Abstract:
A food products container is disclosed having a cover with two integrally formed flaps for covering a plurality of cover openings, in particular a spooning opening and shaker openings. Skirts extending downward from the flaps engage their respective openings in the cover to seal them. The skirts that engage the openings extend downward and outward from the flaps at an angle. By extending outward and downward, the skirts engage and lock into the holes. A lip is provided at an outer edge of the cover on the flaps and on the non-rotating part of the cover to retain a second, identical container placed on top by engaging an outer indent in the bottom of the second container.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/374,976 titled “AN IMPROVED INTEGRALLY-FORMED CONTAINER” filed Aug. 16, 1999, incorporated by reference herein, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/959,399 titled “AN IMPROVED INTEGRALLY-FORMED CONTAINER”, filed Oct. 28, 1997, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,231 on Oct. 26, 1999, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention generally relates to hand-held plastic containers for storing and dispensing particulate matter. More particularly, it relates to such containers with a cover having a plurality of flaps for enclosing, respectively, a plurality of openings in the cover. More particularly, it relates to containers for foodstuffs having a shaker opening with a plurality of holes and a spooning opening with a large opening adapted to receive a common household spoon. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the field of hand-held plastic containers for storing and dispensing particulate matter, particularly foodstuffs or seasonings such as those displayed and sold in supermarkets, designers have desired to create containers that are easily stackable, having several openings, particularly openings for both shaking and spooning that have flaps to seal these openings, yet are inexpensive to manufacture in large quantities and are inexpensive to assemble. 
     These containers typically have a diameter of between 20 and 150 millimeters and are especially suitable for cooks who can spoon foodstuffs such as spices from a first opening and can shake the same foodstuffs from a second set of openings. Typically, the matter is spooned from the first opening and deposited into a bowl or other container for mixing food. The spooning opening is adapted to receive any one of a variety of common household spoons used for measuring foodstuffs. A second opening (or more accurately, several openings) on a second side of the cover are provided to allow the foodstuffs to be shaken out of the container. Typically, the shaker side of the container cover is used when the foodstuffs are shaken directly into food that is being served, or food that is being seasoned “to taste” while it is cooking. 
     Manufacturers of these products must balance several conflicting goals. First, the container must seal tightly to prevent the foodstuffs from oxidizing, to prevent their flavors from evaporating and to prevent them from picking up any of the flavors of the adjacent foods. Second, the container must be inexpensive to manufacture, since the cost of the foodstuffs in the container is typically quite small. Third, the container must similarly be inexpensive to fill and assemble. Fourth, the container must easily and reliably stack on supermarket shelves to a typical height of three to five containers, since supermarket shelves are typically spaced several inches apart, and shelf space is at a premium. 
     Manufacturers have had mixed results with their designs. In a typical recent example in the prior art, a cover is provided that has two flaps, one flap having a skirt extending down from its lower surface to seal a spooning opening, and another flap having three skirts extending down from its lower surface to seal three shaker openings. The skirts extend at right angles from the lower surface of their respective flaps and are sized to snap fit within their respective openings to secure their respective flaps in a closed position. A drawback of this design is that the flaps are formed separately from the rest of the cover and thus a separate joining process is required. In an alternative prior art design, a two-flap cover having one spooning opening and one shaker opening, avoids the thick skirts of the previous example, and provides slightly rounded bumps on the inner surface of the shaker flap that seal against the corresponding shaker openings. A drawback to this design is the limited sealing ability of the cover with bumps since the bumps do not lock into the holes they cover. 
