engage one of said catch elements when said lid is placed on said container and being depressable inwardly of said lid far enough to clear said catch element and thereby permit relative rotation of the lid on the container.20. The combination of claim 19 wherein said catch elements are located dose to the outer margin of said top annular wall.