Container Lid

Abstract

A container lid for covering a container includes a hinge to permit partial opening of a section of the container lid. The container lid also includes locking tabs or projections that are designed to contact and engage with an inner surface of a container to produce a holding or gripping force to at least assist in holding the container lid on the container.

Claims

1. A container lid comprising: a lip portion disposed about the perimeter edge of the container lid; said lip portion being configured to overlap and engage with a lip of a container in a releasable locking engagement; a first section comprising a top cover portion and a side wall portion extending transverse to said top cover portion to said lip portion; a second section comprising a top cover portion and a side wall portion extending transverse to said top cover portion to said lip portion; a hinge portion connecting said first section and said second section; said hinge portion being integral with said lip portion; and said hinge portion being flexible to permit relative pivoting of said first section and said second section with respect to one another and thereby permit partial opening of a container by disconnection and pivoting of either said first section or said second section.

2. The container lid according to claim 1, wherein: said lip portion comprises a first lip portion and a second lip portion disposed between said first lip portion and said hinge portion; and said first lip portion having a first width and said second lip portion having a second width that is less than said first width.

3. The container lid according to claim 2, wherein the width of said second lip portion tapers from said first lip portion to said hinge portion.

4. The container lid according to claim 3, wherein: said first section comprises a plurality of projections disposed to project inwardly from an interior surface of said top cover portion and adjacent but spaced apart from said side wall portion; said second section comprises a plurality of projections disposed to project inwardly from an interior surface of said top cover portion and adjacent but spaced apart from said side wall portion; and each of said projections is configured to contact and engage with an inner surface of a container to produce a holding or gripping force to at least assist in holding said container lid on the container.

5. The container lid according to claim 4, wherein the distance between each of said projections and said lip portion is substantially equivalent or essentially equivalent to a distance between an outer edge and an inner surface of a container to which the container lid is to be removably connected.

6. The container lid according to claim 5, wherein: each of said first section and said second section comprises at least one reinforcing structure comprising at least one of a convex or concave indentation; and each of said first section and said second section comprises a finger tab configured to provide a gripping point for a user to manually connect or disconnect the lid.

7. The container lid according to claim 6, in combination with a container to which the container lid is removably connected.

8. The container lid according to claim 1, wherein: said first section comprises a plurality of projections disposed to project inwardly from an interior surface of said top cover portion and adjacent but spaced apart from said side wall portion; said second section comprises a plurality of projections disposed to project inwardly from an interior surface of said top cover portion and adjacent but spaced apart from said side wall portion; and each of said projections is configured to contact and engage with an inner surface of a container to produce a holding or gripping force to at least assist in holding said container lid on the container.

9. The container lid according to claim 8, wherein the distance between each of said projections and said lip portion is substantially equivalent or essentially equivalent to a distance between an outer edge and an inner surface of a container to which the container lid is to be removably connected.

10. The container lid according to claim 9, in combination with a container to which the container lid is removably connected.

11. The container lid according to claim 1, in combination with a container to which the container lid is removably connected.

12. A method of opening and closing a container, said method comprising the steps of: placing a container lid over a container; aligning a lip portion of said container lid disposed about the perimeter edge of said container lid with a lip portion disposed about the perimeter edge of said container; pressing said lip portion of said container lid into overlapping locking engagement with said lip of said container in a releasable locking engagement; and at least one of (A) and (B): (A) partially opening said container by manually disconnecting a first section of said container lid from said container and pivoting said first section at a hinge portion of said container lid connecting said first section with a second section of said container lid connected to said container; (B) completely opening said container by manually disconnecting a first section of said container lid from said container and pivoting said first section at a hinge portion of said container lid connecting said first section with a second section of said container lid connected to said container; and manually disconnecting said second section and removing said container lid from said container.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: said lip portion comprises a first lip portion and a second lip portion disposed between said first lip portion and said hinge portion; said first lip portion having a first width and said second lip portion having a second width that is less than said first width; and said step of manually disconnecting said first section or said second section comprises exerting a greater force to disconnect said first lip portion than said second lip portion.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: the width of said second lip portion tapers from said first lip portion to said hinge portion; and said step of manually disconnecting said first section or said second section comprises exerting a force that decreases proportional to said tapering.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said method further comprises: aligning a plurality of projections disposed to project inwardly from an interior surface of a top cover portion of said lid and adjacent but spaced apart from a side wall portion of said lid with an inner surface of said container; and pressing each of said projections into contact with said inner surface of said container to produce a holding or gripping force to at least assist in holding said container lid on said container.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: the distance between each of said projections and said lip portion is substantially equivalent or essentially equivalent to a distance between an outer edge and said inner surface of a container to which the container lid is to be removably connected; and said method further comprises gripping a portion of said container with both said projections and said lip portion.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein said method further comprises: aligning a plurality of projections disposed to project inwardly from an interior surface of a top cover portion of said lid and adjacent but spaced apart from a side wall portion of said lid with an inner surface of said container; and pressing each of said projections into contact with said inner surface of said container to produce a holding or gripping force to at least assist in holding said container lid on said container.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: the distance between each of said projections and said lip portion is substantially equivalent or essentially equivalent to a distance between an outer edge and said inner surface of a container to which the container lid is to be removably connected; and said method further comprises gripping a portion of said container with both said projections and said lip portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0014] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a container lid according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the container lid.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the container lid installed on a container.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the container lid installed on a container and partially opened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new container lid for a container, such as a disposable container, embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0020] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the container lid 10 generally comprises a first section 11 and a second section 12. The first and second sections 11, 12 are divided by a hinge portion 13. The hinge portion 13 is a relatively thin flexible or bendable portion of the lid 10 that connects the first section 11 and second section 12 to one another. Each of the first and second sections 11, 12 can comprise a plurality of reinforcing structures 14, such as convex or concave indentations of various shapes and sizes. Different types of reinforcing structures are shown in FIG. 1, with only three marked for convenience of reference. The sections 11, 12 have a raised design in that each comprises a lip or outer edge 15, a side wall portion 16 extending up from the lip 15, and a top cover portion 17. The lid 10 further comprises finger tabs 18 to provide a gripping point for a user when connecting or disconnecting the lid 10.

