GB2159130A - Improvements relating to containers and closures therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A container 11 has in its top wall a neck 12 having an external peripheral rib 14 and an internal rib 18 extending over part of the periphery of the neck and from each end rising to a level near the top edge of the neck so as to form a double-sided ramp. The closure for the container has a top 20 and a skirt 21 with an internal peripheral rib which naps over rib 14 to secure the closure. The top is a one-piece plastics moulding and includes a hinged flap 23 and an aperture 25 which is slightly smaller than the flap, so that the flap can be pressed through the aperture, the natural resilience of the plastics material causing the flap to seat against the underside of the top along the lip of the aperture 25. Rotating the closure into a position in which the highest point of the rib 18 is below the part of the flap furthest from the hinge line prevents depression of the flap and seals the container for subsequent disposal of its contents. Over-ridable stop ribs 16, 17 can locate the closure in either of its two positions of rotation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to containers and closures therefor This invention relates to containers and closures therefor and has a particularly useful but not exclusive application in relation to containers for waste articles which are to be disposed of.

According to the invention in one aspect there is provided a container having a neck on which is secured a closure moulded from a resilient plastics material and comprising a top and a depedent peripheral skirt, said top being formed with a flap inclined upward at an angle to the general plane of the top thereby defining a hinge at the junction between the flap and the plane of the top and with an aperture of a similar shape to, but smaller than, the flap, said aperture being defined by the hinge line and a lip portion of the top, said flap being rotatable about the hinge line and forceable through the aperture and pastthe lip portion, the resilience of the plastics material then biassing the flap into engage ment with the underside of the lip portion, said closure being rotatable about the longidinal axis of the neck and said container having an internal projection adapted to press the flap into sealing engagement with the underside of the lip portion upon rotation of the closure into a predetermined position about the longitudinal axis of the neck.

Preferably an axial groove and an axial rib are provided, one on the closure and one on the neck so as to locate the closure against rotation which location can be over-riden, said groove and rib being disposed so as to locate the closure in a position enabling the flap to be depressed.

The invention further provides a closure moulded from a resilient plastics material and comprising a top and a dependent peripheral skirt, said top being formed firstly with a flap inclined upward at an angle to the general plane of the top thereby defining a hinge line at the junction between the flap and the plane of the top, and secondly with an aperture of a similar shape to, but smaller than, the flap, said aperture being defined by the hinge line and a lip portion of the top, said flap being otatable about the hinge line and forceable through the aperture and past the lip portion, the resilience of the plastics material then biassing the flap into engagement with the underside of the lip portion.

In another aspect the invention provides a contain er having a neck with means externally thereof for securing a closure on the neck, and a circumferentially extending rib internally of the neck which rib extends so as to provide an upwardly facing, upwardly inclined rampsurfaeadjacentthetop in at least one circumferential direction.

The invention also provides a container having a neck, which neck has an external peripheral rib for the attachment thereto of a closure, two external axial ribs defining therebetween an axial groove disposed between the peripheral rib and the upper end of the neck and an internal rib acting as a double sided ramp the upper extremity of said ramp being diametrically opposite said axial groove.

The invention will now be described in more detail with referene to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of the top portion of a container and closure incorporating the invention, viewed prior to attachment of the closure to the container.

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively front and plan views of the closure of Figure 1 as moulded, Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the neck portion of the container, Figure 6shows in axial section the closure applied to the container neck with the flap free for operation, and Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but with the flap locked in its closed position.

Referring to Figure 1, in the illustrated embodiment, the container is in the form of a bucket (not shown) having a snap-on lid 11 formed with a neck 12 to which can be attached a closure 13. The container is designed to form a waste bin for articles, say discarded dressings, tissues, instruments and the like in hospitals for subsequent incineration or other destructive process.

