Induction heat seal liner and method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10968017-B2
Application number	US-201916290066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	Mar 1, 2019
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

Induction heat-seal liner that allows a visual inspection of the product in the container to be made through the seal, and/or an aroma from the product to be detected through the seal, while the seal remains secured to the container to protect against leakage or contamination. In one embodiment, the liner has an intermediate metal-foil layer having a central opening, and a central liner portion, aligned in a thickness direction with a central opening of a metal-foil layer, comprises one or more materials or spaces that provide visibility into and/or aroma penetration from the open mouth of the container. In another embodiment, a dual heat-seal liner having a dispensing aperture is provided that heat seal bonds to both the cap and container to form a non-removable closure assembly that protects the metal-foil layer from degradation by the product being dispensed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual induction heat-seal liner comprising:
a top closure-facing heat-seal bonding layer, a bottom heat-seal bonding layer, and an intermediate metal-foil layer disposed in a thickness direction between the top and bottom layers,
the top, bottom and intermediate layers being bonded to form an integral dual induction heat-seal liner,
the metal-foil layer having a central opening surrounded by a metal-foil portion configured to lie above a container rim surrounding an open mouth of a container body, and the bottom layer having a heat-seal bonding area configured to lie above the container rim that is activated by heating of the metal-foil portion to induction heat-seal the bottom layer bonding area to the container rim,
the liner having a central through-hole aligned in the thickness direction that includes the central opening of the metal-foil layer and further extends though the top and bottom layers,
the top closure-facing layer having a heat-seal bonding area to induction heat-seal the top layer bonding area to an inner surface of a closure, thus heat-seal bonding the liner to both the container rim and the closure inner surface, while allowing a product to be dispensed through the open mouth of the container, the central through-hole of the liner, and out of a dispensing aperture of the closure, and
one or both of the top and bottom layers partially fills the central opening of the metal-foil layer to form a perimeter of the central-though hole that prevents contact between the product and the metal-foil layer.

2. The liner of claim 1 wherein:
the integral liner comprises an adhesive, extrusion or thermally laminated body.

3. The liner of claim 1 , wherein:
the liner has a circular or a multi-sided perimeter.

4. The liner of claim 1 wherein:
the liner is an adhesive laminated body and includes adhesive between one or more of the top, intermediate and bottom layers, and the adhesive partially fills the central opening of the metal-foil layer to form a perimeter of the central though-hole that prevents contact between the product and the metal-foil layer.

5. A method of forming the liner of claim 1 comprising:
a) providing the metal-foil layer having the central opening; and subsequently
b) laminating the metal-foil layer between the top and bottom layers to form the integral liner.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the laminating step comprises adhesive laminating the metal-foil layer between the top and bottom layers.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:
during the laminating step adhesive partially fills the central opening of the metal-foil layer to form a perimeter of the central though-hole that prevents contact between the product and the metal-foil layer.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein:
the providing step includes providing a support layer having a central opening, and the laminating step includes disposing the metal-foil layer and the support layer with their central openings aligned between the top and bottom layers to form the integral liner.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:
the providing step includes providing a sheet comprising the metal-foil layer and a sheet comprising the support layer, and forming the central openings through both sheets simultaneously.

10. A method of forming the liner of claim 1 comprising:
a) providing top, intermediate and bottom sheets for forming the top, intermediate and bottom layers respectively;
b) laminating the sheets together to form a laminated composite sheet with the intermediate sheet laminated between the top and bottom sheets; and
c) forming individual liners from the laminated composite sheet by cutting through the composite sheet in a thickness direction.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the central opening in the metal foil-layer is formed prior to the laminating step.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein during the laminating step the central opening is partially filled to form a perimeter of the central though-hole that prevents contact between the product and the metal-foil layer.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the method is a sequential in-line method including steps of:
prior to the laminating step, forming the central openings for a plurality of liners in the intermediate sheet;
the laminating step comprises feeding the sheets through one or more roller pairs for laminating the sheets together to from the laminated composite sheet;
the forming step comprises cutting through the laminated composite sheet in the thickness direction to form the plurality of liners.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the steps of forming the central openings and cutting to form the individual liners each comprise hole punching.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the central through-holes and individual liners are formed simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 13 including subsequent to forming the central openings, forming the through-holes, followed by forming the liners.

17. A dual induction heat-seal liner comprising:
a top closure-facing heat-seal bonding layer, a bottom heat-seal bonding layer, and an intermediate metal-foil layer disposed in a thickness direction between the top and bottom layers,
the top, bottom and intermediate layers being bonded to form an integral dual induction heat-seal liner,
the metal-foil layer having a central opening surrounded by a metal-foil portion configured to lie above a container rim surrounding an open mouth of a container body, and the bottom layer having a heat-seal bonding area configured to lie above the container rim that is activated by heating of the metal-foil portion to induction heat-seal the bottom layer bonding area to the container rim,
the liner having a central through-hole aligned in the thickness direction that includes the central opening of the metal-foil layer and further extends though the top and bottom layers,
the top closure-facing layer having a heat-seal bonding area to induction heat-seal the top layer bonding area to an inner surface of a closure, thus heat-seal bonding the liner to both the container rim and the closure inner surface, while allowing a product to be dispensed through the open mouth of the container, the central through-hole of the liner, and out of a dispensing aperture of the closure, and
wherein the liner is an adhesive laminated body and includes adhesive between one or more of the top, intermediate and bottom layers, and the adhesive partially fills the central opening of the metal-foil layer to form a perimeter of the central though-hole that prevents contact between the product and the metal-foil layer.

18. The liner of claim 17 wherein:
the integral liner comprises an adhesive, extrusion or thermally laminated body.

19. The liner of claim 17 , wherein:
the liner has a circular or a multi-sided perimeter.

20. A method of forming the liner of claim 17 comprising:
a) providing the metal-foil layer having the central opening; and subsequently
b) laminating the metal-foil layer between the top and bottom layers to form the integral liner.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein:
the laminating step comprises adhesive laminating the metal-foil layer between the top and bottom layers.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein:
during the laminating step adhesive partially fills the central opening of the metal-foil layer to form a perimeter of the central though-hole that prevents contact between the product and the metal-foil layer.

23. Th

Assignees

• Tekni Plex Inc

Inventors

• Shi Guangda
• Bourgeois Phil

Classifications

• B65D51/20

  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 title

• B32B15/12

  of paper or cardboard · CPC title

• B32B2307/414

  Translucent · CPC title

• B32B15/082

  comprising vinyl resins; comprising acrylic resins · CPC title

• B32B2439/00

  Containers; Receptacles · CPC title