GB2390362A

GB2390362A - Closure with reusable break-off cap and applicator

Info

Publication number: GB2390362A
Application number: GB0310515A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Dryden Straughan
Original assignee: Jaycare Ltd
Current assignee: Jaycare Ltd
Priority date: 2002-05-30
Filing date: 2003-05-08
Publication date: 2004-01-07
Also published as: GB0310515D0

Abstract

A closure 2 is provided for a dispensing container. The closure has at least a body portion 4 and a closure portion 6. The body portion 4 has a bore (Fig 3a, 16) therein to allow fluid flow therethrough. The closure portion 6 is attached to the body portion 4 by frangible means (Fig 4a, 20) and, on separation of the closure portion 6 from the body portion 4 by tearing the frangible means (20), at least a part of the closure portion 6 is capable of being located with the bore (16) of the body portion 4 to seal the bore (16). A pair of flat wings or lugs 22 may be provided on the closure portion 6, and a spout portion 8 or the body portion 4 may be provided with applicator fins 26, 28, which may be used to perform a comb, spatula or scraper function.

Description

Improved Dispensing Containers 2390362 This invention relates to improved

dispensing containers, and particularly to dispensing containers having nozzles screwingly or otherwise attached thereto and through which a substance, usually a fluid is to be dispensed.

Although the following description relates to the use of bottle-

like containers having nozzles integrally moulded therewith or screwingly attached thereto for containing hair care products, the reader and those skilled in the art will instantly appreciate that this invention may have far wider application and indeed it is considered by the applicant herefor that the invention may be applied to any fluid dispensing container which is adapted to be used to dispense fluids repeatedly and for which there is a requirement for re-closure of the dispenser to ensure that any fluid remaining in the dispenser does not significantly degrade between the repeated uses. The reader will nevertheless appreciate that containers for liquid hair care products, which do degrade over time but whose preservation is not so crucial as to necessitate sterile closures or single use dispensing packs, are ideally suited to the present invention.

There are currently in use a vast array and variety of dispensing packs for liquids such as hair conditioners, shampoos, condiments, toothpastes, detergents, and the like. Many of these dispensers are intrinsically simple in that they consist of little more than a bottle with a screw top to ensure that the bottle can be securely closed and that the liquid contents neither escape unexpectedly or accidentally. In certain circumstances the screw top is used to seal the bottle to ensure that the ingress of air into the bottle is limited or eliminated so that the product therein is not oxidised or otherwise prejudicially affected or

degraded as a result of a flow of air over the surface of the liquid. In the case of hair care products, and particularly shampoos and conditioning liquids, a flip top closure is usually applied to a bottle type receptacle. The opening of the closure by the flipping of a lid component reveals an aperture of sufficient diameter to allow the fluid therein to flow freely therefrom.

On the underside of the lid components of conventional plastic moulded flip-top closures there is usually provided a nib, pin or plug formation which stands proud on the underside of the lid component. The nib, pin or plug formation is disposed in register with the aperture provided in the body part of the flip top closure so that when the lid is snapped or flipped shut, the pin protrusion is received in the aperture to act as a means for ensuring that the liquid residue in the region of the aperture does not solidify and prevent the liquid contents from being dispensed if the next use of the dispenser is much later in time.

Readers will appreciate that solidification of the liquid contents can nevertheless occur regardless of the nature of the flip top closure, and especially where the dispenser is infrequently used.

A disadvantage of the types of flip top closures described above is their relative expense as compared to the bottle part of the dispensers which is relatively inexpensive as the moulding techniques employed therefor are generally simple and the materials inexpensive. For a flip top closure, this is not the case, and indeed the moulds may need to be complex to ensure that the resulting flip-top closure functions with a positive snapping action as the lid is opened and closed.

As the reader will be aware, once the closure provided on the dispenser is opened, and the fluid within the container is

dispensed, the user is generally required, according to the instructions printed on the dispenser, to work the product into their hair to provide a cleaning, conditioning or colouring effect.

