Storing device

Abstract

A storing device comprises a lid having on its underside a sealing ring, and a box having a bottom and a circumferential wall with an upper portion. The upper portion has an inner surface and an outer surface. The sealing ring comprises an inner sealing lip in sealing contact with said inner surface and an outer sealing lip in sealing contact with said outer surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a storing device comprising a lid having on its underside a sealing ring, and a box having a bottom and a circumferential wall with an upper portion, the upper portion having an inner surface and an outer surface.BACKGROUND[0002]It is known in the art that storing containers may have some kind of sealing between the container and its lid to improve the seal of the container. A basic sealing may consist of a rubber layer between the container and the lid. The rubber layer is usually pressed onto the rim of the container opening, as the lid is put onto the container.[0003]Often, a plastic container has a container body and a lid with a peripheral sealing layer. The lid edge has a peripheral collar onto which the sealing layer is attached. The collar and the sealing layer sit inside the edge of the container body when the container is closed. The collar with the attached sealing layer is slightly larger than the opening of the conta...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]When the lid is put onto the box the sealing lips are pressed against the upper portion of the circumferential wall of the box. The lips may be bent away from each other on the respective side of the circumferential wall to provide a firm sealing. In addition, the storing device may provide a double sealing effect, i.e. sealing is provided on the interior side of the storing device and on the exterior side of the storing device. For instance, if a liquid is stored in the box, the interior sealing serves to prevent leakage from the box. The exterior sealing protects the contents inside the storing device from outer contamination. If a liquid is kept in the storage device the exterior sealing will provide a safer environment for the liquid. In addition, articles that should be protected from rain water or humidity, such as a camera when going fishing or dry clothes in a canoe, may be kept in the storing device and be protected mainly by the exterior sealing. Other examples of articles that may be stored in the storing device, and thus protected from water and humidity, include measuring instruments, computers and other electronic equipments.

[0008]The inner surface and the outer surface of the upper portion of the circumferential wall may converge upwards. Having the circumferential wall of the box tapering upwards may improve the sealing effect and may also facilitate closing and opening of the storage device. In order to have an acceptable sealing the sealing lips may be firmly pressed onto the inner and outer surfaces of the upper portion of the circumferential wall of the box, respectively. As the inner and outer surfaces converge upwards, the sealing lips may be gradually pressed onto the upper portion of the circumferential wall of the box as the lid is put onto the box.

[0010]The sealing ring with the sealing lips may be made in one piece having the sealing lips integrally formed with the sealing ring on a common structure. In other words, in an embodiment, the sealing ring may not have any joints or seams across the ring circumference. This may minimize the risk of leakage between different portions of the sealing ring. It may also improve durability of the seal and give lower costs of production.

[0012]Additionally, the intermediate portion may have sealing contact with the box adjacent to the top of the upper portion of the circumferential wall. As the lid is placed onto the box, the intermediate portion may be pressed towards the top of the upper portion of the circumferential wall of the box. Thus, the intermediate portion may give an additional sealing effect. The intermediate portion and the sealing lips may be made in one piece having the sealing lips integrally formed with the intermediate portion on a common structure. It is suitable that the inner and outer sealing lips are flexible and arranged to bend away from each other to provide the sealing contact with the inner surface and the outer surface, respectively.

[0013]It may be preferred to have at least one of the sealing lips supported by a flange projecting downwards from the underside of the lid. The sealing lip is in this way made stiffer and prevented from flexing too much. The flange may be made of the same material as the lid, which may be a plastic such as polypropene (PP). Polypropene is not a completely stiff material which means that the flange may have some flexibility. However the flexibility of the flange should be less than the flexibility of the sealing lip in order for the flange to serve as a support for the sealing lip.

Problems solved by technology

One problem with the aforementioned container is that the lid with the collar and the sealing layer must be larger than the opening of the container body in order for the lid to be held in place.

This makes opening and closing of the container difficult.

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