Patent Publication Number: US-2006016822-A1

Title: Packaging container

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a container consisting of a box and a matching cover, and more particularly to a packaging container including a cover and a box that can be conveniently closed together without the need of binding or tying, and can be quickly opened again.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Most conventional containers for holding food include a removable upper cover, and a lower box. The lower box is provided along an upper rim with a flange to fitly engage with the upper cover, so as to close the box. Some of these containers are made of polylone, while others are made of synthetic resin through vacuum molding. Alternatively, the cover may be integrally connected at one side to the box. In either case, the cover is always held to a top of the box using an elastic band, adhesive tapes or staples. In the event the cover is not tightly closed to the box, it is very possible to expose the contained food. And, inconvenient and time-consuming packaging due to undesirable design of the packaging container would have adverse influence on the service quality of sellers using the packaging container.  
      Taiwanese patent publication No. 579359 entitled Container for Fast Food and A Main Body Thereof discloses a packaging container having an open-topped main body made of a synthetic resin material, and a shallow cover for closing the open top of the main body. The main body of the container is provided along an upper rim of the open top with an outward extended flange, and the cover has an inner surface adapted to releasably adhere to an upper surface of the flange. The container for fast food is characterized in that the upper surface of the flange is provided with two raised portions that are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance and provided with stronger adhesive to attach to the inner surface of the cover more firmly than other areas of the upper surface of the flange. The above-structured container still has the disadvantage of having a cover that is either too easily loosened from or not easily released from the main body once being tightened thereto.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel packaging container having a box and a cover that can be conveniently, quickly, and effectively fixed together without the need of using other binding or tying means.  
      To achieve the above and other objects, the packaging container of the present invention mainly includes a box having an outward extended flange provided along an upper rim thereof, and a cover adapted to fitly close an open top of the box. The box is provided at corners of the flange with upward projected retaining catches. An inner side of each retaining catch forms an inward and downward inclined engaging recess. The cover is correspondingly provided at outer corners with retaining bands adapted to engage with the engaging recesses when the cover is closed onto the box. Whereby the cover can be quickly and firmly connected to the open top of the box through engagement of the retaining bands with the engaging recesses for the packaging container to hold things therein without the need of binding or tying the packaging container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein  
       FIG. 1  is an assembled perspective view of a packaging container according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of  FIG. 1  showing the packaging container includes a cover and an open-topped box;  
       FIG. 3  shows the manner of closing the cover to the open-topped box of the packaging container of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  shows a first manner of removing the cover from the open-topped box of the packaging container of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 5  shows a second manner of removing the cover from the open-topped box of the packaging container of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2  that are assembled and exploded perspective views, respectively, of a packaging container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the packaging container in this embodiment is a rectangular container and includes a cover  1  in the form of a shallow tray and an open-topped box  2  having a predetermined depth. The box  2  is provided along an upper rim with a horizontally outward extended flange  21 , on which an outward bent lower rim  12  of the cover  1  is firmly abutted to thereby close the box  2 .  
      The present invention is characterized in that the box  2  is provided at each of four corners of the flange  21  with a substantially upward projected retaining catch  22 , and the cover  1  is correspondingly provided at each of four corners of the lower rim  12  with a retaining band  11 . When the cover  1  is closed onto the box  2  with the retaining band  11  engaging with the retaining catch  22 , the cover  1  is firmly connected to the box  2  without the need of any other additional binding or tying means.  
      Each of the retaining catch  22  includes a tongue portion  24  forming a flat top of the retaining catch  22 , two triangular sidewalls  25  downward extended from two front lateral sides of the tongue portion  24 , and a curved rear wall  26  downward and outward extended from a rear side of the tongue portion  24 , so that an inward and downward inclined engaging recess  23  is enclosed in the tongue portion  24 , the sidewalls  25 , and the rear wall  26 . Each of the retaining bands  11  is a substantially V-shaped band with a pointed end thereof pointing outward.  
      Please refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3  at the same time. To use the packaging container of the present invention, simply position desired things or foodstuff in the box  2 , lightly close the cover  1  to the box  2  with the V-shaped retaining bands  11  at four corners of the cover  1  aligned with the retaining catches  22  at four corners of the box  2 , and then apply a downward minor force to the cover  1 . The pointed ends of the four V-shaped retaining bands  11  are naturally pushed inward and collapsed by the tongue portions  24 , allowing the retaining bands  11  to move downward into the engaging recesses  23 . At this point, an inherent elasticity of the collapsed retaining bands  11  from aplastic or resin material thereof enables the retaining bands  11  to elastically extend outward again and be held in the engaging recesses  23  by the tongue portions  24  above the engaging recesses  23 . In this manner, the cover  1  is conveniently and firmly connected to the open top of the box  2  without the need of any other additional binding or tying means.  
      Since the packaging container of the present invention is made of a flexible plastic material with relatively high rigidity, the retaining bands  11  and the retaining catches  22  have inherent elasticity and are not subject to easy break during use. That is, the retaining bands  11  and the retaining catches  22  are structurally strong enough to effectively hold the cover  1  to the top of the box  2 , and therefore ensure the whole packaging container of the present invention against undesired loosening of the cover  1  from the box  2  to expose the contained things.  
      Please refer to  FIG. 4 . To open the packaging container of the present invention, simply apply a minor force to pull two diagonally opposite retaining catches  22  outward, and the corresponding retaining bands  11  could be easily moved out of the engaging recesses  23  to release the cover  1  from the box  2 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 5 , a user may hold one corner of the closed packaging container with one hand and pull a diagonally opposite retaining catch  22  outward with the other hand, so as to release the corresponding retain band  11  from the engaging recess  23  of the outward pulled retaining catch  22  and open the cover  1  easily.  
      The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.