Container having abuse resistant end seal

A container is provided which includes a tubular-shaped body member and a generally cup-shaped end member positioned within the body member and wherein the body member includes a generally inwardly-curled U-shaped cross-sectional configured end which receives an outwardly extending flange portion of the cup-shaped end member. The end member and the body member of the container include barrier liner layers wherein barrier liner layer of the tubular body member is positioned on the inside thereof and the barrier liner layer of the cup-shaped end member is positioned on the inside of the cup-shaped member so that these barrier liner layers are in face-to-face position on the inside of the cup-shaped end member. A bond is created between these face-to-face positioned barrier liner layers only to cooperate therewith to seal the one end of the container against leakage. No bond is created in the area between the outside of the end member flange portion and the body member U-shaped cross-sectional configured end to allow flexing of the end member and the portion of the body member U-shaped cross-sectional configured end bonded thereto without tearing of the body member barrier liner layer and compromising the seal at the one end of the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a container for packaging various products, 
particularly food products, and which is characterized by having an abuse 
resistant end seal which allows outward flexing of an end member without 
compromising the seal at the end of the container which might occur during 
dropping of the container or otherwise causing an internal force on the 
end member of the container. 
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Paper containers having barrier liner layers and closed by paper end 
members also having barrier liner layers for packaging various products, 
including food products, constitute a significant commercial consumer 
product. 
These prior containers, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings and 
generally designated at 10, conventionally include a generally 
tubular-shaped body member 12 having opposed ends 13 and including a 
paperboard layer 14 and a barrier liner layer 15. The tubular body member 
12 may be formed by spiral or convolute winding of the layers 14, 15. This 
prior container 10 further includes a generally cup-shaped end member 20 
having a radially-extending central portion 21 of generally the same 
configuration and dimensions as one of the ends 13 of the body member 12 
and an axially-extending flange portion 22 around the outside of the 
central portion 21. This end member 20 also conventionally includes a 
paperboard layer 24 and a barrier liner layer 25 positioned on the outside 
of the cup-shaped end member so as to be positioned inside the container 
when the end member 20 is positioned within one end 13 of the tubular body 
member 12. 
In these prior containers 10, the end member 20 is positioned in one end 13 
of the tubular body member 12 with the flange portion 22 extending 
outwardly of the body member. The end 13 of the tubular body member 12 is 
inwardly-curled into a generally U-shaped cross sectional configuration 
around the outwardly-extending flange portion 22 of the end member 20. In 
this position, the barrier layer 25 of the end member 20 is in 
face-to-face position with the barrier layer 15 of the body member 12 on 
the outside of the cup-shaped end member 20. Bonding means 30 is 
positioned between the barrier liner layers 15, 25 in face-to-face 
relation on the outside of the cup-shaped end member 20. Bonding means 31 
is positioned between the inside of the flange portion 22 of the end 
member 20 and the inside of the U-shaped configured end 13 of the body 
member 12. Both bonding means 30, 31 cooperate with the barrier liner 
layers 15, 25 to seal the one end of the container against leakage. 
While this prior construction of a container 10 provided a sufficient seal 
at the end 13 of the body member 12 by the end member 20, problems were 
present with breaking of the seal if the container 10 is dropped or other 
abuse is caused to the container which creates an internal force in the 
direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5. When this internal force is 
created, the end member 20 will be flexed downwardly relative to the body 
member 12 causing a rupture or tearing of the liner layer 15 of the body 
member 12 where it is bonded to the liner layer 25 of the end member 20 
since the bonding means is stronger than the barrier liner layers. This 
compromises the seal in the one end 13 of the tubular body member 12 of 
the container 10 and thus allows undesirable leakage of the contents of 
the container. 
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to overcome the above 
discussed problem and to provide an abuse resistant end seal in a 
container of the type described which will prevent compromising of the 
seal at the end of the container which might occur during dropping of the 
container or otherwise causing an internal force on the end member of the 
container. 
By this invention, it has been found that the above object may be 
accomplished by reversing the position of the barrier liner layer of the 
cup-shaped end member to position such barrier liner layer inside the end 
member so that when the end member is positioned in one end of the 
tubular-shaped body member of the container with its flange portion 
positioned within the U-shaped cross-sectional configured end, the end 
member barrier liner layer of the flange portion will be in face-to-face 
position with the barrier liner layer on the inside of the cup-shaped end 
member, rather than on the outside. Bonding means is then positioned only 
between the barrier liner layers in face-to-face position and the area 
between the outside of the end member flange portion and the body member 
U-shaped cross-sectional configured end is free of bonding means to allow 
outward flexing of the end member and the portion of the body member 
U-shaped cross-sectional configured end bonded thereto without tearing of 
the body member barrier liner layer and compromising the seal at the end 
of the container. 
