Container having a cut panel lid with a pull feature
There is provided a container with an opening formed by cutting a panel from the container body. A pull feature is joined to the panel and the panel is reattached to the container to cover the opening. The panel is reattached with a sealed, frangible interface so that pulling the pull feature of the panel removes the panel from the container to provide access to the contents within the container through the opening. The pull feature may be a pull tab joined to an outer surface of the panel or may be a pull tab and a ring. To facilitate the formation of the sealed, frangible interface, the ring may be positioned between an outer edge of the panel and an inner edge of the container or may be positioned to overhang the outer edge of the panel and to contact the container proximate the opening. The container may also include a second opening at an opposite end of the container that includes a closure sealed to the container.
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The present invention relates generally to containers with removable lids. More particularly the invention relates to containers with a panel cut from the container body to form an opening that is subsequently sealed by reattaching the panel with a pull feature, such that the panel functions as a removable lid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMany consumable goods are packaged in containers with removable lids to provide safe and convenient storage of the consumable goods. Such consumable goods include may items used by consumers, particularly food products. Frequently, the type of removable lid required for the consumable good may limit the design of the container. In addition, the production processes required to properly store the consumable goods may also limit the design of the removable lid.
Metal ends are commonly used to seal openings of containers. Metal ends of standard sizes can be economically produced, can be seamed to containers very quickly, and can be removed by consumers quickly and easily. However, as the closure design becomes more unique and complex the cost of the metal ends increase. Furthermore, product spillage can contaminate the sealing surfaces and diminish the quality of the seal of the metal end.
Heat-sealed flexible membranes are also used to seal container openings. However, it is often the case that a heat seal strong enough to survive harsh conditions, such as retort sterilization processes, makes the membrane difficult for consumers to remove. Plastic closures with screw-on tops can be applied to containers relatively quickly but are limited in size to smaller diameter openings. Plastic to plastic seals (such as spin welding or heat staking) may also be used to sufficiently seal a container, but the sealed closure cannot be easily separated to open the container. Additional closures such as foil membranes, paper ends, or plastic ends are applied to containers at relatively slower speeds compared to metal ends or plastic screw-on tops, which reduces the efficiency of those packaging processes.
Therefore, a need exists for a container with a removable lid that withstands harsh manufacturing processes, provides sufficient sealing abilities, and affords convenient removal by the consumer. In addition, the manufacturing process for such a container and removable lid should be cost-effective, timely, and consistent.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention addresses the above needs and achieves other advantages by providing a container comprising a container body formed by a wall with an opening defined in the wall. The opening in one embodiment is formed by cutting the wall to remove a panel from the wall. The panel is sized to substantially completely cover the opening. The panel is reattached to the container body to cover the opening and to create a sealed, frangible interface between the panel and the wall defining the opening. A pull feature is joined to the panel and, when pulled, causes detachment of the panel from the container body along the sealed, frangible interface. Removal of the panel provides access to the contents of the container through the opening.
The opening of the container may be in an end wall and the container may include a second opening on an end of the container opposite the end wall. A metal end may close the second opening. Alternatively, a foil membrane or a closure of the same material as the container may close the second opening. The pull feature joined to the panel may comprise a pull tab joined to the exterior surface of the panel or may comprise a pull tab connected to a ring or strip. If a pull tab is included, the panel may be reattached by heat staking. Alternatively, if a pull tab and ring are included, the pull tab may join the exterior surface of the panel and the ring may comprise a portion of the sealed, frangible interface. The ring may overhang the outer edge of the panel and engage the wall of the container proximate the opening to form the sealed, frangible interface. The ring may alternatively join the outer edge of the panel and engage the inner edge of the wall defining the opening to form the sealed, frangible interface. Adhesives may be used to facilitate the various sealed, frangible interfaces. Furthermore, a container may include any combination of closure for the second opening and pull feature for the panel.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a container comprising a container body formed by a wall with an opening defined in the wall and a panel attached with a sealed, frangible interface between the panel and the wall defining the opening. The panel substantially completely covers the opening. A pull feature is joined to the panel and, when pulled, causes detachment of the panel from the container body along the sealed, frangible interface. Removal of the panel provides access to the contents of the container through the opening.
