The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 06, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 02, 1999
Krishnaraju Varadarajan, Florence, SC (US);
Michael T. Drummond, Laurinburg, NC (US);
Alan D. Williams, Camden, SC (US);
Sonoco Development, Inc., Hartsville, SC (US);
Abstract
An easy-open composite container has a membrane-type closure and includes a laminated tubular body member of composite materials having a predetermined laminated strength. The body member includes a bodywall portion and a liner portion positioned inside the bodywall portion and forming an inside surface of the body member. An outwardly-rolled rim portion is formed at the upper area of an open upper end of the tubular body member and the liner portion forms a top surface of the body member open upper end and an outside surface of the outwardly rolled rim portion. A cut extends circumferentially around a segment of the outside surface of the rim portion and extends radially-inwardly through at least a part of the liner portion. A membrane closure covers the open upper end of the body member and has an outwardly extending tab portion positioned over the cut in the rim portion of the body member. A bond is formed between the top surface of the body member open upper end and the membrane member for hermetically closing such open upper end. This bond has a predetermined strength greater than the laminated strength of the tubular body member and sufficient to prevent leakage caused by internal pressure within the container. With the above construction, the composite container can be easily opened by pulling the pull tab portion of the membrane closure member which causes radial delamination of a segment of the body member rim portion at the cut in the rim portion to provide an easy start for removing the membrane member with the delaminated rim portion segment from the remainder of the body member rim portion of the container.