[0021] With reference to FIG. 2, the lid 10 further comprises locking tabs or projections 20. While six are shown in the embodiment in FIG. 2, more or less could be utilized. At least one locking tab 20 is located at each of the outer sides of the sections 11, 12 to promote effective locking and sealing. The locking tabs 20 engage the interior of a container in a gripping or frictional engagement. This locking force is much easier to overcome than the locking force generated by the circumferential or complete perimeter engagement by the overlapping or interlocking groove connections of current container designs.

[0022] The lip 15 comprises a first lip portion 25 having a first width and a second lip portion 26 having a second width that is less than the first width. The width of the lip 15 can taper and gradually become smaller in size from the first lip portion 25, along the second lip portion 26, and terminating at the hinge portion 13. The width of the lip 15 is greater at the first lip portion 25 to provide a greater overlap and locking effect with the edge of a container. The width of the lip 15 tapers along the second lip portion 26 to decrease the overlap and thus decrease the locking effect with the edge of a container. Consequently, once a user lifts and overcomes the greater locking effect at the first lip portion 25, the further opening of a container is made easier due to the lesser locking effect at or along the second lip portion 26. In this manner, the connection between the lid 10 and a container is lessened because the connection is not a complete perimeter connection that must be overcome essentially all at once with substantial force. The locking tabs 20 assist in providing a connecting or gripping force at not only the first lip portion 25, but also at the second lip portion 26 where the locking force provided by the lip 15 is less.

[0023] This tapered design of the lip 15 on each of the sections 11, 12 to the hinge portion 13 provides two important functions or uses. With reference to FIG. 4, the first function or use is for partial opening of the lid 10 when installed on a container 30. The container 30 has a lip 31 that comprises an outer edge 32 and a contact surface 33. As shown, the second section 12 has been disconnected and pivoted up and away from the container 30. The first section 11 is still connected to the container 30. In this situation, a user can easily access the contents 34 of the container 30, such as food, without having to completely remove the lid 10. The user can then reclose the container 30 by pivoting the second section 12 back down and into connection with the container 30. The second function or use is for easier removal of the entire lid 10. To completely remove the lid 10, a user first can place one hand on each finger tab 18 of each of the sections 11, 12, either simultaneously or in sequence. The user then can lift up each of the sections 11, 12, either simultaneously or in sequence. The user essentially only needs to utilize sufficient force to overcome the strongest connecting or locking force at the first lip portion 25 adjacent the finger tab 18 where the overlap between the lip 15 and the outer edge 32 of the container lip 31 is greatest. Once that force is overcome, the opening of the lid 10 is much easier and less force can be used, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the container or spillage of the contents.

[0024] The space between the locking tabs 20 and the lip 15 of the lid 10 can be selected to match or substantially match the distance from the outer edge 32 of the container 30 to an inner wall 35 of the container 30, which distance may be similar or essentially equivalent to the width of the contact surface 33. In at least one possible embodiment, the distance is less or slightly less than the distance from the outer edge 32 of the container 30 to an inner wall 35 of the container 30 to increase the frictional engagement and gripping or holding or clamping force. The locking tabs 20 can cooperate with the lip 15 of the lid 10 to grip or frictionally engage the outer edge 32 and the inner wall 35 of the container 30.

[0025] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the lip 15 is not tapered but has a consistent width or overlap with the outer edge 32 of the container 30. This width is relatively small or minimized to promote ease of disconnection and partial or complete opening. In this possible embodiment, the holding or locking force is primarily or entirely provided by the locking tabs 20.

[0026] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0027] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.