Abstract:
A container is provided with a flange defining a container opening that may help expunge food product as the film and seal head comes down on the container flange. The flange of the container opening has a predetermined angle. The container flange with its sealing surface generally deflects or angularly pivots when sealed with the film during the sealing process. The container flange and film may push product contamination from the sealing surfaces inwardly into the container. The flange may be continuous about the periphery of the container opening.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a container and particularly to a container with a flange adjacent the container opening. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0002]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective sectional view of one embodiment of the container during the sealing process; 
           [0003]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with the container in the filled condition and the film and seal bar exploded away from the container; 
           [0004]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged, partial sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2  illustrating the film and seal bar progressing towards the container; 
           [0005]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged, partial sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  illustrating the film and seal bar further progressing towards the container; 
           [0006]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged, partial sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 4  illustrating the film and seal bar fully engaging the flange of the container, the position of the container before the film and seal bar is fully engaged is shown in broken lines. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” “in communication with” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, and as described in subsequent paragraphs, the specific mechanical configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the invention and that other alternative mechanical configurations are possible. 
         [0009]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , one embodiment of a container or tray  30  is provided with a flange  20  which facilitates the removal of contaminants from the sealing surfaces during the sealing process of the container. During the filling process, product or food contaminant  2  is sometimes present on the sealing surfaces between the container  30  and a film or sealing member  40 . Product contaminant  2  may become entrapped between the film sealing surfaces  42  and the container sealing surfaces  22  thereby compromising the integrity of the seal engagement. The embodiments of the invention may reduce or prevent the product contaminant from interfering with the sealing surfaces of the container and film. 
         [0010]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , container  30  includes flange  20  defining an opening  36  of the container. Container  30  includes a bottom wall  32  with a sidewall  34  projecting upwardly therefrom. Flange  20  projects from a rim  37  of sidewall  34  thereby defining the container opening  36 . Before sealing, flange  20  is positioned at a predetermined angle θ 1  ( FIGS. 1-4 ) from central axis C of container opening  36 . However, the flange angle may also be measured from a variety of devices or other container structures, such as but not limited to sidewall  34 , rim  37 , or bottom wall  32 . As shown, flange  20  continuously surrounds the container opening  36 , however it should be understood that the flange may only extend partially about the periphery of the container rim or can be discontinuous about the opening. In addition, container opening  36  may be provided in a variety of shapes, sizes, quantities, positions, and construction within the container. 
         [0011]    Container  30  may be constructed by a variety of methods including but not limited to thermoform, injection, or compression molding. The container may be formed of a rigid, flexible, or semi-rigid material, such as a polymeric material including but not limited to polyethylene, polypropylene, or some other material or combination of materials commonly known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, container  30  may be formed in a variety of sizes and shapes depending on the desired use of the container associated therewith. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a variety of closures and/or sealing members or other devices may also be used with the container. 
         [0012]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , container flange  20  is molded at a predetermined angle θ 1  as measured relative to central axis C of the container opening  36 . Flange  20  projects upwardly and outwardly away from opening  36  thereby presenting a substantially conical shape along the surface thereof. Flange  20  includes a sealing surface  22  on an angled or inclined top surface  21  thereof. Sealing surface  22  extends from an outer edge  26  to an inner edge  24  of top surface  21 . Although sealing surface  22  of flange  20  substantially extends across the entire top surface  21  of the flange as shown in  FIG. 5 , sealing surface  22  may only partially extend over top surface  21 , or may extend over a combination of surfaces of the flange, or may possibly present a sealing surface on a portion of the interior or exterior of the sidewall. The sealing surface  22  of flange  20  also does not have to be at a single continuous angle, the surface or flange may be a variety of shapes, sizes, or configurations, such as but not limited to arcuate or multiple inclines, and still be substantially angled and pivotable. 
