Abstract:
A container with a base ( 12 ) and lid ( 14 ), clearly indicates if the lid has been opened after a clerk loaded food into the base and closed the lid. The base and lid each has a respective lid tab and a base tab, with one tab forming a slot ( 26 ) and the tab other projecting through the slot, and with the base tab forming a barrier wall ( 80 ) that lies over the lid tab. One of the tabs has a weakened severable line ( 90, 92 ) that can be torn to allow the lid tab to be lifted to open the container.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE  
       [0001]     This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/315,654 filed Dec. 21, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Food is often placed in a transparent plastic container that includes a base with a large volume cavity that holds the food and with a cover or lid that closes the cavity. Buyers want to be assured that, after the food was placed in the container as by a clerk at the food store, that the container has not been opened. There is a possibility that another customer has secretly opened the container enough to taste a bit of the food before closing it, and may have left germs in the food. A container that allowed a clerk at the store or at a distribution facility to automatically activate a device that clearly indicated to a potential customer whether or not the container has been opened since it was first closed by a clerk, would be of value.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a container is provided of the type that includes base and lid portions, or a base and lid. The container allows the lid to be closed and thereafter prevents the lid from being opened unless a part is ripped, torn, cut or otherwise severed to release the lid to be pulled up. The fact that the part was severed would be apparent and the fact that it was not assures customers that the container was not opened.  
         [0004]     The container has an axis, and the lid and base each have tabs in an opening section of the container that occupies about 30° of the container periphery. One of the tabs has a slot and the other tab projects through the slot. The base tab forms a barrier that prevents the lid from lifting unless a portion of one of the tabs is severed, especially along a weakened or severable line that leads from the slot to the outside of the tab that forms the slot.  
         [0005]     In one container the base tab forms a slot, and the lid tab extends through the slot to lie under the base tab. A severable line extends between the slot and a periphery of the tab. When a person tears the base tab along the severable line, the lid tab can be lifted through a gap in the base tab to open the container. Thereafter, when the lid is closed the lid tab lies on top of the base tab.  
         [0006]     In another container, the lid tab forms a slot and the base tab projects through the lid slot. The lid tab has a sever line that can be torn to allow the lid tab to be lifted above the base tab to open the container.  
         [0007]     The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded isometric view of the base and lid of a container of one embodiment of the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a sectional side view of the container of  FIG. 1 , showing the lid tab being inserted through a slot in the base tab in the course of closing the container.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the container of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of the opening section of the container of  FIG. 3  after the lid has been fully closed.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of one construction of a trapping section of the container of  FIG. 1  after the lid has been fully closed on the base.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of another construction of a trapping section of the container of  FIG. 1  after the lid has been fully closed on the base.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the opening section of the container of  FIG. 4  in a fully closed configuration.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is an exploded isometric view of the base and lid of a container of another embodiment of the invention, wherein the lid tab has the slot.  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is an exploded isometric view of the opening section of the container of  FIG. 8 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is an isometric view showing the tabs of the opening section of the container of  FIG. 9 , fully engaged with each other.  
         [0018]      FIG. 11  is another isometric view of the opening section of the container of  FIG. 10 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 12  is a sectional view of the opening section of the container of  FIG. 9 , showing the manner in which the lid tab is installed on the base tab.  
         [0020]      FIG. 13  is a sectional view similar to that of  FIG. 12 , after the lid tab has been fully installed on the base tab.  
         [0021]      FIGS. 14 through 16  illustrate tabs of opening sections of containers, wherein the tab that extends through a slot has one or two peripherally-extending projections.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 17 through 25  illustrate tabs of opening sections of containers wherein flaps are left after cutting one of the slots, with the flaps used to stabilize the connection of the tabs. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates a container  10  of the invention which includes a base portion  12  and a lid portion  14 , or base and lid. The base and lid can be part of a single sheet of plastic that forms a hinge, that connects the base and lid, or, as shown in  FIG. 1  the base and lid can be separate elements with trapping sections  20 ,  22  that hold and seal them together until the lid is lifted off the base. The base and lid also have opening sections  24 ,  32  where they are held together until released by tearing.  
         [0024]     The opening section  24  of the base has a base tab  28  that forms a slot  26  that receives a lid tab  30 . The trapping sections  20 ,  22  of the base and lid (which occupy practically all of the container periphery except for the opening sections) extend along an angle A that is preferably at least 300° around the vertical axis  34  of the closed container. The opening sections  24 ,  32  of the base and lid extend by an angle B that is preferably less than 90° around the axis, such as about 30°.  
         [0025]     The lid  14  is installed in the manner illustrated in  FIG. 2 , by holding the lid  14  at an incline C of perhaps 30° to the horizontal and to the top of the base, and projecting the lid tab  30  through the base slot  26 . Then the trapping section  22  of the lid is pushed down forcefully into the trapping section  20  of the base.  FIG. 5  shows the trapping sections  20 ,  22  of the base and lid in their fully trapped positions. The base has a trapping wall  54  that extends at a radially inward (with respect to the container axis) and upward incline, from the radially outward end of a stop wall  56  that preferably extends primarily horizontal (radial). The lid has a wall  75  with a peripheral lip  70  that rests at the inside of the intersection, or corner  58  of the trapping and stop walls  54 ,  56 .  
