Container with Reduced, Peel-Off-Force Tear Configuration
AssigneeSilgan Containers LLC
InventorsGerald J. Baker, Alvin Widitora
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container assembly includes a can, a can end, and a sheet which hermetically closes an access opening in the can end. The can end includes an opening for accessing the contents of the container. This opening is hermetically sealed closed by a sheet sealed to the end about the periphery of the opening with a closed-loop of adhesive. The sheet preferably includes a tab and a weakened or score line which causes the sheet to tear across the seal at an angle less than 90 degrees to the seal such that the sheet pulls away from the can end along a line generally parallel to the loop where the sheet is being separated from the can end.
Claims36
A container end, comprising:
- a metal rim including an inwardly extending flange with a rolled edge which defines an opening in the end, the metal rim including a thermoplastic layer and an area extending into the opening;
- a foil with a thermoplastic layer, the foil covering the opening, the foil including a weakening formation and a tab formed by at least a portion of the formation;
- a closed-loop seal having a central axis and formed from the layers to seal the foil to the rim such that the tab is substantially located over the area, wherein the formation is configured to promote tearing of the foil across the seal when a pulling force is initially applied to the tab and separation of the foil from the seal in a direction generally parallel to the central axis of the seal after the foil is torn across the seal;
- and
- a seal extension extending from the closed loop between the area and the tab.
A metal container assembly comprising:
- a metal can end including:
- a metal rim including an inwardly extending flange which includes a rolled edge with defines an opening in the end,
- a sheet which covers the opening such that the rolled edge is rolled toward the sheet, and
- a closed-loop adhesive seal which hermetically seals the sheet to the flange, wherein the sheet includes a tab, and a weakening line in the vicinity of tab configured to promote tearing of the sheet across the adhesive seal;
- and
- a metal can body having an open end, wherein the can end is fastened to the open end of the can by overlapping a portion of the can with a portion of the metal rim and bending the portions into a sealed joint.
A container assembly, comprising:
- a can having an open end;
- a can end attached to the open end, having at least one opening defined by a periphery,
- a metal foil sheet configured to close the opening;
- and
- an adhesive which attaches the foil to the periphery of the opening to hermetically close the opening, the adhesive being configured to resist at least a force of 20-30 pounds per square inch of the portion of the foil covering the opening;
- the metal foil including a weakened formation configured to promote tearing of the foil across the adhesive the foil is pulled to remove the foil from the can end.
A container end, comprising:
- a generally circular metal flange including an inwardly extending flange which defines an opening in the end;
- a sheet which covers the opening;
- an adhesive bead structure which hermetically seals the sheet to the flange, the bead structure being configured in a generally spiral form to provide concentric areas of adhesive on at least portions of the flange, the sheet being formed to permit independent removal of the sheet from the concentric areas thereby reducing the force required to separate the sheet from the opening.
A container end, comprising:
- a metal rim including an inwardly extending flange which defines an opening in the end;
- a sheet which covers the opening;
- and
- a closed-loop adhesive seal which hermetically seals the sheet to the flange, the seal, wherein the sheet includes a tab, and a weakening line in the vicinity of tab to cause the foil to tear across the seal substantially at the weakened location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.