초록 ▼

A lid for a container having a built-in opening feature comprises a flexible laminate comprising an upper layer and a lower layer, a pair of radially spaced concentric lines of weakness being formed in the upper and lower layers, respectively, wherein the upper and lower layers in an annular region

A lid for a container having a built-in opening feature comprises a flexible laminate comprising an upper layer and a lower layer, a pair of radially spaced concentric lines of weakness being formed in the upper and lower layers, respectively, wherein the upper and lower layers in an annular region between the lines of weakness are readily peeled apart, and wherein the upper and lower layers outside the annular region are laminated together with an adhesive providing a bond with a greater peel strength than that required to separate the layers in the annular region. An integral tab is formed in the upper layer by a U-shaped cut line. A distal end of the tab opposite from the two ends of the cut line is within an adhesive-free region of the laminate. The ends of the cut line are in an adhesively laminated area of the laminate.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A lid for sealing a container, the lid comprising: a flexible laminate comprising an upper layer and a lower layer, a pair of radially spaced concentric lines of weakness each comprising a closed loop being formed in the laminate, an outer one of the lines of weakness being f

What is claimed is: 1. A lid for sealing a container, the lid comprising: a flexible laminate comprising an upper layer and a lower layer, a pair of radially spaced concentric lines of weakness each comprising a closed loop being formed in the laminate, an outer one of the lines of weakness being formed in the upper layer and an inner one of the lines of weakness being formed in the lower layer, wherein the upper and lower layers in an annular region between the lines of weakness are readily separated by exerting a peel force on the upper layer, and wherein the upper and lower layers outside the annular region are laminated together with an adhesive providing a bond with a greater peel strength than the peel force required to separate the layers in the annular region; wherein the upper layer is cut along a generally U-shaped cut line to define a tab, the tab having a distal end for grasping and an opposite end defined by ends of the cut line; the adhesive being absent in an adhesive-free region underlying the distal end of the tab so that the distal end can be lifted from the lower layer, and wherein the ends of the U-shaped cut line defining the tab are located outside the adhesive-free region in an adhesively laminated area of the laminate. 2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the laminate includes a generally planar center panel that is disk-shaped and a generally cylindrical skirt joined to an outer periphery of the center panel and extending upward therefrom such that the lower layer of the skirt faces radially outward and the upper layer of the skirt faces radially inward. 3. The lid of claim 2, wherein the inner line of weakness is located at a lower position along the skirt and the outer line of weakness is located at an upper position along the skirt. 4. The lid of claim 1, wherein a pressure-sensitive adhesive is disposed between the upper and lower layers in the annular region. 5. The lid of claim 4, wherein the adhesive outside the annular region comprises a laminating adhesive having a greater peel strength than that of the pressure-sensitive adhesive. 6. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lower layer comprises a heat-sealable polymer film. 7. The lid of claim 1, wherein the upper layer comprises a polymer film. 8. The lid of claim 1, wherein the upper layer further comprises an aluminum foil. 9. A lid for sealing a container, the lid comprising: a disk-shaped flexible laminate comprising an upper layer and a lower layer, the laminate having an outer peripheral edge, a line of weakness comprising a closed loop being formed in the lower layer spaced radially inward of the outer peripheral edge, wherein the upper and lower layers in an annular region between the line of weakness and the outer peripheral edge are readily separated by exerting a peel force on the upper layer, and wherein the upper and lower layers outside the annular region are laminated together with an adhesive providing a bond with a greater peel strength than the peel force required to separate the layers in the annular region; wherein the upper layer is cut through the thickness thereof along a generally U-shaped cut line to define a tab, the tab having a distal end for grasping and an opposite end defined by ends of the cut line; the adhesive being absent in an adhesive-free region underlying the distal end of the tab so that the distal end can be lifted from the lower layer, and wherein the ends of the U-shaped cut line defining the tab are located outside the adhesive-free region in an adhesively laminated area of the laminate. 10. A lid for a container, comprising: an upper layer of flexible sheet material laminated by an adhesive to a lower layer of flexible sheet material to form a laminate; the laminate including an adhesive-free region in which the adhesive is absent between the upper and lower layers; the upper layer including a generally U-shaped cut line defining an integral tab in the upper layer, the tab having a distal end and an opposite end defined by ends of the U-shaped cut line; wherein the distal end of the tab is within the adhesive-free region and the ends of the U-shaped cut line are outside the adhesive-free region in an adhesively laminated area of the laminate. 11. A container comprising: a container body comprising a side wall having a top edge encircling an opening of the container body, the side wall having an inner surface; a lid formed of a flexible laminate comprising an upper layer and a lower layer, the lid comprising a central panel that is generally disk-shaped and a generally cylindrical skirt joined to an outer periphery of the central panel and extending upwardly therefrom such that the lower layer of the skirt faces radially outwardly, the skirt being bonded to the inner surface of the container body, an outer line of weakness being formed in the upper layer of the skirt and an inner line of weakness being formed in the lower layer of the skirt at a position spaced below the outer line of weakness, wherein the upper and lower layers in an annular region of the skirt between the lines of weakness are readily separated by exerting a peel force on the upper layer, and wherein the upper and lower layers outside the annular region are laminated together with an adhesive providing a bond with a greater peel strength than the peel force required to separate the layers in the annular region; wherein the upper layer of the lid is cut through the thickness thereof along a generally U-shaped cut line to define a tab, the tab having a distal end for grasping and an opposite end defined by ends of the cut line; the adhesive being absent in an adhesive-free region underlying the distal end of the tab so that the distal end can be lifted from the lower layer, and wherein the ends of the U-shaped cut line defining the tab are located outside the adhesive-free region in an adhesively laminated area of the laminate. 12. The container of claim 11, wherein the lower layer of the skirt is bonded to the inner surface of the container body such that a peel force required for peeling the skirt from the inner surface of the container body exceeds the peel force required for peeling the upper layer from the lower layer in the annular region of the skirt. 13. The container of claim 11, wherein the adhesive outside the annular region bonds the upper and lower layers together such that a peel force required for peeling the layers apart outside the annular region exceeds the peel force required for peeling the skirt from the inner surface of the container. 14. The container of claim 11, wherein a portion of the skirt below the inner line of weakness is bonded to the inner surface of the container. 15. The container of claim 11, wherein the lower layer of the lid comprises a heat-sealable polymer film. 16. The container of claim 11, wherein the upper layer of the lid comprises a polymer film. 17. The container of claim 11, wherein a pressure-sensitive adhesive is disposed between the upper and lower layers in the annular region. 18. The container of claim 17, wherein the adhesive outside the annular region comprises a laminating adhesive.