Container with sealing flange

Abstract

The container has a container body having an interior (18) surrounded by a bottom wall (20), a neck (22) opposite the bottom wall (20), and side walls (24, 26, 28, and 30) extending between the bottom wall (20) and the neck (22). The neck has an outwardly extending projection (32) for cooperating with an inwardly extending projection (34) on the lid. The neck also has an inwardly cantilevered sealing flange (36) having a sealing surface and having a first end (40) connected to and forming a hinged intersection with an upwardly extending step (42) located on the opposite side of the bottom wall (20) from the projection (32), and a second end (44) defining an access opening (46) to the interior (18) of the container.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification describes a container having a sealing flange, and in particular a container having an inwardly extending sealing flange with a generally rectangular sealing surface. [Background technology]

[0002] Containers are often formed by injection molding or blow molding. Typical containers produced by blow molding can have various cross-sectional shapes, such as rectangular or circular. However, blow-molded containers often have a circular neck defining a circular access opening, even if the container has a generally rectangular cross-section. The circular neck and circular access opening can facilitate the attachment of a threaded or snap-fit ​​cap. The threaded or snap-fit ​​cap can include an inner sealing membrane that forms a seal against the circular neck to block the circular access opening. Alternatively, the sealing membrane can be sealed directly to the circular neck. However, blow-molded containers with a generally rectangular or square neck and sealing surface present sealing challenges that are not present with circular necks and sealing surfaces. For example, the blow-molding process can result in uneven material, especially at corners. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] The container has a container body having an interior bounded by a bottom wall, a neck opposite the bottom wall, and a sidewall extending between the bottom wall and the neck. The container body can be blow molded. The neck has an outwardly extending protrusion for cooperating with an inwardly extending protrusion on the lid. The neck also has an inwardly cantilevered sealing flange for sealingly attaching a sealing barrier. The sealing flange is connected to an upwardly extending step to form a hinged intersection and has a first end positioned opposite the protrusion relative to the bottom wall and a second end defining an access opening to the interior of the container. The sealing flange extends at an oblique angle away from the bottom wall so that the sealing flange can pivot toward the bottom wall about the hinged intersection with the step while sealing the sealing barrier to the sealing flange. The sealing flange presents a non-circular sealing surface, such as a generally rectangular shape.

[0004] In one aspect, the access opening is non-circular. For example, the access opening can be generally rectangular, such as generally square. The sealing flange can have a width extending from the first end and the second end. The width of the sealing flange can be constant around the access opening, or the width can vary around the access opening.

[0005] In one aspect, the sealing flange has four generally straight segments and four corner regions. Each of the generally straight segments can have a central portion that is increased in height relative to the bottom wall compared to the corner regions. In other words, the generally straight segments can be curved.

[0006] In one aspect, the sidewall of the container body defines a generally rectangular perimeter of the container body.

[0007] In one aspect, the container body can have a generally rectangular cross-section parallel to and spaced from the bottom wall at one or more locations along the height of the side wall.

[0008] In one aspect, the sidewall of the container body defines a hollow handle spaced from the remainder of the container body by a through opening, the hollow handle being capable of communicating with the interior of the container body at one or both ends of the handle.

[0009] In one embodiment, the container body is formed by blow molding.

[0010] In one embodiment, the container body is formed by blow molding, and a pair of diagonally opposite corners of the sealing flange have pinch lines extending across 50% or less of the width of the sealing flange at each of the pair of corners.

[0011] In one aspect, a method of forming a container includes blow molding a container body.

[0012] In one aspect, the container includes a sealing barrier sealed to the sealing flange to seal the interior of the container body.

[0013] In one aspect, the container includes a lid removably attached to the neck of the container and covering the access opening and the sealing barrier. The lid can have a top wall and a depending skirt. The skirt can have inwardly extending protrusions configured to cooperate with outwardly extending protrusions on the neck of the container body to secure the lid to the neck of the container body, such as by a snap fit.

