FOOD CONTAINER ASSEMBLY
A container assembly provides for a receptacle having and opened end and a collar that is releasably secured to the opened end and that permits access to contents in the receptacle. The container assemble further provides for a lid that is securable to the receptacle and to the collar. The container assembly provides for a receptacle having an opened end and a collar that is releasably connected to the opened end and lid. The container assembly also provides for a hinged connection between the collar and the lid that permits the lid to rotate and pivot relative to the collar and to attach to the receptacle or the collar.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/475,980 filed on Apr. 15, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a food container.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, existing containers do not provide a secure mechanism to attach a lid. That is, containers provide a two piece design that has a separate lid and a separate receptacle. This two piece design requires constant monitoring to prevent misplacing or losing the lid. In particular, children that play with containers misplace one of the two pieces.
Accordingly, there is a need for a container having an attachable and detachable lid that overcomes, alleviates, and/or mitigates one or more of the aforementioned and other deleterious effects of prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREIn some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a container having a receptacle, a collar with a handle, and a lid that is both secured to the container to prevent misplacement, yet detachable to allow for quick and efficient cleaning.
The container has a receptacle, a collar with a handle, and a lid. Preferably, the handle has a portion that is over-molded with a non-slip material. The handle and over-molded material have an opening defined therethrough that receives a pin of the lid. In this manner, the lid is connected to the handle. The pin and over-molded material provide a resilient hinge for movement of the lid between an open position and a closed position without detachment from the container.
In other embodiments, the present disclosure provides a container having a receptacle, a collar with a handle, and a lid. The lid can be secured to a top of the collar and a bottom of the receptacle, and is connected to the handle for rotation therebetween.
In still other embodiments, the present disclosure provides a container having a receptacle and a collar, which container includes flexible petals that allows a user to store and obtain objects in the receptacle, and, at the same time, mitigate objects from spilling out of the receptacle.
A container assembly having a collar and a receptacle is also provided where the collar, when secured to the receptacle, provides a visual and/or tactile and/or audible indication of proper engagement between the two.
The above-described and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.
A container assembly provides for a receptacle having and opened end and a collar that is releasably secured to the opened end and that permits access to contents in the receptacle. The container assemble further provides for a lid that is securable to the receptacle and to the collar.
The container assembly provides for a receptacle having an opened end and a collar that is releasably connected to the opened end and lid. The container assembly also provides for a hinged connection between the collar and the lid that permits the lid to rotate and pivot relative to the collar and to be attached to the receptacle or the collar.
The container assembly provides a receptacle having an opened end and a closed end, and a collar that is releasable secured to the opened end. The collar includes a handle having an aperture. The container assembly further provides for a lid having a pin that is pivotably and rotatable received in the aperture to permit the lid to be secured to the collar when the container assembly is in a closed configuration or is positioned to be secured to the closed end when the container assembly is in an opened configuration.
Referring to the drawings and in particular to
Advantageously, container 100 allows a user to easily open and close receptacle 105 by simply rotating a lid 115. Lid 115 is removably and rotatably secured to a collar 110 as shown in
Referring to
It is also contemplated by the present disclosure for container 100 to find use with liquid food products, such as juice or milk, which can be withdrawn from receptacle 105. Cover 205 can be removed altogether to allow liquid products to be removed from receptacle 105 unimpeded. Alternatively, cover 205 can be a spout or a nipple (not shown) such that the user can withdraw liquid from receptacle 105 through the spout or the nipple when lid 115 is in the open position. The spout or the nipple is protected from contamination when covered by lid 115 in the closed position.
Referring to
Collar 110 has a molded configuration with a rim formed by a ridge 210. Likewise, lid 115 has a molded configuration with an inner rim in the form of an indentation 215. In this embodiment, ridge 210 fits in indentation 215 and provides a snap closure such that lid 115 can be removably secured to collar 110. In further embodiments, the molded configurations of collar 110 and lid 115 provide an audible noise, e.g., a click, to indicate that lid 115 is secured to ridge 210 of collar 110.
Referring to
In some exemplary embodiments, material 920 can be over-molded onto collar-handle 120 so that the material flows through and into opening 903. In addition, material 920 may be over-molded at the same time cover 205 is molded. Thus, material 920 and cover 205 may be made of the same material and over-molded over collar 115 at the same time. Other methods of providing collar-handle 120 with material 920 are contemplated by the present disclosure such as, but not limited to, co-molding, dipping, spraying and snap-fit connections.
Further, material 920 has sufficient flexibility, e.g., compression, to allow insertion of pin 905. In some exemplary embodiments, material 920 has a Shore-A durometer of between about 50 to about 70, preferably between about 55 and 65, with about 60 being most preferred, and all subranges therebetween.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In preferred embodiments, lid 115 is removable from collar 110, however, in further embodiments, lid 115 may be permanently secured to collar 110. Lid 115 may be permanently secured to collar 110 by increasing surface contact between stem 1007 and material 920. To increase surface contact, diameter 1107 may be increased, diameter 1103 may be decreased, or some combination of increasing diameter 1107 and decreasing diameter 1103 may used. In addition, permanently securing lid 115 to collar 110 may be achieved by increasing surface contact between locking surface 1020 and locking surface 1033. That is, a volume of distal end 1010 can be increased, a volume of material 920 may be increased thereby increasing the area of locking surface of 1020, or a combination of increase in volume of distal end 1010 and material 920 may be used. Alternatively, lid 115 may be permanently secured to collar 110 by extending pin 903 through opening 905. In this embodiment, distal end 1010 will reside outside of opening 903 on an opposite side of collar-handle 120 relative to lid-handle 125. During manufacture distal end 1010 may be attached after stem 1007 is extended through opening 903.
