Container and sealing cover

Abstract

A container ( 10 ) and scalable cover ( 32 ) in which the container ( 10 ) has a bottom wall ( 12 ) and an upstanding peripheral wall ( 16, 18 ) terminating in an upper edge ( 22 ) surrounding an open mouth. The peripheral wall ( 16, 18 ) is inclined outwardly at a slight angle to the vertical or alternatively vertically disposed. A replaceable cover ( 32 ) is provided with a central top planar wall ( 34 ) and an inverted U-shaped periphery terminating in an outer rim skirt ( 38 ). A contiguous downwardly extending scaling fin ( 44 ) is disposed inwardly of the skirt for forming an interference fit with the inside surface of the upper portion of the container peripheral wall when the cover ( 32 ) is installed over the container mouth. The fin ( 44 ) may be substantially vertically disposed or canted outwardly at a small angle to the vertical depending upon the inclination of the peripheral wall ( 16, 18 ). A pair of latches ( 48 ) are rotatably mounted on the cover ( 32 ) adjacent the outer rim skirt ( 38 ) and arranged to engage protruding latch hooks ( 50 ) on the container peripheral wall ( 16, 18 ) to releasably secure the cover ( 32 ) over the contain*-mouth.

1 . The combination of a container having an open top and a cover for sealing the open top container comprising: 
 a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding peripheral wall terminating in an upper edge surrounding an open top, the upper portion of the peripheral wall defining an inside sealing surface;    a cover having a top wall with a down turned periphery terminating in an outer rim flange for fitting over at least a substantial portion of the upper edge of the container, the cover having a downwardly extending sealing flange circumscribing the cover inwardly of the outer rim flange, the inner sealing flange having a lower section terminating in a free edge with the free edge having a perimeter greater than the perimeter of the inside sealing surface of the container peripheral wall so that when the cover is pressed downwardly over the open top container the sealing fin free edge is forced inwardly to provide an interference fit between the lower section of the sealing flange and the container wall sealing surface; and    a pair of latch handles pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the cover adjacent the outer rim flange thereof, each latch handle having a protruding locking tab arranged to snap under a section of the peripheral upper edge of the container side wall when the latch handle is rotated downwardly to lock the cover in place over the container open top with the inner sealing flange engaging the upper portion of the container side wall to secure the cover over the open top.    
     
     
         2 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein one of the container inside sealing surface and the cover inner sealing flange is canted outwardly with respect to the vertical and the other is positioned substantially vertically.  
     
     
         3 . The invention of  claim 2  wherein the cover sealing flange is canted outwardly and the container inside sealing surface is disposed substantially vertically.  
     
     
         4 . The invention of  claim 3  wherein Φ represents the inclination of the cover sealing flange with the vertical and wherein Φ is within the range of about 4° to 2°.  
     
     
         5 . The invention of  claim 4  wherein Φ is within the range of about 4° to 8°.  
     
     
         6 . The invention of  claim 5  wherein Φ is about 6°.  
     
     
         7 . The invention of  claim 5  wherein the peripheral wall of the container defines an inner lead in surface which is inclined outwardly at an angle λ to guide the cover sealing flange into the container sealing surface.  
     
     
         8 . The invention of  claim 7  wherein λ is within the range of about 10° to 45°.  
     
     
         9 . The invention of  claim 8  wherein λ is within the range of about 10° to 20°.  
     
     
         10 . The invention of  claim 1  wherein the cover defines an inverted generally U-shaped cavity and further including spaced stop members disposed in the cavity for engaging the upper edge fo the container to limit the downward movement of the cover relative to the container.  
     
     
         11 . The invention of  claim 2  wherein the cover sealing flange is disposed substantially vertically and wherein the container inside sealing surface is inclined outwardly at an angle θ which is within the range of about 2° to 5°.  
     
     
         12 . The invention of  claim 11  wherein θ is about 3°.  
     
     
         13 . The invention of  claim 2  wherein each latch handle defines an upper and lower surface with the locking tab extending downwardly from the lower surface and a manually actuable tongue extending outwardly of the locking tab and wherein the top wall of the cover has such resiliency and strength that when pressed downwardly adjacent a latch handle while the manually actuable tongue of the latch handle is pressed upwardly from an unlocked position, the outer rim flange will flex upwardly and outwardly to facilitate the removal of the cover.  
     
     
         14 . The invention of  claim 2  wherein the outer rim flange of the cover defines a pair of axels on opposite sides of the cover, each latch handle defining a cooperating groove which fits over the associated axel to provide the pivotal mounting of the latch handles.  
     
     
         15 . The invention of  claim 14  wherein the container is generally rectangular in shape.  
     
     
         16 . The invention of  claim 15  wherein the axels are spaced outwardly from the cover top wall and each latch handle defines a back wall which engages the cover top wall to limit the rotational movement of the latch handle when rotated in an unlocking direction.  
     
     
         17 . The invention of  claim 16  wherein the rotational movement of each latch handle is limited to an angle of about 90° from a locked to an unlocked position.  
     
     
         18 . The invention of  claim 17  wherein each latch handle includes a manually actuable tongue extending outwardly of the locking tab and wherein the top wall of the cover has such resiliency and strength that when pressed downwardly adjacent the latch handles while the manually actuable tongues are pressed upwardly in the unlocked position, the outer rim flange will flex upwardly and outwardly to facilitate the removal of the cover.  
     
     
         19 . The invention of  claim 18  wherein the height to thickness ratio of the sealing fin is within the range of about 4.0 to 5.0.  
     
     
         20 . The invention of  claim 19  wherein the sealing fin and the substantially vertically disposed inside surface of the upper portion of the peripheral wall are arranged such that when the cover and container are mated the lower portion of the sealing fin seats against the substantially vertically disposed inside surface of the upper wall portion.  
     
     
         21 . The invention of  claim 20  wherein the cover top wall is generally planar with an upwardly inclined section joined to the outer rim flange to form a dish-like shape to receive the bottom of another container.  
     
     
         22 . The invention of  claim 21  wherein the peripheral wall is formed along a radius.  
     
     
         23 . The combination of a container having an open top and a cover for sealing the open top comprising: 
 a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding peripheral wall terminating in an upper edge surrounding an open top, the peripheral wall defining an upper inside sealing surface which is substantially vertically disposed when the bottom wall is positioned in a horizontal plane;    a cover for seating on the upper edge of the container, the cover having a downwardly extending inner sealing fin which, in its unstressed condition, is canted outwardly at an angle Φ to the vertical to establish a sealing fit with the substantially vertically disposed inside sealing surface of the container when the cover is pressed downwardly over the open top of the container; and    latching means for removably securing the cover over the container to maintain the seal between the sealing fin and the container sealing surface.    
     
     
         24 . The invention of  claim 22  wherein the Φ is within the range of about 40° to 20°.  
     
     
         25 . The invention of  claim 24  wherein Φ is within the range of about 4° to 8°.  
     
     
         26 . The invention of  claim 23  wherein the cover defines an inverted generally U-shaped cavity between the outer skirt and the inner sealing fin and further including spaced stop ribs disposed within the cavity for engaging the upper edge of the container wall to limit the downward movement of the cover relative to the container.  
     
     
         27 . The invention of  claim 23  wherein the height to thickness ratio of the sealing fin is within the range of about 4.0 to 5.0.  
     
     
         28 . The invention of  claim 23  wherein the latching means includes pair of latch handles pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the cover adjacent the outer rim flange thereof, each handle having a protruding locking tab arranged to snap under a section of the peripheral upper edge of the container side wall when the latch handle is rotated downwardly to lock the cover in place over the container open top with the inner sealing flange engaging the upper portion of the container side wall to seal the cover to the open top.  
     
