TWI545062B - Injection molded lid - Google Patents

Description

Injection molding cover

The present invention relates to closures that can be used with a container; and in particular to a closure that includes a fastener to reduce or avoid the possibility of spillage, leakage or dripping of contents of the container.

In modern life, many consumers enjoy food (such as beverages) while on the move, creating a need for disposable or disposable containers and closures. Disposable containers are usually made of paper, cardboard, plastic or inlay; the closure is mainly made of plastic. During storage, containers and closures often deform due to fluctuations in ambient temperature and relative humidity. However, since the container and the cover are usually made of different materials (or even if the container and the cover are both made of plastic, the shape and size are different), the two are produced under the same storage environment. The degree of deformation will also vary. This difference in degree of deformation can cause some defects or defects in the connection interface between the container and the closure, and therefore, liquids (such as beverages) in the container can easily ooze out from the defects or defects, thereby causing leakage or Drip out. This problem is more common when the container and closure are stored for extended periods of time, especially when stored in a humid environment or in a harsh climate.

In order to ensure that the container and the closure still form a tight joint relationship after long storage and under different storage conditions, most manufacturers use very strict manufacturing conditions for disposable containers and closures, including The source, supplier and specifications of the raw materials, the preparation process and the specifications of the final product. In many cases, the buyer even requires that both the container and the closure be produced by the same manufacturer to minimize the tolerance between the container and the closure.

Moreover, the bodies of most disposable containers are not very rigid, that is, when the consumer holds, squeezes, or falls over the container, the body of the container is likely to be deformed accordingly. In this case, the closure may separate from the container, thereby allowing the liquid in the container to spill. It is conceivable that there are many other situations in which the container that covers the closure does not effectively prevent the contents of the container from splashing, leaking or dripping.

For this reason, consumers often encounter problems such as splashes or leaks when using containers or enjoying foods (especially beverages) in containers. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a novel closure that reduces or prevents the chance of spillage, leakage or dripping of contents of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The Summary of the Disclosure is intended to provide a basic understanding of the present disclosure. This Summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure, and is not intended to identify the essential/critical elements of the specific embodiments of the invention.

Various aspects of the invention relate to a cover that can form a tight engagement with an open container, the opening of which is typically defined by an upper edge. In particular, the closure of the present invention is made by injection molding and has a fastener so that the fastener provides additional adhesion when the closure is placed over the edge of the container, thereby preventing Or reduce the chance of spillage, leakage or dripping of contents in the container.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the injection molded closure comprises a cover body and a fastener. The closure body includes a cover portion and a flange portion disposed along the periphery of the cover portion for attachment to the edge of the container. The flange portion includes a first side wall, a second side wall and an upper wall, wherein the upper wall, the first side wall and the second side wall together define an inner space, the first side wall is connected to the periphery of the cover portion, and the second side wall comprises at least A slit is provided thereon. The fastener includes a frame and at least one tab. The frame is disposed in the inner space and connected to at least the upper wall of the flange portion of the cover body. The tab extends downwardly from the frame along the inner surface of the second side wall and the lower edge of the tab spans the bottom opening of the slit. The tab further includes at least one protrusion for engaging the injection molded closure to the edge of the container.

In an optional embodiment, the second side wall of the closure body has a plurality of said slits. In an optional embodiment, the fastener has a plurality of the tabs described above. Also optionally, the number of slits and the number of tabs are equal. Alternatively, at least one tab may be used to cover two or more slits.

According to various embodiments of the invention, the first material and the second material are different kinds of materials and have the same or different colors. Alternatively, the first material and the second material are the same type of material but different in color. For example, the first or second materials may be polystyrene (PS), carboxylic acid monomer and ethylene copolymer, polystyrene-acrylonitrile (PSAN), acrylonitrile. - acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene-malecanhydride (SMA), cellulose ether, polycarbonate (PC) ), polyethylene (PE), polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl cyclohexane , polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phenoxy thermoplastic polymer, polyolefin or phenoxy-polyene thermoplastic blend, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) , silicone or ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE) resin, or the above substances Copolymer or blend. Common thermoplastic elastomers include styrenic thermoplastic elastomer (TPS), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and thermoplastic polyurethane (referred to as thermoplastic polyurethane). TPU), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) and thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE). In certain embodiments, the second material is preferably a thermoplastic elastomer, silicone or ultra low density polyethylene resin. In some embodiments of the invention, the first material is polypropylene and the second material is a thermoplastic polyurethane.

