US3561668A — Sealed package

Claim 1

Independent Claim 267 words

A sealed container comprising: a member for receiving a product to be packaged and having a bottom, wall means extending upwardly from the bottom and having an upper end defining a plane, an outwardly projecting flange at the upper end and extending around the periphery of the wall means, said flange including an inner portion extending outwardly from the wall means and generally coplanar with the upper end of the wall means, said flange having a second portion outwardly of the inner portion and having an upper level disposed at a lever thereabove a preselected distance, said second portion defining a second plane generally parallel to the upper end of the wall means; an inner cover for closing the upper end of the member and having a peripheral portion extending outwardly of tHe wall means and engaged with the inner portion of the flange, said peripheral portion having a generally uniform thickness approximating said preselected distance so that the upper level of the peripheral portion is generally coplanar with the upper level of said second flange portion; and a flat outer cover of sheet material completely overlying the flange and the inner cover, a first peelable peripheral seal between the outer cover and the second portion of the flange outwardly of the wall means, a second peelable peripheral seal between the outer cover and the peripheral portion of the inner cover outwardly of the wall means whereby the upper surface of the inner cover is sealed from the product in said member, and the first and second seals being simultaneously peelable as the outer cover is removed.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 267 words

A sealed container comprising: a member for receiving a product to be packaged and having a bottom, wall means extending upwardly from the bottom and having an upper end defining a plane, an outwardly projecting flange at the upper end and extending around the periphery of the wall means, said flange including an inner portion extending outwardly from the wall means and generally coplanar with the upper end of the wall means, said flange having a second portion outwardly of the inner portion and having an upper level disposed at a lever thereabove a preselected distance, said second portion defining a second plane generally parallel to the upper end of the wall means; an inner cover for closing the upper end of the member and having a peripheral portion extending outwardly of tHe wall means and engaged with the inner portion of the flange, said peripheral portion having a generally uniform thickness approximating said preselected distance so that the upper level of the peripheral portion is generally coplanar with the upper level of said second flange portion; and a flat outer cover of sheet material completely overlying the flange and the inner cover, a first peelable peripheral seal between the outer cover and the second portion of the flange outwardly of the wall means, a second peelable peripheral seal between the outer cover and the peripheral portion of the inner cover outwardly of the wall means whereby the upper surface of the inner cover is sealed from the product in said member, and the first and second seals being simultaneously peelable as the outer cover is removed.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 80 words

A sealed container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the peripheral portion of the inner cover extends inwardly of the wall means of the member, and wherein the inner cover includes a spanning portion at least a portion of which is disposed at a level below the upper end of the wall means and extending adjacent the wall means, and an intermediate portion generally parallel to the wall means and connected to the spanning portion and the peripheral portion.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

A sealed container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the wall means of the member tapers inwardly from the inner flange portion to the bottom so that the entire inner flange portion lies outwardly of the wall means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 149 words

A container which comprises, in combination, a box of a plastic material, said box including an inner flange and an outer, peripheral flange, an inner lid housed in said box, said inner lid having a peripheral flange bearing against said box inner flange, and said inner lid being adapted to be reused, an outer lid covering said inner lid and welded both to the periphery of said box outer flange and to at least part of the periphery of said peripheral flange of said inner lid bearing against said box inner flange to impede the escape of the contents of the box past said inner lid, said outer lid being adapted to be removed, on breaking the welds by which it is welded to the periphery of said box outer flange and to said peripheral flange of said inner lid, both from the box and from the inner lid.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 149 words

A container which comprises, in combination, a box of a plastic material, said box including an inner flange and an outer, peripheral flange, an inner lid housed in said box, said inner lid having a peripheral flange bearing against said box inner flange, and said inner lid being adapted to be reused, an outer lid covering said inner lid and welded both to the periphery of said box outer flange and to at least part of the periphery of said peripheral flange of said inner lid bearing against said box inner flange to impede the escape of the contents of the box past said inner lid, said outer lid being adapted to be removed, on breaking the welds by which it is welded to the periphery of said box outer flange and to said peripheral flange of said inner lid, both from the box and from the inner lid.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

A container according to claim 4 wherein said outer lid is welded to the entire periphery of said peripheral flange of said inner lid.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 159 words

A sealed package comprising: an outer cup comprising a bottom, a sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom and a flange extending laterally outwardly from the top of said sidewall; an inner cup comprising a bottom, a sidewall and a flange extending laterally outwardly from the top of said sidewall, the sidewall of said inner cup being smaller than the sidewall of said outer cup and said outer cup being deeper than said inner cup so that said inner cup may be within said outer cup, and the flange of said inner cup resting on an inner portion only of the flange of said outer cup; a commodity in said inner cup; a commodity in the portion of the outer cup not occupied by said inner cup; and a lid sealed to both the flange of said inner cup and the portion of said flange of said outer cup which is not covered by the flange of said inner cup.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 159 words

A sealed package comprising: an outer cup comprising a bottom, a sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom and a flange extending laterally outwardly from the top of said sidewall; an inner cup comprising a bottom, a sidewall and a flange extending laterally outwardly from the top of said sidewall, the sidewall of said inner cup being smaller than the sidewall of said outer cup and said outer cup being deeper than said inner cup so that said inner cup may be within said outer cup, and the flange of said inner cup resting on an inner portion only of the flange of said outer cup; a commodity in said inner cup; a commodity in the portion of the outer cup not occupied by said inner cup; and a lid sealed to both the flange of said inner cup and the portion of said flange of said outer cup which is not covered by the flange of said inner cup.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 63 words

A sealed package as set forth in claim 6 in which the flange of said outer cup has a recess to receive the flange of said inner cup, the depth of said recess being about the same as the thickness of the flange of said inner cup so that the respective flanges present a substantially flat surface for sealing to a flat lid.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 41 words

A sealed package as set forth in claim 7 in which said recess is wider than the flange of said inner cup so that there is a groove between the upper surfaces of the flanges to facilitate lifting said inner cup.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

A sealed package as set forth in claim 6 in which said lid is a substantially flat lid which is hermetically sealed to the flanges of both of said cups.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 44 words

A sealed package as set forth in claim 6 in which the interior width of the sidewall of said outer cup is substantially the same as the exterior width of the sidewall of the inner cup so that movement between the cups is limited.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-02-08	1974-08-10	1975-02-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-02-08	1978-08-10	1979-02-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-02-08	1982-08-10	1983-02-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Sealed package

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag