Abstract:
A system for aiding the visual matching of containers having diverse openings with matching lids includes affixing, such as by molding or embossing, geometric planar patterns on the bottom walls of a plurality of rectangular containers having different sized openings and affixing the same geometric patterns to the top wall of the matching lids.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/773,948 filed Feb. 16, 2006 entitled Container/Lid Combination for Storing Food and Other Articles for all common subject matter. The contents of said provisional application are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to open mouth containers for storing food and other items and replaceable lids or covers capable of providing a tight seal. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0003]    System for Aiding the Visual Matching of Containers Having Diverse Sized Openings with Corresponding Lids 
         [0004]    Containers having different sized openings are generally separated at a storage site from lids which match the openings. As a result finding a matching lid for a particular container can often be a somewhat time consuming and frustrating experience. While it is believed that the same numbers have been used on the containers and matching lids such numbers can be difficult to read and in addition the numbers may detract from or in any event not add to the decorative appeal of the product. 
         [0005]    In accordance with this aspect of the present invention a system is provided for aiding the visual matching of one of a plurality of different sized lids with one of a plurality of containers having different sized openings by including a planar geometric pattern, uniquely representative, a particular sized opening on the bottom and top walls of the containers and lids, respectively. 
         [0006]    Latching System for Open Top Containers and Sealing Lids 
         [0007]    Various types of prior art latching mechanisms have been designed with some of the mechanisms being incorporated into containers/lids available on the market. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,688,942 (“&#39;942 patent”); 3,817,429 (“&#39;419 patent”); 6,793,096 (“&#39;096 patent”) and publication number US2004/0084464 (“&#39;464 publication”). All of these patents and the publication disclose open top containers with lids which carry a sealing gasket with the gasket being compressed between the upper wall of the container and the lid to provide a seal in the closed condition. A plurality of latches are molded integrally with the lid with each latch having a downwardly extending latch handle with an inwardly and upwardly projecting tab for snapping under an outer skirt or flange extending downwardly from the upper end of the container wall. 
         [0008]    The &#39;942 and &#39;419 latching systems, which describe the container as being round or rectangular, use a single locking tab or latching hook formed with each latch handle. The &#39;464 publication and the &#39;096 patent disclose straight sided rectangular containers with a single locking tab (&#39;464 publication) or two elongated protuberances (&#39;096 patent) for engaging a groove formed between the skirt and the upper container wall. A container/lid, marketed under the name Lock &amp; Lock, in the form of a generally rectangular container with appreciably curved side walls has latches formed integrally with the lid, the latches having a single curved locking tab for engaging the lower end of a skirt formed around the upper wall of the container. The curved side walls with the matching lids are wasteful of storage space when stacked side by side. 
         [0009]    It has been found that thermoplastic containers (formed of polypropylene or polypropylene/polyethylene co-polymers) that have slight convex walls provide certain advantages over straight wall containers, e.g., the walls of a straight wall container have a tendency to bend inwardly following manufacture degrading the appearance of the container. In addition, it has been found that spaced locking tabs on each latch handle having a curvature matching the container wall curvature provides a latch which is easier to close and open while providing a tight seal. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    To enable a user to readily identify the proper lid, among lids of different sizes, for one of a plurality of rectangular open top containers having different sized openings, the bottom walls of the containers include a geometric pattern, unique to each size of opening, e.g., squares, rectangles or circles. Matching lids are provided with the same geometric patterns on the top wall thereof. For example, one, two, six and three and four squares may be used to represent openings of 4.25″×4.25″; 6.25″×4.25″; 8.5″×6.25″; 9″×4.25″; and 8.5″×5″, respectively. 
         [0011]    The depths of the containers of any given size of opening may vary so that one lid may fit all of such containers. For example, the depths of the containers bearing two squares may be 2.25″, 4.5″, 6.75″ and 9″. 
         [0012]    A container/lid combination in accordance with the second aspect of our invention may comprises an open top container having a bottom wall, longitudinal and transverse peripheral walls with the peripheral walls terminating in a generally flat upper sealing surface surrounding the opening. The flat upper sealing surface merges with a down turned peripheral skirt spaced outwardly from the peripheral walls. The peripheral walls are slightly convex with radius of curvature of any one of the walls being with the range of about 40″ to 120″ and preferably between about 60″ to 100″. 
