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
  • B65D50/00—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures
  • B65D50/02—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions
  • B65D50/06—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of different actions in succession
  • B65D50/061—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of different actions in succession being disengageable from container only after rotational alignment of closure, or other means inhibiting removal of closure, with container, e.g. tortuous path type
• • 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
  • B65D50/00—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures
  • B65D50/02—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions
  • B65D50/04—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of simultaneous actions, e.g. depressing and turning, lifting and turning, maintaining a part and turning another one
  • B65D50/045—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of simultaneous actions, e.g. depressing and turning, lifting and turning, maintaining a part and turning another one where one action elastically deforms or deflects at least part of the closure, the container or an intermediate element, e.g. a ring

Definitions

• This invention relates to a hinged dispensing closure having a hinged reclosable lid which may be swung open to reveal a dispensing orifice for the closure.
• a particular object of the invention is to provide child- resistance for such a closure.
• a dispensing closure for a container which has a body portion and a lid portion hingedly connected to the body portion for relative swinging movement between an open and a closed position, the body portion having a closure part to overlie the container mouth and a tubular part dependant from the closure part and internally formed with container engaging means engageable with complementary closure engaging means on the container to attach the closure to the container, there being a dispensing orifice defined by the closure part and sealing means on the lid portion arranged to seal the dispensing orifice when the lid portion is in its closed position, characterised in t at:-
• either the lid portion or the body portion has two relatively rotatable parts a first of which is hingedly attached to the body portion or the lid portion respectively; and (b) the lid portion and the body portion have complementary formations capable of forming an operating catch by which the lid portion may be held in its closed position, the formations being mutually disengageable by movement of the said parts of the lid portion or the body portion from a predetermined relative angular position.
• the container engaging means is arranged for snap-engagement with the closure engaging means so as to hold the closure captive on the container but able to rotate freely thereon. It is further preferred for the said relatively rotatable parts to be parts of the lid portion.
• the closure includes spring means arranged to bias the two relatively rotatable parts resiliently towards their predetermined relative angular position, the catch formations being mutually engageable by snap-engagement.
• spring means arranged to bias the two relatively rotatable parts resiliently towards their predetermined relative angular position, the catch formations being mutually engageable by snap-engagement.
• Fig.2 is an exploded view of the first closure in central vertical section and when closed;
• Fig.3 shows the upper moulding of the first closure in underplan view
• Fig. shows the lid portion of the first closure in underplan view and when the closure is closed
• Fig.5 similarly shows the lid portion of the first closure during an opening operation
• Figs. ⁇ A, 6B and 6C show detail of the operating catch of the first closure, respectively in its engaged condition and during and after disengagement for opening the closure;
• Fig.7 is a view similar to Fig.l of the second closure
• Fig.8 shows the upper moulding of the second closure in central vertical section
• Fig.9 shows the upper moulding of the second closure in underplan view
• Fig.10 is an enlarged view of the second closure as seen from above on Section X, XI of Fig.7, when closed; Fig.11 similarly shows the second closure during opening;
• Figs. 12A and 12B are scrap views from Fig.8, showing the relationship of the auxiliary lugs and the upper moulding during stages of the opening procedure;
• Fig.13 is an enlarged scrap view from Fig. , showing the condition of the operating catch during a stage of the opening procedure;
• Fig.14 is a view similar to Figs.1 and 7, showing the third closure when closed;
• Fig.15 similarly shows the third closure when open;
• Fig.16 shows the third closure as seen in upper plan view and when open
• Fig.17 is a view similar to Figs. 1, 7 and 14 of the fourth closure;
• Fig.18 is a view of the fourth closure as seen in side elevation and when in its closed and relaxed condition;
• Fig.19 similarly shows the fourth closure when able to be opened for dispensing product.
• a dispensing closure 10 for a liquid product such as a liquid soap is designed to fit onto a bottle neck (not shown) .
• the closure has a body portion 14 for fitting to the container, and a lid portion 16 which is integrally attached to the body portion by an integral hinge 18.
• the closure 10 may include tamper evident features such as pin 17 which breaks when the closure is first opened. This is shown only in Figure 1 and is not discussed further herein.