A further embodiment of the present invention includes a container comprising a thermoformed container body defining a top end of the container and a bottom end of the container. The top end includes an opening and the container body flares outwardly from the top end to the bottom end. A removable lid is attached to the top end of the container body to cover the opening.
A method for manufacturing a container is also provided. A wall defining the container body is formed and a panel is cut from the wall to define an opening. The panel is sized to substantially completely cover the opening. A pull feature is joined to the panel and the panel is reattached to the container body to cover the opening and create a sealed, frangible interface. The pull feature allows the panel to be detached from the container body along the sealed, frangible interface when the pull feature is pulled. The container body may be formed to include a second opening that may have various closures attached to the second opening. In addition, the pull feature may include alternative portions that allow for various sealed, frangible interfaces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGSHaving thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
With reference to
The container is made by first forming the container body 10 as shown in
The container body 10 is formed as a single integral piece, such as by injection molding, blow molding, or thermoforming a suitable polymer material. Alternative container bodies may include various materials, but are preferably plastic materials, and may be formed by various processes, such as thermoforming and blow molding to list two non-limiting examples.
The end wall 22 of the embodiment shown in
Once the container body 10 has been made, the wall of the container body is cut to remove a panel 12 and to define an opening 36 in the container body. The cutting may be accomplished in various ways, including but not limited to cutting with a knife, a laser, an ultrasonic device, or the like. The panel 12 of
As seen in
A pull feature, such as the combined pull tab 30 and ring 32 of
The pull feature of
The pull feature of
An alternative sealed, frangible interface 134 is shown in
The sealed, frangible interface, such as the interface 34 of
The panel 12 may alternatively be made separately from the container body 10, such that the opening 36 of the container of
The container body 10 may also include a second opening 38, as shown in
Many containers manufactured with thermoforming, blow molding, or similar forming processes necessarily include an opening because of the mechanical limitations of the manufacturing process. The second opening 38 defined by the opposite end 28 of the side wall 20 of the
Containers formed by thermoforming include an opening at the largest end of the container so that the container body can be removed from the thermoforming equipment. Because thermoforming equipment typically includes a single mold into which the raw material is formed, the formed item must not include any portions within the mold that are larger than the opening of the mold. Therefore, thermoformed items typically include an opening at the largest portion of the item. The present invention overcomes this constraint by providing a thermoformed container body 10 that defines a top of the container and a bottom end of the container. An opening 36 illustrated in
The container body 10 of
An alternative closure for the second opening 38 of container body 10′ is shown in
Yet another alternative closure for the second opening 38 of container body 10″ is shown in
A further embodiment of the container is illustrated in
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
Claims
1. A container, comprising:
- a container body formed by a wall;
- an opening defined in the wall of the container body, the opening being formed by cutting the wall so as to remove a panel from the wall, the panel being sized to substantially completely cover the opening;
- the panel being reattached to the container body covering the opening so as to create a sealed, frangible interface between the panel and the wall defining the opening; and
- a pull feature joined to the panel and which, when pulled, causes detachment of the panel from the container body along the sealed, frangible interface and thereby removes the panel to gain access to the contents of the container through the opening.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the wall defines a generally planar end wall and a side wall joined to an outer periphery of the end wall and extending away therefrom, and wherein the opening is defined in the end wall.
3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the side wall defines a second opening at an opposite end of the side wall from the end wall, and further comprising a closure attached to the side wall to close the second opening.
4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the closure comprises a metal end.
5. A container according to claim 4, wherein the side wall defines a flange encircling the second opening and the metal end is attached to the flange by double-seaming.
6. A container according to claim 3, wherein the closure comprises a foil membrane attached to the side wall by heat sealing.
7. A container according to claim 3, wherein the closure comprises a cover of the same material as the container body attached to the side wall by heat staking.
8. A container according to claim 1, wherein the panel defines an exterior surface and the pull feature is a pull tab joined to the exterior surface of the panel.