         [0013]    A generally rectangular lid or cover, for closing the container open top, has a top wall merged with a downwardly extending peripheral skirt with longitudinal and transverse sides and an inner downwardly extending flange with the peripheral skirt and the inner flange bracketing the container upper sealing surface and forming a downwardly facing cavity aligned with the container of the upper sealing surface when the lid is in a closed position. 
         [0014]    A removable gasket is disposed within the cavity. At least two latches are molded integrally with the lid with the latches formed on opposing longitudinal or transverse sides, the latches are pivotal about an axis parallel to a tangent to the respective side of the lid. Preferably a latch is formed on each side of the lid. Each latch has a downwardly extending latch handle and at least two spaced inwardly extending locking tabs, in the shape of a reverse J, arranged to snap under the free edge of the container flange to secure and seal the lid to the container. Each locking tab (and particularly its inner surface which engages the skirt) has a curvature matching the curvature of the adjacent peripheral wall and the container skirt. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container and lid with the lid in a closed position; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4  are top, bottom and side views, respectively, of the container or vessel of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 5 ,  6 , and  7  are top, bottom and side views, respectively, of the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the container/lid of  FIG. 1  showing a latch handle in the unlocked (left hand side) and locked position (right hand side); 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a view looking at the bottom of the lid illustrating the slight concave curve formed by the locking tabs; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 10 and 11  are unassembled perspective views of the container/lid of  FIG. 1  with the lid removed and with the gasket separated from the lid, respectfully; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the container wall, skirt, lid, latch and locking tab taken along lines  12  in  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of three of the containers in a nested arrangement; 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of three of the containers with lids in a stacked arrangement. 
           [0024]      FIGS. 15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  18  and  19  are top plan views of the assembled matching container/lids in which the containers have different sized openings with the lids having unique geometric patterns, e.g., squares correlated to the sizes of the container openings; 
           [0025]      FIG. 20  is a side view of the container/lids of  FIGS. 15 ,  16  and  18 ; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 21  is a side view of the container/lids of  FIGS. 17 ,  18  and  19 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    Referring now to the drawings and particularly to  FIGS. 1-7 , an open top container or vessel  10 , molded of a suitable plastic such as polypropylene, polyethylene or other suitable polymers, includes a bottom wall  10   a , longitudinal and transverse walls  10   b  and  10   c , respectfully, which intersect at rounded corners  10   d  and extend upwardly to a generally flat peripheral sealing surface  10   e  ( FIG. 2 ). It is to be noted that since the container has a square configuration the length l of the longitudinal walls and the width w of the transverse walls have the same dimension. This is not the case with other rectangular containers as is illustrated in  FIGS. 16 ,  17  and  18  and such illustration is not intended to be limiting. The sealing surface merges with a down turned flange  10   f  ( FIG. 12 ) spaced outwardly from the outer surface  10   g  of the peripheral walls  10   b  and  10   c  as is illustrated in  FIG. 12 . The flange  10   f  terminates in a free edge  10   h , which in cooperation with the lid latches and locking tabs serve to lock the lid  12  in place on the container as will be explained. 
         [0028]    Referring now, particularly to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  4  the bottom wall of the container is provided with a geometric pattern in the form of a four squares  10   i . The stippled borders  10   j  surrounding the squares is textured (or frosted in appearance) while the squares, as well as the remainder of the container, is clear or translucent. Clear squares inset in the textured boarders adds to the decorative nature of the containers while enabling a user to readily match the container, having a particular sized opening, with a corresponding sized lid having a like number of squares as has been previously discussed. It is to be noted that the geometric patterns illustrated are not limited to squares, but may include circles, etc. 
         [0029]    The depth d of the container may vary for each size of opening as was also previously discussed. It is to be noted that the peripheral walls are canted outwardly at a small angle θ, e.g., 1°-7°, depending upon the depth d so that the bottom walls of all containers for each size of opening are the same for stacking purposes. See  FIG. 4 . This angle θ also allows the container to be readily removed from the mold and permits the empty containers of the same size opening to be nested, thereby decreasing the volume of air required for shipping purposes. See  FIG. 13 . 
