Lid Arrangement Having Stacking Options

Abstract

A lid structure for a container has an annular collar for attachment to the container. The collar has an opening for providing access to an interior of the container. The lid structure further includes a lid for closing the opening. The lid has an outer periphery and an upper surface with a circumferential ridge located near to but spaced from the outer periphery, whereby a further container having a base diameter can stack at an outside of the circumferential ridge. The circumferential ridge has at least two interruptions dividing the circumferential ridge into at least two ridge portions whereby at least two further containers having the same base diameter can stack partially on the lid.

1 . A lid structure for a container comprising:
 an annular collar for attachment to the container and having an opening for providing access to an interior of the container;   a lid for closing the opening; and   a closure element engaged between the lid and the annular collar,   wherein the lid has an outer periphery and an upper surface with a circumferential ridge located near to but spaced from the outer periphery, whereby a further container having a base with a base diameter can be stacked on the lid at an outside of the circumferential ridge,   the circumferential ridge further having at least two interruptions dividing the circumferential ridge into at least two ridge portions whereby at least two further containers having the same base diameter can alternatively stack partially on the lid in pyramid formation and one of the at least two interruptions is located around the closure element.   
     
     
         2 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer periphery of the lid has a diameter that corresponds to an outer diameter of the annular collar. 
     
     
         3 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure element comprises a tamper evident closure element. 
     
     
         4 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid and the annular collar are hingedly connected together. 
     
     
         5 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two ridge portions are of equal lengths. 
     
     
         6 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the circumferential ridge has exactly two interruptions. 
     
     
         7 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the two ridge portions is approximately a third of a base circumference of the further container. 
     
     
         8 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein a ridge height is between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The lid structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer periphery has a rounded top edge, whereby the annular collar of a further identical lid structure can be stacked on the top edge. 
     
     
         10 . The structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the annular collar comprises a fixation skirt configured to form a snap-fit connection with an outwardly protruding upper rim of the container 
     
     
         11 . A package, comprising a the lid structure according to  claim 1  applied to a container, the container having a circumferential sidewall, extending from a mouth to a base and the lid structure is attached to the container by engagement of the annular collar with the mouth. 
     
     
         12 . The package according to  claim 11 , wherein the container is a metal can. 
     
     
         13 . The package according to  claim 12 , wherein the container is a three piece can and the base is connected to the sidewall at a seam. 
     
     
         14 . The package according to  claim 13 , wherein the seam forms a downwardly extending lower rim. 
     
     
         15 . The package according to  claim 14 , wherein the base diameter is an inner diameter of the lower rim. 
     
     
         16 . A set of packages according to  claim 11 , arranged in a stack, wherein each package has a face and adjacent packages in a first row of the stack are held with their faces oriented in alignment with a front side of the stack by engagement of the ridge portions on their respective lids by the base of a package in a second row of the stack that spans the lids of the adjacent packages. 
     
     
         17 . The set of packages according to  claim 16 , wherein the stack is a 2D pyramid shape. 
     
     
         18 . A package, comprising a lid structure and a container,
 wherein the container is a 3-piece metal can having a circumferential sidewall, joined to a mouth at an upper rim and to a base at a lower rim, the lower rim having an inner surface defining a base diameter,   wherein the lid structure comprises an annular collar and a lid, connected to the annular collar at a hinge, the lid having an upper surface with an upstanding circumferential ridge having an outer ridge diameter corresponding to the base diameter, the circumferential ridge further having two interruptions dividing the circumferential ridge into two ridge portions each ridge portion subtending an angle of 120 degrees.   
     
     
         19 . The package of  claim 18 , wherein the container is contoured in shape and has a face side, circumferentially opposed to the hinge and a first interruption is oriented in alignment with the face side and a second interruption is oriented in alignment with the hinge. 
     
     
         20 . A stack of packages, each package comprising a 3-piece metal can having a base, a contoured sidewall defining a face side and a lid structure attached to an upper rim of the metal can, wherein adjacent packages in a first row of the stack are held with their face sides oriented in alignment with a front side of the stack by engagement of their respective lid structures by the base of a package in a second row of the stack that spans across lid structures of the adjacent packages.