CN113329946A

CN113329946A - Plug closure device

Info

Publication number: CN113329946A
Application number: CN202080010074.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: G·拉里尔
Original assignee: Unilever IP Holdings BV
Current assignee: Unilever IP Holdings BV
Priority date: 2019-02-05
Filing date: 2020-01-07
Publication date: 2021-08-31
Also published as: CA3128058A1; EP3921245A1; US20220097929A1; BR112021013012A2; EP3921245B1; JP2022519279A; WO2020160858A1; MX2021009312A; ZA202104710B

Abstract

A closure (10) particularly useful in electronic commerce. The closure device includes a lid (16) and a lid base (12) releasably securable to the container, the lid base including an opening (24). The lid has a depending plug extending therefrom that is received within the opening of the lid base when the lid is in the closed position. The opening is formed in a cylindrical opening wall (88). One or more barbed flaps (82) extend outwardly from the depending plug at an end thereof remote from the lid when the lid is in its open position. When the lid is moved to its closed position, the depending plug is located within the wall of the cylindrical opening and the barb is urged upwardly against the wall of the plug and is received within the recess in the wall of the cylindrical opening. Within the recess, the barb flap abuts the upper wall of the recess, requiring additional force to open the lid, for example during shipping. When the consumer wishes to open the lid, he or she applies the additional force required to force the lid open, which causes the barb flap to assume its original position extending outwardly from the cylindrical plug.

Description

Plug closure device

Background

Product leakage during the transport of consumer products can be a costly problem. This problem is particularly acute in the field of electronic commerce, as individual bottles may be shipped directly to the consumer. It is somewhat easier to ensure that a large number of bottles are transported intact from the manufacturer to the distributor and/or retailer than to ensure that no product leakage occurs during the transportation of a single bottle to the consumer. Likewise, it is a problem for the consumer to transport the container after opening it, which can lead to leakage of the product.

One type of closure for consumer products (e.g., shampoos, body washes, skin creams, etc.) is a flip-top closure, which typically includes two parts, a base portion attached directly to the container, and a lid hingedly attached to the base and rotatable between an open position and a closed position. While it is important that the consumer can remove the lid from the base without having to use a great deal of effort, it is also important that the lid not open due to the forces typically encountered during shipping.

Various types of closure devices are described in the literature.

US2007/075030 to Delli veneri discloses a closure device having a hinged lid connected to a base. The closure includes a latching mechanism that includes a pin having a bead that is said to engage behind the edge of the dispensing opening in a barbed manner.

US2006/231518 to Suffa relates to a closure cap having a lower portion and an upper portion connected by a hinge. The stop is located on the underside of the closure cap. The stop may comprise an annular collar which interacts with a corresponding annular groove in the connector. Or it may comprise a longitudinal rib which in the closed position of the closure lid contacts the top side of the retaining part and acts as a retaining means.

A quick action hinged closure is disclosed in Kunz patent WO 03/086891. The sealing cylinder comprises a sealing bead 43.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to a closure particularly suitable for use in electronic commerce and to a closure for incorporation with a bottle or other container. In fact, the base of the closure device may be integral with the container.

The closure device includes a cap base releasably secured to the container, the cap base including an opening. The lid is movably attached to the lid base and, when in the closed position, the lid is adapted to prevent liquid from flowing out of the container through the opening of the lid base. Part of the base of the cap constitutes a barrier which, together with the cap, is adapted to prevent liquid from flowing out of the container.

The lid has a depending plug extending therefrom that is received within the opening of the lid base when the lid is in the closed position. The opening is formed in the cylindrical opening wall. One or more barbed flaps extend outwardly from the depending plug at the end thereof remote from the lid when the lid is in its open position. When the cover is moved to its closed position with the depending plug within the wall of the cylindrical opening, the barb is pushed upwardly against the wall of the plug and is received within the recess of the wall of the cylindrical opening. The barb flap abuts the upper wall of the recess, requiring additional force to open the lid, for example during shipping.

When the consumer wishes to open the lid, he or she applies the additional force required to force the lid open, which causes the barb flap to move away from its position abutting the upper inlet wall and eventually assume its initial position extending outwardly from the cylindrical plug.

When the lid is closed, the lid is further secured by a locking tab on the lid that snaps into and is received in a recess on the base of the lid.

The lid is preferably attached to the lid base using a living hinge. Likewise, the barb flap is preferably attached to the cylindrical wall of the plug using a living hinge.

For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle having a closure of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the closure of the present invention removed from a container with the lid in the open position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the hanging plug of the present invention shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the closure device.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view according to fig. 4, wherein adjacent structures in the depending plug and the closure base are enlarged.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dependent plug in a closed position with portions of the closure base cut away.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the closure of the present invention with the lid partially opened.

Detailed Description

Closure 10 includes a lid base 12 and a lid 16. The lid base 12 includes a top surface 14 and a cylindrical skirt 13 depending therefrom. The skirt 13 includes a semi-circular recess 40, the recess 40 being shaped to receive a locking flange on the lid, as will be explained below. Below recess 40 is a finger access recess 42 which allows the consumer to easily open lid 16.

The lid 16 is movable and is pivotably attached to the lid base 12 by a living hinge 18. Placing the lid 16 in the open position exposes the opening 24 in the top wall 60 of the lid base 12. It will be apparent that the top wall 60 will constitute a barrier to liquid flow from the package to which the closure 12 has been secured. The lid 16 includes a platform 22. The platform 22 includes a depending cylindrical plug 26. Depending from the platform 22 is a lid cylindrical side wall 28.

