Container closure having a frangible seal

A closure for closing an open end of a container having a tubular sidewall, comprising:

• a flange having an inner periphery, an outer periphery, an upper edge, and a lower edge, the outer periphery being securable to an interior surface of a sidewall of a container;
• a frangible seal engaging the flange;
• a skirt having an upper edge, a lower edge, an inner periphery and an outer periphery, the lower edge of the skirt being connected to the upper edge of the flange such that at least a portion of the lower edge of the skirt forms a shoulder for engaging an edge of a container sidewall, the outer periphery of the skirt being offset outwardly from the outer periphery of the flange by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the sidewall such that when the closure is installed onto a container, the outer periphery of the skirt is substantially flush with an exterior surface of the container;
• and
• a lid which removably engages the inner periphery of the skirt.

A reclosable closure for a container, comprising:

• a skirt having an inner periphery, an outer periphery, a lower edge, and an upper edge, the inner periphery defining an opening;
• a lid removably engaging the skirt and including a cover that is substantially coextensive with the opening, the cover having a peripheral edge, an outside face and an inside face, the peripheral edge being located adjacent the upper edge of the skirt, the outside face being substantially flush with the upper edge of the skirt at a portion of the cover adjacent the skirt and the inside face being located substantially opposite the outside face;
• a tether attached at one end to the peripheral edge of the cover and at the opposite end to the skirt;
• a tab attached to the peripheral edge of the cover substantially opposite the tether and projecting away from the cover in substantially parallel relation to the plane defined by the upper edge of the skirt;
• wherein the tether is located within a first notch in the upper edge of the skirt such that an upper surface of a portion of the tether at the notch is substantially flush with the upper edge of the skirt and the tab is located within a second notch in the upper edge on the skirt such that the upper surface of a portion of the tab at the second notch is substantially flush with the upper edge of the skirt;
• and
• a frangible seal supported adjacent the lower edge of the skirt.

A container closure for closing an open end of a container having a tubular sidewall, comprising:

• a frangible seal made of a thin, tearable material, the seal having a removable portion which is defined by an edge groove in the seal, the seal also having a tear strip defined by a pair of spaced-apart grooves, the tear strip comprising
• a starting end defined by a connecting groove which connects the spaced-apart grooves;
• and
• a finger grip which includes a spacer and a pair of gripping tabs, the spacer being attached to the tear strip adjacent the starting end and each gripping tab having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal ends being attached to the spacer opposite the tear strip and the distal end projecting upward and outward from the spacer to form a V-shape;
• a flange having an inner periphery and an outer periphery, the flange being attached to the seal adjacent the edge groove in the seal and projecting away from the seal, the flange for engaging the interior surface of a side wall of a container;
• a skirt having an inner, an outer periphery, an upper edge and a locking rib located on its inner periphery, the skirt being attached to the flange and projecting away from the seal in a direction substantially opposite from the flange, the outer periphery of the skirt offset from the outer periphery of the flange by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a sidewall of a container such that when the closure is attached to the container, the outer periphery of the skirt is flush with the outside surface of the sidewall;
• a removable lid having a cover and an apron, the cover having an outer periphery and the apron having an inner periphery, an outer periphery and a boss on its outer periphery the cover removably covering an opening defined by the inner periphery of the skirt and the apron removably engaging the inner periphery of the skirt, the boss for providing a snap fit with the locking rib on the skirt when the lid is in its closed position and the lid further including a lifting tab which is attached to the outer periphery of the cover and project away therefrom;
• and
• a tether attached at one end to the cover opposite the lifting tab and at the opposite end to the outer periphery of the skirt adjacent the seal;
• wherein the lifting tab and the tether are each retained in a respective notch in the upper edge of the skirt such that the upper surfaces of the lifting tab and the tether are substantially flush with the upper edge of the skirt.