PLASTIC CONTAINER WITH PLUG-TYPE PLASTIC COVER

• US 3,817,420 A
• Filed: 07/26/1972
• Issued: 06/18/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raymond A. Heisler
• Original Assignee: Raymond A. Heisler
• Inventors: Heisler, Raymond A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moy, Joseph Man-Fu
• Application Number:
  US05/275,443
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 220/42.59,60.54,97R,97C 215/40,41 150/.5
• US Class Current: 220/790
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/60 Tearable part both of the container and of the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00027 Stackable lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00092 circular
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00296 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/0037 Flexible or deformable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00425 Lids or covers welded or adhered to the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00509 Cup
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00537 on the outside, or a part turned to the outside of the mouth of the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00555 on both the inside and the outside
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00629 Massive bead
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00685 Totality
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/0074 Massive bead
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00796 Totality
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00935 by depressing the central part at least locally
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/0099 Integral supplemental sealing lips
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/0208 on both the inside and the outside of the mouth of the container B65D43/0206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/0249 on both the inside and the outside of the mouth of the container B65D43/0239 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention pertains to plastic pails closed by plug-type plastic covers such as that shown in my U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 122,303 filed Mar. 9, 1971. The pail and cover disclosed in the present application provide four modifications in which the tension developed in the annular top ring portion of the attached cover is used to retain mating inner and outer tongue and groove portions in a tightly sealed condition. In one embodiment the cover is molded so that in a relaxed condition it has a convex configuration while the container top rim lies in a common plane. In a second embodiment the cover is molded so that in its relaxed condition the top outer ring portion lies in a common plane while the mating rim portion of the container is molded in a convex condition. In a third embodiment the cover and container are molded each with outwardly extending tear-away rim portions which, after the cover is mounted, are sealed to each other to provide a hermetic seal of the container and contents. In yet another embodiment an inner sealing bead is made bifurcated so as to form two sealing ring portions when the cover is mounted on the container.

Claims

1. A plastic container and a mating plug type cover which is disposed to be mounted in an open top of the container to retain a contained fluid and the like in a fluid tight, sealed condition, said container and cover in combination including:

(a) a container having an open top formed with an outwardly extending rim, said container having an upwardly and outwardly tapered upper inner wall portion terminating at an inwardly directed bead at the upper inner edge of the rim, said bead having upper and lower substantially sharp edges and with a determined Diameter of close tolerance;

(b) a ring-like portion extending outwardly from the inner bead and forming the upper surface of the rim and terminating at an outwardly extending upper bead;

(c) an annular outer, wall-like, flange integrally attached to the outer edge of the ring-like portion of said rim, said flange of a lesser diameter than the outwardly extending bead and extending downwardly from said ring-like portion, said flange having at a determined distance below said upper bead a lower outwardly extending shelf means providing an upwardly facing support means;

(d) a cover of plastic material having a determined elastic property and having a recessed inner portion whose outer face is a conical configuration sized so as to nest within and engage the outwardly tapered upper inner wall portion of the container opening;

(e) an inner receiving groove formed at the upper extent of said conical configuration and next to a planar, ring-like portion extending outwardly and forming the top portion of the cover, said groove disposed to engage and retain the upper and lower sharp edges of the inwardly directed bead of the container rim when the cover is in a mounted condition, the lower portion of said groove terminating at an outwardly directed lip whose outer diameter with the cover in an unmounted condition is not greater than the diameter of the inwardly directed bead of the container, and (f) a downwardly extending outer skirt, integrally connected to the outer extent of said planar portion of the cover and at this juncture having a nesting groove disposed to snugly engage the outwardly extending upper bead of the container rim, said skirt having an inwardly directed cam portion forming the lower portion of said nesting groove, the annular skirt sized so that its inner surface will snugly engage the annular flange of the rim of the container and as the cam portion is moved to and past the upper outwardly bead and the bead is engaged said planar cover is outwardly displaced to provide a tensioned condition in the planar member and to maintain the inner bead of the container rim in the cover groove during the time the outer annular skirt of the cover is in snug engagement with the annular flange of the container rim and the upper outer bead of the container is retained in the outer nesting groove in the cover and with the lower edge of the skirt of the cover in its mounted condition positioned from the shelf means on the container flange so as to provide a space therebetween sufficient for the insertion of a pry means by which the cover may be locally pried from the container rim.

2. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the inner receiving groove formed in the cover is arcuate in configuration and in which the outwardly directed lip forming the lower portion of the groove has its lower portion formed with a taper to provide a cam means adapted to assist the entering of this cover lip portion into the central portion of the container and below the inner bead forming the upper inner edge of the container open top.

3. A container and cover as in claim 2 in which the outwardly extending upper rim of the container lies in a common plane as does the planar ring-like portion forming the top portion of the cover.

4. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the outwardly extending upper rim of the container is conically shaped with the rim tapering inwardly and toward the bottom of the container while the planar ring-like portion forming the top portion of the cover lies in a common plane.

5. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the outwardly extending upper rim of the container is conically shaped with the rim tapering inwardly and toward the bottom of the container and with the planar ring-like portion of the cover tapered in a substantially like degree and manner.

6. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the outwardly extending upper rim of the container lies in a common plane while the mating cover has its planar ring-like portion formed in a coniCal configuration which slopes outwardly and downwardly from its axis.

7. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the outwardly extending upper rim of the container is conically shaped with the rim tapering outwardly and downwardly toward the bottom of the container while the mating cover has its planar ring-like portion formed with a substantially like conical configuration which also slopes outwardly and downwardly.

8. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the inner receiving groove formed in the cover is arcuate in configuration and in which the inwardly directed bead in the container which engages and seats in this groove is bifurcated to provide an upper V-shaped member whose wedge shape provides a thin inner edge while the lower portion provides a sharp engaging edge, the bifurcated construction providing a spring means to permit the upper and lower edges to tightly seat in the arcuate groove.

9. A container and cover as in claim 8 in which the upper sharp edge member extends inwardly a small amount more than the lower rim portion which is more substantial and with the bead in its mounted condition the upper sharp edge forms a sealed edge which is forced inwardly and downwardly in the groove and toward the lower rim portion.

10. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the cover is formed with an attached outwardly extending fin secured to the outer skirt of the cover by means of a reduced section to provide a tearaway attachment, and in which the container is formed with an attached like fin secured to the outer flange of the container by means of a reduced section to provide a tear-away attachment, the fins of the cover and container disposed to lay adjacent each other, the fins disposed to be sealed together to provide a hermetic tearaway sealed unit.

11. A container and cover as in claim 10 in which one fin is formed with a small V-shaped sealing assist extending upwardly from a sealing surface adjacent the other fin said assist being useful in ultrasonic sealing.

12. A container and cover as in claim 1 in which the outer skirt of the cover is made with a taper so that the lower edge of the skirt extends outwardly of the upper edge so that with the covers in a stacked condition one cover may be readily separated from the stack by edge engaging means.