• the closure 10 is formed of two mouldings of a suitable plastics material which are assembled together.
• a first of the mouldings is denoted by the reference numeral 20 and provides the body portion 14 and an inner part 20A of the lid portion 16, whereas the second moulding 22 provides the remainder of the lid portion, that is to say, its outer part.
• the hinge 18 allows the lid portion freedom to swing through approximately 180° from the closed position shown to the open position which is indicated in part in Fig.l by the broken line 16S, but it allows substantially no freedom for the body and lid portions to rotate in relation to one another in the horizontal plane (i.e. about the closure axis XX) .
• the moulding 22 is rotatable through a limited angle about the closure axis XX in relation to the moulding 20, in particular its lid part 20A.
• the first moulding 20 provides a tubular skirt 24 open at its bottom end (as shown) for receiving the container neck.
• the top end of the skirt is closed by a generally transverse closure panel 26, except at a dispensing orifice 28 which is centred on the closure axis XX and defined by a short downwardly extending chimney 30 of the closure panel.
• the chimney is formed on a central part (not referenced) of the closure panel which is raised at a generally cylindrical step 32 above a surrounding annular platform 33 which forms the closure panel periphery.
• the closure 10 is captive and freely rotatable on the container neck, and for that purpose its skirt 24 is formed with an inwardly projecting continuous bead 34 which can be snap-engaged beneath a complimentary formation (not shown) on the container neck.
• Inwardly projecting ribs 15 are provided as a strengthening feature and to guide the closure onto the container neck.
• a flexible tubular spigot 35 carried by the closure panel 26 concentrically within the skirt then makes a liquid- tight seal with the container neck bore.
• the arrangement of the lid portion 16 is apparent from Figs. 2, 3 and 4.
• the inner part 20A of the lid portion is in the form of an inverted cup having a plane "base" 36 and a short peripheral wall 38 extending to a free edge 39.
• the edge 39 rests on the annular platform 33 of the body portion 14, and a boss 40 on the underside of the base 36 makes sealing engagement in the chimney 30 of the body portion to prevent escape of the container contents.
• the moulding 22 surrounds an upper portion
• Fig.3 shows the moulding 22 as seen from below
• Figs. 4 and 5 show the whole of the assembled lid portion 16 as seen from below and as if severed at the hinge 18. From those figures in conjunction with Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that a pair of aligned and spaced lugs 58 are formed on the underside of the moulding base 41 on either side of the common diameter DD of the hinge 18 and the finger recess 56. A further and longer lug 60 also extends downwardly from the base 41 on this diameter, as shown. In the assembled and closed closure the free edge of the lug 60 lies just above the platform 33 and the lug is free to flex outwardly for a short distance.
• the base 36 of the lid part 20A is formed with an aperture 62 which allows access for the lugs 58 to engage a tongue 64 which projects inwardly from the side wall 38 along the diameter DD - see Figs. 2 and 4.
• the tongue is flexible and resilient, and tapers both horizontally and vertically towards its free end. As shown in Fig. 4, it is located between the lugs 58 when the moulding 22 is snap-engaged onto the lid part 20A in the assembly of the closure.
• a further aperture 66 is formed in the base 36 and extends down the height of the side wall 38 adjacent. This aperture allows access for the lug 60 to extend downwardly through the lid part 20A to terminate at a position which, when the lid portion 16 is closed, is located adjacent the step 32 in the closure panel 26 of the body portion 14 - see Fig.l. At that position the closure panel is formed with a horizontally projecting snap bead 68 which is capable of snap-engagement in a recess 70 formed in the lug 60. When the lid portion 16 is closed and the moulding 22 is in the rotational position shown in Fig.4, this snap-engagement prevents the lid portion from being swung to its open position 16S.
• the assembly and operation of the closure is as follows.
• the mouldings 20, 22 are separately formed in conventional manner by injection-moulding.
• the moulding 20 is moulded in its "open" position, that is to say, with the lid part 20A in the position 16S depicted in Fig.l.
