Container of the type comprising a receptacle and a hinged lid

Abstract

The invention relates to a container comprising: a receptacle comprising an internal cavity designed to accommodate contents, and an opening; a lid capable of closing the opening; means for connecting the lid to the receptacle in such a way as to allow the lid to pivot with respect to the receptacle; and a capsule arranged between the receptacle and the lid, which capsule hermetically seals the opening; in which the capsule is held against an edge of the opening by negative pressure inside the cavity.

1 . A container comprising:
 a receptacle comprising an internal cavity designed to accommodate contents, and an opening,   a lid capable of closing the opening,   means for connecting the lid to the receptacle in such a way as to allow the lid to pivot with respect to the receptacle,   a capsule arranged between the receptacle and the lid, said capsule hermetically sealing the opening,   wherein the capsule is held bearing on an edge of the opening due to a vacuum prevailing inside the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the capsule comprises means for causing a disruption of the vacuum inside the cavity, resulting in the capsule separating from the receptacle. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for causing a disruption of the vacuum inside the cavity comprise an area of reduced resistance of the capsule so as to facilitate incipient tearing of the capsule. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for causing a disruption of the vacuum inside the cavity comprise an orifice made through the capsule and a pelable or tearable membrane sealing the orifice, which membrane can be peeled or torn off so as to release the orifice. 
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 4 , wherein the membrane is made of food-grade plastic. 
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the capsule comprises at least one metal foil and a layer of food-grade plastic. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the capsule comprises a flowed-in gasket extending on a periphery of the capsule, the capsule being held bearing on an edge of the opening via the gasket. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 7 , wherein the capsule comprises a skirt extending around a wall of the receptacle limiting the opening, the flowed-in gasket also extending along the skirt. 
     
     
         9 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for connecting the lid to the receptacle comprise a wire frame. 
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 1 , comprising means for locking the lid to the receptacle so as to lock the lid in position when the lid is closing the opening. 
     
     
         11 . A method for assembling a container according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a—filling the internal cavity of the receptacle with contents,   b—arranging the capsule on the opening,   c—creating a vacuum inside the internal cavity so that the capsule is held bearing on the edge of the opening due to this vacuum and hermetically seals the opening,   d—closing the receptacle with the lid by pivoting the lid with respect to the receptacle, so that the capsule is arranged between the receptacle and the lid.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein steps b and c are performed simultaneously. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein step c is performed by injecting vapor between the capsule and the receptacle. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein step d is performed at a surrounding pressure. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising a sterilizing or pasteurizing step.