US 5,511,680 A · Tear-away canister lid

Abstract

The present invention pertains to improved closure arrangements which are durable in construction, yet easy to open and reclose, and which provide an initial hermetic seal with tamper evidency, all utilizing a one-piece lid design. In two embodiments according to the present invention, unique combinations of a mechanical interlocking closure system, heat-sealing or bonding, and a weakened failure zone are employed in the vicinity of the lid/container juncture to achieve these desirable characteristics. In a third embodiment of the present invention, a mechanical interlocking and sealing arrangement is utilized to achieve hermetic sealing of the container without the need for a heat seal or bonded region, and a weakened failure zone is located just inward of the mechanical interlocking connection. With all embodiments according to the present invention, upon tearing the lid open the lid forms a recloseable plug-fit closure to reclose the container, while the rim of the lid once remains attached to the container in its initial position. The resulting container is extraordinarily simple in construction, rendering it easy and cost effective to produce, yet providing superior performance both in maintaining the initial freshness of the product and in providing ease of consumer operation.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A two piece frangible opening resealable container, said container comprising:

(a) a container body with a bottom wall and a sidewall surrounding and extending upward from said bottom wall, said sidewall having an upper annular surface forming an open mouth, said sidewall also having an outwardly projecting rim forming a locking region spaced outwardly of said sidewall;
(b) a lid for sealing said mouth of said container body, said lid having a cover with an integral pull tab, said pull tab enabling said cover to be pulled upward by a user, said cover having an inner wall which forms the periphery of said cover and said inner wall frictionally contacts said mouth of the container body enabling reclosure of the container after frangible opening, said inner wall having a top annular wall extending outwardly therefrom, said top annular wall having a circumferential failure line located thereon enabling said cover to be frangibly separated from said lid, said lid further having an outer depending wall located outwardly of said failure line and extending downwardly from said top annular wall, said outer depending wall cooperates with the outwardly projecting rim of said container body forming a snap fit engagement, said outer depending wall is further engaged and captured on three sides by said outwardly projecting rim to prevent disengagement of said outer depending wall and retaining said outer depending wall after said container is frangibly opened.

An improved container for preserving a perishable product, said container comprising a container body having a bottom and an annular sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom to an upper edge, an annular mouth formed by said upper edge of said annular sidewall, said annular mouth having an inner surface, and a flange extending outwardly of said annular mouth, said container further comprising a removable lid sized to engage said inner surface of said annular mouth for closing said container, said removable lid further including an integral pull tab, the improvement comprising:

(a) said removable lid comprising a peripheral flange portion engaging said flange and extending radially outwardly over said flange, said flange portion including a weakened zone extending circumferentially around the periphery of said flange portion over said flange, said weakened zone providing a means for severing a central portion of said removable lid from said flange portion;
(b) said flange and said flange portion being mechanically interlocked circumferentially around the periphery of said container by a locking region at a location spaced radially outwardly of said weakened zone, wherein said locking region permits initial insertion of said removable lid into said annular mouth, and wherein said locking region prevents subsequent removal of said removable lid without rupture of said weakened zone;
(c) said locking region spaced radially outwardly of said annular sidewall including an outer portion extending downwardly from and circumferentially around said flange portion, said locking region further including an outwardly projecting rim which extends radially outwardly from said flange to a location beyond an outermost portion of said flange portion, said outwardly projecting rim and said outer portion cooperate to form a snap fit engagement, said outwardly projecting rim engaging and capturing said outer portion on three sides so as to prevent disengagement of said outer portion from said outwardly projecting rim as said container is frangibly opened;
and
(d) said removable lid further including a side portion forming a periphery of said central portion inward of said weakened zone, said side portion frictionally contacting said inner surface of said annular mouth;
whereby said weakened zone is rupturable in response to an upward force exerted upon said integral pull tab such that said central portion of said removable lid is removable for access to said product, and whereby said removable lid may be reinserted within said annular mouth of said container body to effect reclosing of said container.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tear-away canister lid

Life of this patent

Tear-away canister lid

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18