DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, numeral 10 generally designates a closure constructed in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Closure 10 is generally used as a lid for covering a container 12 that is adapted to hold various types of foods, such as ice cream, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt and similar perishable products. As best seen in FIG. 3, container 12 may be a cylindrical or frustoconical coated paperboard that includes a bottom wall, not shown, that is coupled to a side wall 14.

[0021] As best seen in FIG. 5, a top portion of the side wall 14 is rolled outwardly to provide a curved rim 16 that extends around an open end of container 12. Rim 16 is generally circular in nature and its outwardly rolled configuration enhances the rigidity of container 12. An outside surface of the rim 16 is folded underneath itself and abuts an outer portion of the side wall 14. A lower edge of the rim 16 extends downwardly to form a lip 18 that is used to retain the closure 10 in place when placed over the open end of the container 12.

[0022] As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the closure 10 is preferably a single piece construction formed by injection molding or other type of molding process. The closure 10 is preferably formed of any thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or other similar polymeric material. The closure 10 is generally discoidal or disc shaped and is designed to cover the open end of the container 12 through the use of a lid body 20, a rib 22 and a skirt 24. The body 20 has an outer periphery that is generally circular to match the shape of the generally circular open end of the container 12. The body 20 serves as a barrier between the contents contained within container 12 and the external environment. The skirt 24 extends downwardly from the peripheral edge of the body 20 and is used to removably couple the body to the container 12. The rib 22 facilitates the coupling of the body 20 with the skirt 24 and provides improved rigidity to the closure 10.

[0023] As best seen in FIG. 2, the skirt 24 includes an upper interior surface 26 and a lower interior surface 28. The upper interior surface 26 is adapted to interact with the rim 16 of the container 12. Specifically, the upper interior surface 26 includes three shoulders 30 that extend inwardly towards the center of the closure 10 provide for the closure 10 to be snapped on to the rim 16 to hold the contents in the container 12. It will be understood and appreciated that it is within the scope of the present invention to include more or less than three shoulders on the skirt 24 to releasably hold the closure 10 on the container 12. The lower interior surface 28 is offset from upper surface 26 to form a recess 32. More specifically, the diameter of the lower interior surface 28 is greater than the diameter of the upper interior surface 26. This difference in diameter provides for the recess 32 in the skirt 24. The recess 32 is provided to enable a lock ring 34 to fit therein, as described in more detail below. Further, and as best seen in FIG. 1, a cutout 36 is formed in the skirt 24 to provide access to the lock ring 34 to facilitate tearing the lock ring 34 away from skirt 24. It is within the scope of this invention to include more than one cutout to allow for the tearing away of the lock ring 34 from the skirt 24.

[0024] As best seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the lock ring 34 is used as a locking mechanism and includes an outer surface 38 and a free edge 40. the lock ring 34 is hingedly coupled with the skirt 24 along a weakened tear line 42. The lock ring 34 is to be folded inwardly along tear line 42 and will then be received in recess 32. In particular, when the lock ring 34 is placed in the recess 32, the outer surface 38 of the lock ring 34 is generally flush with the upper interior surface 26 of the skirt 24. It will be understood and appreciated that it is within the scope of the present invention to alter the depth of the recess 32, or the thickness of the lock ring 34, so that the outside surface 38 of the lock ring 34 has a larger diameter relative to the diameter of the upper interior surface 26 of the skirt 24 when the lock ring 34 is positioned in the recess 32 to enable the skirt 24 to be placed around the rim 16 without interference from the lock ring 34. Therefore, the lock ring 34 may be folded inwardly toward the lower interior surface 28 prior to placing the closure 10 around the open end of the container 12 without interference from the lock ring 34. Thus, the existence of the recess 32 eliminates the need for an additional machine or process to fold the lock ring 34 inwardly after the closure 10 has been placed over the open end of the container 12. As best seen in FIG. 3, the tear line 42 in turn allows the lock ring 34 to be detached or removed from the skirt 24 to permit the closure 10 to be removed from container 12.

[0025] In use, the closure 10 is initially in the form shown in FIG. 2 with the lock ring 34 extending downwardly from the skirt 24. As best seen in FIG. 6, the lock ring 34 is then bent or folded inwardly along the tear line 42 to form a V-shape with the lower interior surface 28 of the skirt 24. Two or more closures 10 may be stacked on top of each other to facilitate the storage and shipping of the closures 10. Contents, such as ice cream, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt and the like, are then placed in the container 12. As best seen in FIG. 5, the closure 10 is then slid over the open end of the container 12 in the direction of arrow 44. In particular, as the closure 10 is placed over the open end of the container 12, the outer surface 38 of the lock ring 34 comes into contact with the rim 16 of the container 12 and the lock ring 34 is pushed into the recess 32. At this point, the outer surface 38 of the lock ring 34 and the upper interior surface 26 of the skirt 24 are generally flush or level with one another.

[0026] As best seen in FIG. 4, the closure 10 is then pushed down to a point where the shoulders 30 are in contact with the rim 16 and the closure 10 is seated on the rim 16. The lock ring 34 then extends or springs toward the side wall 14 of the container 12 so that the free edge 40 of the lock ring 34 is positioned beneath the lip 18 of the container 12. Once the lock ring 34 is positioned beneath the lip 18, the lock ring 34 operates as a locking mechanism to secure the closure 10 to the rim 16 until the lock ring 34 is torn away from the skirt 24. In the present invention, the lock ring 34 may be folded inwardly along the tear line 42 prior to being slid over the rim 16 of the container 12. This eliminates the need for an additional machine or process to activate the locking mechanism by folding the lock ring 34 inwardly after the skirt 24 is placed around the rim 16. The prior art disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,432 to Smith did not, because of its lack of a recess 32, permit the lock ring 34 to be folded inwardly prior to assembly of the lid container.

[0027] To remove the lock ring 34 from the closure 10, the lock ring 34 may be grasped through the cutout 36 of the skirt 24 by a user and pulled in the direction of arrow 46 in FIG. 3. This motion breaks the lock ring 34 away from the skirt 24 along the weakened tear line 42. The severed lock ring 34 may then be discarded. After the lock ring 34 has been removed, the shoulders 30 help the closure 10 on the open end of the container 12 through the use of friction, thread and groove or other like configurations that would allow the closure 10 to be removably coupled to the container 12. The closure 10 may then be removed from the container 12 by pulling upwardly on the skirt 24 until the shoulders 30 are no longer able to hold the closure 10 on the rim 16 of the container 12. Once the closure 10 is removed, a user may access the contents of the container 12. After the lock ring 34 is torn away from the skirt 24, the closure 10 may be then re-coupled with the rim 16 of the container 10. Specifically, the shoulders 30 are placed in contact with the rim 16 and operate hold the closure 10 on the container 12 through the use of friction, thread and groove or other lid fastening means.

[0028] The condition of the lock ring 34 provides notice as to whether the contents within the container 12 may have disturbed, tampered with or exposed to the external environment. If the lock ring 34 is still present and the tear line 42 has not been broken, then the closure 12 has not been removed from the container 12 and the contents within the container 12 have not been exposed to the external environment. However, if the lock ring 34 is not present or the tear line 42 has been broken, then the closure 10 has potentially been removed from the container 10 and the contents within the container 12 may have been tampered with or exposed to the external environment.

[0029] From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the invention.

[0030] Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention, and not in a limiting sense.