US20070045330A1 - Closure for containers - Google Patents
Closure for containers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070045330A1 US20070045330A1 US11/444,531 US44453106A US2007045330A1 US 20070045330 A1 US20070045330 A1 US 20070045330A1 US 44453106 A US44453106 A US 44453106A US 2007045330 A1 US2007045330 A1 US 2007045330A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- closure
- rim
- container
- locking ring
- ring
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44D—PAINTING OR ARTISTIC DRAWING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRESERVING PAINTINGS; SURFACE TREATMENT TO OBTAIN SPECIAL ARTISTIC SURFACE EFFECTS OR FINISHES
- B44D3/00—Accessories or implements for use in connection with painting or artistic drawing, not otherwise provided for; Methods or devices for colour determination, selection, or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables
- B44D3/12—Paint cans; Brush holders; Containers for storing residual paint
- B44D3/127—Covers or lids for paint cans
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D43/00—Lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D43/02—Removable lids or covers
- B65D43/0202—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element
- B65D43/0214—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element secured only by friction or gravity
- B65D43/0218—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element secured only by friction or gravity on both the inside and the outside of the mouth of the container
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D45/00—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members
- B65D45/32—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members for applying radial or radial and axial pressure, e.g. contractible bands encircling closure member
- B65D45/322—Clamping or other pressure-applying devices for securing or retaining closure members for applying radial or radial and axial pressure, e.g. contractible bands encircling closure member the clamping device being an annular member moved axially to clamp the closure by using radial pressure
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
- B65D2543/00064—Shape of the outer periphery
- B65D2543/00074—Shape of the outer periphery curved
- B65D2543/00092—Shape of the outer periphery curved circular
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
- B65D2543/00259—Materials used
- B65D2543/00296—Plastic
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
- B65D2543/00481—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container
- B65D2543/0049—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container on the inside, or a part turned to the inside of the mouth of the container
- B65D2543/00509—Cup
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
- B65D2543/00481—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container
- B65D2543/00555—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container on both the inside and the outside
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00953—Sealing means
- B65D2543/00962—Sealing means inserted
- B65D2543/00972—Collars or rings
Definitions
- This invention relates to closures for containers, and more particularly to closures for larger containers, such as larger volume paint cans.
- the invention is not restricted to such applications and is equally applicable to all containers including containers of small volume.
- Containers for larger volumes of paint are usually closed by a metal lid which sealingly engages the curl of the container and which is held in its closed position by a metal locking ring.
- Such locking rings are relatively expensive and are difficult to fit using standard can filling and scaling machines.
- Plastic closures are easier to fit using such machines but are difficult to seal properly under all conditions, and are not sufficiently strong to allow stacking for storage and-transport.
- U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,589 which discloses a closure including a metal lid which sealingly engages the rim of the container and is held captive in a plastic ring having a depending skirt which engages a bead or curl on the container rim to hold the lid in sealed engagement with the container rim. While this closure is described as a pry-off closure, requiring the use of a tool to open the closure, this is primarily because the closure as illustrated is for small containers such as food jars which do not allow the user's fingers to manipulate the skirt to remove the closure. A closure of the design illustrated would be manually removable if scaled up to a size suitable for a large volume paint can and such an arrangement would address the issues of automated fitting and manual opening without a special tool.
- Australian Patent 2001285604 and Australian Innovation Patent 2004100207 both disclose closures having downwardly depending skirt portions which are divided into a multiplicity of fingers or abutments which are forced into engagement with part of the container by a locking ring member.
- the fingers or abutments are moulded or hinged so that the fingers or abutments are biased outwardly clear of the rim of the container in the released or unlocked position.
- a problem with such arrangements is that the fingers tend to force the locking ring upwardly and stretch the locking ring due to the outward flex load of the outwardly hinged fingers.
