Container with improved tamper evident structure
First Claim
1. A container, comprising:
- a basket connected with a basket tear strip by basket links along a basket lip having an outer edge comprising an undulating series of rounded protrusions and rounded indentations, the basket links extending from alternating indentations of the outer edge of the basket lip such that no basket links extend from protrusions; and
a lid mated with the basket and connected with a lid tear strip by lid links along a lid lip having an outer edge comprising an undulating series of rounded protrusions and rounded indentations, the lid links extending from alternating indentations of the outer edge of the lid lip such that no lid links extend from protrusions;
wherein the lid tear strip is bonded to the basket tear strip to form a seal;
wherein when the lid tear strip is bonded to the basket tear strip, the basket links and lid links are staggered from each other by an indentation so that an applied force necessary to separate the basket tear strip from the basket and the lid tear strip from the lid is determined by an applied force necessary to separate one of a basket link from the basket tear surface and a lid link from the lid tear surface; and
wherein when a force applied to the seal separates the basket tear strip from the basket and the lid tear strip from the lid so that the lid is separable from the basket, chaff comprising portions of the basket and lid links are recessed within associated rounded indentations of the basket lip and the lid lip so that no chaff extends from the outer edges of the lid lip and the basket lip beyond adjacent rounded protrusions.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A container includes a basket and lid. The basket and lid each have a lip along at least a portion of a periphery and a tear strip connected along at least a portion of the lip. An outer edge of the lip includes notches and an inner edge of the tear strip complements the outer edge of the lip. The tear strip is connected to the lip by links arranged at notches of the outer edge of the lip. The basket tear strip is bonded to the lid tear strip to resist separation of the lid from the basket. The bonded basket tear strip and lid tear strip are detachable from the basket lip and the lid lip urged away from the basket and the lid, exposing the outer edge of the basket lip and the outer edge of the lid lip.
39 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A container, comprising:
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a basket connected with a basket tear strip by basket links along a basket lip having an outer edge comprising an undulating series of rounded protrusions and rounded indentations, the basket links extending from alternating indentations of the outer edge of the basket lip such that no basket links extend from protrusions; and a lid mated with the basket and connected with a lid tear strip by lid links along a lid lip having an outer edge comprising an undulating series of rounded protrusions and rounded indentations, the lid links extending from alternating indentations of the outer edge of the lid lip such that no lid links extend from protrusions; wherein the lid tear strip is bonded to the basket tear strip to form a seal; wherein when the lid tear strip is bonded to the basket tear strip, the basket links and lid links are staggered from each other by an indentation so that an applied force necessary to separate the basket tear strip from the basket and the lid tear strip from the lid is determined by an applied force necessary to separate one of a basket link from the basket tear surface and a lid link from the lid tear surface; and wherein when a force applied to the seal separates the basket tear strip from the basket and the lid tear strip from the lid so that the lid is separable from the basket, chaff comprising portions of the basket and lid links are recessed within associated rounded indentations of the basket lip and the lid lip so that no chaff extends from the outer edges of the lid lip and the basket lip beyond adjacent rounded protrusions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A container, comprising:
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a basket having a basket lip along at least a portion of a periphery of the basket; a basket tear strip connected to the basket along at least a portion of the basket lip; wherein an outer edge of the basket lip has an undulating shape that includes a plurality of rounded protrusions alternating with a plurality of rounded indentations; and wherein an inner edge of the basket tear strip has a shape that complements the outer edge of the basket lip; and wherein the basket tear strip is connected to the basket lip by a plurality of basket links arranged at rounded indentations of the outer edge of the basket lip such that no basket links extend from protrusions of the outer edge of the basket lip, each link extending between a rounded indentation and a complementary feature of the inner edge of the basket tear strips and a lid mated with the basket, the lid having a lid lip along at least a portion of a periphery of the lid; and a lid tear strip connected to the lid along at least a portion of the lid lip; wherein an outer edge of the lid lip has an undulating shape that includes a plurality of rounded protrusions alternating with a plurality of rounded indentations; wherein an inner edge of the lid tear strip has a shape that complements the outer edge of the lid lip; and wherein the lid tear strip is connected to the lid lip by a plurality of lid links arranged at rounded indentation of the outer edge of the lid lip such that no lid links extend from protrusions of the outer edge of the lid lip, each link extending between a rounded indentation and a complementary feature of the inner edge of the lid tear strip; wherein the basket tear strip is bonded to the lid tear strip to resist separation of the lid from the basket; wherein the bonded basket tear strip and lid tear strip are detachable from the basket lip and the lid lip when the bonded basket tear strip and the lid tear strip are urged away from the basket and the lid; wherein the basket links are arranged at alternating round indentations of the basket lip; wherein the lid links are arranged at alternating round indentations of the lid lip; wherein the basket links and the lid links are offset by one rounded indentation such that the basket links do not overlap the lid links when the basket tear strip is bonded to the lid tear strip, thereby staggering the basket links from the lid links so that an applied force necessary to separate the basket tear strip from the basket lip and the lid tear strip from the lid lip is determined by an applied force necessary to separate a basket link from the basket lip or a lid link from the lid lip; wherein detaching the bonded basket tear strip and lid tear strip exposes the outer edge of the basket lip and the outer edge of the lid lip; and wherein chaff comprising portions of the basket and lid links resulting from a breaking of the basket and the lid links during detachment of the bonded basket tear strip and lid tear strip are recessed within associated rounded indentations of the basket lip and the lid lip so that no chaff extend from the outer edges of the lid lip and the basket lip beyond adjacent rounded protrusions. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A container, comprising:
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a basket including a basket lip having an outer edge comprising an undulating series of rounded protrusions and rounded indentations, wherein adjacent rounded protrusions are arranged in sufficient proximity so as to be adapted to prevent a finger from entering the rounded indentation; a basket tear strip including an inner edge having a shape substantially complementing the outer edge of the basket lip and connected to the basket lip by basket links arranged within rounded indentations of the basket lip such that no basket links extend from protrusions of the basket lip; and a lid including a lid lip having an outer edge shaped substantially the same as the basket lip and aligned with the basket lip when the lid is mated with the basket; a lid tear strip including an inner edge having a shape substantially complementing the outer edge of the lid lip and connected to the lid lip by lid links arranged within rounded indentations of the lid lip such that no lid inks extend from protrusions of the lid lip; wherein the basket tear strip is bonded to the lid tear strip to form a seal; wherein the basket links and the lid links are arranged at alternating rounded indentations of the basket lip and the lid lip such that the basket links do not overlap the lid links so that an applied force necessary to separate the basket tear strip from the basket lip and the lid tear strip from the lid lip is determined by an applied force necessary to separate a basket link from the basket lip or a lid link from the lid lip; and wherein when a force applied to the seal separates the basket tear strip from the basket and the lid tear strip from the lid, chaff comprising portions of the basket and lid links is recessed within associated rounded indentations of the basket lip and the lid lip so that no chaff extends from the outer edges of the lid lip and the basket lip beyond adjacent rounded protrusions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification