PACKAGE AND CLOSURE FOR PACKAGE

Abstract

A package includes a container and a closure. The container includes a container brim, a container floor spaced apart from the container brim, and a container sidewall extending between and interconnecting the container brim and the container floor. The closure is configured to couple to the container brim to close selectively an open mouth of the container defined by the container brim.

Claims

1. A package comprising: a container including a container brim, a container floor spaced apart from the container brim, and a container sidewall extending between and interconnecting the container brim and the container floor to define a container interior radially inward from the container brim and the container sidewall and above the container floor, the container brim spaced radially from and surrounding a central axis of the container and coupled to an upper end of the container sidewall to extend radially outward away from the central axis, and a closure configured to couple to the container brim to close selectively an open mouth of the container defined by the container brim, the closure including a closure top wall, a closure sidewall coupled to the closure top wall and extending downwardly from the closure top wall to engage the container to mount the closure to the container, and a container-sealing flange coupled to an upper end of the closure sidewall and configured to mount with the container brim of the container and close the open mouth, wherein the container-sealing flange includes a support layer coupled to the closure sidewall and a seal ring bonded to a lower surface of the support layer and configured to establish: (i) a sealed, unopened state of the package in which the seal layer is sealed with an upper surface of the container brim to block effluents from entering the container interior, (ii) a first-use opened state in which the closure is separated from the container and the seal layer remains attached to the support layer, and (iii) an unsealed, closed state in which the closure is reinstalled on the container and the seal layer remains attached to the support layer so that the closure and the seal layer are not discarded separately from one another and can be recycled with one another.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein the closure sidewall is coupled to a radially outer edge of the closure top wall and a radially inner edge of the container sealing flange.

3. The package of claim 2, wherein the closure sidewall includes an inner sidewall coupled to the radially outer edge of the closure top wall, an outer sidewall coupled to the support layer and spaced radially outward from the inner sidewall, and a sidewall link interconnecting a lower end of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall.

4. The package of claim 3, wherein the inner sidewall is formed to include a first set of reinforcement ribs spaced circumferentially apart from one another around the closure sidewall.

5. The package of claim 4, wherein the outer sidewall is formed to include a second set of reinforcement ribs spaced circumferentially apart from one another around the closure sidewall.

6. The package of claim 5, wherein each reinforcement rib included in the first set of reinforcement ribs has a first circumferential length and each reinforcement rib included in the second set of reinforcement ribs has a second circumferential length greater than the first circumferential length.

7. The package of claim 5, wherein the first and second sets of reinforcement ribs provide a stack shoulder for a second closure and an upper end of each reinforcement rib is spaced apart from the container-sealing flange by a distance sufficient to maintain spacing between the closure and a seal ring included in the second closure.

8. The package of claim 4, wherein the container sidewall is formed to include a first annular retainer ring and the outer sidewall is formed to include a second annular retainer ring configured to engage the second annular retainer ring when the closure is installed on the container to block removal of the closure from the container, and the second annular retainer ring is located vertically between the second set of reinforcement ribs and the container-sealing flange.

9. The package of claim 1, wherein the seal ring provides a heat seal configured to bond to the container brim in the sealed, unopened state to block passage of effluents into the container interior in the sealed, unopened state of the container, and the package lacks an separate foil or film layer between the closure and the container.

10. A closure configured to couple to a container to close selectively an open mouth of the container, the closure comprising: a closure top wall, a closure sidewall coupled the closure top wall and extending downwardly from the closure top wall to engage the container to mount the closure to the container, and a container-sealing flange coupled to an upper end of the closure sidewall and extending radially outward away from the closure top wall to mount with the container brim of the container and close the open mouth, wherein the container-sealing flange includes a support layer coupled to the closure sidewall and a seal ring coupled to a lower surface of the support layer to engage with an upper surface of the container brim and provide a sealing layer therebetween.

