US20100140268A1 - Dispensing closure with removable membrane - Google Patents
Dispensing closure with removable membrane Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100140268A1 US20100140268A1 US12/704,650 US70465010A US2010140268A1 US 20100140268 A1 US20100140268 A1 US 20100140268A1 US 70465010 A US70465010 A US 70465010A US 2010140268 A1 US2010140268 A1 US 2010140268A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- closure
- base body
- lid
- container
- skirt
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
- B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
- B65D47/06—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages
- B65D47/08—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages having articulated or hinged closures
- B65D47/0804—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages having articulated or hinged closures integrally formed with the base element provided with the spout or discharge passage
- B65D47/0833—Hinges without elastic bias
- B65D47/0838—Hinges without elastic bias located at an edge of the base element
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
- B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
- B65D47/06—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages
- B65D47/10—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages having frangible closures
- B65D47/103—Membranes with a tearing element
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
- B65D47/36—Closures with frangible parts adapted to be pierced, torn, or removed, to provide discharge openings
Definitions
- the removable membrane closure systems are often accompanied by an additional closure which serves primarily as a dust cover prior to initial opening and as a reclosure cap after opening and the removable membrane is removed.
- the additional closure is removed on initial opening to access the removable membrane. After removing the removable membrane to access the contents, the package is reclosed with the additional closure to create a multiple use package.
- removable membrane comprises a foil that is heat sealed to the upper lip of a container after filling with contents. The foil membrane is removed, by simply pulling off wherein the heat sealed joint is ruptured.
- Another form of removable membrane comprises a monolithic plastic structure wherein a thin plastic membrane is joined to a primary closure body through a frangible score line. In this case the package is initially opened by tearing out the removable membrane along the frangible line.
- a first component is the foil itself or a membrane frangibly attached to structure suitable for attachment to the container.
- the second component is normally the above mentioned reclosure cap.
- Typical examples of such a prior art membrane closure systems are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,184 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/929,009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- Plastic membranes are not so limited, since they are manufactured with pull tabs which facilitate initial membrane removal. However, the plastic membranes are supported and frangibly joined to additional structure suitable for engagement to the container. Should this attachment structure be readily disengaged without a tampering indication, the tamper evident aspect of the membrane removal could be circumvented. Thus the attachment is often designed to be at least semi-permanent so that the only access to the contents is to remove the membrane. However, semi-permanent or permanent attachment to the container can lead to mixed material recycling streams which complicates recycling efforts.
- PCT/US09/58029 filed Sep. 23, 2009 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/179,569, filed May 19, 2009.
- the entire contents of PCT/US09/58029 are herein incorporated in their entirety by this reference.
- a single piece closure was taught having a hinged top member monolithically attached to a base comprising a pull-out membrane. Upon package exhaustion, the entire closure may be removed by pulling on the top member to sever frangible lines extending from the top through the skirt portion of the base.
- a further problem that must be addressed with the single piece design is that when pulling on the lid to sever the tear lines extending through the base skirt, an upward force is preferentially directed at a defined, fractional portion of the skirt's circumference. It has been found that in some cases this localized force is sufficient to overcome the gripping force of the tamper evident structure retaining the closure to the container. This raises concerns about the tamper evidencing of the package design and forces increased structure to resist the localized force.
- the instant invention solves the stated problems associated with prior art removable membrane closure systems by offering a structure wherein the membrane can be initially removed without removal of the main body of the closure from the container.
- a further object of the invention is to permit facile removal of a portion of the closure structure from the container after exhausting its contents such that the container recycling stream is not negatively impacted by mixed or colored materials.
- a further object of the invention is to teach a closure design which combines the convenience of a hinged top closure with the convenience of an initial plastic pull-out membrane seal.
- the two piece arrangement allows a hinge structure to be made of polypropylene, the preferred material to make a strong, robust living hinge, and at the same time allows making a frangible tear out membrane from polyethylene, the preferred material for a tearable membrane.
- the two piece arrangement requires no tear lines depending downward from the hinge. From a recycling standpoint, the colored, hinged overcap is easily removed after use and discarded.
- the natural polyethylene base can stay with the bottle as it is compatible in color and material with the container recycling stream.
- Bottles are generally made of clear material, and often from polyethylene or other clear olefin. With a PET container recyclate, the small amount of clear polyethylene may not be a serious contaminant to the recycling stream. To remove the upper polypropylene cover, one just pulls up on the lid and the top “snaps off”. The top is not vigorously attached to the base so this removal is easy.
- the base of the two-piece closure can be made very robust to vigorously grip the bottle, since it does not have to be removed. Indeed, the two piece embodiment may even be “permanently” attached such as with an adhesive.
- FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a two-piece component dispensing closure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing closure of FIG. 1 shown assembled with a top lid in the opened position;
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dispensing closure of FIG. 1 shown assembled with the top lid in the closed position;
- FIG. 4 is a side view of the dispensing closure of FIG. 1 shown assembled
- FIG. 5 is a back view of the dispensing closure of FIG. 1 shown assembled.
- FIG. 6 is a side view of the dispensing closure of FIG. 1 shown assembled with the top lid in the opened position;
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the of the dispensing closure of FIG. 1 shown with the top lid in the opened position;
- FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a two-piece component dispensing closure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing closure of FIG. 8 shown assembled with a top lid in the opened position.