         [0013]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , flange  20  includes a hinge or angular pivot  38  adjacent the container opening  36 . Flange  20  is substantially resilient and in a relaxed, unflexed first state ( FIGS. 1-4 ) before engaging with film  40 . However, upon placement of film  40  onto the flange of the container during assembly, specifically when the film initially engages sealing surface  22  at outer edge  26  of the flange, the flange is deformed or pivoted into a tensioned, flexed second state ( FIG. 5 ) in which the flange angular flexes about hinge  38 . Therefore, the container may be substantially rigid while the hinge allows for pivoting of the flange. Specifically, flange  20  is progressively pivoted or flexed as film  40  is progressively applied from outer edge  26  of the flange sealing surface  22  towards inner edge  24  of the flange sealing surface  22 . Flange  20  is positioned at first angle θ 1  in the first position before engagement of the film  40  and angularly pivots into a second angle θ 2  ( FIG. 5 ) upon flexing into the second position, whereby the first angle is smaller than the second angle. First angle θ 1  may be an acute angle. The first angle θ 1  is shown as approximately 83 degrees from central axis C. When in the second position, flange  20  may be, but is not limited to, substantially perpendicular to central axis C and therefore second angle θ 2  may be approximately 90 degrees. Therefore the flange may pivot, but is not limited to, within the range greater than 0 degrees to about 90 degrees. In addition, flange  20  alone or in combination with the sidewall  34 , or portions of the flange may flex or pivot resulting in the flange repositioning between the first and second positions. Therefore, the container or portions of the container  30  may be flexible, or in particularly the flange of the container is cable of flexing or pivoting relative to its hinge or pivot on the container upon placement of film  40  during the sealing process. Further, in the second state or flexed position ( FIG. 5 ), the flange  20  of container  30  may have a living memory urging the flange back toward its unflexed or first position ( FIGS. 1-4 ) upon being sealingly engaged with the film. However, upon being sealingly engaged with film  40 , container flange  20  may remain substantially at its second angle θ 2  in the second position or reposition to a variety of predetermined angles. 
         [0014]      FIGS. 1-5  illustrate the sealing process of container  30  whereby contaminants  2  positioned between sealing surfaces  22 ,  42  of flange  20  and film  40 , respectively, are squeezed or removed from the contacting sealing surfaces. The product contaminant  2  may be exaggerated in size in the figures to illustrate the exclusion of the container product  1  from flange  20  when film  40  is applied thereto. As is illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4 , product  1  has been filled in container  30  with contaminants  2  present on flange sealing surfaces  22 . The container product  1  may be a variety of materials that can range from liquid, semi-solid, to solid. A fill nest  50  maintains the position of filled container  30  while a seal bar  60  and film  40  vertically travel downward in direction A towards engagement with the container. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4 , seal bar  60  and film  40  continuously progress in direction A until film  40  comes into direct contact with outer edge  26  of flange  20 . In the progress ( FIGS. 3-5 ) at least a portion of the contaminants  2  are gradually squeezed or pushed inwardly into container  30  in the downwardly and/or inwardly direction B as seal bar  60  applied pressure between the film  40  and the angled flange  20 . Although it is not shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the downward force placed upon contaminants  2  may also begin pivoting the flange  20  about the hinge  38 . Continuing the downward force of the sealing process, allows the seal bar  60  and film  40  to transfer downward force to outer edge  26  of flange  20  thereby beginning angular rotation of the flange about hinge  38  in the direction P as shown in  FIG. 4 . Thus as seal bar  60  and film  40  continue downwardly, flange  20  angularly flexes and pivots about its hinge  38  while the contact between the film and flange progressively increases from outer edge  26  towards inner edge  24 , or in the B direction, until the flange pivots to the second position which may be, but is not limited to, substantially perpendicular to central axis C of container opening  36 , or parallel to the film  40  and at the same time progressively squeezing contaminants  2  inwardly into container  30 . This acts to reduce the likelihood of failure to sufficiently seal the film  40  to flange  20  as a result of undesirable contaminants on flange  20 . While in the second position ( FIG. 5 ), the full force of seal bar  60  is applied wherein heat from the seal bar transfers heat to the interface of film  40  and flange  20  to sealingly engage the film to the container thereby enabling proper sealing of product  1  within the container. 