11. The closure of claim 10, wherein the closure sidewall is coupled to a radially outer edge of the closure top wall and a radially inner edge of the container sealing flange, and the closure sidewall includes an inner sidewall coupled to the radially outer edge of the closure top wall, an outer sidewall coupled to the support layer and spaced radially outward from the inner sidewall, and a sidewall link interconnecting a lower end of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall.

12. The closure of claim 11, wherein the inner sidewall is formed to include a first set of reinforcement ribs spaced circumferentially apart from one another around the closure sidewall, and the outer sidewall is formed to include a second set of reinforcement ribs spaced circumferentially apart from one another around the closure sidewall.

13. The closure of claim 12, wherein each reinforcement rib included in the first set of reinforcement ribs has a first circumferential length and each reinforcement rib included in the second set of reinforcement ribs has a second circumferential length greater than the first circumferential length.

14. The closure of claim 11, wherein the container sidewall is formed to include a first annular retainer ring and the outer sidewall is formed to include a second annular retainer ring configured to engage the second annular retainer ring when the closure is installed on the container to block removal of the closure from the container.

15. The closure of claim 10, wherein the container-sealing flange extends between and interconnects the closure top wall and an upper end of the closure sidewall, and wherein the closure sidewall includes a plurality of ribs located below a distal end of the container brim when the closure is installed to interlock with the container brim and provide a secondary retainer unit after the closure is peeled from the container for the first time.

16. The closure of claim 10, wherein the seal ring is heated to bond to a container brim in a sealed, unopened state to block passage of effluents into a container interior in the unopened state of the container.

17. A method of forming and installing a closure on a container to close selectively an open mouth of the container, the method comprising extruding a first polymer material having a first melt strength, extruding a second polymer material having a second melt strength less than the first melt strength, combining the first polymeric material with the second polymeric material to provide a multi-layer sheet, thermoforming the multi-layer sheet to provide the closure, the first polymer material forms a closure top wall, a closure sidewall coupled to a radially outer edge of the closure top wall and extending downwardly from the closure top wall to engage the container to mount the closure to the container, and a support layer coupled to an upper end of the closure sidewall and extending radially away from the closure sidewall, and the second polymer material forms a seal layer coupled to a lower surface of the support layer, mounting the closure on the container such that the seal layer engages with an upper surface of a container brim included in the container, and heating the seal layer to cause the seal layer to bond with the container brim and provide a seal ring therebetween.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second polymeric materials are co-extruded together and contact one another in a molten or partially-molten state.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second polymeric materials are extruded separately from one another and are laminated together before or during the step of thermoforming.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein heating the seal layer includes ultrasonically welding the seal layer to the container brim.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package including a container and a closure configured to be coupled to the container to seal and block removal of product from the container;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross section of the package taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1 showing the closure including a top wall, a sidewall extending downwardly from the top wall, and a container-sealing flange configured to engage with a brim of the container and establish a seal with the container;

[0011] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2 showing the container-sealing flange including a support layer formed integrally with the rest of the closure and a seal layer bonded to a lower surface of the support layer and including a peelable material to allow release of the closure from the container;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the closure showing the closure sidewall including a plurality of reinforcement ribs spaced circumferentially about a central axis of the closure and configured to reinforce the closure sidewall during installation and removal of the closure from the container;

[0013] FIG. 5 is a cross section of a portion of the closure taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4 showing the closure sidewall further including an annular retainer ring located directly adjacent to the container-sealing flange and configured to engage with the container to retain the closure on the container following opening of the package for the first time and separating the seal layer from the container;

[0014] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 5 showing the support layer and the seal layer making up the container-sealing flange;

[0015] FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a forming and assembly process for the package of FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a package including a container and a closure configured to be coupled to the container to seal and block removal of product from the container;

[0017] FIG. 9 is a cross section of the package taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8 showing the closure including a top wall, a sidewall extending downwardly from the top wall, and a container-sealing flange configured to engage with a brim of the container and establish a seal with the container;

[0018] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 9 showing the container-sealing flange including a support layer formed integrally with the rest of the closure and a seal layer bonded to a lower surface of the support layer and including a peelable material to allow release of the closure from the container;

