Patent Publication Number: US-2011056947-A1

Title: Multi-faceted container and reclosable lid for food products

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 61/240,291, filed Sep. 7, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to containers for food products, such as nuts, and, in particular, to containers for food products formed from polymers and having a lid selectively removable from a neck of the container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In providing a container for commercial packaging of food products, such as nuts, among the considerations that must be addressed are the handling of the container by a user, the storage of the container by the user, and the packaging of the container. Containers also should have an aesthetically pleasing appearance and be capable of inexpensive mass production. Often, containers have bodies that are formed from polymers using blow molding techniques. Access to the interior of the bodies can be provided through an opening that can be selectively covered by a removable lid. However, certain types of food products, such as nuts, can be more susceptible to the ingress of gasses, such as oxygen, as compared to other food products, when made using conventional materials. 
     In the packaging of nuts, containers are often formed at least in part from paperboard or cardboard or glass. Both have their disadvantages. The paperboard or cardboard containers can require liners to provide barrier properties, adding to the complexity and expense of manufacture. Glass containers can be heavier and thus can result in increased shipping costs. 
     SUMMARY 
     A food container having a body with a neck surrounding an access opening is provided. A lid can attached to the neck to cover the access opening to permit selective access to the food disposed within the interior of the body. The body of the container has a plurality of facets about its periphery. Preferably, the number of facets exceeds four and, more preferably, is between six and ten in number and, even more preferably, is eight in number. The lid can have the same number of facets as the body, such that a uniform appearance is provided. Further, the facets on the lid can provide improved gripping of the lid for rotating or otherwise causing the removal of the lid from the body, particularly compared to a circular lid. The body of the container is formed from a polymer, and may be either translucent or transparent such that the contents of the interior of the body are visible from exteriorly of the container. 
     The food product can be packaged with a generally hermetic seal, such as with a removable flexible membrane sealed to a periphery of the neck. The lid can then be attached to the neck, such as with threads, lugs or a snap-fit, with the membrane therebetween. To initially open the container, the lid is removed, followed by the membrane. Access to the food products within the interior can then be accomplished through the access opening of the neck. Following removal of a desired quantity of food product from the interior of the body, the lid can be reattached to the neck to cover the access opening and restrict access to the interior of the body. 
     The body can be formed of a material and in a manner that provides both suitable translucency while maintaining barrier properties to restrict the ingress and egress of gasses. This can be accomplished using a material and blow molding manufacturing techniques which result in the body having an average wall thickness of between about 0.012 and 0.035 inches and up to about 0.05 inches, and more preferably between about 0.015 inches and 0.040 inches or between 0.015 inches and 0.025 inches; and between about 10% and 35% crystallinity, and more preferably between about 15% and 30% crystallinity, and even more preferably between about 25% and 30% crystallinity. Preferably the material is a polyethylene terephthalate resin with an oxygen scavenger additive. 
     The shape of the container body has a narrowed waist at its center portion in order, and can be of a size suitable to permit ready grasping of the container by a user. Preferably, the maximum inward extent of the facets is between 85% and 95% of the maximum overall extent of the facets. Also preferably, the diameter of the neck may be between 70% and 80% of the maximum overall extent of the facets measured perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the container body. 
     In one aspect, the body of the container has a generally circular neck, a bottom, and a sidewall extending between the neck and the bottom. The sidewall has between six and ten facets, and preferably eight facets, extending between the neck and the bottom and surrounding a circumference of the container. The shape of the facets may optionally be identical. The facets are inwardly curved toward a longitudinal axis of the body, with the maximum inward extent being at a center portion of the axial length of the body. The lid may have a top wall with an external skirt depending about its periphery and a generally circular internal skirt depending from a bottom side of the top wall, the external skirt having a plurality of facets corresponding in number to the facets of the body. Optionally, the lid does not extend beyond an outer perimeter of the body when seated thereon. 
