Stackable container with interlocking arrangement

Abstract

A food container including a container cover, a container body, and an interlocking arrangement which includes a stacking seat continuously indent at a top surface of the container cover along a peripheral edge thereof and an engaging rim continuously protruded at a bottom surface of the container body along a peripheral edge of the bottom wall, wherein the engaging rim has a size and shape geometrically matching with the stacking seat in such a manner that when the container is arranged in stack formation above another the identical container, the engaging rim is complementarily coupled with the stacking seat to engage the bottom surface of the container cover with the top surface of the identical container so as to substantially retain said two containers in position and avoid a lateral relative movement between the two containers.

1 . A food container, comprising:
 a container body which comprises a bottom wall; and a surrounding wall upwardly and peripherally extended from said bottom wall to define a storage cavity therein and a top opening opened to said storage cavity, wherein said surrounding wall defines a surrounding edge peripherally enclosing said top opening, wherein said container body is a substantively rectangular body defining a length and a width of said container body through said surrounding edge of said container body and a depth between said surrounding edge and said bottom wall, wherein the length of said container body is greater than the width of said container body, and the width of said container body is greater than the depth of said container;   a container cover detachably and fittingly coupling with said container body to cover said top opening such that the storage cavity is enclosed while said container body and said container cover are locked into position, wherein said container cover comprises a top cover wall and a cover casing downwardly and peripherally extended from said top cover wall to define a cover cavity therein and a cover opening, wherein said top cover wall defines a cover edge peripherally enclosing said cover opening and a height of said container cover between said cover edge and said top cover wall, wherein the height of said container cover is smaller than the depth of said container body; and   a ventilation arrangement to allow air passage such that when said container body and said container cover are locked into position to enclose said storage cavity, air passage for said storage cavity is allowed, thereby said container body and said container cover are capable of locking into position to enclose said storage cavity through said cover edge and said surrounding edge while providing ventilation arrangement for air passage.   
     
     
         2 . A food container, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said container cover and said container body are made of polypropylene such that both said container cover and said container body are microwave safe, wherein said ventilation arrangement comprises at least one ventilation hole provided on said container cover, thereby any food inside said food container is capable of being reheated with a microwave device without detaching said container cover from said container body. 
     
     
         3 . The food container, as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an interlocking arrangement, which comprises:
 a stacking seat continuously indented at a top surface of said top cover wall along a peripheral edge of said top cover wall;   an engaging rim continuously protruded outwardly from said bottom wall of said container body along a peripheral edge of said bottom wall, wherein the engaging rim has a size and shape geometrically matching with the stacking seat in such a manner that said engaging rim is fittingly and complimentarily engaged with said stacking seat to secure into position such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is blocked through said engaging rim and said stacking seat when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover;   a retention seat continuously indented at the top surface of said top cover wall at a center of said top cover wall which is discrete from said stacking seat; and   a retention member protruded outwardly from said bottom wall of said container body at a centre of said bottom wall, wherein said retention member has a size and shape geometrically matching with said retention seat in such a manner that said retention member is fittingly and complimentarily engaged with said retention seat to secure into position such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is blocked through said retention member and said retention seat when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover;   thereby a double locking mechanism is defined through said stacking seat and said engaging rim as well as said retention member and said retention seat, such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is double blocked through said stacking seat and said engaging rim as well as said retention member and said retention seat when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover.   
     
     
         4 . The food container, as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising an interlocking arrangement, which comprises:
 a stacking seat continuously indented at a top surface of said top cover wall along a peripheral edge of said top cover wall;   an engaging rim continuously protruded outwardly from said bottom wall of said container body along a peripheral edge of said bottom wall, wherein the engaging rim has a size and shape geometrically matching with the stacking seat in such a manner that said engaging rim is fittingly and complimentarily engaged with said stacking seat to secure into position such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is blocked through said engaging rim and said stacking seat when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover;   a retention seat continuously indented at the top surface of said top cover wall at a center of said top cover wall which is discrete from said stacking seat; and   a retention member protruded outwardly from said bottom wall of said container body at a centre of said bottom wall, wherein said retention member has a size and shape geometrically matching with said retention seat in such a manner that said retention member is fittingly and complimentarily engaged with said retention seat to secure into position such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is blocked through said retention member and said retention seat when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover;   thereby a double locking mechanism is defined through said stacking seat and said engaging rim as well as said retention member and said retention seat, such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is double blocked through said stacking seat and said engaging rim as well as said retention member and said retention seat when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover.   
     