• the lid part 20A is swung to its closed position, and the moulding 22 is assembled with the moulding 20 by simple downward movement. This movement locates the lugs 58 on either side of the tongue 64, and snap-engages the lug 60 with the bead 68 to hold the lid portion in its closed and sealing position.
• the closure After fitting, the closure is freely rotatable on the container. Moreover, it is held in its closed position by snap-engagement of the bead 68 with the lug 60 which together form an operating catch for the closure.
• the user In order to open the closure for dispensing product it is necessary for the user to first rotate the upper moulding 22 in relation to the lower moulding 20.
• the lug 60 In the closure as assembled the lug 60 lies closely adjacent one side edge 72 of the aperture 66 in the lid part 20A. Any substantial rotational movement of the upper moulding 22 on the lower moulding in a clockwise direction (as seen from above in relation to Figs. 1, 2) is therefore not possible.
• the aperture 66 allows a limited rotational movement of the upper moulding in an anticlockwise direction, until the lug 60 comes into engagement with the opposite side edge 74 of the aperture to prevent further movement.
• the tongue 64 is deformed by the lugs 58 sideways and in a resilient manner as shown in Fig.5, and the tab 60 becomes disengaged from the bead 68 through the successive stages shown in Figs. 6A, 6B and 6C.
• the lid portion 16 is free to open for dispensing product and may be swung open on hinge 18 for that purpose. Release of the rotational pressure on the mouldings by the user then allows the tongue 64 to return them resiliently to the relative position shown in Fig.4, so that the snap-engagement of the bead 68 in the recess 70 is automatically reestablished when, later, the lid portion is swung back to its closed position.
• the closure presents a relatively unbroken exterior surface and is able to rotate freely on a container to which it is fitted. Moreover, for successful opening it is required for the user to grasp both the mouldings 20, 22, rotate them to the required relative position against the resilience of the tongue 64, and, whilst maintaining the mouldings in their displaced position, swing the lid portion to its open position 16'.
• the hinge 18 is a snap hinge arranged to bias the closure bistably to its closed and open conditions. This further increases the difficulty for a child to open the closure.
• the second closure embodying the invention is shown in Figs.7 to 13, and can be considered as a modification of the closure described above with no resilient return but requiring a more complicated manipulative procedure to open it. Because of the substantial degree of similarity between the two closures, the same reference numerals are used as before wherever appropriate.
• the second closure is generally shown in Fig.7 in a view corresponding to Fig.l, and likewise has a body portion 14 and lid portion 16 attached by an integral hinge 18, the lid portion being formed of an inner part 20A, and an outer part which is snap-engaged onto the inner part and rotatable on it through a small angle.
• the inner part 20A is part of a first plastics moulding 20, being integrally joined to the body portion 14 by the hinge 18, and the outer part is a second plastics moulding 22 formed separately from the first moulding.
• the second closure lacks the lugs 58 and tongue 64 of the first closure, and instead has two secondary lugs 80 (Figs.8, 9) which are diametrically opposed one on each side of a diameter EE (Fig.9) orthogonal to the diameter DD.
• the lugs 80 are formed with inwardly facing and generally rectangular recesses 82.
• the height of the recesses 82 is greater than the height of the beads 84, and the beads are arranged to enter the respective recesses adjacent the top edges of the latter as shown in Fig.l2A.
• the partial raising of the lid portion 16 has the effect of lifting the lug 60 above the level of the bead 68 as shown in Fig.13.
• the lid portion accordingly has to be subjected to forward and return rotational movements and an intermediate small raising movement before it can be opened. This is difficult or impossible for a child to achieve. After dispensing the lid portion is closed so as to reengage the bead 68 in its recess 70 in preparation for the next dispensing operation.
• a round bulge 90 which projects from the side wall 38 on the diameter DD and is capable of entering a complementary groove 92 formed down the side wall 42 when the moulding 22 is in its initial position.
• the bulge prevents looseness between the mouldings 20 and 22, and so prevents inadvertent rotation of the moulding 22.
• pairs of pimples 94 which are formed on the side wall 42 at a position to restrain the secondary lugs 80 against outward movement when engaged by the beads 84. The pimples accordingly prevent the beads from being disengaged from the secondary lugs if an attempt is made to force open the closure with the moulding 22 in its displaced position.
