Patent EA-001293-B1 (EA)
Title: Container lid and implement
IPC: B65D85/72
Filed: 1998-09-18
Abstract: 1. A lid for a container which comprises a cover portion adapted to extend over the container, said cover portion being provided with engaging means for engaging with the container to attach the cover portion to the container in use, and an implement adapted for use with contents of the container to assist in removal of the contents from the container characterised in that there is a hinge connecting the implement to at least one part of the cover portion or to one part of the lid, said hinge allowing the implement to be rotated about the hinge between a storage position in which the implement lies against or is in close proximity to a part of the cover portion and an in use position in which the implement extends outwardly of the lid or cover portion to enable the implement to be used to remove contents from the container, wherein the hinge further includes at least one frangible tab such that severing of the frangible tab detaches the implement from the cover portion. 2. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the implement is rotatable through an angle of about 180 degree  between the extended position and the storage position. 3. A lid according to claim 1 characterised in that the frangible tab is severed by movement of the implement about the hinge in the opposite or reverse direction of the normal movement of the hinge from the extended position into the storage position. 4. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover portion, implement and hinge are formed integrally with each other. 5. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover portion further includes retaining means adapted to retain the implement in the storage position. 6. A lid according to claim 5 in which the retaining means is a clip or a pair of spaced apart bars, ridges, bosses, protrusions or the like. 7. A lid according to claim 5 or 6 in which at least a part of the retaining means is provided on one or more side edges of the implement for cooperatively engaging with a portion of the cover. 8. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover portion is provided with a recess for receiving at least a part of the implement when in the storage position. 9. A lid according to claim 8 characterised in that the recess is located on the inner surface of the lid in use and is of a complementary or corresponding shape to that of the implement for receiving a substantial portion of the implement when in the storage position. 10. A lid according to claim 8 or 9 characterised in that when the implement is in the storage position at least a part of the handle portion of the implement and a part of the content contacting portion of the implement are received in the recess formed in the cover portion. 11. A lid according to any one of claims 8 to 10 characterised in that the edge of the implement cooperatively engages with a side wall of the recess to retain the implement in the recess. 12. A lid according to any one of claims 8 to 11 characterised in that the recess is defined at least in part by a stiffening rib formed in the cover portion. 13. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the implement further comprises grip means whereby a user may grip the implement to unfold the implement from the storage position. 14. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that when the lid is positioned on the container and when the implement is in the storage position there is defined a cavity between the container and the cover portion and the implement is contained within the cavity. 15. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover portion includes at least one flat panel. 16. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover portion has a plurality of flat panels formed in the cover portion such that the flat panels are arranged coplanar with each other. 17. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that a surface is formed on the cover portion such that the surface is adapted to abut an upper peripheral rim of the container to which the lid is to be attached or to abut a sealing sheet adhering to the upper peripheral rim to assist in attachment of the lid to the container. 18. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the lid is provided with an anti-tamper device, a tamper-evident device, or a tamper-resistant or tamper-proof arrangement for providing an indication of unauthorised access to the container, lid, cover portion or contents of the container. 19. A lid according to claim 18 in which the anti-tamper device or similar is located either in full or in part way around the edge of the lid. 20. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised is that the lid further comprises a peripheral skirt adapted to engage with at least a part of the upper peripheral rim of the container. 21. A lid according to claim 20 characterised is that the peripheral skirt is integrally formed with the cover portion. 22. A lid according to claim 20 or 21 characterised in that the peripheral skirt comprises a lip adapted to engage an underside of the upper peripheral rim of the container thereby to secure the lid to the container. 23 A lid according to any one of claims 20 to 22 characterised in that there is a frangible region formed in the lid at the junction between the cover portion and the peripheral skirt so that a user may separate the peripheral skirt from the cover portion along at least a part of the length of the peripheral skirt to assist in gaining access to the contents of the container and/or to remove the lid from the container. 24. A lid according to claim 23 characterised in that the frangible region extends along a part only of the junction between the cover portion and the peripheral skirt so that the lid may be removed from the container by separating the peripheral skirt from the cover portion at the frangible region without fully separating the peripheral skirt from the cover portion. 25. A lid according to claim 23 or 24 characterised in that the frangible region is in the form of a groove formed in the cover portion and/or the peripheral skirt. 26. A lid according to any one of claims 23 to 25 characterised in that the frangible region is in the form of a series of slots defining frangible tabs therebetween. 27. A lid according to any one of claims 23 to 26 characterised in that the peripheral skirt further includes a tab adapted to be grasped and pulled by a user to separate the peripheral skirt from the cover portion at the frangible region thereby providing an indication of unauthorised access to the container. 28. A lid according to any one of claims 23 to 27 characterised in that the frangible region does not extend into the region where the hinge is located so that when the peripheral skirt is separated from the cover portion the area around the hinge remains in tact thus maintaining the implement integrally with the cover portion. 29. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover portion and the implement are moulded from a flexible plastics material, preferably a substantially transparent material. 30. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that it is in combination with a container. 31. A lid according to any one of claims 20 to 30 characterised in that the peripheral skirt cooperatively engages with the upper peripheral rim of the container to close or seal the lid through the container. 32. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the implement has a head portion and a stem portion wherein the stem portion is hingedly connected to the cover portion. 33. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that there is a pair of foldable arms located on either side of the implement arranged such that the respective proximal ends of the arms are connected to either side of the stem portion and the respective distal ends of the arms are connected to each other in the region of the head portion of the implement. 34. A lid according to claim 33 characterised in that the respective proximal portions of the arms are connected to the stem portion by respective fold lines and the respective distal portions of the arms are connected to each other along a fold line. 35. A lid according to claim 33 or 34 characterised in that the two arms surrounding the implement are foldable out of the plane of the implement to form a handle arrangement in which the two arms are securely fastened to each other. 36. A lid according to any one of claims 33 to 35 characterised in that the head portion of the implement is foldable with respect to the stem portion of the implement and fastenable thereto so that the head portion is angularly inclined to the pair of arms in side by side secured relationship. 37. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the length of the implement is extended beyond the size or dimensions of the container in order to facilitate removal of contents from the container. 38. A lid according to any preceding claim characterised in that the lid is provided with engagement means so that when the lid is attached to the container the containers are stackable or nestable by the lower surfaces of the containers being received in the engagement means so as to form an array of stacked or nested containers. 39. A method of manufacturing a lid for a container comprising moulding the cover portion, implement and hinge integrally with each other with the implement in a position on completion of such moulding, characterised in that the implement is in a position distinct from the storage position and thereafter rotating the implement about the hinge into the storage position, and characterised in that the lid and/or cover portion is provided with an anti-tamper device or similar providing an indication of unauthorised access to the container, lid, cover portion o