Tamper evident lid for a container

Abstract

A tamper-evident lid for use with a container to provide an assembly that is particularly suitable for distributing a food product contained therein. The lid includes a circumferential skirt with a plurality of tabs that are pivotal relative to the skirt out of a locked position. The tabs include side margins severably secured to the skirt, with pivoting of the tabs out of the locked position causing the side margins to be severed from the skirt. The tabs further include a locking element to engage the container and thereby prevent removal of the lid from the container when the tabs are in the locked position and permit removal of the lid from the container when the tabs are pivoted out of the locked position.

1 . A tamper-evident lid for a container comprising:
 wall structure including a circumferential skirt operable to sealingly engage the container,   said skirt including at least one tab that is altered in a visibly evident manner when the lid is permitted to be removed from the container,   said at least one tab being pivotal relative to an adjacent skirt portion of the skirt out of a locked position,   said at least one tab including side margins severably secured to the adjacent skirt portion, with pivoting of the at least one tab out of the locked position causing the side margins to be severed from the adjacent skirt portion,   said at least one tab including an inwardly projecting locking element that is operable to engage the container and thereby prevent removal of the lid from the container when the at least one tab is in the locked position,   said locking element being shiftable out of locking engagement with the container when the side margins are severed and the at least one tab is pivoted out of the locked position to thereby permit removal of the lid from the container.   
     
     
         2 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 1 ,
 said skirt including a line of weakness defined along each side margin of the at least one tab to facilitate severing of the side margins from the adjacent skirt portion.   
     
     
         3 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 2 ,
 said line of weakness comprising a relatively reduced wall thickness defined along the junction of the corresponding side margin and the adjacent skirt portion.   
     
     
         4 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 1 ,
 said at least one tab being pivotally secured to the adjacent skirt portion about a substantially horizontally oriented living hinge,   said side margins being generally upright.   
     
     
         5 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 4 ,
 said at least one tab presenting opposite inner and outer faces and including a gripping projection spaced from the living hinge,   said gripping portion extending outwardly from the outer face to facilitate manual pulling of the at least one tab out of the locked position.   
     
     
         6 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 4 ,
 said skirt presenting a lowermost edge,   said living hinge being substantially linear and spaced upwardly from the lowermost edge,   said side margins projecting from the lowermost edge to the living hinge, with the adjacent skirt portion thereby presenting an inverted generally U shape.   
     
     
         7 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 6 ,
 said skirt presenting an uppermost edge,   said living hinge being spaced from the uppermost edge.   
     
     
         8 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 1 ,
 said wall structure including an end wall from which the skirt depends.   
     
     
         9 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 8 ,
 said skirt presenting an endmost edge,   said end wall being continuous and interconnecting the endmost edge.   
     
     
         10 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 8 ,
 said end wall and skirt being integrally formed.   
     
     
         11 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 1 ,
 said at least one tab presenting opposite inner and outer faces,   said locking element comprising a panel that extends obliquely from the inner face of the at least one tab.   
     
     
         12 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 11 ,
 said at least one tab being pivotally secured to the adjacent skirt portion about a substantially horizontally oriented living hinge,   said side margins being generally upright,   said panel extending at an upward angle relative to the inner face.   
     
     
         13 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 12 ,
 said angle being between about 30 and 60 degrees relative to vertical.   
     
     
         14 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 12 ,
 said panel extending continuously between the side margins.   
     
     
         15 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 14 ,
 said side margins being spaced along a curved portion of the skirt,   said panel having at least a portion thereof that is curvilinear.   
     
     
         16 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 11 ,
 said inner face being configured to be spaced from the container so as to define a cavity therebetween, with the panel being dimensioned to span the cavity and engage the container.   
     
     
         17 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 1 ,
 said skirt including a plurality of circumferentially extending, inwardly projecting ribs,   said ribs being operable to engage the container and thereby provide sealing interengagement between the lid and the container.   
     
     
         18 . The tamper-evident lid of  claim 1 ,
 said lid being substantially rectangular,   said at least one tab including a plurality of tabs, with each tab being positioned at a corner of the lid.   
     
     
         19 . A tamper-evident container and lid assembly comprising:
 a container presenting an internal cavity and an opening communicating with the cavity; and   a lid covering the opening,   said lid including a circumferential skirt sealingly engaging the container,   said skirt including at least one tab that is altered in a visibly evident manner when the lid is permitted to be removed from the container,   said at least one tab being pivotal relative to an adjacent skirt portion of the skirt out of a locked position,   said at least one tab including side margins severably secured to the adjacent skirt portion, with pivoting of the at least one tab out of the locked position causing the side margins to be severed from the adjacent skirt portion,   said at least one tab including an inwardly projecting locking element operable to engage the container and thereby prevent removal of the lid from the container when the at least one tab is in the locked position,   said locking element being shiftable out of locking engagement with the container when the side margins are severed and the at least one tab is pivoted out of the locked position to thereby permit removal of the lid from the container.   
     
     
         20 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 19 ,
 said skirt including a line of weakness defined along each side margin of the at least one tab to facilitate severing of the side margins from the adjacent skirt portion.   
     
     
         21 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 20 ,
 said line of weakness comprising a relatively reduced wall thickness defined along the junction of the corresponding side margin and the adjacent skirt portion.   
     
     
         22 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 19 ,
 said container including a sidewall and a bottom wall that cooperatively define the internal cavity, with the opening being defined along a top of the sidewall.   
     
     
         23 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 22 ,
 said at least one tab being pivotally secured to the adjacent skirt portion about a substantially horizontally oriented living hinge,   said side margins being generally upright.   
     
     
         24 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 23 ,
 said at least one tab presenting opposite inner and outer faces and including a gripping projection spaced from the living hinge,   said gripping portion extending outwardly from the outer face to facilitate manual pulling of the at least one tab out of the locked position.   
     
     
         25 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 23 ,
 said skirt presenting a lowermost edge,   said living hinge being substantially linear and spaced upwardly from the lowermost edge,   said side margins projecting from the lowermost edge to the living hinge, with the adjacent skirt portion thereby presenting an inverted generally U shape.   
     
     
         26 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 25 ,
 said skirt presenting an uppermost edge,   said living hinge being spaced from the uppermost edge.   
     
     
         27 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 22 ,
 said lid including a top wall from which the skirt depends,   said top wall spanning the opening of the container.   
     
     
         28 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 27 ,
 said skirt presenting an uppermost edge,   said top wall being continuous and interconnecting the uppermost edge.   
     
     
         29 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 28 ,
 said top wall and skirt being integrally formed.   
     
     
         30 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 19 ,
 said container including a sidewall that defines at least in part the internal cavity,   said sidewall including an outwardly projecting lip,   said locking element being operable to abuttingly engage the lip when the at least one tab is in the locked position.   
     
     
         31 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 30 ,
 said at least one tab presenting opposite inner and outer faces,   said locking element comprising a panel that extends obliquely from the inner face of the at least one tab.   
     
     
         32 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 31 ,
 said container including a bottom wall that cooperates with the sidewall to define the internal cavity, with the opening being defined along a top of the sidewall,   said lip being located adjacent the top of the sidewall,   said at least one tab being pivotally secured to the adjacent skirt portion about a substantially horizontally oriented living hinge,   said side margins being generally upright,   said panel extending at an upward angle relative to the inner face.   
     
     
         33 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 32 ,
 said angle being between about 30 and 60 degrees relative to vertical.   
     
     
         34 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 32 ,
 said panel extending continuously between the side margins.   
     
     
         35 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 34 ,
 said side margins being spaced along a curved portion of the skirt,   said panel having at least a portion thereof that is curvilinear.   
     
     
         36 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 31 ,
 said inner face being configured to be spaced from the container so as to define a cavity therebetween, with the panel spanning the cavity and engaging the container when the at least one tab is in the locked position.   
     
     
         37 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 30 ,
 said lip extending continuously about the sidewall,   said skirt including a plurality of circumferentially extending, inwardly projecting ribs,   said ribs being operable to engage the lip and thereby provide sealing interengagement between the lid and the container.   
     
     
         38 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 30 ,
 said lid including an end wall from which the skirt depends,   said end wall spanning the opening of the container,   said lip having oppositely facing first and second abutment surfaces, with the first abutment surface engaging the end wall and the second abutment surface being operable to engage the locking element when the at least one tab is in the locked position.   
     
     
         39 . The tamper-evident assembly of  claim 19 ,
 said lid being substantially rectangular,   said at least one tab including a plurality of tabs, with each tab being positioned at a corner of said lid.