CONTAINER TOP WITH REMOVABLE SEAL

• US 20140069919A1
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stephen Robert, William Traynor
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Packaging Operations, LLC (Grupo Phoenix)
• Inventors: Robert, Stephen, Traynor, William
• Granted Patent: US 10,131,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/258.2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14319 bonding by a fusion bond
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/1477 Removable inserts, e.g. the insert being peeled off after moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14909 the edge of the sheet-like insert being hidden, e.g. in a groove or protruding into the injected material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14918 in-mould-labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/70 by moulding using a particular moulding technique, see the relevant technique , e.g. by injection B29C45/14467
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/76 Making non-permanent or releasable joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53461 joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0096 Producing closure members for containers, e.g. closure caps or stoppers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/22 having means for piercing, cutting, or tearing the inner closure

Abstract

A molded article comprising a container top is disclosed. The molded article includes a threadless frame defining an opening, a flip cap located substantially coplanar with, and integrally formed with, the frame, a compound hinge between the frame and the flip cap, the hinge allowing the flip cap to rotate about the hinge to rest on top of the frame, an in-mold lidding film having a perimeter molded to the frame such that the in-mold lidding film covers the opening defined by the frame, wherein the in-mold lidding film is removable from the frame, and a pull tab, formed from the in-mold lidding film, that extends past the opening defined by the frame.

Claims

1. A molded article comprising a container top, comprising:

a threadless frame defining an opening;

a flip cap located substantially coplanar with, and integrally formed with, the frame;

a compound hinge between the frame and the flip cap, the hinge allowing the flip cap to rotate about the hinge to rest on top of the frame;

an in-mold lidding film having a perimeter molded to the frame such that the in-mold lidding film covers the opening defined by the frame, wherein the in-mold lidding film is removable from the frame; and

a pull tab, formed from the in-mold lidding film, that extends past the opening defined by the frame.

2. The molded article of claim 1, wherein the threadless frame comprises a circular ring having an interior surface that is threadless.

3. The molded article of claim 2, wherein the compound hinge comprises two links between the circular ring and the flip cap.

4. The molded article of claim 3, wherein the in-mold lidding film comprises at least one of a metal foil, plastic, polyolefin, polyacrylate, polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol, poly(alkylene acrylate), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol), poly(alkylene vinyl acetate), polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polyester, fluoropolymer, polycarbonate, or mixtures thereof.

5. The molded article of claim 4, wherein the frame includes a first raised ring extending around a perimeter of the opening defined by the frame.

6. The molded article of claim 5, wherein the flip cap comprises a circular element having a second raised ring extending around a perimeter of the circular element, wherein the second raised ring is designed to fit around the first raised ring when the flip cap is hingably rotated about the compound hinge.

7. The molded article of claim 1, wherein the in-mold lidding film is peelable from the frame.

8. A method for producing a molded article comprising a food container top, the method comprising:

providing a mold for forming the molded article, wherein the mold defines a threadless frame, a flip cap located substantially coplanar with the frame and a hinge between the frame and the flip cap;

providing an in-mold lidding film having a heat activatable lower surface;

positioning the in-mold lidding film adjacent to an interior molding surface of the mold;

molding the molded article from a heated thermoplastic resin contained within the mold, whereby the heated thermoplastic resin contacts a perimeter of the heat-activatable lower surface of the in-mold lidding film, and the perimeter of the heat-activatable lower surface of the in-mold lidding film is molded to the frame of the article such that the in-mold lidding film hermetically seals an opening defined by the frame, wherein the in-mold lidding film is removable from the frame;

cooling the molded article; and

removing the molded article from the mold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the threadless frame comprises a circular ring having an interior surface that is threadless.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hinge comprises a link between the circular ring and the flip cap.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the in-mold lidding film comprises at least one of a metal foil, plastic, polyolefin, polyacrylate, polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol, poly(alkylene acrylate), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol), poly(alkylene vinyl acetate), polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polyester, fluoropolymer, polycarbonate, or mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the frame includes a first raised ring extending around a perimeter of the opening defined by the frame.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the flip cap comprises a circular element having a second raised ring extending around a perimeter of the circular element, wherein the second raised ring is designed to fit around the first raised ring when the flip cap is hingably rotated about the hinge.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the in-mold lidding film includes a pull tab that extends past a perimeter of an upper surface of the circular ring of the frame.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the in-mold lidding film is configured so as to be hand peelable from the frame.

16. A method for producing a food container, comprising:

providing a mold for forming a molded article, wherein the mold defines a threadless frame, a flip cap located substantially coplanar with the frame and a compound hinge between the frame and the flip cap;

providing an in-mold lidding film having a heat activatable lower surface;

positioning the in-mold lidding film adjacent to an interior molding surface of the mold;

molding the molded article from a heated thermoplastic resin contained within the mold, whereby the heated thermoplastic resin contacts a perimeter of the heat-activatable lower surface of the in-mold lidding film, and the perimeter of the heat-activatable lower surface of the in-mold lidding film is molded to the frame of the article such that the in-mold lidding film hermetically seals an opening defined by the frame;

cooling the molded article;

removing the molded article from the mold;

hingably rotating the flip cap about the compound hinge such that the flip cap rests on top of the frame; and

hermetically sealing a bottom surface of the frame of the molded article to a top surface of a compartment, so as to cover an opening in the compartment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the threadless frame comprises a circular ring having an interior surface that is threadless.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the compound hinge comprises two links between the circular ring and the flip cap.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the in-mold lidding film comprises at least one of a metal foil, paper, plastic, polyolefin, polyacrylate, polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol, poly(alkylene acrylate), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol), poly(alkylene vinyl acetate), polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polyester, fluoropolymer, polycarbonate, or mixtures thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the in-mold lidding film is configured so as to be hand peelable from the frame.