Stackable, self-supporting container with sliding mechanical closure

- 28036 Madrid

ES 2 199 818 T3

DESCRIPTION

Stackable, self-sustaining container with sliding mechanical seal.

Invention field

The present invention relates to storage containers, particularly those suitable for containing and protecting various items, including perishable materials. The present invention further relates to storage containers having an improved seal to contain and protect the articles therein under a wide range of conditions of use.

Background of the invention

Flexible storage bags to be used to contain and protect various items, as well as to preserve perishable materials, such as food, are well known in the art. Such bags are typically comprised of a rectangular sheet of polymer film folded over and welded along two edges to form a semi-closed container having two opposing flexible side walls, three welded or folded edges, and an open edge. A closure formed integrally with the bag, such as a locking rib type gasket, or arranged separately, such as a paper-coated plastic or wire tie completes the containment assembly. Sliding closure mechanisms, which use a sliding plastic sleeve to force the locking ribs to engage or separate, have become very popular due to relatively easy operation and visual and tactile confirmation that opening and closing operations have been completed successfully.

As used herein, the term "flexible" is used to refer to materials that are capable of being flexed or bent, especially repeatedly, so that they are compliant and deformable in response to externally applied forces. Accordingly, the meaning of "flexible" is substantially the opposite of the terms inflexible, rigid, or non-deformable. Materials and structures that are flexible, therefore, can have their shape and structure altered to absorb external forces and adapt to the shape of objects brought into contact with them without losing their integrity. Flexible storage bags of the foregoing variety are typically formed from polymer films, such as polyethylene or other members of the polyolefin family, with a thickness ranging from 0.00508 millimeters to 0.0508 millimeters. Such films are frequently transparent, but are sometimes opaque and / or colored.

Flexible storage bags of the variety normally commercially available provide a means for conveniently storing a wide range of objects and materials in a generally disposable containment device. Although the flexible storage bags of the above variety have enjoyed a good degree of commercial success, it is often difficult to use them in situations where articles or materials, especially liquids, must be dumped inside while keeping the mouth open. the bag in a sufficiently open condition. The flexible nature of the bags, while highly advantageous in some respects, tends to require human or mechanical intervention to keep them open for filling.

With regard to rigid or semi-rigid containers (for example FR-A-2 116 203), it is well recognized that such containers have also achieved a good degree of commercial success in providing means for storing a wide variety of contents. Such containers typically have an opening that maintains the open condition for filling and are typically self-supporting with the opening in a proper orientation for filling. Such containers are also often provided with flat tops and bottoms to provide stackability. However, such containers are typically constructed of more expensive materials so that their disposability is limited. Furthermore, such containers and lids are usually sealed by means of a mechanical locking seal that includes locking lips and grooves. Although such mechanical seals can be effective in preserving the contents of the container, some consumers experience difficulties in fully completing the closing operation and confirming for themselves that a satisfactory seal has been achieved. This is particularly true when the physical change in the position of the cap between the locked and unlocked positions is relatively small.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a storage container that combines both the desirable qualities of flexible bags and storage containers while minimizing the less desirable qualities of both approaches.

More particularly, it would be desirable to provide a storage container that has improved sealability in use.

It would further be desirable to provide such a container as to provide tactile and / or visual confirmation to the consumer that satisfactory closure has been achieved.

Summary of the invention

The present invention provides a container as defined in claim 1.

The container is preferably stackable and self-supporting, and the mechanical locking gasket includes at least one locking lip and groove assembly located on the lid and on the flange or flange. The container can also be foldable, thanks to the folding of the tubular structure.

Brief description of the drawings

Although the specification concludes with claims that particularly point out and clearly claim the present invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying Drawing Figures, in which the same reference numerals identify to corresponding elements, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the storage container according to the present invention in the closed condition;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the storage container of Figure 1 in the open condition and partially filled with solid objects;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a storage container similar to that of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a representative slider element in accordance with the present invention;

ES 2 199 818 T3

Figure 5 is an elevation view of the slider of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view, in elevation, taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 in a horizontal position, ready to be folded;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the storage container of Figure 1, in the partially folded and collapsed condition; Y

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the storage container of Figure 1, in the fully folded and collapsed condition.

Detailed description of the invention

Figure 1 shows a presently preferred embodiment of storage container 10 in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, storage container 10 includes container body 20 preferably integrally formed from a piece of sheet material and a lid 40 preferably formed integral with container body 20 or at least hingedly attached to the container. container body by hinge line 45. Storage container 10 also includes closure means 30 located adjacent edge 28 to seal peripheral portions of lid 40 and container body 20 to form a fully closed container or box, as shown in Figure 1. The means Closure 30 have provided the edge portion of the lid 40 and the edge portion of the wing 25 of the body 20 of the container. The closure means 30 can be selectively opened, closed and reclosed, as will be described later. The hinge line 45 shown in Figure 2 preferably has an active integral hinge or hinge provided, and can optionally be provided as a line of weakness by means of incisions, perforations, or the like that allow the lid to be optionally separated from the container body.