The neck 12 is formed integrally with the lid 11 and has an external peripheral rib 14forthe attachment of the closure, and two pairs of parallel ribs 16, 17 respectively extending axially from rib 14 to the top of the neck at diametrically opposite sides of the neck. Internally and in a diametrically opposite half of the neck to the ribs 16 the neck has a cam rib 18 which extends circumferentially, rising from the base of the neck to the top and back again so that its top surface forms a double-sided ramp.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4the closure 13 is moulded from a resilient plastics material and comprises a top 20 and a depending skirt 21 having an internal peripheral rib 22 which is a snap fit over the rib 14 on the neck to secure the closure. A semi-circular part of the top 20 is in the form of a flap 23 moulded integrally with the closure and, as moulded, the flap 23 projects upwards as shown in Figures 1 to 4, with a hinge line formed at 19. An aperture 25 of similar shape to but slightly smaller than the flap 23 is formed in the top, and the flap can be bent downward about its hinge line connection to the rest of the top 20 and forced through the aperture, the memory characteristics of the material then causing the flap to return to a position closing the aperture from below.A rebate 26 is formed along the edge of the flap except in the portions adjoining the hinge line 19, and a matching rebate 27 is provided in the bottom surface of the lip formed by the top about the arcuate edge of the aperture and has the same circumferential extent as rebate 26, so that the flap can lie flush with the rest of the top.

In use of the closure, the flap 23 is pressed through the aperture 25 prior to or subsequent to attachment of the closure to the neck 12. The closure is then secured on the neck by pressing the rib 22 over rib 14 on the neck. The closure is located circumferentially relative to the cam rib 17 by an axial projection 29 on the internal surface of the skirt which is engaged between the ribs 16 on the neck. The projection 29 is disposed at the mid-point of the arcuate side of the aperture 25 in the top, and its location between ribs 16 ensures that the cam rib 18 does not prevent or interfere with the downward movement of the flap 23 when an article is to be placed in the container.

The article can thus be pushed through the aperture depressing the flap with one hand, the flap then automatically re-seating itself against the underside of the top as shown in Figure 6. When the container is full and is to be disposed of, the closure is rotated through 180 about the axis of the neck into a second position between the second pair of axial ribs 17 on the neck diametrically opposite ribs 16 the projection 29 riding over one rib of each pair. During this rotational movement the underside of the lid comes into engagement with the top ramp surface of the cam rib 18, which presses the flap firmly into engagement with the underside of the top about the aperture as shown in Figure 7. The ribs 17 are aligned with the highest part of the cam rib which thus locks the flap in place, preventing contamination by the contents of the container prior to its incineration. Since the cam rib is symmetrical, providing a double ramp surface, the direction in which the closure is rotated is immaterial.

It will be apparent that the number of components forming the container proper is immaterial to the invention.

Claims (6)

1. A container having a neck on which is secured a closure moulded from a resilient plastics material and comprising a top and a dependent peripheral skirt, said top being formed with a flap inclined upward at an angle to the general plane of the top and defining a hinge line atthe junction between the flap and the plane of the top and with an aperture of a similar shape to, but smaller than, the flap, said aperture being defined by the hinge line and a lip portion of the top, said flap being rotatable about the hinge line and forceable through the aperture and past the lip portion, the resilience of the plastics material then biassing the flap into engagement with the underside of the lip portion, said closure being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the neck and said container having an internal projection adapted to press the flap into sealing engagement with the underside of the lip portion about the longitudinal axis of the neck.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein an axial groove and an axial rib are provided, one on the closure and one on the neck so as to locate the closure against rotation which location can be over-riden, said groove and rib being disposed so as to locate the closure in a position enabling the flap to be depressed.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the co-operating edges of the lip portion and the aperture having complementary formations enabling the flap to lie flush with the top when the flap engages the underside of the lip portion.

4. A closure moulded from a resilient plastics material and comprising a top and a dependent peripheral skirt, said top being formed firstly with a flap inclined upward at an angle to the general plane of the top thereby defining a hinge line at the junction between the flap and the plane of the top, and secondly with an aperture of a similar shape to, but smaller than, the flap, said aperture being defined by the hinge line and a lip portion of the top, said flap being rotatable about the hinge line and forceable through the aperture and past the lip portion, the resilience of the plastics material then biassing the flap into engagement with the underside of the lip portion.

5. A container having a neck with means exter nally thereof for securing a closure on the neck, and a circumferentially extending rib internally of the neck which rib extends so as to provide an upwardly facing, upwardly inclined ramp surface adjacent the top in at least one circumferential direction.

6. A container having a neck, which neck has an external peripheral rib for the attachment thereto of a closure, two external axial ribs defining therebetween an axial groove disposed between the peripheral rib and the upper end of the neck and an internal rib acting as a double sided ramp the upper extremity of said ramp being diametrially opposite said axial groove.