PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15943405
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-04
Publication Date: 2018-08
Patent Classification: ["264", "553000"]

Abstract:
An apparatus and method for manufacturing a container with a closure-release mechanism. The process in particular relates to thermoforming a plastic sheet to form a container with a clam shell locking system in order to facilitate a secure closure and easy opening packaging container. The clam shell locking arrangement comprises a post which is secured in an aperture when the container is in closed state. The post is a projection or protrusion in a vertical or nearly vertical sidewall of the cover of the thermoformed package and fits securely into the aperture, which is a cut-out made in the outer, and optionally also the inner, wall segments of the vertical or nearly vertical surfaces of the base section of the thermoplastic containers.

Claim (Index 1):
A method for thermoforming a packaging container having a base section and a cover section connected by a hinged portion, said packaging container having a closure and release mechanism including an inner aperture formed within an inner wall segment of a base section and an outer aperture formed within an outer wall segment of the base section aligned with the inner aperture, a projection extending inwardly from a side wall portion of the cover section for engaging at least the outer aperture of the base section, said closure and release mechanism retaining the cover section over the base section and securing the packaging container in a closed position and wherein the projection is released from an outer aperture by depressing a deformable flange and applying inward force to the outer wall segment of the base section, thereby opening the packaging container, said method comprising:\n A. heating a sheet of thermoplastic material until the sheet becomes flexible; B. transferring the sheet to a mold having: a pre-formed shape of a base section with an upstanding wall for with least one indention on a side wall thereof shaped to form a base section having a bottom surface and spaced apart inner and outer wall segments, said outer wall segment having a depression formed therein, a pre-formed shape of a cover section with a raised surface surrounded by a circumferential groove, said pre-formed shape of a cover section also including a convex portion shaped to form an inwardly protruding section in a cover section of the packaging container, and a channel positioned between the base section and the cover section for forming a hinge joint of the packaging container; C. forming a post in the base section of the packaging container by C1. actuating a pin assembly including a spring and a pin, wherein an inlet of pressurized air compresses the spring to move the pin out of the pin assembly to an extended position to form the post and the release of pressurized air causes the spring to return and retract the pin into the pin assembly; C2. cooling the sheet until it is rigid enough to be removed from the mold without losing the shape of the mold; C3. Retracting the pin into the pin assembly and removing the shaped sheet from the mold; and D. Positioning the shaped sheet to a punching station and actuating a lever arm to drive to punch an aperture in the side wall of the container.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 1.0
- Percentile: 91.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.79167
- Patent Class: 264.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15447463', '14693293', '15295709', '15484074', '14693270']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7591124774512094
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.478180510319932
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7310192807380816
- Mean Citation Score: 224.978454
- Max Citation Score: 229.21165
- Similarity Product: 205.9388995947837

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 1
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 0
- Combined Label: 1
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test