In the preferred configuration shown in Figure 1, the closure means 30 is arranged along all portions of the edge 28, except the portion hinged at the hinge line 45. However, in certain circumstances, closure means formed with a greater degree of encirclement (such as, for example, a closure means that completely surrounds the opening in the absence of a hinge line) can provide a suitable integral closure. The flange 25 may be formed either integrally with the container body 20 or arranged as a separate material element attached to the container body. When arranged as a separate element, preferably of stiffer material, it is presently preferred that the container body material has at least one small peripheral flange formed at its upper edge (defining the opening) with corners folded to form a point of suitable joint for joining the body of the container to the wing.

As shown in Figure 1, the closure means 30 comprise a mechanical locking joint that includes at least one pair of flange elements 32 and engagement or locking groove 34 in mating portions of wing 25 and lid 40. In a presently preferred embodiment, flange 32 is integrally formed with and protrudes upwardly from flange 25 around the three free sides of the flange (i.e., not necessarily around the rear portion of the container behind the hinge) as the Slot 34 has a complementary shape which is open at the bottom to receive flange 32 therein. The closure means 30 also includes a mechanical slider or slider 36 that is captively applied to the rim and groove to remain attached to the container, unless one or more elements are deformed to allow it to be removed. The slider 36 is sized and shaped so that it can slide freely over the relief and groove when fully engaged with each other to form a sufficiently tight seal. The slider 36 consequently functions to seal the rim and the groove one within the other as it is moved around the periphery of the container from one side to the other after the container has been opened.

Figure 4 is an elevational perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a slider or slider 36 in accordance with the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, and more prominently in Figure 5, the slider 36 has a generally C-shaped configuration, such that the ends of the slider can extend inwardly over the peripheral edges of the wing 25 and the cap. 40 in overlapping relationship with flange 32 and groove 34. The portions of the slider 36 that overlap the rim and slot have a gap between them that is small enough to force the rim and slot into a locking engagement when the slider is driven in translation along a region of the periphery. in which the flange and groove are separated.

The rim and groove are preferably spaced a substantially constant distance inward from the peripheral edge of the lid and flange, such that a slider having a suitable inward extension can be driven around the peripheral edge of the container without leaving gaps. or unsealed portions of the flange and groove assembly. Furthermore, although the closure mechanism of the present invention may be employed in containers having a circular, oval, elliptical, or other curvilinear cross section, the closure mechanism of the present invention may be employed as shown in Figures 1-3 at Containers of polygonal cross-section, such as rectangular and square containers, provided that the corners of the wing and lid, as well as the flange and groove assembly, are adequately rounded at the corners so that their radius exceeds the minimum necessary for the cursor to change direction.

Furthermore, although the present invention has been illustrated and described in the context of a container having a single flange and groove assembly, other arrangements may be employed in which one or more sliders can be applied to one or more conjugate pairs of flanges and grooves. wherein the ridges and grooves are arranged side by side to form consecutive joints, running end-to-end, or occupying separate and unconnected regions of the container.

Storage container 10 is suitable for containing and protecting a wide variety of materials and / or objects contained within the container body. Figure 2 shows the storage container 10 in the open condition, in which

In ES 2 199 818 T3 the closure means 30 have been released such that the edge 28 can be opened to admit materials and / or objects into the body portion of the container 10 for storage. In Figure 2 a plurality of solid generic objects 99 are shown within container 10 for storage.

The lid 40 is preferably of integral construction and comprises a central lid panel 42 and a lid frame 44, either of which may be formed of various elements, if so desired. The ability to construct the container with multiple composite elements allows the use of diverse materials, such as transparent polymer panels for the lid panels or more rigid elastic materials, for the wing and lid frames, regardless of choice of the materials for the container body 20. As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the center panel 42 of the lid preferably extends downwardly to form a tray-shaped lid that forms a plug seal by engaging the complementary recess or shelf in the upper portion of the lid. body of the container to increase the tightness of the closure.

In the embodiment of Figure 1, the storage container 10 comprises two generally flat end panels 50, two generally flat gusseted side panels 60, and a generally flat bottom panel 70, which panels form a semi-closed container having an opening. defined by upper wing 25. End panels 50 include side edges 55 and bottom edges 54, while side panels 60 include bottom edges 64 and gussets having converging base folds 62 and middle folds 61, with side folds 63. The folds are preferably formed in the material such as lines of weakness by shaping thin areas in the material, making incisions, or by other suitable methods. In the configuration shown in Figure 1, the storage container is in a self-supporting open position. Wing 25 is preferably elastic and rigid enough to help keep the open end of the container in the open position, as shown in Figure 1.

Although the storage container described above with reference to Figure 1 provides many advantages over commonly available flexible storage bags and storage containers, it also includes additional features that allow the container to adopt a self-supporting configuration to facilitate access to the container. product and product filling without manual support for ease of use.

As used herein, the term "self-sustaining" is used to refer to materials, structures, or containers that are capable of maintaining their orientation in a plane parallel to the direction of the force of gravity. For example; A self-supporting material, in particular a sheet material, can be held to extend upward parallel to the direction of the force of gravity while maintaining its orientation without bending or collapsing. Typically, non-self-supporting materials will bend or collapse and will not be able to hold parallel to the force of gravity (ie, "vertically") unless they are held to extend downward from their point of support. Correspondingly, a self-sustaining bag or container is capable of maintaining its orientation with surfaces extending upward from its support base in opposition to the force of gravity without bending back on itself or collapsing.

