Peelable film for container lid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11905093-B2
Application number	US-201615367556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 2, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A multi-layer film includes a skin layer, a core layer, and a seal layer. The multi-layer film may be used as a closure for a food container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A package for use in high-pressure pasteurization comprising
a container comprising a polyester material, the container including a bowl formed to include an interior product-storage region therein and a brim coupled to the bowl and formed to include a mouth arranged to open into the interior product-storage region and
a closure coupled to the brim of the container to close selectively the mouth, the closure including a multi-layer film including a skin layer, a core layer coupled to the skin layer and located between the skin layer and the container, and a seal layer arranged to extend between and interconnect the core layer and the brim of the container,
wherein the multi-layer film comprises a thermoplastic elastomer and is configured to bond temporarily to the brim of the container and peel away from the brim after a pasteurization process to expose the mouth without leaving any portion of the multi-layer film behind coupled to the brim in response to a user applying a peel force to the multi-layer film,
wherein the seal layer comprises a copolyester thermoplastic elastomer and an ethylene acrylate copolymer,
wherein the core layer includes a first core sub-layer and a second core sub-layer, the first core sub-layer is arranged to extend between and interconnect the second core sub-layer and the skin layer, and
wherein the first core sub-layer comprises a first polyethylene material and a second polyethylene material, wherein the first polyethylene material is about 50 wt % to about 95 wt % of the first core sub-layer, and the second polyethylene material is about 5 wt % to about 40 wt % of the first core sub-layer, and
wherein the seal layer and the container form a hermetic seal that survives the pasteurization process.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the second core sub-layer comprises an ethylene-acrylate copolymer.

3. The package of claim 1 , wherein the skin layer includes a first skin sub-layer and a second skin sub-layer and the second skin sub-layer is arranged to extend between and interconnect the core layer and the first skin sub-layer, and wherein the first skin sub-layer comprises an OPET material.

4. The package of claim 1 , wherein the polyester of the container is a PET material.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein the seal layer comprises about 30 wt % to about 95 wt % copolyester thermoplastic elastomer.

6. The package of claim 5 , wherein the copolyester thermoplastic elastomer comprises a polyether soft segment.

7. The package of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene acrylate copolymer is an ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer.

8. The package of claim 7 , wherein the seal layer comprises about 10 wt % to about 40 wt % ethylene acrylate copolymer.

9. The package of claim 1 , wherein the first polyethylene material comprises an ethylene-hexene copolymer.

10. The package of claim 9 , wherein the second polyethylene material comprises an ethylene-octene copolymer.

11. A multi-layer film comprising
a skin layer,
a core layer comprising a polyethylene material, and
a seal layer comprising a copolyester thermoplastic elastomer material and an ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the skin layer to locate the core layer between the skin layer and the seal layer,
wherein the multi-layer film is configured to bond temporarily to a brim of a container to establish a hermetic seal that survives a pasteurization process and peels away from the brim after the pasteurization process to expose a mouth of the container without leaving any portion of the multi-layer film behind coupled to the brim when a user applies a peel force to the multi-layer film.

12. The multi-layer film of claim 11 , wherein the seal layer comprises about 10% to about 40% ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer.

13. The multi-layer film of claim 11 , wherein the copolyester thermoplastic elastomer material has a melt index of at least 25 g/10 min.

14. The multi-layer film of claim 11 ,
wherein the core layer comprises a first core sub-layer and a second core sub-layer, the first core sub-layer is arranged to extend between and interconnect the second core sub-layer and the skin layer,
the seal layer comprises about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % copolyester thermoplastic elastomer copolyester thermoplastic elastomer material and about 10% to about 40% ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer, and
the skin layer comprises a first skin sub-layer and a second skin sub-layer and the second skin sub-layer is arranged to extend between and interconnect the core layer and the first skin sub-layer.

15. The multi-layer film of claim 11 , wherein the seal layer comprises about 30 wt % to about 95 wt % copolyester thermoplastic elastomer.

16. The multi-layer film of claim 15 , wherein the copolyester thermoplastic elastomer comprises a polyether soft segment.

17. A package for use in high-pressure pasteurization, the package comprising
a container comprising a polyester material, the container including a bowl formed to include an interior product-storage region therein and a brim coupled to the bowl and formed to include a mouth arranged to open into the interior product-storage region and
a closure coupled to the brim of the container to close selectively the mouth, the closure including a multi-layer film including a skin layer, a core layer coupled to the skin layer and located between the skin layer and the container, and a seal layer arranged to extend between and interconnect the core layer and the brim of the container,
wherein the multi-layer film comprises a thermoplastic elastomer and is configured to bond temporarily to the brim of the container and peel away from the brim after a pasteurization process to expose the mouth without leaving any portion of the multi-layer film behind coupled to the brim in response to a user applying a peel force to the multi-layer film, and
wherein the seal layer comprises a copolyester thermoplastic elastomer and an ethylene acrylate copolymer,
wherein the seal layer and the container form a hermetic seal that survives the pasteurization process, and
wherein the peel force is about 1,500 /in to about 3,000 /in.

Assignees

• Berry Plastics Corp

Inventors

• Gillespie Bryan

Classifications

• B65D77/2032 Primary

  by peeling or tearing the cover from the container · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B32B15/085

  comprising polyolefins · CPC title

• B32B15/20

  comprising aluminium or copper {(B32B15/016 and B32B15/017 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B32B27/08

  of synthetic resin · CPC title