초록 ▼

Base and cover elements (12, 14) of a food container (10) can be rapidly closed at a plant and can be easily opened and closed by a customer. The cover has a lower rim wall (44) with a plurality of radially inward cover projections (50) spaced about the container axis (20), and the base has a base r

Base and cover elements (12, 14) of a food container (10) can be rapidly closed at a plant and can be easily opened and closed by a customer. The cover has a lower rim wall (44) with a plurality of radially inward cover projections (50) spaced about the container axis (20), and the base has a base rim wall (32) with a plurality of recesses (52) with undercut grooves (60) that each receives a cover projection to hold the cover closed on the base. The bottom surface (86) of the cover projections and the top surface (80) of the base rim wall are beveled, so the cover can be installed by forcefully pushing it down, at any rotational position of the cover on the base. The cover then can be easily removed by turning it, with the cover projections moving along undercut base grooves (60), until the cover projections reach vertical passages (54) through which the projections can be easily lifted. The base has a handle (90) to prevent the base from turning, comprising a sheet-like tab that projects radially outward under the cover and that forms upstanding shoulders (94, 96).

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A food container comprising a base and cover, said base and cover each having a generally circular periphery centered on a container axis, said base having a periphery portion with a primarily vertical base rim wall, and said cover having a side with a primarily vertical cover

What is claimed is: 1. A food container comprising a base and cover, said base and cover each having a generally circular periphery centered on a container axis, said base having a periphery portion with a primarily vertical base rim wall, and said cover having a side with a primarily vertical cover rim wall disposed around said base rim wall, wherein:said cover rim wall has a plurality of radially inward cover projections spaced about said axis;said cover projections have downward and radially outward beveled cover bottom surface portions, and said base rim wall has a top with downward and radially outward beveled base surface portions, and said cover is installable on said base by pressing down the cover so said cover projection beveled surface portions move radially outward and below said beveled base surface portions;said base rim wall has a plurality of radially inward base recesses that each has a vertically undercut groove constructed to receive and guide one of said cover projections in circumferential movement, and said base rim wall has a plurality of vertical passages each constructed to upwardly pass a cover projection that has moved along one of said undercut grooves to allow said cover projections to lift off the base rim wall;said cover is also installable on said base by aligning said cover projections with said vertical passages and allowing said cover projections to move down along the vertical passages, without a barrier to downward movement of the cover projections, and turning the cover so the cover projections slide into said grooves;said cover has at least one radial projection forming a cover handle to turn the cover, and said base has a portion disposed at least partially in a horizontal plane and projects radially outward under the cover rim wall and beyond the remainder of the base rim wall to form a base handle to prevent the container from turning; andsaid base handle forms a hinge radially outward of said cover rim wall to allow the base handle to pivot upward.