In an optional embodiment of the invention, the closure body further comprises a pattern layer disposed on the outer surface of the cover. The pattern layer is made of the first material, the second material or a third material, or a combination thereof. An exemplary third material is a thermoplastic material (eg, PP, PE, PVC, and silicone) comprising a thermochromic material.

In an optional embodiment of the invention, the closure body further includes one or more access holes provided in the cover. Also optionally, the closure body further includes a perforated cover coupled to the cover and adapted to cover the access opening, and at least a portion of the aperture cover separable from the cover to expose the access aperture. Additionally, the injection molded closure set forth herein can further include a perforated lid edge disposed along at least a portion of the perimeter of the aperture cover to detachably connect the portion of the perimeter of the aperture cover to at least a portion of the perimeter of the access aperture. In some embodiments, the thickness of the edge of the aperture cover is thinner than the thickness of the aperture cover. Alternatively or additionally, the aperture cover is made of a first material and the edge of the aperture cover is made of a second material.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the aperture cover further includes a ridge. Also optionally, the cover may further include a receptacle to receive the ridge.

In some optional embodiments, the injection molded closure may further include a venting aperture that is attached to the closure body.

In an optional embodiment, the inner surface of the second side wall can optionally include at least one recess, and at least a portion of the tab is disposed within the at least one recess. Alternatively or additionally, the flange portion may further comprise at least one pair of ribs, wherein each rib is disposed on one side of the slit and disposed along a longitudinal direction of the second sidewall, and the two sides of the tab are respectively disposed In pairs of ribs.

Also optionally, the second side wall of the injection molded closure may include at least one protrusion disposed on an inner surface thereof for engaging the injection molded closure to the edge of the container.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a container and closure assembly comprising a container and an injection molded closure in accordance with the above aspects and/or embodiments of the present invention.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the container comprises: a container body; an edge disposed above the container body and disposed along a periphery of the container body; and an upper opening defined by the edge. When the injection molded closure of the present invention is used with a container, it is advantageous to place the closure onto the container and to form a relatively tight joint relationship therebetween.

The basic spirit and other objects of the present invention, as well as the technical means and implementations of the present invention, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art of the invention.

The description of the embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. The features of various specific embodiments, as well as the method steps and sequences thereof, are constructed and manipulated in the embodiments. However, other specific embodiments may be utilized to achieve the same or equivalent function and sequence of steps.

For ease of understanding, this section first summarizes the terms, specific examples, and some of the nouns used in the accompanying claims. The scientific and technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains, unless otherwise defined herein. In addition, the singular noun used in this specification covers the plural of the noun in the case of no conflict with the context; the plural noun of the noun is also included in the plural noun used. In addition, in the specification and the claims, the terms "at least one" and "one or more" are used to include one, two, three or more of the objects.

Although numerical ranges and parameters are used to define a broad range of values for the present invention, the relevant values in the specific embodiments have been presented as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently inevitably contains standard deviations due to individual test methods. As used herein, "about" generally means that the actual value is within plus or minus 10%, 5%, 1%, or 0.5% of a particular value or range. Alternatively, the term "about" means that the actual value falls within the acceptable standard error of the average, depending on the considerations of those of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Except for the experimental examples, or unless otherwise explicitly stated, all ranges, quantities, values, and percentages used herein are understood (eg, to describe the amount of material used, the length of time, the temperature, the operating conditions, the quantity ratio, and the like. Are all modified by "about". Therefore, unless otherwise indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters disclosed in the specification and the appended claims are intended to be At a minimum, these numerical parameters should be understood as the number of significant digits indicated and the values obtained by applying the general carry method. Ranges of values are expressed herein as being from one endpoint to another or between two endpoints; unless otherwise stated, the numerical ranges recited herein are inclusive.

In the present disclosure, the term "container" encompasses various objects, reservoirs or vessels that can be used to store, dispense, package or separate articles. Examples of such containers include, but are not limited to, boxes, cups, cans, bottles, bowls, trays, cartons, outer casings, cartons, dishes, or other devices that can hold items. The term "disposable container" as used in this specification and the accompanying claims is intended to mean that the container has the characteristics of a generally disposable material. However, the use of the term "disposable" does not mean that the container is intended for single use and will be discarded after a single use. According to some embodiments of the invention, the container may be used to hold food products, including beverages.

The present disclosure uses the term "injection molding" to describe a manufactured article (e.g., a closure), meaning that the article of manufacture is prepared using the injection-type technique described herein. The term "injection molding technique" means that one or more materials (also known as infusates) can be injected into a mold to obtain an article having the desired shape or configuration. Materials that can be used as implants include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers, elastomers, metals, glass, and ceramics.

One of the objects of the present invention is to improve the joint relationship between the closure and the container. In particular, the present invention provides an innovative closure injection molded closure having a fastener so that when the closure is placed in the container When in the upper case, it is possible to reduce or avoid spillage, leakage or dripping of the contents of the container. Moreover, the scope of the present invention also encompasses a container and closure assembly comprising the injection molded closure described above and a container.

As can be appreciated, the container and closure assembly of the present invention comprises a container and an injection molded closure. The container has a container body and an edge disposed above the container body and disposed along the periphery of the container body and defining an upper opening of the container.

According to various embodiments of the invention, the cross-section of the container is not limited to any shape, such as circular, elliptical, polygonal rows or irregular shapes. The injection molding cover according to the present invention is used to cover the container to cover the upper opening of the container, and to prevent the contents of the container body from falling out of the container; therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the injection molding cover should be substantially the same. The matching container corresponds.

With regard to the structure of the injection molded closure proposed in the present case, it comprises a closure body made of a first material and a fastener made of a second material. Generally, the cover body includes a cover and a flange portion, and the flange portion is provided at a periphery of the cover portion for attaching the cover body to the edge of the container. In addition, the fastener includes a frame and at least one tab.

In a first aspect, the flange portion includes a first side wall, a second side wall, and an upper wall. The first side wall is connected to the periphery of the cover. The upper wall connects the first and second side walls, thereby collectively defining an interior space. At least one of the ports is provided on the second side wall. The frame of the fastener is disposed in the inner space and connected to at least the upper wall of the flange portion of the cap body. The tab extends downwardly from the frame along the inner surface of the second side wall, wherein the lower edge of the tab spans the bottom opening of the slit. In addition, the tab further includes at least one protrusion for engaging the injection molded closure to the edge of the container.

It is conceivable for those skilled in the art to make various modifications to the injection molding closure and the basic structure of the container and closure assembly proposed by the present invention based on functional, aesthetic and/or economical considerations. Modification.

For example, one of the purposes of the container rim described above is to engage the injection molded closure. In one embodiment, the edge is a frame-like structure and has a thickness and is disposed on a perimeter above the container body. However, the shape and size of the edge can be varied as required by the manufacturer, the buyer, and/or the consumer, as long as the structure of the edge enables the injection molded closure proposed in the present case to be engaged therewith. In various optional embodiments, the upper surface of the rim may be curved or flat. Further, the surface of the edge side periphery may be curved or flat, or may be provided with other undulating structures. Also optionally, the lower edge of the edge may be inclined towards or away from the container body or parallel to the container body.

Regarding the cover portion of the cover body, the highest point (or face) of the cover portion may be higher than, lower than, or equal to the upper wall of the flange portion. Moreover, the cover portion may generally exhibit a frustoconical shape, a cylindrical shape, a hemispherical shape, or any other suitable shape. Further, the cover may be provided with one or more protrusions, depressions or sloped regions, or any combination of the above.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, the closure body of the injection molded closure can include one or more slits disposed in the second side wall. For example, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more slits may be provided on the second side wall of the flange portion of the injection molding closure. In a preferred case, the slits are arranged equidistantly on the periphery of the flange portion. The slits on the second side wall of the flange portion may be provided in an arc shape, a triangular shape, a four-sided row (such as a rectangular shape, a trapezoidal shape or a flat quadrilateral shape) or an S shape, or any desired shape. The design of the slit provides greater flexibility in placing the injection molded closure onto the container so that the user can tightly cover the injection molded closure to the container with one hand.

One of the purposes of the tab is to prevent cracking from occurring in the incision portion, thereby enhancing the structural integrity of the cap body. Thus, in some embodiments, the tab covers the opening of the slit; and in other embodiments, the width of the lower edge of the tab is equal to or greater than the width of the opening at the bottom of the slit, such that the lower edge of the tab Cross the bottom opening of the slit. The tabs may be formed in the form of a flat sheet or frame, and the shape of the tabs may be the same as or different from the shape of the slits.