- Closure 10 comprises a top lid part 14 and a separate base body part 16 .
- Lid part 14 is attached to base part 16 using suitable attachment means, such as snap fitting threads 70 / 72 or screw threads 138 / 170 well known in the art.
- Lid part 14 comprises a top 11 interconnected to an annular skirt portion 12 through a hinge structure 18 , the top being moveable through open and closed positions via the hinge structure.
- Hinges 18 are best seen in FIG. 5 .
- the hinges depicted can be described by the well known characterization of “butterfly” hinges.
- Other forms of hinge structure may be appropriate for the invention,
- the hinge structure need not be integrally formed.
- the top 11 and the annular skirt portion 12 may be separately molded pieces joined via a “ball and socket” type hinge structure. Hinge structure joining a top moveable relative to stationary skirt is well established in the closure art. As shown in FIG.
- the snap fitting thread 72 on the base part is an annular thread which does not circumvent the entire side periphery of annular top 40 , thus leaving a channel 76 defined between a pair of flanges 78 forming the boundary of the annular thread 70 .
- the channel 76 is further defined to accommodate for the internal portion of the hinge structure 18 , especially when the hinge structure 18 is bending or flexing during movement and internal clearance is needed.
- FIGS. 2 , 6 and 7 depict the top 11 in the “open” position.
- the moveable top 11 comprises a disk-like portion 13 having an inside surface 42 .
- An outer skirt 30 depends from surface 42 .
- Outer skirt 30 is dimensioned to cover part of skirt portion 12 when the top is in its closed position.
- a pattern of ribs or knurls projects from the outside surface of outer skirt 30 to facilitate a consumer's grip on the top 11 .
- an inner skirt 34 having an outer surface 36 depends from surface 42 .
- Annular skirt portion 12 of lid part 14 has an upper peripheral edge 15 from which a generally flat annular ring 19 extends radially inward.
- the inner circumference of annular ring 19 defines an orifice through which contents may be dispensed when the closure is in use.
- a substantially vertical wall 35 depends downward from the inner circumference of annular ring 19 .
- wall 35 is molded seamlessly and forms a sealing surface mating with surface 36 of skirt 34 when moveable top 11 is in its closed position.
- a pour lip 31 extends upward from the inner circumference of annular ring 19 .
- Pour lip 31 has a generally arcuate form when viewed from above the closure and extends approximately 180 degrees around the inner circumference of annular ring 19 .
- pour lip 31 has a top surface 32 which reaches a maximum height above annular ring 19 at a point approximately 180 degrees from the back of the closure base.
- the function of the pour lip 31 is to avoid dribble of liquid contents down the side of the closure or onto the container when fluid is dispensed, especially from a freshly opened, full container.
- the top surface 32 of pour lip 31 is tapered downward/inward as shown and merges with vertical wall 35 .
- tab 69 depending from and extending downward from the lower edge of annular skirt 12 .
- Tab 69 extends downward to a position below the lower edge of base body 16 .
- Tab 69 is not attached to the base body 16 .
- Tab 69 extends below the lower edge of base body 16 a distance sufficient to allow the extending portion to function as a closure orienting structure as explained further below.
- the extension of the tab below the lower edge of body 16 is from 0.1 inch to 1.0 inch and of the order 0.25 inch (i.e. 0.1 inch, 0.25 inch, 0.5 inch, 1.0 inch).
- the base body portion 16 comprises a skirt portion 22 depending from an annular top 40 .
- the annular top 40 extends radially inward, terminating at an inner top perimeter 42 and extending downwardly defining an inner wall 45 and orifice 44 there-between.
- the inner wall 45 engages wall 35 of the lid part.
- the orifice 44 is closed by a membrane 46 connected to the inner top perimeter through a frangible line of weakness 48 .
- a pull ring 38 (or other alternative gripping structure such as a pull tab) is attached to the membrane 46 .
- the effective diameter associated with the frangible line is less than that of vertical wall 35 . This arrangement permits facile removal of the membrane without need to remove top lid part 14 .
- the base body 16 also comprises suitable container engaging structure (not shown) positioned on the interior of skirt 22 to achieve attachment of the closure to complimentary structure on the exterior of a container neck
- Container engaging structures are taught in the parent applications incorporated by reference.
- well known structure such as screw threads or adhesives may be employed to achieve attachment in certain applications.
- the base body member need not ever be removed from the container by the consumer.
- the attachment may be very robust and characterized as “permanent” (i.e. difficult to separate without extra-ordinary effort).
- a “permanent” attachment is one designed to prevent component separation during normal use of the product.
- the closure 10 is normally manufactured as two parts.
- a first part is the lid part 14 .
- This part may be manufactured using well established injection molding.
- One may use polypropylene which is often the most suitable material for producing parts incorporating the living hinge structures envisioned.
- a second part is the base body 16 .
- This part may be formed using techniques such as injection or compression molding.
- a preferred material for forming the base body 16 is polyethylene, since this material has mechanical properties eminently suitable for creating a tear out membrane having a frangible tear line.
- the base body 16 may preferably be formed from “natural” material (i.e. no colorant) since it is envisioned that its removal would be unnecessary for proper recycling.
- the final closure is created by combining the two separate pieces together. This joining may be achieved in a number of ways. One preferred method is to incorporate complimentary structure on each part to allow a snap combination.
