Inner seal with a sub tab layer

A container and cap assembly including a concentrically stable tabbed sealing member with foam for sealing to a rim surrounding an opening of the container, the assembly comprising:

• a container with a rim surrounding an opening thereof;
• a cap for closing the opening of the container;
• a multi-layer laminate forming the concentrically stable tabbed sealing member and including an upper laminate portion with one or more layers and partially bonded to a lower laminate portion;
• a tab stock polymer layer extending partway across the sealing member, the tab stock polymer layer bonded to one of the layers in the upper laminate portion and not bonded to the lower laminate portion, the tab stock polymer layer and the portion of the upper laminate bonded to the tab stock polymer layer form a gripping tab defined wholly within a perimeter of the sealing member, the multi-layer laminate bonded to the container rim;
• the lower laminate portion below the gripping tab including at least a seal layer for bonding to the container rim, a metal layer for heating the seal layer, and a polymer foam layer above the metal layer;
• a polymer film sub-tab layer between the polymer foam layer and the gripping tab;
• and
• the polymer film sub-tab layer coextensive with at least the gripping tab at its periphery thereof to provide structural support to the polymer foam layer at its periphery, thereby, protecting the structural integrity of the polymer foam layer from effects of heat sealing the tabbed sealing member to the container rim.