The liquid may be viscous and contain bleaching or dyeing agents which are required to be brought into contact with the hair in a particular manner and remain in contact therewith for a predetermined length of time. Indeed the resultant effect of the liquid on the hair may be entirely dependent on the length of time that it is in contact with the hair, and in certain instances specific types of applicator are provided in the pack in which the dispenser is contained.

There are varieties of different types of applicator, for example spatulas, combing tools and the like, and it will be immediately appreciated that the provision of a separate applicator, which is usually manufactured in a plastics material, is both an inconvenience and an undesirable cost element of the product as a whole.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved closure for a dispenser ideally suited for dispensing liquids which are to be applied in a particular manner to a surface or mass of material such as hair by means of an applicator, which precludes the requirement for a separate applicator tool with the dispenser.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a nozzle closure for a dispenser ideally suited for dispensing liquids which degrade over time if exposed to air and/or which are commonly supplied in volumes which allow their reuse over a period of time.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a closure for a container, said closure having at least a body

portion and a closure portion, said body portion having a bore therein to allow fluid flow therethrough, characterised in that said closure portion is attached to the body portion by frangible means and, on separation of said closure portion from said body portion by tearing said frangible means, at least a part of said closure portion is capable of being located with the bore of the body portion to seal the bore.

Thus, the present invention provides an alternative closure to a conventional flip top closure which allows closing of the bore of the closure portion after each use. The moulding of the closure of the present invention is simpler and inexpensive compared to that of conventional flip top closures, yet limits or eliminates the ingress of air into the bore and thus the container in use.

Preferably the closure is formed by integrally moulding the body portion with the closure portion.

Preferably the closure portion has a protrusion member, such as a pin formation, provided therewith and said protrusion member can be located in the bore of the body portion to seal the bore.

The protrusion member is of a diameter to permit insertion/reinsertion thereof into the bore formed in the body portion, whilst forming a tight fit therewith (i.e. the protrusion member is of slightly smaller dimensions than the dimensions of the bore).

Further preferably the protrusion member is integrally moulded with the closure portion, and typically provided on the underside surface of the closure portion.

In one embodiment purchase means are provided on the closure portion to allow a user to obtain grip or purchase thereon to tear the closure portion from the body portion. The purchase

means are typically integrally moulded with the body portion and a user typically imparts a twisting motion thereto to separate the closure portion from the body portion and/or to remove the body portion from the bore when in a sealing position.

Preferably the protrusion member is joined substantially continuously around its periphery to the body portion in the region of one end of the bore by the frangible means prior to first use of the closure, typically by a continuous web of mould material so as to seal the bore. A user is then required to impart a twisting motion to the protrusion member to result in a tearing of the web of material, thus releasing the protrusion member and the closure portion from the body portion. Removal of the protrusion member from the body portion forms an opening to the bore in the body portion via which fluid can flow therethrough. Preferably the closure is in the form of a nozzle and the body portion is in the form of a spout through which the bore is provided and through which fluid can travel during a dispensing operation after removal of the protrusion member from the bore opening. The bore extends through the spout portion and said spout portion typically makes up the majority of the length of the closure.

Most preferably, the closure is provided with a large (or en enlarged compared to the remainder of the closure) bulbous portion at the opposite end to that at which the protrusion member is provided, said bulbous formation being generally cylindrical and of greater diameter than the maximum diameter of the spout. The bulbous portion can be provided with screw threads so that the closure may be firmly and screwingly attached to a bottle or like dispenser having a cylindrical neck or upper edge provided with corresponding threads on a surface

thereof. The screw threads are typically provided on an interior surface of the bulbous portion.

The body portion or the spout of the closure can be provided with moulded threads which allow said closure to be screwingly attached to a bottle, container or like dispenser if required.

Most preferably the purchase means consist of one or more lugs, said lugs being moulded on either side of the protrusion member and/or closure portion. A user typically grips the one or more lugs between thumb and forefinger and applys a torque to the protrusion member and/or closure portion where said lugs are formed. Most preferably the one or more lugs are in the form of substantially flat and/or planar wings. The wings typically depend from a cap moulded on top of the end of the protrusion member remote from where the protrusion member is moulded to the body portion of the closure. The cap, one or more lugs and the protrusion member typically form the closure portion.

The cap can be any required shape but in one embodiment is circular in shape.

Preferably the body portion of the closure is provided with at least one applicator fin, the applicator fin being detachably attached to or integrally moulded with the body portion. The applicator fin is typically used to apply fluid contained in the container which is dispensed through the bore of the closure in a required manner.

The applicator fin can be attached to the body portion via frangible means, integrally formed therewith, via clips, via a friction fit and/or the like.

Further preferably the at least one applicator fin is provided along substantially the entire length of the body portion.

The at least one applicator fin is provided to extend outwardly from the body portion, and preferably to extend outwardly from the spout of the body portion.

Preferably, a pair of applicator fins is provided in diametrically opposed relationship on either side of the spout or body portion. Further preferably one or more of the at least one applicator fins is provided with a plurality of substantially lateral slots to render said fin comblike. Alternatively the applicator fins can be in the form of a spatula or stirring rod.

In one embodiment the at least one applicator fin tapers towards the opening of the bore formed when the closure portion is removed from the body portion. Alternatively,, the at least one applicator fin is provided of uniform diameter, with the option of the body portion or spout tapering towards the bore.

The at least one applicator fin can also act as or be provided with purchasing means to allow a user to remove the body portion of the closure from a container if required.

Most preferably one or both of the applicator fins may be attached to the spout portion of the body portion of the closure by means of a frangible web of mould material such that one or both applicator fins may be detached from the spout portion to facilitate their use. The applicator fins and the frangible web of mould material can be integrally moulded with the closure as a whole, and indeed for only a slight change in the mould,

closures having detachable applicator fins can be achieved for the same cost, or even possibly reduced cost (in the light of the fact that less mould material may be required) as compared to a closure having applicator fins which cannot be detached.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a closure for a container, said closure having a body portion and a closure portion, said body portion having a bore therein to allow fluid flow therethrough, characterised in that said body portion is provided with at least one applicator fin attached thereto. It will be understood that the second aspect of the present invention provides a useful and convenient means of integrating an applicator type component into a closure adapted for a bottle or like dispenser, and in the light of the fact that closures according to the invention may be manufactured using currently available and widely practiced thermoplastics moulding technology very inexpensively.

The at least one applicator fin can be used alone or in combination with a closure having a closure portion as described above, as can the closure portion.

The closure as described above provides an effective, simple and inexpensive means of sealing bottles and like dispensers and furthermore provides a means of re-closing such dispensers after their first use so that any degradation of the contents of the dispenser is reduced.

According to further aspects of the present invention there is provided a closure for a container, said closure having a body portion and a closure portion, said body portion having a bore therein to allow fluid flow therethrough and including a spout

portion through which said bore extends, said spout portion making up the majority of the length of the closure, characterised in that said spout portion is provided with at least one integrally moulded applicator fin which extends outwardly of the spout portion of the body portion of the closure, said applicator fin being provided along substantially the entire length of the spout portion.

According to a yet further aspect of the present invention there is provided a closure for a container, said closure having a body portion and a closure portion, said body portion having a bore therein to allow fluid flow therethrough, characterized in that said closure is created by integrally moulding the body portion together with the closure portion, said closure portion consisting of a pin formation with purchase means integrally moulded thereto and by which a user of the closure can obtain purchase on the pin formation to impart a twisting motion thereto, said pin formation being joined continuously around its periphery to the body portion in the region of one end of the bore by a frangible continuous web of mould material so as to seal the bore, the twisting motion imparted to the pin formation by the user resulting in a tearing of said web of material thus releasing the pin formation from the body portion, said pin formation being of a diameter which permits re-insertion thereof into the opening formed in the body portion as a result of its removal. A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figures la and lb show side elevations of a closure according two different embodiments of the present invention;

Figures 2a and 2b show end elevations of the closures of Figures la and lb respectively from the top; Figures 3a and 3b show partially sectioned side elevations of the closures taken along line III-III in Figures la and lb respectively; Figures 4a and 4b show enlarged partially sectioned side elevations of the pin formation as identified by IV in Figures 3a and 3b respectively; Figures 5a and 5b show enlarged sectional views of the threaded portion of the closures identified as V in Figures 3a and 3b respectively; Figures 6a, 6b and 7a, 7b show perspective views of the closure according to the two different embodiments of the present invention in upright and upended orientations respectively.