- Containers may incorporate a structural feature which allows them to be oriented relative to a stream of closures. Such features include handles, exterior geometries or “spotting” indentations positioned on the bottom of the container.
- the tab 69 also may serve as an orientation feature for the closure relative to the bottle. This is accomplished by having the portion of tab 69 extending below the lower edge of skirt 22 of base body part 16 be positioned in a slot extending in the length dimension of a closure feed chute. As the oriented container passes by the closure feed chute, the container and closure are both oriented relative to each other. In a preferred application method, a simple snap-on application of the closure to the bottle maintains this desired relative orientation. It is noted however that other application approaches, such as screw on application, may be employed using other suitable orientation techniques. In this way the moveable top 11 and pour lip 31 have a desirable orientation relative to a container feature such as a handle.
- the filled container with closure 10 applied is distributed and used as follows.
- the integrity of the package is ensured by the presence of the tear out membrane and the fact that the base body part 16 can be robustly attached to the container in that it does not have to ever be removed.
- These aspects provide excellent tamper evidencing.
- the consumer first opens the package, he maneuvers the top portion 11 to the open position to expose pull ring 38 . He then pulls on ring 38 to remove the membrane which initially closed the dispensing orifice. The consumer then dispenses the desired amount of product and is then able to reseal the package by moving the top portion to its closed position. In the closed position, the outer surface 36 of inner skirt 34 forms a seal with vertical wall 35 .
- the dispensing process is repeated until the contents of the package are exhausted. At that point the package is prepared for recycling.
- the consumer first removes the lid part 14 which may be colored and comprise a material having contaminant characteristics relative to the major recycling product stream.
- the lid part 14 may be removed by simply pulling up on either the top 11 or the tab 69 breaking frangible line(s) 80 extending from a point vicinal a lower edge of the lid skirt to about the hinge structure such that a pulling force applied to the top or tab will be transmitted to the line of weakness of the lid skirt to cause material separation thereof and enable removal of the top from the container. This removal is especially appropriate when the lid part 14 is attached to the base body part 16 through a snap fitting.
- the base body part 16 is robustly attached to the container itself, but need not be removed since it comprises material compatible with the recycling material stream. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment the base body part 16 is formed of natural material (no colorant) and therefore does not contribute a contaminating color to the recycling stream.
- a closure 100 for a container (not shown) having a container opening.
- the closure 100 includes a lower separable component closure piece 110 and an upper separable component closure piece 150 , which are secured to one another via an attachment means 105 .
- the lower component closure piece 110 includes a base body 112 having internal engaging structure 114 adapted for engaging retention with the container adjacent the container opening.
- the base body 112 has a base top portion 116 and a base skirt 118 depending from a peripheral edge 120 of the base top portion 116 .
- a removable membrane 122 is joined to a section 124 of the top portion 116 through a frangible line of weakness 126 .
- the membrane 122 seals an area of the base body 112 adjacent the container opening and defines an orifice 130 through which contents of the container may be dispensed when the membrane 122 is removed. Removal of the membrane 122 is achieved by providing a gripping structure 144 such as a pull-ring attached to the membrane 122 at a position vicinal the inner edge of the frangible line 126 .
- the base body 112 further has an annular top 132 extending upwardly from the base top portion 116 and enclosing the orifice 130 therethrough.
- the annular top 132 has a first attachment means 134 (which is part of the attachment means 105 ) positioned on an external surface 136 thereof.
- the first attachment means 134 may in some instances be defined as a screw thread 138 extending outwardly from the outer periphery of the annular top 132 .
- the thread 138 does not circumvent the entire annular top 132 , thus leaving a channel 140 defined between a pair of flanges 142 which start the thread 138 .
- the flanges 142 and channel 140 aid in the automatic machine securing of the lower separable component closure piece 110 to the upper separable component closure piece 150 .
- the upper component closure piece 150 is defined to include a lid body 152 having a top 154 attached to a lid skirt 156 through a hinge structure 158 allowing movement of the top 154 between closed and opened positions.
- the lid skirt 156 depends from an upper top portion 160 that extends inwardly to an inner skirt 162 that depends from an inside perimeter edge 164 .
- the inner skirt 162 is adapted to engage an internal surface 146 of the annular ring 136 when the upper component closure piece 150 is secured to the lower component closure piece 110 .
- the lid body 152 includes an inner top skirt 166 defining an inner surface that engages the inner skirt 162 when the top 154 is in the closed position.
- the lid body 152 further has a second attachment means, such as a screw thread, 170 positioned on an internal surface of the lid skirt 156 and adapted to engage the first attachment means 138 on the base body 112 such that when the first and second attachment means are engaged the lower and upper separable component closure pieces 110 and 150 are secured to one another.
- the lid body 152 further has the lid skirt 156 being formed with at least one line of weakness 172 extending from a point vicinal a lower edge of the lid skirt 156 to said hinge structure 158 such that a pulling force applied to the top 154 will be transmitted to the line of weakness 172 of the lid skirt to cause material separation thereof and enable removal of the top 154 from the container.
- the removable membrane 122 is removable without removal of the upper component closure piece 150 from engaging retention with the lower component closure piece 110 .
- the lid body 152 further comprises a tab 180 depending downward from the lid skirt 156 below the hinge structure 158 and extending a distance below the base skirt 118 . The distance below the base skirt is of the order 0.25 inches.
