Plastic container with lid and hinge

Abstract

Plastic container (1) comprising a base container (2), a lid (3) that closes the container, at least one hinge for connecting the base container (2) and the lid (3) and at least one hinge closure (5), wherein • the base container (2) has a container bottom and at least one container wall (7), • the hinge connects the lid (3) and the base container (2), wherein the lid (3) is held on one side by the hinge at the edge of the container in the folded position, • the lid (3) has at least a partially circumferential lid rim (10) and the lid rim (10) has an L-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, characterized in that • the hinge closure (5) has a closure element (11) which has a bridge and a retaining element (12), wherein at least the retaining element (12) extends over the lid edge (10), • the lid (3) is clamped to the hinge lock (5) with the locking element (11), • the hinge closure (5) is articulatedly attached to the base container (2) via a hinge element (4), • the hinge element (4) is part of the hinge closure (5) • the hinge element (4) is formed in one piece with the hinge lock (5), • the hinge element (4) is designed as a pin (29) or peg and • the hinge element (4) is arranged on one side of the hinge lock (5) and the locking element (11) is arranged on the opposite side of the hinge lock (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a plastic container comprising a base container, a lid that closes the container, at least one hinge for connecting the base container and the lid, and at least one hinge closure, wherein the base container has a base and at least one wall, the hinge is pivotally attached to the base container, the hinge connects the lid and the base container, the lid is held on one side by the hinge element on the edge of the container, and the lid can be opened by moving the hinge, the lid has an at least partially circumferential rim, and the rim of the lid has a U-shaped cross-section.

[0002] Plastic containers for storing and transporting items or food are available in many shapes and designs. To protect the contents from dirt or dust and to allow for stacking, some containers are equipped with lids. The lid is either a separate component that can be removed from the base, also known as a lidded box, or it is attached to the base via a hinge, also known as a hinged-lid box or hinged-lid box. Therefore, when purchasing a container, the user must decide whether to buy a box with a removable lid or a hinged-lid box with a fixed lid. Depending on the design, manufacturing is more or less simple, which results in significantly higher production and transport costs for hinged-lid boxes.

[0003] DE 10 2011 116 696 B3 shows a housing with a base and a lid connected by clamping elements. DE 200 08 365 U1 shows a hinged lid container with a hinge for pivoting the lid to a base. DE 198 22 029 A1 shows a plastic delivery container with a base and a lid that can be detachably locked to it. EP 0 669 441 A1 shows a housing with a cover in which the cover can be attached to a base by means of a clamping fastener.

[0004] US Patent 3,663,990 describes a lamp with a lid and hinge. The lid can be pivoted by means of the hinge and can be locked in the open position and removed from the lamp's rim. When the lid is open, it can be removed from the lamp body by unhooking the lid's edge from the groove in the base. The disadvantage of this hinge design is that removing the lid requires unhooking it from the lamp's rim, which is cumbersome with frequent lid removal and can easily damage the hinge.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a plastic container with a lid and hinge that overcomes the disadvantages described above and in particular allows both the lid to be opened and the lid to be removed from the container, is cost-effective to manufacture and also allows frequent removal or opening of the lid.

[0006] The problem is solved according to the invention by a plastic container according to claim 1.

[0007] Further embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims or are described below.

[0008] The plastic container according to the invention comprises a base container, a lid that closes the container, at least one hinge for connecting the base container and the lid, and at least one hinge closure for the lid. The base container has a base and at least one wall. If the plastic container according to the invention has a round or oval base, it has one surrounding wall. If the plastic container according to the invention has a rectangular base, it has four interconnected walls. Both the base container and the lid are made of plastic.

[0009] The hinged closure is pivotally attached to the base container by a hinge element and connects the lid and base container. In the open position (folding position), the lid is held on one side by the hinged closure against the container rim. The lid can then be opened by pivoting around the axis of rotation of the hinge element. The lid has a rim that is at least partially circumferential, preferably a rim that extends around the entire lid. The rim has an L-shaped or U-shaped cross-section. The hinged closure is detachably connected to the lid and has a locking element. The locking element detachably fixes the lid to the hinged closure, preferably by clamping it.The locking element has at least one rib and a retaining element connected to the rib, wherein at least the retaining element extends over the lid rim, preferably both the retaining element and the rib extend over the curved lid rim. In one embodiment, the retaining element is arranged at the end of the rib that, in the closed position, rests against a contact surface of the inner lid rim. The hinge element is an integral part of the hinge closure and is formed integrally with it, i.e., molded from a single plastic component. The hinge element is arranged on one side of the hinge closure, and the locking element is arranged on the opposite side. Preferably, the hinge closure is pivotally but detachably connected to the base container.Detachable means that the assembly of the hinge closure and the base container creates a secure connection, which can be released again by disassembling the hinge closure from the base container. The pivot axis of the hinge element runs parallel to the edge of the lid.