         [0015]    Additionally, as the seal bar  60  and film  40  transfers downward force to pivot flange  20  from its first position ( FIG. 4 ) to its second position ( FIG. 5 ), the flange and/or portions of the container may translationally move or flex relative to the film due to the angle between the flange and the film. As outer edge  26  of container flange  20  is pushed downward by film  40  and seal bar  60 , there may be relative movement between the film and the container flange whereby the container flange travels a distance D. This relative movement of container flange  20  is shown as, but is not limited to, translating outwardly away from central axis C for a distance D or in the opposite direction that the contaminants  2  are being squeezed or pushed inwardly in the B direction. Further, heat may begin to transfer from seal bar  60  through film  40  and into the flange  20  as contact is made. Since contact is made initially on the outer edge  26  of the flange, more heat is transferred to the outer edge of the flange relative to the inner edge  24  of the flange. This additional heat transferred to the outer portion of the flange may melt a portion of the polymer of film  40  and/or flange  20  while there is relative motion between the film and flange. The relative movement between film  40  and flange  20  while the flange and/or film polymer is melted may assist in breaking up any continuous layer of contaminant residue separating the film from the flange. 
         [0016]    When the film  40  is fully engaged with container flange  20 , induction heating can be used to seal the film  40  upon container  30 , but other suitable methods of bonding a sealing member to the container may also be used. Film  40  may be replaced by a metal disc sealing member which may be made suitable for bonding to the container flange by induction heat sealing, if a thermally responsive adhesive is applied to the bottom surface of the metal disc in position to seal to the container flange around the container opening. Other sealing members, such as a more rigid plastic or a composite member of plastic and metal, may also be suitable. The sealing member may be semi flexible as well as substantially rigid. The sealing member may also be of a composition capable of undergoing retort and/or aseptic processes. Accordingly, the sealing member may be comprised of any material or of layers of material such as, for example, polyethylene terephalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), Nylon, polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), styrene, ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA), ethylene-vinyl-alcohol (EVOH), Santoprene, Vinyl, foams of the preceding materials, paper, metallic material such as aluminum or steel, or any other material or combinations thereof suitable for sealing to the container, and may be provided in a variety of shapes to match the shape of the container. The sealing member may be a single layer or a multilayered film, either connected by adhesives or co-extruded entirely or partially. The sealing member may be peelable, completely or partially from the container, either by a user gripping and pulling or pushing off the sealing member, or by use of a closure, or it may be nonpeelable whereby the user may puncture or tear the sealing member with a tool, finger, or closure. Further the sealing member may be flexible so that the seal bar  60  provides the rigidity to apply the downward force sufficient to pivot flange  20  into the second position. However, the sealing member does not have to be substantially flexible. It is contemplated that the sealing member may be sufficiently rigid by itself to transfer force to the flange. For instance, the sealing member may be applied by itself or in combination with a closure to the container or tray and still perform the function of deflecting or pivoting the flange as it sealingly engages the container. 
         [0017]    Although, the product contaminants  2  are shown to be squeezed inwardly into the container, different containers and films may involve different applications or sealing processes. Thus, it may be advantageous to pivot or flex the flange in the opposite direction to that shown in the drawings, thereby having the film engage the inner edge progressively towards the outer edge of the flange and squeezing product away from the container opening. Alternatively, the pivoting or flexing of the flange may be utilized to squeeze product in both directions, inwardly and outwardly from the container opening. For example, the sealing surface of the flange may be triangular, truncated triangular, or curved in shape, whereby the film or other sealing member applies downward force to the center, or midpoint, and progressively engages the other surfaces of the flange from the center outwardly in opposing directions while pivoting or flexing the flange to a substantially perpendicular position. 
         [0018]    It is understood that while certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.