The plug 26 includes a cylindrical wall 80 depending from the underside of the cap 16. On the end of the wall 80 opposite the end to which the lid 16 is attached are two barb flaps 82. Although the invention is shown here with two barb flaps, one of ordinary skill in the art can readily determine if other numbers are preferred in a particular application, such as one, three, four, etc. The barbed flap 82 is connected to the cylindrical wall 80 by a thin plastic hinge 84 that allows the flap to move relative to the cylindrical wall 80. Preferably, the barbed flap 82 is disposed at an angle relative to the cylindrical wall when the lid is in the open position, for example, at about 45-90 degrees, especially 65-80 degrees, relative to the longitudinal axis of the plug for the right hand flap shown in FIG. 3.

The cylindrical wall 80 includes a longitudinal slit 86 that allows the diameter of the wall to be reduced as needed to fit closely within the opening 24 and the wall 88. The cylindrical plug 26 is surrounded by a sealing ring 100.

At the opposite end from the end attached to the living hinge 18, the lid side wall 28 includes a recessed locking flange 38. When the lid 16 is closed, the locking flange 38 snaps into and is received within the recess 40 to help lock the lid 16 closed.

The opening 24 in the base 14 is defined by a cylindrical wall 88. The cylindrical wall 88 includes a recess 90 at its end remote from the opening.

For example, the cap can be seen in an open position in fig. 2, and fig. 3 shows the cylindrical plug 26 in an open configuration of the cap. When the consumer wishes to close the package, he turns the lid closed by means of the hinge 18. As the cylindrical wall 80 approaches the opening 24, the barb flap 82 contacts the cylindrical wall 88 and bends toward the wall 80. When the lid 16 is fully closed, the barb flap 82 is received within the recess 90, preferably at an angle of 100 and 180 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the plug (as shown in FIG. 5), particularly 110 and 175 degrees, most preferably 120 and 170 degrees, within the recess 90.

The presence of the flap 82 within the recess 90 and abutting the upper wall 94 of the recess 90 increases the amount of force required to open the lid 16 during shipping of the package, or when the package is being shipped by a consumer, such as during travel, thereby minimizing the likelihood of inadvertent opening.

The consumer will receive the package 11 including the closure 10 and the bottle 74. To open the package, the consumer inserts his or her fingers into recess 42 and lifts upward to pull flange 38 out of recess 40 and open lid 16. The consumer applies the additional force required to overcome the resistance caused by the flap 82 abutting the upper wall 94, thereby rotating the flap 82 downwardly away from the lid platform 22, allowing the cylindrical wall 80 to move upwardly through the opening 24 when the lid 16 is opened. When the lid 16 has been opened and the plug 26 removed from the opening 24, the flap 82 will return to the angle shown in fig. 3 due to the elasticity of the hinge line 84.

Generally, the closure 10 of the present invention will be secured to a bottle 74 or other container, as is evident from FIG. 1. Fasteners (not shown) are typically located on the underside of the closure device and may include screw or snap-fit mechanisms, such as recesses, protrusions, and the like. The neck of the bottle may be provided with cooperating screws or other fastening structures.

During shipping with the closure secured on the bottle, the lid 16 and locking flange 38 are in their closed, locked position, as shown in FIG. 1. In its closed position, the locking flange 38 is received within the recess 40 and the cylindrical plug 26 is tightly and releasably lockably received within the opening 24. The diameter of the plug 26 may be slightly larger than the diameter of the opening 24 to provide a snap fit. The plug 26, together with the cap base 12, prevents liquid from flowing out of the bottle 74 or other container.

Shipping via e-commerce typically requires shipping the product in a single package, which may not be as secure as product pallets that manufacturers often use when shipping large quantities of product. The closure of the present invention provides an additional measure of protection against accidental opening of the lid due to the additional stresses to which the package is subjected during e-commerce transportation.

The adapter and living hinge are typically made of polypropylene or polyethylene. Post-consumer polypropylene (Post-consumer polypropylene) may also be included. The adapter and/or living hinge may also be made from the hinge material described in U.S. patent No.9,637,626 to Domoy et al, i.e., a molded article with a hinge that is a polymer comprising a blend of a first high density polyethylene resin (HDPE) and a second high density polyethylene resin different from the first high density polyethylene,

wherein, upon mixing: the first high density polyethylene resin (HDPE) has:

a. a melt index (I) of about 0.5dg/min to 10dg/min_2,16)，

b. About 0.940g/cm³To 0.968g/cm³A density of, and

c. a melt flow ratio (I) greater than about 25_21.6:I_2.16)；

And the number of the first and second electrodes,

melt flow ratio (I) of the second high-density polyethylene resin_21.6:I_2.16) Less than about 30. The disclosure of U.S. patent No.9,637,626 to Domoy et al is incorporated herein by reference. The closure is typically manufactured using injection molding.

It should be understood, of course, that the specific forms of the invention herein shown and described are merely representative, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A closure device (10) comprising:

(a) a lid (16) having

(b) A closure base (12) having an opening (24),

(c) the lid has a depending plug, characterised in that the depending plug has at least one flap (82) extending radially outwardly therefrom when the lid is in an open position, and the at least one flap (82) is deformable such that upon closure of the lid (16) the flap folds upwardly whereby the upwardly extending flap provides a barrier to the opening (24) of the lid.

2. The closure device according to claim 1, wherein the opening (24) is defined by a cylindrical wall (88).

3. A closure device according to claim 2, wherein the wall (88) comprises a recess (40) which accommodates the flap (82) or flaps when the lid (16) is closed.

4. A closure device according to claim 3, wherein the recess (40) comprises a top wall and one or more of the flaps abuts the top wall when the lid is closed.