Bridged tab cut for spiral wound container

Abstract

A spiral wound type composite container of the type that is typically used for packaging refrigerated pressurized dough products includes, as is typical in such containers, an inner liner, a body wall that is wound about the inner layer so as to define a butt joint, and a label member that is wound about the body wall so as to bind the body wall against expansion as a result of forces that are created by the pressurized contents of the container. As is also typical in such containers, the label member has a tab defined at one portion thereof and a predetermined lead path forming the tab so that a consumer can grasp the tab and tear the label member along the lead path, thereby removing enough of the label member from the body wall so that forces of pressurization will cause the body wall to separate and open. According to one novel aspect of the invention, the lead path is defined on a portion of the label member by at least two discrete cuts, with adjacent cuts being separated by a bridge area, so that the portion of the label member in which the lead path is defined will be strong enough to avoid flagging and premature opening during manufacture and handling, yet will be of an adequate length to reduce the potential of premature mis-directional tearing of the label during opening by a consumer.