Canister

A canister includes a container and a lid that is able to be coupled to the container. The container includes a bottom wall and a side wall formed to include a mouth opening into a product-receiving chamber. The container includes an annular side wall that is formed to include a neck finish. The neck finish is configured to accept the lid of the canister.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to canisters, and particularly to injection molded canisters provided with a container and a lid fitted onto the container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the sealing arrangement between the lid and container. The current all-plastic paint packages leak due to assembly issues, tolerances of the manufacturing process and contamination of the sealing surfaces with paint.

SUMMARY

A canister in accordance with the present disclosure includes a container and a lid that can be removably coupled to the container.

In illustrative embodiments, the canister includes the container, the lid, and opening devices which contain sealing and drip-less pouring features. The canister is suitable for use as a liquid or gas tight sealing canister. The lid includes a sealing gasket/caulking which is configured to seal against a neck finish of the container to seal contents that are under high temperature and high pressure and prevent leaking of canister contents during extreme shaking or rotation of the canister.

Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A canister10includes a container12and a lid14configured to be removably coupled to container12. Container12is provided with a bottom wall16and a side wall18formed to include a mouth20opening into a product-receiving chamber22of container12, as shown for example, inFIG. 1. Container12includes annular side wall18that is formed to include a neck finish24. Neck finish24is configured to accept lid14of canister10.

Lid14is configured to be coupled to neck finish24to seal mouth20of container12, as shown, for example inFIGS. 1 and 2. Lid14includes a top wall26, and an annular rim28extending around the perimeter of lid14. Top wall26and rim28are separated by an annular groove30. Annular groove30is defined by inner wall32, top wall segment42and channel wall segment44.

Annular rim28of lid14includes an inner wall32, an outer wall34and an upper wall36positioned between inner and outer walls32,34, as shown inFIG. 2. Upper wall36includes a series of upwardly extending ribs38to permit stacking of multiple canisters10. Outer wall34is formed to include a series of cut-outs40, as shown, for example, inFIGS. 2 and 3. Cut-outs40permit the insertion of a pry tool beneath outer wall34of annular rim28and container12to allow lid14to be pried from container12.

Inner wall32of annular rim28is generally perpendicular to upper wall36and includes a first sealing surface46that is configured to engage and seal with neck finish24of container12to form a first seal. Upper wall36includes a second sealing surface48that is configured to engage and seal with neck finish24to form a second seal. Inner and upper walls32,36may include a gasket50. Gasket50can be used to form sealing surfaces46,48and can be injection molded onto lid14.

Outer wall34of annular rim28is generally perpendicular to upper wall36and extends downwardly from upper wall36toward container12. Outer wall34includes inwardly extending bead segments52that are positioned proximate a lower end of outer wall34. Bead segments52are positioned proximate cut-outs40in outer wall34to facilitate removal of lid14from container12. Using a pry tool80within a selected cut-out40allows outer wall34to flex outwardly freeing a bead segment52from neck finish24of container12.

Container12includes neck finish24that is configured to engage and seal with annular rim28of lid14, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7. Neck finish24includes an inclined annular wall53having an outwardly extending annular bead54, an outwardly extending lock flange56and an outwardly extending lip58. Lock flange56and lip58are configured to interact with annular rim28of lid14to seal and retain lid14on container12.

Lock flange56extends outwardly from inclined wall53and includes a sloped surface60and a lock surface62. Sloped surface60is configured to engage sloped surface52A of bead segments52to cam out outer wall34of annular rim28when lid14is pressed onto container12. Lock flange56, annular bead54and inclined wall segment64together form bead-retention groove66. Lock surface62of lock flange56is configured to engage and retain the position of bead segments52within bead-retention groove66until a user pries bead segments52past lock flange56by inserting a pry tool into cut-out40of outer wall34. Lock flange56also includes an end wall57.

Lip58of neck finish24is coupled to inclined wall53at elbow68and extends outwardly from inclined wall53, as shown inFIG. 7. Elbow68creates a spring bias to bias lip58slightly upwardly from horizontal. Lip58forms a first sealing surface70that is configured to engage second sealing surface48of upper wall36of annular rim28. Elbow68includes a outer surface that forms a second sealing surface72. Second sealing surface is configured to engage first sealing surface46of inner wall32of annular rim28. Lip58of neck finish24creates a pour stop to prevent unwanted drips when pour contents from container12. This pour stop is beneficial when paint or other liquids are poured from container12.

When lid14is installed on container12, first sealing surface70comes into contact with and is biased toward second sealing surface48formed by gasket50. In order to slip bead segments52past lock flange56, lip58flexes downward about elbow68. This downward movement creates a biasing force on lip58to form a positive seal between second sealing surface48of gasket50and first sealing surface70of lip58.

With lid14installed on container12inner surface74of outer wall34engages end wall57of lock flange56to cause second sealing surface72to engage firmly against first sealing surface46of inner wall32of annular rim28. The width76of annular rim28is less than the width78of the distance between elbow68and lock flange56, as shown inFIGS. 7 and 9. This arrangement causes outer wall34of annular rim28and inclined wall53to flex slightly to cause elbow68to be forced into first sealing surface46to form an air-tight seal.

Lids14can be stacked to facilitate storage and shipment. Lid14can be applied to containers in various ways including conventional snap-lid cappers. Lid14and container12are each made preferably from an all-plastic one piece construction. It is contemplated that child-resistant features can be added to lid14. Various pry tools80and pry tool storage features are illustrated inFIGS. 12 and 13. It is contemplated that the pry tool80can be stored on a bail82of container12or in cavities92,94formed in container12or lid14.

Pry tool80can be configured to be coupled to bail82of container12, as shown inFIG. 12. Pry tool80includes grip portion84and pry tab86. Pry tab86is configured to be inserted into cut-outs40and twisted to pry outer wall34of annular rim28. Grip portion84of pry tool80is formed to include openings87and88that permit grip portion84to be secured to bail82of container12.

In another embodiment, side wall18of container12can be formed to include cavity92that is adapted to accept pry tool90, as shown, for example, inFIG. 13. Cavity92is adapted to retain pry tool90to container12during shipment and permits pry tool90to be removed from cavity92to allow use to remove lid14. Alternatively, top wall26of lid14can be formed to include cavity94that is adapted to accept pry tool90. Cavity94is adapted to retain pry tool90to lid14during shipment and permits pry tool90to be removed from cavity94to allow use to removed lid14from container12.