     In another aspect, a stop is provided between the lid and the neck of the body to limit rotation of the lid relative to the neck of the body so that the facets of the outer skirt of the lid and the facets of the body are generally aligned, e.g., between 3 and 5 degrees of rotation in either direction of being precisely aligned, when the stop is engaged. The stop may be formed by engagement of the under surface of the top wall of the lid with an upper peripheral rim of the neck. The stop may alternatively or in addition be formed by engagement of lugs positioned on both the lid and the neck of the container. 
     In yet another aspect, the top wall of the lid may be provided with a recloseable feature. The recloseable feature may be a hinged cover that can be selectively moved between a position covering an opening in the top wall and a position at least partially spaced from the opening to permit access to the opening in the top wall. This can provide access to the interior of the container without removal of the lid, other than initially when the aforementioned membrane is present. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a first embodiment of a container for food products having a body and a first embodiment of a lid; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the container of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the body of the container of  FIG. 1  with the lid removed; 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevation view of the body of the container of  FIG. 1  with the lid removed; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the body of the container of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of the body of the container of  FIG. 1  with the lid removed; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a container for food products having a body and a lid, showing just the body; 
         FIG. 9  is a front elevation view of the container body of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10A  is perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a lid suitable for use with the container bodies of either the first or second embodiments, showing a cover of the lid in a closed position; 
         FIG. 10B  is a perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 10A  showing the cover in an open position permitting access to an opening in the top wall of the lid; 
         FIG. 10C  is a sectional view of the alternative embodiment of the lid taken from line X-X of  FIG. 10A  with the cover in its closed position; 
         FIG. 10D  is a sectional view of the alternative embodiment of the lid taken from line X′-X′ of  FIG. 10B  with the cover in its open position; 
         FIG. 11A  is a perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 1  shown without the container body; and 
         FIG. 11B  is a sectional view of the lid of  FIG. 1  taken along line XI-XI of  FIG. 11A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference to a first exemplary embodiment of  FIGS. 1-7 , the container  10  includes a translucent, preferably transparent, polymer body  20  with a neck  28 , a bottom  24  opposite the neck  28  and a sidewall  22  extending between the neck  28  and the bottom  24 . A lid  60  is provided for attachment to the neck  28 , such as by use of threads  32 , lugs or the like, to cover an access opening  30  surrounded by the neck  28 . The lid  60  has a top wall  62  with an outer depending skirt  64  and is configured to engage the neck  28 , as will be described in greater detail herein. The container  10  is suitable for food products. As used herein, the term food product refers to food products that are liquid, solid or spoonable. The food product may be loose in the container  10 , and may comprise nuts or other small food products. 
     The body  20  has multiple portions which combine to contribute to stability of the container  10 , ease of handling, visibility of labeling, as well as egress of food product from within the interior of the body. More specifically, the body  20  has a plurality of facets  40  extending about its periphery. The facets  40  are preferably eight in number, but greater than four facets can also be used, as well as between six and ten facets. The facets  40  are preferably each generally identical and can be generally linear at any given point along their elevation, accounting for minor variations such as due to typical manufacturing tolerances and the like as well as slight arcuate curves, such that corners are formed at their intersections. The facets  40  extend from the bottom  24  of the body  20  to the neck or finish  28 . However, the facets  40  transition through several different regions having differing spacings from a longitudinal axis of the body  20  passing through the opening  30  in order to provide a narrowed waist  38  to the body  20 . Moving from the bottom  24  of the body  20  to the neck  28 , there is a bottom region  48  having a maximum and consistent width d 3 , an intermediate region  42  having a minimum width d 2 , and a top region  46  having a maximum and consistent width d 1 . The width of the intermediate region  42  transitions from the same widths d 1  and d 3  of the top and bottom regions  46  and  48  to the minimum width d 2  in an arcuate manner, resulting in the narrowed waist  38 . Disposed between the neck  28  and the top region  46  of the sidewall  22  of the body  20  is a sloped region  44 , where an inclined portion  26  of the sidewall  22  slopes inwardly at an acute angle θ toward the neck  28 . Thus, the diameter d 4  of the neck  28  is less than the maximum width d 1  of the top region  46 . While the facets  40  are depicted as extending throughout all four regions  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48 , they can optionally extend through less than all four regions or even by spaced by intermediate, non-faceted, e.g., circular, regions. 
