Hermetically sealed containers
AssigneeMeadWestvaco Corporation
InventorsChristopher J. Parks, Barry G. Calvert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hermetically sealed container is disclosed that may be produced by an effective and economical process for an in-plant system. The container comprises a coated unitary tray component having a base portion, a side wall portion, and a flange portion; and a lid component hermetically sealed to the flange portion of the tray component. A selected composite polymer film is blow-molded onto an interior surface of the pre-shaped unitary tray structure to provide the coated unitary tray component having its interior surface seamlessly, creaselessly and integrally bonded with the polymeric film.
Claims14
A hermetically sealed container, including:
- (I) a coated unitary tray component, comprising:
- (a) a pre-shaped unitary tray structure having an interior and exterior surfaces, and including:
- (i) a base portion,
- (ii) a side wall portion extending upward from the base portion, and
- (iii) a flange portion extending peripherally from the side wall portion;
- (b) a composite polymer film blow-molded onto the interior surface of the tray structure such that the composite polymer film is seamlessly, creaselessly, and integrally bonded to the interior surface of the tray structure;
- and
- (II) a lid component hermetically sealed to the flange portion of the coated unitary tray component.
A method of producing a hermetically sealed container, comprising steps of:
- (1) providing a pre-shaped unitary tray structure having an interior and exterior surfaces and an internal space to contain packaged goods, the pre-shaped structure including:
- a base portion, a side wall portion extending upward from the base portion, and a flange portion extending peripherally from the side wall portion;
- (2) inserting the pre-shaped unitary structure against a blow mold cavity wall;
- (3) extruding a blow mold parison of polymeric film into the blow mold cavity;
- (4) blowing the polymeric film against the interior surface of the unitary tray structure to seamlessly, creaselessly, and integrally bond the polymeric film to the interior surface of the unitary tray structure, creating a coated unitary tray component;
- and
- (5) hermetically sealing a lid component to the peripheral flange portion of the coated unitary tray component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.