Easy opening ventable closure for sealed particulate product package
AssigneeKraft Foods, Inc.
InventorsStewart L. Bolton, Michael E. Delonis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container for packaging a particulate product under pressure or vacuum conditions with an easy opening closure structure which allows venting prior to uncovering of the product opening. In one form, an easy peel flexible lid covers a shelf area and a product opening in the top of the can. Peeling back the lid first uncovers the vent opening, permitting the flow of gases but preventing the flow of particulate product, and then uncovers the product opening. Alternatively, the closure structure may be formed by multiple layers of a flexible material, the lower layer of which has the vent opening which is uncovered by peeling back the top layer, after which the product opening is uncovered.
Claims41
A cylindrical container containing a particulate product packaged under pressure relative to the surrounding atmosphere, comprising:
- a top having a product access opening therein of a size sufficient for access to and removal of the particulate product when said container is in an upright position, and at least one vent opening which is positioned to be opened prior to operable opening of the product access opening so as to permit the flow of pressurized gases therethrough while minimizing movement of the particulate product outwardly therethrough;
- a lid having a first portion covering the product access opening and a second portion covering the at least one vent opening, said lid comprising a flexible material;
- a first peelable seal connecting the first portion of the lid to the top;
- and
- a second peelable seal attaching the second portion of the lid to the top so as to surround and hence close off the at least one vent opening, the second peelable seal being positioned to be opened to uncover the at least one vent opening so as to minimize movement of particulate product outwardly through the at least one vent openings and past the second portion and without operable opening of the product access opening and with the first peelable seal still in place, the first peelable seal being positioned to be opened, to uncover the product access opening, after the second peelable seal has been opened and the gases have been vented outwardly therethrough.
A cylindrical container containing a particulate product packaged under pressure relative to the surrounding atmosphere, comprising:
- a metallic can having a sidewall;
- a metallic top sealingly engaged to said sidewall and having a product access opening therein of a size sufficient for access to and removal of the particulate product when the can is in an upright position, and at least one vent opening which is positioned to be opened prior to operable opening of the product access opening so as to permit the flow of pressurized gases therethrough while minimizing movement of the particulate product outwardly therethrough;
- a lid comprising a flexible material peelably attached to the metallic top and having a first portion covering the product access opening and a second portion covering the at least one vent opening;
- a first sealant path peelably attached to the metallic top to define said first portion, and a second sealant path peelably attached to the metallic top to define the said second portion;
- a transverse sealant path peelably attached to the metallic top and forming a part of the first and second sealant paths such that when the second sealant path is removed to expose the at least one vent opening outward flow of particulate product through the vent opening and past the second portion is minimized, the transverse sealant path along with the remainder of the first sealant path continues to seal the product access opening, after which removal of the first sealant path uncovers the access opening.
A container for a particulate product packaged with a pressure differential between the interior of the container and the surrounding atmosphere, comprising:
- a top having a product access opening therein of a size large enough for access to and removal of a particulate product;
- a first peelable membrane for covering said product access opening, said first peelable membrane having at least one vent opening therein and positioned over said product access opening;
- and
- a second peelable membrane positioned over said vent opening to allow opening of the one vent opening so as to permit the flow of gases therethrough while minimizing movement of the particulate product therethrough, said first peelable membrane remaining intact over the product access opening when said second peelable membrane is opened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.