- the invention provides a closure for a container having a rim surrounding an opening to be closed, the closure including a lid portion having a peripheral rim portion adapted to sealingly engage the rim of the container, a peripheral ring portion extending from the rim portion of the lid portion and having a depending portion adapted to engage the rim of the container to hold the peripheral rim portion in sealing engagement with the container rim, said depending portion being formed with a multiplicity of separate flexible finger elements each having an inwardly directed abutment portion which engages the rim of the container to hold the closure in the closed position, said fingers occupying in their as moulded or neutral positions a position in which the abutments are at least partially engaged with the rim of the container, and a locking ring surrounding the peripheral ring portion and being movable over the depending portion from a closed position in which the locking ring engages the depending portion to hold it in engagement with the rim, to an open position in which the depending portion is not constrained by the locking ring whereby the fingers cannot be flexe
- closures embodying the invention are able to be easily fitted to a container when the locking ring is in the open position, or as described below, with the locking ring in the closed position, while the locking ring provides sealing security for the closure, along the lines of the known metal locking ring, when the locking ring is in the closed position.
- closures embodying the invention are able to be fitted in different ways, including one way in which the locking ring can be in the closed position.
- the fingers are configured to be free to flex to an open position, absent the action of the locking ring, by the application of a minimal lifting force to the closure.
- the locking ring may be formed with a handle projecting from the upper edge of the locking ring, and preferably shaped to occupy a rest position which does not project to any significant extent above the upper edge of the locking ring.
- the handle may be formed in a recess formed in the upper edge of the locking ring.
- the abutments on the fingers are preferably formed with a deep locking undercut which increases the engagement between the abutments and the rim of the container to make the closure more secure.
- the portion of the rim of the container engaged by the undercut is usually in the form of a metal curl or its equivalent in the case of a moulded plastic container body.
- skirt The division of the skirt into separate fingers allows the fingers to be moulded with a deeper locking undercut than would be possible with a integral skirt.
- the separate fingers allow the deep locking undercut to be more easily demoulded.
- Each finger element may be formed with one or more integral webs extending from the abutment portion to an inner face of the depending portion. This ensures that the abutment portion is relatively rigid whereby the flexing of the finger elements during removal of the closure occurs in the upper region of the peripheral ring portion.
- Each of the finger elements may be formed with an outwardly projecting flange or stop member which defines the closed position of the locking ring, preventing the locking ring moving downwardly any further than the flange or stop member.
- the locking ring flange or stop member is preferably formed with a downwardly projecting extension preferably strengthened by an inwardly projecting web which is shaped to assist in guiding the closure into engagement with a container during the closure applying process.
- the neutral axis of the locking ring should be below the neutral axis of the rim of the container, which is usually in the form of a curl, in the closed position of the locking ring.
- the lid portion is made from a stronger material than the ring portion, the ring portion being sufficiently flexible to be disengaged from the rim of the container with minimal manual force absent the action of the locking ring, the lid portion being held in the ring portion to form a composite closure.
- the closure also may offer advantages in other applications in which the closure may be formed as a unitary moulding of the same plastic material.
- a closure formed as a unitary moulding may have application in relation to containers for dangerous goods in which sealing integrity is important.
- the ring portion and the lid portion may be separately moulded from the same or different plastic materials, to form a composite plastic closure.
- the lid portion may be a metal lid similar to the metal lids illustrated in the above patent literature and having a rim formed to sealingly engage the rim of the container with the assistance of a gasket or seal formed in the peripheral rim of the lid in a known manner.
