Container closure and package including same

Claim 1

A REUSEABLE METALLIC CLOSURE FOR THE OPENING OF A CONTAINER FOR FOOD ITEMS UNDER CACUUM, WHICH OPENING IS DEFINED BY AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL ROLLED RIM, SAID CLOSURE COMPRISING A COVER PLATE, A WALL SECTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID COVER PLATE AND FLARING OUTWARDLY SLIGHTLY FROM ITS LOWER TOWARD ITS UPPER EDGE, SAID COVER PLATE AND SAID WALL SECTION THEREBY DEFINING A DOWNWARDLY EMBOSSED CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID CLOSURE ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED WITHIN THE CONTAINER WITH SAID PLATE POSITIONED BENEATH THE PLANE OF THE OPENING BUT PARALLEL THERETO AND WITH THE WALL SECTION ENGAGING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SIDE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER SO AS TO RETAIN THE CLOSURE THEREON, A CURVED PERIPHERAL PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID WALL SECTION AND ADAPTED TO OVERLIE THE RIM OF THE CONTAINER, A FLANGE DEPENDING FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION AND HAVING A LOWER PORTION ADAPTED TO BE CRIMPED SO AS TO ENGAGE THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID RIM AND THEREBY FURTHER SECURE SAID COVER PLATE TO THE CONTAINER, SAID WALL SECTION AND SAID DEPENDING FLANGE DEFINING THEREBY BETWEEN A CHANNEL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE RIM OF THE CONTAINER, SEALING MATERIAL DISPOSED IN SAID CHANNEL SO AS TO ENGAGE THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID RIM WHEN SAID CLOSURE IS POSITIONED THEREON, THE INWARDLY FACING SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE BEING PROVIDED WITH A SCORE LINE EXTENDING PARTIALLY THEREAROUND AND TERMINATING AT A PAIR OF RELATIVELY CLOSELY SPACED POSITIONS ON THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID FLANGE, SAID SCORE LINE BEING DISPOSED SO AS TO BE GENERALLY INTERMEDIATE SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID FLANGE AND SAID CURVED PERIPHERAL PORTION SO AS TO RENDER SAID LOWER PORTION DETACHABLE ALONG SAID LINE, PULL TAB EXTENDING FROM SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID FLANGE AT ONE END OF SAID SCORE LINE FOR FACILITATING DETACHMENT OF SAID LOWER PORTION ALONG SAID SCORE LINE, AND A LIFT TAB EXTENDING FROM SAID FLANGE BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID SCORE LINE AND ADAPTED TO REMAIN ATTACHED TO SAID CURVED PERIPHERAL PORTION WHEN SAID LOWER PORTION IS DETACHED THEREFROM, SAID TABS BEING SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER BY A NOTCH EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID TABS.