MXPA02006380A - Container having cover with multisector seal. - Google Patents

Abstract

A container having an aperture (26) through which the contents of the container may be accessed. The aperture (26) is closable with a cover (12). The cover (12) is sealable around a first sector (70) of the aperture. Preferably, the first sector (70) of the aperture subtends 360 degrees. The cover (12) may be sealed by manipulating a second sector (72) of the perimeter of the aperture. The second sector (72) is less than the first sector.

Description

PACKAGING THAT HAS COVER WITH A SEAL OF MULTIPLE SECTORS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to containers for storing objects, and more particularly to containers that can be sealed with a cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sealable containers are known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 3,784,055 issued January 8, 1974 to Anderson and 3,967,756 issued July 6, 1976 to Barish, which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose containers having stopper seals. . However, plug seals require significant manual handling to cause a tight seal. Unless the user is careful, such seal may not close in a perimetric manner the opening through which access can be gained to the contents of the container. Unless a totally perimeter closure is obtained, the perishable content that is stored in the package may deteriorate. Another type of stamp is illustrated in the commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 5,996,882 issued December 7, 1999 to Randall and incorporated herein by reference. This patent discloses a package having a closure means that is activated by an externally applied force. An attempt in the art to overcome the problem of having to manipulate a total perimetric closure, without having a visual, tactile, or audible signal that a total seal has been obtained, is to use a sliding mechanism, as illustrated in the patent of the United States No. 3,660,875 issued May 9, 1972 to Gutman and which is incorporated by reference in the present invention. However, to date, sliding mechanisms have only been able to function in only one direction. The sliding mechanisms are not capable of operating in an XY plane when used in conjunction with a rigid seal. U.S. Patent No. 4,013,214, issued March 22, 1977, to Hansen et al. Discloses a multiple plastic container having a cover with a hinged connection to the base. U.S. Patent No. 5,046,659, issued September 9, 1991, to Warburton, discloses a thermoformed plastic container having a closure cap and base. U.S. Patent No. 5,577,627, issued November 26, 1996 to Richie-Dubler, discloses a thermoformed plastic container having a lid and a base with an integral hinge. U.S. Patent No. 5,339,973, issued August 23, 1994 to Edwards et al., Discloses a package having a seal flange comprising a curved surface that interlocks over an arc of more than 180 degrees. U.S. Patent No. 5,667,092, issued September 16, 1997 to Julius et al., Discloses a package comprising a cover having a lid plate and a peripheral rim. U.S. Patent No. 5,507,407, issued April 16, 1996 to Feer et al., Discloses a package having a peripheral rim sized to receive the edge of a container. The flange terminates at an edge having a lever arm to allow removal of the container lid.

Similarly, U.S. Patent No. 5,377,860, issued January 3, 1995 to Llttlejohn et al., Discloses a food package having a unit base and also a unit lid. U.S. Patent No. 5,058,761, issued October 22, 1991 to Williams, discloses a repeatedly resealable package having a lid and base melt-bonded and releasably sealed. / m t? Étmt ka? immim ák? -. m u not a i .- ..,. . ,,.,, .. .. i,, ", •", - ----, - - -. T U.S. Patent No. 5,524,990, issued June 11, 1996 to Buck, discloses a flexible container having a flap that closes the container opening A stiffening element extends around the periphery of the fin., a package of this type can not be sealed with a sliding mechanism, nor can it be sealed by manipulating only a limited sector of the stiffening element. U.S. Patent No. 4,576,330, issued March 18, 1986 to Schepp, discloses a hinged plate and lid having an inner locking coupling to a flange. U.S. Patent No. 4,576,307, issued March 18, 1986 to Frydenberg, discloses a package having elements held together by a sliding pin. Sliding pin prevents container opening by preventing transverse movement of a pole / rail combination. U.S. Patent No. 5,427,266, issued June 27, 1995 to Yun, discloses a lid with a visual seal signal for proper closure. U.S. Patent No. 5,651,462, issued July 29, 1997 to Simonsen et al., Discloses the rigidly resealable rigid package having a flexible cover. None of the aforementioned references discloses a seal that can be applied by manipulating a sector of the container that subtends a lower arc than that of the seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a package having an opening for accessing the contents of the package. The opening can be sealed at least partially when closing with a cover. The cover has a seal that extends at least partially around it. The stamp subtends a first sector of the perimeter. The seal can be activated completely by manipulating a second sector of the perimeter. The second sector is smaller than and is included within the first sector. The container can be completely sealed in a perimetric manner by means of a complementary cover. The cover is applied to the seal by manipulating only a portion of the seal. In another embodiment, the invention comprises a method of sealing the contents in a container. The method comprises the steps of providing a package having vertical side walls, an opening for accessing the contents of the package, and a seal around it. A cover is provided that is complementary to the seal. The contents to be contained are placed inside the container.

