Method of merchandising lids and vessels
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, a lid structure with latches is configured for sealing use with container vessels of different materials having differing manufacturing dimensional tolerances, such plastic vessels and glass vessels. Another feature of a lid and vessel combination is the provision of a lid receptacle feature, configured to capture the base of a vessel in a stacking arrangement, without utilization of special features on the vessel base. A method of merchandising lids and vessels is described, wherein a lid is provided for separate purchase, a plurality of vessels of different materials is provided for separate purchase which are configured to match to the lid.
1. A method of merchandising lids and vessels, comprising a sequence of the following steps:
providing for separate purchase by a consumer of a lid having a universal capability to match to a plurality of vessels fabricated of different materials and having different manufacturing dimensional tolerances, each vessel having an open top region surrounded by a peripheral portion including a generally flat top edge portion and a latch engagement lip portion, the lid comprising:
a lid portion fabricated of a plastic material, and a peripheral seal structure portion formed of an elastomeric material different from said plastic material of the lid portion, the peripheral seal structure portion integrated with the lid portion to form a unitary one-piece lid-seal structure, wherein the peripheral seal structure portion is permanently attached to the lid portion;
a set of latches integrated with the lid portion by living hinges, each of said latches having a hook feature configured to engage the latch engagement lip portion of each of the plurality of vessels when the lip is placed on the vessel and the latch is rotated about the hinge to a latched position;
the peripheral seal structure portion comprising a main body portion attached to the lid portion, a second seal portion comprising a protruding spring portion, and a third seal portion comprising a compression portion, the protruding spring portion of the peripheral seal structure portion configured to flex as it is brought into contact with and to absorb flatness variability of the generally flat top edge portion, while the compression portion is configured to contact the generally flat edge portion and compress in response to latch closure to provide adequate latch retention force to hold the lid latches in the latched position; and
wherein the peripheral seal structure portion is configured to provide an air-tight seal between the lid portion and the generally flat top edge portion of each of the plurality of vessels when the lid is attached to the vessel with the latches in the latched position; and
providing for separate purchase by a consumer of the plurality of vessels each configured to match to the lid, each vessel a unitary structure having an open top region defined by a bottom portion, a sidewall portion and the peripheral rim portion, and wherein different ones of the vessels and their respective peripheral rim portions are fabricated of materials different from others of the plurality of vessels, and wherein the different materials of the plurality of vessels have different manufacturing dimensional vessel tolerances.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a plastic, a second one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a glass, a third one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a metal, and a fourth one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a ceramic.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said different materials of the plurality of vessels are selected from a group comprising plastic, metal, ceramic and glass.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic material is polypropylene, and the elastomeric material is a thermoplastic elastomer material.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seal structure material is a material adherent to the lid portion plastic material, and wherein the peripheral seal structure portion is fabricated as an injection molded second shot onto the lid portion.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lid is configured to attach to different vessels of different materials to provide an air-tight seal, and wherein the different materials include glass, ceramic, metal and plastic, whereby the lid attaches to a glass vessel to provide a first air-tight container system, to a plastic vessel to provide a second air-tight container system, to a ceramic vessel to provide a third air-tight container system, and to a metal vessel to provide a fourth container system.
7. A method of merchandising lids and vessels, comprising a sequence of the following steps:
providing for separate purchase by a consumer a lid having a universal capability to match to a plurality of vessels fabricated of different materials and having different manufacturing dimensional tolerances, each vessel having an open top surrounded by a peripheral edge portion, the lid comprising:
a lid portion fabricated of a plastic material, and a peripheral seal structure portion formed of an elastomeric material different from said plastic material of the lid portion, the peripheral seal structure portion integrated with the lid portion to form a unitary one-piece lid-seal structure, wherein the peripheral seal structure portion is permanently attached to the lid portion;
a set of latches integrated with the lid portion;
the peripheral seal structure portion comprising a main body portion attached to the lid portion, a second seal portion comprising a protruding spring portion, and a third seal portion comprising a compression portion at a distal end of the peripheral seal structure portion, the protruding spring portion of the peripheral seal structure portion when viewed in cross-section comprising a finger-like protrusion protruding from the compression portion at said distal end, and wherein the protruding spring seal portion is angled inwardly toward an interior portion of the lid or outwardly away from the interior portion of the lid and angularly away from the distal end with the lid in an unattached position relative to the vessel, wherein the seal structure portion extends about an entire outer periphery of a peripheral channel portion of the lid portion, the spring portion configured to flex as it is brought into contact with and to maintain sealing contact with a vessel sealing surface portion to absorb flatness variability of the vessel sealing surface portion, while the compression portion is configured to contact the vessel sealing surface portion and compress in response to latch closure and to provide adequate latch retention force to hold the lid latches in a closed position; and
wherein the peripheral seal structure portion is configured to provide an air-tight seal between the lid portion and the vessel sealing surface portion of the peripheral edge portion of each of the plurality of vessels when the lid is attached to the vessel; and
providing for separate purchase by a consumer the plurality of vessels each configured to match to the lid, and wherein different ones of the vessels are fabricated of materials different from others of the plurality of vessels, and wherein the different materials of the plurality of vessels have different manufacturing dimensional vessel tolerances.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a first one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a plastic, a second one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a glass, a third one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a metal, and a fourth one of said plurality of vessels is fabricated from a ceramic.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said different materials of the plurality of vessels are selected from a group comprising plastic, metal, ceramic and glass.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plastic material is polypropylene, and the elastomer material is a thermoplastic elastomer material.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the seal structure material is a material adherent to the lid portion plastic material, and wherein the seal structure portion is fabricated as an injection molded second shot onto the lid portion.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the lid is configured to attach to different vessels of different materials to provide an air-tight seal, and wherein the different materials include glass, ceramic, metal and plastic, whereby the lid attaches to a glass vessel to provide a first air-tight container system, to a plastic vessel to provide a second air-tight container system, to a ceramic vessel to provide a third air-tight container system, and to a metal vessel to provide a fourth container system.