- the base body 112 or at least a portion of the base body is made from a material different from a material forming the lid body 152 or at least a portion of the lid body.
- the lid body 152 or at least a portion of the lid body has a different color than the base body 112 or at least a portion of the base body.
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation in part of U.S. Application Ser. Nos 11/929,160 and 11/929,009, both filed Oct. 30, 2007 and both pending, which are continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/610,217, filed Dec. 13, 2006 and pending, which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/854,925, filed May 26, 2004 and pending, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/473,847 filed May 27, 2003. The entire contents of the above identified applications are herein incorporated in their entirety by this reference.
- Over the past few decades removable membranes have become ubiquitous in packaging to achieve a combination of consumer convenience and protection of product integrity prior to use. These removable membranes serve as a primary seal prior to initial removal. Moreover, their removal on initial package opening serves as a tamper evidencing indication.
- The removable membrane closure systems are often accompanied by an additional closure which serves primarily as a dust cover prior to initial opening and as a reclosure cap after opening and the removable membrane is removed. In normal use, the additional closure is removed on initial opening to access the removable membrane. After removing the removable membrane to access the contents, the package is reclosed with the additional closure to create a multiple use package.
- One form of removable membrane comprises a foil that is heat sealed to the upper lip of a container after filling with contents. The foil membrane is removed, by simply pulling off wherein the heat sealed joint is ruptured. Another form of removable membrane comprises a monolithic plastic structure wherein a thin plastic membrane is joined to a primary closure body through a frangible score line. In this case the package is initially opened by tearing out the removable membrane along the frangible line.
- Prior art membrane closures have often employed multiple components to achieve the desired functional benefits. A first component is the foil itself or a membrane frangibly attached to structure suitable for attachment to the container. The second component is normally the above mentioned reclosure cap. Typical examples of such a prior art membrane closure systems are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,184 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/929,009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- In the case of heat sealed foil membranes, additional filling line complexity results from the necessity to heat seal the foil after filling the container. In addition, removal of the foil on initial opening often remains an inconvenience. The heat sealed foil most often has very little accessible surface to grab, and the strength of the heat sealed bond can vary and often be very strong. These factors often make it necessary to puncture the foil with a sharp instrument before manual removal. This can be messy and even hazardous.
- Plastic membranes are not so limited, since they are manufactured with pull tabs which facilitate initial membrane removal. However, the plastic membranes are supported and frangibly joined to additional structure suitable for engagement to the container. Should this attachment structure be readily disengaged without a tampering indication, the tamper evident aspect of the membrane removal could be circumvented. Thus the attachment is often designed to be at least semi-permanent so that the only access to the contents is to remove the membrane. However, semi-permanent or permanent attachment to the container can lead to mixed material recycling streams which complicates recycling efforts.
- Municipalities are becoming increasingly sensitive to mixed material contamination of recycling streams. Of particular interest is the presence of colored closures accompanying clear or natural plastic containers. Here the colorant in the closure may adversely affect the natural color of the recyclate. Of even more significance is the incompatibility which may result from mixing different materials. For example, small amounts of polyolefin closures may adversely affect the properties of PET container recycling streams. Therefore, municipalities are increasingly advising residents to completely remove and discard closures prior to discarding containers into recycle bins.
- One such effort to facilitate complete removal of the closure from the container is taught in PCT/US09/58029 filed Sep. 23, 2009 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/179,569, filed May 19, 2009. The entire contents of PCT/US09/58029 are herein incorporated in their entirety by this reference. In that application, a single piece closure was taught having a hinged top member monolithically attached to a base comprising a pull-out membrane. Upon package exhaustion, the entire closure may be removed by pulling on the top member to sever frangible lines extending from the top through the skirt portion of the base.
- While effectively addressing the recycling issue, the single piece, monolithically formed closure of PCT/US09/58029 anticipates both the frangible membrane structure and the hinge structure to be formed from the same material, normally low density polyethylene, to achieve facile tearing of the frangible lines. Unfortunately, low density polyethylene is inadequate in forming the best, robust snap hinges favored by consumers.
- A further problem that must be addressed with the single piece design is that when pulling on the lid to sever the tear lines extending through the base skirt, an upward force is preferentially directed at a defined, fractional portion of the skirt's circumference. It has been found that in some cases this localized force is sufficient to overcome the gripping force of the tamper evident structure retaining the closure to the container. This raises concerns about the tamper evidencing of the package design and forces increased structure to resist the localized force.
- Thus there remains a need for continued improvements in the technology of producing a closure offering the convenience of a removable plastic membrane removal yet not contributing to recycling problems associated with mixed material.
- The instant invention solves the stated problems associated with prior art removable membrane closure systems by offering a structure wherein the membrane can be initially removed without removal of the main body of the closure from the container.
- A further object of the invention is to permit facile removal of a portion of the closure structure from the container after exhausting its contents such that the container recycling stream is not negatively impacted by mixed or colored materials.
- A further object of the invention is to teach a closure design which combines the convenience of a hinged top closure with the convenience of an initial plastic pull-out membrane seal.
- Other objects of the invention will become clear in light of the following specification and drawing embodiments.
- In an embodiment of the invention, the two piece arrangement allows a hinge structure to be made of polypropylene, the preferred material to make a strong, robust living hinge, and at the same time allows making a frangible tear out membrane from polyethylene, the preferred material for a tearable membrane.
