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 and lies directly under the highest point on the closure. 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cylinder assembly comprising:
 a straight-sided cylindrical container with a closed bottom and an integral side wall forming an annular top rim;   an annular plastic ring having a peripheral portion defining an inverted U-shaped channel adapted to receive and be secured to said top rim, and an integral inner portion forming an upwardly opening U-shaped ring section defining an outer annular wall and an unbraced inner annular wall, the space between said ring walls forming a deep, upward opening annular channel for receiving a complemental annular closure channel; said ring having a radial land between said peripheral portion and said outer wall;   a plastic closure configured to fit into said ring and having an inner deck bounded by an annular portion having inner, middle and outer annular walls, the inner and middle walls forming said complemental closure channel, and the middle and outer walls forming an upwardly opening U-shaped annular channel; said closure channel being dimensioned to fit sealingly into the upwardly opening ring channel to close and seal said container assembly, said outer annular closure wall terminating in an integral, radially outwardly-extending flange that overlies said land in spaced relation thereto when said closure is sealingly applied to said ring; no part of said closure being higher than the top of said flange;   an undercut lock formed between the outermost closure wall and the outermost ring wall; said undercut lock lying directly under said flange; and   said closure and ring being configured to produce sealing contact between both sides of the outer ring wall and both inner surfaces of said inverted U-shaped closure.   
     
     
         2 . An assembly as defined in  claim 1  further including a downwardly-extending lip on said flange to act as a splash guard when reapplying said closure to said ring. 
     
     
         3 . A container assembly as defined in  claim 1  wherein said upwardly opening U-shaped closure channel being complemental to the U-shaped channel of said annular plastic ring so as to fit sealingly therein and being of such depth as to engage said undercut lock before the closure channel bottoms out in the ring channel; 
     
     
         4 . A container assembly as defined in  claim 3  further comprising a radial clearance between the flange and the peripheral ring portion. 
     
     
         5 . 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. 
     
     
         6 . A pry-off plastic container assembly as defined in  claim 1  further including a second undercut lock between the middle wall of the closure and the outer surface of the inner ring wall. 
     
     
         7 . A pry-off plastic container assembly as defined in  claim 1  further including a second undercut lock between the inner wall of the closure and the outer surface of the inner ring wall. 
     
     
         8 . A plastic container assembly comprising:
 a container having a closed, integral bottom, and a generally cylindrical sidewall integral with said bottom and terminating in an unflanged upper rim;   a ring member attached to the top rim of the container by way of an inverted U-shaped channel structure which fits over and onto the unflanged top rim of the container, said ring member defining radially inwardly of said inverted U-shaped channel a recessed land integral with an annular structure having, in section, a U-shaped channel with outer and inner walls;   said container assembly further comprising a closure having a central deck portion and an inverted U-shaped peripheral structure having an outer edge flange and which fits matingly and sealingly into the U-shaped channel of the ring member between the outer and inner walls of said ring member;   an undercut lock between the outer wall of the closure and the inner surface of the outer wall of the ring member; and   a container bottom defining an upwardly extending recess which, when the container is stacked atop another similar container, is located to receive therein the rim structure of a similar container with no ring member attached thereto, the bottom structure further having radially inwardly spaced from said recess a downwardly projecting annular rib structure which extends parallel to the ring member rim structure toward the recessed land to laterally stabilize a container stacked atop another container with a ring member attached thereto.   
     
     
         9 . A plastic container assembly as defined in  claim 8  wherein said closure is configured such that the edge flange has substantially directly over said undercut lock and no part of said closure, when applied to an upright container, is higher than said edge flange. 
     
     
         10 . A plastic container assembly as defined in  claim 9  wherein the ring member is configured to have a radial land adjacent and below the plant of said channel structure to form a clearance with said edge flange when the closure is sealingly applied to the ring member. 
     
     
         11 . A molded plastic paint can comprising:
 a plastic container having a closed bottom and a cylindrical sidewall integral with the closed bottom and terminating in a circular rim;   a plastic ring member attached to said rim and defining a U-shaped channel spaced radially inwardly of said rim by an annular land which lies in a plane below said rim;   a plastic closure having a peripheral structure forming a U-shaped channel that fits sealingly within the U-shaped channel of said ring, said peripheral structure including an outwardly extending flange that overlies said land in spaced relation to form a pry area;   an undercut lock formed by and between the outermost annular mating surfaces of its ring member and closure channels directly under said flange;   the top of said flange lying in the highest plane of said closure when applied to said ring member.   
     
     
         12 . The paint can defined in  claim 11  wherein a downwardly projecting annular lip is formed on the outer edge of said flange. 
     
     
         13 . A plastic container combination comprising:
 a one-piece plastic container having a closed bottom and an open top with a circular rim;   a plastic ring member attached to the top rim and defining a U-shaped channel radially inwardly of said rim; and   a closure having a multi-planar upper surface and a U-shaped channel that fits sealingly into the U-shaped channel of the ring member;   first and second radially spaced undercut locks formed between said ring member and said closure; both of said undercut locks directly underlying points on the surface of the closure that lie in the highest plane of the closure.