- the invention may further provide a closure ring for attachment to a lid portion having a peripheral ring portion adapted to sealingly engage the rim of a container, said closure ring having a depending portion adapted to engage the rim of the container to hold the peripheral ring portion in sealing engagement with the container rim, said depending portion being formed with a multiplicity of separate flexible finger elements each having an inwardly directed abutment portion which in use engages the rim of the container to hold the closure in the closed position, said fingers occupying in their as moulded or neutral positions a position in which the abutment portions are in use at least partially engaged with the rim of the container, and a locking ring surrounding the peripheral ring portion and being movable over the depending portion from a closed position in which the locking ring engages the depending portion to hold the depending portion in the rim engaging position to an open position in which the depending portion is not constrained by the locking ring and is free to be disengaged from
- the locking ring may be formed from the same plastic material as the closure ring and is configured with an inner camming surface which engages the outer surface of the depending portion in use to force the abutment portions into engagement with the rim or curl to securely hold the closure in its closed condition.
- the closure ring and the locking ring may be formed as a unitary moulding with the locking ring in or slightly above the open position and held in this position by frangible elements connecting the locking ring to the closure ring.
- frangible elements connecting the locking ring to the closure ring.
- the ring portion of the closure may be formed with a projecting element which engages a groove formed in the locking ring in the open position to allow the locking ring to resist detachment and to allow the locking ring to be used to lift the closure from the container.
- the inner face of the lid portion may be covered by a barrier member to avoid the contents of the container penetrating the rim portion.
- the invention provides a method of fitting a closure of the type defined above to a container having a rim adapted to be engaged by the closure to close the container, comprising positioning the lid portion in the ring portion, closing the locking ring and fitting the closure to the container, the locking ring flexing sufficiently to allow the abutments to engage the rim.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closure embodying the invention in the closed position on a container;
- FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation through the closure and container of FIG. 1 at a position remote from the handle on the closure;
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail showing small undercuts on the fingers
- FIGS. 4 is a sectional elevation through the closure at the handle, with the closure locking ring in the open condition
- FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional elevations illustrating two stages of the closure removal process
- FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the closure in the as moulded condition.
- the closure 1 includes a metal lid 2 having an upstanding peripheral rim 3 formed with a downwardly open channel 4 including a suitable gasket material 5 adapted to sealingly engage the curl 6 of a metal container 7 of know construction.
- the rim 3 of the lid 2 is received in a moulded plastic ring 8 having a channel-shaped cavity 8 a shaped to relatively loosely receive the rim 3 .
- the ring 8 further includes an inner skirt 9 having a flange 10 which engages the lid 2 adjacent the rim 3 , and an outer skirt 11 depending from the channel 8 a to a position below the curl 6 .
- the outer skirt 11 is formed with a multiplicity of shaped fingers 12 each having an inwardly directed abutment 13 adapted to engage under the curl 6 in the closed position illustrated in FIG. 2 , to hold the closure 1 in the closed position on the container 7 .
- Each finger structure may be reinforced by integrally moulded webs 12 a as shown.
- the abutments 13 on the fingers 12 have a deep locking undercut, which increases the security of the locking action between the abutments 13 and the curl 6 .
- the division of the skirt into separate fingers allows the demoulding of the abutments of the configuration shown, which would not be possible with an integral skirt.
- the fingers 12 are moulded to have a neutral position in which the abutments 13 engage the curl 6 . This means that when the fingers are locked as described below, there is little or no outward flex load on the locking ring and the closure has a stable locked condition.
- the fingers are held in the closed position illustrated by a locking ring 14 having an internal camming surface 15 which terminates in an inwardly directed flange 17 , which sequentially engage the outer surfaces of the fingers to force the abutments 13 into engagement with the curl 6 as illustrated in FIG. 2 .
- the locking ring 14 is upwardly movable from the closed position of FIG. 2 to the open position of FIG. 4 , in which the camming surface 15 and flange 17 are positioned above the fingers 12 , which are then free to flex outwardly as the abutments 13 engage the curl 6 , to a position in which the abutments are free to flex around the curl 6 as the closure is manually lifted from the container 7 , as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 .
- the ring 8 is formed with a shaped abutment 16 which is engaged by the flange 17 , which as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 , has a complementary shape designed to positively engage the abutment 16 , as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 .
