Plastic pry off paint can assembly

Abstract

An all plastic paint container assembly comprising a container, a ring assembly attached to the rim of the container and a pry-off plastic closure having a dual sealing arrangement with the ring member and an undercut lock at a location which provides maximum circumferential area. Containers of this design can be stacked both with and without the ring members attached. Three embodiments are disclosed, providing double and triple closure locks and multiple seals.

1 . A pry-off plastic closure assembly for an open top container comprising:
 a container with a bottom and a side wall forming an annular top rim;   an annular plastic ring having a peripheral portion adapted to be secured to said top rim, and an integral inner portion forming an upwardly opening U-shaped channel defined by inner and outer walls for receiving a complemental closure channel;   a plastic closure having an inner deck bounded by an annular portion having inner, middle and outer walls, the inner and middle walls forming an inverted U-shaped channel, and the middle and outer walls forming an upwardly opening U-shaped annular channel;   said upwardly opening U-shaped channel being complemental to the U-shaped channel of said annular plastic ring so as to fit sealingly therein;   seals formed between the outer ring walls and the inner surfaces of said inverted U-shaped closure channels; and   an undercut lock formed between the outer closure wall and the outer ring wall.   
     
     
         2 . A pry-off plastic closure assembly as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a pry flange formed on the outer closure wall. 
     
     
         3 . An assembly as defined in  claim 2  further including a downwardly-extending lip on the pry flange. 
     
     
         4 . A pry-off plastic closure channel assembly as defined in  claim 2  further comprising a step between the peripheral portion of the ring member and the U-shaped ring channel to form a clearance with the flange. 
     
     
         5 . A container assembly as defined in  claim 4  further comprising a radial clearance between the step and the upwardly opening U-shaped channel. 
     
     
         6 . A pry-off plastic container assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein the container bottom has radially adjacent inner annular tongue and outer annular groove portions, said tongue fitting into said radial clearance when stacked with the container having a ring member attached, said groove receiving the rim in stacked relationship when containers are stacked without a ring member attached. 
     
     
         7 . A pry-off plastic container assembly as defined in  claim 1  further including a second undercut lock between the inner annular wall of the closure and the inner surface of the outer ring wall. 
     
     
         8 . A pry-off plastic container assembly as defined in  claim 1  further including a third undercut lock formed between the outer surface of the outer ring wall and the inner surface of the closure inner wall. 
     
     
         9 . A pry-off plastic container assembly comprising:
 a container;   a ring member attached to the top rim of the container and defining an upwardly opening U-shaped channel with inner and outer walls; and   a closure with integral walls defining both upwardly and downwardly opening U-shaped channels,   said closure as ring members providing three radially spaced undercut locks therebetween.