- In an embodiment, the two piece arrangement requires no tear lines depending downward from the hinge. From a recycling standpoint, the colored, hinged overcap is easily removed after use and discarded. The natural polyethylene base can stay with the bottle as it is compatible in color and material with the container recycling stream. Bottles are generally made of clear material, and often from polyethylene or other clear olefin. With a PET container recyclate, the small amount of clear polyethylene may not be a serious contaminant to the recycling stream. To remove the upper polypropylene cover, one just pulls up on the lid and the top “snaps off”. The top is not vigorously attached to the base so this removal is easy.
- In an embodiment, the base of the two-piece closure can be made very robust to vigorously grip the bottle, since it does not have to be removed. Indeed, the two piece embodiment may even be “permanently” attached such as with an adhesive.
- Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.
- A fuller understanding of the foregoing may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a two-piece component dispensing closure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; -
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing closure ofFIG. 1 shown assembled with a top lid in the opened position; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dispensing closure ofFIG. 1 shown assembled with the top lid in the closed position; -
FIG. 4 is a side view of the dispensing closure ofFIG. 1 shown assembled; -
FIG. 5 is a back view of the dispensing closure ofFIG. 1 shown assembled; and -
FIG. 6 is a side view of the dispensing closure ofFIG. 1 shown assembled with the top lid in the opened position; -
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the of the dispensing closure ofFIG. 1 shown with the top lid in the opened position; -
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a two-piece component dispensing closure in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and -
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the dispensing closure ofFIG. 8 shown assembled with a top lid in the opened position. - While the invention is susceptible to embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein, in detail, the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the invention and/or claims of the embodiments illustrated.
- Description of Closure Structure
- The various features of the instant invention will now be described in conjunction with the embodiments depicted in
FIGS. 1 through 7 . - Referring now to
FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown a closure of the invention generally indicated bynumeral 10.Closure 10 comprises atop lid part 14 and a separatebase body part 16.Lid part 14 is attached to basepart 16 using suitable attachment means, such as snapfitting threads 70/72 orscrew threads 138/170 well known in the art. -
Lid part 14 comprises a top 11 interconnected to anannular skirt portion 12 through ahinge structure 18, the top being moveable through open and closed positions via the hinge structure.Hinges 18 are best seen inFIG. 5 . In theFIG. 5 embodiment, the hinges depicted can be described by the well known characterization of “butterfly” hinges. Other forms of hinge structure may be appropriate for the invention, The hinge structure need not be integrally formed. For example, the top 11 and theannular skirt portion 12 may be separately molded pieces joined via a “ball and socket” type hinge structure. Hinge structure joining a top moveable relative to stationary skirt is well established in the closure art. As shown inFIG. 1 , thesnap fitting thread 72 on the base part is an annular thread which does not circumvent the entire side periphery of annular top 40, thus leaving achannel 76 defined between a pair offlanges 78 forming the boundary of theannular thread 70. Thechannel 76 is further defined to accommodate for the internal portion of thehinge structure 18, especially when thehinge structure 18 is bending or flexing during movement and internal clearance is needed. -
FIGS. 2 , 6 and 7 depict the top 11 in the “open” position. The moveable top 11 comprises a disk-like portion 13 having aninside surface 42. An outer skirt 30 depends fromsurface 42. Outer skirt 30 is dimensioned to cover part ofskirt portion 12 when the top is in its closed position. A pattern of ribs or knurls projects from the outside surface of outer skirt 30 to facilitate a consumer's grip on the top 11. In addition, aninner skirt 34 having anouter surface 36 depends fromsurface 42. -
Annular skirt portion 12 oflid part 14 has an upper peripheral edge 15 from which a generally flat annular ring 19 extends radially inward. The inner circumference of annular ring 19 defines an orifice through which contents may be dispensed when the closure is in use. A substantially vertical wall 35 depends downward from the inner circumference of annular ring 19. As will be explained below, wall 35 is molded seamlessly and forms a sealing surface mating withsurface 36 ofskirt 34 when moveable top 11 is in its closed position. In order to assist dispensing of liquid contents, a pourlip 31 extends upward from the inner circumference of annular ring 19. Pourlip 31 has a generally arcuate form when viewed from above the closure and extends approximately 180 degrees around the inner circumference of annular ring 19. As seen inFIGS. 2 , 6 and 7 pourlip 31 has atop surface 32 which reaches a maximum height above annular ring 19 at a point approximately 180 degrees from the back of the closure base. The function of the pourlip 31 is to avoid dribble of liquid contents down the side of the closure or onto the container when fluid is dispensed, especially from a freshly opened, full container. Thetop surface 32 of pourlip 31 is tapered downward/inward as shown and merges with vertical wall 35. - Continued reference to the figures shows a
tab 69 depending from and extending downward from the lower edge ofannular skirt 12.Tab 69 extends downward to a position below the lower edge ofbase body 16.Tab 69 is not attached to thebase body 16.Tab 69 extends below the lower edge of base body 16 a distance sufficient to allow the extending portion to function as a closure orienting structure as explained further below. Typically, the extension of the tab below the lower edge ofbody 16 is from 0.1 inch to 1.0 inch and of the order 0.25 inch (i.e. 0.1 inch, 0.25 inch, 0.5 inch, 1.0 inch). - The structural aspects of the
