Reclosable and tamper-evident plastic container

Abstract

There is provided a container, which can be made of plastic, be tamper-evident and/or reclosable, including a receptacle and a lid engageable together. The lid can include a lid lip superposable against a receptacle lip in a closed configuration of the container. The lid lip can include one or more tear line segments and an opening tab. The container is configurable into an open configuration by pulling the opening tab to tear the lid lip along the tear line segment(s) with an outer lip region of the lid lip remaining bonded to the receptacle lip in the open configuration. The container can also include catch assemblies formed in corners of the container, each one including a receptacle-engagement bulge protruding inwardly from a peripheral wall of the receptacle and a lid engagement bulge protruding outwardly in the at least two of the corners of the lid, the receptacle-engagement bulge releasably interlocking with a corresponding one of the lid-engagement bulges in the closed configuration.

1 . A tamper-evident plastic container having at least one opening longitudinal side, the container comprising:
 a receptacle having, at least along the at least one opening longitudinal side, a receptacle rim, and a receptacle lip protruding outwardly with respect to the receptacle rim; and   a lid engageable with the receptacle and selectively configurable between a closed configuration and at least one open configuration, the lid having, at least along at least one opening longitudinal side, a lid rim, and a lid lip protruding outwardly with respect to the lid rim, the lid lip being superposable against the receptacle lip in the closed configuration, the lid lip comprising at least two tear line segments defined therein and extending at least partially therealong, the at least two tear line segments being located inwardly of a free edge of the lid lip with an outer lip region being defined between the at least two tear line segments and the free edge of the lid lip, the lid lip further comprising an opening tab outwardly protruding from the lid rim and between adjacent ones of the at least two tear line segments, wherein the lid lip is bonded to the receptacle lip in the outer lip region;   whereby the container is configurable into the at least one open configuration by pulling the opening tab to tear the lid lip along the at least two tear line segments with the outer lip region remaining bonded to the receptacle lip in the open configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The tamper-evident plastic container of  claim 1 , further comprising a hinge longitudinal side and the at least one opening longitudinal side comprises one opening longitudinal side, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted to the receptacle at the hinge longitudinal side. 
     
     
         3 . The tamper-evident plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle comprises a receptacle skirt extending downwardly from the receptacle rim, and wherein the receptacle lip protrudes outwardly from the receptacle skirt; and wherein the lid comprises a lid skirt extending downwardly from the lid rim, and a lid lip protruding outwardly from the lid skirt and, wherein the at least two tear line segments are located between the free edge of the lid lip and a junction with the lid skirt and the opening tab protrudes outwardly from the downwardly-extending lid skirt and between adjacent ones of the at least two tear line segments. 
     
     
         4 . The tamper-evident plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle lip has an indentation defined therein and extending inwardly from a free edge of the receptacle lip, the opening tab being superposed to the indentation in the closed configuration of the lid. 
     
     
         5 . The tamper-evident plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle further comprises a lid-engagement portion including the receptacle rim and a receptacle skirt extending downwardly from an outer edge of the receptable rim; and wherein the lid further comprises: a central closure preventing access to the storage compartment in the closed configuration and a lid inner wall extending upwardly from the central closure at least partially along a periphery of the central closure, the lid rim extending outwardly from an upper portion of the lid inner wall along at least a portion of the lid inner wall, and a lid skirt extending downwardly from an outer end of the lid rim; the lid inner wall, the lid rim, and the lid skirt defining together a downwardly-opened engagement cavity receiving the lid-engagement portion in the closed configuration of the lid. 
     
     
         6 . The tamper-evident plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid lip and the receptacle lip extend along a majority of a length of the at least one opening longitudinal side and the opening tab and the indentation are located substantially in a middle of the one of the lid lip and the receptacle lip. 
     
     
         7 . The tamper-evident plastic container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid lip further comprises an inner lip region extending inwardly from the at least two tear line segments, the inner lip region remaining unitary with the opening tab in the open configuration of the lid following tearing of the at least two tear line segments. 
     
     
         8 . A tamper-evident container comprising:
 a receptacle including:
 a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the bottom wall and the peripheral wall defining together a storage compartment having an open top in an upper portion of the peripheral wall; and 
 a receptacle lip extending outwardly with respect to the peripheral wall along at least a portion thereof and having a free edge; 
   a lid engageable with the receptacle and configurable in a closed configuration to prevent access to the storage compartment, the lid having a central closure preventing access to the storage compartment in the closed configuration of the lid and a lid lip extending outwardly with respect to the central closure along at least a portion thereof, the lid lip being superposed to the receptacle lip in the closed configuration of the lid, the lid lip comprising a tearing assembly including:
 at least one tear line extending at least partially along a length of the lid lip and between a free edge and an inner lid lip edge of the lid lip and dividing the lid lip into an inner lip region located between the inner lid lip edge and the at least one tear line and an outer lip region located between the at least one tear line and the free edge of the lid lip; 
   wherein one of the receptacle lip and the lid lip comprises an indentation defined therein and extending inwardly from a respective one of the free edge of the receptacle lip and the free edge of the lid lip and the other one of the receptacle lip and the lid lip comprising an opening tab superposed to the indentation in the closed configuration of the lid, the opening tab being graspable and connected to the at least one tear line to tear the at least one tear line when an opening force is exerted on the opening tab and separate the inner lip region from the outer lip region with the outer lip region remaining permanently bonded to the receptacle lip.   
     
