Package with peelable closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809360-B2
Application number	US-201514807389-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A package includes a closure and a container. The closure is adapted to mate with a brim of the container to close a top opening arranged to open into an interior product-storage region formed in the container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A package comprising
a container including a bowl formed to include an interior product-storage region and a brim coupled to an upper portion of the bowl and arranged to border a top opening into the interior product-storage region, the brim including an endless upwardly facing top surface including an endless inner perimeter region bordering and surrounding the top opening and providing an endless temporary sheet-bonding zone thereon and an outer perimeter region surrounding the endless inner perimeter region and providing a ring-support zone thereon,
a closure mounted on the brim in a closed position to close the top opening and block access to the interior product-storage region, the closure including a sheet-support ring arranged to engage the ring-support zone on the outer perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim when the closure is positioned to lie in the closed position on the brim, and the closure further including a membrane sheet coupled to the sheet-support ring to move therewith relative to the brim of the container when the closure is separated from the brim to gain access to the interior product-storage region, and
a hermetic steam-venting system that provides a hermetic seal between the closure and the container until a user separates the closure from the container or a user applies a predetermined amount of heat to the interior product-storage region to cause sufficient pressure to form in the interior product-storage region so that a pressurized discharge outlet is formed between the membrane sheet and the brim of the container in the endless temporary sheet-bonding zone during heating,
wherein the steam-venting system includes an inner sealed annular ring located between the sheet-support ring and the interior product-storage region and a series of spaced-apart sealed tethers appended to the inner sealed annular ring and arranged to extend outwardly away from the interior product-storage region toward sheet-support ring.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the membrane sheet includes a ring-shaped outer portion bonded permanently to the sheet-support ring to form an endless seal therebetween, a central portion surrounded by the ring-shaped outer portion and arranged to cover the top opening into the interior product-storage region when the closure is positioned to lie in the closed position on the brim, and a ring-shaped middle portion arranged to interconnect an outer perimeter edge of the central portion and an inner perimeter edge of the ring-shaped outer portion, the ring-shaped middle portion includes a downwardly facing surface arranged to overlie and confront the endless temporary sheet-bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim.

3. The package of claim 1 , wherein the steam-venting system further comprises, an outer sealed ring arranged to lie in spaced-apart radial relation to inner sealed annular ring between inner sealed annular ring and a perimeter edge of the sheet-support ring.

4. The package of claim 3 , wherein an unsealed region is formed between the membrane sheet, the brim, the spaced-apart sealed tethers, and the inner sealed annular ring.

5. The package of claim 4 , wherein the outer sealed ring is formed as result of establishing a permanent bond between the membrane sheet and the sheet-support ring.

6. The package of claim 1 , wherein the membrane sheet includes a ring-shaped outer portion bonded permanently to the sheet-support ring to form an endless seal therebetween, a central portion surrounded by the ring-shaped outer portion and arranged to cover the top opening into the interior product-storage region when the closure is positioned to lie in the closed position on the brim, and a ring-shaped middle portion interconnects an outer perimeter edge of the central portion and an inner perimeter edge of the ring-shaped outer portion, the ring-shaped middle portion includes a downwardly facing surface that overlies and confronts the endless temporary sheet-bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim and the inner sealed annular ring is arranged to extend around and surround the top opening and have a generally constant width.

7. The package of claim 6 , wherein the width is configured to cause the temporary bond to fail when the interior product-storage region is exposed to a predetermined amount of heat and a predetermined pressure is generated in the interior product-storage region.

8. The package of claim 7 , wherein the width is less than about 0.09 inches.

9. The package of claim 8 , wherein the width is about 0.0875 inches.

10. The package of claim 1 , wherein the membrane sheet includes a ring-shaped outer portion bonded permanently to the sheet-support ring to form an endless seal therebetween, a central portion surrounded by the ring-shaped outer portion and arranged to cover the top opening into the interior product-storage region when the closure is positioned to lie in the closed position on the brim, and a ring-shaped middle portion interconnects an outer perimeter edge of the central portion and an inner perimeter edge of the ring-shaped outer portion, the ring-shaped middle portion includes a downwardly facing surface that overlies and confronts the endless temporary sheet-bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and the pressurized discharge outlet is formed between at least one pair of neighboring spaced-apart sealed tethers as a result of the package being exposed to the predetermined amount heat.

11. The package of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined discharge outlets are formed between each pair of neighboring spaced-apart sealed tethers as a result of the package being exposed to a predetermined amount of heat.

12. The package of claim 1 , wherein the membrane sheet includes a ring-shaped outer portion bonded permanently to the sheet-support ring to form an endless seal therebetween, a central portion surrounded by the ring-shaped outer portion that covers the top opening into the interior product-storage region when the closure is positioned to lie in the closed position on the brim, and a ring-shaped middle portion that interconnects an outer perimeter edge of the central portion and an inner perimeter edge of the ring-shaped outer portion, the ring-shaped middle portion includes a downwardly facing surface that overlies and confronts the endless temporary sheet-bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and an outer sealed ring that lies in spaced-apart radial relation to inner sealed annular ring between inner sealed annular ring and a perimeter edge of the sheet-support ring wherein each spaced-apart sealed tether has an outer edge defined by, in series, a first curved portion, a second curved portion, a third curved portion, and a fourth curved portion.

13. The package of claim 12 , wherein the first curved portion has a center point located between the inner sealed annular ring and the sheet-support ring.

14. The package of claim 13 , wherein an unsealed region is formed between the membrane sheet, the brim, the spaced-apart sealed tethers, and the inner sealed annular ring and the second curved portion has a radius of curvature with a center point located between the unsealed region and the inner sealed annular ring.

15. The package of claim 14 , wherein the third curved portion has a radius of curvature with a center point located between the unsealed regio

Assignees

• Berry Plastics Corp

Inventors

• Minnette Jeffrey C
• Varadarajan Krishnaraju

Classifications

• B29C66/53461

  joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies · CPC title

• B65D2543/00148

  with two curved sides · CPC title

• B65D43/0212

  only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth (B65D43/0206 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/1312

  Single flange to flange joints, the parts to be joined being rigid (the parts to be joined being flexible B29C66/133) · CPC title

• B65D2543/00296

  Plastic · CPC title