US 7,726,483 B2Granted

Stacked containers

AssigneeThe Glad Products Company

InventorsAnand Ramanujam, Ryan J. Coonce

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The container can be locked into a stack of containers. A container cover locks onto the top of a container base to define a sealed area for storage. Additionally, the bottom of a second container base can be locked onto the top of the cover of a first container. In this fashion, when closed containers are stacked, they form a locked stack that is more structurally rigid and therefore less precarious than a traditional, non-locked container stack. When not in use, the bases can be formed into a nested stack, and their covers can be locked together to form a locked cover stack. The locked cover stack can be locked to either the top or bottom of the nested base stack to form a rigid stack. In some embodiments, a cover can be turned upside down and its bottom face locked onto the bottom face of a base.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A first cover for a container, the first cover comprising:

a first closure portion,
a first engagement portion,
a central region,
wherein the first closure portion is sealingly engageable with a second closure portion of a base so that when the first and second closure portions are engaged with each other, the first cover and the base define a substantially sealed storage area, wherein the first engagement portion is engageable with a second engagement portion of the base
the first closure portion comprises locking rings, the locking ring of the first closure portion comprising an inner wall, a retention bead, and an outer wall, and wherein the locking rings include an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, and each shoulder includes an inner surface and an outer surface;
wherein the respective outer walls of two or more first covers are lockingly engageable to one another in a lid stack;
and
wherein the outer surface of the upper shoulder of a lower first cover fits inside of, and engages with, the inner surface of the lower shoulder of an upper adjacent first cover;
and
wherein the central regions of two or more first covers are lockingly engageable with one another in a lid stack and the central regions have engagement portions having upper and lower protrusions wherein the upper and lower protrusions are convex on one side and concave on the other side.

7 more elements

A system of container covers, the system comprising:

a first cover comprising a first closure portion,
a first engagement portion, and
a central portion,
wherein the first closure portion is sealingly engageable with a second closure portion of a base so that when the first and second closure portions are engaged with each other, the first cover and the base define a substantially sealed storage area, and wherein the first engagement portion is engageable with a second engagement portion of the base,
a second cover comprising a first closure portion and a first engagement portion,
the first closure portion of the first cover and the first closure portion of the second cover each comprises a locking ring, the locking ring comprising an inner wall, a retention bead, and an outer wall, and wherein the locking rings include an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, and each shoulder includes an inner surface and an outer surface;
wherein the respective outer walls of two or more first covers are lockingly engageable to one another in a lid stack, and
wherein the outer surface of the upper shoulder of a lower first cover fits inside of, and engages with, the inner surface of the lower shoulder of an upper adjacent first cover;
and
wherein the central regions of two or more first covers are lockingly engageable with one another in a lid stack and the central regions have engagement portions having upper and lower protrusions wherein the lower protrusion of one cover fits over and receives the upper protrusion of a second cover.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/065,395Filed 23 Feb 2005
Published: US 2006/0186014 A124 Aug 2006
Granted: 1 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B65D 21/0233
Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together: nestable containers
B65D 21/0223
Containers with a closure presenting stacking elements: the closure and the bottom presenting local co-operating elements, e.g. projections and…
B65D 43/0208
Secured by snapping over beads or projections: on both the inside and the outside of the mouth of the container
B65D 43/0212
Secured by snapping over beads or projections: only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth