Peelable seal for an opening in a container neck

• US 8,100,277 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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., Shankland, William J., Marsella, Louis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKINLEY, CHRISTOPHER BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US11/612,540
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 215/232, 215/252, 215/349, 215/305
• US Class Current: 215/305
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/045 Discs B65D41/0457 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 53/04 Discs
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/2024 the cover being welded or adhered to the container

Abstract

A peelable seal having one or more layers for sealing containers by heat sealing may include a stiffening structure, a foil portion, and a sealant structure. The stiffening structure of the seal includes an outer periphery or overhanging portion which extends beyond the rim of a neck of a container thereby allowing the peelable seal to be loosened from the container by flicking the overhanging portion of the peelable seal with a portion of the hand and without the need to pinch the seal.

Claims

1. A unitary liftable seal for use in sealing a container opening comprising:

at least one generally disc shaped layer of material having a total thickness of between about 0.01 inches and 0.25 inches;

said unitary liftable seal having an overhanging portion extending outwardly from said container opening at least 0.005 inches beyond an outer surface of said container;

said unitary liftable seal having sufficient rigidity and adhesion about said container opening to resist folding and release from said container under the application of a singular force of up to 14.7N applied to an underside surface of said seal overhanging portion;

wherein said unitary liftable seal is maintained in substantially a singular horizontal plane extending about and above said container opening; and

wherein said unitary liftable seal rigidity is responsive to said application of said singular force to separate said unitary liftable seal from said container opening and maintain said substantially singular horizontal plane.

2. A container assembly, comprising:

a cap engageable with a container;

said container having a neck with a container rim surrounding an opening;

an inner liftable seal secured by adhesive over said opening, said inner seal maintained in a substantially singular horizontal plane over said container rim and having a top planar surface and a bottom planar surface, said inner liftable seal including;

a first layer including a stiffening structure;

a foil layer disposed between said first layer and said container rim;

a sealant layer adhering said inner liftable seal to said container rim; and

,

an overhanging portion of said inner liftable seal circumscribing said container rim;

wherein when a singular force is applied to said bottom planar surface of said overhanging portion of said inner liftable seal, said inner liftable seal has substantially sufficient rigidity responsive from said singular force causing separation of said inner liftable seal from said container rim while maintaining said substantially singular horizontal plane.

3. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said first layer is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene terephalate, polyvinylchloride, a stiff metallic material, and paper.

4. The container assembly of claim 3, wherein said sealant layer is comprised of polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyester, or an adhearable material having a relatively low density and tensile strength.

5. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said foil layer is aluminum foil.

6. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said first layer is between about 0.010 inches and about 0.25 inches in thickness.

7. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said foil layer is from about 0.001 inches to about 0.010 inches in thickness.

8. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein said overhanging portion extends from about 0.005 inches to about 0.25 inches beyond said neck.

9. A unitary liftable seal for sealing a container comprising:

a first layer composed of a stiffening structure;

a sealant disposed on said first layer so as to be adaptable for attachment of said first layer about an opening surrounded by a container rim of a container;

an overhanging portion of said first layer of sufficient size to extend beyond said container rim and for engagement with the meat of a finger;

said unitary liftable seal is maintained in a substantially singular plane over said container rim and includes a planar underside surface;

wherein when a single force from the meat of a finger is directly applied to said planar underside surface of said seal overhanging portion, said first layer being of such thickness and rigidity to respond to said application of said single force such that said unitary liftable seal can be loosened from said container rim and maintain said substantially singular plane.

10. The unitary liftable seal of claim 9 wherein said single force is less than 14.7 N.

11. The unitary liftable seal of claim 10 wherein said single force is between about 8.8 N. and 10.8 N.

12. The unitary liftable seal of claim 9 wherein said overhanging portion of said first layer extends beyond said container more than 0.03 inches.

13. The unitary liftable seal of claim 12 wherein said overhanging portion of said first layer extends beyond said container in a range of 0.070 and 0.085 inches.

14. The unitary liftable seal of claim 9, wherein said first layer is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene terephalate, polyvinylchloride, a stiff metallic material, and paper.

15. The unitary liftable seal of claim 9, wherein said sealant is comprised of polypropylene, polyethylene ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyester, or an adhearable material having a relatively low density and tensile strength.