[0010] The hinge closure is also preferably made of plastic. The plastic container according to the invention thus preferably comprises three categories of components: a base container, a lid, and one or more hinge closures. The hinge closures can be identical or have different designs.

[0011] Preferably, the hinge closure comprises a vertical element, more preferably a vertical web, a horizontal element, more preferably a horizontal web, and a locking element. Particularly preferably, in this embodiment, the hinge closure has a hook-shaped cross-section, with the curved end engaging over the edge of the lid. In this embodiment, the hinge closure is designed as a clamping closure, whereby the lid is clamped to the hinge closure. The horizontal element is designed as a closed element, such as a closed surface or closed web, or as a perforated element. As a perforated element, the horizontal element preferably has a recess / opening in the middle and two or more lateral webs.

[0012] In another embodiment, the hinge closure comprises a vertical element, a horizontal element, and a locking element, wherein the locking element is part of the horizontal element. For example, in this embodiment, the horizontal bar is designed as a clip closure that interacts with a clip element on the upper surface of the lid rim. This embodiment is less preferred according to the invention.

[0013] Preferably the base container is cuboid in shape with optionally rounded corners and the lid is rectangular with optionally rounded corners.

[0014] The plastic container according to the invention preferably has 2 to 6 hinge closures, more preferably 3 or 4 hinge closures. In this embodiment, the hinge closures are preferably arranged on two opposing side walls of the base container, preferably on the long side walls of a cuboid container. For example, with three hinge closures on the plastic container according to the invention, two hinge closures are arranged on one side of the container and the third hinge closure is arranged on the opposite side in a position centrally located between the two opposing hinge closures. With four hinge closures on the plastic container according to the invention, for example, two hinge closures are arranged on each of two opposing sides of the container.

[0015] The lid and the base container are preferably designed such that the lid can be arranged on the base container in at least two different orientations, in particular in two orientations rotated by 180° along a vertical axis of rotation. This is a further special feature of the plastic container according to the invention: the lid can be rotated and placed on the base container in different orientations because the hinge closures are attached to the base container. The user cannot therefore place the lid incorrectly when closing the hinge closures, which simplifies handling.

[0016] The lid rim has a U-shaped cross-section, oriented with the opening of the U facing downwards towards the base container. In this embodiment, the lid rim has an outer and an inner rim that correspond to the two vertical lines of the U, and a top rim that corresponds to the central arc of the U. The inner rim faces the center of the container, while the outer rim of the lid rim faces outwards, away from the container.

[0017] In another embodiment, the lid rim has an L-shaped cross-section, with the vertical base of the L pointing downwards towards the bottom of the container. In this embodiment, the lid rim has an inner surface corresponding to the vertical base of the L and an upper surface corresponding to the horizontal line of the L. The inner surface faces the center of the container.

[0018] In one embodiment, the lid has at least one handle. The handle is preferably located on the lid's rim. The lid can have handles on one or both sides, preferably on two opposite sides. The handle makes the lid easier to grip, thus simplifying the process for the user to open or remove the lid from the container. The handle can be formed as a separate element or, particularly in the case of an L-shaped lid rim, it can be an extension of the upper rim surface.

[0019] If the lid has at least one handle, the handle is preferably positioned at the level of a hinged closure. In this case, the hinged closure has a recess in the horizontal element in which the handle can be positioned. The container rim may also have a recess in the area of ​​the handle.

[0020] Optionally, the lid rim preferably has positioning elements on its upper surface to help align the lid with the hinges. When the lid is opened, these positioning elements prevent it from shifting within the hinge and thus from slipping out. The positioning elements fix the lid in its position relative to the hinge, further increasing stability when the lid is open. These positioning elements can be designed, for example, as indentations, recesses, or bulges on the lid rim, preferably as convex spherical sections. Preferably, the hinge also has indentations or bulges on the underside of the horizontal rib that interact with the positioning elements.

[0021] In the plastic container according to the invention, the design of the hinge closure as a hinge element with a locking element for the lid allows both the lid to be opened from the base container and the lid to be removed from the base container. Additionally, in a version of the plastic container according to the invention with at least two opposing hinge closures, the lid can be permanently fixed to the base container.