     What is needed, therefore, is an improved food products container having a cover formed integrally with a plurality of flaps that provides improved sealing. It is an object of this invention to provide such a cover. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, a cover for a food products container is disclosed including a cylindrical portion having a first and a second end, a means for coupling the cover to a container disposed on an inner surface of the cylindrical portion, a substantially planar and circular top portion coupled to and enclosing the first end of the cylindrical portion and having a plurality of shaker openings disposed on a first side of the top portion and a spooning opening disposed on a second side of the top portion, a shaker flap formed integrally with the top portion and having an outer edge with a downwardly extending skirt and hingably secured to the top portion to rotatingly open about a line adjacent to a diametral line of the top portion and disposed to selectively cover and uncover the plurality of shaker openings, and a spooning flap formed integrally with the top portion and having an outer edge with a downwardly extending skirt and hingably secured to the top portion to rotatingly open about a line adjacent to a diametral line of the top portion and disposed to selectively cover and uncover the spooning openings. The cylindrical portion may have a first recess disposed to receive the skirt extending from the spooning flap or a second recess disposed to receive the skirt extending from the shaker flap. The shaker flap and spooning flap may be recessed within the top portion at an outer edge of the top portion to provide in combination with the outer edge a container supporting surface or may have a raised lip with an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion. The spooning flap skirt when in a closed position may extend both downward with respect to the spooning flap and outward with respect to a central axis of the cover. The raised lip on the shaker flap may be coupled to the shaker flap at a position disposed outwardly from a position at which the shaker flap skirt is coupled to the shaker flap. The raised lip on the spooning flap may be coupled to the spooning flap at a position disposed outwardly from a position at which the spooning flap skirt is coupled to the spooning flap. The top portion may include a raised lip disposed at an edge of the top portion adjacent to the cylindrical portion. The raised lip of the top portion may have substantially the same diameter as the raised lip of the shaker flap and the raised lip of the spooning flap. 
     In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, a closed-bottom receptacle with an otherwise open and cylindrical upper end coupled to and enclosed by the cover. The receptacle may have a first annular recess disposed at its upper end to receive the cylindrical portion of the cover. An outer surface of the receptacle may be substantially cylindrical and may have a diameter substantially the same as an outer diameter of the cover. A raised lip may be provided extending from both the shaker flap and the spooning flap, and the receptacle may have a second annular recess disposed at a closed bottom of the receptacle to receive the shaker flap lip and the spooning flap lip. The shaker flap and the spooning flap may be recessed within the top portion at an outer edge of the top portion to provide in combination with the outer edge a container supporting surface. The shaker flap and spooning flap may have a raised lip with a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion. The top portion may also include a raised lip disposed at an edge of the top portion adjacent to the cylindrical portion. The raised lip of the top portion may have substantially the same diameter as the raised lip of the shaker flap and the raised lip of the spooning flap. 
     Other principal features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a container including a cover and receptacle in accordance with the current invention showing the flaps in an open position and as dashed lines in a closed position; 
     FIG. 2 is an orthogonal view of the cover of FIG. 1, showing the flaps in an open position; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1 showing the angled orientation of the flap skirts; and; 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the cover of FIG. 1 with the flaps in an open position. 
    
    
     Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a container  10  having a receptacle  12  and a cover  14 . Cover  14  includes a shaker flap  16 , called a shaker flap because it covers (when closed) shaker openings  18  disposed in planar top portion  20  of the cover. Cover  14  also includes a spooning flap  22  that similarly covers a larger spooning opening  24  also disposed in top portion  20 . 
     The cover as best seen in FIG. 2, is in the form of a substantially cylindrical portion  26 , and top portion  20  which is coupled to an upper end of cylindrical portion  26  to enclose cylindrical portion  26 . Referring to FIG. 1, which shows a portion of the cover in cross-section with the receptacle attached, threads  28  are provided on the inner surface of cylindrical portion  26  for coupling cylindrical portion  26  to the outside of the top of receptacle  12 . As seen in FIG. 1, mating threads are disposed on an outer indented top portion of receptacle  12  to engage threads  28 . Alternatively, cylindrical portion  26  may be equipped with an inner detent or a raised ring to allow it to be snap connected to the top portion of receptacle  12 . Referring to FIG. 2, an elongate recess  19  is provided in which shaker flap  16  will fit when flap  16  is in a closed position, to provide a substantially flat upper surface of top portion  20  on which a similar container can be stacked. 