Referring firstly to Figures la-7a, there is shown a closure 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention having a body portion 4 including a spout portion 8 integrally moulded at one end with an enlarged bulbous portion 10, and at an opposite end with a closure portion 6.

The bulbous portion 10 is provided with internal screw threads 14 which can be screwingly engaged with corresponding threads provided on a container (not shown). The exterior surface of the generally cylindrical bulbous portion 10 is provided with a plurality of vertically orientated ribs 12 by virtue of which improved purchase can be obtained by a user to enable the bulbous portion to be gripped and tightly screwingly fitted to the container.

The spout portion 8 tapers slightly along its length towards closure portion 6. A bore 16 is provided internally of the spout portion 8 which opens up at one end into the enlarged bulbous end 10, and is sealed at the other end by means of an integrally moulded pin element 18. The pin element 18 forms a part of closure portion 6, and also defines the region where bore 16 terminates. More particularly, it can be seen from the figures that the pin element 18 is integrally moulded to the end of the spout portion 8 by means of a narrow frangible web of mould material 20. The web of mould material 20 is substantially continuous around the entire periphery of the pin element 18 so that the bore 16 is sealed at the end where this integral moulding occurs. The thinness of web 20, and the nature of the material from which the closure is ideally manufactured, specifically a thermoplastic type material, is such that a user wishing to open the bore of the closure can apply thumb and forefinger on either side of the closure portion 6 to impart a twisting motion thereto. This results in the fracture and/or tearing of web 20 without too much effort on the part of the user.

It will also be seen from the Figures that closure portion 6 may optionally be provided with a pair of substantially flat wings 22 which depend from a circular cap 24 (Figure 6a) and which are moulded at the alternate end of the closure portion from pin element 18.

It is to be mentioned that the downwardly depending wings 22 are an optional feature, and it will be seen in Figure 4a that said wings are absent. In this case, purchase on the closure portion may be obtained by the application of the users thumb and forefinger on either side of cap 24 on the edges thereof, and the

frangibility of the web 20 is such that it may still be fractured or torn fairly readily by a twisting motion imparted to cap 24.

Referring to figures lb-7b, there is illustrated a closure 102 according to a further embodiment of the present invention in which a plurality of applicator fins 26, 28 are provided therewith. The features which are the same as for the closure in figures la-7a are labelled using the same reference numerals.

The spout portion 8 of the closure makes up for the majority of the length and is provided on either side, in diametrically opposed relationship, with a pair of fins 26, 28, each of which is provided with a plurality of laterally extending slots 26a, 28a, to render said fins comb-like in appearance and function. The fins 26, 28, taper, in addition to the spout portion 8, towards pin element 18. As previously mentioned, the fins 26, 28 are adapted to be used as a means of applying the liquid contents of the dispenser to which the closure is attached, and in particular the fins shown in Figure lb may be used in a combing type operation to ensure even application of the fluid contained in the dispenser to the user's hair.

It will also be appreciated that the applicator fins 26, 28 need not be provided with the lateral slots 26a, 28a, in which case the use of the fins in application of the fluid may be more akin to the use of a spatula or scraper, and in this regard the applicant considers that this invention may relate to the use of a closure having applicator fins lo apply a liquid to a wide variety of different surfaces and materials.

It is also to be noted that the feature of the applicator fins 26, 28 being narrower at one end of the spout portion 4, and widening towards the enlarged bulbous portion 20 of the closure, is a design feature which can be modified as required.

Furthermore, the mould in which closure 2 is manufactured may be designed such that the applicator fins 26, 28 are secured to the spout portion 8 of the closure by means of only a narrow, thin and flexible web of material (not shown) and this feature may enable a user of the closure to detach the applicator fins 26, 28 by twisting them and thus tearing the frangible web of mould material by which they are connected to the spout portion 8.

Alternatively, the applicator fins 26, 28 can be clipped or attached to the spout 8 by frictional engagement if required.