The cover is placed over the opening, so that the cover is juxtaposed with the seal and with which it can be attached. The cover is applied to the perimeter seal by manipulating a portion of it, so that the cover is frictionally engaged by the seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package according to the present invention illustrating the cover in the open position and an optional sliding mechanism that is not engaging the seal of the package. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the package of Figure 1 showing the cover in the closed condition and the sliding mechanism that has moved from a position that does not engage the seal to a position that does engage the seal. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 represents a preferred embodiment of a package 10 according to the present invention. The package 10 includes a container body preferably formed integrally from the laminated material. A cover 12 is included with the package 10 and can be formed integrally with the package 10. The package 10 additionally includes a seal 14 for peripherally closing the cover 12 over the seal 14. The package 10 can be transformed in a manner reversible between two conditions, an open condition wherein the cover 12 is removed from the container 10 and access can be gained to the contents of the container 10. Access to the contents of the container 10 can be obtained through an opening 26. When the cover 12 of the The container 10 is in the open position, the contents can be inserted inside or removed from the container 10. In the other condition, the container 10 is closed and the cover 12 is sealed on the container 10. The closed condition avoids accidentally removing and potentially manipulating Unexpectedly the container contents 10. If desired, a lock (not shown) can be included to prevent unauthorized access to the container 10 when the cover 12 is closed. The cover 12 can generally be congruent and substantially coextensive with the circumference of the container 10 as illustrated. Alternatively, it should be understood that the opening 26 and the cover 12 can be sized and / or shaped to have a geometry that is different from that of the opening 26 of the container 10. Although the embodiments illustrated show a container 10 that has a cover 12 that allows access to the upper part of the container 10, it should be understood that a cover 12 may be included which is arranged on one or more side walls 20 or even on the inside or bottom of the container 10. Additionally, the package 10 may have a plurality of covers 12, as desired. For example, the upper part of the package 10 may have two smaller covers 12 instead of a large cover 12 or, alternatively, the upper part of the package 10 may have a cover 12 and one or more side walls 20 of the package 10 may have additional covers 12. In addition, the package 10 may be divided internally as desired. The package 10 can be sealed at least partially with the cover 12 when the cover 12 is in the closed position. In some embodiments, it may be desirable for the seal 14 to perimetrically close the package 10 when the cover 12 is attached. A perimeter seal seal 14 may be desired when 10 perishable contents are stored in the package 10 or powder or contamination is left. to keep out of the container 10 for hygienic purposes. Alternatively, a partial seal 14 of the package 10 may be desirable when aspirating the contents 10. For example, in case the package 10 is to be used for microwave heating of the food content, the gas outlet of the container 15 10. The container 10 according to the present invention can be a relatively small container, so that the container 10 can be kept in the pocket or handbag. A package 10 of this type can be useful for storing pills, capsules, etc. Alternatively, the package 10 can be relatively large so that the package 20 is sized to fit a platform trailer truck. A container 10 of this type can be useful for transporting building materials, etc. One contemplated use for container 10 is to store perishable items such as food. The package 10 comprises a floor plate 22 and side walls 20 projecting outwardly from the floor plate 2. Preferably, in use, the walls Side panels 20 protrude upwards and end at a distal end forming the container opening 26. The embodiment illustrated has four side walls 20.

However, it must be recognized that the invention is not limited in this way. For example, the package 10 may have three or more side walls 20, it may be round, oval, etc. The cover 12 may be generally flat, as illustrated, or may have an inwardly convex or convexly outward orientation, as desired.