- This enables the locking ring 14 to be gripped in the open position to lift the closure 1 off the container 7 in the manner shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 .
- the locking ring 14 is formed with an integral handle 21 to assist in opening the closure.
- the handle 21 is formed in a recess in the upper edge of the locking ring 14 so that it occupies the position illustrated when at rest.
- the handle is attached to the locking ring 14 by straps 21 a , each of which is formed with a groove 22 which allows the handle to be easily raised to a position more conducive to applying the appropriate lifting force to the locking ring.
- the locking ring initially flexes and the upper portion of the locking ring disengages the skirt. Then as the locking ring is further lifted, the outward flex exerted on the fingers by their engagement with the curl sequentially raises the locking ring to allow the closure to be lifted off.
- the fingers 11 are formed with outwardly extending stop members 18 which engages the flange 17 of the locking ring 14 when it reaches the closed position, as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the locking ring 14 is designed to have a neutral axis which is positioned below the neutral axis of the curl 6 when the locking ring 14 is in the closed position of FIG. 2 , to ensure that the locking ring 14 remains in the closed position when moved to that position.
- At least several of the stop member 18 are formed with a downward extension 19 and a reinforcing web 20 shaped as shown to assist in locating the closure on the container and guiding the closure over the curl 6 of the container during the closure fitting operation.
- Some of the fingers 12 have small undercuts 12 b ( FIG. 3 ) which provide some resistance against the locking ring 14 moving from the locked position in the absence of a sufficient applied force. This reduces the likelihood of inadvertent opening during handling and transport.
- the undercuts 12 b are omitted in the three fingers 12 located at the position of the handle 21 to reduce the resistance to opening in this region.
- the undercuts 12 b are formed on the next fingers 12 and then on every second finger 12 around the periphery of the closure.
- selected fingers 12 may be moulded without stop members (not shown), or selected stop members 18 may be moulded with frangible connections (not shown) to the fingers 12 to enable the selected stop members to be removed if necessary.
- the closure ring 8 and the locking ring 14 may be formed as a unitary moulding with the locking ring 14 just above the open position as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the locking ring 14 is connected to the closure ring 8 by frangible elements 19 which are broken when the locking ring 14 is first moved to the closed position after fitting to a container 7 to be closed.
- the closure 1 as formed is capable of being fitted to a container by known automated closing apparatus with minimal modification of the apparatus.
- the fitting of the closure to a container can be achieved in several different ways.
- the metal lid 2 can be positioned on the rim 6 of the container and the closure ring 8 fitted over the rim 3 of the lid, whereupon the locking ring 14 is pushed to the closed position either manually or by the use of known automated machinery.
- the closure ring 8 may be fitted to the rim 3 of the lid 2 and the assembly positioned on the rim 6 of the container, whereupon the locking ring is pushed to the closed position as before.
- closure ring 8 and lid 2 can be fitted to a container rim with the locking ring 14 in the closed position, the ring 14 stretching enough during this operation to allow the abutments 13 to flex outwardly to engage the curl 6 , but without damaging the closure.
- the closure 1 could be supplied to the user fully assembled ready for automated fitting by known machinery.
- the closure ring 8 is formed with an upstanding bead 25 on its upper shoulder. This ensures that the force applied to the closure 1 by the closing machine is shared by the bead 25 and the upper edge 26 of the ring 8 .
- the container When the closure has been opened and the contents partially used, the container can be resealed by fitting the closure to the rim of the container with the locking ring up and then pushing the locking ring down to lock the closure in the closed condition.
- the opening and closing process can be repeated as many times as necessary while the container is in use.
- closure 1 provides a function similar to the known metal locking ring without the disadvantages detailed above.
- the closure 1 furthermore allows opening without the need for the user to manually manipulate the skirt, as is required in some of the prior art closures described above.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to closures for containers, and more particularly to closures for larger containers, such as larger volume paint cans. The invention is not restricted to such applications and is equally applicable to all containers including containers of small volume.
