Food container with interchangeable lid--base seal provided with undercut sealing profile and asymmetric interlockable stacking ridges
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B65D-041/18
B65D-041/02
출원번호
US-0756657
(2004-01-13)
발명자
/ 주소
Dees,Jerome G.
Whitmore,Rebecca E.
Van Handel,Gerald J.
Littlejohn,Mark B.
Gross,Luther A.
Cruz,Mark A.
출원인 / 주소
Fort James Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Georgia Pacific Corporation
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
40인용 특허 :
13
초록▼
There is provided a container having both male and female sealing regions disposed about its periphery in a pattern making it possible to seal a container with another container having substantially identical sealing regions. The male sealing regions used in the practice of the present invention may
There is provided a container having both male and female sealing regions disposed about its periphery in a pattern making it possible to seal a container with another container having substantially identical sealing regions. The male sealing regions used in the practice of the present invention may take the form of a U-shaped ridge which is undercut along at least one leg of the U in a radial direction. Typically, a container will be thermoformed from lightweight thermoplastic material giving the U-shaped ridge considerable flexibility. The female sealing regions used in the practice of the invention may take the form of an undercut channel adapted to receive and match the undercut U-shaped ridges found in the male portion of the container wherein the walls and base of the channel are sufficiently flexible that the undercut portions of the U-shaped ridge are urged into engagement with the undercut portions of the channel. Transition regions between the channels and ridges have arculate undercut profiles to further seal the container. The containers are further provided with asymmetric stacking features and inclined separator tabs.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plan
What is claimed is: 1. A container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of arculate undercut transition sections therebetween, wherein said ridge section and said groove section have generally identical U-shapes and said radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement extending substantially entirely around the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the arculate undercut transition sections are configured such that the arculate undercut transition sections on a container having a substantially identical rim structure will urge the transition sections into virtually sealing engagement when containers with like rim structures are joined to form a closed container. 2. The container according to claim 1, wherein said arculate undercut transition sections have a vertically extending female undercut wall, a vertically extending male undercut wall and a ledge therebetweeen. 3. A container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of arculate undercut transition sections therebetween, said radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement about the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the arculate undercut transition sections are configured such that the arculate undercut transition sections on a container having a substantially identical rim structure will urge the transition sections into virtually sealing engagement when containers with like rim structures are joined to form a closed container wherein the dome is generally rectangular and is provided with reinforced rounded corners projecting radially outwardly from recessed sidewall portions therebetween and wherein further the central portion of the dome is provided with a plurality of asymmetrically disposed arcuate stacking ridges at the corners of the central portion of the dome, the stacking ridges having generally the same curvature as the sidewall at the corners, and being asymmetrically offset across an axis of rotation so as to cooperate with like ridges on an inverted like container to secure a plurality of containers in a stack thereof. 4. A container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of arculate undercut transition sections therebetween, said radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement about the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the arculate undercut transition sections are configured such that the arculate undercut transition sections on a container having a substantially identical rim structure will urge the transition sections into virtually sealing engagement when containers with like rim structures are joined to form a closed container, wherein the central portion of the dome is provided with a plurality of asymmetrically disposed stacking ridges at the periphery of the central portion of the dome, the stacking ridges being asymmetrically disposed across an axis of rotation so as to cooperate with like ridges on an inverted like container to secure a plurality of containers in a stack thereof. 5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the rim structure defines at least one tab provided with a surface which is inclined with respect to the rim plane. 6. The container according to claim 5, wherein the inclined surface of the rim tab has an angle of inclination of from about 3 to about 40 degrees with respect to the rim plane. 7. The container according to claim 6, wherein the inclined surface of the rim tab has an angle of inclination of from about 10 to about 30 degrees with respect to the rim plane. 8. The container according to claim 1, wherein said rim structure includes at least two peripheral tabs asymmetrically configured with respect to an axis of rotation. 9. The container according to claim 8, wherein the two tabs project outwardly different distances from the ridges and grooves of the rim structure. 10. The container according to claim 8, wherein the two tabs extend over different circumferential distances about the rim structure. 11. The container according to claim 8, wherein the two peripheral tabs are corner tabs. 12. The container of claim 1, wherein the rim structure further includes a peripheral tab asymmetrically disposed about an axis of rotation of said interlocking rim structure such that said peripheral tab will be offset with respect to a substantially identical tab on a substantially identical interlocking rim structure when engaged thereto. 