[0014] In one aspect, a method of forming a container includes positioning a sealing barrier against a sealing flange of a container body and then applying heat and pressure to the sealing barrier to pivot the sealing flange inward about a hinged intersection with the shoulder and seal the sealing barrier to the sealing flange. The method may include filling the container with a hygroscopic beverage powder before the steps of positioning the sealing barrier and applying heat and pressure to the sealing barrier. The method may also include removably attaching a lid to the neck of the container to cover the access opening after the steps of filling the container with the hygroscopic beverage powder, positioning the sealing barrier, and applying heat and pressure to the sealing barrier.

[0015] 1. A method for sealing a blow-molded container having a generally polygonal sealing surface with a plurality of segments extending between adjacent corner regions with a sealing barrier using a flat sealing head surface, wherein the generally polygonal sealing surface is positioned opposite a lid lock projection relative to a bottom wall of the container, the generally polygonal sealing surface extends at an inward and upward angle relative to the flat sealing head surface, the generally polygonal sealing surface is closer to the flat sealing head surface before sealing at the plurality of segment regions compared to the corner regions, and the generally polygonal sealing surface deflects toward the bottom wall of the container during sealing of the sealing barrier with the flat sealing head surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a generally rectangular container having a container body with a sidewall, a neck, and a handle, and a lid attached to the neck of the container body.

[0017] [Figure 2] 2 is a bottom perspective view of the container of FIG. 1, showing the bottom wall of the container body.

[0018] [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the container of FIG. 1.

[0019] [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a front view of the container of FIG. 1.

[0020] [Figure 5] 2 is an exploded view of the container of FIG. 1 showing the container body, sealing barrier, and lid.

[0021] [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of the container body shown in FIG.

[0022] [Figure 7] 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 10, showing the neck of the container body and the sealing flange of the neck.

[0023] [Figure 8] 8 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7, but further showing a sealing barrier sealed to the sealing surface of the sealing flange of the neck, and a lid attached to the neck of the container body.

[0024] [Figure 9] 2 is a top perspective view of the container body of the container of FIG. 1 showing the sealing flange and the access opening defined by the sealing flange.

[0025] [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container body of the container of FIG.

[0026] [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram of the height variation of the sealing flange around the access opening relative to the bottom wall. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Described herein is a container 10 having a container body 12, a sealing barrier 14, and a lid 16, an embodiment of which is shown in Figures 1-11. The container body 12 can be formed by blow molding.

[0028] Container body 12 has an interior 18 bounded by a bottom wall 20, a neck 22 opposite bottom wall 20, which may be non-circular, and sidewalls 24, 26, 28, and 30 extending between bottom wall 20 and neck 22. Neck 22 has an outwardly extending protrusion 32 for cooperating with an inwardly extending protrusion 34 on lid 16, as shown in FIG. The neck 22 also has an inwardly cantilevered sealing flange 36 that provides a non-circular sealing surface 38, such as a generally rectangular shape, and has a first end 40 connected to an upwardly extending step 42 to form a hinged intersection located opposite the projection 32 relative to the bottom wall 20, and a second end 44 that defines the periphery of an access opening 46 to the interior 18 of the container, the sealing flange 36 extending at an oblique angle away from the bottom wall 20 so that the sealing flange 36 can pivot toward the bottom wall 20 about the hinged intersection with the step 42 during sealing of the sealing barrier 14 against the sealing surface 38 of the sealing flange 36.

[0029] Referring now to the container body 12 in greater detail, the bottom wall 20 includes a generally rectangular perimeter having four corners 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, with generally straight segments 20e, 20f, 20g, and 20h extending between the corners 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, respectively. The generally straight segments 20e, 20f, 20g, and 20h need not necessarily be perfectly straight; rather, they may be curved, and in the illustrated example, may be outwardly curved. Side walls 24, 26, 28, and 30 extend upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall 20 to the neck 22 of the container body 12. There are four side walls 24, 26, 28, and 30, including a left side wall 24, a front side wall 26, a right side wall 28, and a rear side wall 30. Adjacent ones of the side walls 24, 26, 28, and 30 intersect at rounded corners 24a, 26a, 28a, and 30a. Optionally, the recess 48 can extend into some or all of the side walls 24, 26, 28, and 30, such as for placement of a label.

