Container lid

Abstract

A container lid system is compatible with traditional metal-rimmed paper ice cream containers, and protects the user from interaction with any sharp metal edges or points. The lid system includes a protector strip disposed over the metal rim, which completely shields the user from contact with any sharp rim edges. A selectively removable and replaceable lid allows the containers to be shipped, opened and used while maintaining protection of with the rim. The lid may also serve as, or be provided with, a replaceable night cover compatible with the protected rim. Accordingly, the metal rim strip is never exposed to the user's hands or arms during use of the ice cream container, either during initial removal of the lid or when replacing and subsequently removing of the night cover.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container lid system comprising:
 a container body defining an interior container volume with an access opening;   a reinforcement strip fixed to said access opening, said reinforcement strip having an interior portion protruding at least partially into said container volume;   a protector strip attached to said reinforcement strip and covering said interior portion of said reinforcement strip;   a lid sized to be received over said access opening to substantially seal said interior container volume; and   a tear-away strip removably affixed to said lid such that said lid is affixed to said protector strip when said tear-away strip is affixed to said lid, and said lid is removable from said protector strip when said tear-away strip is removed from said lid.   
     
     
         2 . The container lid system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said protector strip comprises a peripheral portion of said lid sized to be received on said reinforcement strip; and   said tear-away strip comprises an interior tear-away strip disposed between said peripheral portion of said lid and a central portion of said lid, such that said central portion of said lid is removable to unseal said interior container volume while said peripheral portion remains attached to said reinforcement strip.   
     
     
         3 . The container lid system of  claim 2 , wherein said interior tear-away strip is removably affixed to an interior portion of said protector strip by a loop of thinned and/or perforated material corresponding to a circumference of said access opening. 
     
     
         4 . The container lid system of  claim 2 , further comprising a secondary lid sized to be received over said peripheral portion of said lid to selectively reseal said interior container volume after said tear-away strip is removed. 
     
     
         5 . The container lid system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 said reinforcement strip is made of a metal material;   said protector strip is made of a flexible polymer material;   said lid is made of one of a paper material and a flexible polymer; and   said secondary lid is made of a flexible polymer material.   
     
     
         6 . The container lid system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of said reinforcement strip and said protector strip has an exterior portion protruding radially outwardly beyond an adjacent outer surface of said container body;   said lid comprises a peripheral portion sized to be received on said protector strip; and   said tear-away strip comprises an exterior tear-away strip including a radially-inwardly extending protrusion removably affixed to an edge of said peripheral portion of said lid, said radially-inwardly extending protrusion radially overlapping said exterior portion of said reinforcement strip such that said peripheral portion of said lid is fixed to said reinforcement strip until said tear-away strip is removed from said peripheral portion.   
     
     
         7 . The container lid system of  claim 6 , wherein said exterior tear-away strip is removably affixed to an outer portion of said protector strip by a loop of thinned and/or perforated material corresponding to a circumference of said access opening. 
     
     
         8 . The container lid system of  claim 6 , further comprising a secondary lid sized to be received over said peripheral portion of said lid to selectively reseal said interior container volume after said tear-away strip is removed, said secondary lid formed as a part of said lid without said tear-away strip. 
     
     
         9 . The container lid system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 said reinforcement strip is made of a metal material;   said protector strip is made of a flexible polymer material;   said lid is made of one of a paper material and a flexible polymer material; and   said secondary lid is made of a flexible polymer material.   
     
     
         10 . A container lid system comprising:
 a container with a container body defining an interior container volume with an access opening;   a reinforcement strip fixed to said access opening, said reinforcement strip having an interior portion protruding at least partially into said container volume;   a protector means for protecting a user of said container from said reinforcement strip;   a lid means for substantially sealing said interior container volume; and   a dislodging means for separating said protector means from said lid means, said dislodging means manipulable by a user of said container lid system to remove said lid means to access said interior container volume.   
     
     
         11 . The container lid system of  claim 10 , wherein said dislodging means also comprises a tamper-evidencing means for indicating whether the interior container volume has been accessed. 
     
     
         12 . The container lid system of  claim 10 , wherein said lid means comprises a means for selectively resealing said interior container volume after said dislodging means has been used to separate said protector means from said lid means. 
     
     
         13 . The container lid system of  claim 12 , wherein said dislodging means comprises an exterior tear-away strip disposed at a peripheral portion of said lid means, said dislodging means including a barrier means for preventing removal of said lid means from said protector means when said exterior tear-away strip is affixed to said lid means. 
     
     
         14 . The container lid system of  claim 10 , further comprising a means for selectively resealing said interior container volume after said dislodging means has been used to separate said protector means from said lid means. 
     
     
         15 . The container lid system of  claim 14 , wherein said dislodging means comprises an interior tear-away strip disposed between said lid means and said protector means. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a container comprising:
 providing a container body defining an interior container volume with an access opening disposed at a boundary of the interior container volume;   affixing a reinforcement strip to the access opening, such that an interior portion of the reinforcement strip protrudes at least partially into the container volume;   attaching a protector strip to the reinforcement strip to cover the interior portion of the reinforcement strip, such that the interior portion is rendered inaccessible by a user when the protector strip is attached to the reinforcement strip; and   providing a lid with a tear-away strip attached thereto, the tear-away strip removably affixed to the lid by a loop of thinned and/or perforated material corresponding to the boundary of the interior container volume.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , in combination with a method of selectively accessing the interior volume of the container comprising:
 with the lid secured to the container body, removing the tear-away strip by tearing the tear-away strip away from the lid along the loop of thinned and/or perforated material, while leaving the protector strip affixed to the access opening; and   removing at least a portion of the lid to expose the interior container volume via the access opening.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the lid includes a peripheral attachment portion sized to be selectively received over the protector strip after said step of removing the tear away strip, the method further comprising:
 removably replacing the lid to re-seal the interior container volume via the access opening, said step of removably replacing comprising attaching the peripheral attachment portion to the access opening over the protector strip.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the protector strip is formed from a peripheral portion of the lid;   said step of removing at least a portion of the lid comprises removing a central portion of the lid;   said step of removing the tear-away strip comprises dislodging the peripheral portion from the central portion to enable said step of removing.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising removably attaching a secondary lid to the protector strip to re-seal the interior container volume via the access opening.