For certain embodiments, it is preferred that the cover 12 be substantially flat so that the package 10 can be stacked. The floor plate 22 defines and lies in a close-up. For the embodiment illustrated, the floor plate 22 is defined by the vertices at the four corners of the vertical side walls 20. The floor plate 22 may have the shape of an inward convex dome to increase strength, as is known in the art. Particularly, the dome-shaped floor plates 22 provide increased resistance to be loaded by the contents of the container 10 in a normal direction to the floor plate 22. Alternatively, the floor plate 22 may be convexly placed outwardly. , although this may reduce the stability when the container 10 rests on a horizontal surface. It should be recognized and appreciated that the floor plate 22 may have a dome shape as is known in the art and still defines a plane. The side walls 20 are polished to be generally perpendicular and protrude outwardly from the floor plate 22. It should be recognized that side walls 20 projecting outward in a non-perpendicular orientation, for example, such as a diverging orientation to provide a greater cross section in the upper part of the container 10 than in the floor plate 22, are known and can be used in accordance with the present invention. Preferably, but not necessarily, the container 10 is formed of a unitary sheet of material. By forming the package 10 of a unitary sheet of material, the presence of sealing lines 14 within the container body 20 is eliminated and the exhaust passages are reduced. Various suitable compositions for manufacturing the storage containers 10 of the present invention include substantially impermeable materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), thin aluminum foil, paper coated (waxed, etc.) and non-waxed, coated nonwoven materials, etc., and substantially permeable materials such as lightweight fabrics, meshes, woven materials, non-woven materials, or perforated or porous films, are predominantly two-dimensional in nature or formed in three-dimensional structures. Such materials may comprise a single composition or layer or may be a composite structure of multiple materials, including a substrate material that is used as a carrier for a substance. Materials that have been found suitable for use in accordance with the present invention include a 120 mil (0.25 millimeter) thick low density polyethylene film, commercially available from Chevron under the manufacturer's designation PE1122 and 20 mil syndiotactic polypropylene ( 0.5 mm) of thickness available from Fina Corp. under the designation of manufacturer EOD96-28. Additional suitable materials include a polyethylene / polypropylene blend. Wood and metal can be used for containers 10 of larger sizes. Optionally, the package 10 can be erected and collapsed in a reversible manner. Particularly, the container 10 of this type can be reversibly transformed between collapsed and upright conditions. A collapsible container 10 can be manufactured having a plurality of the side walls 20 interconnected and protruding outwardly from the floor plate 22. At least one of the side walls 20 can have a hinge line positioned substantially parallel to the plane of the plate of floor 22. At least one of the side walls 20 may have a hinge line placed substantially parallel to the plane of the floor plate 22. The hinge line divides the side wall 20 into upper and lower portions, each of which can be articulated around the hinge line when the package 10 is transformed between the collapsed and upright conditions. Preferably, each of the side walls 20 has a hinge line and / or an optional corner to cause collapse and upright or lifted out of the container. Another form of the collapsible container 10 is illustrated in the aforementioned and incorporated United States Patent No. 5,996,882, issued December 7, 1999, to Randall. In case it is desired to manufacture a resiliently deformable container 10, the container 10 can be manufactured in accordance with the teachings of the commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 5,379,897, issued on January 10, 1995 to Muckenfuhs and others and which is incorporated herein by reference. If desired, the container 10 can additionally be selectively reinforced, particularly in case the side walls 20 of the container 10 can collapse. The side walls 20 can be reinforced with a raised strut that can be removed from the side walls 20 without separating from the container 10. The strut can be transformed between a first position that provides reinforcement to the side walls 20 and the second position where the The strut does not provide reinforcement to the side wall 20. A strut of this type is contiguously hinged and fixed in a hinged manner to the container 10 at the junction of the floor plate 22 and the respective side wall 20. The reinforcement may further comprise a floor plate support 22. The floor plate support 22 extends throughout the floor plate 22, and preferably the main axis thereof. If desired, the floor plate support 22 can be formed integrally with one or more struts that selectively reinforce the side walls 20.

