Granted Patent B2

US 8,448,804 · App. 11/538,773 · Granted May 28, 2013

Abstract

Claims (56)

1. A cover for a container comprising:

a centrally located web;

an internal skirt configured to extend around the centrally located web;

an external skirt configured to extend around the centrally located web and the internal skirt;

a removable primary detent on an inner surface of the external skirt, said primary detent being engageable with a container retaining element present on said container, wherein the inner surface faces toward the centrally located web;

a secondary detent on the inner surface of the external skirt, said secondary detent engageable with a container retaining element present on said container, wherein the inner surface faces toward the centrally located web;

a pivot score line transversing said cover thereby defining a front cover portion and a back cover portion, said pivot score line pivotally connecting said front cover portion and said back cover portion;

the front cover portion including a first protruding region having a height higher than an upper surface of the external skirt and the back cover portion including a second protruding region having a height higher than the upper surface of the external skirt, wherein the centrally located web has a height less than the first protruding region and the second protruding region; and

a fastening device comprising a first fastening component and a second fastening component, the first protruding region including the first fastening component and the second protruding region including the second fastening component wherein said first fastening component engages said second fastening component upon pivoting said cover at said pivot score line.

2. The cover of claim 1 , wherein said first fastening component and said second fastening component are positioned adjacent to said pivot score line.

3. The cover of claim 1 , wherein said first fastening component and said second fastening component form a male-female complementary fastening pair.

4. The cover of claim 1 comprising four corners.

5. The cover of claim 4 , wherein said cover comprises substantially straight sides between each of said four corners.

6. The cover of claim 5 , wherein said secondary detent is peripherally spaced from one of said corners.

7. The cover of claim 6 , further comprising a tab member peripherally spaced from one of said corners, said secondary detent mounted within said tab member.

8. The cover of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of secondary detents.

9. The cover of claim 1 composed of a rigid plastic.

10. The cover of claim 1 composed of polypropylene.

11. The cover of claim 1 composed of polypropylene impact copolymer.

12. The cover of claim 1 in combination with said container.

13. A container and cover assembly, comprising:

a container having an opening at an upper extremity thereof, the opening providing access to an inside of the container;

front and back cover portions pivotably connected to each other;

an external skirt of the cover configured to extend around the upper extremity of the container, the external skirt including a front skirt portion at a periphery of the front cover portion and a back skirt portion at a periphery of the back cover portion and having an upper surface height;

a central surface region;

a container retaining element extending along an outer surface of the upper extremity of the container, the outer surface facing away from the inside of the container;

one or more detents on an inner surface of the external skirt configured to engage the container retaining element, wherein the inner surface faces towards the inside of the container;

the front cover portion including a front protruding region between the front skirt portion and the central surface region and having a height higher than the upper surface height and the back cover portion including a back protruding region between the back skirt portion and the central surface region and having a height higher than the upper surface height, wherein a surface of the central surface region is less than the height of the front protruding region and the back protruding region; and

a fastening device including a front fastening component and a back fastening component, the first protruding region including the front fastening component and the second protruding region including the back fastening component wherein the front fastening component is configured to engage the back fastening component upon pivoting of the front cover portion toward the back cover portion and the back fastening component and the front fastening component do not extend higher than the front protruding region and the back protruding region.

14. The container and cover of claim 13 , wherein the front skirt portion of the external skirt includes a removal score line defining between a removable skirt portion and a remaining skirt portion.

15. The container and cover of claim 14 , further comprising a projecting flange on an exterior of the container and spaced downwardly from the container retaining element, the projecting flange being configured to extend along a lower edge of the removable skirt portion of the front skirt portion of the external skirt.

16. The container and cover of claim 14 , wherein the one or more detents include a primary front detent on an inner surface of the removable skirt portion configured to engage the container retaining element.

17. The container and cover of claim 14 , wherein the one or more detents include a back detent on the inner surface of the back skirt portion configured to engage the container retaining element.