     
         29 . The invention of  claim 28  wherein each latch handle defines an upper and lower surface with the locking tab extending downwardly from the lower surface and a manually actuable tongue extending outwardly of the locking tab and wherein the top wall of the cover has such resiliency and strength that when pressed downwardly adjacent a latch handle while the manually actuable tongue of the latch handle is pressed upwardly from an unlocked position, the outer rim flange will flex upwardly and outwardly to facilitate the removal of the cover.  
     
     
         30 . The invention of  claim 29  wherein the outer rim flange of the cover defines a pair of axels on opposite sides of the cover, each latch handle defining a cooperating groove which fits over the associated axel to provide the pivotal mounting of the latch handles.  
     
     
         31 . The invention of  claim 30  wherein the axels are spaced outwardly from the cover top wall and each latch handle defines a back wall which engages the cover top wall to limit the rotational movement of the latch handle to an angle of about 90° from a locked to an unlocked position.  
     
     
         32 . The invention of  claim 31  wherein each latch handle includes a manually actuable tongue extending outwardly of the locking tab and wherein the top wall of the cover has such resiliency and strength that when pressed downwardly adjacent the latch handles while the manually actuable tongues are pressed upwardly in the unlocked position, the outer rim flange will flex upwardly and outwardly to facilitate the removal of the cover.  
     
     
         33 . The invention of  claim 32  wherein the cover top wall is generally planar with an upwardly inclined section joined to the outer rim flange to form a dish-like shape to receive the bottom of another container.  
     
     
         34 . A container/lid for storing food stuffs and the like comprising: 
 a lid having an annular downwardly depending fin tapering outwardly;    a container with a circumscribing wall with an upper edge defining a mouth, the annular outwardly depending fin arranged on the lid such that when the lid is mated with the container, the fin seats against the wall applying horizontal pressure thereto and establishing a seal between the wall and the fin; and    a pair of latch handles rotatably mounted on wall of the container adjacent the upper edge thereof, each latch handle having a protruding locking tab arranged to snap under a peripheral upper edge of the container to releasably secure the lid cover to the container mouth.    
     
     
         35 . The invention of  claim 34  wherein the wall has a uppermost portion which is tapered outwardly at an angle to the vertical to accept the fin prior to sealing.  
     
     
         36 . The invention of  claim 35  the upper portion of the wall defines an interior generally rectangular sealing surface area disposed below the uppermost outwardly tapered portion, the sealing area being substantially vertically disposed for receiving the fin in a sealing relationship.  
     
     
         37 . The invention of  claim 36  wherein the fin tapers outwardly at an angle of about 4 to 8 degrees.  
     
     
         38 . The invention of  claim 37  wherein the cover is made of polypropylene.  
     
     
         39 . The invention of  claim 38  wherein the container is made of polycarbonate.  
     
     
         40 . A container/lid for storing food stuffs and the like comprising: 
 a rectangularly-shaped container having a bottom wall, a pair of side and end walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall at a slight angle to the horizontal and terminating in an upper edge surrounding a mouth, the upper portion of the side and end walls defining an interior rectangular sealing area;    a lid having a depressed planar top wall which merges into an upwardly extending medial portion joined to a downwardly extending outer rim skirt circumscribing at least the major portion of the lid, the lid having a downwardly extending sealing fin disposed inwardly of the skirt, which fin has a free edge with a slightly greater periphery than the periphery of the container sealing area so that the free end of the fin is flexed inwardly to form an interference fit with the rectangular sealing area of the container end and side walls when the lid is seated over the container mouth; and    latch means for removably securing the lid over the container mouth so that the lid sealing fin is sealed against the sealing area of the container end and side walls.    
     
     
         41 . The invention of claim  40  wherein the outer rim skirt of the lid is interrupted on opposite sides by a generally cylindrical axel spaced from the depressed top wall and wherein the latch handles are mounted on the axels.  
     
     
         42 . The invention of claim  40  wherein the top wall of the lid has such strength and resiliency that when pressed downwardly adjacent the latch handles while the latch handles are forced upwardly the edges of the top wall will bow slightly upwardly adjacent the latch handles and release from the container.