Referring to Figure 1, and examining the opening 26, the seal 14 and the cover 12 of the container 10 in more detail, the seal 14 can be placed on a rim 52. The rim 52 surrounds the opening 26 of the container 10, although it should be understood that in a less preferred embodiment, the seal 14 may be on the inside of the opening 26 of the package 10. The seal 14 is preferably rigid, even though the side walls 20 may be flaccid, self-supporting, and / or reversibly collapsible and erect as indicated above. Rigidly, it is implied that the seal 14, even if it is docile, has vector components that extend both in the X and Y directions when the package is in its natural state without constricting. Thus, when the package 10 is empty, the seal 14 extends in both the direction X and Y. Additionally, the opening 26 of a package 10 of this type has the same geometry whether the package 10 is empty or full under normal conditions of use. A seal 14 is considered to have been applied and is capable of functioning when the cover 12 is in the closed position and the seal 14 resists and contains a static hydraulic pressure of at least 2.5 centimeters of distilled water at 20 ° C. A seal 14 of this type can be tested by filling the container 10 to the proper depth, applying the seal 14, then turning the container 10 on its side so that 2.5 centimeters of distilled water is applied at a height of 2.5 centimeters above the container. seal 14. In case no escape occurs before 15 seconds, it is considered that the seal has been applied and is capable of functioning. The stamp 14 defines a XY plane in a Z direction orthogonal thereto. The seal 14 extends in at least two directions, so that the seal 14 defines a path having multiple vector components in each of the directions X and Y. The path of the seal 14 can be straight, curvilinear, or a combination of these.

In one embodiment, the seal 14 can be placed in two mutually perpendicular directions, one substantially parallel to the X direction and the other substantially parallel to the Y direction. Such directions can be congruent or even coincident with the upper edge of the side walls 20 of the 10. If they are, the seal 14 defines a vertex that has a minimum radius of curvature determinable by the specific type of seal 14 to be employed, as discussed below. The vertex defines an axis in the Z direction perpendicular to the aforementioned XY plane. It should be noted that the XY plane that is defined in this way can be, and preferably is substantially parallel to, the plane defined by the floor plate 22 of the container 10, even if biased plane relationships are specifically contemplated. The seal 14 can lie within the XY plane, and the cover 12 can be removed in a direction having a vector component in the Z direction. It should be recognized that the cover 12 can be articulated as shown or can be moved on the shaft of the vertex. Unlike the sliding mechanism type geometries 60 that are illustrated in the aforementioned and incorporated U.S. Patent No. 3,660,875, issued May 9, 1972, to Gutman, seal 14 of the present invention is orthogonal to the apex axis. In case the sliding mechanism 60 is used, the activation of the sliding mechanism 60 in the closed direction compresses the seal 14. The seal 14 can be considered to have a longitudinal axis within the XY plane of the seal path 14. The mechanism Slider 60 compresses the seal 14 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In case it is desired to remove the cover 12 from the package 10 without a hinged joint as illustrated, guide rails may be attached to and protrude from the inner or outer surfaces of the side walls 20 of the package 10. The cover 12 may be attached to the guide rails. The guide rails may have grooves extending perpendicular to the XY plane of the seal 14. The cover 12 of this • * "'• - -" mode is translatable perpendicular to the XY plane by movement along the guide rails. Whether a hinged cover 12, or a removable cover 12 removable from the opening 26 of the container 10 is selected, in any case, the cover 12 can not necessarily be separated from the container 10 even when it is removed from it. As it is not separable from the container 10, it is implied that the cover 12 can not be moved permanently away from the container 10 without breaking or considerably deforming the material comprising or the container 10, the cover 12, or any of the connecting elements. or join the container 10 to the cover 12. As the 10 cover 12 of the container 10, the advantages occur that the cover 12 is not lost, lost, or mixed with covers 12 of containers 10 of similar sizes having different hygienic or sanitary requirements. Referring to Figure 3, seal 14 can comprise any type of mechanism reusable in the art. Suitable seals 14 include fin seals 15 adhesive seals, adhesive seals, selectively activatable adhesives as illustrated by those assigned in common to US Pat. Nos. 5,662,758 issued October 2, 1997 in the name of Hamilton et al., 5,871,067 issued February 16, 1999 in the name of Hamilton et al., U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08 / 745,339 filed November 8, 1996 in the name of McGuire et al., and US Patent Application Serial No. 08 / 745,340 filed on November 8, 1996 in the name of Hamilton et al., Which are incorporated herein by reference, and seals 14 having a friction fit or a compression adjustment, as illustrated. By reusable, it is implied that the cover 12 of the container 10 can be reversibly transformed between each of the open positions 25 and closed at least twice and still functionally seal the container 10.