Another object of the tab is to provide a fastening mechanism that improves the engagement between the closure and the container proposed in the present case. One or more of the following ways can be used to achieve this goal. For example, the surface of the tab for contacting the edge of the container can be designed to have one or more protrusions for engagement. Alternatively or additionally, the above-described tabs may be prepared using an elastic material; thus, when the injection molded closure proposed herein is placed on the container, the elastic tabs may be slightly extended so that the slits are The opening is enlarged to facilitate placement of the closure onto the container, and when the closure is placed, the elastic tabs return to their original dimensions and the closure is more closely engaged with the container. In either case, the overall tightness between the closure and the container proposed in this case will increase; as a result, containers containing liquid or the like are not prone to occur even when not in a fully erect condition. Leakage; and when the container/cover is subjected to an external force under certain conditions of use (such as dropping, tilting, tipping or squeezing), the container and the closure are also not easily separated.

As described above, the flange portion of the cap body may be provided with one or more slits. Similarly, the fasteners can also have one or more tabs. In some embodiments, the number of both the slit and the tab is identical. Alternatively, two or more slits may be covered by at least one tab.

Each tab may optionally be provided with one or more protrusions to facilitate engagement of the injection molded closure of the present invention with the edge of the container. Similarly, one or more protrusions may be provided on the inner surface of the second side wall of the flange portion to facilitate engagement with the container edge. In some cases, the tabs and the second side wall are provided with protrusions.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the tab is disposed on the inner surface of the second side wall of the flange portion, the inner surface of the flange portion in contact with the tab may be downward with respect to the other inner surface not in contact with the tab The recesses thus form a recess to accommodate at least a portion of the tabs described above. As such, the contact surface of the tab (i.e., the surface used to contact the edge of the container) can be as high as the portion of the inner surface of the second sidewall that is not in contact with the tab.

According to several optional embodiments, the cover body further includes a pair of ribs, wherein each rib is disposed on each side of the slit along a longitudinal direction of the second side wall. The inner surface of the ridge may be recessed downwardly relative to the inner surface of the remainder of the second side wall, thereby forming a recess to receive the sides of the tab.

As noted above, closures in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention are made using injection molding techniques. Injection molding is typically performed by heating the implant to a soft, deformable state and injecting it into the cavity of the mold to cool it within the cavity and harden with the configuration of the cavity. Typical implants include metals, glass, elastomers, and thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, an infusate suitable for use in preparing the injection molded closures proposed herein may be an elastomer, a thermoplastic polymer or a thermoset polymer.

In particular, the closure proposed in the present invention comprises two portions (i.e., a closure body and a fastener) that are separately injection molded from the first and second materials. According to various embodiments of the invention, the first material and the second material may be different materials, and the two colors may be the same or different; or both may be the same material but have different colors. For example, a relatively rigid thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, can be used to make the closure body, while an elastomer is used to make the fastener. According to some preferred embodiments of the invention, at least one of the first and second materials is a food grade material. Also optionally, at least one of the first and second materials is a biodegradable material.

In some embodiments, the first material or the second material may be any of the following materials: polystyrene (PS), carboxylic acid monomer and ethylene copolymer, polystyrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (PSNA) , acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA), cellulose ether, polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polyamine , polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene cyclohexane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phenoxy thermoplastic polymer, thermoplastic blend of polyolefin and phenoxy-polyene, Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silicone or ultra low density polyethylene (ULDPE) resin, and copolymers or blends of the foregoing.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the second material may preferably be an elastomeric material such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silicone or ultra low density polyethylene (ULDPE) resin. Common thermoplastic elastomers are thermoplastic styrene segment copolymer (TPS), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) and thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE). . In one embodiment, the first material is polypropylene and the second material is thermoplastic polyurethane.

Regarding the injection molding process, the first and second materials may be simultaneously injected, or one of the first and second materials may be injected first and then injected into the other. The process of simultaneously injecting the first and second materials into a mold is generally referred to as "double shot" or "double shot". The process of injecting two or more injections in succession is generally to first inject a first injection into a mold containing a core and a first cavity to obtain a preform, and then to prepare the preform together with the core from the first A cavity is removed and placed in a mold having a second cavity, and then a second implant is injected onto the preform to obtain an integrally formed article. Using the injection molding technique described above, the manufacturer can produce an integrally formed article in which two or more infusions are tightly bonded together. In this way, it is not necessary to assemble or join two or more pieces to obtain a complete product. These technologies offer many advantages, including: reduced time, labor and money costs, improved product reliability, and increased design flexibility.