     A second exemplary embodiment of the body  120  is illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , with the top and bottom being substantially the same as depicted in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . This embodiment differs from the first in that it is substantially taller as well as skinnier. As with the first embodiment, the body  120  has multiple portions which combine to contribute to stability, ease of handling, visibility of labeling, as well as egress of food product from within the interior of the body. The body  120  has eight facets  140  extending about its periphery and extending from the bottom  124  of the body  120  to the neck  128 . As in the first embodiment, the facets  140  transition through several different regions having differing spacings from a longitudinal axis of the body  120  passing through the opening  130  in order to provide a narrowed waist  138  to the body  120 . Moving from the bottom  124  of the body  120  to the neck  128 , there is a bottom region  148  having a maximum and consistent width D 3 , an intermediate region  142  having a minimum width D 2 , and a top region  146  having a maximum and consistent width D 1 . The width of the intermediate region  142  transitions from the same widths D 1  and D 3  of the top and bottom regions  146  and  148  to the minimum width D 2  in an arcuate manner, resulting in the narrowed waist  138 . A sloped region  144  has an inclined portion  126  of the sidewall  122  sloping inwardly at an acute angle α toward the neck  128 . Thus, the diameter D 4  of the neck  128  is less than the maximum width D 1  of the top region  146 . 
     Turning now to details of the lid  60 , and with reference to  FIGS. 11A and 11B , the outer depending skirt  64  is provided with a plurality of facets. The facets are preferably identical in number to the facets  40  or  140  of the container body  20  or  120 . An inner skirt  66  is generally cylindrical and depends from an underside of the top wall  62  of the lid  60 , as depicted in  FIG. 11B . The inner skirt  66  is configured to engage the neck  28  or  128  of the container body  20  or  120 , such as by using threads, lugs or the like. The threads or lugs are preferably positioned and configured so that a stop is formed to limit rotation on the lid  60  in a closing direction such that at the limit of the rotation the facets of the outer skirt  64  of the lid  60  are generally aligned with the facets  40  or  140  of the body  20  or  120 . The stop may be formed between lugs or other protruding structures on the lid  60 , neck  28  or  128  or both, or by engagement of the underside of the top wall  62  of the lid  60  with an upper peripheral rim of the neck  28  or  128 . By generally aligned, what is meant is that there is no more than about 5 degrees of rotation in either direction between being precisely aligned. This can present a visually appealing container  10  when the lid  60  is secured. Also, it may be possible to force the lid  60  past the limit of rotation when overtorqued, but such is not intended in the description herein. An audible indication may be provided to signal when the limit of rotation has been reached. The torque required for removal of the lid  60  is preferably less than 50 pounds-force-inch. Although the inner skirt and out skirt are depicted as being spaced, they may be connected by webs or a solid portion. 
     A flexible membrane (not shown) may be sealed to the neck  28  or  128  to provide a substantially hermetic seal of the body  20  or  120  and food product therein. The lid  60  is sized to cover at least a portion of the flexible membrane when in place. After initial removal of the lid  60 , the flexible membrane can be removed by the end user and discarded, then the lid  60  replaced to reclose the container  10 . 
     The lid may be provided with its own selectively reclosable access opening, thereby permitting access to the interior of the container  10  without removal of the lid  60 . In one exemplary version, illustrated in  FIGS. 10A-10D , the lid  160  includes a cover  166  connected to the top wall  162  of the lid  160  via a hinge  170 . When in its closed position, the cover  166  can block access to an opening  168  of the top wall  162 . Optionally, a protuberance  172  on the underside of the cover  166  can engage with the periphery of the opening  168 . When in its open position, the cover  166  is pivoted about the hinge  170  and spaced from the opening  168 . 
