Vacuum closure for a jar or container, especially a glass preserving jar

Claim 1

A vacuum closure for a jar or container, especially for a glass preserving jar, said closure having a circular top and a peripherally disposed depending skirt, said top including a centrally disposed depressed portion presenting a circumferentially extending portion defining a downwardly facing sealing groove overlying the mouth of an associated container, said skirt depending from the sealing groove-defining portion and having a free edge presenting circumferentially spaced teeth for inwardly directed engagement with the mouth of the associated container; a pair of diametrically opposed means leading from diametrically opposed junctures between said skirt and said sealing groove-defining portion to said free edge of the skirt for facilitating bending of said top between such means; a pair of tab-forming means leading from closely spaced junctures between said skirt and said sealing groove-defining portion to said free edge of the skirt for defining a tab which may be lifted upwardly separate from the remaining portion of said skirt, said tab being located substantially midway between said diametrically opposed means; and local deformation means in said depressed portion of the closure adjacent said sealing groovedefining portion and opposite said tab for creating a Y-shaped configuration of folds extending obliquely across said sealing groove-defining portion from said junctures associated with said tab-forming means.