Self peel flick-it seal for an opening in a container neck

• US 7,780,024 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation (Berry Global Group Inc.), Momar Industries, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers (Ball Corporation), Momar Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Bush, Randall G., Marsella, Louis J., Shankland, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKINLEY, CHRISTOPHER BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US11/339,000
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 215349-352, 215/276, 215/341
• US Class Current: 215/350
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/045 Discs B65D41/0457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 53/04 Discs

Abstract

A self peelable seal having one or more layers for sealing containers by heat induction, conduction, or other means and having a stiffening structure. A portion of the seal is axially retained within a closure thereby allowing the peelable seal to be loosened from the container neck by placing a lifting force on the seal with the closure upon removal of the closure from the container.

Claims

1. A closure for sealing a container, comprising:

a container having a container neck, said container neck having an opening defined by a container rim;

a closure axially removable from said container neck;

a generally disc shaped peelable seal rotatingly axially retained within said closure;

said seal having a central body portion and an overhang portion extending beyond a margin defined by said central body portion, said central body portion including a first layer and a second layer, said first layer forming said overhang portion extending beyond said container rim surrounding said opening of said container, wherein said first layer including a stiffening structure of such thickness and rigidity that said seal can be loosened by applying a vertical force to said overhang portion of said first layer;

said overhang portion extends from about 0.005 inches to about 0.25 inches beyond said container rim of said container neck;

said second layer of said seal being a sealant for bonding or sealing said first layer of said seal to said container rim and being a relatively low density and tensile strength; and

said overhang portion of said generally disc shaped peelable seal being sufficiently rigid and nonflexible from said stiffening structure so that a seal retainer circumscribing an inner annular side wall of said closure applying said vertical force upwardly on said overhang portion of said first layer upon removal of said closure from said container neck thereby completely removing said bonded seal from said container rim and rotatingly axially retaining said seal within said closure when removing said closure from said container.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein said seal retainer is in the form of a bead.

3. The closure of claim 1 wherein said seal retainer is in the form of an intermittent bead.

4. The closure of claim 1 wherein said closure has a top wall depending inward from an annular side wall.

5. The closure of claim 1, wherein said first layer has a constituent selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene terephalate, polyvinylchloride, a stiff metallic material, paper, and combinations thereof.

6. The closure of claim 1, wherein said sealant has a constituent selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyester, and combinations thereof.

7. A closure and container comprising:

a container having a container neck, said container neck having an opening defined by an upper rim;

a closure having a top wall with a depending annular side wall, wherein said annular side wall having an inner surface;

a helical thread depending inwardly from said inner surface of said annular side wall, wherein said closure threadably engaging said container neck;

said closure top wall having an inner surface and an outer surface with a centrally oriented through hole extending between said top wall inner surface and said top wall outer surface;

a generally disc shaped seal having a stiffening structure, said stiffening structure extending at least partially over an area of said seal within said closure, said stiffening structure further including a vertical post with a head projecting from the portion of said stiffening structure within said closure, wherein said head is positioned at a distal end of said post;

said post having a first diameter and said head having a second diameter, wherein said second diameter of said head is larger than said first diameter of said post;

said post extending through said hole of said closure top wall and said head positioned on said outer surface of said closure top wall, said second diameter of said head being greater than the diameter of said hole of said closure top wall; and

wherein said seal is loosened by applying a vertical force to said head of said stiffening structure extending beyond the diameter of said top wall hole when removing said closure from said container thereby completely removing said disc shaped seal from sealing engagement with said container upper rim and axially retaining said seal within said closure.

8. A seal and closure combination comprising:

a container having a container neck, said container neck having an opening defined by an upper rim;

a closure threadably engaging said container neck, wherein a generally disc shaped seal is rotatingly held within said closure;

said seal having a body portion, said body portion having a first layer, an intermediate layer, and a sealant layer stacked together in a composite sheet with adhesives, said body portion forming an overhanging portion extending beyond said upper rim of said container, said first layer is from about 0.010 inches to about 0.25 inches in thickness, said intermediate layer is from about 0.001 inches to about 0.010 inches in thickness;

said sealant layer disposed so as to be adaptable for sealing or bonding of said body portion to said container rim and being a relatively low density and tensile strength;

said first layer of said body portion and said overhanging portion including a stiffening structure;

said intermediate layer is a foil layer for induction sealing said seal to said container upper rim; and

a seal retainer applying a separating axial force to separate said seal from said upper rim of said container neck upon applying an upward removing force upon said closure from said container neck and rotatingly axially retaining said seal within said closure when removing said closure from said container.

9. The seal and closure combination of claim 8 wherein said seal retainer is in the form of a bead circumscribing a sidewall of said closure.

10. The seal and closure combination of claim 8 wherein said seal retainer is in the form of an intermittent bead circumscribing a sidewall of said closure.

11. The seal and closure combination of claim 8 wherein said stiffening structure of said seal extending at least partially over an area of said seal which is substantially parallel to the bonding plane of said seal.

12. The seal and closure combination of claim 8 wherein said overhanging portion extends from about 0.005 inches to about 0.25 inches beyond said container upper rim of said container neck.