- Containers for larger volumes of paint are usually closed by a metal lid which sealingly engages the curl of the container and which is held in its closed position by a metal locking ring. Such locking rings are relatively expensive and are difficult to fit using standard can filling and scaling machines.
- Plastic closures are easier to fit using such machines but are difficult to seal properly under all conditions, and are not sufficiently strong to allow stacking for storage and-transport.
- Composite plastic/metal closures which overcome the above problems are to be found in the patent literature such as:
- U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,589, which discloses a closure including a metal lid which sealingly engages the rim of the container and is held captive in a plastic ring having a depending skirt which engages a bead or curl on the container rim to hold the lid in sealed engagement with the container rim. While this closure is described as a pry-off closure, requiring the use of a tool to open the closure, this is primarily because the closure as illustrated is for small containers such as food jars which do not allow the user's fingers to manipulate the skirt to remove the closure. A closure of the design illustrated would be manually removable if scaled up to a size suitable for a large volume paint can and such an arrangement would address the issues of automated fitting and manual opening without a special tool.
- Australian Patent Application 767,465, discloses a closure which is effectively a scaled-up version of the closure detailed above, and which is described as having a skirt which can be manually manipulated to remove the closure. While this closure similarly addresses the issue of automated fitting and manual removal, it may still be difficult to easily manually remove the closure due to the requirement that the skirt of the plastic ring must be sufficiently rigid to ensure that engagement of the skirt with the curl of the container maintains a proper seal between the lid and the rim of the container.
- Australian Patent 2001285604 and Australian Innovation Patent 2004100207 both disclose closures having downwardly depending skirt portions which are divided into a multiplicity of fingers or abutments which are forced into engagement with part of the container by a locking ring member. The fingers or abutments are moulded or hinged so that the fingers or abutments are biased outwardly clear of the rim of the container in the released or unlocked position. A problem with such arrangements is that the fingers tend to force the locking ring upwardly and stretch the locking ring due to the outward flex load of the outwardly hinged fingers.
- In the light of the above, it would therefore be desirable to provide a closure which allows automated fitting while maintaining a proper seal, but which does not suffer the problems caused by outward hinging as discussed above.
- The invention provides a closure for a container having a rim surrounding an opening to be closed, the closure including a lid portion having a peripheral rim portion adapted to sealingly engage the rim of the container, a peripheral ring portion extending from the rim portion of the lid portion and having a depending portion adapted to engage the rim of the container to hold the peripheral rim portion in sealing engagement with the container rim, said depending portion being formed with a multiplicity of separate flexible finger elements each having an inwardly directed abutment portion which engages the rim of the container to hold the closure in the closed position, said fingers occupying in their as moulded or neutral positions a position in which the abutments are at least partially engaged with the rim of the container, and a locking ring surrounding the peripheral ring portion and being movable over the depending portion from a closed position in which the locking ring engages the depending portion to hold it in engagement with the rim, to an open position in which the depending portion is not constrained by the locking ring whereby the fingers cannot be flexed from their neutral positions to be disengaged from the rim to allow the closure to be removed by the application of a lifting force thereto.
- It will be appreciated from the above that closures embodying the invention are able to be easily fitted to a container when the locking ring is in the open position, or as described below, with the locking ring in the closed position, while the locking ring provides sealing security for the closure, along the lines of the known metal locking ring, when the locking ring is in the closed position. By arranging the fingers in the locking position in their neutral state, the problems associated with fingers which are hinged outwardly are avoided.
- As will be described further below, closures embodying the invention are able to be fitted in different ways, including one way in which the locking ring can be in the closed position.
- It will be appreciated from the above that the fingers are configured to be free to flex to an open position, absent the action of the locking ring, by the application of a minimal lifting force to the closure.