[0030] The bottom wall 20, side walls 24, 26, 28 and 30, and neck 22 define an interior 18 of the container 10 having an access opening 46 through the neck 22, as described in more detail herein.

[0031] A pair of adjacent side walls, such as the left side wall 24 and rear side wall 30 as shown, can have an opening 50 therethrough such that a handle 52 is formed adjacent one of the corners 30a of the container body 12. The handle 52 can have an upper end 54 adjacent the neck 22 and a lower end 56 adjacent the bottom wall 20. The handle 52 can be hollow and communicate with the remainder of the interior at its upper end 54 and / or lower end 56. In the case of a blow-molded container body 12, a slidable insert can be used in conjunction with the mold to form the handle opening 50. However, a narrow area without an opening can be used in place of the handle 52 to provide a gripping location.

[0032] The neck 22 of the container body 12 is configured for removable attachment of a lid 16, such as a snap-on lid. To this end, the neck 22 includes outwardly extending projections 32 spaced from the side wall 24. The projections 32, 26, 28, and 30 are formed by recesses or grooves 58. The projections 32 may be curved. The lid 16 includes a top wall 60 and a depending skirt 62. The skirt 62 has inwardly extending curved projections 34 configured to cooperate with the outwardly extending projections 32 on the neck 22 of the container body 12 to secure the lid 16 to the neck 22 of the container body 12. When the lid 16 is pressed against the neck 22 of the container body 12, the inwardly extending projections 34 of the lid 16 contact the outwardly extending projections 32 on the neck 22 of the container body 12. As the lid 16 is moved further onto the neck 22 of the container body 12, the skirt 62 and inwardly extending projections 34 of the lid 16 bend outwardly, away from the outwardly extending projections 32 of the neck 22 of the container body 12, until the inwardly extending projections 34 of the skirt 62 of the lid 16 pass over the outwardly extending projections 32 of the neck 22 of the container body 12 and are received in the recesses 58 of the neck 22, as shown in Figure 8. Removal of the lid 16 can be achieved by pulling the lid 16 away from the neck 22 of the container body 12 and sliding the inwardly extending projections 34 of the skirt 62 of the lid 16 over the outwardly extending projections 32 of the neck 22 of the container body 12.

[0033] The neck 22 of the container 12 is also configured for sealing attachment of the sealing barrier 14 to block the access opening 46. More specifically, the neck 22 includes a sealing flange 36 to which the sealing barrier 14 is sealed, as shown in FIG. 7 . As described above, the sealing flange 36 includes a first end 40 and a second end 44. The first end 40 is connected to an upwardly extending step 42 located above the outwardly extending projection 32 of the neck 22, opposite the outwardly extending projection 32 relative to the side walls 24, 26, 28, and 30 of the container body 12. The first end 40 of the sealing flange 36 forms a hinged intersection with the step 42. The second end 44 of the sealing flange 36 defines the perimeter of the access opening 46 to the interior 18 of the container body 12. The sealing flange 36 extends at an oblique angle away from the bottom wall 20. In other words, the first end 40 of the sealing flange 36 is closer to the bottom wall 20 of the container body 12 than the second end 44 of the sealing flange 36 .

[0034] The sealing flange 36 cantilevers inward. Optionally, the perimeter of the access opening 46 may be defined by the maximum perimeter of the side walls 24, 26, 28, and 30, taken from parallel planes, in projection. The sealing flange 36 has a width extending between its first end 40 and second end 44. While preferably linear or flat across its width or a majority thereof, the sealing flange 36 need not be completely linear or flat. The sealing flange 36 extends continuously around the access opening 46. The sealing flange 36 has four generally linear segments 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d and four corner regions 36e, 36f, 36g, and 36h.

[0035] The sealing barrier 14 can be formed from any suitable material, such as a laminated foil, a laminated film, or the like. The sealing barrier 14 has a heat sealant layer on its underside, and upon application of heat and pressure to its upper, opposite side, the heat sealant layer adheres to the sealing surface 38 of the sealing flange 36. The heat and pressure can be applied, for example, using a sealing platen having a flat sealing surface. Induction sealing can also be used.