13. The container of claim 1, wherein said U-shaped undercut male ridge section and said U-shaped undercut female groove section are undercut on both sidewalls thereof. 14. The container of claim 13, wherein said undercut male ridge section and said undercut female groove section each include a substantially planar medial portion. 15. The container of claim 14, wherein said undercut male ridge section and said undercut female groove section are configured such that their respective substantially planar medial sections are urged into engagement with each other. 16. The container of claim 15, wherein said undercut male ridge section and said undercut female groove section are configured such that their respective substantially planar medial sections are urged into surface to surface engagement with each other between the sidewalls of the groove and ridge sections by cooperation of the sidewalls. 17. The container according to claim 1, fabricated from a thermoplastic material by way of a technique selected from the group consisting of injection molding, injection blowmolding, compression molding, injection stretch blowmolding and composite injection molding. 18. The container of claim 1, formed from a sheet of thermoplastic material. 19. The container according to claim 18, wherein said container is thermoformed, thermoformed by the application of vacuum or thermoformed by a combination of vacuum and pressure. 20. The container according to claim 18, thermoformed by the application of vacuum and pressure. 21. The container according to claim 18, wherein said thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of: polyamides; polyacrylates; polysulfones; polyetherketones; polycarbonates; acrylics; polyphenylene sulfides; liquid crystal polymers; acetal; cellulosic polymers; polyetherimides; polyphenylene ethers or oxides; styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers; styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers; polyvinyl chlorides and mixtures thereof. 22. The container of claim 18, wherein said thermoplastic material comprises a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of: polyesters; polystyrenes; polypropylenes; polyethylenes and mixtures thereof. 23. The container of claim 22, wherein said container has a wall thickness of from about 5 to about 50 mils. 24. The container according to claim 23, wherein said container has a wall thickness of from about 15 mils to about 25 mils. 25. The container according to claim 18, having a wall thickness of from about 5 to about 80 mils and formed from a foamed polymeric material. 26. The container according to claim 22, wherein said polymeric material comprises polystyrene. 27. The container according to claim 22, wherein said thermoplastic material comprises polyethylene. 28. The container according to claim 22 wherein said polymeric material comprises polypropylene. 29. The container of claim 28, wherein said polypropylene is mineral-filled. 30. The container according to claim 29, wherein said mineral-filler comprises mica and wherein said polymeric material comprises from about 40 to about 90% by weight polypropylene and from about 10 to about 50% by weight mica. 31. The container according to claim 30, further comprising calcium carbonate. 32. The container according to claim 22, wherein said thermoplastic material comprises a mineral filler. 33. The container according to claim 17, injection-molded from a thermoplastic material comprising a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of: polyesters, polystyrenes, polypropylenes, polyethylenes and mixtures thereof. 34. The container according to claim 33, wherein said thermoplastic material comprises polypropylene. 35. The container according to claim 33, wherein said thermoplastic material comprises polyethylene. 36. The container according to claim 33, wherein said thermoplastic material comprises polystyrene. 37. A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having a dome with a central portion and sidewall which transitions to an interlockable rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlockable rim structure comprising: (a) a male ridge section projecting upwardly from said rim plane extending circumferentially over at least a portion of the periphery of said container; (b) a female groove section projecting downwardly from said rim plane extending circumferentially over at least a portion of the periphery of said container; and (c) a pair of transition sections extending between the male ridge section and the female groove section; said interlockable rim structure being configured to seal with a substantially identical rim structure rotated 180째 about an axis of rotation such that when the male ridge sections are disposed in sealing engagement with corresponding female groove sections the ridges and grooves are urged into surface-to-surface engagement and the transition sections are urged into virtually sealing engagement with the corresponding transition sections of the substantially identical rim structure, and wherein the ridge section and groove section have generally identical U-shapes and the transition sections are provided with arculate undercut walls. 38. The container according to claim 37, wherein said transition sections have a generally vertical female undercut wall, a generally vertical male undercut wall and a ledge therebetweeen. 