In an optional embodiment, the closure body further comprises a pattern layer disposed on the outer surface of the cover. The pattern layer contains one or more drawings that can be used to recognize material names or abbreviations such as caps, resin identification codes, and/or manufacturers, warnings, applicable temperatures, names of buyers (stores), or trademarks. Or purely for decorative purposes. In one embodiment, the pattern in the pattern layer is formed of a first material, for example, one or more patterns may be formed by the concave and convex configuration of the first material itself. Alternatively, the pattern in the pattern layer may be composed of a second material, and the pattern is formed by a material and/or color different from the first material. Still alternatively, a third material can be utilized to form the pattern, such as a thermochromic material that can be incorporated into the thermoplastic material. In other examples, each of the pattern layers may be comprised of one or more of the above materials, respectively. Thermoplastic materials suitable for incorporation into thermochromic materials include, but are not limited to, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or silicone. The thermochromic material means that when the temperature of the material is higher than its activation temperature, the material will change from the first color to the second color, and when the temperature is lowered below the activation temperature, the material will Changed from the second color back to the first color. A variety of commercially available thermochromic pigments are known. In practical applications, the third material can be used to prepare patterns related to warnings (eg, heat, caution, high temperature, etc.) to enhance the warning effect; or can be used to prepare patterns related to source identification (such as store name or trademark) ) or other decorative patterns. When a third material is used to prepare one or all of the pattern layers, the third material may be ejected simultaneously or sequentially with at least one of the first and second materials.

According to an optional embodiment of the present invention, the cover body may further include one or more access holes on the cover portion. When the cover proposed in the present case is tightly attached to the container, the access hole allows the user to take the contents of the container. For example, the access hole may be a drinking hole disposed near the periphery of the cover portion to facilitate the user to draw or drink the contents of the container through the drinking hole. Alternatively, the access holes can be used to insert one or more appliances, such as straws, spoons, stir bars, forks, and the like. In some cases, the closure proposed in this case may be provided with two access holes for use as described above.

Optionally, the cover body further includes a hole cover connected to the cover portion for covering the access hole, wherein at least a portion of the hole cover is separable from the cover portion to expose the access hole.

In an optional embodiment, the injection molded closure of the present disclosure may further comprise an aperture cover edge disposed along at least a portion of the perimeter of the aperture cover to detachably connect at least a portion of the perimeter of the aperture cover to At least a portion of the periphery of the inlet and outlet. In order to easily separate the hole cover from the periphery of the inlet and outlet holes, the thickness of the edge of the hole cover may be smaller than the thickness of the hole cover, or the edge of the hole cover and the cover cover may be made of the first and second materials, respectively.

Also optionally, the aperture cover includes a ridge that allows the consumer to more easily separate the aperture cover from the perimeter of the access aperture. For example, the user can apply a force to the ridges while pushing the ridges downward or upward such that at least a portion of the aperture cover and at least a portion of the perimeter of the access aperture are separated from each other. According to some optional embodiments, the cover portion may further include a receptacle for receiving the ridge when the aperture cover is pulled from the original position.

In some optional embodiments, the injection molded closure of the present invention may further comprise a venting opening provided in the closure body. For example, the vent hole may be disposed on the hole cover covering the access hole; or the vent hole may be disposed on the cover portion of the cover body.

The following examples are presented to illustrate certain aspects of the invention, and are intended to be It is believed that the skilled artisan, after reading the description set forth herein, may fully utilize and practice the invention without undue interpretation. Moreover, it will be understood that all of the elements are not shown in the partial drawings due to the relationship of the perspective of the drawings. For example, some of the slits provided on the second side wall of the flange portion of the injection molded closure proposed in the present case may not be visible on the drawing.

1A is a schematic view of the container and closure assembly 10 in an unassembled state in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1A, the container and closure assembly 10 includes an injection molding closure 400 and a container, which in the present embodiment is a cup 180, although the invention is not limited thereto. Figs. 1B and 1C are an exploded view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of the injection molding cover 100 shown in Fig. 1A.