Purchase lugs 30 can also be provided on the applicator fins to allow a user to easily grip the same for use of the applicator fins. It will be immediately understood from the foregoing and the attached representations that the closure according to the present invention is of increased utility, at least as far as providing an applicator function is concerned, and this facility can be provided on such closures with only minimal increase (or even possibly a decrease) in the overall cost of the closure on account of the fact that such closures can be manufactured readily using existing and widely practiced moulding technology.

Claims

Claims:

1. A closure for a container, said closure having at least a body portion and a closure portion, said body portion having a bore therein to allow fluid flow therethrough, characterised in that said closure portion is attached to the body portion by frangible means and, on separation of said closure portion from said body portion by tearing said frangible means, at least a part of said closure portion is capable of being located with the bore of the body portion lo seal the bore.

2. A closure according so claim 1 characterised in that an opening of the bore of the body portion is formed on removal of the closure portion from the body portion.

3. A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that the body portion is integrally formed with the closure portion.

4. A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that the closure portion is provided with at least one protrusion member and said protrusion member is located with the bore of the body portion.

5. A closure according to claim 4 characterized in that the protrusion member is in the form of a pin element, nib element and/or plug element.

6. A closure according to claim 4 characterized in that the protrusion member has slightly smaller dimensions than the bore of the body portion.

7. A closure according to claim 4 characterised in that the protrusion member is integrally moulded to an underside surface of the closure portion.

8. A closure according to claim 4 characterised in that the protrusion member is joined to the body portion in the region of one end of the bore by frangible means prior to first use of the closure.

9. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that an opening in the bore is formed on separation of the protrusion member from the body portion.

10. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that a user is required to impart a twisting motion to the protrusion member or closure portion to separate the same from the body portion.

11. A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that purchase means are provided on the closure portion.

12. A closure according to claim 11 characterised in that the purchase means are integrally formed with the closure portion.

13. A closure according to claim 11 characterised in that the purchase means include one or more lugs.

14. A closure according to claim 13 characterised in that the one or more lugs are in the form of substantially flat wings.

15. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that two lugs are provided on either side of the protrusion member and/or closure portion.

16. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that the one or more lugs depend downwardly from a cap member forming part of the closure portion.

17. A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that a spout is formed in the body portion and the bore is provided in the spout through which fluid can travel during a dispensing operation.

18. A closure according to claim 17 characterised in that the spout makes up the majority of the length of the closure.

19. A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that an enlarged bulbous portion is provided at the opposite end of the body portion to the end at which the body portion is joined to the closure portion.

20. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that the bulbous portion is generally cylindrical and has a greater diameter than the maximum diameter of the spout.

21. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that screw threads are provided on any or any combination of the bulbous portion, the body portion or the spout for screwing engagement with corresponding threads provided on a container.

22. A closure according to claim 21 characterised in that the screw threads are provided on the interior surface of the bulbous portion, body portion and/or spout.

23. A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that the body portion is provided with at least one applicator fin.

24. A closure according to claim 23 characterised in that the at least one applicator fin is attached to the body portion via any or any combination of frangible means, integrally formed therewith, clips or a friction fit.

25. A closure according to claim 23 characterised in that the at least one applicator fin is provided along substantially the entire length of the body portion.

26. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that the at least one applicator fin extends outwardly from the spout of the body portion.

27. A closure according to claim 23 characterised in that a pair of applicator fins are provided in diametrically opposed relationship on either side of the body portion.

28. A closure according to claim 23 characterised in that the at least one applicator fin is provided with a plurality of substantially lateral slots to render the fin comb-like.

29. A closure according to claim 23 characterised in that the applicator fin is in the form of a spatula, scraper or rod.

30. A closure according to any preceding claim characterized in that the at least one applicator fin has a narrowing taper towards the opening of the bore formed by removal of the protrusion member.

31. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that the body portion has a narrowing taper towards the opening of the bore formed by removal of the protrusion member.

32. A closure according to any preceding claim characterised in that the at least one applicator fin is provided with purchase means.

33. A closure for a container, said closure having a body portion and a closure portion, said body portion having a bore therein to allow fluid flow therethrough, characterized in that the body portion is provided with at least one applicator fin attached thereto.