16. The unitary liftable seal of claim 15, including an adhesive bonding said first layer to said sealant.

17. The unitary liftable seal of claim 9, including an intermediate layer between said first layer and said sealant.

18. The unitary liftable seal of claim 17, wherein said intermediate layer is aluminum foil.

19. The unitary liftable seal of claim 17, wherein said first layer is from about 0.010 to about 0.25 inches in thickness.

20. The unitary liftable seal of claim 17, wherein said intermediate layer is between about 0.001 inches 5 to about 0.010 inches in thickness.

21. The unitary liftable seal of claim 9, wherein said overhanging portion extends from about 0.005 inches to about 0.25 inches beyond said container.

22. An easy opening liftable seal for use with a container of the type having an opening defined by an upper rim comprising:

a liftable seal having a body portion and an overhanging portion that is maintained in substantially a singular horizontal plane over an upper rim of a container, said overhanging portion positioned about the periphery of said body portion and extends outwardly from said container upper rim, said liftable seal having a top planar surface and a bottom planar surface;

said body portion having a first layer, an intermediate layer, and a sealant layer, said first layer including a stiffening structure;

an upward force is applied to said bottom planar surface of said seal overhanging portion and an opposing downward force is applied to said top planar surface of said seal overhanging portion, wherein said liftable seal rigidity is responsive to said application of said upward force while said opposing downward force is substantially 0 N. to separate said liftable seal from said container rim and maintain said substantially singular horizontal plane.

23. The liftable seal of claim 22 wherein said upward force exerts a force of less than 14.7 N.

24. The liftable seal of claim 22, wherein said first layer is selected from the group consisting of PET, PP, Nylon, polyethylene (PE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), styrene, ethylene-vinylacetate (EVA), ethylene-vinyl-alcohol (EVOH), Vinyl, foams of the preceding 20 materials, paper, aluminum, steel, and combinations thereof.

25. The liftable seal of claim 22, wherein said sealant layer is comprised of polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer or an adhearable material having a relatively low density and tensile strength.

26. The liftable seal of claim 22, wherein said intermediate layer includes aluminum foil.

27. The liftable seal of claim 22, wherein said first layer is from about 0.010 inches to about 0.25 inches in thickness.

28. The liftable seal of claim 22, wherein said intermediate layer is from about 0.001 inches to about 0.010 inches in thickness.

29. The liftable seal of claim 22, wherein said overhanging portion extends from about 0.005 inches to about 0.25 inches beyond said upper rim of said container.

30. A unitary liftable seal for sealing a container comprising:

a generally disk shaped liftable seal in substantially a singular horizontal plane about and above an opening of a container neck, said liftable seal having a first layer and a sealant;

said sealant disposed so as to be adaptable for attachment of said first layer to said container neck about said opening therein;

an overhanging portion of said first layer extends beyond an outer surface of said container neck sufficient for engagement with a portion of the hand to apply a single force; and

said first layer composed of a stiffening structure of such thickness and rigidity that said unitary liftable seal can be loosened with said single force applied to an underside surface of said overhanging portion of said first layer to separate said unitary liftable seal from said container neck while maintaining said substantially singular horizontal plane.

31. The unitary liftable seal of claim 30 wherein said single force is less than 14.7 N.

32. The unitary liftable seal of claim 31 wherein said single force is between about 8.8 N. and 10.8 N.

33. The unitary liftable seal of claim 30 wherein said overhanging portion of said first layer extends beyond said outer surface of said container neck more than 0.03 inches.

34. The unitary liftable seal of claim 30 wherein said overhanging portion of said first layer extends beyond said outer surface of said container neck in a range of 0.070 and 0.085 inches.

35. The unitary liftable seal of claim 30 wherein said peelable seal and a portion of said container neck have a closure surrounding an outer portion thereof and is removably engaged with said container neck.

36. The unitary liftable seal of claim 35 wherein said container neck has a helical thread depending from said outer surface thereof and said closure has a helical thread depending from an inner surface of an annular sidewall.

37. The unitary liftable seal of claim 36 wherein said closure has a retaining ring proximate a lower side of said overhanging portion of said peelable seal, said peelable seal having a first diameter larger than a distance between inner edges of said retaining ring thus being retained within said closure proximate a top wall thereof before said peelable seal is heat sealed to an upper rim of said container neck, said peelable seal having a second diameter smaller than said distance between inner edges of said retaining ring after said peelable seal is heat sealed to said upper rim of said container neck enabling said closure to be removed from said container neck without loosening said seal.