         [0026]     When the trapping section  22  of the lid is pushed down forcefully into the trapping section  20  of the base to the position of  FIG. 5 , the lip  70  initially bends up as it rides over a side wall  71  and begins to move down the trapping wall  54 . The lip comes to rest at the inside of corner  58 . The lip  70  strongly resists upward movement from the rest position of  FIG. 5  because of the trapping wall.  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  shows another form of trapping sections  20 A and  22 A, wherein the base has a trapping wall  54 A that lies over a lid peripheral lip  70 A. Sealing walls  84 ,  86  limit downward movement of the lid in the base. In both  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the base trapping wall  54  or  54 A lies over a peripheral lip of the lid to prevent easy lift-up of the trapping section  22  or  22 A of the lid, so lift-up occurs only after the lid opening section  32  has been lifted.  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  shows the opening sections  24 ,  32  of the base and lid when the lid has been fully closed on the base. The lid tab  30  projects primarily radially through the slot  26  formed in the opening section  24  of the base. The base tab has a barrier wall  80  that lies above the lid tab  30  to prevent the lid tab from being lifted. The lid tab has a primarily vertical projection  74  that stiffens the lid tab to prevent bending it to move it radially inward through the base slot  26 , and to snag on the base edge  81  if such inward movement is attempted.  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  shows that the barrier  80  formed by the base tab  28  is attached by two tear joints or sever lines  90 ,  92  to a major portion  94  of the base. The sever lines are weakened by perforations, notches or by a groove extending partway through the sheet at each sever line. The barrier  80  has an indication  100 , formed by the word “BREAK” that indicates that the sever line or lines should be severed. Once a sever line has been broken, the lid can be repeatedly closed and opened using only moderate force, with the lid tab usually left above the base tab. In  FIG. 4  the base tab  28  forms the slot  26  between itself and the major portion  94  of the base. The base tab can be made longer with the slot formed completely within such a base tab. It can be seen that the base tab  28  has a small radial length and greater circumferential length (with respect to the axis).  
         [0030]      FIG. 8  illustrates another container  100  which includes lid and base portions, or a base and lid  102 ,  104  that lie on an axis  106  and that have tabs  110 ,  112 , that can be latched in a closed position in a way similar to the container of  FIGS. 1-7 . In this container, the lid tab  112  forms a slot  114  that receives the base tab  110 .  FIG. 9  shows that the lid slot is formed between a lid radially outer tab wall  132  and another portion  134  of the lid (which may or may not be part of the lid tab).  FIG. 9  also shows that the base tab  110  has a vertical projection  116  that projects upward from a surrounding portion  118  of the base tab. The lid tab has a sever line  120  that extends from the slot  114  to the periphery  122  of the lid tab.  FIGS. 10 and 11  show the base tab projecting through the lid slot. To do this, the lid tab is positioned radially outward O of the base tab and moved radially inwardly I to receive the base tab.  
         [0031]      FIG. 12  shows the lid tab at  112 A oriented to extend vertically, and also shows the lid tab after it has been moved inward I from a position at  112 B to the position  112 A. The lid slot  114  receives the base tab  110 , and has ridden over the projection  116 , with a small interference requiring some bending. After achieving the position  112 A, the lid is tilted to the horizontal position shown at  112  in  FIG. 13 . The lid tab  112  cannot be lifted because portions  124 ,  126  of a base tab barrier wall  130  are in the way. To lift the lid tab, a person tears the lid tab along sever line  120  ( FIG. 10 ) of the lid tab, which extends from the slot  114  to the lid tab periphery  112 . Then, radially outer tab wall  132  of the lid tab deflects downward and out of the way when the lid tab is lifted. Afterward, when the lid is reclosed the lid tab remains above the base tab.  
         [0032]     A comparison of the tabs  24 , 32  of  FIGS. 1-7  with the tabs  102 ,  112  of  FIGS. 8-13  shows their similarities and differences. In  FIG. 4  the base tab  28  is wider than the lid tab  30  so the base tab almost completely covers the lid tab, and the tear line  90  or  92  is in the base tab. In  FIG. 10 , the lid tab  112  is wider than the base tab  110  and the tear line  120  is in the lid tab at a location not covered by the base tab.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 14-16  show opening sections of containers similar to that of  FIGS. 8-13 , with base tabs  140 ,  142  and  144  that have circumferentially-extending, or peripherally-extending projections  150 ,  152 ,  154  on their radially outer ends. The lid tab has to be guided carefully around these side projections during installation of the lid on the base. These projections prevent radially inward movement of the lid tab in an attempt to disconnect it from the base tab.  
         [0034]      FIGS. 17 and 18  show opening sections of containers similar to those of  FIGS. 8-13 , but with tines  160 ,  162 ,  164  left in the lid tab  166 ,  168 . Tine  160  in  FIG. 17  leads to a weakened, or sever line  170  that leads from a slot  172  to a periphery  174  and can be torn by pulling on the tine  160 . This allows the lid tab  186  to be raised above a base tab  182 . Another tine  164  in  FIG. 18  leads to a sever line  180  that leads from a slot  184  to a tab periphery and that can be severed by pulling on tine  164  to raise the lid tab above a base tab  186 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 19  shows a tine  190  that leads from a circumferential side of the slot  192  and that begins a sever line  194  leading from the slot to the tab periphery.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 20-25  illustrate additional tine arrangements.  
         [0037]     Thus, the invention provides a container with a lid and base (or lid and base “portions”) having opening sections with lid and base tabs. One of the tabs forms a slot and the other tab extends largely horizontally through the slot. One of the tabs has a sever line, or tear line, that is weakened, and that preferably extends from the slot to the periphery of the tab that forms the slot. The base and lid also have trapping sections that extend around most of the container circumference, where the lid cannot be lifted or pivoted until the lid tab has been lifted.  
         [0038]     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.