Food Packaging with Lid and Closure System for Packaging

Abstract

Packaging ( 1 ) for a food product, comprising a container ( 2 ) with an opening delimited by a surround ( 32 ) and a closure system ( 3 ) comprising a lid ( 31 ) mounted articulated relative to the container ( 2 ) and able to close off the opening. The lid is locked in the closed position by a locking plate ( 41 ) connected to the lid and an engagement rim secured to the surround. The plate pivots about an axis between a locking position with its catching portion engaged with the rim and an unlocked position. The plate pivots into the unlocked position under manual actuation, away from the catching portion, of an actuating portion towards a central axis (Z). The top face of the lid has a depression ( 47 ) opening laterally and the actuating portion of the plate is advantageously situated level with the mouth of the depression so that it can pivot thereinto and adopt the unlocked position.

1 . Packaging for a food product, comprising:
 a container extending along a central axis from a base as far as an upper face that has an opening delimited by a surround;   a closure system comprising a lid mounted articulated relative to the container between an open position and a closed position in which it closes off the opening; and   a locking device for locking the lid in the closed position and comprising a locking plate connected to the lid and an engagement rim secured to the surround, the locking plate being able to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis between an engagement position and an unlocked position, and having, on either side of said pivot axis, a catching portion and an actuating portion which extend as far as respective free ends, the locking plate pivoting about the pivot axis from the engagement position in which the catching portion engages with the engagement rim in the closed position, into the unlocked position as a result of manual actuation of the actuating portion towards the central axis; wherein the lid has a side wall of a height at least equal to the height of the actuating portion and an upper face that has a depression opening into the side wall, and in that wherein the actuating portion of the locking plate lies level with the mouth of the depression and pivots into said depression to adopt the unlocked position, the catching portion of the locking plate disengaging radially towards the outside of the engagement rim.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , in which the locking plate extends in the continuation of the side wall of the lid in the engagement position. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging according to  claim 1 , in which the free end of the actuating portion is at least three times further away from the pivot axis than is the free end of the catching portion. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging according  claim 1 , in which the closure system comprises an elastic hinge which comprises two hinge elements between which there is formed a gap adjacent to the depression, the engagement rim being inserted into the gap and pressing against the side wall of the lid in the closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging according  claim 1 , in which the catching portion comprises at least one peg directed radially inwards with respect to the central axis and engaging with the engagement rim in locked position so as, in the locked position, to prevent any translational movement of the locking plate in a direction orthogonal to the pivot axis. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging according  claim 1 , in which the actuating portion has an exterior face with at least one projecting rib. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging according  claim 1 , in which the locking plate is associated with at least one tamper-evident feature indicating that the closure system has been tampered with prior to first opening, said tamper-evident feature being connected by a first frangible connection to a lateral edge of the plate and by a second connection to an edge formed between a face of the depression and the side wall of the lid. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging according  claim 1 , in which the locking plate is of planar shape in the region of its actuating portion. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging according  claim 1 , in which the locking plate and the lid are obtained as a single component using injection moulding. 
     
     
         10 . A closure system for packaging, comprising:
 a surround extending in a tubular overall shape about a central axis (Z) and delimiting an opening;   a lid articulated to the surround and able to move between an open position and a closed position in which it closes off the opening from above;   a locking device for locking the lid in the closed position and comprising a locking plate connected to the lid and an engagement rim secured to the surround, said locking plate being able to pivot about a substantially horizontal axis between an engagement position and an unlocked position, and having, on either side of said pivot axis, a catching portion and an actuating portion which extend as far as respective free ends, said locking plate pivoting about the pivot axis from the engagement position in which the catching portion engages with the engagement rim in the closed position, into the unlocked position as a result of manual actuation of the actuating portion towards the central axis; wherein the surround, the lid and the locking device form a one-piece assembly, the lid having a side wall of a height at least equal to the height of the actuating portion and an upper face comprising a depression opening into the side wall, and wherein the actuating portion of the locking plate is situated level with the mouth of the depression and pivots into said depression to adopt the unlocked position, the catching portion of the locking plate disengaging radially towards the outside of the engagement rim.