[0036] During sealing of the sealing barrier 14 to the sealing surface 38 of the sealing flange 36, pressure applied to the sealing barrier 14, and therefore the sealing flange 36, can cause the sealing flange 36 to pivot inward about the hinged intersection with the step 42. Not all portions of the sealing flange 36 need to pivot inward about the hinged intersection to the same extent. This may be because the sealing flange 36 is not uniformly formed around the entire periphery of the access opening 46. For example, the container body 12 may shrink after blow molding, with some areas shrinking more than others. While such shrinkage variations are small, they may be sufficient to cause variations in the height of a given portion of the sealing flange 36 relative to the height of another portion of the sealing flange 36 relative to the bottom wall 20, for example. By intentionally designing the bending or pivoting of the sealing flange 36 about the hinged intersection with the step 42, these variations can be accommodated during sealing, ultimately resulting in a flatter sealing area of ​​the sealing surface 38 on the sealing flange 36 for sealing of the sealing barrier 14.

[0037] In a specific example, step 42 can have a height of h, sealing flange 36 can have a protruding width of pw, and sealing flange 36 can have an inclination angle of α relative to a plane parallel to bottom wall 20. Additionally, there can be a radius r at the hinged intersection of step 42 and sealing flange 36. In an exemplary embodiment, these variables can have the following values, although other values ​​may be suitable: [Table 1]

[0038] As discussed above, variations in the sealing flange 36, such as due to the blow molding technique, can result in a non-uniform sealing flange 36 around the access opening 46. For example, unlike a container with a circular cross-section or footprint, a blow-molded container with a generally rectangular cross-section or footprint can have thicker sidewalls adjacent to the corner regions but not between the corner regions. This can result in shrinkage and other variations that affect the height of the sealing flange 36 above the bottom wall 20 around the access opening 46. The thicker sidewalls adjacent the corner regions can make the adjacent portions of the sealing flange 36 less flexible compared to the portion of the sealing flange 36 midway between the adjacent corner regions. To address these challenges with bending of the sealing flange 36 adjacent the side walls 24, 26, 28, and 30 and the corner regions 24a, 26a, 28a, and 30a of the neck 22, the generally linear segments 36e, 36f, 36g, and 36h of the sealing flange 36 each have a central portion that has an increased height relative to the bottom wall 20 compared to the corner regions 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d of the sealing flange 36. This is shown schematically in FIG. 11, which is not to scale but shows that the central portions of the generally linear segments 36e, 36f, 36g, and 36h are higher than the corner regions 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d. Thus, with the four central portions and four corner regions 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d, there are four peaks and four valleys. Of course, other curves or shapes could be used to achieve this. Advantageously, when pressed by a sealing platen through the intermediate sealing barrier 14, the sealing flange 36 flexes more in the central regions of the generally straight segments 36e, 36f, 36g, and 36h than in the corner regions 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d, but the sealing flange 36 also has less stiffness or resistance to pivoting about the hinged intersections in the central regions of the generally straight segments 36e, 36f, 36g, and 36h compared to the corner regions 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d. This results in a more uniform sealing surface 38 of the sealing flange 36, which can provide a more consistent seal between the sealing flange 36 and the sealing barrier 14.

[0039] The addition of the handle 52 to the container body 12 limits the location of the mold parting line, and therefore the pinch-off area. With the handle 52 at the intersection of two of the side walls 24 and 30, the mold parting line extends from the adjacent corner region 36a to the diagonally opposite corner region 36c, as shown in FIG. 10 . The pinch-off line extends across a portion of the mold parting line, and when the pinch-off area is removed, pinch-off lines 36i and 36j can remain on the sealing flange 36 adjacent those two corner regions 36a and 36c. The pinch-off lines can result in an uneven surface on the sealing flange. It is preferable to reduce the length of the pinch lines 36i and 36j, such as to no more than 50% of the width of the sealing flange 36, which can be achieved by shortening the pinch-off area via mold design so that the pinch-off area does not extend across the entire sealing flange 36 adjacent those two corners 36i and 36j.