[0019] FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the closure showing the closure sidewall including a plurality of reinforcement ribs spaced circumferentially about a central axis of the closure and configured to reinforce the closure sidewall during installation and removal of the closure from the container;

[0020] FIG. 12 is a cross section of a portion of the closure taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 11 showing the closure sidewall further including an annular retainer ring located directly adjacent to the container-sealing flange and configured to engage with the container to retain the closure on the container following opening of the package for the first time and separating the seal layer from the container;

[0021] FIG. 13 is top plan view of the closure of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 14 is a right side view of the closure of FIG. 1;

[0023] FIG. 15 is a rear view of the closure of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 16 is a left side view of the closure of FIG. 1;

[0025] FIG. 17 is a front view of the closure of FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the closure of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 19 is a bottom perspective view of the closure of FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 20 is top plan view of the closure of FIG. 7;

[0029] FIG. 21 is a right side view of the closure of FIG. 7;

[0030] FIG. 22 is a rear view of the closure of FIG. 7;

[0031] FIG. 23 is a left side view of the closure of FIG. 7;

[0032] FIG. 24 is a front view of the closure of FIG. 7;

[0033] FIG. 25 is a bottom view of the closure of FIG. 7; and

[0034] FIG. 26 is a bottom perspective view of the closure of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] A package 10 in accordance with the present disclosure includes a container 12 and a closure 14 as shown in FIG. 1. The container 12 is formed to include a container interior 16 configured to store a product, such as food, therein. The closure 14 is configured to mount selectively to the container 12 to block removal of the product from the container interior 16. The closure 14 is initially installed on the container 12 in an unopened, sealed state using a seal layer 44 of the closure 14. The seal layer 44 may be co-extruded with one or more other layers (i.e. a first layer 40A and one or more additional layers 40N) to establish a multi-layer sheet that is used to form the closure 14 during a forming and assembly process 100 as shown in FIG. 6. Later in the forming and assembly process 100, the seal layer 44 is heated after the closure 14 is attached to the container 12 with the product stored in the container interior 16 to form a seal ring 44 between the closure 14 and the container 12 to block effluents from entering the container interior 16 until a consumer peels the closure 14 from the container 12 to open the package 10 for the first time and establish a first-use, opened state. The closure 14 and/or the container 12 may include retaining structures that allow the closure 14 to be reinstalled on the container 12 after the package 10 has been opened by the consumer in an unsealed, closed state while the seal layer 44 remains attached to the closure so that the closure 14 and the seal layer 44 are not discarded separately from one another and can be recycled with one another

[0036] The container 12 includes a container brim 18, a container floor 20 spaced apart from the container brim 18, and a container sidewall 22 extending between and interconnecting the container brim 18 and the container floor 20 as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The container interior 16 is located radially inward from the container brim 18 and the container sidewall 22 and above the container floor 20. The container brim 18 is spaced radially from and surrounding a central axis 24 of the container 12. The container brim 18 is coupled to an upper end 26 of the container sidewall 22 to extend radially outward away from the central axis 24 to interface with portions of the closure 14 and form the seal ring 44 during the process 100.

[0037] The closure 14 is configured to couple to the container brim 18 to close selectively an open mouth 13 formed in the container and defined by the container brim 18 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The closure 14 includes a closure top wall 30, a closure sidewall 32 coupled to a radially outer edge 34 of the closure top wall 30 and a container-sealing flange 36 coupled to an upper end of the closure sidewall 32. The closure top wall 30 extends substantially perpendicular to the central axis 24 of the container 12 when the closure 14 is installed thereon and provides a top surface 38 that can be used for labeling and/or decorations. In some embodiments, one or more of the sheets forming the closure can be pre-labeled or pre-decorated and applied via in-mold-labeling as the closure 14 is thermoformed. The closure sidewall 32 extends downwardly from the closure top wall 30 and is configured to engage a radially inner surface of the container sidewall 22 to mount the closure 14 to the container 12. The container-sealing flange 36 extends radially outward away from the closure sidewall 32 to mount with the container brim 18 of the container 12 and provide the seal ring 44 between the closure 14 and the container brim 18.