IIÉMM.IUÍÉTIÍ > An appropriate type of seal 14, as illustrated, utilizes projections 54 and cavities 56 that complement each other. It should be understood that the embodiment illustrated uses a flange 52 extending in the XY plane. The flange 52 surrounds the opening 26 of the container 10. The flange 52 has the projection 54 extending normal to the XY plane. The cover 12 has a cavity 56 that extends normal to the XY plane and is supplemented with the projection 54. The projection 54 is inserted into the cavity 56, providing a compression seal 14 extending at least partially, and preferably from perimetrically around the opening 26 of the container 10. The person skilled in the art should understand that this arrangement can be reversed, so that the projection 56 is placed on the rim 52 of the container 10. Additionally the cover 12 of the container 10 it may also have a flange 52 which also extends in the XY plane. If desired, the package 10 can be sealed with a sliding mechanism 60. As used in the present invention, a sliding mechanism 60 is an apparatus that travels along the aforesaid trajectory of the seal 14 to open, close, or preferably opening and closing the seal 14. Referring to Figure 2, in case the optional sliding mechanism 60 is included with the package 10 and the cover 12, the sliding mechanism 60 can be moved in a juxtaposed path with the perimeter of the opening 26. It should be understood that the seal 14 does not have to be coincidental or juxtaposed with the perimeter of the opening 26 of the package 10. The sliding mechanism 60 can activate the seal 14, by means of which the sliding mechanism 60 applies the seal 14. when it moves in a first direction and releases the seal 14 when it moves in the opposite direction. In this way, the activation of the seal 14 includes or the application of the seal 14, as desired to close the container 10, or release seal 14, as desired to open package 10, or both.

"Ae" aA - The sliding mechanism 60 can be placed on a rail 62, thereby differentiating the sliding mechanism 60 of the present invention from and ensuring that the sliding mechanism 60 of the present invention does not include an ordinary rack. The rail 62 is separate from the seal 14. In the embodiments illustrated, the rail 62 is on the outside of the seal 14, it is understood that the rail 62 is also in the Seal interior 14. Track 62 is in functional association with seal 14, by means of which sliding mechanism 60 can be placed in lane 62, and still activate seal 14 in either or both of the apply and release directions . The rail 62 is preferably congruent with the seal 14 as illustrated. The sliding mechanism 60 is preferably of the trunk shape. The inner part of the sliding mechanism 60 applies the seal 14 when activated in the closing direction. The outer part of the sliding mechanism 60 releases the seal 14 when activated in the opening direction. A sliding mechanism 60 suitable for use in the present invention is disclosed in the jointly assigned United States patent application filed on the same date together with it in the name of Hupp and entitled "Sliding mechanism applying open and close forces to a fixing device lying on a two-dimensional plane ", which application is incorporated herein by reference. It should be recognized that there are different configurations comprising a combination of seal 14 / rail 62 proper. Generally, any geometry having an adjustment by friction, interference, or compression of the seal 14 against an original material of either the container 10 or the cover 12 while also providing a guide surface for the sliding mechanism 60 will be suitable. It should be recognized that the guide surface, and consequently the rail 62 will be separated from the seal 14. The rail 62 may comprise, and preferably comprises, one or more auxiliary lanes 64. The auxiliary lanes 64 are defined as those portions of the lane 62. which are not functionally juxtaposed with the seal 14. The rail 60 can be moved in the rail 62 until it is no longer coupled to the seal 14, then it enters the auxiliary rail 64. When the sliding mechanism 60 is placed in the rail auxiliary 64, the sliding mechanism is not engaged, and thus can not activate the seal 14. The auxiliary rail 64 can be positioned radially outwardly of the seal 13, as illustrated, or in case the rail 62 is in the inner part of seal 14, can be placed radially inward of the seal. Preferably, the auxiliary rail 64 does not cross the seal 14, otherwise a perimetric seal 14 will not occur unless coupling occurs in the upper part of the seal 14. In the outer rail mode 62, the package 10 can be sealed in a manner perimeter by seal 14, an advantage that could not be obtained previously. The seal 14 is applied and released circumferentially, with or without the sliding mechanism 60, around the perimeter of the opening. The seal 14 can be applied, at least partially around the perimeter of the opening 26, by activation, manually or with a sliding mechanism 60, starting at the first circumferential position and continuing in a serial manner around the container 10 to a second one. circumferentially separated position of the first position. The cover 12 is fixed to the container 10 in yet another third circumferential position. The third position is juxtaposed circumferentially with at least one of the first position and second position, and preferably both of such positions, as illustrated. Still referring to Figure 2, two auxiliary lanes are shown 64. The cover 12 is hingedly attached to the container 10 in the third position. The auxiliary rails 64 circumferentially fix the hinged fixing device of the cover 12 to the container 10. In this way, preferably the package 10 has two auxiliary rails 64 as illustrated. With this arrangement, the sliding mechanism 60 can be parked on an auxiliary rail 64 when moving in the opening direction, so that the sliding mechanism 60 does not interfere with the action of opening or gaining access to the contents of the container 10. Likewise, the Sliding mechanism 60 can be parked on the other auxiliary rail 64 when seal 14 is activated in the closing direction. Of course, it is recognized that the sliding mechanism 60 can be parked on the auxiliary rail 64 in a position not juxtaposed with the hinge or other means for attaching the cover 12 to the container 10. On the auxiliary rail 64, the terminal end 66 of the mechanism Slider 60 only needs to be separated from seal 14 at a sufficient distance to allow sliding mechanism 60 to pass seal 14 sideways, so that cover 12 can be opened or closed as desired without interference from sliding mechanism 60. For illustrated embodiments, a sliding mechanism 60 having a width in the radial direction, the terminal ends 66 of the auxiliary rails 64 are spaced outward, in the radial direction, from the seal 14 at a sufficient distance to accommodate the width of the seal 14 and the width of the sliding mechanism 60. It is not necessary that the auxiliary rail 64 have a terminal end 66 that predisposes the sliding mechanism 60 to park in a particular position. If desired, the sliding mechanism 60 can be removed from the auxiliary rail 64, and thus separated from the seal 14 and the container 10. Such a configuration can be useful where it is desired to independently clean the sliding mechanism 60, provided that the Sliding mechanism 60 is not lost or misused. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the sliding mechanism 60 can be parked in a juxtaposed position and still coincident with the seal 14. In such a configuration, the cover 12 can have a cut that allows the cover 12 to pass through. the sliding mechanism 60 so that the cover 12 can be opened from the opening 26 of the container 10 without interference from the sliding mechanism 60.