         [0030]    In addition, the peripheral walls of the container are provided with a slight outward or convex curve, for example, having a radius of curvature r within the range of about 40″ to 120″ and preferably within the range of about 60″ to 100″. This strengthens the peripheral walls and inhibits any inward collapse of the walls. We have found that a radius of about 80″ functions quite well. 
         [0031]    The generally rectangular lid or cover  12 , shown in FIGS.  1  and  5 - 7 , includes a top (depressed) planar wall section  12   a  (formed by the squares  12   i  and borders  12   j ) which merges with short upwardly inclined peripheral section  12   b  ( FIG. 1 ) joined to a downwardly extending peripheral skirt  12   c  having longitudinal and transverse sides  12   d  and  12   e . The lid further includes an inner flange  12   f  ( FIG. 7 ), which with the peripheral skirt  12   c , brackets the container sealing surface  10   d  and forms a downwardly facing cavity  12   g  for removably retaining a gasket  14  ( FIG. 11 ). The lid inner flange  12   f  extends below the container sealing surface in the closed position to guide the lid onto the container open top. See  FIG. 12 . 
         [0032]    A latch  16  is molded integrally with the lid on each side thereof with a living hinge  16   a  allowing each latch limited pivotal movement about a hinge line tangent to the center of a respective side, as is illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 8 . 
         [0033]    The lid top wall is provided with the same geometric pattern of squares  12   i  as the container  10  with a textured border  12   j  extending around the geometrically patterned squares to enable a user to visually (and quickly) select a lid which matches a container of a particular sized opening. The number of squares are correlated to a particular size of opening. For example, four squares may represent a container opening of 8.5″×8.5″. 
         [0034]    Each latch  16  includes a latch handle in the form of an elongated plate  16   b  with a recessed central section  16   c  and three inwardly and upwardly extending horizontal locking tabs (or fingers)  16   d  terminating in a free end  16   e  ( FIG. 8 ) which snaps under the free edge  10   h  of the container flange  12   c  in the locked position as is illustrated more clearly in  FIG. 12 . The locking tabs are generally in the form of a reverse letter J. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , the locking tabs, and particularly the surfaces thereof, which contact and slide under the container flange free edge, are formed along a slight curve having the same radius as the curve of the adjacent flange  10   d  and the container side wall. This curved arrangement and the use of plural lacking tabs on each latch allows the locking tabs to be easily snapped under the removed from the container flange free end. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate the lid removed from the container with  FIG. 11  also depicting the gasket  14  removed from the lid cavity  12   g.    
         [0037]    As discussed previously,  FIG. 12  shows the details of the locking tab  16   d  being secured under the free end of the container skirt  16 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 13  illustrates several containers in a nested arrangement to minimize storage or shipping space.  FIG. 14  illustrates three container/lids in a stacked arrangement with the bottom of one container sitting on the planar top wall of an underlying lid. 
         [0039]      FIGS. 15  (reproduction of  FIG. 1) and 16  are top plan views of two container/lid combinations of different sized openings with unique geometric patterns, i.e.,  12   i  correlated to the size of the openings.  FIG. 20  is a side elevational view of either container/lid illustrating identical wall dimensions along two parallel walls and different dimensions along the opposite walls; and 
         [0040]      FIGS. 17 ,  18  and  19  are similar to the previous figures again showing container/lid combinations with different sized container openings.  FIG. 21  is a front elevational view of the container/lid of  FIGS. 17 ,  18 , and  19 . 
         [0041]    It is to be noted that, while not shown, the containers of  FIGS. 15-19  have geometric patterns on the bottom walls which match the patterns on the respective lids. 
         [0042]    As discussed previously the sizes of the container openings, i.e, l and w, may vary as well as the specific geometric pattern representative of a particular sized opening. 
         [0043]    There has thus been described a novel container/lid system for storing household items enabling a user to readily match lids with a plurality of containers having diverse openings. Various modifications, and perhaps improvements, to the disclosed embodiments will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art without involving any departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.