In addition to the gusset container 10 being self-supporting, it is also preferably easily collapsible or collapsible to provide easy storage while taking up minimal space. Figure 7 shows a gusseted storage container 10 as shown in Figure 1, positioned laterally on its side in preparation to be folded. Figure 8 shows a storage container 10 with gussets as shown in Figure 1, but in a partially collapsed or collapsed condition. Accordingly, the middle folds 61 have been pressed against each other inward, bringing the bottom edges 64 toward and generally parallel to flange 25. Figure 9 shows a gusseted storage container 10 in a further folded condition in which the folding continues until the bottom 70 is substantially parallel and very close to the flange 25 and the end panels are fully folded towards each other inward. . The middle folds 61 could also be bent outward, if desired, which would provide the additional feature of helping to erect the container when pulled in. Also shown in Figure 7 is the optional backing panel 72, which adds additional integrity and stability to the flat, generally rectangular bottom panel 70. To avoid a negative impact on the pliability of the container body, the backing bottom panel 72 preferably includes folds that substantially align with the side folds 63 for folding, as shown in Figures 7-9 or are preferably located between the folds. 63, as shown in the figures.

The addition of additional reinforcement to the bottom panel lowers the center of gravity of the empty container for greater stability before and during filling, increases the rigidity of the container bottom for additional stability in most full or empty circumstances, and reduces the likelihood that the bottom of the container will bulge when it has been filled with heavier content. The backing panel may be of a material similar to the material of the container body or it may be of a different more or less durable material, and is secured to the bottom panel by application of adhesive or other suitable means. It is presently preferred that when a backing panel is employed it is positioned on the outer surface of the bottom panel rather than on the inner surface to provide support and reinforcement without adding additional surfaces, joints and grooves to the interior of the container where they can provide sites for imprisoning portions of the content and creating cleaning difficulties.

The flexible sheet material used to form the container body is sufficiently flexible and deformable to accommodate the folding or bending of the container body between the open configuration of Figure 1 and the closed configuration of Figure 9. More particularly, the panels The sides 60 are flexible enough to fold or fold back on themselves when the end panels 50 rotate towards each other internally when the panel 70 of the

ES 2 199 818 T3 bottom moves towards cover 40.

Various compositions suitable for constructing the storage containers of the present invention include substantially impermeable materials such as (polyvinyl chloride) (PVC), (polyvinylidene chloride) (PVDC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), aluminum foil, coated (waxed, etc.) and uncoated paper, coated nonwovens etc., and substantially permeable materials, such as coarse fabrics, meshes, woven fabrics, nonwovens, or perforated or porous films, whether they are predominantly two-dimensional in nature or in the form of three-dimensional structures. Such materials can have a single composition or layer or they can have a composite structure of multiple materials, including a substrate material used as a carrier for a substance. Materials that have been found suitable for use in the present invention include a 0.254 millimeter thick low density polyethylene film commercially available from Chevron under the manufacturer's designation PE1122.

The materials used as closure means in accordance with the present invention may be integral and constructed as part of the storage container either before, during, or after assembly of the container from its material components. Alternatively, said closure means may also be formed separately and attached to the body of the container for storage either before, during, or after assembly of the container. The material used for the closure means can be the same as or different from the material used to form the body of the container, either in dimensions or in composition. The closure means may also incorporate additional features, such as texture to produce an audible or tactile signal when the cursor is used or different colors on the rim and groove that will produce a different color appearance when engaged (similar to keyhole closures). commercially available flexible bags).

In accordance with the present invention, the closure means 30 provides the user with an easy-to-operate closure means for closing and sealing an opening in a storage container. The closure means 30 are easy to manipulate, as the only skill required is to grasp or squeeze the slider with a pair of opposing fingers and move the slider along the extent of the open portion of the lid to provide a secure engagement. from the rim and groove, thereby converting the storage container from a semi-closed container into a fully closed container. To open the storage container of Figure 1, the user can grasp a pair of opposing tabs 35 and pull them in opposite directions to initiate and propagate the separation of the opposing halves of the wing 31, and thus of the means 30 closing. To avoid conflict between the tabs and the operation of the slider, the tabs are preferably formed of the flange and cap material by removing portions thereof to leave isolated protrusions projecting no further than the outer edge of the flange. As shown in the Figures, a sinusoidal edge for the wing and an offset sinusoidal edge for the lid have proven satisfactory.

In addition to such use of sealed and folded sheet of material to form the container body, the container body may be constructed in any known and suitable manner, such as those known in the art to make such containers in commercially available form. Adhesive and heat seal technologies can be used to bond various components or elements of the container to themselves or to each other. In addition, the container bodies can be thermoformed, blown, or also molded from raw material or sheet of material instead of relying on folding and bonding techniques to construct the container bodies from a strip or sheet of material. material.

Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.