[0038] The container-sealing flange 36 includes a support layer 40 coupled to an upper end 42 of the closure sidewall 32 and a seal layer 44 coupled to a lower surface 46 of the support layer 40 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The support layer 40 is formed integrally with and of the same material as the closure top wall 30 and the closure sidewall 32. The seal layer 44 includes a different polymeric material from the rest of the closure 14 and is bonded to the lower surface 46 of the support layer 40 during the process 100 to form the seal ring 44. The seal layer 44 makes up about 10% of the closure 14 (i.e. 10% of the weight and/or thickness).

[0039] The process 100 of forming and assembling the package 10 is described in FIG. 6. The process begins with a steps 102, 104 of forming the container 12 and closure 14. The container 12 and closure 14 are illustratively both formed from one or more polymeric materials, such as polypropylene or polyethylene. In some embodiments, the support layer 40 of the closure 14 consists of polypropylene and/or polyethylene. In some embodiments, the support layer 40 of the closure 14 include about 90% polypropylene and about 10% polyethylene. In some embodiments, the support layer 40 of the closure 14 includes up to 10% polyethylene. In one example, the container 12 is formed by thermoforming a sheet of the polymeric material. In other examples, the injection molding, by blow molding, or any other suitable forming method.

[0040] The closure 14 is formed during step 104 by at least two separate polymeric sheets or layers. In some embodiments, two polymeric layers are co-extruded together and then thermoformed as shown in FIG. 6. In other embodiments, the polymeric layers are extruded separately and then laminated together and then thermoformed after or during the lamination step.

[0041] The step 104 of forming the closure 14 includes a sub-step 106 of extruding a first polymeric material and a sub-step 108 of extruding a second polymeric material. The first and second material may be in the form of a molten layers if being co-extruded or in the form of sheets if being laminated. The step 104 further includes a sub-step 110 of contacting or combining the first material with the second material to form a multi-layer sheet including at least the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material. If the materials are co-extruded, the first polymeric material can be contacted with the second polymeric material so that the materials cure and bond to one another. If the materials are laminated to one another, an intervening bond layer can be applied between the two polymeric sheets. As such, any number of layers can be combined together with the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material and then laminated to one another. Some suitable bond layers include a compatible layer of polypropylene or polyethylene, or an adhesive such as epoxy.

[0042] The first polymeric material is configured to provide a main and/or structural layer of the closure 14 and has a first melt-initiation temperature. The second polymeric material is configured to provide a bond layer and has a second melt-initiation temperature less than the first melt-initiation temperature of the main layer. The step 104 further includes a sub-step 112 of thermoforming the multi-layer sheet to form one or more closure preforms having the main layer and the bond layer and a web interconnecting each of the closure preforms. The step 104 may further include a sub-step 114 of trimming the closure preforms from the web to provide one or more closures 14 each having the main layer and the bond layer.

[0043] The process 100 may further include a step 116 of filling the container 12 with the product and a step of mounting the closure 14 to the container 12 to close the open mouth 13 with the product inside the container interior 16. The process 100 further includes a step 120 of sealing the bond layer of the closure 12 to the container brim 18 by heating the container-sealing flange 36 of the closure 14 to the second melt-initiation temperature. The step 120 can include heat sealing with a heating device or source, sonic welding, ultrasonic welding or any other suitable manner for heating the bond layer to seal the bond layer to the container brim 18. In some embodiments, arrangement of layers allows an external heating device to contact the support layer and heat the bond layer though the support layer at a temperature that is less than the melt point of the support layer but at or above the melt point of the bond layer. This allows the bond layer to melt and provide a heat seal between the support layer and the container brim 18 without leaving residue on the heating device because of the intervening support layer 40. Sonic or ultra sonic welding can provide the same benefit due to the lack of an external heating device.

