Container

Abstract

Containers having a cover and a base provide covers that may be locked together. In addition the container covers may be locked to a sidewall of the container base. The container cover includes a first closure portion and a cover engagement portion. The base includes a second closure portion and a base engagement portion. The first closure portion of the cover is sealingly engageable with the second closure portion of the base to define a sealed storage area. The cover engagement portion of a cover is releaseably lockable with the cover engagement portion of a second cover to form a locked cover stack. The cover engagement portion of the cover is also releaseably lockable with the base engagement portion of the base.

1 ) A container comprising: 
 a cover comprising a first closure portion, a cover engagement portion, the first closure portion being sealingly engageable with a second closure portion of a base so that when the first and second closure portions are engaged with each other, the cover and the base define a substantially sealed storage area, the cover engagement portion of the cover being engageable with the cover engagement portion of a second cover; and    the base comprising an open top, a bottom, a sidewall extending from the bottom, a base engagement portion disposed along the sidewall and the second closure portion, the cover engagement portion being receivingly engageable by the base engagement portion.    
   
   
       2 ) The container of  claim 1  wherein: 
 a) the cover engagement portion comprises an upper protrusion and a lower protrusion;    b) the second closure portion of the base includes a flange, the flange being notched to remove a part of the flange in an area adjacent to the base engagement portion thereby defining an upper retaining edge;    c) the base engagement portion comprising a first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall, each sidewall comprising a groove disposed thereon; and    d) upon engagement of the cover engagement portion with the base engagement portion, the upper protrusion engages with the groove of the each of the first and second sidewalls and the lower protrusion engages with the upper retaining edge.    
   
   
       3 ) The container of  claim 1 , wherein the base and the cover are made from a process selected from the group consisting of thermoforming, blow molding, injection molding, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       4 ) The container of  claim 1 , wherein the base and the cover are made from a material selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, Crystalline Polyethylene Terephthalate (CPET), Amorphous Polyethylene Terephthalate (APET), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polycarbonate (PC), and foamed polypropylene.  
   
   
       5 ) A cover of a container, the cover comprising a first closure portion, a cover engagement portion, the first closure portion being sealingly engageable with a second closure portion of a base of the container, the cover engagement portion being receivingly engageable by a base engagement portion disposed along a sidewall of the base.  
   
   
       6 ) The cover of  claim 5 , wherein the cover engagement portion of the cover comprises: 
 an upper protrusion, the upper protrusion being sealingly engageable with grooves disposed on each of the first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall of the base engagement portion; and    a lower protrusion, the lower protrusion being engageable with an upper retaining edge of the base, the upper retaining edge being defined by removing a part of a flange in an area adjacent to the base engagement portion.    
   
   
       7 ) The cover of  claim 6 , wherein the lower protrusion of the cover is engageable with the upper protrusion of a second cover.  
   
   
       8 ) A base of a container, the base comprising: 
 an open top;    a bottom;    a sidewall extending from the bottom;    a base engagement portion disposed along the sidewall;    a second closure portion;    a flange disposed along the second closure portion; and    an upper retaining edge defined by removing a part of the flange in an area adjacent to the base engagement portion,    wherein the base engagement portion is receivingly engageable by a cover engagement portion of a cover of the container.    
   
   
       9 ) The base of  claim 8 , wherein the base engagement portion comprises: 
 a first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall;    a groove disposed on each of the first and second sidewalls; and    a backwall extending from the bottom, the backwall joining the first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall.    
   
   
       10 ) The base of  claim 9 , wherein the groove of the each of pair of the first and second sidewalls is engageable with an upper protrusion of the cover engagement portion and the upper retaining edge is engageable with a lower protrusion of the cover engagement portion.  
   
   
       11 ) The base of  claim 8 , wherein the open top of the base of the container is engageable with the open top of the base of a second container to stack the base of the container and the second container together.  
   
   
       12 ) A system of containers, the system comprising: 
 a cover, the cover comprising a cover engagement portion, the cover engagement portion being receivingly engageable with a base engagement portion disposed along a sidewall of a base;    the base comprising an open top, a bottom, the sidewall extending from the bottom, a second closure portion, a flange disposed along the second closure portion, and the base engagement portion; and    a second cover, the second cover comprising a second cover engagement portion, the second cover engagement portion of the second cover being engageable with the cover engagement portion of the cover.    
   
   
       13 ) The system of  claim 12 , wherein the cover engagement portion comprises an upper protrusion and a lower protrusion.  
   
   
       14 ) The system of  claim 13 , wherein the base engagement portion comprises: 
 a first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall;    a groove disposed on each of the first and second sidewalls; and    a backwall extending from the bottom, the backwall joining the first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall.    
   
   
       15 ) The system of the  claim 14 , wherein the base further comprises an upper retaining edge, the upper retaining edge being defined by removing a part of the flange in an area adjacent to a base engagement portion.  
   
   
       16 ) The system of  claim 15 , wherein when the cover engagement portion engages with the base engagement portion, the upper protrusion engages the groove of each of the pair of the first and second sidewalls and the lower protrusion engages the upper retaining edge.  
   
   
       17 ) The system of  claim 16 , wherein the lower protrusion of the cover is engageable with the upper protrusion of the second cover.  
   
   
       18 ) The system of  claim 17 , wherein the open top of the base is engageable with the open top of a second base to stack the base and the second base together.