US 4,546,874 A · Container and sealing enclosure

Abstract

The following specification discloses a container such as a box, packing or shipping container for items that are to be maintained in a vapor proof environment. The container is made out of a sheetlike material, such as plastic derived from one of the olefin family of plastics. It is formed with bumpers, guards, and reinforcing and expanded portions of the case for protection and reinforcement thereof. The sealing and closure means comprise a pair of channel members that are secured over the edge of the walls of the container. One of the channel members provides an elongated depressed seat for an elastomeric seal therein, and the second channel member provides a mating tongue that seats against the elastomeric seal. Both of the channel members are hinged, latched or clamped together with the edge regions of the container walls lying within the channels. The channels have barbs or tangs which impinge against the container wall portion. The barbs are on opposite channel walls and are offset against said wall portion. This provides a bending moment to the container wall and a sealing of the wall portion against the barbs or tangs. The container wall section is further sealed in the channel by means of a non-hardening sealant.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A system for maintaining one plastic wall in sealed relationship to another plastic wall of the type found in a container having at least two portions including a top and bottom that come together in closed relationship to form a closure comprising:

a first and second channel member for seating on the plastic walls of each respective first and second portion forming the top and bottom of said container that is to be sealed, wherein each of said channel members has a channel for receipt of the plastic wall in one portion thereof and another portion adapted to seat against the other channel member to provide a sealing relationship;
and,
said channel for receiving said plastic wall has at least one barb formed on each of said channel walls in displaced relationship along the depth of the channel from each other for bending said wall so that said wall is displaced through the axis thereof so as to be placed with a bending moment within said channel to cause said wall to move against one of said barbs in said channels to cause a cold flow of the plastic of said wall against one of said barbs.

The process of providing a closure between two container portions having plastic walls for a sealed relationship therein comprising:

providing a first and second container portion for respective containment of an article to be placed in said first and second container portions when they are closed together;
providing a first and second channel member for respectively seating on the edge wall portions of said first and second container portions;
providing an interfacing sealing means between said first and second channel members when said channel members are implaced on said wall for sealing said container portions together;
providing at least one barb on one of the interior walls of said channel members, and a protuberance on the opposite wall;
and,
implacing said container wall portions respectively in said first and second channel members and displacing said wall portions by said protuberance and causing a bending moment thereof against said barb so that said plastic wall portion is secured therein and will impinge forceably against said barb to cause the plastic of said wall portion to cold flow with respect to said barb.

3 more elements

The combination of a sealed container and a seal for opening and closing said container in a sealed relationship comprising:

a plastic walled container having a first and second portion which is adapted for hinging together in the form of a case;
hinge means for hinging said first and second container portion together;
a first channel implaced on a portion of said first portion and a second channel implaced on a portion of said second portion completely circumscribing the edge regions of said plastic container walls on the edges thereof;
a channel grove within said channel members adapted for placement on said container walls having a first barb in an elongated conformation within said channel;
and,
a protuberance on the opposite wall of said channel and means for displacing said container walls by said protuberance projecting against said container walls and driving said walls against said barb so as to create a bending moment within said walls and cause said plastic to cold flow around said barb and create a sealant therein.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Container and sealing enclosure

Life of this patent

Container and sealing enclosure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19