Resealable cover for containers
10336508 ยท 2019-07-02
Inventors
Cpc classification
B65D43/16
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D51/007
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D55/16
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D2517/0098
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D43/022
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B65D51/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D55/16
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A cover for sealing a container having an interior chamber that holds a quantity of material therein. A first channel provided on a base of the cover receives a rim on the container's side wall. A first sealing member is provided on the base. A second sealing member provided on the lid is complementary to the first sealing member and is engageable therewith when the lid is moved to a closed position. A flexible bridge extends between the base and the lid. One of the first or second sealing members is a protrusion and the other is a second channel. The protrusion may be received within the second channel when the lid is closed. Pressure may be progressively applied to the lid to zipper the cover into a sealed position. When the lid is in the sealed position material cannot be accidentally or purposefully removed from the interior chamber.
Claims
1. A cover for use in sealing a container that has a side wall with an upper rim; said cover comprising: a base having an upper end, a lower end, and an inner side surface that extends between the upper end and the lower end, wherein the inner side surface bounds and defines an opening; wherein the opening is adapted to provide access to a top end of a container with which the cover is selectively engaged; a first channel defined in the lower end of the base; wherein the first channel is adapted to be complementary to an upper rim of the container and receives the upper rim of the container therein; a first sealing member provided on the upper surface of the upper end of the base; wherein the first sealing member is vertically aligned with the first channel; a lid having a top wall and a side wall circumscribing the top wall; wherein the lid is movable between an open position and a closed position; and when the lid is in the closed position, access to the opening in the base is prevented; and when the lid is in the open position, access to the opening in the base is permitted; and a second sealing member provided on a bottom surface of the lid; wherein the first sealing member and the second sealing member are vertically aligned with each other and with the first channel; and the first sealing member and second sealing member are engageable with each other when the lid is moved to the closed position; and wherein the first sealing member is a second channel and the second sealing member is a protrusion; and the protrusion is complementary to the second channel; and when the lid is moved to the closed position, the protrusion is received in the second channel.
2. The cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the second channel is an annular second channel defined in the upper surface of the upper end of the base; and the protrusion is an annular protrusion defined in the bottom surface of the lid.
3. The cover as defined in claim 1, further comprising a flexible bridge extending between the base and the lid.
4. The cover as defined in claim 3, wherein the bridge folds back upon itself when the lid is moved to the closed position and the bridge is unfolded when the lid is moved to the open position.
5. The cover as defined in claim 1, further comprising a first flange extending outwardly from an exterior surface of the base.
6. The cover as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second flange extending outwardly from an exterior surface of the base.
7. A method of resealing a container containing a substance, wherein the container has a side wall with an upper rim; said method comprising steps of: engaging a first channel defined in a bottom surface of a base of a sealing cover on the upper rim of the side wall of the container; moving a lid engaged with the base into a position vertically above the base; aligning a second channel defined in one of the lid and the base with a protrusion provided on the other of the lid and the base; wherein the first channel, the second channel and the protrusion are all vertically aligned with each other when the bottom surface of the lid is positioned over a top surface of the base; pushing the lid downwardly toward the base to engage the protrusion in the second channel; progressively applying pressure to a perimeter of an outer surface of the lid; sealing the lid and base together; and wherein the step of engaging the base on the upper rim of the side wall of the container comprises: overmolding the upper rim of the side wall of the container with the base.
8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the step of engaging the base on the upper rim of the side wall of the container comprises: positioning the first channel defined in the bottom surface lower of the base over the upper rim; applying downward pressure to the base; and receiving the upper rim in the first channel.
9. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the step of positioning the lid over the base further comprises: heat-sealing the lid to the base.
10. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising steps of: moving the lid to an open position to gain access to an interior chamber of the container; and moving the lid to a closed position to prevent access to the interior chamber.
11. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising: folding a flexible bridge extending between the lid and base when the lid is moved to the closed position; and unfolding the flexible bridge when the lid is moved to the open position.
12. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising: breaking the sealing cover out of a blister pack comprising a sheet of material having a plurality of individual sealing covers formed therein; and applying the base of the sealing cover removed from the blister pack to the side wall of the container after purchase of the container.
13. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising applying the base to the side wall of the container after fabrication of the container but prior to purchase of the container.
14. A cover for use in sealing a container that has a side wall with an upper rim; said cover comprising: a base having an upper end, a lower end, and an inner side surface that extends between the upper end and the lower end, wherein the inner side surface bounds and defines an opening; wherein the opening is adapted to provide access to a top end of a container with which the cover is selectively engaged; a first channel defined in the lower end of the base; wherein the first channel is adapted to be complementary to an upper rim of the container and receives the upper rim of the container therein; a first sealing member provided on the upper surface of the upper end of the base; wherein the first sealing member is vertically aligned with the first channel; a lid having a top wall and a side wall circumscribing the top wall; wherein the lid is movable between an open position and a closed position; and when the lid is in the closed position, access to the opening in the base is prevented; and when the lid is in the open position, access to the opening in the base is permitted; and a second sealing member provided on a bottom surface of the lid; wherein the first sealing member and the second sealing member are vertically aligned with each other and with the first channel; and the first sealing member and second sealing member are engageable with each other when the lid is moved to the closed position; wherein the first sealing member is an annular protrusion defined in the upper surface of the upper end of the base and the protrusion extends vertically upwardly from the upper surface of the upper end of the base; wherein the second sealing member is a second channel; and the second channel is an annular channel defined in the bottom surface of the lid; wherein the protrusion is complementary to the second channel; and when the lid is moved to the closed position, the protrusion is received in the second channel; and wherein the annular protrusion includes a shaft extending outwardly from the upper surface of the base; and wherein a pair of opposed annular grooves are defined in opposed side surfaces of the shaft; and wherein the lid further comprises an annular flange that is selectively receivable in each of the two annular grooves when the lid and base are engaged with each other.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) A sample embodiment of the invention is set forth in the following description, is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
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(17) Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(18) Referring to
(19) Base 28 may be configured to be engaged with an upper rim of a beverage container 12 (
(20) It should be noted that when cover 10 is in the closed position, lid 32 is located vertically above and aligned with base 28. The bridge 24 that extends between lid 32 and base 28 may be folded back upon itself as shown in
(21) It will be understood that instead of a flexible or living hinge, bridge 24 may be replaced with any other type of hinge or connecting mechanism to secure lid 32 and base 28 together and prevent them from becoming detached from each other.