[0022] The hinged closure is preferably manufactured as a single piece from plastic. This allows for a hinged closure that is simple and inexpensive to produce while simultaneously providing a very good clamping effect.

[0023] The lid of a base container with a rectangular base is preferably hinged to the long side wall, so that it can be moved into an open position, i.e., the hinged position, by a pivoting movement about the axis of rotation of the hinge element(s). The plastic container corresponds to a commercially available plastic box with a base container and lid and additionally features the hinge closures. The plastic container according to the invention is preferably a storage box.

[0024] The plastic container according to the invention, when designed as a storage container, preferably has two hinged closures and an opposing closure, which can also be designed as a hinged closure, but can also be a conventional container closure.

[0025] In contrast to conventional hinged lid boxes, which can simply be opened, the plastic container according to the invention allows the lid to be not only opened but also completely removed when the hinges are open. If desired, the user can use the plastic container according to the invention like a normal hinged lid box by leaving at least one hinge closed. When all hinges are opened, the lid can be removed from the base container. The plastic container according to the invention can therefore be used as a lidded box or as a hinged lid box.

[0026] The unique design of the hinged closure offers several advantages. The hinged closure can be opened by simply folding it to the side, thus releasing the lid. The hinged element is very simple, which is another advantage of the design according to the invention: no special components or complex individual assemblies are required. This simple design results in a cost-effective construction. The hinged closure is easy to assemble using a single hinged element, allowing the user to do it themselves without tools or instructions. The base container and lid can be supplied separately or pre-assembled.

[0027] With typical hinged-lid boxes, the lid must always be pre-assembled at the factory because the user cannot assemble it themselves. Consequently, the conventional box can only be transported fully assembled. This results in a larger transport volume, whereas with the plastic container according to the invention, the base container and the lid can be transported separately, nested one above the other. This leads to lower transport costs per unit due to a reduction in volume.

[0028] Simplicity is paramount in the plastic container according to the invention: The plastic container has a lid and a base container. The lid is placed on the base container, which has one or more hinge closures by means of which the plastic container is closed. No further components are necessary or provided. The plastic container according to the invention thus preferably consists of a lid, a base container, and at least one hinge closure.

[0029] Due to their simple construction and shape, the plastic containers according to the invention can be stacked on top of each other in any way when the lid is closed; in addition, they can also be nested inside each other to save space, with the lids being nested separately.

[0030] The plastic container according to the invention can be used in three different ways. When all hinges are in the open position, the lid rests loosely on the base container, and the plastic container functions like a normal lidded box. When all hinges are in the closed position, the lid is fixed to the base container. When only one hinge is closed, or when only all hinges on one side of the base container are closed, the lid is attached to the base container on one side. It can then be moved from the closed position to an open position, i.e., the hinged position, by pivoting it around the axis of rotation of the hinge element(s).

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, when closing, the horizontal rib and the retaining rib engage over the edge of the lid, and the retaining rib springs inwards against the inner edge into the closed position. In the closed position, the retaining rib rests against the contact surface on the inner edge of the lid, while the horizontal rib of the hinge closure rests on the upper surface of the lid edge.

[0032] To open and remove the lid, the clamping mechanism of the hinge lock(s) must be moved into the open position. To do this, the user releases the locking element of the hinge lock from the lid. If the locking element has a retaining tab and a grip edge, the user presses their finger on the grip edge of the locking element. This causes the horizontal tab to deform elastically upwards. The retaining tab moves away from the contact surface on the inner edge of the lid, releasing the lid and thus the lid itself. By rotating the hinge element around its axis of rotation, the hinge lock with the free locking element is moved into the open position. When all hinge locks are open, the lid is no longer connected to the base container and can be removed. To close the plastic container according to the invention, the lid is placed on the base container.The hinged closures are moved towards the top of the container using the hinge element. The closure element then engages over the edge of the lid, so that the hinged closure is back in the closed position.

[0033] The hinge element movably connects the base container and the closure element. The hinge is preferably designed as a plug-in hinge, e.g., as a pin and pin receptacle or a pin and pin receptacle. The hinge element of the hinge closure is designed as a pin or pin, and one or more pin or pin receptacles are provided on the base container. For example, a hinge element has two pins, possibly identical in design, which are arranged at the two outer ends of the hinge closure on the axis of rotation. In this embodiment, the base container has two pin receptacles, possibly identical in design. Preferably, the hinge element is not a film hinge. The closure element brings the lid and the hinge closure into a fixed but releasable connection. The closure element is preferably designed as a clamping closure.The use of a clamp closure allows for frequent opening and closing of the closure element without the closure element showing significant signs of wear or requiring more force, as with a clip closure.