     
         5 . The food container, as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said interlocking arrangement further defines a fitting member continuously formed between said retention seat and said stacking seat of said top cover wall; and a fitting indention continuously formed between said engaging rim and said retention member, wherein said fitting member has a size and shape geometrically matching with said fitting indention in such a manner that said fitting member is fittingly and complimentarily engaged with said fitting indention to secure into position such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is blocked through said fitting member and said fitting indention when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover, thereby said container body and said container cover are interlocked and secured into position. 
     
     
         6 . The food container, as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said interlocking arrangement further defines a fitting member continuously formed between said retention seat and said stacking seat of said top cover wall; and a fitting indention continuously formed between said engaging rim and said retention member, wherein said fitting member has a size and shape geometrically matching with said fitting indention in such a manner that said fitting member is fittingly and complimentarily engaged with said fitting indention to secure into position such that any relative lateral displacement between said container body and said container cover is blocked through said fitting member and said fitting indention when said container body is positioned on top of said container cover, thereby said container body and said container cover are interlocked and secured into position. 
     
     
         7 . The food container, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said top cover wall and said bottom wall are identical in length and in width. 
     
     
         8 . The food container, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said surrounding wall has a plurality of discrete wall portions integrally extended in a stair manner to form a reinforcing wall of said container body so as to enhance a strength of said container body. 
     
     
         9 . The food container, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said surrounding wall has at least a first, a second and a third discrete portions integrally extended in a stair manner respectively, wherein a height of said first discrete portion is approximately 50% of the depth of said container body, wherein a height of said second discrete portion is approximately 25% of the depth of said container body, wherein a height of said third discrete portion is approximately 12.5% of the depth of said container body, such that a sequential 50% decrease in height of said discrete portions is arranged from said surrounding edge of said surround wall towards said bottom wall of said container body and said surrounding wall in inwardly inclined from said surrounding edge of said surround wall towards said bottom wall of said container body, thereby said surrounding wall is strengthened to withstand against an external force in a vertical and downward direction. 
     
     
         10 . The food container, as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said surrounding wall has at least a first, a second and a third discrete portions integrally extended in a stair manner respectively, wherein a height of said first discrete portion is approximately 50% of the depth of said container body, wherein a height of said second discrete portion is approximately 25% of the depth of said container body, wherein a height of said third discrete portion is approximately 12.5% of the depth of said container body, such that a sequential 50% decrease in height of said discrete portions is arranged from said surrounding edge of said surround wall towards said bottom wall of said container body and said surrounding wall in inwardly inclined from said surrounding edge of said surround wall towards said bottom wall of said container body, thereby said surrounding wall is strengthened to withstand against an external force in a vertical and downward direction. 
     
     
         11 . The food container, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said ventilation arrangement comprises four ventilation holes spacedly provided on said top surface of said container cover. 
     
     
         12 . The food container, as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said ventilation arrangement comprises four ventilation holes spacedly provided on said top surface of said container cover. 
     
     
         13 . The food container, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said ventilation arrangement comprises four ventilation holes spacedly provided on said top surface of said container cover. 
     
     
         14 . The food container, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said four ventilation holes are provided on four turning points of said retention seat of said container cover respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The food container, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said ventilation hole is provided on said cover casing, wherein said ventilation arrangement further comprises a ventilation guider which is a tube-like structure having a first end connecting to and enclosing said ventilation hole and a second end having a tube opening for air passage such that air is guided to flow from said ventilation hole to said tube opening. 
     
     
         16 . The food container, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said ventilation hole is provided on said cover casing, wherein said ventilation arrangement further comprises a ventilation guider which is a tube-like structure having a first end connecting to and enclosing said ventilation hole and a second end having a tube opening for air passage such that air is guided to flow from said ventilation hole to said tube opening. 
     
     
         17 . The food container, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said ventilation arrangement comprises four ventilation holes spacedly provided on said cover casing, wherein said ventilation arrangement comprises four ventilation guiders for said four ventilation holes respectively, wherein each said ventilation guider is a tube-like structure having a first end connecting to and enclosing said ventilation hole and a second end having a tube opening for air passage such that air is guided to flow from said ventilation hole to said tube opening. 
     
     
         18 . The food container, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said ventilation arrangement comprising a plurality of ventilation members spacedly provided along said sealing rim of said container cover such that when said container body and said container cover are locked into position, air passage between said ventilation members is allowed. 
     
     
         19 . The food container, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said ventilation arrangement comprising a plurality of ventilation members spacedly provided along said sealing rim of said container cover such that when said container body and said container cover are locked into position, air passage between said ventilation members is allowed. 
     
     
         20 . The food container, as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said ventilation arrangement comprising a plurality of ventilation members spacedly provided along said sealing rim of said container cover such that when said container body and said container cover are locked into position, air passage between said ventilation members is allowed.