base body portion 16 are illustrated inFIGS. 1 , 2 and 7. The base body portion comprises askirt portion 22 depending from anannular top 40. The annular top 40 extends radially inward, terminating at an innertop perimeter 42 and extending downwardly defining an inner wall 45 and orifice 44 there-between. When the lid part is secured onto the base body, the inner wall 45 engages wall 35 of the lid part. Prior to initial opening, the orifice 44 is closed by amembrane 46 connected to the inner top perimeter through a frangible line of weakness 48. Further, a pull ring 38 (or other alternative gripping structure such as a pull tab) is attached to themembrane 46. Force applied to the pull ring causes the line of weakness to rupture, allowing removal of the membrane to dispense the contents of the package. It is noted that in the embodiments ofFIGS. 1 through 7 , the effective diameter associated with the frangible line is less than that of vertical wall 35. This arrangement permits facile removal of the membrane without need to removetop lid part 14. - The
base body 16 also comprises suitable container engaging structure (not shown) positioned on the interior ofskirt 22 to achieve attachment of the closure to complimentary structure on the exterior of a container neck Container engaging structures are taught in the parent applications incorporated by reference. Alternatively, well known structure such as screw threads or adhesives may be employed to achieve attachment in certain applications. It is noted that in preferred embodiments the base body member need not ever be removed from the container by the consumer. Thus, the attachment may be very robust and characterized as “permanent” (i.e. difficult to separate without extra-ordinary effort). Thus, a “permanent” attachment is one designed to prevent component separation during normal use of the product. - Closure Manufacture
- The
closure 10 is normally manufactured as two parts. A first part is thelid part 14. This part may be manufactured using well established injection molding. One may use polypropylene which is often the most suitable material for producing parts incorporating the living hinge structures envisioned. - A second part is the
base body 16. This part may be formed using techniques such as injection or compression molding. A preferred material for forming thebase body 16 is polyethylene, since this material has mechanical properties eminently suitable for creating a tear out membrane having a frangible tear line. Thebase body 16 may preferably be formed from “natural” material (i.e. no colorant) since it is envisioned that its removal would be unnecessary for proper recycling. - The final closure is created by combining the two separate pieces together. This joining may be achieved in a number of ways. One preferred method is to incorporate complimentary structure on each part to allow a snap combination.
- Closure Application to Container
- Containers may incorporate a structural feature which allows them to be oriented relative to a stream of closures. Such features include handles, exterior geometries or “spotting” indentations positioned on the bottom of the container. In the case of the instant invention, the
tab 69 also may serve as an orientation feature for the closure relative to the bottle. This is accomplished by having the portion oftab 69 extending below the lower edge ofskirt 22 ofbase body part 16 be positioned in a slot extending in the length dimension of a closure feed chute. As the oriented container passes by the closure feed chute, the container and closure are both oriented relative to each other. In a preferred application method, a simple snap-on application of the closure to the bottle maintains this desired relative orientation. It is noted however that other application approaches, such as screw on application, may be employed using other suitable orientation techniques. In this way the moveable top 11 and pourlip 31 have a desirable orientation relative to a container feature such as a handle. - Consumer Use
- In use, the filled container with
closure 10 applied is distributed and used as follows. Upon purchase, the integrity of the package is ensured by the presence of the tear out membrane and the fact that thebase body part 16 can be robustly attached to the container in that it does not have to ever be removed. These aspects provide excellent tamper evidencing. When the consumer first opens the package, he maneuvers the top portion 11 to the open position to exposepull ring 38. He then pulls onring 38 to remove the membrane which initially closed the dispensing orifice. The consumer then dispenses the desired amount of product and is then able to reseal the package by moving the top portion to its closed position. In the closed position, theouter surface 36 ofinner skirt 34 forms a seal with vertical wall 35. - The dispensing process is repeated until the contents of the package are exhausted. At that point the package is prepared for recycling. The consumer first removes the
lid part 14 which may be colored and comprise a material having contaminant characteristics relative to the major recycling product stream. In a preferred embodiment, thelid part 14 may be removed by simply pulling up on either the top 11 or thetab 69 breaking frangible line(s) 80 extending from a point vicinal a lower edge of the lid skirt to about the hinge structure such that a pulling force applied to the top or tab will be transmitted to the line of weakness of the lid skirt to cause material separation thereof and enable removal of the top from the container. This removal is especially appropriate when thelid part 14 is attached to thebase body part 16 through a snap fitting. Thebase body part 16 is robustly attached to the container itself, but need not be removed since it comprises material compatible with the recycling material stream. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment thebase body part 16 is formed of natural material (no colorant) and therefore does not contribute a contaminating color to the recycling stream. - Referring now to
FIGS. 8 and 9 , in one embodiment of the invention there is provided aclosure 100 for a container (not shown) having a container opening. Theclosure 100 includes a lower separablecomponent closure piece 110 and an upper separablecomponent closure piece 150, which are secured to one another via an attachment means 105. - The lower
