CONTAINER WITH LID AND VALVE

Abstract

A multifunctional pot with cap and valve, having a body portion, a cap portion and a multifunction valve provided in the body of the pot, that prevents splashes and promotes additional safety and protection to the pot. The pot has a multifunction valve that has the function of relieving eventual internal pressures and also to act in the full closing of the pot, consequently protecting the product contained inside, for which it features the body of the pot comprising an upper surrounding border being turned over, and therefrom extends and articulates, centrally in its front portion, the pressure relief valve, which is formed by an oblong and laminar tongue provided with an extreme circular salience for fitting in the hole on the cap.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The following refers to a multifunctional pot with a cap and valve for the packaging of food products and other products in general, provided with a gas outlet valve which also constitutes a means or device for closing, which promotes full security and protection to the product contained therein, besides greatly facilitating its handling.

[0002] The pot can be presented in various formats, being preferably manufactured with a prismatic shape and a quadrangular base.

[0003] The embodiments disclosed herein belong to the field of the household appliances, especially of thermoplastic containers with caps made of one unique piece, for example, by molding plastic material for preserving food and provided with a gas discharge means or device, wherein said multifunctional pot also comprises other innovative features that provide greater convenience and efficiency in the field of application to which it is intended.

BACKGROUND

[0004] As known by the consuming public and the professionals involved in the industry and trade of thermoplastic products, particularly of containers with caps for the packaging of food products, the consumer market is widely supplied by products of this nature.

[0005] The vast majority of containers for the packaging of food products, manufactured and marketed by the thermoplastics industry, comprise a body and a corresponding cap produced separately and provided with engagement means that, depending on the accuracy of the manufacturing process, promotes an appropriate or not appropriate closing.

[0006] Many containers provided in the state of art require require special care during the packaging of food, as they offer low closing capacity and hence lower protection capability, which can cause a life reduction of the product therein contained, making it even useless for consumption.

[0007] Some models of existing pots of the consumer market comprise pressure valves on its caps, usually circular elements coupled to it and able to be moved to release the valve, relieving the pressure inside the pot.

[0008] Said models of pots with a pressure valve comply with its intrinsic function, however, it has an important drawback which occurs during manufacturing, namely the need to promote a separate injection for each component element of said pot, namely the body, the cap and the valve. Thus, there are three separate components which are fitted to each other, forming a pot with a cap and a pressure relief valve.

[0009] The state of the art presents some models of pots with caps, of which the document PI1001220-6, filed on Apr. 13, 2010, with the title "IMPROVEMENTS INTRODUCED IN A POT AND CAP, FEATURING A TAMPERPROOF SAFETY SEAL AND SEALING" refers more precisely to a safety seal and sealing, especially used to tamperproof seal the cap, and consequently the pot; said safety seal is configured by juxtaposing the peripheral edge of the cap over the flat surface of a diametrical groove provided in the peripheral tab of the pot, which in turn comprises, in the structural wall, a clearance cutout conforming an access window, in whose wall a pair of identical recesses in the form of weakening lines is configured, consequently, a detachable tab; said sealing of the pot is obtained by reciprocal sealing surfaces, configured by coupling and juxtaposition of the internal surfaces of the sidewalls, the upper edge and the peripheral projection of the cap over the peripheral edge and the structural wall of the diametrical channel of said pot.

[0010] Another document found in the state of the art is the MU8902692-6, filed on Dec. 3, 2009, with the title, " DISPOSITIONS INTRODUCED IN SET OF POT AND CAP", according to which the set of pot and cap is provided with sealing means or device during closure, which prevent the leakage of any fluid contained within the set, even when the same is in an overturned position, and provided with means or a device for the user to write the desired information such, for example, the food packaging date in permanent form, thereby controlling the validity of that food with total safety.

[0011] Finally, there was also found the document MU7401685-7, filed on Sep. 20, 1994, with the title "CONSTRUCTIVE DISPOSITION IN POT WITH CAP AND SEAL", which refers to a provision in a pot with cap and seal by the welding of a malleable film, which consists of the inviolable tamponade, forming an unprecedented improvement.

[0012] In general, the proposed model comprises a packing with a conical trunk body, which comprises a circular cap with a beveled tab having a grooved edge and seal.

[0013] As can be seen from the documents disclosed herein, each of the existing pots in the state of the art has its peculiar characteristics, that is, one pot model is provided with a body and a cap manufactured separately and presents airtightness characteristics. Another pot provides a seal, however it is not airtight. A third model presents only a pressure valve.

[0014] In addition, the parts of a pot with a conventional cap are also manufactured mostly in isolation, a fact that demands at least three different injection processes, one for the body of the pot, another one for the cap and a third one for the injection of the pressure valve, the insertion of the valve in the cap of the pot meaning an additional step in the assembly of the pot itself, a fact that greatly increases the product costs.

