GB2100582A - Insulated lid - Google Patents

Abstract

A lid (12) comprises a layer of polystyrene between an inner and an outer layer (30 and 32), which inner and outer layers are connected together by a handle (40) passing through a hole in the upper layer and being screwed into a tubular portion (36) of the lower layer. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An insulated lid The present invention relates to lids for insulated containers.

According to one aspect of the present invention an insulated lid comprises an inner and an outer layer which abut one another at their rims and which are connected by a handle which passes through the outer layer and engages the inner layer.

This lid may be readily assembled from preformed components.

Preferably the inner layer includes insulating material between the inner and outer layers.

The layers may be connected together in such a way that their rims press against each other. Thus the passage of fluid into the lid through the junction of the rims is substantially prevented and the components of the lid are held firm.

The lid may also include, in its central region, a portion extending towards the outer layer, and in which the handle extends through the outer layer to engage the portion. This makes the construction of the lid simple and allows the surface of the lower layer away from the upper layer to present a smooth face to make cleaning of the lid simple.

The handle may cooperate with the upwardly extending portion by means of cooperating screw threads to make the construction even simpler.

Awasher, preferably of plastics, may be positioned between the connecting member and the outer layer through which the joining member bears against the outer layer. This can act to increase the biasing force on the inner and outer layers. It may also serve to spread any load exerted by the connecting member onto the upper layer. It may further act to prevent liquid from entering the space between the inner and outer layer.

Preferably the insulating material is of foamed polystyrene.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but two embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure l is a partial cross section through a first embodiment of a lid and an insulating container; and Figure 2 is a partial cross-section through a second embodiment of a lid and an insulating container.

Figure 1 shows a circular container 10 with a lid 12.

The container 10 has a metal inner layer 14 and a metal outer layer 16 with foamed polyurethane 18 disposed between the layers 14 and 16.

The bottom of the container 10 has an annular plastics base 20 secured to the outer layer 16 by cherry blind rivets 22.

The container 10 may be made to have any suitable capacity and preferably it has a capacity of 2.2 litres or 3 litres.

The edges of the inner and outer layers 14 and 16 are secured together as shown at 24. An annular plastics rim 26 surrounds the top of the container and secures the inner and outer layers together. A pair of plastics handles 28 are secured to the rim 26 for carrying the container.

The lid 12 comprises an inner plastics layer 30 and an outer metal layer 32. A layer of foamed polystyrene 34 is disposed between the inner and outer layers 30 and 32.

The central portion of the inner layer 30 has an upwardly extending tubular portion 36 with a coarse screw thread 38 on its inner surface.

A plastics handle 40 is provided for lifting the lid 12 and is formed with a downwardly depending annular boss 42. The boss 42 extends through a hole 44 in the outer layer 32 and a coarse thread 46 formed on the exterior of the boss 42 cooperates with the coarse thread 38 on the tubular portion 36. An annular plastics disc 48 is positioned between the handle 40 and the upper surface of the outer layer 32.

A flat annular surface 50 of the inner layer 30 of the lid 12 rests on a corresponding flat surface 52 formed on the inner layer 14 of the container 10.

The container is made by placing the inner layer 14 within the outer layer 16 and securing their edges together at 24. A number of plastics spacing rings (not shown) are disposed between the inner and outer layers 14 and 16, and these rings are kept in position by being welded by ultrasonic power.

Foamed polyurethane is then injected into the space between the inner and outer layers through a hole (not shown) formed in the outer layer.

The lid 12 is assembled by placing the inner and outer layers 30 and 32 together with the layer of foamed polystyrene in between. The edges of these layers abut one another, as shown at 54. The plastics disc 48 is then placed over the hole 44 in the outer layer 32 and the annular boss 42 is then passed through the hole 44 and screwed into the upwardly extending tubular portion 36 of the inner layer 30.

This causes a shoulder 56 on the handle 40 to bear against the plastics disc 48. The plastics disc 48 flexes, as it is spaced from the outer layer 32 in its central region, to cause the inner and outer layers 30 and 32 to be resiliently biased together.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, similar components to those shown in Figure 1 are given the same reference numeral prefixed with the number 1.

The container 110 has an inner and an outer metal layer designated 114 and 116 respectively with an intermediate layer of foamed polyurethane 118. The capacity of the container 110 is 8 litres.

The base of the container has a downwardly depending annular ring 160 formed as part of the outer layer 1 which provides a firm support for the container.

A handle 162 is mounted on the outer layer 116 and comprises a metal arm 164 pivotally connected to the outer layer 116 on either side of the container at 166. A plastics handle 168 is rotatably mounted on the arm 164.

The container 110 is made in a similar way to the container 10 shown in Figure 1. The inner layer 114 is spaced from the outer layer 116 by a plastics spacer 170 and the edges of the inner and outer layers are kept in position by plastics rim 172. The rim 172 is firmly seated on the outer layer 116 and a downwardly depending portion 174 cooperates with the inner layer to prevent the inner layer from moving away from the outer layer.

Foamed polyurethane is then injected through a hole 176 formed in the bottom surface of the outer layer 116. The hole 176 is then plugged with a plastic cap 178.

The lid 12 is assembled in a similarwayto the lid shown in Figure 1.

In place of the plastics disc 48 in Figure 1, the shoulder 156 of the handle 140 bears against the upper surface of the outer layer 132 through a cylindrical member 148.

The downwardly depending boss 142 on the handle 140 is formed with a coarse thread 146 which cooperates with a coarse thread 138 formed on the internal surface of the upwardly extending tubular portion 136. Thus when the lid is assembled the annular boss 142 is passed through the hole 144 and screwed into the upwardly extending tubular portion 136 ofthe inner layer 130. This causes a shoulder 156 on the handle 140 to bear againstthe cylindricai member 142 to bias the inner and outer layers towards one another.

The lid 112 rests on the container 116 by a portion of the inner layer 130 of the lid resting on a rib 180 and shoulder 182 formed on the plastics rim 172.

Claims (9)

1. An insulated lid comprising an inner and an outer layer which abut one another at their rims and which are connected together by a handle which passes through the outer layer and engages the inner layer.

2. An insulated lid as claimed in Claim 1 including insulating material between the inner and outer layers.

3. An insulated lid as claimed in Claim 2 in which the insulating material comprises a block of foamed polystyrene or other foamed plastics material.

4. An insulated lid as claimed in any preceding claim in which the inner and outer layers are connected in such a way that their rims are pressed against each other.

5. An insulated lid as claimed in any preceding Claim including, in its central region, a portion extending towards the outer layer, and in which the handle extends through the outer layer to engage the portion.

6. An insulated lid as claimed in Claim 5 in which the handle engages the portion by means of cooperating screw threads.

7. An insulated lid as claimed in any preceding claim in which the handle engages the outer layer through a washer.

8. An insulated lid as claimed in any preceding claim in which the inner layer is made of plastics and the outer layer is made of metal.

9. An insulated lid constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.