[0040] The container 10 described herein may be suitable for containing hygroscopic beverage powders. In one non-limiting example, the container 10 may have a footprint of approximately 138 mm by approximately 138 mm and a height of approximately 169 mm, with the opening 50 for the handle 52 having a maximum height of approximately 105 mm. Of course, other dimensions can be used for different sized containers. For example, the footprint may be 100 mm to 200 mm on each side, such as a roughly square or rectangular shape. The height may be 125 mm to 225 mm, with the handle opening having a maximum height of approximately 50% to 75% of the container height. However, these are non-limiting examples.

[0041] It will be understood that the terms bottom wall and side wall do not require a single surface, such as a single flat or curved surface, but rather may be formed from multiple connected or relatively connected surfaces. It will also be understood that the terms generally rectangular and generally square do not require a perfect rectangle or perfect square, e.g., a 90-degree intersection. Such terms include readily identifiable corner regions having segments extending therebetween, which segments need not be perfectly straight, but rather may have some curvature, wave, or curve. This is in contrast to an oval or circular shape.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a container body having an interior bounded by a bottom wall, a neck opposite the bottom wall, and a sidewall extending between the bottom wall and the neck; the neck having an outwardly extending protrusion that cooperates with an inwardly extending protrusion on a lid; and an inwardly cantilevered sealing flange presenting a non-circular sealing surface and connected to an upwardly extending step to form a hinged intersection, the sealing flange having a first end positioned opposite the protrusion relative to the bottom wall and a second end defining an access opening to the interior of the container, the sealing flange extending at an oblique angle away from the bottom wall such that the sealing flange can pivot toward the bottom wall about the hinged intersection with the step while sealing a sealing barrier to the sealing flange.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the access opening is non-circular.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the access opening is generally rectangular.

4. 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the sealing flange has four generally linear segments and four corner regions.

5. The container of claim 4 , wherein each of the generally linear segments has a central portion of increased height relative to the bottom wall compared to the corner regions.

6. The container of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sidewall of the container defines a generally rectangular periphery of the container body.

7. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the side wall of the container body defines a hollow handle spaced from the remainder of the container body by a through opening.

8. The container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the container body is formed by blow molding.

9. The container body is formed by blow molding, 5. The container of claim 4, wherein a pair of diagonally opposed corner regions of the sealing flange have pinch lines extending 50% or less of the width of the sealing flange in each of the pair of corner regions.

10. A method of forming a container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising blow moulding the container body.

11. A container according to any preceding claim, further comprising a sealing barrier sealed to the non-circular sealing surface of the sealing flange to seal the interior of the container body.

12. A container according to any preceding claim, further comprising a lid removably attached to the neck of the container and covering the access opening.

13. 13. The container of claim 12, wherein the lid has a top wall and a depending skirt, the skirt having inwardly extending projections configured to cooperate with the outwardly extending projections on the neck of the container body to secure the lid to the neck of the container body.

14. positioning the sealing barrier against the sealing surface of the sealing flange of the container body; and and applying heat and pressure to the sealing barrier to pivot the sealing flange inward about the hinged intersection with the shoulder and seal the sealing barrier to the sealing surface of the sealing flange.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising filling the container with a hygroscopic beverage powder prior to positioning the sealing barrier and applying heat and pressure to the sealing barrier.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising removably attaching a lid to the neck of the container to cover the access opening after the steps of filling the container with a hygroscopic beverage powder, positioning the sealing barrier, and applying heat and pressure to the sealing barrier.

17. 1. A method for sealing a blow-molded container having a generally polygonal sealing surface with a plurality of segments extending between adjacent corner regions with a sealing barrier using a flat sealing head surface, wherein the generally polygonal sealing surface is positioned opposite a lid lock projection relative to a bottom wall of the container, the generally polygonal sealing surface extends at an inward and upward angle relative to the flat sealing head surface, the generally polygonal sealing surface is closer to the flat sealing head surface before sealing in the regions of the plurality of segments between the corner regions compared to the corner regions, and the generally polygonal sealing surface deflects toward the bottom wall of the container during sealing of the sealing barrier with the flat sealing head surface.

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