18. The container and cover of claim 14 , wherein the remaining skirt portion of the front skirt portion of the external skirt includes a tab member at a periphery of the front cover portion.

19. The container and cover of claim 18 , wherein the one or more detents include a secondary front detent on an inner surface of the tab member configured to engage the container retaining element.

20. A container and cover assembly, comprising:

a container having an opening for providing access to an inside of the container; and

a cover having a centrally located web and having front and back cover portions, the front cover portion including a front protruding region having a height higher than the upper surface height and the back cover portion including a back protruding region having a height higher than the upper surface height; wherein the front cover portion pivots between an open position and a closed position, the cover including:

an external skirt configured to extend around an outside of the container, the external skirt including a front skirt portion at a periphery of the front cover portion and a back skirt portion at a periphery of the back cover portion, the front skirt portion of the external skirt including a removal score line defining between a removable skirt portion and a remaining skirt portion, wherein the back skirt portion and the front and back skirt portions of the front skirt portion are configured to extend around the outside of the container;

a primary front detent on an inner surface of the removable skirt portion for affixing the cover to the container before the removable skirt portion is removed, wherein the inner surface of the removable skirt portion faces the inside of the container;

a secondary front detent on an inner surface of the remaining skirt portion for affixing the cover to the container after the removable skirt portion is removed and when the front cover portion is in the closed position, wherein the inner surface of the remaining skirt portion faces the inside of the container;

a back detent on an inner surface of the back skirt portion for affixing the cover to the container when the front cover portion is in the open position; and

a fastening device including a front fastening component and a back fastening component, the first protruding region including the front fastening component and the second protruding region including the back fastening component, wherein the front fastening component is configured to engage the back fastening component when the front cover is in the open position;

wherein the front protruding region is located between the centrally located web and the external skirt, the back protruding region is located between the centrally located web and the external skirt, wherein a height of the centrally located web is less than the height of the front protruding region and the back protruding region.

21. A cover for a container comprising:

a pivot score line transversing said cover thereby forming a front cover portion and a back cover portion, said pivot score line pivotally connecting said front cover portion and said back cover portion;

a primary detent connected to said cover, said primary detent being engageable with a container retaining element present on said container; and

a secondary detent connected to said cover, said secondary detent engageable with a container retaining element present on said container;

characterized in that said primary detent is removable, in that the cover comprises a fastening device that comprises a male component mounted on said front cover portion and a female component mounted on said back cover portion, or a female component mounted on said front cover portion and a male component mounted on said back cover portion, said male component including a tongue and said female component including a groove, wherein said tongue securely fastens into said groove upon pivoting said cover at said pivot score line, and in that said male component and said female component, which have each a length and are each longer than wide, extend towards each other according to a same longitudinal direction that is transverse to the pivot score line, the length of the male component and the length of the female component being substantially parallel to the same longitudinal direction.

22. A cover for a container comprising:

a pivot score line transversing said cover thereby forming a front cover portion and a back cover portion, said pivot score line pivotally connecting said front cover portion and said back cover portion;

a primary detent connected to said cover, said primary detent being engageable with a container retaining element present on said container; and

a secondary detent connected to said cover, said secondary detent engageable with a container retaining element present on said container;

characterized in that said primary detent is removable,

in that the cover comprises a fastening device that comprises first fastening means and second fastening means, each of the first fastening means and the second fastening means being elongated according to a same longitudinal direction and having a tongue-like male component mounted on said front cover portion and a female component mounted on said back cover portion, or a female component mounted on said front cover portion and a tongue-like male component mounted on said back cover portion, said female component being provided with a slot in each of the first fastening means and the second fastening means, in that said male component further includes a tongue that protrudes in a direction lateral to said tongue-like male component and said female component further includes a groove that is lateral to said female component, wherein each of the tongue-like male components is received in the corresponding slot and said tongue securely fastens into said groove upon pivoting said cover at said pivot score line,

and in that said male component and said female component have each a length and are each longer than wide, the length of the male component and the length of the female component being measured according to said longitudinal direction that is transverse to the pivot score line.

Assignments (19)