IP Library Granted Patent US 8,794,471
Granted Patent B2
US 8,794,471 · App. 13/530,480 · Granted Aug 5, 2014

Container with improved tamper evident structure

Inventors: Richard Louis Bontrager (Ripon, CA); Randall Glenn Strange (Manteca, CA); Joseph Michael Torquato (Hollister, CA)
Assignee: Naturall Selection Foods, LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,794,471
App. No.
13/530,480
Granted
Aug 5, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A container comprises a basket having a basket lip and a lid with lid lip connected to a tear strip, the tear strip being bonded to the basket lip to form a seal. An applied force to the seal separates the tear strip from the lid so that the tear strip remains bonded to the basket lip and so that a lid tear surface is exposed. The basket lip includes a basket snap feature and the lid lip includes a lid snap feature. The basket snap feature and the lid snap feature are mateable to resist separation of the lid from the basket.

Claims (56)

1. A container, comprising:

a basket having a basket lip; and

a lid with lid lip connected to a tear strip, the tear strip being bonded to the basket lip to form a seal;

wherein an applied force to the seal separates the tear strip from the lid so that the tear strip remains bonded to the basket lip and so that a lid tear surface is exposed;

wherein the basket lip includes a basket snap feature and the lid lip includes a lid snap feature;

wherein the basket snap feature and the lid snap feature are mateable to resist separation of the lid from the basket;

wherein the lid tear surface is connected with a tear strip surface by a plurality of links arranged along the lid tear surface and extending therebetween;

wherein the lid tear surface has a plurality of alternating projections and notches, the tear strip surface has a shape complementary to the lid tear surface, and each link extends between a notch of the lid tear surface and a complementary feature of the tear strip surface; and

wherein chaff generated by the links when the lid is separated from the tear strip does not extend beyond the projections of the lid tear surface.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the bonded tear strip and basket lip are ultrasonically sealed.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the basket and lid are removably mateable after separation of the tear strip from the lid lip.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the tear strip surface and the lid tear surface are scallop shaped.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein:

the basket has a base and four side walls, each side wall being configured such that the basket is in an upright position when arranged so that a side wall of the basket is supported by a horizontal surface; and

the lid has four edges.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein:

the tear strip is a first tear strip and is connected with the lid along a first edge of the four edges; and

further comprising:

a second tear strip connected with the lid along a second edge of the four edges opposite the first edge;

wherein the second tear strip is bonded to the basket lip to form a second seal.

7. A container adapted to contain perishable goods, comprising:

a basket having a basket lip; and

a lid with a lid lip connected to a tear strip, the tear strip being bondable to the basket lip;

wherein the lid is configured such that when the tear strip is bonded to the basket lip, the lid lip is separable from the tear strip so that the tear strip remains bonded to the basket lip and the lid is removably mateable with the basket;

wherein the basket lip includes a basket snap feature and the lid lip includes a lid snap feature; and

wherein the basket snap feature and the lid snap feature are mateable to resist separation of the lid from the basket;

wherein the lid lip is connected with the tear strip by a plurality of links arranged along the lid lip and extending therebetween;

wherein the lid lip has a plurality of alternating projections and notches, the strip has a shape complementary to the lid lip, and each link extends between a notch of the lid lip and a complementary feature of the tear strip; and

wherein chaff generated by the links when the lid is separated from the tear strip does not extend beyond the projections of the lid lip.

8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the bonded tear strip and basket lip are ultrasonically sealed.

9. The container of claim 7 , wherein:

the basket has a base and four side walls, each side wall being configured such that the basket is in an upright position when arranged so that a side wall of the basket is supported by a horizontal surface; and

the lid has four edges.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein:

the tear strip is a first tear strip and is connected with the lid along a first edge of the four edges; and

further comprising:

a second tear strip connected with the lid along a second edge of the four edges opposite the first edge;

wherein the second tear strip is bonded to the basket lip to form a second seal.

11. The container of claim 7 , wherein the tear strip and the lid lip are scallop shaped.

12. A container adapted to contain perishable goods, comprising:

a basket having a basket lip; and

a lid with lid lip connected to a tear strip by a plurality of links arranged along the lid lip and extending between the lid lip and the tear strip, the tear strip being bondable to the basket lip;

wherein the lid lip has a plurality of alternating projections and notches, the tear strip has a shape complementary to the lid lip, and each link extends between a notch of the lid lip and a complementary feature of the tear strip;

wherein the lid is configured such that when the tear strip is bonded to the basket lip, the lid lip is separable from the tear strip so that the tear strip remains bonded to the basket lip; and

wherein chaff generated by the links when the lid lip is separated from the tear strip does not extend beyond the projections of the lid lip.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the tear strip and the lid lip are scallop shaped.

14. The container of claim 12 , wherein:

the basket has a base and four side walls, each side wall being configured such that the basket is in and upright position when arranged so that a side wall of the basket is supported by a horizontal surface; and

the lid has four edges.

15. The container of claim 14 , wherein the tear strip is a first tear strip and is connected with the lid along a first edge of the four edges; and

further comprising:

a second tear strip connected with the lid along a second edge of the four edges opposite the first edge;

wherein the second tear strip is bonded to the basket lip to form a second seal.

16. The container of claim 12 , wherein

the basket lip includes a basket snap feature and the lid lip includes a lid snap feature; and

the basket snap feature and the lid snap feature are mateable to resist separation of the lid from the basket.

Assignments (6)
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 1, 2019
From: EARTHBOUND FARM, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 049643/0538 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2017
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: EARTHBOUND FARM, LLC (F/K/A NATURAL SELECTION FOODS, LLC)
Reel/Frame 041984/0536 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 27, 2015
From: NATURAL SELECTION FOODS, LLC D/B/A EARTHBOUND FARM
To: EARTHBOUND FARM, LLC
Reel/Frame 035049/0879 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 2, 2014
From: NATURAL SELECTION FOODS, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 032589/0500 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 028426 FRAME 0430. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Recorded Dec 19, 2013
From: BONTRAGER, RICHARD LOUIS; STRANGE, RANDALL GLENN; TORQUATO, JOSEPH MICHAEL
To: NATURAL SELECTION FOODS, LLC D/B/A EARTHBOUND FARM
Reel/Frame 031996/0925 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2012
From: BONTRAGER, RICHARD LOUIS; STRANGE, RANDALL GLENN; TORQUATO, JOSEPH MICHAEL
To: EARTHBOUND FARM HOLDINGS
Reel/Frame 028426/0430 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130341327A1 · Dec 26, 2013