SUMMARY

[0015] Thinking of all the drawbacks arising from the pots with caps available in the state of the art, from the low protection capability of the packaged products and the little hermetic capability of most of the mentioned conventional pots, to the difficulty of manufacturing its component parts, and interested in providing improvements to the consumer market, the inventor after extensive research created and developed this "MULTIFUNCTIONAL POT WITH CAP AND VALVE" which should position itself with full prominence among its congeners and customize itself at the consumer market by presenting a new pot with a cap and a pressure relief valve, manufactured in a unique piece, especially developed for the packaging of food products and other products in general, presenting preferably a prismatic format with a quadrangular base, being manufactured of thermoplastic material or of another material with equivalent characteristics and provided with a multifunction valve, which relieves the pressure of eventual internal gases contained in the pot, preventing splashing and promoting additional safety and protection for the pot.

[0016] Furthermore, it greatly facilitates handling, because the effective closure of the cap needs only a light pressure of the fingers, as well as for the closing of the valve, and said pot can be manufactured with various formats.

[0017] An aspect relates to a cap and a pressure relief valve made in one unique piece, presenting high capacity of closing and sealing, and finally, providing a multifunction valve that has the function of relieving any internal pressure and also to act in the full closing of the pot, consequently protecting the product contained inside.

[0018] Therefore, said pot provides substantial ease of handling during the high capacity sealing and closing of the pot, provides easy opening and closing by the user through gentle movements, and comprises a lock carried out in the body of the pot that surrounds part of the cap, locking the whole assembly in a practical and effective way, in addition to working as a pressure valve.

[0019] In addition, by being injected in one unique piece, the parts of the pot--body, cap and lock--don't get lost, and avoid the use of other caps that don't fit perfectly to the pot. The injection in one unique piece provides, to that extent, the conception of a set with identical physical injection characteristics, that does not occur in other pots with caps and valves, besides optimizing productivity and storage.

[0020] The pressure valve of said pot has the function of a front lock, which when opened can be brought to the microwave oven for exhausting of gases without the need to open the cap, and comprises an internal protective cap, without which the area inside the microwave oven would be splattered with the food contained in it.

[0021] Accordingly, the storage is substantially easier and the storage and manufacturing are also substantially simplified, since there are no different stages of injection, but just one, a fact that minimizes manufacturing costs and, moreover, the protection and sealing capacity of the food is higher because it presents a multifunction valve which is able to relieve the pressure of eventual internal gases, besides maximizing the protection of the product contained inside said pot.

[0022] Another feature that is obtained by the single injection process of a full pot is the possibility to do it in multiple colors, which facilitates the viewing for the consumer of each of the portions of said pot--body, cap and lock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0023] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the closed pot, with a cap and a valve;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the pot with the cap and the valve opened;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the pot with the cap and the valve opened;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the pot with the cap and the valve opened; and

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a detail of the fitting of the valve in the body and in the cap of the pot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] With reference to the illustrated drawings, the present Utility Model "MULTIFUNCTIONAL POT WITH CAP AND VALVE" (1) comprises a unique piece, being manufactured of thermoplastic material or other material of similar characteristics, providing a body portion (2), a cap portion (3) and a valve (4) provided in the body (2) of pot (1).

[0030] Said body (2) of pot (1) presents a prismatic shape and a quadrangular base with slightly outward inclined walls, its upper surrounding border (5) being turned over, and therefrom extends and articulates, centrally in its front portion, the valve (4), which is formed by an oblong and laminar tongue (6) provided with an extreme circular salience (7) for fitting into a corresponding hole (8) carried out on the cap (3).

[0031] The upper border (5) of the body (2) of pot (1) provides in its central back portion a small laminar portion (9) which interconnects and articulates the cap, the same presenting a shape corresponding to the body (2) of the pot (1), providing, in turn, a turned over and surrounding border, besides a cradle (10) for the positioning of the valve (4), which provides a recess (11) that simplifies the manipulation of the pressure tongue (6) and a hole (8) for fitting the circular salience (7) carried out on the laminar tongue (6) of the valve (4), and also for the relief of eventual pressures present inside the pot (1), usually originated by heating.

[0032] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0033] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of `a` or `an` throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and `comprising` does not exclude other steps or elements.

Claims

1. A multifunctional pot with cap and valve, comprising a pot manufactured in a single piece, of a thermoplastic material, said pot having a body portion, a cap portion and a valve provided in the body of the pot; the body of the pot comprising an upper surrounding border being turned over, and therefrom extends and articulates, centrally in its front portion, the valve, is formed as an oblong and laminar tongue provided with an extreme circular salience corresponding to the hole carried out on the cap; the upper border of the body of pot provides in its central back portion a small laminar portion which interconnects and articulates the cap, the same presenting a shape corresponding to the body of the pot, providing, in turn, a turned over and surrounding border, besides a cradle for the positioning of the valve, which provides a recess and a hole.