Easy open closure

A closure for closing and loosely reclosing a food container, the container comprising a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface and an upper end portion, a closed end, an open end and a stop surface associated with the sidewall, the closure comprising

• a central panel having a top surface and a bottom surface,
• an outer peripheral upstanding wall adjoining the central panel and adapted to be affixed to the container sidewall,
• a ring surrounding and being above a plane through a portion of the central panel, the ring having an inverted U-shape and having an upper panel portion, a depending inner skirt having an inner surface and a depending outer skirt having an inner surface, a portion of the inner surface of the ring inner skirt being affixed to a portion of the closure peripheral upstanding wall, and the ring upper panel portion including a tearing portion in the form of a peripheral tear strip defined by score lines formed in the material of the upper panel portion and pull means connected to the tear strip, the tear strip extending about the ring and defining within its bounds a removable portion of the closure which includes the central panel,
• the removable closure portion including an engaging surface adapted to engage the container stop surface to prevent the removable closure portion from dropping further into the container, the removable closure portion having a skirt extending downwardly from and below the bottom surface of the central panel, said closure skirt having an outer surface which is adjacent and alongside but spaced from a portion of the inner surface of the container sidewall to provide a loose fit therewith, the closure skirt outside surface and the adjacent sidewall inner surface portion being adapted to be in a mating, overlapping relationship, such that once the tear strip is torn to open the container and the container and its food contents are heated with the removable closure portion on the container, steam can escape from the container between the mated, overlapped portions of the closure skirt and container sidewall, and the removable closure portion is free to move up and down and yet remain within the container open end.

A package comprising:

• a container comprising a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface, a closed end, an open end, a peripheral edge surrounding the opening, and a stop surface associated with the inner surface of the sidewall,
• a closure comprising a peripheral upstanding wall, a peripheral edge, a tearing portion and a central panel having a bottom surface and comprised of a barrier film and an annular portion, the closure having a peripheral skirt extending downwardly from and below the bottom surface of the central panel, the skirt having slits therethrough and having an outer surface which is adjacent and alongside but spaced from a portion of the inner surface of the container sidewall,
• a ring surrounding and being above the central panel, the ring having an inverted U-shape and having an upper panel portion, a depending inner skirt having an inner surface and a depending outer skirt having an inner surface, a portion of the inner skirt inner surface being affixed to a portion of the closure peripheral upstanding wall, and a portion of the outer skirt being affixed to the container sidewall adjacent the container peripheral edge, the closure tearing portion including at least one peripheral score line formed in the closure material and defining within the periphery of the at least one score line a removable closure portion which includes a portion of the central panel, the tearing portion being for opening the package to permit removal of the removable closure portion while leaving a portion of the ring outer skirt affixed to the container, the package being adapted such that after the container is initially opened and the removable closure portion remains on or is replaced on the container and the container and its contents are heated, steam can escape from the container between the closure skirt and container sidewall, and the removable closure portion is free to move up and down within the container open end.

A. package comprising:

• a container comprising a sidewall having an inner surface, a mouth defined by the inner surface, a closed end, an open end, and a stop surface associated with the side wall,
• a closure for hermetically closing and loosely reclosing the container, the reclosable closure comprising a central panel, an annular central panel portion, a peripheral wall having at least an upstanding portion, the central panel including a barrier film,
• a ring surrounding the closure and having a first portion affixed to the closure and a second portion affixed to the container, a tearing portion defined by at least one score line formed in the closure material, the at least one score line defining a removable closure portion of the central panel portion which includes at least a portion of the central panel and an engaging surface adapted to engage the container stop surface to prevent the removable closure portion from dropping further into the container, and a peripheral skirt extending downwardly from and below the bottom surface of the central panel, the skirt being peripheral to but part of the removable closure portion and the having an outer surface which is adjacent and alongside but spaced from a portion of the inner surface of the container sidewall to provide a loose fit therewith, the closure skirt outside surface and the adjacent sidewall inner surface portion being adapted to be in a mating, overlapping relationship, such that once a closed container is initially opened with the removable closure portion remaining or replaced loosely on the container and the container and its food contents are heated, the removable central panel portion is free to move up and down within the container open end, and steam can escape from the container between the mated, overlapped portions of the closure skirt and container sidewall.

A microwavable package comprising:

• a container comprising a closed end, a sidewall and an open end, the opening having a diameter,
• a closure sealed to the container and having a recessed central panel portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the container opening an upstanding peripheral wall, and a barrier film, the barrier film having on a portion of its upper surface an annular central panel portion,
• a ring surrounding the annular central panel portion, the ring having a first portion affixed to the upstanding wall and a second portion affixed to the container,
• the closure including a peripheral skirt extending downwardly from and below the annular central panel portion and barrier film, the skirt being sized to fit loosely within the container opening and having slits through the skirt, such that after the closed container is initially opened and the recessed central panel portion remains or is replaced in the container opening to thereby loosely reclose the container, and the container and its contents are heated, steam can escape from the container through the slits and between the closure skirt and container sidewall as the central panel portion rises and falls within the container open end during heating.