Lid for sealing on containers of variable inner wall angle

Abstract

A lid with a flexible inner seal portion for fitting onto containers having differently angled inner walls.

1 . A lid comprising:
 a base member comprising a central planar portion;   an inner sidewall that surrounds the base member and that comprises a bottom portion configured to be in contact with a side wall of a container on which the lid is placed;   an outer sidewall that surrounds the inner sidewall and that comprises at least one indentation that projects towards the inner sidewall, the indentation configured to be in contact with the side wall of the container on which the lid is placed;   a top wall that connects the inner sidewall with the outer sidewall;   a brim sealing channel that extends around the base member and that is defined by the inner and outer sidewalls and the top wall;   an annular planar portion that connects the bottom portion of the inner sidewall with the base member, the annular planar portion positioned below the topwall and the base member;   optionally, an upper portion of the inner sidewall, proximal to the topwall, which upper portion seals against an inner side wall of a container on which the lid is placed, wherein the lower portion of the inner sidewall and the upper portion of the inner sidewall are connected to each other via an everted portion of the inner sidewall that projects away from the brim sealing channel;   wherein the annular planar portion comprises at least one groove therein having a bottom portion below a plane of the remainder of the annular planar portion and below a plane of the central planar portion, and wherein the at least one groove is thinnest at a bottom portion of the groove.   
     
     
         2 . The lid of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove is V-shaped in cross-section with a tip of the V being the bottom portion of the groove. 
     
     
         3 . The lid of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the groove separates an inner portion of the annular planar portion from an outer portion of the annular planar portion. 
     
     
         4 . The lid of  claim 3 , wherein the groove is flexible about a vertical axis perpendicular to the annular planar portion of the lid. 
     
     
         5 . The lid of  claim 4 , wherein the groove permits flexion of the outer portion of the annular planar portion, and/or of the lid, so as to seal against an inner wall of a container on which the lid is placed, wherein the inner wall of the container is angled from 2° to 8° relative to a vertical axis in a direction away from a center of the lid. 
     
     
         6 . The lid of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove permits flexion of the outer portion of the annular planar portion and/or of the lid, such that the lower portion of the inner sidewall seals against the inner side wall of a container on which the lid is placed wherein the inner wall is angled from 2° to 8° relative to a vertical axis in a direction away from a center of the lid. 
     
     
         7 . The lid of  claim 1 , wherein the lid is manufactured from polypropylene. 
     
     
         8 . The lid of  claim 1 , wherein the central planar portion is circular. 
     
     
         9 . The lid of  claim 1 , wherein the central planar portion is raised relative to the annular planar portion. 
     
     
         10 . The lid of  claim 1 , wherein the base member further comprises a peripheral rim portion that is raised relative to the annular planar portion, and the central planar portion is depressed relative to the peripheral rim portion and raised relative to the annular planar portion. 
     
     
         11 . The lid of  claim 1 , further comprising a sipping aperture. 
     
     
         12 . The lid of  claim 11 , wherein the sipping aperture is positioned on the peripheral rim portion. 
     
     
         13 . The lid of  claim 11 , wherein peripheral rim portion is chamfered on at least 50% of an outside diameter thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The lid of  claim 13 , wherein the sipping member is positioned on a raised portion of the peripheral rim portion. 
     
     
         15 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing a lid with a flexible inner seal portion for fitting onto containers having differently angled inner walls, the lid comprising:
 a central planar portion;   a brim sealing channel surrounding the central planar portion, forming a circumference;   wherein the brim sealing channel comprises an inner sidewall, and outer sidewall, the inner and outer sidewalls each having a main axis substantially perpendicular to a topwall, wherein the inner sidewall, outer sidewall, and top sidewall form the brim sealing channel;   an annular planar portion around the central planar portion and depressed relative to the topwall and relative to the central planar portion, which annular portion connects with a lower portion of the inner sidewall;   at least one indentation disposed annularly on the outer sidewall, distal to the top wall, and projecting into the brim sealing channel relative to a main plane of the outer sidewall main axis substantially perpendicular to the topwall which indentation presses against an outer side wall of a container on which the lid is placed;   a lower portion of the inner sidewall, distal to the topwall, which lower portion seals against an inner side wall of a container on which the lid is placed;   optionally, an upper portion of the inner sidewall, proximal to the topwall, which upper portion seals against an inner side wall of a container on which the lid is placed, wherein the lower portion of the inner sidewall and the upper portion of the inner sidewall are connected to each other via an everted portion of the inner sidewall that projects away from the brim sealing channel;   wherein the annular planar portion comprises at least one groove therein having a bottom portion below a plane of the remainder of the annular planar portion and below a plane of the central planar portion when the lid is placed in an upright position, and wherein the material from which the lid is fabricated is thinner in the bottom portion of the groove than portions of the groove adjacent to the remainder of the annular planar portion,   and wherein the material from which the lid is fabricated is thinner in the bottom portion of the groove than portions of the groove adjacent to the remainder of the annular planar portion, comprising drawing a polypropylene sheet at a temperature of 250° F. or above into mold comprising a V-shaped groove, wherein the V-shaped groove in a solid is below 100° F., so as to form the lid.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the polypropylene sheet drawn into the mold touches a flat planar surface of the mold before it touches the inside of the V-shaped groove in the mold. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the lid produced comprises thinner polypropylene at a bottom portion of the groove than the thickness of the polypropylene of the annular planar portion. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A lid comprising:
 a base member comprising a central planar portion;   an inner sidewall that surrounds the base member and that comprises a bottom portion configured to be in contact with a side wall of a container on which the lid is placed;   an outer sidewall that surrounds the inner sidewall and that comprises at least one indentation that projects towards the inner sidewall, the indentation configured to be in contact with the side wall of the container on which the lid is placed;   a top wall that connects the inner sidewall with the outer sidewall;   a brim sealing channel that extends around the base member and that is defined by the inner and outer sidewalls and the top wall;   an annular planar portion that connects the bottom portion of the inner sidewall with the base member, the annular planar portion positioned below the topwall and the base member;   an upper portion of the inner sidewall, which is proximal to the topwall, and above a first generally concave rib which has an apex extending into the brim sealing channel, which first generally concave rib is positioned above a second generally concave rib which has an apex extending into the brim sealing channel, but wherein the apex of the first rib extends away from a plane of the inner sidewall further into the brim sealing channel than the apex of the second rib extends into the brim sealing channel, and wherein both the first apex and second apex seal against an inner side wall of a container on which the lid is placed,   and wherein the second rib is positioned above a connection of the inner sidewall with the annular planar portion, and wherein a lowermost portion of the first rib and an uppermost portion of the second rib are connected to each other via an everted portion of the inner sidewall that projects away from the brim sealing channel towards a center of the lid.   
     
     
         26 . The lid of  claim 25 , wherein the annular planar portion further comprises at least one groove therein having a bottom portion below a plane of the remainder of the annular planar portion and below a plane of the central planar portion, and wherein the at least one groove is thinnest at a bottom portion of the groove. 
     
     
         27 . The lid of  claim 25 , wherein the the apex of the first rib extends away from a plane of the inner sidewall further into the brim sealing channel than the apex of the second rib extends into the brim sealing channel such that both apexes seal against an inner wall of a container on which the lid is placed, wherein the inner wall of the container is angled from 2° to 8° relative to a vertical axis in a direction away from a center of the lid. 
     
     
         28 .- 40 . (canceled)