CA1249231A
Expired / Lapsed
CA
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Food tray with lockable lid
Assignee: Inline Plastics Corp
•
Filing: 1986-03-11
•
Granted: 1989-01-24
•
Expires: 2006-03-11
Abstract
Abstract ABSTRACT A container comprises a tray portion, an upper lid portion hinged to the rear of the tray portion and a locking mechanism for locking the lip portion to the tray portion. The locking mechanism includes a first horizontal flange extending around the tray portion, another horizontal flange on the lid portion adapted to be seated on the first horizontal flange, and an upright cylindrical male element having a cylindrical side wall, a closed end, and an enlarged diameter portion at its closed end. The male element extends upwardly from the first horizontal flange. There is also a cylindrical female element having a cylindrical side wall, a closed end, and an annular rim of smaller diameter than the enlarged diameter portion of the male element. The female element is located at a position on the lid's horizontal flange corresponding to the position of the male element on its horizontal flange. The female element receives the enlarged portion of the male element in snap engagement past the annular rim into frictional engagement with the side wall of the female element.
Inventors
- 👤 Frank Schepp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
CA
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 08:44
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D43/00; B65D43/14; B65D43/16; B65D43/162; B65D2251/00; B65D2251/10; B65D2251/1016; B65D2251/1033; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/45; Y10T24/45225; Y10T24/45984; Y10T24/45995
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
254 words
A container comprising: a tray portion, an upper lid portion directly hinged to the rear of said tray portion for movement towards and away from said tray portion to open and close the same, means for locking said lid portion to said tray portion said locking means including: a horizontal flange extending around the periphery of said tray portion, a horizontal flange on said lid portion adapted to be seated on the horizontal flange of said tray portion, at least one upright cylindrical male element having a cylindrical side wall, a closed end, and an enlarged diameter portion at said closed end, said male clement extending upwardly from the horizontal flange on said tray portion towards the lid portion, and a cylindrical female element having a substantially cylindrical side wall, a closed end, and an annular rim of a slightly smaller diameter than the enlarged diameter portion of said male element extending towards the tray portion from the corresponding position on the horizontal flange extending about the periphery of said lid portion for receiving the enlarged portion of said male element in snap engagement past said annular rim into frictional engagement with said side wall of said female element and providing a space defined by the bottom outer surface of the enlarged diameter portion of the male element, the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall of the female element, the upper surface of the annular rim of the female element and the exterior surface of the cylindrical side wall of the male element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
254 words
A container comprising: a tray portion, an upper lid portion directly hinged to the rear of said tray portion for movement towards and away from said tray portion to open and close the same, means for locking said lid portion to said tray portion said locking means including: a horizontal flange extending around the periphery of said tray portion, a horizontal flange on said lid portion adapted to be seated on the horizontal flange of said tray portion, at least one upright cylindrical male element having a cylindrical side wall, a closed end, and an enlarged diameter portion at said closed end, said male clement extending upwardly from the horizontal flange on said tray portion towards the lid portion, and a cylindrical female element having a substantially cylindrical side wall, a closed end, and an annular rim of a slightly smaller diameter than the enlarged diameter portion of said male element extending towards the tray portion from the corresponding position on the horizontal flange extending about the periphery of said lid portion for receiving the enlarged portion of said male element in snap engagement past said annular rim into frictional engagement with said side wall of said female element and providing a space defined by the bottom outer surface of the enlarged diameter portion of the male element, the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall of the female element, the upper surface of the annular rim of the female element and the exterior surface of the cylindrical side wall of the male element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The container of Claim 1 wherein the substantially cylindrical side wall of said female element tapers outwardly from the annular rim adjacent the entrance therein towards the closed end of said female element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The container of Claim 2 wherein the entrance to said female element includes an annular mouth sloping towards said annular rim to guide said enlarged head of said male element to said rim.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The container of Claim 3 including an arcuate surface in said lid portion and said tray portion adjacent each mating pair of said male and female elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The container of Claim 4 wherein the flange on said tray portion includes an upstanding wall about its periphery, opposite portions of said wall being spaced a slightly smaller distance than corresponding portions of the flange on said lid portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The container of Claim 5 wherein said lid portion and tray portion arc thermoformed from plastic in one integral piece.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The container or Claim 6 wherein said lid portion and tray portion are substantially square in plan elevation and said male and female elements are located at opposite front corners of said lid and tray portion flanges.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The container of Claim 6 wherein said lid portion and tray portion are substantially rectangular in plan elevation and said male and female elements are located at opposite front corners and in the center of said lid and tray portion flanges.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.