- To assist in removing the closure from a container, the locking ring may be formed with a handle projecting from the upper edge of the locking ring, and preferably shaped to occupy a rest position which does not project to any significant extent above the upper edge of the locking ring. To this end, the handle may be formed in a recess formed in the upper edge of the locking ring.
- The abutments on the fingers are preferably formed with a deep locking undercut which increases the engagement between the abutments and the rim of the container to make the closure more secure. The portion of the rim of the container engaged by the undercut is usually in the form of a metal curl or its equivalent in the case of a moulded plastic container body.
- The division of the skirt into separate fingers allows the fingers to be moulded with a deeper locking undercut than would be possible with a integral skirt. The separate fingers allow the deep locking undercut to be more easily demoulded.
- Each finger element may be formed with one or more integral webs extending from the abutment portion to an inner face of the depending portion. This ensures that the abutment portion is relatively rigid whereby the flexing of the finger elements during removal of the closure occurs in the upper region of the peripheral ring portion.
- Each of the finger elements may be formed with an outwardly projecting flange or stop member which defines the closed position of the locking ring, preventing the locking ring moving downwardly any further than the flange or stop member.
- The locking ring flange or stop member is preferably formed with a downwardly projecting extension preferably strengthened by an inwardly projecting web which is shaped to assist in guiding the closure into engagement with a container during the closure applying process.
- It will be appreciated that in the above arrangement, the neutral axis of the locking ring should be below the neutral axis of the rim of the container, which is usually in the form of a curl, in the closed position of the locking ring.
- In one form the lid portion is made from a stronger material than the ring portion, the ring portion being sufficiently flexible to be disengaged from the rim of the container with minimal manual force absent the action of the locking ring, the lid portion being held in the ring portion to form a composite closure.
- As mentioned above, while the composite closure defined above has particular application to containers or cans of larger volumes which require a stronger lid portion, the closure also may offer advantages in other applications in which the closure may be formed as a unitary moulding of the same plastic material. A closure formed as a unitary moulding may have application in relation to containers for dangerous goods in which sealing integrity is important.
- Alternatively, the ring portion and the lid portion may be separately moulded from the same or different plastic materials, to form a composite plastic closure.
- The lid portion may be a metal lid similar to the metal lids illustrated in the above patent literature and having a rim formed to sealingly engage the rim of the container with the assistance of a gasket or seal formed in the peripheral rim of the lid in a known manner.
- Since the closure ring can be supplied separately to the lid portion and assembled during the closing process, the invention may further provide a closure ring for attachment to a lid portion having a peripheral ring portion adapted to sealingly engage the rim of a container, said closure ring having a depending portion adapted to engage the rim of the container to hold the peripheral ring portion in sealing engagement with the container rim, said depending portion being formed with a multiplicity of separate flexible finger elements each having an inwardly directed abutment portion which in use engages the rim of the container to hold the closure in the closed position, said fingers occupying in their as moulded or neutral positions a position in which the abutment portions are in use at least partially engaged with the rim of the container, and a locking ring surrounding the peripheral ring portion and being movable over the depending portion from a closed position in which the locking ring engages the depending portion to hold the depending portion in the rim engaging position to an open position in which the depending portion is not constrained by the locking ring and is free to be disengaged from the rim to allow detachment from the container.
- The locking ring may be formed from the same plastic material as the closure ring and is configured with an inner camming surface which engages the outer surface of the depending portion in use to force the abutment portions into engagement with the rim or curl to securely hold the closure in its closed condition.
- The closure ring and the locking ring may be formed as a unitary moulding with the locking ring in or slightly above the open position and held in this position by frangible elements connecting the locking ring to the closure ring. Thus after the closure has been fitted to a container, or before, as described below, the locking ring is pushed down either manually or by a machine to break the frangible elements and engage the skirt of the closure ring to hold the closure in its closed and sealed position.
- The ring portion of the closure may be formed with a projecting element which engages a groove formed in the locking ring in the open position to allow the locking ring to resist detachment and to allow the locking ring to be used to lift the closure from the container.
- Where the lid portion and ring portion are formed as an integral plastic moulding, the inner face of the lid portion may be covered by a barrier member to avoid the contents of the container penetrating the rim portion.
- In another aspect, the invention provides a method of fitting a closure of the type defined above to a container having a rim adapted to be engaged by the closure to close the container, comprising positioning the lid portion in the ring portion, closing the locking ring and fitting the closure to the container, the locking ring flexing sufficiently to allow the abutments to engage the rim.
- Each of the above defined aspects will be better understood in the light of the following embodiment which will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closure embodying the invention in the closed position on a container; -
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation through the closure and container ofFIG. 1 at a position remote from the handle on the closure; -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail showing small undercuts on the fingers; - FIGS. 4 is a sectional elevation through the closure at the handle, with the closure locking ring in the open condition;
-
FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional elevations illustrating two stages of the closure removal process, and -
FIG. 7 is a view similar toFIG. 3 showing the closure in the as moulded condition. - Referring to the drawings, the
closure 1 includes ametal lid 2 having an upstandingperipheral rim 3 formed with a downwardlyopen channel 4 including asuitable gasket material 5 adapted to sealingly engage thecurl 6 of ametal container 7 of know construction. Therim 3 of thelid 2 is received in a mouldedplastic ring 8 having a channel-shaped cavity 8 a shaped to relatively loosely receive therim 3. Thus, as distinct from the composite closures illustrated in the prior art detailed above, it is not important for therim 3 to be held captive in thering 8, provided it does not readily fall out of thering 8 during normal handling prior to and during the fitting of the closure to thecontainer 7. - The
ring 8 further includes aninner skirt 9 having aflange 10 which engages thelid 2 adjacent therim 3, and anouter skirt 11 depending from thechannel 8 a to a position below thecurl 6. - The
outer skirt 11 is formed with a multiplicity ofshaped fingers 12 each having an inwardly directedabutment 13 adapted to engage under thecurl 6 in the closed position illustrated inFIG. 2 , to hold theclosure 1 in the closed position on thecontainer 7. Each finger structure may be reinforced by integrally mouldedwebs 12 a as shown. - It will be noted that the
abutments 13 on thefingers 12 have a deep locking undercut, which increases the security of the locking action between theabutments 13 and thecurl 6. The division of the skirt into separate fingers allows the demoulding of the abutments of the configuration shown, which would not be possible with an integral skirt. - As mentioned earlier in the specification, and as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 8 , thefingers 12 are moulded to have a neutral position in which theabutments 13 engage thecurl 6. This means that when the fingers are locked as described below, there is little or no outward flex load on the locking ring and the closure has a stable locked condition. - The fingers are held in the closed position illustrated by a locking
ring 14 having aninternal camming surface 15 which terminates in an inwardly directedflange 17, which sequentially engage the outer surfaces of the fingers to force theabutments 13 into engagement with thecurl 6 as illustrated inFIG. 2 . The lockingring 14 is upwardly movable from the closed position ofFIG. 2 to the open position ofFIG. 4 , in which thecamming surface 15 andflange 17 are positioned above thefingers 12, which are then free to flex outwardly as theabutments 13 engage thecurl 6, to a position in which the abutments are free to flex around thecurl 6 as the closure is manually lifted from thecontainer 7, as illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6 . To assist in this regard, and to prevent thelocking ring 14 becoming detached from theclosure ring 8 in the open position ofFIG. 4 , thering 8 is formed with a shapedabutment 16 which is engaged by theflange 17, which as illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 4 , has a complementary shape designed to positively engage theabutment 16, as clearly illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6 . This enables the lockingring 14 to be gripped in the open position to lift theclosure 1 off thecontainer 7 in the manner shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 . - The locking
ring 14 is formed with anintegral handle 21 to assist in opening the closure. Thehandle 21 is formed in a recess in the upper edge of the lockingring 14 so that it occupies the position illustrated when at rest. The handle is attached to the lockingring 14 bystraps 21 a, each of which is formed with agroove 22 which allows the handle to be easily raised to a position more conducive to applying the appropriate lifting force to the locking ring. - During the lifting operation, the locking ring initially flexes and the upper portion of the locking ring disengages the skirt. Then as the locking ring is further lifted, the outward flex exerted on the fingers by their engagement with the curl sequentially raises the locking ring to allow the closure to be lifted off.
