GB2137600A - Improved closure - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing closure 1, for closing the mouth of a container for powder material such as talcum powder, comprises a body part 2 for engagement with the container and a top 10 with a plurality of holes through which powder may be dispensed in use, and a cap part arranged to open and close the holes in the body part as desired, the body part including an outer skirt 11 depending from the top 10 and having locking means 13, 14 on the inner surface thereof for retention on a first type of container (to the right in the Figure), and an inner plug 12 depending from the top 10, the inner plug having locking means 16 on the outer surface thereof for retention on a second type of container (to the left in the Figure). <IMAGE>

Description

Specification Improved closure This invention relates to the provision of an improved dispensing closure and to a container and closure assembly, now usually known under our Trade Mark JAYPUFFA.

At present powder material, such as talcum powder, is marketed either in tins or in plastics containers each of which require a different closure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a closure for containers of powder material which will fit both the tin container and the plastics container.

According to the present invention there is provided a dispensing closure, for closing the mouth of a container for powder material such as talcum powder, comprising a body part for engagement with the container and having a top with a plurality of holes through which powder may be dispensed in use, and a cap part arranged to open and close the holes in the body part as desired, the body part including an outer skirt depending from the top and having locking means on the inner surface thereof for retention on a first type of container, and an inner plug depending from the top the inner plug having locking means on the outer surface thereof for retention on a second type of container.

Preferably the cap part has a plurality of depending pegs for closing the holes in the body part and is hinged to the body part by a snap hinge as will be explained. By providing a closure which fits both metal plate containers hereinafter simply called tins and plastics containers the assembly is facilitated since production staff, who may be filling both types of container with different ranges of talcum or other powder, may use the same closure for the different containers.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a cross-section of the closure showing how the closure fits the shaped aperture or mouth of a tin container at one side and the shaped aperture or mouth of a plastics container at the other side.

In the drawing a closure 1 comprises a body 2 and a cap 3 hinged to the body by a snap hinge 4 i.e. one in which the hinge tends to hold the cap in either an open or a closed position: snap hinges per se are known for example from prior U.K. Patent Nos.

1212248,1230215 and 1215153 to which reference is directed for detailed particulars thereof. However, in brief, the snap hinge 4 consists of a web 5 connected to each of the body 2 and the cap 3 by respective weakened portions 6,7. The web 5 is flanked on each side (only one shown) by a further connection 8 between the body 2 and the cap 3 each having a central weakened portion 9. The weakened portions 6,7 and 9 define the axes of the hinge which are offset from one another and arranged so as to provide the snap action.

The body 2 of the closure 1 has a top 10, a depending outer skirt 11 and an inner depending plug 12. The outer skirt 11 receives the snap hinge 4 and has formed about its inner surface two axially spaced, annular beads 13 and 14. About the circumferential edge of the body 2 there is a rebate 15 which, when the cap is closed, provides a seating for the cap 3 so that the sides of the cap 3 are substantially flush with the rest of the depending skirt of the body 2.

The inner depending plug 12 is larger than the skirt 11 in axial extension and has an external, annular, lip 16 of wedge-shaped cross-section adjacent its free end as will be explained.

The top 10 of the body 2 is formed with a plurality of apertures 17 through which powder material may be dispensed and which are closed by a corresponding plurality of pegs 18 depending from the underside of the cap 3.

In use the closure 1 is designed to fit either a plastics talcum powder container 20 (to the right in the Figure) or, alternatively, a talcum tin 21 (to the left in the Figure). Thus, the upper part defining the mouth of the plastics talcum powder container 20 is received within an annulus 26 defined between the outer skirt 11 and the plug 12, and is retained in position by a wedge-shaped bead 22 within a rebate 23 on the upper part of the container engaging between the annular beads 13 and 14. Alternatively the upper part of the tin container, which has a spring curved portion 24, receives the inner plug 12 such that the wedge-shaped lip 16 locks within the mouth of the container as shown.

By making the inner plug 12 axial longer than the skirt 11, the skirt 11 will simply abut the shoulder of the container 21 when the plug 12 is the operative member defining the axial position of the closure.

When the talcum powder container is to be used the cap 3 is simply released by means of a thumb tab 25 and then, at about half open, the snap hinge will snap the cap to a fully open position. Powder may then be dispensed through apertures 17. On closing the cap 3 the pegs 18 pass right into and through the apertures 17 so that the apertures do not become blocked or clogged with powder.

Although the invention is disclosed with particular reference to a cap secured to the body by a snap hinge, this is only the preferred form of the invention and, if desired, conventional powder closure features may be retained e.g. by the cap simply being hinged to the body and joined by a strap member.

We have therefore provided a closure for talcum powder containers designed to fit both a tin container and a plastics container by providing an outer skirt which will engage with the exterior neck profile of the plastics container, and an inner plug, of greater axial extension than the skirt, which will engage with the shaped aperture of the tin container. The method of fitting can be reversed of course with the outer skirt 11 engaging with a tin plate container or the inner plug 12 engaging with the bore of the plastics container. The closure has the usual apertures for powder sprinkling purposes and these apertures may be closed by corresponding pegs on a cap secured to the body of the closure by a snap hinge.

When the closure is in the closed position the pegs 18 are disposed fully within the holes 17 to such-an extent that the pegs 18 project below the extremity of the material of the body 2 defining the holes and the container is therefore effectively sealed. To hold the cap part positively in its closed position we may make the peg 18 adjacent to the thumb tab 25 into a retaining peg by making it an excessive interference fit in its hole 17. The other pegs may simply be a friction fit in their holes. This arrangement may be provided by shutting the cap part onto the body part shortly after moulding when the material is still warm and the retaining peg will shape itself to the aperture or hole. This could be called post-moulding deformation, by which the peg in question becomes slightly waisted to provide a king of nipple effect as indicated in dotted lines in the drawing. In addition we may provide a small undercut as indicated at A and a small pip B which engages with the undercut A shen the cap part is closed on to the body part.

Claims (11)

1. A dispensing closure, for closing the mouth of a container for powder material such as talcum powder, comprising a body partforengagement with the container and having a top with a plurality of holes through which powder may be dispensed in use, and a cap part arranged to open and close the holes in the body part as desired, the body part including an outer skirt depending from the top and having locking means on the inner surface thereof for retention on a first type of container, and an inner plug depending from the top, the inner plug having locking means on the outer surface thereof for retention on a second type of container.

2. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the cap part has a plurality of depending pegs for closing the holes in the body part and is hinged to the body part by a snap hinge.

3. A closure according to claim 2 wherein the outer skirt receives the snap hinge and has formed about its inner surface two axially spaced annular beads.

4. A closure according to any of the preceding claims wherein a rebate is formed about the circum ferential edge of the body so that the rebate provides a seating for the cap part whereby the sides of the cap part are substantially flush with the rest of the depending skirt of the body part.

5. A closure according to any of the preceding claims wherein the inner depending plug has an external annular lip of wedge-shaped cross-section adjacent to its free end.

6. A closure according to claim 3 wherein an annulus is defined between the outer skirt and the inner plug to receive and retain the upper part around the mouth of a plastics powder container and wherein the inner plug is shaped to receive and retain a spring curved portion of a tin container.

7. A closure according to claim 2 wherein the cap part has a thumb tab the peg nearest to the thumb tab being an excessive interference fit in its hole and wherein an internal pip is provided on the cap part for engagement in a small external undercut on the body part to hold the cap part positively in its closed position.

8. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the inner plug is of greater axial extension than the outer skirt.

9. A dispensing closure and container assembly comprising a closure according to any of the preceding claims combined with a plastics container.

10. A dispensing closure and container assembly comprising a closure according to any of the preceding claims combined with a tin container.

11. A dispensing closure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.