DISPOSABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER AND COVER
First Claim
1. In combination a thin-wall, disposable, plastic container and lid, said container comprising, a bottom wall, a side wall joined at its lower peripheral edge to the periphery of said bottom wall, said side wall flaring upwardly and outwardly and terminating in an outwardly curled rim at the top, an external radially outwardly extending shoulder in the side wall disposed below the rim, a wall section extending upwardly from the outer periphery of the external shoulder toward the rim and forming with said shoulder an inwardly opening peripheral channel dimensioned to receive a lid bead and an outwardly opening peripheral channel immediatley above said inwardly opening channel with the uppermost wall of the outwardly opening channel flaring outwardly and curving upwardly and merging smoothly into the outwardly curled rim at the top of the container to provide an inwardly concave wall portion, the maximum outer diameter of the external shoulder being less than the maximum diameter of the said concave wall portion whereby when identical containers are nested vertically together, the shoulder of the upper container side wall rests on the concave wall portion of the lower container, said lid comprising, a horizontally extending diaphragm, a bead surrounding the diaphragm and sized to lie below the uppermost wall of the inwardly opening peripheral channel of the container wall section to retain the lid on the container when seated on the rim, an upwardly and radially outwardly extending wall section above the bead, a portion of inverted U-shaped radial cross section secured to the top of the upwardly and outwardly extending wall section and covering the rim of the container with the outer flange of the inverted U-shaped portion in contacting relation with the curled rim of the container when the lid is seated, said upwardly and outwardly extending wall section lying closely adjacent the concave wall portion of the container and with the outer edge of that section terminating immediately above the medial section of the concave wall, the maximum diameter of the lid bead being greater than the diameter of the upwardly and outwardly extending wall section of the lid measured at the inner edge thereof and less than the diameter of said section measured at the outer edge thereof whereby when identical lids are nested, the bead of the upper lid rests on said section of the lower lid.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A disposable plastic container and cover wherein the container has an upwardly and outwardly flaring side wall and a rolled rim at the top. The container has an external lower shoulder in the side wall spaced below the rim and an undercut portion that joins the rim region with the external shoulder. An inwardly concave wall section joins the crown of the rim with the top of the undercut portion. The lid includes a bead which engages the undercut portion of the container and an upwardly and outwardly inclined upper inner shoulder which forms a seat for the bead of an identical lid when stacked on it. The upwardly and outwardly extending lid shoulder gives a low stack height to a lid stack, it cooperates with the inwardly concave face of the container side wall for a proper lid fit, and it centers the lid with the adjacent lid when nested.
39 Citations
4 Claims
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1. In combination a thin-wall, disposable, plastic container and lid, said container comprising, a bottom wall, a side wall joined at its lower peripheral edge to the periphery of said bottom wall, said side wall flaring upwardly and outwardly and terminating in an outwardly curled rim at the top, an external radially outwardly extending shoulder in the side wall disposed below the rim, a wall section extending upwardly from the outer periphery of the external shoulder toward the rim and forming with said shoulder an inwardly opening peripheral channel dimensioned to receive a lid bead and an outwardly opening peripheral channel immediatley above said inwardly opening channel with the uppermost wall of the outwardly opening channel flaring outwardly and curving upwardly and merging smoothly into the outwardly curled rim at the top of the container to provide an inwardly concave wall portion, the maximum outer diameter of the external shoulder being less than the maximum diameter of the said concave wall portion whereby when identical containers are nested vertically together, the shoulder of the upper container side wall rests on the concave wall portion of the lower container, said lid comprising, a horizontally extending diaphragm, a bead surrounding the diaphragm and sized to lie below the uppermost wall of the inwardly opening peripheral channel of the container wall section to retain the lid on the container when seated on the rim, an upwardly and radially outwardly extending wall section above the bead, a portion of inverted U-shaped radial cross section secured to the top of the upwardly and outwardly extending wall section and covering the rim of the container with the outer flange of the inverted U-shaped portion in contacting relation with the curled rim of the container when the lid is seated, said upwardly and outwardly extending wall section lying closely adjacent the concave wall portion of the container and with the outer edge of that section terminating immediately above the medial section of the concave wall, the maximum diameter of the lid bead being greater than the diameter of the upwardly and outwardly extending wall section of the lid measured at the inner edge thereof and less than the diameter of said section measured at the outer edge thereof whereby when identical lids are nested, the bead of the upper lid rests on said section of the lower lid.
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2. The combination of claim 1 wherein a beveled edge is formed at the bottom of the bead which edge rests on the upwardly and outwardly extending wall section of another lid when Identical lids are nested.
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3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said container wall section includes a vertical wall portion extending upwardly from the outer periphery of the external shoulder, an upwardly and radially inwardly extending intermediate portion joining the top of the vertical wall portion, and a second vertical wall portion extending upwardly from the top of the intermediate portion and terminating at its upper end at the lower end of the concave wall section, said bead of the lid engaging the intermediate section and forming a seal therewith when the lid is seated.
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4. A thin-wall, disposable, plastic container as described in claim 3 wherein the rim of the container is rolled so that the edge of the rim faces inwardly toward the side wall.
Specification