Patent Publication Number: US-8991630-B2

Title: Combination structure of frame member and viewing cover for food container cover

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a combination structure of a frame member and a viewing cover for a food container cover and, more particularly, to a combination structure of a frame member and a viewing cover for a food container cover that is provided at an opening of a food container, which can store various kinds of food, so as to open and close the opening of the food container, in which the frame member, having a plurality of locking wings connected to a frame member body via a living hinge, can be securely fixed to the circumference of the viewing cover in a simple way. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A general food container cover includes front, back, and side locking wings with respective living hinges. As to such a cover, the locking wings are engaged with protrusions on the outer surface of the body of a food container so that the cover is fixed to the body of the food container. There is a different type of food container cover. This type includes a viewing cover and a frame member with locking wings. This cover is fixed to the body of a food container in a manner that the viewing cover is first combined with the frame member having the locking wings, and then the locking wings are engaged with protrusions formed on the outer surface of the body of the food container. 
     The cover having the structure in which the cover body and the locking wings are integrally formed is formed of a flexible synthetic resin. The cover having the structure in which the frame member and the viewing cover are separately provided and combined for use has advantages: the viewing cover formed of a transparent material allows the user to view the inside of a food container without opening a cover; and the viewing cover and the frame member are allowed to differ in color so that the cover may have two colors, which may impart the cover with an attractive appearance. 
     On the other hand, “an air tight container comprising double covers” which was applied for a utility model by the present applicant of this application and is now registered as a utility model under a utility model registration number of 033117, includes a typical container body and a special cover that closes the container body. In the technology, either the container body or the cover is provided with locking wings, and the other is provided with fixing protrusions to be engaged with the locking wings. The cover includes: a flexible coupling cover including a frame-shaped body, an accommodating portion which is the same in shape to the opening of the container body and accommodates the edge of the opening of the container body therein when the cover closes the opening of the container body, and an opening at the center thereof; and a viewing cover including a plate-like lid arranged at the position of the opening of the viewing cover, and a combining unit which extends outward from the edge of the lid, curves downward, is to be accommodated in the accommodating portion of the coupling cover, and has a plurality of combining protrusions protruding upward from the top surface thereof at predetermined intervals. The coupling cover has a plurality of combining holes in the accommodating portion at the positions corresponding to the combining protrusions so that the combining protrusions of the combining unit pass through the accommodating portion and are inserted into the combining holes. The combining unit has a channel-shaped combining slot open at the bottom of the combining unit so that the edge of the opening of the container body can be fitted into the slot. The combining unit with the combining slot of the viewing cover is received in the accommodating portion of the coupling cover so that the viewing cover and the coupling cover are combined. 
     However, the cover of the airtight container with double covers brings the disadvantages that it is difficult to manufacture the cover due to its complicated structure, and a frame member is highly likely to be separated from the viewing cover by even a very weak physical force because the combining unit of the viewing cover is inserted in the accommodating portion of the coupling cover. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and is intended to provide a combination structure of a frame member and a viewing cover for a food container cover which has a simple structure so as to be manufactured and assembled with ease and which is capable of preventing the frame member from being easily separated from the viewing cover, thereby having high reliability. 
     Solution to Problem 
     In an aspect, the present invention provides a combination structure of a frame member and a viewing cover for a food container cover, including: the viewing cover having a combining slot, which has a uniform depth and extends along a periphery of a surface of a viewing cover body, and an engaging flange extending outward at a position above the combining slot; and the frame member including a plurality of locking wings connected to a frame member body via a living hinge, a wall portion extending upward from the living hinge by a predetermined height, and an engaging hook provided on an inner surface of the wall portion. 
     In the combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member for a food container, the engaging hook may include a plurality of engaging hooks arranged at regular intervals along a circumference of the inner surface of the wall portion. 
     The combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member for a food container cover may further include a combining portion extending horizontally from the wall portion and then extending downward from the horizontal extension, in which the combining portion may be engaged with the combining slot. 
     In the combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member for a food container cover, the combining portion may include a plurality of combining portions arranged at regular intervals along a circumference of the wall portion. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member for a food container cover, including: the viewing cover having a combining slot, which has a uniform depth and extends along a periphery portion of a surface of a viewing cover body, and a bent portion first horizontally extending outward at a position above the combining slot and then bent downward; and the frame member including a plurality of locking wings connected to a frame member body via a living hinge, a wall portion extending upward from the living hinge by a predetermined height, and a combining portion protruding from an outer surface of the wall portion in a certain direction, and an engaging hook formed at a lower end of the wall portion, in which the combining portion is engaged with the combining slot and a lower end of the bent portion is engaged with the engaging hook. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     As described above, the combination structure of a frame member of a viewing cover for a food container cover according to the present invention has a simple structure so that it can be easily manufactured and assembled. Moreover, in the combination structure, the frame member may not be easily separated from the viewing cover so that the combination structure has high reliability. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a relevant portion of the viewing cover and the frame member; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a relevant portion of a combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a combined state of the viewing cover and the frame member of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member according to a further embodiment. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR THE INVENTION 
     Hereinbelow, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member according to an embodiment,  FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a relevant portion of the viewing cover and the frame member of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the viewing cover is combined with the frame member. 
