Container with a safety seal

Abstract

A container, in particular a plastic container, preferably in the form of a pail, having a lid for closing the container. The lid having a receiving area in which, when the container is in the closed state, the container lip limiting the container opening engages and is held, mutually interacting catch members and sealing surfaces being provided in the receiving area of the lid and on the lip of the container opening. The catch members being configured such that when the container is in the closed state, the sealing surfaces are pressed together reliably to form seals, and, in particular, can only be released by destroying the lid and/or the rim.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of German Patent Application No. 102 53 371.7, filed Nov. 15, 2002, and German Patent Application No. 102 60 225.5, filed Dec. 20, 2002 and International Application No. PCT / EP03 / 11313, filed Oct. 13, 2003.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not applicable. REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX [0003] Not applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] This invention relates in general to container closures and specifically sealing container closures utilizing multiple latch-detent catch members. [0005] Containers for the safe transport of liquid or pasty hazardous substances have been known for a long time. One feature that these containers have in common is that they must be sufficiently leak-proof to prevent any escape of the transported hazardous substances. Secondly, they must be equipped with a closure that ensures safe closing of the container even under extreme conditions. In particul...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022] This simple configuration of catch-member pairs ensures, for one thing, that the lid can easily be put onto the container by a vertical downward movement of the lid. For another, this triple locking system ensures that the lid is fitted securely on the container. The different kind of catch-member pairs with the opposing opening movements ensures additionally that the lid cannot be removed without incurring damage.

[0023] To permit easy opening of the container without the use of any particular specialty tools, and to ensure that the lid is easily put on, a constriction is engineered in the wall of the outer leg of the inverted U-shaped receiving area, so that in this area an integral hinge, or film hinge, forms, which constitutes a lower segment of the outer leg. One effect of this film hinge is that the lower segment of the outer leg can perform the movements necessary to get past the latches or detent hooks and the undercuts during closure of the container, that is, when the lid is put on. The film hinge, i.e. the constriction, additionally offers the possibility of detaching the lower segment by simply cutting along the film hinge with a cutting tool such as a knife. Since the receiving-area catch members for two different catch-member pairs are preferably provided in the lower segment of the outer leg, only one catch remains after detachment of the lower segment. This last catch may be released via a slight outward movement of the outer leg of the receiving area. This single remaining catch permits continued use and renewed closure of the container after it has first been opened, although it does not provide for secure closure with a first-opening guarantee. This single remaining catch also permits continued use and re-closure of the container after it has first been opened, although secure closure with a first-opening guarantee is no longer ensured.

Problems solved by technology

Secondly, they must be equipped with a closure that ensures safe closing of the container even under extreme conditions.

The disadvantage common to all of these containers or closure systems is that they are complicated and difficult to handle; this is particularly problematic in view of the need for largely automated handling of such objects, including the closure process.

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