     Referring back to FIG. 1, receptacle  12  includes a substantially planar bottom portion  30  that is adapted to engage a lip  32  of cover  14 . There is a significant advantage to this feature: since the bottom portion  30  is adapted to engage lip  32 , then a plurality of containers identical to the one pictured in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be stacked one atop the other, lip  32  serving to orient the bottom of the next higher container and so keep the containers in proper alignment when stacked. In FIG. 1, two identical containers are shown in this stacked arrangement, the bottom of the upper container being shown as dashed line  34  engaging rim  32  when the flaps of the lower container are in a closed position (shown in FIG. 1 as dashed lines when in their closed positions). It can be seen that bottom portion  30  (and hence identical bottom portion  34 ) are adapted to engage one another. Lip  32  is disposed at an outer edge of cover  14  to engage a recess  36  at the junction of bottom  30  and wall  38  of receptacle  12 . By disposing both lip  32  and recess  36  to engage each other near the outer periphery of the container, study has shown that the containers, are more easily stacked, and when stacked tend to self-center. A portion of lip  32  is preferably disposed on shaker flap  16 , spooning flap  22  as well as on the non-hinged sides of top portion  20  as can be best seen in FIG.  4 . Each of these portions is preferably disposed at an outer edge of cover  14  and have substantially the same diameter. Other designs, provide orienting means disposed more closely to the center of the container, such as my providing an indentation at or near the center of the receptacle bottom that engages with an upwardly extending protrusion located near the center of the cover on which it is stacked, are more difficult to stack accurately and also tend to tip more easily. In addition, it is harder to hold tolerances on an inner indentation than an outer indentation as shown in FIG.  1 . These designs have the added disadvantage of requiring an internal recess to be formed in the center of the receptacle bottom, requiring additional machining to manufacture. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of oval shaker openings  18 , preferably substantially circular as shown here, are provided to allow foodstuffs within the container to be shaken out when shaker flap  16  is opened. These openings are preferably arranged not along a straight line, but along an arc. Along the underside of shaker flap  16  are a plurality of skirts  40  adapted to engage and seal shaker openings  18  one for each of shaker openings  18 . Each of these skirts extends substantially completely around the periphery of its corresponding opening  18  when in a closed position. In this embodiment, since the shaker openings  18  are substantially circular, the shaker flap skirts  40  are therefore substantially circular also to provide complete peripheral sealing of shaker openings  18 . 
     As best seen in cross-section in FIG. 3, which shows cover  14  in cross-section along a diametral line of the cover perpendicular to both the shaker flap hinge  50  and the spooning flap hinge  58  with both the shaker and the spooning flap in a closed position, skirts  40  do not extend perpendicularly from the underside of shaker flap  16 . Indeed, skirts  40  extend at an angle phi of between 9 and 25 degrees, and more preferably of between 5 and 20 degrees, from the bottom of shaker flap  16  with respect to a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of container  10  and to hinge  50 . This angle is particularly beneficial in that it allows the cover, including the flaps, to be readily and integrally molded as a single monolithic piece. In addition, this angle allows skirts  40  to releasably lock into their closed position when shaker flap  16  is closed. Shaker flap  16  also includes a skirt  46  that extends downwardly from shaker flap  16  at a similar angle phi. Skirt  46  extends from shaker flap  16  near an outer edge of shaker flap  16  and has anarcuate shape to define an outer substantially vertical surface of cover  14  when shaker flap  16  is in a closed position. Skirt  46  has an indentation  48  disposed at a central outer portion of skirt  46  and is configured to receive a finger or fingernail of the user. This allows the user to grasp shaker flap  16  and readily open container  10 . Skirt  46  preferably extends around cover  14  for an angle theta of between 60 and 120 degrees (see FIG.  4 ). From an outward appearance, therefore, skirt  46  would appear to form between 60 and 120 degrees of the circumference of the upper part of cover  14 . This provides a significant advantage in the design of cover  14 . Since skirt  46  is arcuate, rather than straight, it is less likely to be bent over when the cover is grasped and opened, and further distributes the grasping load more evenly around the outer edge of shaker flap  16 . This allows shaker flap  16  to be made thinner and therefore to require less plastic when manufactured. Referring to FIG. 4, when the shaker flap  16  is closed, an outer portion of skirt  40  engages an outer portion of shaker opening  18  to thereby releasably lock shaker flap  16  to top portion  20  in a closed position. While only a single skirt  40  is shown in cross section in FIG. 4, the other shaker skirts for the other two shaker openings are identically configured to releasably lock top portion  20  to shaker flap  16 . Shaker flap  16  is coupled to top portion  20  by a flexible and integrally formed hinge  50  preferably extending the entire length of shaker flap  16 . Spooning flap  22  is coupled to top portion  20  by a flexible and integrally formed hinge  58  preferably extending the length of spooning flap  22 . Note that, unlike certain prior art covers with hingable flaps, hinges  50  and  58  are disposed adjacent to a diametral line of cover  14  to allow the flaps to hinge upward and toward the middle of cover  14 . In prior art covers, the hinges were formed along an outer edge of the cover, which allowed the flaps to be opened upward and outward. This caused the flap to dangle in its open position and in the way of the material being shaken out of the container, causing it to be covered with the foodstuffs or other materials inside. The advantage of this prior art design, however, was that it allowed the top portion of the cover and its flap to be easily formed with a two piece mold as an integral unit. 
     Spooning flap  22  similarly encloses spooning opening  24 . Spooning flap  22  has a skirt  52  depending from a lower surface of spooning flap  22  that includes an arcuate portion  54  and a substantially straight portion  56 . Straight portion  56  extends substantially parallel to and disposed a short distance away from hinge  58  that couples spooning flap  22  to top portion  20 . As with skirts  40  on the shaker flap, straight portion  56  does not extend perpendicularly from the underside of spooning flap  22 , but extends at an angle phi of between 9 and 25 degrees from the underside of spooning flap  22 , more preferably between 5 and 20 degrees with respect to a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of container  10  and to hinge  58 . As with skirt  40  of the shaker flap, by disposing straight portion  56  at this angle, cover  14  can be manufactured in a single piece with spooning flap  22  formed integrally with cover  14 . Similarly, arcuate portion  54  of skirt  52  also extends downward and at an angle phi of between 9 and 25 degrees, more preferably between 5 and 20 degrees, from the underside of spooning flap  22  with respect to a plan parallel to the longitudinal axis of container  10  and to hinge  58 . Arcuate portion  54  preferably extends through an arc having an angle of between 120 and 180 degrees to provide a sufficiently large spooning opening. Arcuate portion  54  engages an outer lip of spooning opening  24  to releasably lock spooning flap  22  to top portion  22  when spooning flap  22  is in a closed position. Spooning flap  22  also includes a skirt  60  that extends downwardly from spooning flap  22  near an outet edge of spooning flap  22  and has an arcuate shape to define an outer substantially vertical surface of cover  14  when spooning flap  22  is in a closed position. Skirt  60  has an indentation  61  disposed at a central outer portion of skirt  60  and is configured to receive a finger or fingernail of the user. This allows the user to grasp spooning flap  22  and readily open container  10 . Skirt  60  preferably extends around cover  14  when in the closed position for an angle pi of between 100 and 150 degrees (see FIG.  4 ). From an outward appearance, therefore, skirt  60  would appear to form between 100 and 150 degrees of the circumference of the upper part of cover  14 . As with skirt  46  of shaker flap  16 , since skirt  60  is arcuate, rather than straight, it has greater structural strength and it is less likely to be bent over when its flap is grasped and opened, and further distributes the grasping load more evenly around the outer edge of spooning flap  22 . This allows spooning flap  22  to be made thinner and therefore to require less plastic when manufactured. Note that the arcuate length of skirt  60  is greater than the arcuate length of skirt  46 . This is desirable and provides additional support to spooning flap  22  given the greater length of arcuate portion  54  which therefore provides a greater portion of skirt  52  that is in locking contact with spooning opening  24  and hence requires a greater opening force. This additional arcuate length of skirt  60  therefore provides additional strength to spooning flap  22  when the user attempts to open spooning flap  22 . 
     A recess  62  is provided in the cylindrical portion of cover  14  to receive skirt  46  of shaker flap  16 . By providing recess  62 , skirt  46  can be set into an outer surface of cover  14  when shaker flap is closed, thereby reducing the risk that skirt  46  will be accidentally jostled and caught, shaker flap  16  opened and the contents of container  10  spilled. Similarly, a recess  64  is provided in cover  14  on the opposite side of cover  14  from recess  62  to similarly receive skirt  60  of spooning flap  22  for the same reason. The effect of skirts  46  and  60  being recessed is that the skirts form a smooth and contiguous part of the cylindrical portion of cover  14 . 
     Thus, it should be apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention an improved integrally-formed container that fully satisfies the objectives and advantages set forth above. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.