Sterile instrument package

Claim 1

IN AN INSTRUMENT PACKAGE, A CONTAINER COMPRISING A TRANSPARENT PLASTIC SHELL DEFINING A CAVITY OPEN AT ITS LOWER END, A BOTTOM PANEL OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL SEALINGLY SECURED TO SAID SHELL ABOUT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CAVITY AND BEING DIE CUT TO DEFINE AN INTEGRAL AND REMOVABLE CLOSURE MEMBER, AND PANEL COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER SHEETS ADHESIVELY SECURED TOGETHER, SAID UPPER SHEET BEING DIE CUT TO DEFINE THE OUTLINE OF AN ENLARGED OPENING AND THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, AND SAID LOWER SHEET BEING DID CUT ALONG A LINE CONFORMING GENERALLY WITH SAID OUTLINE BUT BEING SPACED OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TO DEFINE A LOWER PORTION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER OF GREATER AREA THAN SAID UPPER PORTION, SAID DIE CUT LINES DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A NARROW ZONE OF ADHESIVE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL, AND ACCESS MEANS PROVIDED BY SAID BOTTOM PANEL FOR PERMITTING ACCESS TO THE CAVITY OF SAID SHELL FOR PULLING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM THE REMAINDER OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID ACCESS MEANS COMPRISING A FLAT FORMED IN SAID BOTTOM PANEL AS AN INTEGRAL PORTION THEREOF DISPOSED OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID FLAP HAVING ITS SIDES DEFINED BY DIE-CUT SIDE-FORMING LINES IN THE UPPER AND LOWER SHEETS OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL INTERSECTING AT SPACED POINTS THE DIE CUT LINES DEFINING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, PORTIONS OF THE DIE CUT LINES FOR SAID CLOSURE MEMBER ALSO DEFINING BETWEEN SAID POINTS OF INTERSECTION THE END OF SAID FLAP, THE DIE-CUT SIDE-FORMING LINES IN THE LOWER SHEET BEING SPACED CLOSER TO EACH OTHER THAN THE SIDE-FORMING LINES IN THE UPPER SHEET TO DEFINE ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FLAP NARROW ZONES OF ADHESIVE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE SIDES OF THE FLAP AND THE REMAINDER OF THE BOTTOM PANEL, WHEREBY, AN ACCESS OPENING IS FORMED BY URGING SAID FLAP UPWARDLY INTO SAID CAVITY TO BREAK THE ADHESIVE INTERCONNECTIONS ALONG THE SIDES AND END OF THE FLAP TO EXPOSE AN EDGE PORTION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, THEREBY FACILITATING REMOVAL OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER.