AU2006100311B4

AU2006100311B4 - A lid arrangement for a produce container

Info

Publication number: AU2006100311B4
Application number: AU2006100311A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Lam
Original assignee: Multisteps Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Multisteps Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2005-10-19
Filing date: 2006-04-21
Publication date: 2006-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2013-10-19
Also published as: AU2006100311A4; AU2005225117B9; AU2005225117A1; AU2005225117B2; AU2005225117C1; AU2005225117C9

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 MULTISTEPS PTY LTD COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title.

A lid arrangement for a produce container The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- IND 2

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_A lid arrangement for a produce container

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0 Field of the invention This invention relates to packaging containers. More particularly, the invention relates to a lid arrangement for a produce container.

Summary of the invention 0 OAccording to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a lid arrangement IND for a produce container, the lid arrangement including: a plurality of lid portions arranged about an opening of the container, each lid portion being movable relative to the container between an open position and a closed position such that, when each lid portion is in its open position, produce can be placed into or removed from the container and, when each of the lid portions is in its closed position, the opening is substantially covered; and a stiffening formation arranged about at least a part of a periphery of each lid portion, the stiffening formation having a channel-shaped cross-sectional profile opening upwardly when the lid portions are in their closed positions, the stiffening formation inhibiting flexing of its associated lid portion when the lid portions are in their closed positions.

The stiffening formation may cooperate with a rim component to inhibit flexing of the associated lid portion when the lid portions are in their closed positions.

Each lid portion may be hinged to the rim component such that each lid portion can pivot between its respective open and closed positions.

Each lid portion may include a planar part. The planar parts may lie in a plane when the lid portions are in their closed position. At least the planar part of each lid portion may stand proud of the rim component when the lid portion is in the closed position.

Each lid portion may include a locking means for reversibly locking the lid portion at least to the rim component when the lid portions are in their closed position.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a produce container including: a receptacle defining an opening; a rim component bounding the opening, the rim component defining a lip; and a lid arrangement, as described above, mounted to the rim component, the stiffening formations of each lid portion seating on the lip when the lid portion is in its closed position.

O 3 Brief Description of the Drawings O An exemplary embodiment of a lid arrangement for a produce container in accordance with the invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:- Figure 1 shows a side view of a lid arrangement, for a produce container in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, in an open position; Cc Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the lid arrangement of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the lid arrangement in a closed position.

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Detailed Description of the Exemplary Embodiment In Figure 1, reference numeral 10 generally designates an exemplary embodiment of a lid arrangement for a produce container 12. The lid arrangement includes a plurality of lid portions 14 arranged about an opening 16 of the container 12.

Each lid portion 14 is movable relative to the container 12 between an open position and a closed position. When each lid portion 14 is in its open position produce (not shown) can be placed into or removed from the container 12. When each of the lid portions 14 is in its closed position the opening 16 is substantially covered. The lid arrangement 10 further includes a stiffening formation 18 associated with each lid portion 14. The stiffening formation 18 inhibits flexing of the associated lid portion 14 when the lid portions 14 are in their closed positions.

The container 12 includes a rim component 20 which defines a lip 22 on which the stiffening formation 18 sits when the lid portion 14 is in its closed position to inhibit flexing of the associated lid portion 14 when the lid portions 14 are in their closed positions.

Each lid portion 14 is hinged to the rim component 20 via a hinge 23 such that each lid portion 14 can pivot between its open and closed positions.

The container 12 and lid arrangement 10 are moulded as a one-piece construction.

Each lid portion 14 includes a planar part 24. The planar part 24 terminates at a free edge 26 of the lid portion 14. When the lid portions 14 are in their closed position the planar parts 24 lie in a plane substantially parallel to a base 28 of the container 12 and the free edges 26 are in alignment and may abut. The planar part 24 of each lid portion 14 stands proud of the rim component 20 when the lid portion 14 is in the closed position.

The stiffening formation 18 is arranged about a part 30 of a periphery 32 of each lid portion 14. The stiffening formation 18 does not extend along the free edge 26 of N 4 the lid portion 14. By not including the stiffening formation 18 along the free edge 26 o an internal volume defined by the container 12 is maximised when the lid portions 14 _are in their closed position. Maximising the internal volume allows for the greatest amount of produce to be packed into the container 12.

The stiffening formation 18 is an upwardly open channel-shaped formation 33 Sarranged about the part 30 of the periphery 32 of each lid portion 14. The formation 33 CC includes a stepped web 34 which joins an inner wall 36 and an outer wall 38 of the formation 33. The stepped web 34 complements the shape of the lip 22. The inner IDwall 36 supports the planar part 22 of the lid portion 14 above the rim component when the lid portion 14 is in its closed position. The outer wall 38 includes tapered sections 39 which start adjacent the free edge 26 of the lid portion 14 and taper downwardly towards the hinge 23 of the lid portion 14.

Each lid portion 14 includes a locking means 40 for reversibly locking the lid portion 14 to the rim component 20 in the closed position. The locking means includes a plurality of lugs 42 extending from the web 34. The lugs 42 are arranged to engage, in a clip-like manner, complementary recesses 44 defined by the rim component In use, the lid portions 14 are pivoted to their open positions and produce is placed into the container 12. The lid portions 14 are then pivoted to their closed positions and locked in this position by the lugs 42 clipping into engagement with the recesses 44 of the rim component 20. In order to ship containers 12, a plurality of containers 12 are stacked into a carton (not shown) such that a number of containers 12 are stacked one on top of the other. The base 28 of one container 12 sits on the planar parts 22 of another container 12. The weight of a container 12 which sits on another container 12 acts to force the web 34 against the lip 22 of the rim component 20. The web 34, the inner wall 36 and the outer wall 38 support the lid portions 14 against the weight and inhibit flexing of the lid portions 14. It will be appreciated that the lid portions 14 will flex to some degree but not to an extent that packed produce will be severely damaged. In addition, when the lid portions 14 are in their closed position a label (not shown) may be adhered to the planar parts 22 of the lid portions 14 over the aligned free edges of the lid portions 14. The label acts a tamper-evident device as the label must be removed or torn in order to pivot the lid portions 14 to their open position.

It is accordingly an advantage of at least a preferred embodiment of the invention to provide a lid arrangement 10 for a produce container 12 which can inhibit flexing of the lid portions 14 when a plurality of containers 12 are stacked on top of one another.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

2. The lid arrangement of claim I in which the stiffening formation cooperates with a rim component to inhibit flexing of the associated lid portion when the lid portions are in their closed positions.
3. The lid arrangement of claim 2 in which each lid portion is hinged to the rim component such that each lid portion can pivot between it respective open and closed positions.
4. The lid arrangement of any one of the preceding claims in which each lid portion includes a planar part, the planar parts lying in a plane when the lid portions are in their closed position. A produce container including: a receptacle defining an opening; a rim component bounding the opening, the rim component defining a lip; and a lid arrangement, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, mounted to the rim component, the stiffening formations of each lid portion seating on the lip when the lid portion is in its closed position.