Preferably, sealing means, which may be in the form of a hot melt adhesive, 
is positioned within the body member U-shaped cross-sectional configured 
end and around the end of the end member flange portion for acting as an 
anti-wicking barrier and for aiding in sealing the one end of the 
container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
In the following detailed description, a preferred embodiment of the 
invention is described. It will be understood, however, that the invention 
is not to be limited to its preferred embodiment and although specific 
terms are employed in describing this preferred embodiment, these are for 
purposes of illustration only and not for purposes of limitation. It will 
thus be apparent that the invention includes various alternatives, 
modifications and equivalents within the spirit and scope as will be 
apparent to skilled artisan. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a container, generally 
referred to at 100, constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
This container includes a generally tubular-shaped body member 112 having 
opposed ends 113. The tubular-shaped body member 112 includes a paperboard 
layer 114 and a barrier liner layer 115 in superimposed position inside 
the paperboard layer 114. At least one end 113 of the tubular body member 
112 of the container 10 is disposed in a generally inwardly-curled 
U-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The paperboard layer 114 and the 
barrier liner layer 115 may be formed into the generally tubular-shaped 
body member 112 by spiral, convolute or other suitable winding processes. 
The paperboard layer 114 may be composed of conventional spiral-winding 
paperboard or board stock having a thickness of between about 0.010 and 
0.042 inch, preferably between about 0.015 and 0.030 inch, for example 
0.021 inch. The barrier liner layer 115 may advantageously comprise a 
flexible material such as a polymer, a metalized polymer, a silicate 
impregnated polymer, or a lamination of property enhancing polymers, or 
polymer coatings on polymers, foils or paper, laminations of paper, 
metalized paper, polymer, metalized polymer, silicate impregnated polymer 
or foil engineered in combination to achieve the desired level of barrier. 
The container 100 in accordance with this invention further includes a 
generally cup-shaped end member 120 having a radially-extending central 
portion 121 of generally the same configuration and dimensions as the one 
end 113 of the body member 112 and an axially-extending flange portion 122 
around the outside of the central portion 121. The end member 120 includes 
a paperboard layer 124 and a barrier liner layer 125 in superimposed 
position with the paperboard layer inside the cup-shaped end member 120. 
The paperboard layer 124 and the barrier liner layer 125 may 
advantageously be constructed of the same material set forth above with 
respect to these layers in the tubular body member 112. 
The end member 120 is positioned in one end of the tubular body member 112 
for closure thereof with the flange portion 122 extending outwardly of the 
body member 112 and positioned within the U-shaped cross-sectional 
configured end 113 to place the end member barrier liner layer 125 of the 
flange portion 122 in face-to-face position with the body member barrier 
liner layer 115 on the inside of the cup-shaped end member 120. Bonding 
means 131 is positioned between the barrier liner layers 115, 125 in 
face-to-face position for bonding the end member 120 to the body member 
112 and for cooperating with the barrier liner layers 115, 125 to seal the 
one end of the container against leakage. The area between the outside of 
the end member flange portion 122 and the body member U-shaped 
cross-sectional configured end 113 or the area between the paperboard 
layer 124 in the flange portion 122 of the end member 120 and the barrier 
liner layer 115 of the body member 112 in the U-shaped configured end 113 
is free of any bonding means to allow outward flexing of the end member 
120 and the portion of the body member U-shaped cross-sectional configured 
end 113 bonded thereto without tearing of the body member barrier liner 
layer 115 and compromising the seal at the one end of the container, as 
shown in FIG. 3. 
Preferably, a sealing means 133 is positioned within the body member 
U-shaped cross-sectional configured end 113 and around the end of the end 
member flange portion 122 for acting as an anti-wicking barrier and for 
aiding in sealing the one end 113 of the container 100. 
The bonding means positioned between the barrier liner layers 115, 125 on 
the inside of the outwardly extending end member flange portion 122 and 
the inside of the U-shaped configured end 113 of the body member 112 may 
advantageously comprise a heat seal or may utilize a suitable adhesive 
including a hot melt adhesive, all of which are well known to those with 
ordinary skill in the art and available from a number of suppliers. The 
sealing means 133 positioned within the body member U-shaped 
cross-sectional configured end 113 and around the end of the end member 
flange portion 122 for acting as an anti-wicking barrier and for aiding in 
sealing the one end 113 of the container 100 may advantageously comprise a 
hot melt adhesive. 
Thus, it may be seen, that a container 100 has been provided for packaging 
various products, particularly food products, which is characterized by 
having an abuse resistant end seal which allows outward flexing of an end 
member 120 without compromising the seal at the end of the container 100 
which might occur during dropping of the container 100 or otherwise 
causing an internal force on the end member of the container 100. 
This invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to 
its preferred embodiments. However, variations and modification can be 
made within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the 
foregoing specification and as defined in the following claims.