Container closure

Abstract

A package includes a closure adapted to mate with a brim of a container to close an opening that opens into an interior product-storage region formed in the container.

1 . A package comprising
 a container including a bowl formed to include a product-storage region therein and a brim coupled to the bowl and formed to include a top aperture arranged to open into the product-storage region,   a closure including a sheet-support ring coupled to the brim and a multi-layer sheet coupled permanently to the sheet-support ring by a permanent bond and coupled temporarily to an upwardly facing surface of the brim by a temporary bond to cause an endless hermetic seal to be established between the brim and the multi-layer sheet, the multi-layer sheet being configured to provide means for communicating visually to a user that the closure has been separated from the container previously in response to separation of the closure from the container.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer sheet includes an outer layer located in spaced-apart relation to the upwardly facing surface of the brim, an inner layer located in spaced-apart relation to the outer layer and located between the outer layer and the upwardly facing surface of the brim, and a coupling layer located between the inner layer and the outer layer. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the outer layer includes a portion that is generally transparent to light and configured to communicate first visual information through the portion of the outer layer when the package is in a closed-sealed arrangement in which the sheet-support ring is coupled to the brim of the container and the multi-layer sheet is coupled temporarily to the brim by the temporary bond, the portion of the outer layer that is generally transparent to light is further configured to communicate different second visual information through the portion of the outer layer when the package is in an opened arrangement in which the temporary bond between the inner layer and the container has been broken and a portion of the inner layer has been removed from the closure to establish a removable cover and the removable cover is coupled to the container, the coupling layer includes a portion that is transparent to light and configured to communicate visual information through the portion of the coupling layer. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the coupling layer includes an adhesive layer located between the inner layer and the outer layer and a release coating coupled to a portion of the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer is a permanent adhesive, and the adhesive layer includes a first portion located between the outer layer and the sheet-support ring and configured to provide a first permanent bond between the outer layer and the sheet-support ring and a second portion surrounded by the first portion and the release coating is applied only to the second portion. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the inner layer includes an inner portion, an outer portion located in spaced-apart relation to the inner portion, and a peel-initiation zone located between the inner portion and the outer portion, the peel-initiation zone is configured to provide means for causing the inner portion of the inner layer to delaminate in a controlled manner from the coupling layer in response to separation of the sheet-support ring from the brim to cause a film lid to be established while maintaining the endless hermetic seal between the film lid and the brim so that a removable cover is established for covering the top aperture after the film lid is removed and separated from the container, and the film lid is a portion of the inner layer of the multi-layer sheet that has delaminated from the multi-layer sheet in a controlled manner during formation of the film lid and the removable cover. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer sheet includes an outer layer coupled permanently to the sheet-support ring by a first permanent bond, an inner layer coupled temporarily to the upwardly facing surface of the brim by the temporary bond to cause an endless seal to be established between the brim and the inner layer of the multi-layer sheet, and a coupling layer located between the inner and outer layers and configured to provide means for communicating visually to a user that the closure has been separated previously from the container by a user. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the package is in a closed-sealed arrangement when the sheet-support ring is coupled to the brim of the container and the multi-layer sheet is coupled temporarily to the brim by the temporary bond and the package is in an opened-sealed arrangement when a first removal forced is applied to the sheet-support ring to cause a film lid to be established which is coupled by the temporary bond to the brim so that the endless hermetic seal is maintained and a removable cover to be established which is located in spaced-apart relation to the film lid. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 7 , wherein the multi-layer sheet includes an outer layer located in spaced-apart relation to the upwardly facing surface of the brim, an inner layer located in spaced-apart relation to the outer layer and located between the outer layer and the upwardly facing surface of the brim, and a coupling layer located between the inner layer and the outer layer, the film lid is a portion of the inner layer of the multi-layer sheet that has delaminated from the multi-layer sheet in a controlled manner during formation of the film lid and removable cover, the package is in an opened arrangement when a second force is applied to the film lid to cause the temporary bond to be overcome and the film lid to be peeled away from brim of the container and removable cover is coupled to brim to block access to the top aperture by a remaining portion of the multi-layer sheet included in the removable cover, and the removable cover is coupled to the upwardly facing surface of the brim by a downwardly facing surface of the coupling layer exposed during delamination of the film lid from the removable cover. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 7 , wherein the package is in an opened arrangement when a second removal force is applied to the film lid to cause the temporary bond to be overcome and the film lid to be peeled away from the brim of the container and the package is in a closed arrangement when the film lid is peeled away from the brim and the removable cover is coupled to the brim to block access to the top aperture by a remaining portion of the multi-layer sheet included in the removable cover and the removable cover is coupled to the upwardly facing surface of the brim by a downwardly facing surface of a coupling layer exposed during delamination of the film lid from the removable cover and the coupling layer is an adhesive layer. 
     