[0044] In some embodiments, the closure preforms remain connected to the web during the step 118 of mounting to container(s) 12, and the step 114 of trimming comes after the step 116 of filling the container 12 and after or during the step 120 of sealing the bond layer to the container. The process 100 can also include a step of decorating the top wall 30 of the closure 14, the closure preforms, the multi-layer sheet, or one or both of the first and second sheet.

[0045] The container sealing flange 36 further includes a pull tab 48 that extends radially outward away from the central axis 24 beyond the container brim 18 when the closure 14 is installed on the container 12 as shown in FIGS. 1-5. The closure 14 can be removed from the container 12 by grasping the pull tab 48 and pulling upwardly away from the container brim 18 to release the seal ring 44 from the brim 18 and peel the closure 14 away from the container 12. The pull tab 48 is formed with a plurality of ribs 49 to block against deformation of the pull tab 48.

[0046] The closure sidewall 32 is structured to allow the closure 14 to be reinstalled and retained on the container 12 without the seal ring 44 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The closure sidewall 32 includes an inner sidewall 50 coupled to the radially outer edge 34 of the closure top wall 30, an outer sidewall 52 coupled to the container-sealing flange 36, and a sidewall link 54 interconnecting lower ends 56, 58 of the inner sidewall 50, and the outer sidewall 52, respectively. The inner sidewall 50 is spaced apart radially from the container 12. The outer sidewall 52 is configured to engage an interior surface 60 of the container sidewall 22 and/or the container brim 18. The sidewall ink 54 forms the lowermost portion of the closure 14 and resides within the container interior 16 when the closure 14 is installed.

[0047] The inner sidewall 50 and spaced radially outward from the inner sidewall to provide an annular cavity 64 radially between the inner and outer sidewalls 50, 52 and above the sidewall link 54 as shown in FIG. 5. The container-sealing flange 36 is located above the top wall 30 and the annular cavity 64 such that the annular cavity is located at least partially below the container brim 18 when the closure 14 is installed. Illustratively, at least a portion of the container brim 18 is positioned above the top wall 30 of the closure 14 when the closure is installed.

[0048] The inner sidewall 50 is formed to include a first set of reinforcement ribs 66 spaced circumferentially apart from one another around the closure sidewall 32 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The outer sidewall 52 is formed to include a second set of reinforcement ribs 68 spaced circumferentially apart from one another around the closure sidewall 32. Each reinforcement rib included in the first set of reinforcement ribs 66 has a first circumferential length 90 and each reinforcement rib included in the second set of reinforcement ribs 68 has a second circumferential length 92 greater than the first circumferential length 90. The first and second sets of reinforcement ribs 66, 68 are configured to block bending of the closure sidewall 32 as the closure 14 is installed and removed on the container 12.

[0049] The first set of reinforcement ribs 66 extend radially outward away from the central axis 24 and into the annular cavity 64 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The second set of reinforcement ribs 68 extend radially inward toward the central axis 24 and into the annular cavity 64. The first and second sets of reinforcement ribs 66, 68 provide a stack shoulder for a second closure with a substantially similar closure sidewall. While stacked with the closure 14, the closure sidewall of the second closure rests on the first and second reinforcement ribs 66, 68. The reinforcement ribs 66, 68 are located such that an upper end of each reinforcement rib 66, 68 is spaced apart from the container-sealing flange 36 by a distance sufficient to maintain spacing between the closure 14 and a seal ring also included in the second closure to block bonding between each closure. The inner sidewall 50 further includes a pair of diametrically opposed rotation blockers 67 that block rotation of the second closure relative to the closure 14 when stacked.

[0050] The container sidewall 22 is formed to include a first annular retainer ring 70 and the outer sidewall 52 of the closure sidewall 32 is formed to include a second annular retainer ring 72 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The first and second annular retainer rings 70, 72 are structured similarly to provide an interlocking interface between the outer sidewall 52 and the container sidewall 22 when the closure 14 is installed. The interlocking interface is configured to retain the closure 14 on the container 12 and/or provide a seal between the closure 14 and the container separate from the seal ring 44. The second annular retainer ring 72 has a greater diameter than a portion of the first annular retainer ring 70 so that the closure 14 interlocks with the container 12 when it is installed. Installing and removing the closure 14 causes slight deformations of the container 12 as the second annular retainer ring 72 passes the first annular retainer ring 70.