[0034] The invention is described in more detail using the figures. They show Fig. 1 a plastic container according to the invention, Fig. 2 a section of the plastic container according to the invention made of Fig. 1 with open hinge latches, Fig. 3 a section through a plastic container according to the invention in the area of ​​the hinge closure, Fig. 4 a side view of a section of the plastic container according to the invention, Fig. 5 the same view as in Fig. 4 with open hinge latches, Fig. 6 a top view of the plastic container according to the invention Fig. 7 an enlarged view of an open hinged latch, Fig. 8 an open hinge closure, Fig. 9a a section of a basic container with a hinged closure, Fig. 9b the excerpt from Fig. 9a without hinge closure, Fig. 10 a cutout with hinge closure and Fig. 11 a lid with a handle.

[0035] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a plastic container 1 according to the invention. The plastic container 1 has a base container 2 with a lid 3 resting on it. The lid 3 is fixed to the base container 2 by three hinges 5. The base container 2 has a rectangular base and accordingly has two long container walls 7 and two short container walls 8. Two hinges 5a are arranged on the rear, longer container wall 7, while a hinge 5b is arranged centrally on the front, longer container wall 7. The hinges 5 are shown in the closed position. In this position, the hinges 5 fix the lid 3 to the base container 2, so that the lid 3 cannot be opened.

[0036] Fig. Figure 2 shows the plastic container 1 according to the invention. Fig. 1. The three hinged closures 5 are open and therefore shown in the open position. It can be seen that each hinged closure 5 is attached to the base container 2 via a hinge and is pivotally mounted to the container wall 7. The locking element 11 of each hinged closure 5 is freestanding. With the hinged closures open, the lid 3 rests loosely on the base container 2 and can be removed.

[0037] Fig. Figure 3 shows a section through an open hinged closure 5 on the base container 2 with lid 3. The hinged closure 5 is movably connected to the base container 2 at its lower side via a hinge element 4. The hinged closure has a vertical web 14, a horizontal web 13 hinged to it at an angle, and a locking element 11. The locking element 11 is attached to, or forms one end of, the horizontal web 13. The locking element 11 has a retaining element in the form of a retaining web 12 and a gripping edge 9. In the embodiment shown, the hinged closure has an approximately hook-shaped cross-section, with the webs and the retaining web forming the curved part of the hook. A recess 15 is located on the underside of the horizontal web 13. The recess serves to receive a positioning element 16 on the upper surface 17 of the lid rim 10.

[0038] To open and remove the lid 3, the clamping mechanism must be moved into the open position. To do this, the user presses their finger against the handle edge 9. This causes the horizontal rib 13 to deform elastically upwards. The retaining rib 12 moves away from the contact surface 18 on the inner edge of the lid rim 10 and releases the lid 3. By rotating the lid 3 around the axis of rotation of the hinge element 4, the hinge lock 5 is moved into the open position. When all hinge locks 5 are open, the lid 3 is no longer connected to the base container 2 and can be removed from the container. To close the plastic container according to the invention, the lid 3 is placed on the base container 2. The hinge locks 5 are moved towards the center of the container or lid by rotating the lid 4 around its axis of rotation.The horizontal web 13 and the retaining web 12 extend over the lid rim 10, and the retaining web 12 springs inwards against the contact surface 18 on the inside of the lid rim. In the closed position, the retaining web 12 rests against the inner edge 18 of the lid rim, while the horizontal web 13 of the hinge lock 5 rests against the upper surface 17 of the lid rim.

[0039] Fig. Figure 4 shows the plastic container 1 according to the invention. Fig. 1 from a different perspective. The hinge locks 5 are closed. Fig. Figure 5 shows the identical perspective of the plastic container 1 according to the invention with the hinge closures 5 open. The hinge element 4, by means of which the hinge closure 5 is articulated to the base container 2, is visible at the central hinge closure 5b. The lid 3 has a circumferential lid rim 10. The lid rim 10 has a U-shaped cross-section.

[0040] Fig. Figure 6 shows a top view of a plastic container 1 according to the invention with hinged closures 5 in the open position. Four positioning elements 16 are arranged equidistantly on the lid rim 10. Two of the positioning elements are highlighted by arrows.