component closure piece 110 includes abase body 112 having internalengaging structure 114 adapted for engaging retention with the container adjacent the container opening. Thebase body 112 has a basetop portion 116 and abase skirt 118 depending from aperipheral edge 120 of the basetop portion 116. Aremovable membrane 122 is joined to asection 124 of thetop portion 116 through a frangible line ofweakness 126. Themembrane 122 seals an area of thebase body 112 adjacent the container opening and defines anorifice 130 through which contents of the container may be dispensed when themembrane 122 is removed. Removal of themembrane 122 is achieved by providing agripping structure 144 such as a pull-ring attached to themembrane 122 at a position vicinal the inner edge of thefrangible line 126. - The
base body 112 further has an annular top 132 extending upwardly from the basetop portion 116 and enclosing theorifice 130 therethrough. Theannular top 132 has a first attachment means 134 (which is part of the attachment means 105) positioned on anexternal surface 136 thereof. The first attachment means 134 may in some instances be defined as ascrew thread 138 extending outwardly from the outer periphery of theannular top 132. Thethread 138 does not circumvent the entire annular top 132, thus leaving achannel 140 defined between a pair offlanges 142 which start thethread 138. Theflanges 142 andchannel 140 aid in the automatic machine securing of the lower separablecomponent closure piece 110 to the upper separablecomponent closure piece 150. - The upper
component closure piece 150 is defined to include alid body 152 having a top 154 attached to alid skirt 156 through ahinge structure 158 allowing movement of the top 154 between closed and opened positions. Thelid skirt 156 depends from an upper top portion 160 that extends inwardly to aninner skirt 162 that depends from an inside perimeter edge 164. Theinner skirt 162 is adapted to engage aninternal surface 146 of theannular ring 136 when the uppercomponent closure piece 150 is secured to the lowercomponent closure piece 110. - The
lid body 152 includes an inner top skirt 166 defining an inner surface that engages theinner skirt 162 when the top 154 is in the closed position. Thelid body 152 further has a second attachment means, such as a screw thread, 170 positioned on an internal surface of thelid skirt 156 and adapted to engage the first attachment means 138 on thebase body 112 such that when the first and second attachment means are engaged the lower and upper separablecomponent closure pieces lid body 152 further has thelid skirt 156 being formed with at least one line ofweakness 172 extending from a point vicinal a lower edge of thelid skirt 156 to saidhinge structure 158 such that a pulling force applied to the top 154 will be transmitted to the line ofweakness 172 of the lid skirt to cause material separation thereof and enable removal of the top 154 from the container. - In other aspects of the embodiment, the
removable membrane 122 is removable without removal of the uppercomponent closure piece 150 from engaging retention with the lowercomponent closure piece 110. In yet other aspects, thelid body 152 further comprises atab 180 depending downward from thelid skirt 156 below thehinge structure 158 and extending a distance below thebase skirt 118. The distance below the base skirt is of the order 0.25 inches. In other aspects of the embodiment, thebase body 112 or at least a portion of the base body is made from a material different from a material forming thelid body 152 or at least a portion of the lid body. And yet in other aspects of the embodiment, thelid body 152 or at least a portion of the lid body has a different color than thebase body 112 or at least a portion of the base body. - From the foregoing and as mentioned above, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concept of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific methods and apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
Claims (17)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/704,650 US20100140268A1 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2010-02-12 | Dispensing closure with removable membrane |
PCT/US2011/024293 WO2011100394A1 (en) | 2010-02-12 | 2011-02-10 | Dispensing closure with removable membrane |
Applications Claiming Priority (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US47384703P | 2003-05-27 | 2003-05-27 | |
US10/854,925 US20050092750A1 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2004-05-26 | Method of joining separable components and container closure system formed by the same |
US11/610,217 US20070095835A1 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2006-12-13 | Design and manufacture of removable membrane sealing components for consumer packaging |
US11/929,009 US20080272084A1 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2007-10-30 | Design and manufacture of removable membrane sealing components for consumer packaging |
US11/929,160 US7832579B2 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2007-10-30 | Manufacture of removable manufacture sealing components for consumer packaging |
US12/704,650 US20100140268A1 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2010-02-12 | Dispensing closure with removable membrane |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/929,160 Continuation-In-Part US7832579B2 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2007-10-30 | Manufacture of removable manufacture sealing components for consumer packaging |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20100140268A1 true US20100140268A1 (en) | 2010-06-10 |
Family
ID=44368114
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/704,650 Abandoned US20100140268A1 (en) | 2003-05-27 | 2010-02-12 | Dispensing closure with removable membrane |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20100140268A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2011100394A1 (en) |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
USD633386S1 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2011-03-01 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Closure |
USD634200S1 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2011-03-15 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Closure |
USD634199S1 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2011-03-15 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Closure |
