Rigid holding container with breachable perimeter bubble

Abstract

A rigid holding container has a flexible cover sheet extending over the holding area for scaling the contents. The container has a wide, flat perimeter lip which provides a firm base for the seal between the cover sheet and the container. A breaching bubble is formed in the seal, under the cover and over the perimeter lip. The consumer breaches the bubble by pressing the bubble against the lip between the thumb and forefinger. The pressure compresses the air in the bubble causing the bubble to expand laterally. The expanding bubble breaches along the perimeter of the lip, producing a peel flap of flexible cover material. The consumer pulls the peel flap while holding the rigid container down, to remove the cover sheet.

1 . A container, which is sealed against the exterior environment, and which provides easy access to an item contained therein, comprising:
 an item compartment;   an access opening into the item compartment;   a rigid support for supporting the item compartment and forming part of the container;   a flexible closure for closing the item compartment and forming part of the container;   a peripheral seal between the rigid support and the flexible closure, and circumscribing the access opening for closing the item compartment located inside the peripheral seal;   a breachable bubble between the rigid support and the flexible closure located outside the perimeter seal;   a breachable seal formed along an edge of the breachable bubble and   wherein the breachable bubble is spreadable under applied pressure into the breachable seal, which spreading separates the flexible closure from the rigid support, until the spreading bubble produces an edge breach through the breachable seal to the exterior environment.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flexible peel tab formed by the flexible closure material along the edge breach as the bubble breaches, for peeling the flexible closure away from the rigid support to disengage the perimeter seal for opening the item compartment and providing access to the contained item.   
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the flexible peel tab is proximate a fringe of the flexible closure. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the breachable bubble defines a volume, and the volume within the breachable bubble displaces the flexible closure away from the rigid support, and   the edge breach is created by pressing the flexible closure against the rigid support creating pressure in the breachable bubble.   
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid support outside the peripheral seal carrying the breachable bubble, forms an overhang extending beyond the item compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 5 , further comprising a void adjacent to the overhang on the rigid support side. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the breachable bubble defines a volume, and   the volume within the breachable bubble displaces the rigid support away from the flexible closure, and the edge breach is created by pressing the rigid support against the flexible closure creating pressure in the breachable bubble.   
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the breachable bubble defines a volume, and   the volume within the breachable bubble displaces the flexible closure away from the rigid support and displaces the rigid support away from the flexible closure forming a double displacement, and the edge breach is created by pressing the displacements together.   
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the flexible closure has at least one triangular shaped corner, and the peel tab is located proximate that corner and is triangular in shape. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the breachable bubble is elongated, and extends along one end of the item compartment. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral seal is frangible for permitting disengagement of the flexible closure from the rigid support along the peripheral seal. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral seal has
 a frangible portion extending partially around the access opening permitting partial disengagement of the flexible closure; and   a destruct portion extending partially around the access opening preventing complete detachment of the flexible closure from the rigid support.   
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising an item contained within the item compartment. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 13 , wherein the rigid support functions as a serving tray for the contained item after the item compartment has been accessed. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein the item in the serving tray is vacuum packed. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein the item in the serving tray is in a controlled atmosphere. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of storage compartments. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the breachable bubble contains a gas, the gas comprising an antimicrobial agent. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 18 , wherein the antimicrobial agent comprises ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, beta-propiolactone, ozone, carbon dioxide, a halogen gas, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the breachable bubble is positioned at one side of the container, the side of the container having a length, the length of the breachable bubble being greater than half the length of the side of the container. 
     
     
         21 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the item compartment contains a gas and the breachable bubble contains a gas and wherein the gas within the item compartment is different than the gas contained within the breachable bubble. 
     
     
         22 . A plurality of individual stackable containers, which are sealed against the exterior environment, and which provide easy access to items contained therein, comprising:
 item compartment in each individual container for the contained items;   access opening into each item compartment for accessing the contained item;   compartment support for supporting the item compartment forming part of each individual container;   flexible closure for closing the item compartment forming part of each individual container;   peripheral seal between the compartment support and the flexible closure forming each individual container, pressed into sealing engagement, and circumscribing the access opening for closing the item compartment located inside the perimeter seal;   an overhang formed by the compartment support and extending beyond the item compartment outside the perimeter seal;   breachable bubble between the compartment support and the flexible closure forming each individual container, pressed into sealing engagement, and carried on the overhang;   an under void adjacent to the overhang, on the compartment support side;   breachable seal formed along the edge of each breachable bubble;   the breachable bubbles spreadable under applied pressure into the breachable seal thereof, which spreading separates the flexible closure from the compartment support, until the spreading bubble produces an edge breach through the breachable seal to the exterior environment.   
     
     
         23 . The stackable containers of  claim 22 , wherein the lower surface of each individual container engages the upper surface of the individual container thereunder. 
     
     
         24 . The stackable containers of  claim 23 , wherein the lower surface and upper surface of each individual container is planar to facilitate stacking. 
     
     
         25 . The stackable containers of  claim 22 , wherein the compartment supports are rigid. 
     
     
         26 . The stackable containers of  claim 22 , wherein the compartment supports are semi-rigid. 
     
     
         27 . The stackable containers of  claim 22 , wherein the compartment supports are flexible.