[0051] The first annular retainer ring 70 projects inwardly toward the central axis 24. The second annular retainer ring 72 includes an outwardly-extending band 78 and an inwardly-extending band 80. An outer surface of the inwardly-extending band 80 of the second annular retainer ring 72 is configured to engage an inner surface 60 of the first annular retainer ring 70 to block separation of the closure 14 from the container 12. An upper end of the first annular retainer ring 70 is coupled directly to the container-sealing flange 36. The second annular retainer ring 72 is located vertically between the second set of reinforcement ribs 68 and the container-sealing flange 36. The container 12 further includes a stacking shoulder 74 configured to engage with the first annular retainer ring 70 of another container when stacked.

[0052] The closure 14 of the illustrative embodiment is configured to replace a liner and cap solution included with other comparative packages used to store food products, such as dairy products (i.e., yogurt, cheese, etc.). The closure 14 may have a dark or black color to block UV light from penetrating therethrough, which could spoil such food products. The package 10 may lack materials that are not suitable for food-grade packages, such as certain non-food grade adhesives. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides means for sealing a container 10 with only a closure 14 and without any liners (i.e. a pealable foil or film liner). In some embodiments, the package 10 consists of the container 12 and the closure 14.

[0053] The closure 14 of the illustrative embodiment may be thermoformed from a co-extruded multilayer sheet including an outer layer and a seal layer. In some embodiments the seal layer includes a pealable resin manufactured by DOW titled APPEAL 35D220. Unexpectedly it was found that such resins provided a suitable seal layer for the thermoformed closure 14 as well. Prior to conceiving of the package 10 disclosed herein, such pealable resins were not expected to maintain suitable properties to function as a seal layer 44 after undergoing a thermoforming process.

[0054] Another embodiment of a package 210 in accordance with the present disclosure, is shown in FIGS. 8-11. The package 210 is similar to package 10 and includes a container 212 and a closure 214. The container 212 is formed to include a container interior 216 configured to store a product, such as food, therein. The closure 214 is configured to mount selectively to the container 212 to block removal of the product from the container interior 216. The closure 214 is initially installed on the container 212 in an unopened, sealed state using a seal layer 244 of the closure 214. The seal layer 244 may be co-extruded with one or more other layers to establish a multi-layer sheet that is used to form the closure 214 during the forming and assembly process 100 as shown in FIG. 6. Later in the forming and assembly process 100, the seal layer 244 is heated after the closure 214 is attached to the container 212 with the product stored in the container interior 216 to form a seal ring 244 between the closure 214 and the container 212 to block effluents from entering the container interior 216 until a consumer peels the closure 214 from the container 212 to open the package 210 for the first time. The closure 214 and the container 212 may each include retaining structures that allow the closure 214 to be reinstalled on the container 212 after the package 210 has been opened by the consumer.

[0055] The container 212 includes a container brim 218, a container floor 220 spaced apart from the container brim 218, and a container sidewall 222 extending between and interconnecting the container brim 18 and the container floor 220 as shown in FIGS. 8-10. The container interior 216 is located radially inward from the container brim 18 and the container sidewall 222 and above the container floor 220. The container brim 218 is spaced radially from and surrounding a central axis 224 of the container 212. The container brim 18 is coupled to an upper end 226 of the container sidewall 222 to extend radially outward away from the central axis 224 to interface with portions of the closure 214 and form the seal ring 244 during the process 100.