US8231020B2 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2012-07-31 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Impact resistant closure |
US20150353242A1 (en) * | 2013-05-29 | 2015-12-10 | Aptargroup, Inc. | Closure With Lid and Removable Membrane |
JP2016049974A (en) * | 2014-08-28 | 2016-04-11 | 株式会社吉野工業所 | Hinge cap with film |
US10173816B2 (en) | 2014-07-22 | 2019-01-08 | Aptargroup, Inc. | Closure with a removable membrane having an improved separability configuration |
US11279529B2 (en) * | 2017-12-07 | 2022-03-22 | Betapack, S.A.U. | Stopper for bottles |
US20230055070A1 (en) * | 2021-08-19 | 2023-02-23 | Closure Systems International Inc. | One-piece closure |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4919285A (en) * | 1988-05-11 | 1990-04-24 | Thoroughbred Plastics Corp. | Tamper evident closure and method of manufacture of the same |
US5810207A (en) * | 1996-02-08 | 1998-09-22 | Mikasa Industry Co., Ltd. | Container and heat-resistant cap for use with same |
US6776314B2 (en) * | 2000-02-09 | 2004-08-17 | Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. | Closure device for container |
US6851586B2 (en) * | 2000-01-25 | 2005-02-08 | Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. | Closure device and container provided with same |
US7281636B2 (en) * | 2001-06-26 | 2007-10-16 | Portola Packaging, Inc. | Bottle cap having tear tab and sealing bead |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5456376A (en) * | 1990-08-09 | 1995-10-10 | Portola Packaging, Inc. | Snap-on, screw off cap and container neck |
WO2004106172A2 (en) * | 2003-05-27 | 2004-12-09 | Portola Packaging, Inc. | Method of joining separable components and container closure system formed by the same |
FR2891259B1 (en) * | 2005-09-23 | 2010-04-09 | Airsec | MONOBLOC CONTAINER WITH HINGED COVER / COVER |
-
2010
- 2010-02-12 US US12/704,650 patent/US20100140268A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2011
- 2011-02-10 WO PCT/US2011/024293 patent/WO2011100394A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4919285A (en) * | 1988-05-11 | 1990-04-24 | Thoroughbred Plastics Corp. | Tamper evident closure and method of manufacture of the same |
US4919285B1 (en) * | 1988-05-11 | 1991-08-27 | Thoroughbred Plastics Corp | |
US5810207A (en) * | 1996-02-08 | 1998-09-22 | Mikasa Industry Co., Ltd. | Container and heat-resistant cap for use with same |
US6851586B2 (en) * | 2000-01-25 | 2005-02-08 | Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. | Closure device and container provided with same |
US6776314B2 (en) * | 2000-02-09 | 2004-08-17 | Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. | Closure device for container |
US7281636B2 (en) * | 2001-06-26 | 2007-10-16 | Portola Packaging, Inc. | Bottle cap having tear tab and sealing bead |
Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
USD633386S1 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2011-03-01 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Closure |
USD634200S1 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2011-03-15 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Closure |
USD634199S1 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2011-03-15 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Closure |
US8231020B2 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2012-07-31 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Impact resistant closure |
US8672158B2 (en) | 2010-05-27 | 2014-03-18 | Silgan White Cap LLC | Impact resistant closure |
US20150353242A1 (en) * | 2013-05-29 | 2015-12-10 | Aptargroup, Inc. | Closure With Lid and Removable Membrane |
US10124936B2 (en) * | 2013-05-29 | 2018-11-13 | Aptargroup, Inc. | Closure with lid and removable membrane |
US10173816B2 (en) | 2014-07-22 | 2019-01-08 | Aptargroup, Inc. | Closure with a removable membrane having an improved separability configuration |
JP2016049974A (en) * | 2014-08-28 | 2016-04-11 | 株式会社吉野工業所 | Hinge cap with film |
US11279529B2 (en) * | 2017-12-07 | 2022-03-22 | Betapack, S.A.U. | Stopper for bottles |
US20230055070A1 (en) * | 2021-08-19 | 2023-02-23 | Closure Systems International Inc. | One-piece closure |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2011100394A1 (en) | 2011-08-18 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US20100140268A1 (en) | Dispensing closure with removable membrane | |
US5755360A (en) | Multi-material, multi-shot, injection molded dispensing closure having a removable seal | |
AU2003291786B2 (en) | Tamper evident closure assemblies | |
US5133486A (en) | Tamper evident pull ring pour spout | |
EP1966059B1 (en) | Drinking fitment | |
EP0086221A1 (en) | Tamper indicating closure cap | |
US7810681B2 (en) | Internal container bore mount fitment | |
US7413097B1 (en) | Tamper-evident closure and method of making same | |
US5855288A (en) | Resealable closure | |
US4196819A (en) | Reducer-carrying cap | |
GB2127387A (en) | Tamper indicating dispenser | |
CA3111606A1 (en) | Tethered plastic stopper | |
EP1332977A1 (en) | Dispensing closure and package incorporating same | |
US11377271B2 (en) | Plastic closure part with severable membrane | |
WO2010134931A1 (en) | Dispensing closure with removable membrane | |
WO2001008992A1 (en) | Reclosable pourer for a container | |
JPH09124065A (en) | Easy-to-separately-disposable container-lid made of synthetic resin | |
WO2023014627A1 (en) | Dispensing closure | |
JP3940020B2 (en) | Separable sealing lid with tamper-evident prevention function | |
WO2015154964A1 (en) | Cap with a disposable cover | |
GB2094274A (en) | Tamper-indicating inner closure cap and method for its production | |
WO2023180215A1 (en) | Closures for a flowable product | |
WO2023107613A1 (en) | Container, closure, and methods of manufacture and use | |
NZ555687A (en) | Tamper evident closure assemblies | |
JPH09226815A (en) | Mouth closing body with tamperproof seal |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: PORTOLA PACKAGING, INC.,ILLINOIS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LOHRMAN, RICHARD D.;REEL/FRAME:023929/0987 Effective date: 20100126 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS US AGENT Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:PORTOLA PACKAGING, INC.;REEL/FRAME:024933/0037 Effective date: 20100902 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: PORTOLA PACKAGING, INC., ILLINOIS Free format text: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS U.S. AGENT AND CANADIAN AGENT;REEL/FRAME:031510/0065 Effective date: 20131022 |