Secondary protective lid

Abstract

The present invention relates to a secondary lid for use with a package containing a foodstuff. That package has an opening that is initially sealed at purchase but the opening is unsealed by the consumer in order to obtain access to the contents of the package. There is a secondary lid that is affixed to the package and which reseals the opening and protects the contents from the external environment. The secondary lid may contact a flap or flaps of the package to hold the flap or flaps tightly closed to the opening or, in the case of a liquid, there may be a plug that enters the opening to prevent the contents from spilling. In any case, there is a seal formed in the secondary lid that surrounds and seals the opening from the environment to protect against the intrusion of air or moisture or other contaminants.

1 . A secondary lid for reclosing a package containing foodstuffs and having at least one openable covering proximate to an opening in the package, the secondary lid providing a spring bias for retaining the secondary lid onto a package wherein the secondary lid, when retained onto a package, seals the opening in a package to protect the contents of the package from the external environment. 
   
   
       2 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 1  wherein the secondary lid has a seal thereon that at least partially surrounds the opening in the package 
   
   
       3 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 2  wherein the seal on the secondary lid fully surrounds the opening in the package. 
   
   
       4 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 1  wherein the at least one openable covering is at least one flap that is adapted to be held in a closed position by the secondary lid to seal the opening in the package. 
   
   
       5 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 1  wherein the at least one openable covering is an aluminum foil covering adapted to be punctured by a straw. 
   
   
       6 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 5  wherein the secondary lid has a plug having a distal end that interfits into the opening in the package to seal the opening. 
   
   
       7 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 6  wherein the plug has a circular rib located at or proximate to the distal end. 
   
   
       8 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 1  wherein the secondary lid has a spring clip that clips to the package and holds the at least one covering to seal the opening. 
   
   
       9 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 8  for use with a box having sides, end panels, a bottom and a top, and wherein the at least one covering comprises a pair of flaps that overlap to close the opening in the package and wherein the spring clip spans the top of a package and is spring clipped to the sides of a package so as to contact and hold the two flaps together to seal the contents of a package. 
   
   
       10 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 9  wherein the spring clip is U-shaped having two sidewalls extending outwardly and said sidewalls each have a surface facing inwardly with a gripping device formed thereon to grip the sides of a package. 
   
   
       11 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 10  wherein the gripping device comprises a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the surface of the sidewalls. 
   
   
       12 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 1  wherein the secondary lid is comprised of a plastic material. 
   
   
       13 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 1  wherein the secondary lid is comprised of a plastic material containing a biocide. 
   
   
       14 . The secondary lid as defined in  claim 1  wherein the secondary lid comprises a flat base having sidewalls extending therefrom and when said sidewalls are tapered inwardly. 
   
   
       15 . A package having a secondary lid affixed thereto, said package having an opening formed therein and at least one covering adapted to close the opening, the secondary lid affixed to the package and sealing the opening after the at least one covering has been opened. 
   
   
       16 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein the secondary lid has a surface contacting the at least one covering to hold the at least one covering in its closed position. 
   
   
       17 . The package as defined in  claim 16  wherein the package has sides and the secondary lid has a spring bias to grip the sides of the package. 
   
   
       18 . The package as defined in  claim 16  wherein the secondary lid has a gripping device to grip the sides of the package. 
   
   
       19 . The package as defined in  claim 18  wherein the gripping device includes a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the surface. 
   
   
       20 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein the secondary lid has a flat base and lateral sidewalls extending in cantilever manner therefrom wherein the width of the flat base is greater that the width between the free ends of the sidewalls. 
   
   
       21 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein the at least one covering is a pouring spout. 
   
   
       22 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein the at least one covering is an aluminum foil covering adapted to be punctured by a straw. 
   
   
       23 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein the lid has a floating seal that seals against the package and surrounds the opening in the package. 
   
   
       24 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein the at least one covering comprises a pair of flaps covering an opening in the top of the package, and wherein the secondary lid contacts the flaps to hold the flaps closed and the secondary lid further has an unbroken floating seal that surrounds and seals the opening. 
   
   
       25 . The package as defined in  claim 23  where the floating seal comprises at least one flexible mechanical seat that seals against the package under spring pressure. 
   
   
       26 . The package as defined in  claim 23  wherein the floating seal comprises at least one rib-like projection that surrounds and seals the opening. 
   
   
       27 . The package as defined in  claim 26  wherein the at least one rib-like projection comprises a plurality of rib-like projections that surround and seal the opening. 
   
   
       28 . The package as defined in  claim 23  wherein the floating seal is formed on an inwardly directed bowed portion formed in the secondary lid. 
   
   
       29 . A method of secondarily sealing a package having an opening and at least one covering proximate to the opening, the at least one covering being puncturable to open the opening in the package, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing a secondary lid dimensioned to cover the opening and having a continuous seal formed therein,   securing the secondary lid to the package to position the continuous seal to surround the opening in the package to seal the opening from the external environment.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the step of securing the secondary lid on the package comprises exerting a spring bias against the package by the secondary lid. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the step of securing the secondary lid to the package comprises securing the lid to form an unbroken floating seal surrounding the opening in the package.