Abstract:
A device for holding an open-topped flexible container and releasably and reliably closing its open top but readily exposing that open top when access to the interior of the container is desired.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Priority is claimed on Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/335,822 filed Jan. 12, 2010. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING”, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0004]    When, as is often the case, products such as snacks are provided in flexible sealed containers, which must be opened to provide access to the products, and only a portion of the products are to be used, it is necessary to close and re-seal the container in order to preserve the products for future use. The same closing-and-seal problem occurs when one uses a flexible container to store or transport a product. Such closing and resealing presents a problem of convenience and permanency, particularly when the presumably closed and sealed container is subject to handling, as when it is carried from place to place—home to workplace for example. The container itself, once opened and being flexible, is hard to seal. Moreover, manipulating a flexible container to obtain only a portion of its contents is by no means easy. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with the present invention these problems are solved through the use of a ring-and-cover unit to which the open top of the container is reliably and sealingly secured with its top held open between a pair of rings for ready access to the container&#39;s contents, and with the cover portion of the unit being movable between a closed position sealing the top and an open position exposing the interior of the container. The rings and the cover are movably connected to one another to constitute an easily handled and stored unit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a three-quarter front perspective view of a flexible container, with its contents, secured to the closed and sealed unit of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the container unit of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary perspective view of the container-unit combination with the unit in open position and contents being inserted into the container; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a three-quarter perspective exploded view of a flexible container and the closure unit of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0011]    The container closure of the present invention comprises a pair of telescoping rings  2  and  4  between which the upper open end  6  of a flexible container  8  is adapted to be received, and a cover  10  movable between a closed position in which is received within the ring  4  covering the ring opening and an open position exposing the interior of said container  8 . Preferably hinges  12  and  14  flexibly connect the rings  2  and  4  and the cover  10 . The parts may be made of any suitable material. 
         [0012]    The ring  2  comprises a body  16  having a thickened upper portion  18  with an inwardly facing protuberance  20  extending therearound. The ring  4  is designed to releasably fit within and sealingly engage the ring  2 . To that end it comprises a body  22  which telescopes within the body  16  of the ring  3  and which preferably has an outwardly facing recess  24  designed to receive the protuberance  20  of the ring  2 . 
         [0013]    The cover  10  comprises a top wall  26  which covers the exposed interior of the rings  2  and  4 , from which a wall  28  depends, the wall  28  fitting closely within the ring  4  and having an outwardly facing depression  30  designed to receive an inwardly facing protrusion  32  on the ring  4 . 
         [0014]    The ring  4  and the cover  10  are flexibly connected to the ring  2  by flexible strips  12  and  14  respectively defining flexible hinges, thereby to produce a unit the movable parts of which are held together whether the unit is open or closed (Compare  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0015]    All of the parts may readily be formed by a suitable somewhat resiliently flexible material to permit telescoping and sealing. 
         [0016]    In use, the open top of the flexible container  8 , either empty or with contents, is threaded up through the ring  2  and preferably folded over as at  4   a . The ring  4  is then telescoped within the ring  2 , closely engaging the container top  4   a  therebetween so that it remains in place with its top spread open to receive or dispense container contents as the case may be and with the container sealed to the rings. At this point in time the cover  10  is in its open position shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . When removing or adding contents is finished the cover  10  is moved to cause its wall  20  to telescope within and sealing engage the ring  4 , thus securely closing and sealing the container  8 , producing a unitary assemblage which may readily be stored, handled or transported while preventing the contents of the container from escaping and keeping them protected from adverse exterior elements. When access to the interior of the flexible container is desired, one need merely lift the cover  10  (see  FIG. 4 ). The cover remains attached to the rings  2  and  4 , ready to be moved to closing position when that is appropriate. 
         [0017]    To remove the container  8  from the rings  2  and  3  all that need be done is to lift the ring  4  from the ring  2 , the cover  10  preferably remaining in the ring  4  whether it remains in the ring  2  or not. 
         [0018]    While but a single embodiment of the present invention have been specifically disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations of structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims: