A removable lid

Abstract

A removable lid ( 1 ) for use with a food-storage container ( 10 ), the lid ( 1 ) having a user-actuable vacuum-release button ( 12 ) and comprising at a first level A, a raised surface ( 20 ) for contact with a user's finger, at a second level B, lower than the first level A, a curved score line ( 5 ) adjacent to said raised surface ( 20 ), and at a third level C, being intermediate between said first and second levels, respectively A and B, a surface ( 22 ) adjacent to said curved score line ( 5 ) on the other side from said raised surface ( 20 ).

1 . A removable lid for use with a food-storage container, the lid having a user-actuable vacuum-release button comprising:
 at a first level (A), a raised surface for contact with a user's finger;   at a second level (B), lower than the first level (A), a curved score line adjacent to said raised surface; and   at a third level (C), being intermediate between said first (A) and second (B) levels, a surface adjacent to said curved score line on the other side from said raised surface, the surface at the third level (C) being positioned to prevent the user's finger from coming into contact with the curved score line during actuation of the button.   
     
     
         2 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the curved score line is such that the user-actuable vacuum-release button can be actuated to fracture along the score line by finger pressure. 
     
     
         3 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lid further comprises a centrally located pop-up button to indicate whether or not a vacuum is present, and said curved score line is located radially outward of the button. 
     
     
         4 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the lid within the curved score line is raised to form a button. 
     
     
         5 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the force required to actuate the vacuum-release button is between 10N and 40N. 
     
     
         6 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lid further comprises one or more formations or lugs for engaging screw threads on the food-storage container. 
     
     
         7 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the curved score line is formed by laser scoring. 
     
     
         8 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the material of the lid at the point of the score line is reduced to a depth of less than 50 microns. 
     
     
         9 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the material of the lid at the point of the score line is reduced to a depth of around 20 microns. 
     
     
         10 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a sealing compound is provided on the underside of the removable lid underneath the user-actuable vacuum-release button. 
     
     
         11 . A removable lid as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lid is formed from steel. 
     
     
         12 . A product comprising a food-storage container and a removable lid as described in  claim 1  attached to the container. 
     
     
         13 . A product as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the interior of the container is at a negative pressure with respect to the atmosphere such that the removable lid is removably sealed to the food-storage container by a pressure differential.