Sealable element for sealing a rim of receptacles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637288-B2
Application number	US-201214367485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Dec 21, 2011
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sealable element ( 1 ) for sealing the rim ( 21 ) of receptacles ( 20 ), the element ( 1 ) comprising at least a backing layer ( 2 ) made from a deformable material, and a sealable membrane ( 3 ) detachably connected to the backing layer ( 2 ), wherein the membrane ( 3 ) comprises an additional or integral opening means ( 4 ), wherein at least the membrane ( 3 ) has a contour with a radius varying between a lower radius value (L) and an upper radius value (U), wherein the ratio between the lower radius value (L) and the upper radius value (U) is defined by the equation 0.9≦L/u≦0.99, preferably 0.95≦L/u≦0.97. The invention further relates to a cap ( 10 ) comprising said sealable element ( 1 ) and to a receptacle ( 20 ) comprising said cap ( 10 ) being removably attached onto an opening (O).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sealable element configured to seal a rim of a receptacle, the sealable element comprising:
a backing layer made from a deformable material; and
a sealable membrane detachably connected to the backing layer, the sealable membrane comprising an additional or integral opening member formed as an opening tab that is connected to a rim portion of the sealable membrane, the sealable membrane having a contour with a radius varying between a lower radius value (L) and an upper radius value (U), a ratio between the lower radius value and the upper radius value defined by 0.9≦L/U≦0.99, and the opening tab arranged in an area in which the radius of the contour of the sealable membrane is the upper radius value,
a portion of the sealable membrane that radially extends beyond an outer circumference of an upper rim of the receptacle defines an overhanging portion, and the overhanging portion of the lower radius value does not extend beyond an inner circumferential edge of a retention portion of a cap base body of a cap configured to close the receptacle.

2. The sealable element according to claim 1 , wherein the radius of the contour of the sealable membrane alternately changes between the lower radius value and the upper radius value.

3. The sealable element according to claim 1 , wherein portions of the contour with the upper radius value extend over less than 75% of a total outer circumference of the sealable membrane.

4. The sealable element according to claim 1 , wherein the backing layer has substantially the same outer contour as the sealable membrane.

5. The sealable element according to claim 1 , wherein the backing layer is made from foaming materials.

6. The sealable element according to claim 1 , wherein the sealable membrane comprises a diffusion barrier layer.

7. The sealable element according to claim 1 , wherein the sealable membrane is made of a stiff material compound and comprises a heat-sealable layer.

8. A sealable element configured to seal a rim of a receptacle, the sealable element comprising:
a backing layer made from a deformable material;
a sealable membrane detachably connected to the backing layer, the sealable membrane having a contour with a radius varying between a lower radius value (L) and an upper radius value (U), a ratio between the lower radius value and the upper radius value defined by 0.9≦L/U≦0.99; and
an opening tab connected to a rim portion of the sealable membrane and positioned between the backing layer and the sealable membrane, the opening tab arranged in an area in which the radius of the contour of the sealable membrane is the upper radius value,
a portion of the sealable membrane that radially extends beyond an outer circumference of an upper rim of the receptacle defines an overhanging portion, and the overhanging portion of the lower radius value does not extend beyond an inner circumferential edge of a retention portion of a cap base body of a cap configured to close the receptacle.

9. A cap for closing a receptacle, the cap comprising:
a cap base body with a fixing member configured to enable the cap to be removably attached on the receptacle; and
a sealable element configured to seal a rim of the receptacle, the sealable element comprising a backing layer made from a deformable material and a sealable membrane detachably connected to the backing layer, the sealable membrane comprising an additional or integral opening member formed as an opening tab that is connected to a rim portion of the sealable membrane, the sealable membrane having a contour with a radius varying between a lower radius value (L) and an upper radius value (U), a ratio between the lower radius value and the upper radius value defined by 0.9≦L/U≦0.99, the opening tab arranged in a first area in which the radius of the contour of the sealable membrane is the upper radius value, and the sealable element retained inside the cap by a retention portion of the cap base body,
a portion of the sealable membrane that radially extends beyond an outer circumference of an upper rim of the receptacle defines an overhanging portion, and the overhanging portion of the lower radius value does not extend beyond an inner circumferential edge of the retention portion.

10. The cap according to claim 9 , wherein the retention portion radially extends from an inner side wall of the cap base body of the cap.

11. The cap according to claim 9 , wherein a first maximum radius of the sealable membrane in the first area in which the radius of the contour of the sealable membrane is the upper radius value is greater than a radius of an inner circumferential edge of the retention portion, and a second maximum radius of the sealable membrane in a second area in which the radius of the contour of the sealable membrane is the lower radius value is identical to or smaller than the radius of the inner circumferential edge of the retention portion.

12. A receptacle comprising:
a cap for closing a receptacle, the cap comprising
a cap base body with a fixing member configured to enable the cap to be removably attached on the receptacle; and
a sealable element configured to seal a rim of the receptacle, the sealable element comprising a backing layer made from a deformable material and a sealable membrane detachably connected to the backing layer, the sealable membrane comprising an additional or integral opening member formed as an opening tab that is connected to a rim portion of the sealable membrane, the sealable membrane having a contour with a radius varying between a lower radius value (L) and an upper radius value (U), a ratio between the lower radius value and the upper radius value defined by 0.9≦L/U≦0.99, the opening tab arranged in an area in which the radius of the contour of the sealable membrane is the upper radius value, and the sealable element retained inside the cap by a retention portion of the cap base body,

the cap is removably attached onto an opening of the receptacle by a fixing member of the cap engaged with a correspondent fixing member of the receptacle provided at an outer side wall of the receptacle such that the sealable membrane rests on and is sealed to an upper rim of the receptacle enclosing the opening,
the sealable membrane is pressed towards the upper rim by the backing layer,
a portion of the sealable membrane that radially extends beyond an outer circumference of the upper rim of the receptacle defines an overhanging portion, and the overhanging portion of the lower radius value does not extend beyond an inner circumferential edge of the retention portion.

13. The receptacle according to claim 12 , wherein at least the area of the sealable membrane in which the radius of the contour of the membrane is the upper radius value radially extends beyond an outer circumference of the upper rim of the receptacle.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Abegglen Daniel
• Connes Berenice
• Demaurex Gilles
• Domansky Philippe
• Fabozzi Thierry
• Hentzel Stephane
• Lan Xiaofeng
• Thivolet Raphael

Classifications

• B65D51/20 Primary

  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

• B65D2251/0015

  of the 41-type · CPC title

• B65D2577/2058

  attached to the closure · CPC title

• B65D53/04

  Discs · CPC title

• B65D51/228 Primary

  a major part of the inner closure being removed from the container after the opening · CPC title