The cup 180 has a cup body 182 and an edge 184 disposed along the perimeter above the cup body 182 to define an upper opening 186 of the cup 180.

The injection molding closure 400 includes a cover body 410 and a fastener 450. Although the present invention utilizes injection molding techniques to produce the closure body 410 and the fastener 450 in one piece, in FIG. 1B, the closure body 410 is drawn separately from the fastener 450 for ease of illustration.

The closure body 410 includes a cover portion 420 and a flange portion 430 disposed along the periphery of the cover portion 420 for snapping it to the edge of a corresponding container (such as the cup 180 shown in FIG. 1A). In the present embodiment, the cover portion 420 exhibits a raised structure in which the highest point (or face) of the cover portion 420 is higher than the upper portion of the flange portion 430. Further, the cover portion is substantially cylindrical. However, the injection molding cover proposed in the present case is not limited to the above specific configuration.

Specifically, the flange portion 430 includes a first side wall 432, a second side wall 434, and an upper wall 436. The first side wall 432 is connected to the periphery of the cover portion 420. The first side wall 432, the second side wall 434, and the inner surface of the upper wall 436 collectively define an interior space S (see FIG. 1C). The second side wall 434 is provided with six triangular cutouts 438 which are equidistantly disposed along the circumference of the flange portion 430; however, the invention is not limited thereto, and any suitable number of slits may be provided in the second side wall.

The fastener 450 includes a frame 452 and six tabs 454 (see Figure 1B). The frame 452 is disposed in the internal space S and is at least connected to the inner surface of the upper wall 436 of the flange portion 430 of the cover body 410 (see FIG. 1C). Each tab 454 extends downwardly from the frame 452 along the inner surface 434 of the second side wall (see Figures 1B and 1C). Each tab 454 shown in FIG. 1B has a contour such as a frame having two sides 454L and a lower edge 454E; the lower edge 454E of the tab 454 spans the lower opening 438O of the slit 438. In addition, each tab 454 has two protrusions 456 disposed on one of the two side edges 454L, which can be used to engage the injection molding closure 400 and the container edge. In the present embodiment, the slit 438 is triangular and the tab 454 is rectangular; however, the invention is not limited thereto, and in different embodiments, the shape of both the slit and the tab may be the same.

The flange portion 430 further includes a pair of ribs 439, wherein each rib 439 is disposed on one side of each of the slits 438 and along the longitudinal direction of the second side wall 434, and two of each of the tabs 454 The side edges 454L are respectively disposed within the ribs 439. Additionally, the inner surface 434 of the second side wall is provided with a recess to receive the two side edges 454L of each tab 454 such that the contact surface of the tab 454 (ie, the surface for contacting the edge of the container) and the second side wall The inner surface of the other portion of the 434 that is not in contact with the tab 454 is the same height.

In this embodiment, since one or more (in this case, two) protrusions are provided on each of the tabs 454, the injection molding cover 400 and the container can be engaged, so that the second side wall 434 is not necessarily Additional protrusions are required. However, in the presently optional embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 437 are provided on the inner surface 434 of the second side wall to further enhance the adhesion of the closure 400 to the container.

A pattern layer (not shown) may be disposed on the upper surface of the cover portion 420 of the injection molding cover 400. For example, the pattern layer can include one or more of the patterns described above.

The cover portion 420 shown in FIG. 1A has a recessed portion 426. When conceivable, such recesses (as well as other suitable configuration configurations) can be designed to meet various functional and/or aesthetic requirements. For example, the recess 426 can be used to accommodate a tea bag that is removed from the container. An unnecessary vent 444 is also provided in the cover portion 420. The cover portion 420 is further provided with an access hole 440 at the periphery of the adjacent cover portion 420. The user can access/drink the contents (such as a beverage) in the container through the access hole 440. Optionally, a cover cover 420 may be provided with a hole cover (not shown) to cover the access hole 440; and at least a portion of the periphery of the cover cover may be provided with a hole cover edge for At least a portion of the periphery of the aperture cover and the access aperture 440 are detachably coupled to expose the access aperture 440. In addition, an optional ridge (not shown) may be provided on the aperture cover. This raised ridge helps to separate the aperture cover from the perimeter of the access aperture 440. Optionally, a cover (not shown) may be disposed on the cover portion 420, and the receptacle may be used to accommodate the ridge when at least a portion of the cover is separated from the cover 420.

