US2675040A - Container and closure therefor - Google Patents

Description

April 1954 M. A. RAUN ETAL 2,675,040

CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Fil ed Dec. 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l RM WWREE ATTO/P/VEV April 13, 1954 M. A. RAUN ET AL CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Dec. 22, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i atented Apr. 13, 1954 CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Milton A. Raun and Theodore P. Steinmetz, Baltimore, Md., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application December 22, 1952, Serial No. 327,462

(Granted under iitle 35, U. S. Code (1952).

sec. 266) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manu factured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

The invention herein disclosed is a modification of the Bleach Container disclosed in the application of Fred B. Shaw, Jr., Serial No. 295,379 filed June 24, 1952.

This invention relates generally to a container and a closure therefor, and particularly to closures of the snap-on type. It is an object of this invention to provide a container and a closure therefor which is snapped thereon to close the container, and which is turned relative to the container to line up index points, one oi which is on the container and the other on the closure, and lifted away from the container to open the container.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container and a closure therefor wherein the closure forms a positive lock with the container when it is mounted thereon.

It is a specific object of this invention to provide a container and a closure therefor wherein the parts are made of a plastic material which is moldable, flexible, and physically strong.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the container and closure showing the parts separated prior to mounting the closure on the container.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken through a portion of the container and the closure just prior to the closure being snapped on the container.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts during the step of snapping the closure on the container.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts after the closure has been snapped on the container.

Fig. 5 is a plan view, with portions broken away, of the container with its closure mounted thereon in locked position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 8-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a plan view, with portions broken away, of the container with its closure mounted thereon after the closure has been rotated relative to the container and the index lines on the parts lined up.

Fig. 81s a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-! of Fig. 7. i

In Fig 1, the container is indicated generally;

by reference numeral 10 and the closure by reference numeral I2. Container It comprises bottom wall It (see Fig. 6) and upwardly extending, comically-shaped, side wall It. The upper end of container H1 is open, and the upper edge [8 of side Wall l6 surrounds the opening and has a plurality of arcuate mounting lugs l9 spaced about its periphery. In a sense, the mounting lugs may be considered as portions of an interrupted flange. As can be best seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the mounting lugs l9 have an upwardly facing, inclined surface 20 and a downwardly facing, horizontal surface 2!. Container It and closure l2 may be made of any suitable material, metallic or non-metallic, which is moldable, flexible and physically strong; a particularly desirable material is glass-fiber reinforced, polyester resin or its equivalent. These resins are discussed in more detail in the application of Fred B. Shaw, Jr., cited above.

The closure l2 constitutes top wall 22 which has a centrally disposed, elongated, recessed portion 24 formed therein and an offset peripheral. portion 26 that merges with skirt 28, as can be.- best seen in Figs. 1, 5 and 7. Recessed portion. 2-4 constitutes a gripping means which is adapted to receive an appropriate tool when the closure I2: is turned relative to the container in removing: the closure on the container, as will subsequent- 1y become apparent. Skirt 28 is non-circular; it comprises a plurality of spaced arcuate portions; 35 and a plurality of enlarged, intermediaten arcuate portions 32 having a larger radius than portions 30 (see particularly Figs. 1 and 5). Enlarged portions 32 have flange-like projections 33 formed at their lower edges which extend radially inwardly to a point where the inner edges of said projections define a continuous circle with the inner surfaces of portions 30 (this can best be seen in Fig. 1). Each projection 33 is parallel to top wall 22 and has a beveled edge 34 formed on its lower side for a purpose which As can be will subsequently become apparent. best seen in Fig. 1, the enlarged portions 32 and their respective projections 33 form pockets 35,

the enlarged portions 32 of the closure and the mounting lugs IQ of the container, and the manner in which they cooperate with each other in the sequence of steps of mounting the closure on the container. The closure is actually snapped 3 on the container in a single step, however for the sake of clarity, Figs. 2, 3 and 4, which show three views of the positions that the parts assume during the snapping on of the closure, are herein arbitrarily designated as steps. Fig. 2 shows one of the enlarged. portions. 32 aligned with one of the mounting lugs I9 just prior to snapping the closure I2 on the container I0. It should be understood that all of the enlarged portions and their associated mounting lugsfunction in the same manner. edges 34' of the projections 33 cooperate with the inclined surfaces of the mounting lugs I9 to facilitate mounting of the closure on the container. The application of force in the direction of the unnumbered arrow shown in Fig. 2 moves the closure toward the container to the position shown in Fig. 3.

the upper edge E8 of the container flexes inwardly, in'the vicinity where the mounting lugs I9 contact the projections 33 of the enlarged por: tions 32.. Continued application of force inthe directionof the unnumbered arrowshown in Fig, 3 causes the closure to be forced closer .to. the."

container and flexes the parts still further until the flat upper surfaces-35 of the projections 33 clear theapices formed by the inclined surfaces 20 andflat surfaces 2I of the mounting. lugs I9.

At this time, the.parts move to the positions shown in'Figs. 4,:5 and .6, wherein each of the mounting lugs I9 is positionedwithin a pocket 35 formed in one of the enlarged portions 32.. In this position, theflat, upper surfaces 36 of the projections 33 contact the flat surfaces ZI oi the mounting lugs I9 and thereby prevent separation of the parts by axial force. In this position the closure is considered to be locked. on the corn tainer.

It should be noted-thatduringthis movement the skirt 28 flexes outwardly, and

It will be observed ,thatbeveled,

From Fig. 1 it will be observed that there is i.

steps of snapping theclosure on. the container;, the index arrows'will be out of alignment when the closure is mounted on the container inlocked position (Figs.- 4, 5 and 6). In order to remove the closure from-the container, the closure is turned relative to the container until the index arrow 38 on the closure lines up withthe index arow 40 on the container; then the closure is pulled away from and off of the container,

Fig. 7 shows the parts after, the ;closure has been turned and the index arrows, lined up prior to lifting the closure off of I the container.

this figure, it will be observed that each of the mounting lugs I9 has been moved out ,ofits asso,

ciated pocket 35.- It will also be observed that both the container and closure are distorted, neither of them being circular. is due to the fact that portions 30 of .the closure are positioned radially outwardly of the mounting lugs I9'of the container in this position, and that the internal radius of arcuate portions 30 when not distorted is less than the external radius of mounting lugs I9- The distortion It necessarily follows that-.1

some distortion will result whenthe closure .isturned relative to the container-and the portions 30 of'the closure are forced over themounting lugs I 3. Fig. 8 shows the relative positions of one of the portions 30 and one of mounting lugs I9 after the closure has been turned relative to the container and the index arrows have been lined up, and Fig. 9 shows the relationship of one of the enlarged portions 32 and the upper edge i8 of the container wall I6 after the index arrows have been lined up. From Figs. 7 to 9 it will be observed that in this position, closure I2 is retainedon the container I0 solely by friction and that the parts are. actually in unlocked position. It will ,therefore be apparent that it is simply a matter of Jiftingthev closure off the container to separate the parts and thereby uncover the container.

From the, above description of the structure and operation of the container and closure it should. beapparentthat we have provided a structural arrangement that satisfies each of the objects of this invention. The outstanding attribute of ourinventionis the ease and simplicity of its operation. To close the container his only necessary to snap the closure on the ,container; to open the container it is only necessary to turn the closure and lift it ofi the container.

It shouldbe noted in this regardthat the material out of which the partsare made is important. Itv mustbe physically strong to, with.. stand rigorous conditions of use, ;suc h,as ,thosea storage container might be subject to; it. must be inert to the material which it houses, this is 7 important particularly'when certain-chemicalsare stored in the container; it must be sur'ficiently flexible to permit the complex distortion that-- occurs in the parts when the closure is snapped on the container; and it should be moldabie for ease and economy of manufacture. As has been stated, an ideal material is a glassefiber reinforced, polyester resin.

Having fully disclosed our, invention in detail,

it should not therefore be limited to the precise structure shown, for many changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A receptacle and closure therefor comprise ing a subtsantially cylindrical container formed of a resilient glass-fiber-reinforced polyester.

resin, a plurality of lugs substantially equally spaced about the top of said container, the. lengths of the lugsbeing substantially the same as the lengths of the spaces between the lugs and reinforced, polyester'resin, said cover comprising a flat peripheral portion merging with a dependent skirt, said skirt comprising alternating por-- tions of smaller radius andportions of larger radius, said portions of smaller radius forming segments of a smooth cylinder having an internal radius substantially the same as the external:

radius of said cylindrical container, said portions of larger radius having: an internal radius sub-' stantially the same as the maximum radius of:

saidlugs, an inwardly extending-flange on the bottom of each of said portions of largerradius,

said fiangeshaving substantiallyplanar top surfaces lying in substantially the same plane as the bottoms of said lugs and having inner surfaces constituting segments of a cylinder of a radius substantially the same as the outer radius of said cylindrical container, said last named inner surfaces joining the inner surfaces of said portions of smaller radius to form a continuous cylindrical surface at the lower portion of said skirt whereby when said cover is in place continuous surface contact exists between said cylindrical inner surface of said skirt and the outer surface of said container, and means for rotating said cover on said container; the cover and container being sufficiently resilient to permit said flanges to be pushed down over said lugs to secure said cover in place and to permit said portions of smaller radius to ride upon said lugs on rotation of said cover, whereby said cover may be rotated until said flanges are positioned in the space between said lugs and the cover then lifted from the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,216,869 Snigo Feb. 20, 1917 1,459,588 Hoffman June 19, 1923 1,459,589 Hoffman June 19, 1923 1,943,327 Langdon Jan. 16, 1934 1,969,486 Kurz Aug. 7, 1934

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