Cover for produce carton

Claim 2

A container and a cover for said container suitable for packaging, protecting and displaying frangible goods, said container comprising: sides defining a general cup shape; a lip projecting outwardly from the top of said sides in a generally horizontal direction and then turning generally vertically and having a height in a vertical orientation and having a top surface; said lip forming at least one corner; said cover being formed of a one-piece transparent resilient plastic material and having a lip engaging surface generally at the periphery thereof for engaging said top surface of said lip, and sides extending generally downwardly from said surface constructed to extend over and engage at least portions of said lip, said cover sides meeting and forming at least one corner having an apex; at least two inwardly protruding dimples formed in said downwardly extending sides at a position below said lip engaging surface a distance slightly greater than said height of said lip whereby said dimples will lock under said lip when said cover is in place; each said dimple being closely adjacent the apex of said corner in one of the sides forming said apex, thereby forming a pair of cooperating dimples, said pair having dimples opposing one another across said apex of said corner, the inwardly extending portions of each of said dimples cooperating to latch under said lip of the container forming said container corNer to hold the cover to the container.

Claim 3

The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said container and said cover include a plurality of corresponding ones of said corners, one of said dimples being positioned closely adjacent the apex of each corner on each of the sides of said cover thereby forming a pair of cooperating dimples having dimples opposing one another across the apex of each of said corners whereby each corner of said cover can be latched to each respective corner of said container.

Claim 4

The improvement according to claim 2 wherein said cover is differential-pressure formed.

Claim 5

In a container and cover suitable for packaging, protecting and displaying frangible goods contained in said container, said cover having a top and sides defining a general cup shape, said cover being differential-pressure formed of a one-piece transparent resilient plastic material the improvement comprising: said container including an outwardly projecting and vertically turning lip having height in a vertical direction said lip being an upper surface; said cover top being generally planar and including a marginal portion adjacent the edge of said top and offset from said general plane, said sides having a first portion extending downwardly from said top and a second portion extending downwardly from said first portion, the transition between said first and second portions defining a transverse shoulder extending outwardly from said first portion and inwardly from said second portion the interior surface of which seats on said upper surface of said lip and indexes the cover relative thereto; said top including a central portion offset from said general plane of said top to increase the rigidity and stability thereof; said top and upper side portions including spaced portions integral therewith, extending across said marginal offset portion, and formed out of the planes of said top and side portions away from the interior of said cover to increase the resistance of said top or side to deflection from vertical and transverse loads; and said cover including latch means integral with said second portion of said sides and spaced from said shoulder a distance at least equal to said height of said lip to releasably latch said cover to said container.

Claim 6

In a container and cover suitable for packaging, protecting and displaying frangible goods contained in said container, said cover having a top and sides defining a general cup shape, said cover being differential-pressure formed of a one-piece transparent resilient plastic material the improvement comprising: said container including an outwardly projecting and vertically turning lip having height in a vertical direction said lip being an upper surface; said cover top being generally planar and including a marginal portion adjacent the edge of said top and offset from said general plane, said sides having a first portion extending downwardly from said top and a second portion extending downwardly from said first portion, the transition between said first and second portions defining a transverse shoulder extending outwardly from said first portion and inwardly from said second portion the interior surface of which seats on said upper surface of said lip and indexes the cover relative thereto; said top including a central portion offset from said general plane of said top to increase the rigidity and stability thereof; said top and upper side portions including spaced portions integral therewith, extending across said marginal offset portion, and formed out of the planes of said top and side portions away from the interior of said cover to increase the resistance of said top or side to deflection from vertical and transverse loads; and said cover including latch means integral with said second portion of said sides and spaced from said shoulder a distance at least equal to said height of said lip to releasably latch said cover to said container.

Claim 7

The improvement according to claim 4 wherein the inner margin of said shoulder is aligned with the inner margin of said lip of said container when said cover is placed over the container and latched thereto.

Claim 8

The improvement according to claim 5 wherein the transverse width of said shoulder corresponds to the transverse width of said lip of said container.

Claim 9

The improvement according to claim 5 wherein said shoulder is continuous.

Claim 10

The improvement according to claim 4 wherein said latch means includes at least one rounded indent protruding inwardly from the second portion of each said cover sides and spaced beneath said shoulder, said indent being cammed over the upper lip portion of a container and captured beneath said lip portion to releasably lock said cover to said container.

Claim 11

The improvement according to claim 8 wherein one of said indents is positioned at each corner of each of the sides of said cover.

Claim 12

The improvement according to claim 4 wherein said cover is vacuum-formed from a single sheet of thin thermoplastic material.

Claim 13

The improvement according to claim 4 wherein said offset central portion of said planar top includes a recess in said top having a downwardly extending wall around the periphery of said recess which wall provides increased resistance to deflection from vertical or transverse loadings on said cover.

Claim 14

The improvement according to claim 11 wherein said spaced portions comprise ribs having a horizontal portion at the upper end thereof terminating along the edges of said top spaced from said recess.

Claim 15

The container and cover of claim 1 comprising: each of said sides of said cover including an upper and lower portion separated by a shoulder extending generally normAl to said sides, said shoulder defining said lip engaging surface seating on said top surface of said lip to index said cover on said container, the width of said shoulder corresponding to the width of said lip, said dimples comprising spherical-shaped protuberances.

Claim 16

The combination according to claim 13 wherein the upper portion of said sides includes one or more vertical standing rib portions and the top of said cover includes an offset portion defining a generally upstanding wall portion along the periphery of said offset portion, said ribs and wall portion providing increased resistance to deflection from vertical and transverse loads.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 13 wherein said cover is vacuum-formed from a thin sheet of thermoplastic material.

Claim 18

The improvement of claim 4 wherein said central offset portion is recessed to a level approximating that of said marginal offset edge portion of said top thereby forming a raised offset area therebetween along and adjacent to the edge or periphery of said top.