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AssigneeFort James Corporation
InventorsJerome G. Dees, Rebecca E. Whitmore, Gerald J. Van Handel, Mark B. Littlejohn
Estimating the term…
There is provided a container having both male and female sealing regions disposed about its periphery in a pattern making it possible to seal a container with another container having substantially identical sealing regions. The male sealing regions used in the practice of the present invention may take the form of a U-shaped ridge which is undercut along at least one leg of the U. Typically, a container will he thermoformed from lightweight thermoplastic material giving the U-shaped ridge considerable flexibility. The female sealing regions used in the practice of the invention may take the form of an undercut channel adapted to receive and match the undercut U-shaped ridges found in the male portion of the container wherein the walls and base of the channel are sufficiently flexible that the undercut portions of the U-shaped ridge are urged into engagement with the undercut portions of the channel and the crest of the ridge is urged into the channel.
A thermoplastic container having an interlocking rim structure defined about the periphery thereof, said interlocking rim structure having at least one undercut male ridge section and at least one undercut female groove section defined therein, wherein said ridge section and said groove section have generally identical U-shapes, said male and female sections being configured such that male and female sections on a container having a substantially identical interlocking rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement extending substantially entirely around the periphery of said thermoplastic container, the undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the rim structures on containers having substantially identical interlocking rim structures into sealing engagement, by virtue of the undercut male ridge section mating with a corresponding overhang of the undercut female groove section and the undercut female groove section mating with a corresponding overhang of the undercut male ridge section.
A thermoplastic container having an interlocking rim structure defined about the periphery thereof, said interlocking rim structure having at least one undercut male ridge section and at least one undercut female groove section defined therein, wherein said ridge section and said groove section have generally identical U-shapes, said male and female sections being configured such that male and female sections on a substantially identical container will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement extending substantially entirely around the periphery of said thermoplastic container, the undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the rim structures on substantially identical containers into sealing engagement, by virtue of the undercut male ridge section mating with a corresponding overhang of the undercut female groove section and the undercut female groove section mating with a corresponding overhang of the undercut male ridge section.
A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having an interlocking rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlocking structure comprising:
A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having an interlocking rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlocking rim structure comprising:
A thermoplastic container having an interlocking rim structure defined about the periphery thereof, said interlocking rim structure having at least one undercut male ridge section and at least one undercut female groove section defined therein, wherein said ridge section and said groove section have generally identical U-shapes, said male and female sections being configured such that male and female sections on a container having a substantially identical interlocking rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement extending substantially entirely around the periphery of said thermoplastic container, the undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the rim structures on containers having substantially identical interlocking rim structures into sealing engagement, by virtue of the undercut male ridge section mating with a corresponding overhang of the undercut female groove section and the undercut female groove section mating with a corresponding overhang of the undercut male ridge section, the sealing engagement between the male ridge section and the female groove section being further characterized in that the engagement extends from the undercut of the female groove section to the undercut of the male ridge section.
A thermoplastic container having an interlocking rim structure defined about the periphery thereof, said interlocking rim structure having at least one undercut male ridge section with two ridge sidewalls and a ridge medial portion therebetween;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.