     
         9 . The tamper-evident container of  claim 8 , wherein the receptacle further comprises a lid-engagement portion including:
 a receptacle rim extending outwardly with respect to the peripheral wall at least partially along a periphery thereof; and   a receptacle skirt extending downwardly from an outer edge of the receptable rim at least partially along a portion of the receptacle rim; and   
       wherein the lid further comprises:
 a lid inner wall extending upwardly from the central closure at least partially along a periphery of the central closure; 
 a lid rim extending outwardly from an upper portion of the lid inner wall along at least a portion of the lid inner wall; and 
 a lid skirt extending downwardly from an outer end of the lid rim at least partially along a portion of the lid rim; 
 the lid inner wall, the lid rim, and the lid skirt defining together a downwardly-opened engagement cavity receiving the lid-engagement portion in the closed configuration of the lid. 
 
     
     
         10 . The tamper-evident container of  claim 9 , wherein the lid lip extends outwardly from the lid skirt and the receptacle lip extends outwardly from the receptacle skirt and wherein the lid lip and the receptacle lip extend at respective lower ends of the lid skirt and the receptable skirt. 
     
     
         11 . The tamper-evident container of  claim 8 , wherein the lid further comprises a lid skirt located outwardly from the central closure along at least a portion thereof and wherein the lid lip extends outwardly from the lid skirt and from a lower end of the lid skirt. 
     
     
         12 . The tamper-evident container of  claim 8 , wherein the lid is pivotally connected to the receptacle along a portion of a periphery of the container, opposed to the tearing assembly, and each one of the receptacle and the lid comprises two longitudinal sides with the tearing assembly of the lid extending along one of the two longitudinal sides and the lid and the receptacle are pivotally connected at the other one of the longitudinal sides. 
     
     
         13 . The tamper-evident container of  claim 8 , wherein the opening tab and the indentation are located substantially in a middle of the one of the lid lip and the receptacle lip and the at least one tear line comprises at least two tear line segments, at least one of the at least two tear line segments extending on a respective side of a respective one of the opening tab and the indentation. 
     
     
         14 . The tamper-evident container of  claim 8 , wherein the receptacle lip comprises the indentation and the lid lip comprises an opening tab; wherein the inner lip region remains unitary with the opening tab in an open configuration of the lid following tearing of the at least one tear line; and wherein the inner lip region is spaced-apart from the receptacle and the outer lip region remains superposed to the receptacle lip in an open configuration of the lid following tearing of the at least one tear line. 
     
     
         15 . A reclosable plastic container comprising:
 a receptacle having a bottom wall, a peripheral wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall to define a storage compartment, and a receptacle rim at least partially circumscribing the peripheral wall along a portion of a periphery of the receptacle and outwardly with respect to the peripheral wall; the peripheral wall having at least one longitudinal segment, at least two lateral segments, and at least two corner segments; the at least two corner segments being located at a junction of the at least one longitudinal segment and the at least two lateral segments; wherein the peripheral wall comprises, in each one of the at least two corner segments, a receptacle engagement bulge protruding inwardly in an upper portion of the peripheral wall; and   a lid engageable with the receptacle in a closed configuration preventing access to the storage compartment, the lid comprising a central closure, a lid rim at least partially circumscribing the central closure, and a lid inner wall connecting the central closure to the lid rim, the lid inner wall having at least one longitudinal segment, at least two lateral segments, and at least two corner segments located at a junction of the at least one longitudinal segment and the at least two lateral segments, the at least two corner segments extending outwardly with respect to the at least one longitudinal segment and the at least two lateral segments to define at least two outwardly-extending lid corner portions, wherein the lid inner wall comprises, in each one of the at least two corner segments, a lid engagement bulge protruding outwardly from a respective one of the outwardly-extending lid corner portions;   wherein in the closed configuration, the lid rim is superposed to the receptacle rim and, in the at least two corner segments, the lid engagement bulges are inserted below a respective one of the receptacle engagement bulges and engaged therewith and wherein at least one of the lid engagement bulge and the receptacle engagement bulge is deformable to configure the container in an open configuration.   
     
     
         16 . The reclosable plastic container as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the peripheral wall of the receptacle further comprises a receptacle inner wall and a lid-abutting inner shoulder connecting the receptacle rim to a lower portion of the peripheral wall, the lid-abutting inner shoulder extending outwardly from the lower portion of the peripheral wall and the receptacle inner wall extending upwardly from the lid-abutting inner shoulder and being connected to the receptacle rim, the receptacle engagement bulges protruding inwardly from the receptacle inner wall at the least in the at least two corner segments and above the lid-abutting inner shoulder. 
     
     
         17 . The reclosable plastic container as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the lid engagement bulge and the receptacle engagement bulge is resilient. 
     
     
         18 . The reclosable plastic container as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the at least one longitudinal segment comprises a hinge longitudinal side and an opening longitudinal side, opposed to the hinge longitudinal side, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted to the receptacle at the hinge longitudinal side; and wherein each pair of the lid engagement bulges and the receptacle engagement bulges releasably interlocking together in the closed configuration form a catch assembly and each one of the corner segments adjacent to the opening longitudinal side comprises one of the catch assemblies. 
     
     
         19 . The reclosable plastic container as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein each one of the receptable and the lid is made of a plastic-based sheet having a thickness and the thickness of the plastic-based sheet of the lid is thinner than the thickness of the plastic-based sheet of the receptacle. 
     
     
         20 . The reclosable plastic container as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the outwardly-extending lid corner portions are substantially arc-shaped, the lid engagement bulges and the receptacle engagement bulges are substantially crescent-shaped.