     
         10 . A package comprising
 a container including a bowl formed to include a product-storage region therein and a brim coupled to the bowl and formed to include a top aperture arranged to open into the product-storage region,   a closure including a sheet-support ring coupled to the brim and a multi-layer sheet including an outer layer coupled permanently to the sheet-support ring by a first permanent bond, an inner layer coupled temporarily to an upwardly facing surface of the brim by a temporary bond to cause an endless seal to be established between the brim and the inner layer of the multi-layer sheet, and a coupling layer located between the inner and outer layers and configured to provide means for communicating visually to a user that the closure has been separated previously from the container by a user.   
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 10 , wherein the coupling layer has a perimeter edge located between the sheet-support ring and the temporary bond formed between the inner layer and the brim of the container. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 10 , wherein the coupling layer includes an adhesive layer located between the inner layer and the outer layer and a release coating coupled to a portion of the adhesive layer. 
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 12 , wherein the adhesive layer is a permanent adhesive. 
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 13 , wherein the adhesive layer includes a first portion located between the outer layer and the sheet-support ring and configured to provide the first permanent bond between the outer layer and the sheet-support ring and a second portion surrounded by the first portion. 
     
     
         15 . A package comprising
 a container including a bowl formed to include a product-storage region therein and a brim coupled to the bowl and formed to include a top aperture arranged to open into the product-storage region,   a closure including a sheet-support ring coupled to the brim and a multi-layer sheet coupled permanently to the sheet-support ring by a permanent bond and coupled temporarily to an upwardly facing surface of the brim by a temporary bond to cause an endless hermetic seal to be established between the brim and the multi-layer sheet, the sheet-support ring being configured to provide means for communicating visually to a user that the closure has been separated from the container previously in response to separation of the closure from the container.   
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 15 , wherein the sheet-support ring includes an upper annular band, a lower annular band located in spaced-apart relationship to the upper annular band and, and a series of frangible connectors arranged to extend between and interconnect the upper and lower annular bands to cause the lower annular band to separate and move away from the upper annular band in response to application of a cover-removal force to the lower annular band. 
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 16 , wherein the multi-layer sheet is bonded permanently to the lower annular band by a first permanent bond and bonded permanently to the upper annular band by a second permanent bond. 
     
     
         18 . The package of  claim 17 , wherein the multi-layer sheet includes an outer layer located in spaced-apart relation to the upwardly facing surface of the brim and an inner layer located between the outer layer and the upwardly facing surface of the brim, the outer layer of the multi-layer sheet forms the first permanent bond with the lower annular band, and the inner layer of the multi-layer sheet forms the second permanent bond with the upper annular band. 
     
     
         19 . The package of  claim 16 , wherein the package is in a closed-sealed arrangement when the sheet-support ring is coupled to the brim of the container and the multi-layer sheet is coupled temporarily to the brim by the temporary bond and the package is in an opened-sealed arrangement when a cover-removal forced is applied to the lower annular band to cause a film lid to be established which is coupled by the temporary bond to the brim so that an endless seal is maintained and a removable cover to be established which is located in spaced-apart relation to the film lid. 
     
     
         20 . The package of  claim 19 , wherein the multi-layer sheet includes an outer layer located in spaced-apart relation to the upwardly facing surface of the brim and an inner layer located between the outer layer and the upwardly facing surface of the brim, the removable cover includes the lower annular band and the outer layer of the multi-layer sheet, and the film lid includes the upper annular band and the inner layer of the multi-layer sheet.