Multi-faceted container and reclosable lid for food products

Abstract

A container for food products, such as nuts, is provided, wherein the container includes a body defining an interior of the container. The body has a neck surrounding an access opening that is adapted to be covered with a lid. A sidewall of the container has a plurality of facets narrowing toward a longitudinal axis of the body, and the lid has the same number of facets formed in a skirt thereof that are generally aligned with the facets of the body of the container when the lid is in a closed position covering the access opening. The material of the body is preferably formed from a polyethylene terephthalate resin with an oxygen scavenger additive and with an average wall thickness of between about 0.012 and 0.035 inches and up to about 0.05 inches, preferably between about 0.015 inches and 0.040 inches, and between about 10% and 35% crystallinity to provide both barrier properties and translucency.

1 . A container for food products comprising:
 an at least translucent polymer body having a generally circular neck, a bottom opposite the neck and a sidewall extending between the neck and the bottom, the sidewall having a plurality of facets extending between the neck and the bottom and surrounding a circumference of the container, the number of facets being greater than four, being generally equal, being inwardly curved toward a longitudinal axis of the body with the maximum inward extent being at a center portion of the axial length of the body, and being generally linear in a direction measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;   a lid having a top wall with an outer skirt depending about its periphery and a generally circular inner skirt depending from a bottom side of the top wall, the outer skirt having a plurality of facets corresponding in number to the facets of the body; and   a stop between the lid and the neck of the body to limit rotation of the lid relative to the neck of the body so that the facets of the outer skirt of the lid and the facets of the body are generally aligned when the stop is engaged.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the neck has an external thread and the inner skirt has an internal thread configured to threadingly mate with the external thread of the neck, the threads being configured such that the stop is formed between an upper peripheral rim of the neck and the bottom side of the top wall of the lid. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the neck has an external thread and the inner skirt has an internal thread configured to threadingly mate with the external thread of the neck, at least one lug provided on each of the external surface of the neck of the body and the internal surface of the inner skirt of the lid, the lugs being positioned to provide the stop when abutting. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the material of the body is formed from a polyethylene terephthalate resin with an oxygen scavenger additive and has an average wall thickness of between about 0.015 inches and 0.040 inches and has between about 10% and 35% crystallinity 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall slopes inwardly at an acute angle from the maximum extent of the facets to the neck. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the slope is at an angle of between about 17 and 20 degrees relative to a line perpendicularly intersecting the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the maximum inward extent of the facets is between about 85% and 95% of the maximum overall extent of the facets and wherein the diameter of the neck is between about 70% and 80% of the maximum overall extent of the facets measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein there are between six and ten facets of the sidewall of the body of the container. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the container is filled with a food product and a flexible membrane is sealed to a peripheral rim of the neck and positioned between the neck and the lid to seal the container with food products therein. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the top wall of the lid has an access opening that is selectively coverable by a cover connected to the top wall via a hinge. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body has an average wall thickness of between about 0.012 and 0.05 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the inner and outer skirts of the lid are joined. 
     
     
         13 . A container for food products comprising:
 a body having a generally circular neck, a bottom opposite the neck and a sidewall extending between the neck and the bottom, the sidewall having a plurality of facets extending between the neck and the bottom and surrounding a circumference of the container, the number of facets being greater than four, being generally equal, being inwardly curved toward a longitudinal axis of the body with the maximum inward extent being at a center portion of the axial length of the body, and being generally linear in a direction measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the material of the body being formed from a polyethylene terephthalate resin with an oxygen scavenger additive and with an average wall thickness of between about 0.015 inches and 0.025 inches and between about 10% and 35% crystallinity; and   a lid having a top wall with an external skirt depending about its periphery and a generally circular internal skirt depending from a bottom side of the top wall, the external skirt having a plurality of facets corresponding in number to the facets of the body.   
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 13 , further comprising a stop between the lid and the neck of the body to limit rotation of the lid relative to the neck of the body so that the facets of the outer skirt of the lid and the facets of the body are generally aligned when the stop is engaged. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein a sidewall between the maximum extent of the facets and the neck slopes inwardly at an acute angle from the maximum extent of the facets to the neck at an angle of between about 17 and 20 degrees relative to a line perpendicularly intersecting the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the maximum inward extent of the facets is between about 85% and 95% of the maximum overall extent of the facets and wherein the diameter of the neck is between about 70% and 80% of the maximum overall extent of the facets measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein there are between six and ten facets of the sidewall of the body of the container. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the container is filled with a food product and a flexible membrane is sealed to a peripheral rim of the neck and positioned between the neck and the lid to seal the container with food products therein. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising means for selectively covering an access opening in the top wall of the lid. 
     
     
         20 . A container containing food products comprising:
 a body having a generally circular neck, a bottom, and a sidewall extending between the neck and the bottom, the sidewall having a plurality of facets extending between the neck and the bottom and surrounding a circumference of the container, the number of facets being between six and ten, being generally equal, being inwardly curved toward a longitudinal axis of the body with the maximum inward extent being at a center portion of the axial length of the body, and the material of the body being formed from a polyethylene terephthalate resin with an oxygen scavenger additive and with an average wall thickness of between about 0.015 inches and 0.025 inches and between about 10% and 35% crystallinity, wherein the maximum inward extent of the facets is between about 85% and 95% of the maximum overall extent of the facets;   a lid having a top wall with an external skirt depending about its periphery and a generally circular internal skirt depending from a bottom side of the top wall, the external skirt having a plurality of facets corresponding in number to the facets of the body, the lid not extending beyond an outer perimeter of the body when seated thereon;   a stop between the lid and the neck of the body to limit rotation of the lid relative to the neck of the body so that the facets of the outer skirt of the lid and the facets of the body are generally aligned when the stop is engaged; and   a flexible membrane being sealed to a peripheral rim of the neck and positioned between the neck and the lid to seal the container with food products therein.