Referring to
Referring to
In further embodiments, the molded configurations of receptacle 105 and lid 115 provide an audible noise, e.g., a click, to indicate that lid 115 is secured to the bottom of receptacle 105. In addition, it is contemplated by the present disclosure for receptacle 105 and lid 115 to be joined in any removable manner. For example, in other embodiments, lid 115 may be connected to receptacle 105 via different configurations including, but not limited to, a snap-on connector and a press-fit connection. Alternatively, in some embodiments, rim 1410 and the rim formed by a ridge 225 (discussed above) are the same size. In such embodiments, lid 115 includes a single indentation that fits both rims.
Collar 110 has finger grips 1415 to assist securing collar 110 to receptacle 105. Finger grips 1415 are raised surfaces molded into collar 110 that provide leverage for fingers to grasp while collar 110 is screwed into receptacle 105.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A container assembly comprising
- a receptacle having and opened end;
- a collar that is releasably secured to said opened end and that permits access to contents in the receptacle; and
- a lid that is securable to said receptacle and to said collar.
2. The container assembly according to claim 1, wherein said collar comprises a handle having an aperture, and wherein said lid comprises a pin that is rotatably and pivotally received in said aperture.
3. The container assembly according to claim 2, wherein rotational and pivotable movement of said pin in said aperture permits said lid to be secured to said collar when the said collar when the container assembly is in a closed configuration or secured to said receptacle when the container assembly is in an opened configuration.
4. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said pin is releasably received in said aperture.
5. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said handle further comprises a compressible overmolded material that extends through said aperture that said pin compresses for insertion through said aperture.
6. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said pin is permanently received in said aperture.
7. The container according to claim 1, wherein said collar comprises an internal threaded surface and an indicator and said receptacle comprises an outer threaded and an indicator, and wherein after relative rotational movement between said internal threads and said external threads, intersection of a center line of said indictor of said collar and said indicator of said receptacle provides the indication that receptacle and the collar are in a sealed relationship.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein said collar further comprises a cover having a plurality of flexible petals that can be deflected to provide access to contents of the receptacle.
9. The container assembly according to claim 1, wherein said receptacle further comprises a closed end having annular rim, wherein said collar comprises an annular rim, and wherein said lid comprises an annular indentation that mates with said annular rim of said receptacle when the container is in an opened configuration and with said annular rim of said collar when said container is in a closed configuration.
10. A container assembly comprising
- a receptacle having an opened end;
- a collar that is releasably connected to said opened end;
- a lid; and
- a hinged connection between said collar and said lid that permits the lid to rotate and pivot relative to said collar and to attach to said receptacle or said collar.
11. The container assembly according to claim 10, wherein said collar further comprises a handle, an aperture, and a compressive material that covers said handle and extends through said aperture and thereby forms an annular outer cam surface in said aperture.
12. The container assembly according to claim 11, wherein said lid comprises a pin having a stem and a distal end connected to said stem, and wherein said distal end is pressed against outer cam surface and inserted through said aperture to established said hinged connection.
13. The container assembly according to claim 10, wherein said hinged connection comprises a pin on said lid and an aperture in said collar, and wherein said pin is received through said aperture in a press-fit fashion.
14. The container assembly according to claim 10, wherein said receptacle further comprises a closed end having annular rim wherein said collar comprises an annular rim, and wherein said lid comprises an annular indentation that mates with said annular rim of said receptacle when the container is in an opened configuration and with said annular rim of said collar when said container is in a closed configuration.
15. The container assembly according to claim 10, wherein said collar comprises an internal threaded surface and an indicator and said receptacle comprises an outer threaded and an indicator, and wherein after relative rotational movement between said internal threaded surface and said external threaded surface, intersection of a center line of said indictor of said collar and said indicator of said receptacle provides the indication that receptacle and the collar are in a sealed relationship.
16. The container assembly according to claim 10, wherein said collar further comprises a cover having a plurality of flexible petals that can be deflected to provide access to contents of the receptacle.
17. A container assembly comprising
- a receptacle having an opened end and a closed end;
- a collar that is releasable secured to said opened end, wherein said collar comprises a handle having an aperture; and
- a lid having a pin that is pivotably and rotatable received in said aperture to permit said lid to be secured to said collar when the said collar when the container assembly is in a closed configuration or to be secured to said closed end when said container assembly is in an opened configuration.
18. The container assembly according to claim 17, wherein said handle further comprises a compressible material that extends through said aperture and forms an outer cam surface and a locking surface.
19. The container assembly according to claim 18, wherein said pin comprises a stem and a distal end connected to said stem.
20. The container assembly according to claim 18, wherein insertion of said distal end into said aperture deflects said outer cam surface and said locking surface to permit passage of said distal end.
21. The container assembly according to claim 17, wherein said pin is permanently received in said aperture.
22. The container assembly according to claim 17, wherein said pin is releasable received in said aperture.
23. The container assembly according to claim 18, wherein said compressible material has a Shore-A durometer of between about 50 to about 70.
24. The container assembly according to claim 17, wherein said collar comprises an internal threaded surface and an indicator and said receptacle comprises an outer threaded and an indicator, and wherein after relative rotational movement between said internal threaded surface and said external threaded surface, intersection of a center line of said indictor of said collar and said indicator of said receptacle provides the indication that receptacle and the collar are in a sealed relationship.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 13, 2012
Publication Date: Apr 25, 2013
Inventors: MARIA ALEXANDRA DEL SOLAR (Stamford, CT), DIANA SIERRA (North Bergen, NJ)
Application Number: 13/446,550
International Classification: B65D 43/02 (20060101);