Container having a cut panel lid with a pull feature

Abstract

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.

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.