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US 11,794,966 B2Granted
Food container with tamper-proof hinged closure
AssigneeTekni-Plex, Inc.
InventorsEdisson Orjuela, Guillermo Angarita, Ivan Peña, John Sierra
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one-piece molded food container having a lid, a base and a tamper-evident hinged element connecting the lid and base.
Claims16
A tamper-evident and re-closable container comprising:
- a molded single-piece container comprising a base, a lid and a tamper-evident hinged element with frangible connecting portions connecting the base and lid in an initial as-molded open position, the frangible connecting portions when broken allowing separation the base and lid and providing tamper evidence that the container has been previously opened;
- the lid and base being movable between:
- a) the initial as-molded open position with the lid and base being connected by the hinged element and allowing the base to be filled with a product;
- b) an initial closed position with the lid positioned over and temporarily sealed to the base to enclose a product in the closed container, the hinged element allowing relative rotational movement of the base and lid from the initial open position to the initial closed position;
- c) an opened position, subsequent to the initial closed position, in which the frangible connecting portions of the hinged element have been broken allowing the base and lid to be separated to allow removal of a product from the base and providing tamper evidence that the container has been opened;
- and
- d) a further closed position, subsequent to the opened position, in which the separate base and lid can be resealed to allow storage and subsequent opening of the closed container;
- the tamper-evident hinged element comprising mating flanges on perimeter portions of the lid and base that are initially connected by the frangible connecting portions, the mating flanges on the lid and base further comprising hinges that allow for the relative rotational movement of the base and lid from the initial as-molded open position to the initial closed position, the mating flanges including a foldable ring tab having an outer perimeter and foldable extensions adjacent opposing sides of the ring tab outer perimeter, the ring tab outer perimeter being partially formed by the frangible connecting portions for connecting the foldable extensions to the ring tab outer perimeter, the ring tab being configured to be grasped by a user to enable the user to pull the lid from the base and break the frangible connecting portions.
5 more elements
A method of forming a tamper-evident and re-closable container comprising:
- molding a single-piece container comprising a base, a lid and a tamper-evident hinged element,
- forming in the mold, or after molding, frangible connecting portions connecting the base and lid in an initial as-molded open position, the frangible connecting portions when broken allowing separation the base and lid and providing tamper evidence that the container has been previously opened;
- the tamper-evident hinged element comprising mating flanges on perimeter portions of the lid and base that are initially connected by the frangible connecting portions, the mating flanges on the lid and base further comprising hinges that allow for the relative rotational movement of the base and lid from the initial as-molded open position to an initial closed position, the mating flanges including a foldable ring tab having an outer perimeter and foldable extensions adjacent opposing sides of the ring tab outer perimeter, the ring tab outer perimeter being partially formed by the frangible connecting portions for connecting the foldable extensions to the ring tab outer perimeter, the ring tab being configured to be grasped by a user to enable the user to pull the lid from the base and break the frangible connecting portions;
- the lid and base being movable between:
- a) the initial as-molded open position with the lid and base being connected by the hinged element and allowing the base to be filled with a product;
- b) the initial closed position with the lid positioned over and temporarily sealed to the base to enclose a product in the closed container, the hinged element allowing relative rotational movement of the base and lid from the initial open position to the initial closed position;
- c) an opened position, subsequent to the initial closed position, in which the frangible connecting portions of the hinged element have been broken allowing the base and lid to be separated to allow removal of a product from the base and providing tamper evidence that the container has been opened;
- and
- d) a further closed position, subsequent to the opened position, in which the separate base and lid can be resealed to allow storage and subsequent opening of the closed container.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.