(22) Sealing cover 10 may be fabricated from one or more plastic materials that are appropriate and approved for use in the food industry for coming into direct contact with solid or liquid foods and beverages. Suitable plastic materials for sealing cover 10 may include but not be limited to polypropylene, polyethylene, or polycarbonate.
(23) Base 28 may comprise a wall shaped and sized to be complementary to the beverage container 12 with which sealing cover 10 is to be engaged. Since beverage container 12 is illustrated as being generally circular in shape when viewed from a top end (i.e., the end that includes the opening through which the contents of container 12 are accessed), the wall of base 28 may be generally circular in shape when viewed from above. This can be seen in
(24) An inner surface of the wall of base 28 bounds and defines an opening 28a through which the aperture defined in a top end of container 12 may be accessed. Opening 28a may extend from proximate an upper end of the wall to proximate a lower end of the wall. A first sealing member may be provided on base 28. As shown in
(25) A lower end of the wall of base 28 defines a first channel 34 that may extend along substantially the entire circumference of the wall. First channel 34 may be configured to be complementary to a rim 12a (
(26) The inner surface of the wall of base 28 may also define an annular first groove 28b (
(27) One or more first flanges 36 (
(28) Lid 32 or at least a portion of lid 32 may be configured to be complementary in shape and size to base 28. So, as is illustrated in
(29) Lid 32 comprises a top wall 26 and an annular wall 27 that circumscribes top wall 26. Annular wall 27 defines a second channel 30 in a location that is complementary to the location of protrusion 22 on base 28. As illustrated, second channel 30 may be provided on a lowermost surface of annular wall 27. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, second channel 30 may be defined to be complementary in shape, size and location to protrusion 22 provided on base 28. When lid 32 is positioned vertically above and aligned with base 28 by moving lid 32 to the closed position (
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(31) A second flange 38 may extend radially outwardly from an exterior surface of annular wall 27. Second flange 38 may be located in such a way on annular wall 27 that when lid 32 is moved to a closed position, second flange 38 is located laterally adjacent at least one of the first flanges 36. Preferably, second flange 38 may be seated in the recessed region 37 defined between the two first flanges 36.
(32) A first end of flexible bridge 24 may integrally formed with an exterior surface of base 28 and a second end of flexible bridge 24 may be integrally formed with an exterior surface of lid 32. As shown in
(33) Sealing cover 10 may be formed as an individual component (
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(35) Once lid 32 is moved to the closed position, a user may initially align first second channel 30 with protrusion 22 and press downwardly in the direction of arrow A (
(36) During the sealing engagement of lid 32 and base 28, annular shoulder 27a on lid 32 enters into annular first groove 28b on base 28, thereby ensuring a close seal between lid 32 and base 28. This is shown in
(37) If a user later decides he or he wishes to gain access to the contents 13 in the interior chamber 12b (
(38) A method of resealing a container 12 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, where the container 12 contains a substance, such as a beverage, food or another material in the interior chamber 12b thereof, and wherein the container has a side wall with an upper rim 12a, may comprise steps of engaging a base 28 of a cover 10 on the upper rim 12a of the side wall of the container 12; moving a lid 32 engaged with base 28 into a position vertically above base 28 (such as is shown in
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(41) If the user does not wish to reseal can, lid 46 may be disengaged from base 48 by applying a pulling force thereto to break the seal at tab 58.
(42) The can 40 will be purchased by the consumer looking the same way as is illustrated in
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(44) In use, lid 86 will be moved to the open position in order to gain access to the paint within paint can 82. When the consumer wishes to close and seal paint can 82 to prevent the paint from drying out or from becoming contaminated, lid 86 is moved to the closed position by pushing downwardly thereon until a protrusion on the base 84 is received in a channel on the lid 86. This latches lid 86 to base 84. The consumer will then push downwardly and move their finger along the top surface of the lid 86 and around the perimeter thereof to progressively zipper lid 86 closed to base 84. A flange 89 on lid 86 may be engaged and pushed upwardly to reopen lid 86 at a later time.
(45) It will be understood that the sealing cover disclosed herein is contemplated to be fabricated in any size or shape and to be used on cans or containers that contain any type of product, but particularly food and beverages.
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(48) It will be understood that while this invention has been described mainly for use in conjunction with a metal can or container, the sealing covers disclosed herein may be engaged with the rims of glass or plastic jars or bottles or any other types of containers no matter the type of material from which those containers are fabricated.
(49) An embodiment is an implementation or example of the present disclosure. Reference in the specification to an embodiment, one embodiment, some embodiments, one particular embodiment, or other embodiments, or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the invention. The various appearances an embodiment, one embodiment, some embodiments, one particular embodiment, or other embodiments, or the like, are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiments.
(50) If this specification states a component, feature, structure, or characteristic may, might, or could be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included. If the specification or claim refers to a or an element, that does not mean there is only one of the element. If the specification or claims refer to an additional element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.
(51) In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
(52) Moreover, the description and illustration of the preferred embodiment of the disclosure are an example and the disclosure is not limited to the exact details shown or described.