Patent ID: 9630762
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: B65D

Claim:
1. A package comprising a container including a bowl having an interior product-storage region and a brim coupled to an upper portion of the bowl and bordering a top opening into the interior product-storage region, the brim including an endless upwardly facing top surface including an endless inner perimeter region bordering and surrounding the top opening and providing an endless temporary sheet-bonding zone thereon and an outer perimeter region surrounding the endless inner perimeter region and providing a ring-support zone thereon, and a closure configured to mount on the brim in a closed position to close the top opening and block access to the interior product-storage region, the closure including a sheet-support ring that engages the ring-support zone on the outer perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim when the closure is positioned to lie in the closed position on the brim, and the closure further including 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 interior product-storage region, wherein the membrane sheet includes a ring-shaped outer portion bonded permanently to the sheet-support ring to form an endless seal therebetween, a central portion surrounded by the ring-shaped outer portion that covers the top opening into the interior product-storage region when the closure is in the closed position on the brim, and a ring-shaped middle portion that interconnects an outer perimeter edge of the central portion and an inner perimeter edge of the ring-shaped outer portion, the ring-shaped middle portion includes a downwardly facing surface that overlies and confronts the endless temporary sheet-bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and the package further comprising means for bonding the downwardly facing surface of the ring-shaped middle portion of the membrane sheet temporarily to the temporary sheet-bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter region of the upwardly facing top surface of the brim forming an endless hermetic seal therebetween that remains until the closure is removed from the brim by a consumer for the first time to gain access to product stored in the interior product-storage region, wherein the endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface also includes an unbonded zone that lies in spaced-apart relation to the ring-support zone to locate the endless temporary sheet-bonding zone therebetween and the central portion of the membrane sheet includes a center segment that closes the top opening into the interior product-storage region and an outer segment that surrounds the center segment and interconnect the center segment and the ring-shaped middle portion of the membrane sheet and positioned to overlie the unbonded zone established on the endless inner perimeter region of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim, and wherein the sheet-support ring includes a central brim-mount platform and a first pivotable sheet-separator lever arm coupled to a first end of the central brim-mount 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 sheet-lifting position associated with initial peeling separation of a first peel-initiation section of the ring-shaped middle portion of the membrane sheet from the endless temporary bonding zone on the endless inner perimeter portion of the endless upwardly facing top surface of the brim.