TAMPER RESISTANT CONTAINER WITH LOCKING RIM

• US 20090101645A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mccormick & Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mccormick & Company Incorporated
• Inventors: WILSON, Tracie, Sawyer, Duane, Gift, Steve, Coulter, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/254.200
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/1091 Closures made integrally with the base element at a point remote from the hinge
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/25 Non-metallic tear-off strips
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0828 and elastically biased towards the open position only

Abstract

A multi-section lid for a can containing edible material includes a lid base, a cover portion, and a tear strip. The lid base can attach the lid to the can. The lid base defines one or more openings that permit access to the edible material. The cover portion includes one or more doors to cover the openings. The tear strip portion is positioned between the lid base and the cover portion. The tear strip portion is connected to the lid base and the cover portion by a plurality of bridges. The mold for forming the lid includes cavities that define flow channels that permit the lid material to flow through bridge cavities to fill the cavities in the mold during formation of the lid such that the lid base, the cover portion, and the tear strip portion are the single integral component.

Claims

1. A multi-section lid for a can containing edible material, comprising:

a lid base to attach the lid to the can, the lid base defining one or more openings where said openings permit access to the edible material;

a cover portion comprising one or more doors to cover said openings; and

a tear strip portion is positioned between said lid base and said cover portion, wherein said tear strip portion is connected to the lid base and the cover portion by a plurality of bridges,

wherein said lid base, cover portion, and tear strip portion are a single integral component.

2. The lid according to claim 1, wherein two or more of said bridges are trapezoidally shaped.

3. The lid according to claim 1, further comprising:

plug portions integrally formed on an end of each door, wherein said lid base defines slots to receive each door plug portion, and said plug portions form door hinges when inserted into said slots.

4. The lid according to claim 3, further comprising

a locking finger positioned on a back side of each of the door hinges,

wherein the locking finger is configured to contact the respective door hinge when the door is in an open position to prevent the door from closing.

5. The lid according to claim 3, wherein the slots each include a base plug configured to prevent sifting of the edible material through the slots when the cover portion is in a folded position.

6. The lid according to claim 2, further comprising:

plug portions integrally formed on an end of each door, wherein

said lid base defines slots to receive each door plug portion, and

said plug portions form door hinges when inserted into said slots.

7. The lid according to claim 6, further comprising:

a locking finger positioned on a back side of each of the door hinges,

wherein the locking finger is configured to contact the respective door hinge when the door is in an open position to prevent the door from closing.

8. The lid according to claim 6, wherein the slots each include a base plug configured to prevent sifting of the edible material through the slots when the cover portion is in a folded position.

9. The mold for forming the lid of claim 1, comprising:

a first set of cavities to form the bridges; and

a second set of cavities to form the lid base, the cover portion, and the tear strip portion,

wherein said first set of cavities define flow channels that permit the lid material to flow through the first set of cavities to fill the second set of cavities in the mold during formation of the lid such that the lid base, the cover portion, and the tear strip portion are the single integral component.

10. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the lid base, the cover portion, and the tear strip portion are formed together as the single integral component.

13. A method of forming a multi-section lid of claim 1 on a container body, comprising:

folding the cover portion into the lid base to create a lid having the tear strip portion as a tamper evident tear strip; and

attaching the lid to the container body.

11. A method of permanently attaching a plastic lid to a plastic can, comprising:

providing a plastic lid having a bottom portion, said bottom portion having an inner skirt having an outer surface and an outer skirt having an inner surface;

providing a plastic can having an inner wall and an outer wall;

providing said can outer wall with a circumferential can bead and a circumferential can groove;

providing said can inner wall with an upper circumferential portion having a lower end wherein said upper circumferential portion projects slightly inward such that the lower end of said inwardly projecting upper circumferential portion defines a slight step on the inner surface of the can inner wall;

providing said lid outer skirt with a circumferential outer skirt bead projecting inwardly from said inner surface;

providing said lid inner skirt with a circumferential inner skirt bead projecting from said outer surface;

pressing said lid onto said can so that the outer skirt bead mates with the can groove, the can bead contacts the inner wall of the lid outer skirt, and the inner skirt bead contacts the can inner wall; and

ultrasonically scan welding the lid to the can to weld the inner can wall to the inner skirt bead.

12. A method of simultaneously forming a multi-section lid as a single, integral piece, comprising:

providing a mold having cavities defining a lid base portion, a tear strip portion, and a cover member portion;

connecting said cover member portion of said mold to said tear strip portion by first fluid channels defining first bridge portions of said lid;

connecting said lid base portion of said mold to said tear strip portion by second fluid channels defining second bridge portions of said lid; and

pouring molten plastic into said mold to form said multi-section section lid as the single, integral piece.