• the third closure shown in Figs.
• the operating catch is formed by a bead 68 on a nose 199 which projects from the generally conical closure panel 26 of the body portion 14, in cooperation with a recess 70 in a lug 60 which extends down from the rotatable upper moulding 22 of the lid portion 16.
• the lower moulding 20 of the closure provides the whole of the body portion and a part only (20A) of the lid portion.
• a snap-hinge 18 joins the lid and body portions integrally together and allows the lid portion as a whole to be swung freely between open and closed positions in relation to the body portion, whilst allowing little or no relative rotational movement between the lid and body portions transversely of the closure.
• the snap-hinge shown is as featured in our German patent No. P 3150493.0, to which the reader's attention is directed.
• the upper moulding 22 is formed with a continuous internal bead 44 at which it is snap-engaged over outwardly projecting nibs 200 which are spaced around the part 20A of the lower moulding 20. It may therefore rotate on the lower moulding through a restricted angle, this angle being determined by engagement of the lug 60 with the side edges 72, 74 of an aperture 66 in the part 20A through which the lug extends.
• Fig. 16 which is moulded integrally as part of the lid part 20A.
• the spring lies generally in the plane of the base 36 of the lid part 20A within an opening 203, being attached to the peripheral wall 38 of the lid part at its ends. It has two generally U-shaped resilient segments 204, 205 joined by a generally straight segment 206. An enlargement 207 within the straight segment provides a rotary bearing for a pin 208 which extends downwardly from the upper moulding 22.
• the dispensing orifice may therefore be offset in relation to the closure axis XX if desired, and transverse cross- sections other than circular, for example, generally square or oval, can be readily used for the closure.
• the fourth closure embodying the invention is again formed of two plastics mouldings assembled together, but in this closure the body portion 14' is formed by the first moulding 20' and a part 22A 1 of the second moulding 22' which is rotatable on the first moulding, whereas the lid portion 16' is provided in its entirety by the second moulding.
• the chimney 30' providing the dispensing orifice of the closure and the boss 40' which seals the dispensing orifice are provided by separate, relatively rotatable, mouldings, and they therefore are located on the central axis XX of the closure.
• the part 22A' of the second moulding 22' is in the form of a band which is snap- engaged over a continuous bead 95 on the first moulding 20', so as to be held captive but rotatable on the latter.
• the band is attached to the lid portion 16' by an integral hinge 18', which in this embodiment is a snap-hinge of conventional design.
• the peripheral wall 96 of the lid portion 16' is formed with a recess 97 having its base defined by an upwardly facing ledge 98.
• a short bead 99 formed on the body portion 14' can snap-engage with the recess 97 when the lid portion is closed and angularly centred as shown in Fig.18, so as to form an operating catch for the closure in a similar manner to the engagement of the bead 68 with the recess 70 in lug 60 in each of the first three closures described above.
• the bead 99 can be brought over a vertical gap 102 in the ledge 98, so allowing the lid portion to be swung to its open position for dispensing.
• Centring action for the second moulding in relation to the first, so as to allow the operating catch to be reestablished when the lid portion 14' is subsequently closed, is provided by a vertically extending resilient tongue 100 on the moulding 20' (See Figs.18 and 19) .
• This tongue is entered into a gap formed between opposed abutments 101 on the moulding 22' when the two mouldings are snap-engaged together to form the closure.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26309096

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1997
  • 1997-03-18 WO PCT/GB1997/000737 patent/WO1997037900A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-03-18 AU AU20341/97A patent/AU2034197A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-03-18 CA CA002248780A patent/CA2248780A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-03-18 AT AT97908358T patent/ATE187406T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-03-18 DE DE69700918T patent/DE69700918D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-03-18 EP EP97908358A patent/EP0894070B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-04-08 AR ARP970101389A patent/AR006563A1/es unknown
  • 1997-04-10 ID IDP971190A patent/ID18552A/id unknown
  • 1997-04-10 TW TW086104602A patent/TW364889B/zh active

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events