     As illustrated in the figures, the combination structure according to one embodiment of the invention includes a viewing cover  10  formed of a transparent material to allow the user to view the inside of a food container without opening a cover, and a frame member  20  coupled to an upper portion of the viewing cover  10 . The frame member  20  and the viewing cover  10  may differ in material and/or color and may be embodied in various forms. 
     According to the present embodiment of the invention, the viewing cover  10  includes a combining slot  11  having a uniform depth and extending along a periphery of the surface of a viewing cover body, and an engaging flange  12  protruding outward by a predetermined length at a position above the combining slot  11 . An outer end of the engaging flange  12  has a curve or a ramp so that it can smoothly slip along an engaging hook  25  to be inserted into an inside space of the engaging hook  25 , which facilitates assembly of the components. 
     The frame member  20  according to the invention includes a plurality of locking wings  22  coupled to a frame member body via a living hinge  21 , a wall portion extending upward from the living hinge  21  by a predetermined height, and the engaging hook  25  provided on an inner surface of the wall portion. The engaging hook  25  is made up of a plurality of engaging hooks  25  provided on the inner surface  24  of the wall portion and arranged at regular intervals along the inner circumference of the wall portion. Alternatively, there may be one engaging hook  25  having a closed loop shape formed along the inner circumference of the wall portion. 
     When assembling the viewing cover  10  and the frame member  20 , the engaging flange  12  is pressed to be inserted into a space surrounded by the inner surface  24  of the wall portion. In this case, since the frame member  20  is formed of a synthetic resin, the frame member  20  may be expanded outward, so that the flange  12  can slide along the surface of the engaging hook  25  and then along an end portion of the hook  25 , and is finally fitted into a space defined between the engaging hook  25  and the inside surface  24  of the wall portion. As a result, the engaging flange  12  and the engaging hook  25  are engaged with each other. 
     The frame member  20  further includes a combining portion  26  which first extends horizontally in a direction from the wall portion and then extends downward from the horizontal extension. The combining portion  26  is engaged with the combining slot  11 . Thanks to adopting this engagement, the viewing cover  10  and the frame member  20  can be firmly combined as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . There may be a plurality of the combining portions  26  arranged at predetermined intervals along the outer surface  23  of the wall portion. Alternatively, there may be only one combining portion  26  having a closed loop shape formed along the outer surface  23  of the wall portion. 
     According to the present invention, the frame member and the viewing cover are assembled as described above. Since the combination structure has a relatively simple structure, the combination structure can be easily manufactured and assembled. Moreover, since the frame member  20  may not be unintentionally separated from the viewing cover  10 , the combination structure has high reliability. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a combination structure of a viewing cover and a frame member for a food container cover according to another embodiment. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a viewing cover  10  according to this embodiment includes a combining slot  11  having a uniform depth and running along a periphery portion of the surface of a viewing cover body, an extension protruding outward from the side of the body at a location above the top of the combining slot  11 , a bent portion  30  having a first part extending outward from the viewing cover body at a position above the combining slot  11 , and a second part extending downward by a predetermined length from a distal end of the first part. In addition, a frame member  20  includes a plurality of locking wings  22  connected to a frame member body via a living hinge, a wall portion  23  extending upward from the living hinge  21  by a predetermined height and thereafter extending in a horizontal direction, a combining portion  26  extending downward from the end of the outer wall portion  23 , and an engaging hook  40  provided at a lower end portion of the outer wall portion  23 . With regard to this structure, when the components of this structure are assembled, the combining portion  26  may be engaged with the combining slot  11  and the bent portion  30  may be engaged with the engaging hook  40  provided at the lower end of the outer wall portion  23 . 
     Throughout the drawings, reference symbol  50  which has not been described above represents a packing member, reference symbol  100  represents a unidirectional valve which generates a weak vacuum state inside a food container, and reference symbol  101  represents a wall of the food container. 
     The invention described above has advantages such that: the combination structure of the invention has a simple structure so that it can be easily manufactured and assembled; and the frame member is not unintentionally separated from the viewing cover so that the combination structure of the invention has high reliability. 
     The terms used in the specification and claims of the invention may not be intended to refer exclusively to dictionary definitions but may be intended to refer to meanings and concepts in accordance with the technical spirit of the invention on the ground that an inventor can act as his or her own lexicographer in order to explain his or her invention in the best way. 
     The embodiments described in the specification and drawings are only examples of the invention but do not represent the entire technical spirit of the invention, and are not to be construed to limit the invention. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalents may be possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention at the time that the present application is filed.