Container and lid with multiple chambers
View Patent ↗Apparatus and methods are disclosed for improved containers and lids, and combinations thereof. Multiple compartments are provided in a container, one of which can be formed as the container's handle. The lid incorporates a plurality of hinged openings situated on the periphery of the cover, and the container includes a molded unitary body plastic container comprised of at least two chambers or compartments. The lid openings can be located strategically over or adjacent the container chambers/compartments, to provide independent access thereto. The compartments or chambers within the container separate the contents thereof, while multiple hinged openings may allow access to individual or multiple chambers or compartments within the container. Tamper evidencing structures in conjunction with detents or engagement structures may hold the lid and container openings in the desired relationship during shipping, handling, storage, and/or use. Related methods are disclosed.
1. A container nestable with like containers, comprising:
a main storage compartment;
a handle storage compartment, where the handle storage compartment is unitary with the main storage compartment, wherein the handle storage compartment is spaced at least a distance from the main storage compartment to facilitate gripping around a perimeter of the handle storage compartment by a user, wherein the depth of the handle storage compartment in a vertical direction is greater than the widest width of the handle storage compartment in a horizontal direction, wherein the depth of the handle storage compartment is less than the depth of the main storage compartment; and
an upper rim of the container forming a generally rectangular periphery around the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment, wherein the generally rectangular periphery includes first, second, third and fourth corner regions, wherein the handle storage compartment is located at the first corner region and the main storage compartment is located at the second, third and fourth corner regions.
2. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a land between the handle and the main storage compartment.
3. The container of claim 1 , further comprising a divider between the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment.
4. A container and lid, comprising:
a main storage compartment of the container;
a handle storage compartment of the container, wherein the handle storage compartment is unitary with the main storage compartment and is spaced at least a distance from the main storage compartment to facilitate gripping around a perimeter of the handle storage compartment by a user, wherein the depth of the handle storage compartment in a vertical direction is greater than the widest width of the handle storage compartment in a horizontal direction, wherein the depth of the handle storage compartment is less than the depth of the main storage compartment;
a land of the container between the handle storage compartment and the main storage compartment;
an upper rim of the container around the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment;
a central section of the lid configured to cover the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment;
an edge portion of the central section of the lid configured to contact the upper rim of the container; and
a downwardly depending flange of the lid around a periphery of the edge portion of the lid;
wherein the container is nestable with like containers, and
wherein the lid is nestable with like lids.
5. The container and lid of claim 4 , further comprising a seal structure on at least one of an underside of the central section of the lid and the land of the container, wherein the seal structure is configured to seal the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment from each other.
6. The container and lid of claim 4 , further comprising a ridge on the central section of the lid configured to protect against horizontal shifting between a lid and a container stacked thereon.
7. The container and lid of claim 4 , further comprising a ridge on the edge portion of the lid configured to protect against horizontal shifting between a lid and a container stacked thereon.
8. The container and lid of claim 4 , wherein the upper rim forms a generally rectangular shape around the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment.
9. The container and lid of claim 4 , further comprising a container detent on an exterior of the container.
10. The container and lid of claim 9 , further comprising a lid detent on an interior of the downwardly depending flange configured to contact the container detent.
11. The container and lid of claim 4 , further wherein the central section of the lid includes a hinge configured to permit a portion of the central section to be pivoted away from the container.
12. The container and lid of claim 11 , further comprising a tamper-evidencing tear strip portion of the downwardly depending flange, the tear strip being configured so that removal of the tear strip from the lid releases the pivotable portion of the central section.
13. The container and lid of claim 4 , further comprising an outwardly extending flange on the exterior of the container configured to be adjacent to a lower edge of the downwardly depending flange of the lid.
14. A container and lid, comprising:
a container that is nestable with like containers, comprising:
a main storage compartment;
a handle storage compartment configured to facilitate pouring of main storage compartment contents from the main storage compartment, wherein the handle storage compartment is unitary with the main storage compartment and spaced at least a distance from the main storage compartment to facilitate gripping around a perimeter of the handle storage compartment by a user, wherein the depth of the handle storage compartment in a vertical direction is greater than the widest width of the handle storage compartment in a horizontal direction;
an upper rim forming a substantially rectangular periphery around the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment, wherein the substantially rectangular periphery includes first, second, third and fourth corner regions, wherein the handle storage compartment is located at the first corner region and the main storage compartment is located at the second, third and fourth corner regions; and
a land between the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment; and
a lid that is nestable with like lids, comprising:
a central section configured to cover the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment;
an edge portion configured to contact the upper rim of the container, including the first, second, third and fourth corner regions; and
a hinge configured to permit the portion of the central section covering the second corner region to pivot away from the container while the portions of the central section covering the first, third and fourth corner regions remain,
thereby the contents of the main storage compartment are allowed to be poured through the pivoted portion of the lid at the second corner region while the handle storage compartment at the first corner region is gripped by the user.
15. The container and lid of claim 14 , wherein the container further comprises a downwardly extending flange around a periphery of the edge portion and a container detent on an exterior surface of the main storage compartment.
16. The container and lid of claim 15 , wherein the lid further comprises a lid detent on an interior surface of the downwardly extending flange configured to contact the container detent.
17. The container and lid of claim 15 , wherein the container further comprises an outwardly extending flange contacting the exterior surface of the main storage compartment, wherein the outwardly extending flange is below the container detent.
18. The container and lid of claim 17 , wherein the container further comprises a downwardly extending flange on a lower surface of the outwardly extending flange.
19. The container and lid of claim 17 , wherein the lid further comprises a downwardly extending flange around a periphery of the edge portion, wherein a lowermost edge of the downwardly depending flange is configured to lie adjacent the outwardly extending flange of the container.
20. The container and lid of claim 19 , wherein the lid further comprises a tear line on the downwardly extending flange defining between a lower tearstrip portion of the downwardly extending flange and an upper portion of the downwardly extending flange, wherein a lower edge of the upper portion of the downwardly extending flange at the second corner region is lower than a lower edge of the upper portion at a portion adjacent the second corner region.
21. The container and lid of claim 19 , wherein the lid further comprises a second downwardly extending flange configured to lie adjacent an interior surface of the upper rim of the container.
22. The container and lid of claim 14 , wherein the container further comprises an upwardly extending wall on an upper surface of the land, wherein the upwardly extending wall has a first surface facing the main storage compartment and a second surface facing the handle storage compartment.
23. The container and lid of claim 22 , wherein the lid further comprises a seal structure on a lower surface of the central section configured to engage with the first and second surfaces of the upwardly extending wall.
24. The container and lid of claim 14 , wherein the upper rim forms a substantially square periphery around the main storage compartment and the handle storage compartment.
25. The container and lid of claim 14 , wherein the first corner region is opposite the second corner region.