US 5,294,015 AGranted

Easy-open lid

AssigneeLandis Plastics, Inc.

InventorH. Richard Landis

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A large easy opening plastic lid, such as for a five gallon paint can, having a peripheral flange with an annular locking ring that engages an annular bead on a container sidewall to retain the lid in sealed engagement with the container. The flange is formed with a plurality of peripherally spaced frangible lines of weakness, which, when broken, segment the peripheral flange into separate flange segments, each having a segment of the locking ring. Following rupture of the flange along the frangible lines of weakness, each of the flange segments is independently pivotable between two positions, a first lowered position in which the respective segments of the locking ring engage with the container bead to securely retain the lid on the container, and a second raised or winged position in which all of the respective segments of the locking ring are disengaged from the container bead to facilitate easy removal and replacement of the lid. The lid is reapplied to the container by forcing the flange segments radially inward to a position beneath the locking bead to hold the lid to prevent splashing of the container contents.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A resilient plastic lid for use with a container having a sidewall terminating at an upper rim with an adjacent locking bead, the lid comprising;

a circular body portion;
a peripheral flange extending downwardly from the body portion and terminating at a lower edge;
a locking ring on said flange extending radially inwardly for engagement with said container bead when said body portion is in sealing engagement with said container rim;
frangible lines of weakness in said peripheral flange for being severed to form the peripheral flange into a plurality of separate flange segments extending about the circumference of the lid;
and
a hinge line on each of said separate flange segments for hinging its associated flange segment for pivoting radially outwardly away and upwardly from said container, following rupture of said flange along said frangible lines of weakness, to a release position allowing all of the separated flange segments and attached portions of the locking ring to be moved outwardly relative to the container bead to allow easy removal of the lid from the container;
each and every flange segment being pivotable upwardly to the release position leaving no flange segments engaging the container;
each hinge line comprising a thin hinge cross section in each of said flange segments positioned substantially above the locking ring to allow pivoting of the flange segments and portions of the locking ring thereon outwardly to the release position and, for resealing, pivoting downwardly into a retaining position to again engage the container bead to retain the lid on the container;
said frangible lines of weakness in said peripheral flange extending above the locking ring to adjacent the hinge lines to form separate flange segments hinged above the locking bead on the container;
and
each hinge line comprising a rounded groove in the interior of the peripheral flange and a rounded lower corner on the rounded groove to assist in stripping the lid from a mold.

8 more elements

A resilient plastic lid for use with a container having a sidewall terminating at an upper rim with an adjacent locking bead, the lid comprising:

a circular body portion;
a peripheral flange extending downwardly from the body portion and terminating at a lower edge;
a plurality of peripherally spaced projection segments on said flange extending radially inwardly for engagement with said container bead when said body portion is in sealing engagement with said container rim, each of the projection segments terminating at opposite lateral ends which are separated by a space from an end of an adjacent projection segment;
frangible lines of weakness in said peripheral flange extending substantially vertically between each of the projection segments, said frangible lines of weakness defining a plurality of separate flange segments;
said flange segments being each formed with a thin hinge section defined by a groove spaced above the respective projection segments thereof to allow pivoting of the flange segments outwardly to the release position and downwardly into a retaining position to again engage the container bead to retain the lid on the container;
each of said vertically extending frangible lines of weakness being aligned with one of said spaced between adjacent lateral ends of adjacent projection segments to facilitate separating the flange into flange segments at locations above the projection segments;
each of said separate flange segments being deflectable outwardly away from aid container, following rupture of said flange along said frangible lines of weakness, to a release position in which said projection segments thereon are moved outwardly relative to the container bead to allow easy removal of the lid from the container.

4 more elements

A resilient plastic lid for use with a container having a sidewall terminating at an upper rim with an adjacent locking bead, the lid comprising:

a circular body portion;
a peripheral flange extending downwardly from the body portion and terminating at a lower edge;
a plurality of peripherally spaced projection segments on said flange extending radially inwardly for engagement with said container bead when said body portion is in sealing engagement with said container rim, each of the projection segments terminating at opposite lateral ends;
frangible lines of weakness in said peripheral flange extending substantially vertically between each of the projection segments, said frangible lines of weakness defining a plurality of separate flange segments;
said flange segments being each formed with a thin hinge section positioned above the respective projection segments thereof to allow pivoting of the flange segments outwardly to the release position and downwardly into a retaining position to again engage the container bead to retain the lid on the container;
each of said separate flange segments being deflectable outwardly away from said container, following rupture of said flange along said frangible lines of weakness, to a release position in which said projection segments thereon are moved outwardly relative to the container bead to allow easy removal of the lid from the container;
said lines of weakness comprising an upper portion having a recess formed into the exterior surface of said peripheral flange, and a lower portion in communication with said upper portion and having a narrow, substantially vertically extending groove formed in the exterior surface of said peripheral flange.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/887,971Filed 22 May 1992
Granted: 15 Mar 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B65D 43/0256
Secured by snapping over beads or projections before removal of the tamper element: only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the…
B65D 43/0258
Only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth of the container: leaving friction on both the inside and the outside after…
B65D 2401/20
Tearable part of the closure: frangible elements completely enclosed in closure skirt
B65D 2543/00092
Curved: circular