9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the panel is reattached to the container body by heat staking.
10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the pull feature includes a pull tab and a ring.
11. A container according to claim 10, wherein the panel defines an outer edge and defines an exterior surface and the pull feature is joined to the exterior surface of the panel such that the ring overhangs the outer edge of the panel, so that when the panel is reattached to the container body, the overhanging portion of the ring engages the container body proximate the opening thus creating the sealed, frangible interface.
12. A container according to claim 11, wherein an adhesive is included on a surface of the overhanging portion of the ring.
13. A container according to claim 10, wherein the opening defines an inner edge and the panel defines an outer edge, and wherein the ring is joined to the outer edge of the panel, so that when the panel is reattached to the container body, the surface of the ring opposite the outer edge of the panel engages the inner edge of the container body thus creating the sealed, frangible interface.
14. A container according to claim 13, wherein an adhesive is included on the two surfaces of the ring such that the adhesive joins the ring to the outer edge of the panel and creates the sealed, frangible interface.
15. A container, comprising:
- a container body formed by a wall, wherein the wall defines an opening in the container body, the opening having an inner edge;
- a panel substantially completely covering the opening, the panel having an outer edge adjacent the inner edge of the opening; and
- a pull feature formed separately from and joined to the panel, and including a ring that overhangs the outer edge of the panel and is sealed to the container body so as to create a sealed, frangible interface, such that pulling the pull feature fractures the sealed, frangible interface and thereby removes the panel to gain access to the contents of the container through the opening.
16. A container according to claim 15, wherein the wall defines a generally planar end wall and a side wall joined to an outer periphery of the end wall and extending away therefrom, and wherein the opening is defined in the end wall.
17. A container, comprising:
- a container body formed by a wall, wherein the wall defines an opening in the container body, the opening having an inner edge;
- a panel substantially completely covering the opening, the panel having an outer edge adjacent the inner edge of the opening; and
- a pull feature formed separately from and joined to the panel, the pull feature including a ring that overhangs the outer edge of the panel and extends between the outer edge of the panel and the inner edge of the opening, the ring being sealed to the inner edge of the opening to create a sealed, frangible interface between the panel and container, such that pulling the pull feature fractures the sealed, frangible interface and removes the panel from the container.
18. A container comprising:
- a thermoformed container body defining a top end of the container and a bottom end of the container, wherein the top end includes an opening, and wherein the container body flares outwardly from the top end to the bottom end; and
- a removable lid attached to the top end of the container body covering the opening.
19. A container according to claim 18, wherein the removable lid is attached to the top end of the container body so as to create a sealed, frangible interface between the removable lid and the top end of the container body.
20. A container according to claim 19, wherein removable lid is attached to the top end of the container by heat staking.
21. A container according to claim 18, wherein the container defines a second opening at the bottom end of the container and a closure attached to the bottom end to close the second opening.
22. A container according to claim 21, wherein the closure comprises a foil membrane attached to the bottom end by conductive heat sealing.
23. A container according to claim 18, wherein the removable lid includes a pull feature.
24. A container according to claim 23, wherein the pull feature includes a pull tab and a ring.
25. A container according to claim 18, wherein the removable lid is a panel cut from the top end of the container such that the panel is sized to substantially completely cover the opening.
26. A method of manufacturing a container, comprising the steps of:
- forming a wall defining a container body;
- cutting the wall so as to define an opening in the wall and to remove a panel from the wall, wherein the panel is sized to substantially completely cover the opening;
- joining a pull feature to the panel; and
- reattaching the panel to the container body so as to cover the opening and create a sealed, frangible interface between the panel and the wall defining the opening, wherein the pull feature, when pulled, causes detachment of the panel from the container body along the sealed, frangible interface and thereby removes the panel.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 5, 2003
Publication Date: Feb 10, 2005
Applicant: Sonoco Development, Inc. (Hartsville, SC)
Inventors: Michael Martin (Hartsville, SC), J. Morrow (Camden, SC)
Application Number: 10/634,240