Package

Abstract

A package includes a container, a closure, and a peelable film for mating on the brim of the container. The peelable film is hermetically sealed to the container brim at a factory. The seal is broken the first time a consumer removes the peelable film from the container brim.

1 . A package comprising
 a container including a bowl formed to include an interior product-storage region and a brim coupled to an upper portion of the bowl and arranged to border a mouth opening into the interior product-storage region, the brim including an endless upwardly facing top surface,   a peelable film bonded temporarily to the brim to close the mouth and block access to the interior product-storage region, and   a closure configured to mount on the brim in a closed position to block access to the peelable film, the closure including a sheet-support ring and a membrane sheet coupled to the sheet-support ring to move therewith relative to the brim of the container when the closure is separated from the brim to gain access to the peelable film,   wherein the membrane sheet includes a ring-shaped outer portion bonded permanently to the membrane-support ring to form an endless seal therebetween, a central portion surrounded by the ring-shaped outer portion and arranged to cover the mouth opening into the interior product-storage region when the closure is mated with the brim, and a ring-shaped middle portion arranged to interconnect the central portion and the ring-shaped outer portion, the ring-shaped middle portion includes a downwardly facing surface arranged to overlie and face an endless temporary peelable film-bonding zone on an endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim and confront an upwardly facing surface of the peelable film, and the package further comprising means for bonding a downwardly facing surface of the peelable film temporarily to the temporary peelable film-bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter region of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim to establish an endless hermetic seal therebetween that remains until the peelable film is removed from the brim by a consumer for a first time to gain access to product stored in the interior product-storage region after removal of the closure from the brim.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the endless temporary peelable film-bonding zone includes a first peel initiation section and an endless band of uniform thickness located on the upwardly facing top surface of the brim. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the first peel initiation section is located in spaced-apart relation to an endless outer perimeter of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim and located between the endless band of uniform thickness and the endless outer perimeter. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 3 , wherein the first peel initiation section includes an inner edge overlapping a portion of the endless band of uniform thickness and a curved outer edge located between the inner edge of the first peel initiation section and a portion of the endless outer perimeter of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 4 , wherein the curved outer edge of the first peel initiation section is curved. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the endless temporary peelable film-bonding zone includes a first peel initiation section and an endless band of uniform thickness located on the upwardly facing top surface of the brim, the first peel initiation section is located in spaced-apart relation to an endless outer perimeter of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim and located between the endless band of uniform thickness and the endless outer perimeter, the first peel initiation section includes an inner edge overlapping a portion of the endless band of uniform thickness and a curved outer edge located between the inner edge of the first peel initiation section and a portion of the endless outer perimeter of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and the container is oval shaped and includes a major axis that is generally perpendicular to a minor axis, the major axis bisects the container along a plane, and the major axis has a length that is greater than a length of the minor axis. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 6 , wherein the container includes a first handle located on the brim along the major axis in spaced-apart relation to the temporary peelable film-bonding zone. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 7 , wherein the major axis extends through the first peel initiation section and is located in spaced-apart relation to the first handle. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the brim of the container includes a ring support zone, the temporary peelable film-bonding zone, and an inner unbonded zone, the ring support zone is located on an exterior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, the inner unbonded zone is located on an interior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and the temporary peelable film-bonding zone is located on an interior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim between the inner unbonded zone and the ring support zone. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 9 , wherein the sheet-support ring includes a central brim-mounted platform and a first pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to a first end of the central brim-mounted platform to pivot relative to the central brim-mounted platform about a fulcrum provided on a first bend line upwardly in a clockwise direction away from the brim of the container during a closure-removal activity carried out by a consumer from an initial position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to a closure-lifting position associated with separating the closure from the peelable film mounted on the brim of the container. 
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 10 , wherein the sheet-support ring further includes a second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to the central brim-mounted platform to locate a top aperture between the first and second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm for pivotable movement relative to the central brim-mounted platform about a second bend line upwardly in a counterclockwise direction away from the brim of the container during the closure-removal activity carried out by a consumer from an initial position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to the closure-lifting position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to the closure-lifting position associated with separating the closure from the peelable film mounted on the brim of the container. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the brim includes a ring support zone, the temporary peelable film-bonding zone, and an inner unbonded zone, the ring support zone is located on an exterior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, the inner unbonded zone is located on an interior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and the temporary peelable film-bonding zone is located on an interior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim between the inner unbonded zone and the ring support zone, the sheet-support ring includes a central brim-mounted platform and a first pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to a first end of the central brim-mounted platform to pivot relative to the central brim-mounted platform about a fulcrum provided on a first bend line upwardly in a clockwise direction away from the brim of the container during a closure-removal activity carried out by a consumer from an initial position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to a closure-lifting position associated with separating the closure from the peelable film mounted on the brim of the container, the sheet-support ring further includes a second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to the central brim-mounted platform to locate a top aperture between the first and second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm for pivotable movement relative to the central brim-mounted platform about a second bend line upwardly in a counterclockwise direction away from the brim of the container during the closure-removal activity carried out by a consumer from an initial position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to the closure-lifting position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to the closure-lifting position associated with separating the closure from the peelable film mounted on the brim of the container, and the central brim-mounted platform of the sheet-support ring includes a first strip arranged to mate with an first underlying portion of the outer perimeter region located on one side of the brim in the ring-support zone provided thereon and a second strip arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first strip to locate the top aperture therebetween and to mate with a second underlying portion of the outer perimeter region located on an opposite second side of the brim in the ring-support zone provided thereon, and a first shelf is coupled to first ends of each of the first and second strips. 
     
     
         13 . The package of  claim 12 , wherein the first pivotable sheet-separator lever arm is coupled to one end of each of the first and second strips and the sheet-support ring further includes the second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to an opposite second end of each of the first and second strips of the central brim-mounted platform to locate the top aperture between the first and second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm for pivotable movement relative to the central brim-mounted platform about the second bend line upwardly in a counterclockwise direction away from the brim of the container during the closure-removal activity carried out by a consumer from an initial position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to a sheet-lifting position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to the closure-lifting position associated with separating the closure from the peelable film mounted on the brim of the container. 
     
     
         14 . The package of  claim 13 , wherein the first pivotable sheet-separator lever arm includes the first shelf bonded permanently to the ring-shaped outer portion of the membrane sheet and a handgrip appended to the first shelf. 
     
     
         15 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the container is oval shaped and includes a major axis that is generally perpendicular to a minor axis, the major axis bisects the container along a plane, the endless temporary peelable film-bonding zone comprises an endless band of uniform thickness located on the upwardly facing top surface of the brim and a first peel initiation section, the first peel initiation section is located in spaced-apart relation to an endless outer perimeter of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim and located between the endless band of uniform thickness and the endless outer perimeter, the first peel initiation section includes an inner edge overlapping a portion of the endless band of uniform thickness and a curved outer edge located between the inner edge of the first peel initiation section and a portion of the endless outer perimeter of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and the major axis extends through the first peel initiation section. 
     
     
         16 . The package of  claim 15 , wherein the brim includes a ring support zone, the temporary peelable film-bonding zone, and an inner unbonded zone, the ring support zone is located on an exterior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, the inner unbonded zone is located on an interior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and the temporary peelable film-bonding zone is located on an interior edge of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim between the inner unbonded zone and the ring support zone, the sheet-support ring includes a central brim-mounted platform and a first pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to a first end of the central brim-mounted platform for pivotable movement relative to the central brim-mounted platform about a fulcrum provided on a first bend line upwardly in a clockwise direction away from the brim of the container during a closure-removal activity carried out by a consumer from an initial position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to a closure-lifting position associated with separating the closure from the peelable film mounted on the brim of the container, the central brim-mounted platform of the sheet-support ring includes a first strip arranged to mate with a first underlying portion of the outer perimeter region located on one side of the brim in the ring-support zone provided thereon and a second strip arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first strip to locate a top aperture therebetween and to mate with a second underlying portion of the outer perimeter region located on an opposite second side of the brim in the ring-support zone provided thereon, and a first shelf is coupled to first ends of each of the first and second strips, and the first pivotable sheet-separator lever arm is coupled to one end of each of the first and second strips and the sheet-support ring further includes a second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to an opposite second end of each of the first and second strips of the central brim-mounted platform to locate the top aperture between the first and second pivotable sheet-separator lever arm for pivotable movement relative to the central brim-mounted platform about a second bend line upwardly in a counterclockwise direction away from the brim of the container during the closure-removal activity carried out by a consumer from an initial position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to the closure-lifting position associated with the closed position of the closure on the brim of the container to the closure-lifting position associated with separating the closure from the peelable film mounted on the brim of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the peelable film is heatsealed to the temporary peelable film-bonding zone.