39. A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having a dome with a central portion and sidewall which transitions to an interlockable rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlockable rim structure comprising: (a) a male ridge section projecting upwardly from said rim plane extending circumferentially over at least a portion of the periphery of said container; (b) a female groove section projecting downwardly from said rim plane extending circumferentially over at least a portion of the periphery of said container; and (c) a pair of transition sections extending between the male ridge section and the female groove section: said interlockable rim structure being configured to seal with a substantially identical rim structure rotated 180째 about an axis of rotation such that when the male ridge sections are disposed in sealing engagement with corresponding female groove sections the ridges and grooves are urged into surface-to-surface engagement and the transition sections are urged into virtually sealing engagement with the corresponding transition sections of the substantially identical rim structure, wherein the dome is generally rectangular and is provided with reinforced rounded corners projecting radially outwardly from recessed sidewall portions therebetween, and wherein the central portion of the dome is provided with a plurality of asymmetrically disposed arcuate stacking ridges at the corners of the central portion of the dome, the stacking ridges at the corners of the central portion of the dome having generally the same curvature as the sidewall at its corners, and being asymmetrically offset across an axis of rotation so as to cooperate with complementary ridges on an inverted like container to secure a plurality of containers in a stack thereof. 40. A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having a dome with a central portion and sidewall which transitions to an interlockable rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlockable rim structure comprising: (a) a male ridge section projecting upwardly from said rim plane extending circumferentially over at least a portion of the periphery of said container; (b) a female groove section projecting downwardly from said rim plane extending circumferentially over at least a portion of the periphery of said container; and (c) a pair of transition sections extending between the male ridge section and the female groove section; said interlockable rim structure being configured to seal with a substantially identical rim structure rotated 180째 about an axis of rotation such that when the male ridge sections are disposed in sealing engagement with corresponding female groove sections the ridges and grooves are urged into surface-to-surface engagement and the transition sections are urged into virtually sealing engagement with the corresponding transition sections of the substantially identical rim structure, wherein the central portion of the dome is provided with a plurality of asymmetrically disposed stacking ridges at the periphery of the central portion of the dome, the stacking ridges being asymmetrically disposed across an axis of rotation so as to cooperate with complementary ridges on an inverted like container to secure a plurality of containers in a stack thereof. 41. The container according to claim 37, wherein the rim structure defines at least one tab provided with a surface which is inclined with respect to the rim plane. 42. The container according to claim 41, wherein the inclined surface of the rim tab has an angle of inclination of from about 3 to about 40 degrees with respect to the rim plane. 43. The container according to claim 42, wherein the inclined surface of the rim tab has an angle of inclination of from about 10 to about 20 degrees with respect to the rim plane. 44. The container according to claim 41, wherein the rim structure defines at least two tabs provided with surfaces which are inclined with respect to the rim plane and wherein further the tabs project outwardly different distances from the periphery of the container. 45. The container according to claim 37, wherein said rim structure includes at least two peripheral tabs asymmetrically configured with respect to an axis of rotation. 46. The container according to claim 45, wherein the two tabs project outwardly different distances from the ridges and grooves of the rim structure. 47. The container according to claim 45, wherein the two tabs extend over different circumferential distances about the rim structure. 48. The container according to claim 45, wherein the two peripheral tabs are corner tabs. 49. The container of claim 37, wherein the rim structure further includes a peripheral tab asymmetrically disposed about an axis of rotation of said interlocking rim structure such that said peripheral tab will be offset with respect to a substantially identical tab on a substantially identical interlocking rim structure when engaged thereto. 50. A thermoformed container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of transition sections therebetween, the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being drawn generally at a sealing rim draw ratio and being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement therewith extending substantially entirely around the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the transition sections are drawn at a transition draw ratio that is less than the sealing rim draw ratio. 51. The thermoformed container according to claim 50, wherein the transition draw ratio is less than about 90% of the sealing rim draw ratio. 52. The thermoformed container according to claim 51, wherein the transition draw ratio is less than about 80% of the sealing rim draw ratio. 53. The thermoformed container according to claim 52, wherein the transition draw ratio is less than about 70% of the sealing rim draw ratio. 54. The thermoformed container according to claim 50, wherein the transition sections have an arculate undercut profiles.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (13)
Galaburda Nuno C. (Conjunto Adrianopolis ; Quadro A - Casa 09 Manaus/Amazonas - 69000 BRX), Container for photographic film.
Kidd Allen (Placentia CA) Meyer Dale A. (Redondo Beach CA) Stamberger Robert F. (Fullerton CA) Haubold Janet T. (Manhattan Beach CA) Urciuoli Henry R. (Brea CA), Container with interchangeable components.
Meadows, Grant Robert; Huesman, Joe; Dalisay, Huberto Miel, Bottle cap made from a material comprising polypropylene, particulate calcium carbonate and additives.
Gosen, Craig R.; Wazny, Katie M.; Zettle, Jeffrey J.; Thurin, Matthew N.; Mather, David P.; Wlezien, Christopher M.; Chaudry, Saad; Rathgeber, Martin, Storage container systems.
Gosen, Craig R.; Wazny, Katie M.; Zettle, Jeffrey J.; Thurin, Matthew N.; Mather, David P.; Wlezien, Christopher M.; Chaudry, Saad; Rathgeber, Martin, Storage container systems.
Gosen, Craig R.; Wazny, Katie M.; Zettle, Jeffrey J.; Thurin, Matthew N.; Mather, David P.; Wlezien, Christopher M.; Chaudry, Saad; Rathgeber, Martin, Storage container systems.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.