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AssigneeFort James Corporation
InventorsJerome G. Dees, Rebecca E. Whitmore, Gerald J. Van Handel, Mark B. Littlejohn, Luther A. Gross, Mark A. Cruz
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 in a radial direction. Typically, a container will be 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. Transition regions between the channels and ridges have arculate undercut profiles to further seal the container. The containers are further provided with asymmetric stacking features and inclined separator tabs.
A container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of arculate undercut transition sections therebetween, wherein said ridge section and said groove section have generally identical U-shapes and said radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement extending substantially entirely around the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the arculate undercut transition sections are configured such that the arculate undercut transition sections on a container having a substantially identical rim structure will urge the transition sections into virtually sealing engagement when containers with like rim structures are joined to form a closed container.
A container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of arculate undercut transition sections therebetween, said radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement about the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the arculate undercut transition sections are configured such that the arculate undercut transition sections on a container having a substantially identical rim structure will urge the transition sections into virtually sealing engagement when containers with like rim structures are joined to form a closed container wherein the dome is generally rectangular and is provided with reinforced rounded corners projecting radially outwardly from recessed sidewall portions therebetween and wherein further the central portion of the dome is provided with a plurality of asymmetrically disposed arcuate stacking ridges at the corners of the central portion of the dome, the stacking ridges having generally the same curvature as the sidewall at the corners, and being asymmetrically offset across an axis of rotation so as to cooperate with like ridges on an inverted like container to secure a plurality of containers in a stack thereof.
A container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of arculate undercut transition sections therebetween, said radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement about the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the arculate undercut transition sections are configured such that the arculate undercut transition sections on a container having a substantially identical rim structure will urge the transition sections into virtually sealing engagement when containers with like rim structures are joined to form a closed container, wherein the central portion of the dome is provided with a plurality of asymmetrically disposed stacking ridges at the periphery of the central portion of the dome, the stacking ridges being asymmetrically disposed across an axis of rotation so as to cooperate with like ridges on an inverted like container to secure a plurality of containers in a stack thereof.
A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having a dome with a central portion and sidewall which transitions to an interlockable rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlockable rim structure comprising:
A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having a dome with a central portion and sidewall which transitions to an interlockable rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlockable rim structure comprising:
A container integrally formed of a thermoplastic material having a dome with a central portion and sidewall which transitions to an interlockable rim structure about a rim plane defined about the periphery thereof, said interlockable rim structure comprising:
A thermoformed container having a dome portion with a substantially planar central portion and a sidewall extending from the central portion of the dome and transitioning to a rim wherein the rim has an interlockable rim structure defined about the periphery of the container in a rim plane, said interlockable rim structure having at least one radially undercut male ridge section and at least one radially undercut female groove section defined therein, as well as a pair of transition sections therebetween, the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections being drawn generally at a sealing rim draw ratio and being configured such that the radially undercut male ridge and radially undercut female groove sections on a container having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure will seal with interpenetrating resilient engagement therewith extending substantially entirely around the periphery of said container, the radial undercuts on said ridges and grooves being configured to urge the grooves and ridges on containers having a substantially identical interlockable rim structure into sealing radial engagement and wherein the transition sections are drawn at a transition draw ratio that is less than the sealing rim draw ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.