[0056] The closure 214 is configured to couple to the container brim 218 to close selectively an open mouth 213 formed in the container and defined by the container brim 18 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The closure 214 includes a closure top wall 230, a closure sidewall 232 coupled to the closure top wall 230, and a container-sealing flange 236 coupled to an upper end of the closure sidewall 232. The closure top wall 230 extends substantially perpendicular to the central axis 224 of the container 212 when the closure 214 is installed thereon and provides a top surface 238 that can be used for labeling and/or decorations. In some embodiments, one or more of the sheets or layers forming the closure 214 can be pre-labeled or pre-decorated and applied via in-mold-labeling as the closure 214 is thermoformed. The closure sidewall 232 extends downwardly from the closure top wall 230 and is configured to engage the brim 218 to mount the closure 214 to the container 212. The container-sealing flange 236 extends between and interconnects the closure sidewall 32 and the top wall 230 to mount with an upper surface of the container brim 218 of the container 212 and provide the seal ring 244 between the closure 214 and the container brim 218.

[0057] The container-sealing flange 236 includes a support layer 240 coupled to an upper end 242 of the closure sidewall 232 and a seal layer 244 coupled to a lower surface 246 of the support layer 240 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12. The support layer 240 is formed integrally with and of the same material as the closure top wall 230 and the closure sidewall 232. The seal layer 244 includes a different polymeric material from the rest of the closure 214 and is bonded to the lower surface 246 of the support layer 240 during the process 100 to form the seal ring 244. The seal layer 244 makes up about 10% of the closure 14 (i.e. 10% of the weight and/or thickness).

[0058] The closure 214 further includes a pull tab 248 that extends radially outward away from the central axis 224 beyond the container brim 218 when the closure 214 is installed on the container 212 as shown in FIGS. 8-10. The closure 214 can be removed from the container 212 by grasping the pull tab 248 and pulling upwardly away from the container brim 218 to release the seal ring 244 from the brim 218 and peel the closure 214 away from the container 212. The pull tab 248 is formed with a plurality of ribs 249 to block against deformation of the pull tab 248.

[0059] The closure sidewall 232 is structured to allow the closure 214 to be reinstalled and retained on the container 212 without the seal ring 244 after the closure is opened for the first time as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The closure sidewall 232 includes a sidewall body 263, an annular sidewall ring 265, and a plurality of reinforcement ribs 266 spaced circumferentially apart from one another around the sidewall body 263 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The annular sidewall ring 265 projects inwardly toward the central axis 224. The plurality of reinforcement ribs 266 are coupled to the annular sidewall ring 265 and project inwardly from the annular sidewall ring 265. The plurality of reinforcement ribs 266 are configured to block bending of the closure sidewall 232 as the closure 214 is installed and removed on the container 212.

[0060] The plurality of reinforcement ribs 266 are also configured to provide a secondary retention unit configured to retain the closure 214 on the container 12 after the closure 214 has been peeled away from the brim 218 for the first time. When the closure 214 is installed on the container 212, the plurality of reinforcement ribs 266 are located below a distal end 219 of the brim 218 as shown in FIG. 10. An inner end of each rib 266 is spaced a smaller distance from the central axis 224 compared to the distal end 219 to such that the ribs 266 interlock with the brim 218 and block removal of the closure 214 from the container 212. Pulling upwardly on the peel tab 248 causes slight deformations of the closure 214 sufficient to separate the ribs 266 surrounding the peel tab 248 from the brim 218 so that the closure can be separated from the container 212. The distal end 219 of the brim 218 is configured to engage a portion of the sidewall body 263 above the plurality od ribs 266 to provide a secondary sealing interface therebetween after the closure 214 is opened for the first time.

[0061] The plurality of reinforcement ribs 266 also provide a stack shoulder for a second closure with a substantially similar closure sidewall. The sidewall 232 further includes a tab stiffener 267 that projects outwardly away from the central axis 224 toward the peel tab 248 to reinforce a junction between the peel tab 248 and the closure sidewall 232. The tab stiffener 267 also blocks rotation of the closure 214 relative to other similar closures when stacked with the other similar closures. The container 212 further includes a stacking shoulder 274 configured to engage with the brim 218 of another container when stacked.