Although the cross section of the cup 180 shown in Fig. 1A is cylindrical, the invention is not limited thereto; and the cup 180 and any other kind of container may have any desired shape, such as an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape or an irregular shape. As can be appreciated, the injection molding closure 100 is intended to be placed over the cup 180 to cover the upper opening 186 of the cup 180 and to prevent the contents contained in the cup body 182 from falling out of the cup 180 easily. Thus, it is conceivable that the cross-section of the injection molded closure 100 should substantially conform to the cup 180.

In addition, one of the purposes of the edge of the container is to be used to engage the injection molded closure. As shown in FIG. 1A, the edge 184 is a frame structure having a certain thickness and is disposed on the upper periphery of the cup body 182. However, the shape and size of the edges can be varied as desired by the manufacturer, buyer, and/or consumer, as long as the structure of the edges enables the container to engage the injection molded closure proposed herein. In various optional embodiments, the upper surface of the edge may be curved (see edge 284A of container 280A shown in Figure 2A) or flat (such as edge 184 and the edge of container 280B shown in Figure 2B). 284B). In addition, the surface of the edge side periphery may also be curved (edge 284A), flat (edge 284B) or with other patterns (not shown). The lower edge of the edge may be inclined (or not shown) toward (edge 284A) or away from (the edge 284B) the cup body.

While it is conceivable, although various embodiments have been proposed above to illustrate the structure of the cover body and the fastener of the injection molding cover proposed in the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto; otherwise, the various embodiments described in the above embodiments of the present invention Features may be combined with one another or with other suitable features depending on the needs of the manufacturer, buyer and/or consumer.

As can be seen from the above description, the injection molded closure according to various aspects/embodiments of the present invention has at least the following advantages. First, the closure proposed in the present case employs an innovative fastener having a frame and at least one tab; when the user is enjoying the contents of the container (especially a liquid such as a beverage), the frame can The chance of spillage of the contents is reduced; and the tabs provide an additional fastening mechanism to prevent the closure and container of the present invention from being detached. Furthermore, the cover body of the cover is provided with one or more slits for placing the cover proposed in the present case above the container; on the other hand, the tabs of the fastener can protect the slit from cracking. Open, thus ensuring the integrity of the closure described in this case. In addition, during use, some users may remove the cover for different reasons and then cover the cover back to the container again; at this time, the elasticity of the fastener prevents the cover in the case from being repeatedly removed and covered. The action of the cover. Last but not least, the closures proposed in this case were prepared using injection molding techniques which are capable of mass production of the closures at low cost in quantities of hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands per hour. In summary, the various injection molded closures proposed in the present disclosure are inexpensive to produce but provide better leak proofing.

Although the embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the above embodiments, the present invention is not intended to limit the invention, and the present invention may be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made thereto, and the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

10‧‧‧Container and closure assembly
180, 280A, 280B‧‧ cups
182‧‧‧ cup body
Edge of 184, 284A, 284B‧‧
186‧‧‧Opening
400‧‧‧ Injection molding closure
410‧‧‧ Cover body
420‧‧‧ Coverage
426‧‧‧Depression
430‧‧‧Flange
432‧‧‧First side wall
434‧‧‧ second side wall
436‧‧‧上壁
437‧‧‧ inner wall protrusion
438‧‧‧ incision
438O‧‧‧ opening below
440‧‧‧In and out holes
444‧‧‧vents
450‧‧‧fasteners
452‧‧‧Frame
454‧‧‧Tits
454L‧‧‧ side
454E‧‧‧ lower edge
456‧‧‧The tab projection
439‧‧ ‧ ribs
S‧‧‧Internal space

The above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention will become more <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; Figure 1B is an exploded view of the injection molded closure shown in Figure 1A to further illustrate the closure body and the fastener; Figure 1C is depicted along line 4C-4C of Figure 1A. A cross-sectional view of the injection molded closure; and Figs. 2A and 2B are schematic views of the edge of the cup in accordance with two alternative embodiments of the present invention.

The various features and elements in the figures are not drawn to scale, and are in the In addition, similar elements/components are referred to by the same or similar element symbols throughout the different drawings.

10‧‧‧Container and closure assembly

180‧‧‧ cup

182‧‧‧ cup body

184‧‧‧ edge

186‧‧‧Opening

400‧‧‧ Injection molding closure

410‧‧‧ Cover body

420‧‧‧ Coverage

426‧‧‧Depression

430‧‧‧Flange

432‧‧‧First side wall

434‧‧‧ second side wall

436‧‧‧ upper side wall

438‧‧‧ incision

439‧‧ ‧ ribs

440‧‧‧In and out holes

444‧‧‧vents

Claims (23)

An injection molded closure for use with a container having an upper opening defined by an edge, comprising: a cover body, made of a first material, and comprising a cover portion and a cover a flange portion, wherein the flange portion is disposed along the periphery of the cover portion for mounting to the edge, the flange portion includes a first side wall, a second side wall and an upper wall, wherein: the first The side wall is connected to the periphery of the cover portion, the second side wall includes at least a plurality of ports disposed thereon, and the upper wall, the first side wall and the second side wall define an inner space; and a fastener The second material is formed and includes a frame and at least one tab, wherein: the frame is disposed in the inner space and connected to at least the upper wall, the tab is oriented by the frame along the inner surface of the second side wall Lower extending and the lower edge of the tab spans the bottom opening of the slit, and the tab includes at least one protrusion for engaging the injection molded closure to the edge of the container, wherein the inner surface of the second side wall Including at least one recess, and the tab The at least one recess portion. The injection molded closure of claim 1 wherein the second side wall comprises a plurality of the slits. The injection molded closure of claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises a plurality of the tabs. The injection molded closure of claim 1, wherein the number of the slits is equal to the number of the tabs. The injection molded closure of claim 2, wherein the tab is for covering two or more of the slits. The injection molded closure of claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are different materials and have the same or different colors. The injection molded closure of claim 1 wherein the first material and the second material are of the same material but have different colors. The injection molding closure according to claim 1, wherein the first material or the second material is respectively selected from the group consisting of polystyrene (PS), carboxylic acid monomer and ethylene copolymerization. Polystyrene-acrylonitrile (PSAN), acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer (stryrene-maleicanhydride, SMA for short), cellulose ether, polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate (polyethylene) Terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylcyclohexane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phenoxy thermoplastic polymer, polyolefin And a phenoxy-polyene thermoplastic blend, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a silicone and an ultra-low density polyethylene (ULDPE) resin, and the like Copolymer or blend. The injection molded closure of claim 8 wherein the second material is selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomers, silicones, and low density polyethylene. The injection molded closure of claim 1 wherein the first material is polypropylene and the second material is a thermoplastic polyurethane. The injection molding cover of claim 1, wherein the cover body further comprises a pattern layer disposed on the upper surface of the cover portion. The injection molded closure of claim 11, wherein the patterned layer is made of the first material, the second material, or a third material, or a combination thereof. The injection molded closure of claim 12, The third material is a thermoplastic material comprising a thermochromic material. The injection molding cover of claim 1, wherein the flange portion further comprises at least one pair of ribs, wherein each rib is disposed on one side of the slit and extends along a longitudinal direction of the second side wall, And two sides of the tab are respectively disposed in the ridge. The injection molding cover of claim 1, wherein the cover body further comprises an inlet and outlet hole provided on the covering portion. The injection molding cover of claim 15, wherein the cover body further comprises a hole cover connected to the cover portion and covering the access hole, wherein at least a portion of the hole cover is separable from the cover portion to be exposed The access hole. The injection molded closure of claim 16 further comprising an aperture cover edge disposed along at least a portion of the perimeter of the aperture cover for detachably attaching the at least a portion of the perimeter of the aperture cover to the At least a portion of the periphery of the inlet and outlet. The injection molded closure of claim 17, wherein the thickness of the edge of the aperture cover is less than the thickness of the aperture cover. The injection molded closure of claim 17 The aperture cover is made of the first material, and the edge of the aperture cover is made of the second material. The injection molded closure of claim 16 wherein the aperture cover comprises a ridge. The injection molded closure of claim 20, wherein the cover further includes a receptacle for receiving the ridge. The injection molding cover according to claim 1, further comprising a vent hole disposed on the cover body. A container and closure assembly comprising: a container comprising: a container body; an edge disposed on an upper portion of the container body and disposed along a periphery thereof; and an upper opening defined by the edge; and as requested An injection molded closure according to any of items 1-22.