[0041] The Fig. 7 and Fig. Figure 8 shows this area of ​​the lid 3 with the hinge 5 open in an enlarged view. The lid 3 has a lid rim 10 with a U-shaped cross-section. A positioning element 16, designed as a spherical section, is arranged on the upper surface 17 of the lid rim. A hinge 5 is attached to the base container 2. The hinge 5 has a recess 15 in the area of ​​the positioning element 16, which, in the closed state, interacts with the positioning element 16 and serves to align the lid 3. The hinge 5 has a retaining lug 12 and an associated handle extension 9 at its outer, free end. The retaining lug 12 is connected to the horizontal central lug 13 of the hinge 5. Fig. 8b is the hinge lock made of Fig. 8a shown closed.

[0042] Fig. Figure 9a shows a partial view. The container rim 19 is shown obliquely from below. The container rim 19 is designed here as an inverted rim. A hinged closure 5 is attached to the base container 2. The hinged closure 5 has a hinge element 4. The hinge element 4 is designed as two pins 20. The container rim 19 has two pin receptacles 21. The two pins 20 of the hinge element 4 are held in the pin receptacles 21. The pins 20 and the pin receptacles 21 thus form the hinge. Fig. 9b shows the partial view from Fig. 9a from a different perspective. It can be seen that the pin receptacles 21 are arranged in the inverted container rim 19.

[0043] Fig. Figure 10 shows a section of a plastic container according to the invention. The hinge closure 5 has a recess 22 in the vertical web 14. The vertical web 14 is designed as two lateral webs at the edges of the vertical web. The handle 23 is arranged in the recess 22. The handle 23 is attached to the lid rim 10. The handle makes it easier to grip the lid, thus making it easier for the user to open the lid or remove it from the container. The handle can be formed as a separate element or, particularly in the case of an L-shaped lid rim, as an extension of the upper surface of the rim.

[0044] Fig. Figure 11 shows the handle 23. The handle 23 is attached to the lid rim 10. The container rim 19 also has a recess 24 in the area of ​​the handle 23.

[0045] Fig.Figure 12 shows the plastic container according to the invention with the lid open. The hinge 5a is closed and the lid 3 is clamped to the hinge 5a. The hinge 5b on the opposite side is open, so that the lid can be opened. Reference symbol list 1 plastic container 2 basic containers 3 lids 4 hinge elements 5 hinge lock 6 Container bottom 7 Container wall 8 Container wall 9 Grip edge 10 Lid edge 11 Locking element 12 landing stage 13 horizontal bridge 14 vertical bridge 15 In-depth study 16 positioning elements 17 Top of lid edge 18 Contact surface lid edge 19 Container rim 20 cones 21 pin socket 22 Exclusion 23 handle

Claims

A plastic container (1) comprising a base container (2), a lid (3) that closes the container, at least one hinge for connecting the base container (2) and the lid (3), and at least one hinge closure (5), wherein: • the base container (2) has a base and at least one wall (7), • the hinge connects the lid (3) and the base container (2), wherein the lid (3) is held on one side by the hinge against the container rim in the folded position, • the lid (3) has an at least partially circumferential rim (10) and the rim (10) has an L-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, characterized in that: • the hinge closure (5) has a locking element (11) that has a web and a retaining element (12), wherein at least the retaining element (12) extends over the rim (10), • the lid (3) is clamped to the hinge closure (5) by the locking element (11).• the hinged closure (5) is pivotally attached to the base container (2) via a hinge element (4), • the hinge element (4) is part of the hinged closure (5), • the hinge element (4) is formed integrally with the hinged closure (5), • the hinge element (4) is designed as a pin (29) or a stud, and • the hinge element (4) is arranged on one side of the hinged closure (5) and the closure element (11) is arranged on the opposite side of the hinged closure (5). Plastic container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge element (4) is detachably connected to the base container (2). Plastic container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining element (12) is arranged at an end of the web (13), which in the secured position rests against a stop surface (18) of the inner edge of the lid. Plastic container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hinge closure (5) has a vertical element (14), preferably a vertical web, a horizontal element (13), preferably a horizontal web and a closure element (11). Plastic container (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the hinge closure (5) has a hook-shaped cross-section. Plastic container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base container (2) is cuboid with rounded corners and the lid (3) is rectangular with rounded corners. Plastic container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plastic container has 3 or 4 hinge closures. Plastic container (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the hinge closures (5) are arranged on two opposing side walls (7, 8) of the base container. Plastic container (1) according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the lid (3) can be arranged on the base container (2) in at least two different orientations, in particular rotated by 180° relative to each other. Plastic container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivot axis of the hinge element runs parallel to the lid edge. Plastic container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hinge is designed as a plug-in hinge. Plastic container (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (3) has at least one handle (23) on the lid edge (10).

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