     The body  20  or  120  of the container  10  is preferably manufactured using blow molding techniques. The material is preferably a polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET), and the resultant container is translucent. Unlike conventional PET, however, the preferred PET resin has an oxygen scavenger additive to provide enhanced barrier properties as compared to a typical PET resin. Suitable oxygen scavenger additives can include MonOxbar V6 (added at about 2.5%) or V10 (added at about 4%), available from Constar International Inc., Philadelphia, Pa. Also differing from traditional blow molding techniques, a short perform as compared to a long perform is used to make the container body  20  or  120 . The short perform can stretch between 2.4 and 2.6 times in length during the blow molding process, as compared to a long perform which may stretch between 1.7 to 1.9 times its length, by way of example. This can result in greater stretching of the preform in the axial direction and radial direction, and thus higher crystallinity. An increase in crystallinity of 4% is believed to correspond to a wall thickness increase of 0.001 inches. Thus, the greater the crystallinity the less thick the container walls need to be. Increased crystallinity can also provide increased barrier properties, but with an increase in crystallinity can disadvantageously come a decrease in transparency. Advantageously, the PET resin with additive and the short perform can result in a container body  20  or  120  with an average wall thickness of between about 0.012 and 0.035 inches and up to about 0.05 inches, preferably between about 0.015 inches and 0.040 inches or between about 0.015 inches and 0.025 inches, and more preferably about 0.02 inches, and between 10% and 35% crystallinity, and preferably about 15% and 30% crystallinity, and more preferably about 26% crystallinity. The crystallinity can be measured, for example, using ASTM test method D 1505-85. 
     In the first exemplary embodiment of the body  20  of the container  10 , the height of the body  20  is between about 3.75 and 4.25 inches, and preferably about 4 inches. The height of the neck  28  is between about 0.25 and 0.50 inches, and preferably about 0.4 inches. The maximum widths d 1  and d 3  of the top and bottom regions  46  and  48  are between about 3.5 and 4 inches, and preferably about 3.7 inches. The minimum width d 2  of the intermediate region  42  is between about 3 and 3.5 inches, and preferably about 3.3 inches. The diameter d 4  of the opening  30  of the neck  28  is between about 2.5 and 3 inches, and preferably about 2.8 inches. The angle θ of the inclined portion  26  relative to horizontal is between about 0 and 45 degrees, and preferably between about 17 and 20 degrees. 
     In the second exemplary embodiment of the body  120 , the height of the body  120  is between about 6.75 and 7.5 inches, and preferably about 7.2 inches. The height of the neck  128  is between about 0.25 and 0.50 inches, and preferably about 0.4 inches. The maximum widths d 1  and d 3  of the top and bottom regions  146  and  148  are between about 3.0 and 3.5 inches, and preferably about 3.2 inches. The minimum width d 2  of the intermediate region  142  is between about 2.75 and 3.25 inches, and preferably about 3.0 inches. The diameter d 4  of the opening  130  of the neck  128  is between about 2.0 and 2.75 inches, and preferably about 2.3 to 2.4 inches. The angle θ of the inclined portion  126  relative to horizontal is between about 0 and 45 degrees, and preferably between about 17 and 20 degrees. 
     In one aspect, either in combination or separate from the aforementioned dimensions, the diameter d 4  of the neck  28  or  128  is preferably between about 75% and 90%, and may be between about 79% and 86%, of the minimum width d 2  of the intermediate region  42  or  142 . Further, the minimum width d 2  of the intermediate region  42  or  142  can be between about 85% and 95%, and preferably between 88% and 93%, of the maximum width d 1  or d 3  of either or both of the top and bottom regions  46  or  48   146  or  148 . The diameter d 4  of the neck  28  or  128  is preferably between about 70% and 80%, and preferably between about 72% and 76%, of the maximum width d 1  or d 3  of either or both of the top and bottom regions  46  or  48   146  or  148 . 
     Although specific embodiments are described above and depicted in the accompanying figures, the invention is not limited to those embodiments.