In operation, the package 10 is at least partially sealable and preferably sealable in a perimetric manner when closed by the cover 12. The seal 14 subtends a first sector 70 of the perimeter. The first sector 70 preferably subtends at least 270 degrees, more preferably subtends 360 degrees. The seal 14 can be fully applied throughout the first sector 70, by activation in the closing direction, of a second sector 72 of the seal 14. The second sector 72 is lower than and is included within the first sector 70. The second sector 72 preferably it subtends an angle of 260 to 360 degrees, and preferably at least 290 degrees. As illustrated, the hinge can be positioned circumferentially on the outside of the second sector 72. Thus, the sliding mechanism 60, and any other manipulation or manual activation of the seal 14, does not intercept the hinge. If desired, the package 10 and the cover 12 can comprise two or more stamps 14 placed in series. Such seals 14 may be radially displaced so that multiple occurrences of escape through the seal are required before the cover 12 is penetrated. Alternatively, an individual seal 14 may comprise two or more sliding mechanisms 60. In a configuration of this type, each sliding mechanism 60 subtends a portion of the first sector 70.

Claims (10)

1. A container that is at least partially sealable when closing with a cover, said container has an opening with a perimeter around it, the stamp subtends a first sector of said perimeter, characterized in that said seal is fully activatable by manipulating a second sector of said perimeter, the second sector is smaller and is included within that sector.

2. A package according to claim 1, wherein said seal is manipulated with a sliding mechanism.

3. A package according to claims 1 and 2, wherein said cover is hingedly attached to said package.

4. A package according to claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein said seal encloses said container perimetrically when said cover is fixed. A package according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein said hinge is positioned circumferentially on the outside of said second sector. 6. A package according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, wherein the cover is hingedly secured to said package in a position positioned radially outwardly of said seal. 7. A package according to claim 9, wherein the sliding mechanism moves in a trajectory, said trajectory intercepts the aforementioned hinge line. 8. A method of sealing content in a container, said method comprising the steps of providing a container having vertical side walls, an opening and a seal around it, providing a cover, said cover being complementary to said seal, placing the contents to be contained in said container, placing said cover over the opening, so that the cover is juxtaposed with said seal by means of which said seal can be coupled; characterized in that said cover is applied to said perimetric seal by manipulating a portion thereof, by means of which said cover is frictionally engaged by said seal. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said seal has a longitudinal axis, said direction of said compression being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis. 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said cover is applied to said seal.