Closure seal for a container

• US 6,635,137 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Selig Sealing Products Incorporated (Henry Crown & Co.)
• Original Assignee: Selig Sealing Products Incorporated (Henry Crown & Co.)
• Inventors: Giles, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyon, Harold
• Assistant Examiner(s): RHEE, JANE J
• Application Number:
  US10/157,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20020176178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 215/232, 428/119, 428/121, 428/126, 156/227, 156/226, 156/69
• US Class Current: 156/226
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0015 of the 41-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0093 Membrane
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/205 integral with the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/20 Caps, lids, or covers co-operating with an inner closure arranged to be opened by piercing, cutting, or tearing B65D51/185 takes precedence; co-operating with an auxiliary container for additional articles or materials B65D51/28
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 53/04 Discs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/2032 by peeling or tearing the cover from the container
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1046 Bending of one lamina only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1049 Folding only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24231 At opposed marginal edges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2817 Heat sealable

Abstract

A seal for a container opening includes a backing layer and a seal layer for connecting to and covering an opening of the container. A pull-tab forming layer is sandwiched between the backing layer and the seal layer. The pull-tab forming layer has a heat sealable surface joined to the backing layer. An opposite heat resistant surface is joined to the seal layer. A hinge is disposed near the center of the seal that joins the backing layer and the sealed layer wherein the backing layer and at least a portion of the pull-tab forming layer define a pair of pull-tabs extending from the hinge. A method of forming the seal including the pull-tab forming layer and a material blank for forming a plurality of the seals are also described.

Claims

1. A method of forming a plurality of seals for covering container openings, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a backing layer having an upper and a lower surface;

providing a seal layer having an upper and a lower surface;

joining a lower sub-surface of a first sub-layer of a heat sealable material with an upper sub-surface of a second sub-layer of a heat resistant material;

folding the joined first and second sub-layers to form at least one elongate section, such section generally having an I-shaped cross section with an upper horizontal portion, a lower horizontal portion, and a vertical hinge portion, wherein the upper horizontal portion defines a heat sealable top surface of a pull-tab forming layer, and wherein the lower horizontal portion defines a heat resistant bottom surface of the pull-tab forming layer;

securing the backing layer to the pull-tab forming layer by joining the heat sealable top surface of the pull-tab forming layer to the bottom surface of the backing layer;

adhering the seal layer to the pull-tab forming layer by joining the heat resistant lower surface of the pull-tab forming layer to the upper surface of the seal layer; and

punching a plurality of seal shapes from the adhered layers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of punching further comprises:

punching a plurality of circular seal shapes from the adhered layers wherein a portion of one of the vertical hinge portions of an elongate section of the adhered layers generally bisects each of the circular seal shapes.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of securing the backing layer and the pull-tab forming layer further includes applying heat to the upper surface of the pull-tab forming layer to adhere the exposed heat sealable material to the backing layer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of adhering the seal layer and the pull-tab forming layer further includes applying a bonding layer over the entire surface of either the seal layer or the pull-tab forming layer and bonding the two layers together.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of securing the backing layer to the pull-tab forming layer comprises dry bonding the layers together.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of securing the backing layer to the pull-tab forming layer comprises extrusion bonding the layers together.