- To prevent the
locking ring 14 disengaging from theclosure ring 8 when it is moved to the closed position, thefingers 11 are formed with outwardly extendingstop members 18 which engages theflange 17 of the lockingring 14 when it reaches the closed position, as shown inFIG. 2 . The lockingring 14 is designed to have a neutral axis which is positioned below the neutral axis of thecurl 6 when the lockingring 14 is in the closed position ofFIG. 2 , to ensure that the lockingring 14 remains in the closed position when moved to that position. - To assist in locating the closure on a container, at least several of the
stop member 18, and preferably all of thestop members 18, are formed with adownward extension 19 and a reinforcingweb 20 shaped as shown to assist in locating the closure on the container and guiding the closure over thecurl 6 of the container during the closure fitting operation. - Some of the
fingers 12 havesmall undercuts 12 b (FIG. 3 ) which provide some resistance against the lockingring 14 moving from the locked position in the absence of a sufficient applied force. This reduces the likelihood of inadvertent opening during handling and transport. The undercuts 12 b are omitted in the threefingers 12 located at the position of thehandle 21 to reduce the resistance to opening in this region. The undercuts 12 b are formed on thenext fingers 12 and then on everysecond finger 12 around the periphery of the closure. - To allow better finger access to the
flange 17 of the lockingring 14, in the event that a handle is not provided, and to enable the ring to be more readily lifted towards the open position, selectedfingers 12 may be moulded without stop members (not shown), or selectedstop members 18 may be moulded with frangible connections (not shown) to thefingers 12 to enable the selected stop members to be removed if necessary. - The
closure ring 8 and the lockingring 14 may be formed as a unitary moulding with the lockingring 14 just above the open position as shown inFIG. 7 . The lockingring 14 is connected to theclosure ring 8 byfrangible elements 19 which are broken when the lockingring 14 is first moved to the closed position after fitting to acontainer 7 to be closed. Theclosure 1, as formed is capable of being fitted to a container by known automated closing apparatus with minimal modification of the apparatus. - The fitting of the closure to a container can be achieved in several different ways. For example the
metal lid 2 can be positioned on therim 6 of the container and theclosure ring 8 fitted over therim 3 of the lid, whereupon the lockingring 14 is pushed to the closed position either manually or by the use of known automated machinery. Alternatively, theclosure ring 8 may be fitted to therim 3 of thelid 2 and the assembly positioned on therim 6 of the container, whereupon the locking ring is pushed to the closed position as before. - In a further and preferred alternative, it has surprisingly been found that the
closure ring 8 andlid 2 can be fitted to a container rim with the lockingring 14 in the closed position, thering 14 stretching enough during this operation to allow theabutments 13 to flex outwardly to engage thecurl 6, but without damaging the closure. In this case theclosure 1 could be supplied to the user fully assembled ready for automated fitting by known machinery. - To assist in automated closing, the
closure ring 8 is formed with anupstanding bead 25 on its upper shoulder. This ensures that the force applied to theclosure 1 by the closing machine is shared by thebead 25 and the upper edge 26 of thering 8. - When the closure has been opened and the contents partially used, the container can be resealed by fitting the closure to the rim of the container with the locking ring up and then pushing the locking ring down to lock the closure in the closed condition. The opening and closing process can be repeated as many times as necessary while the container is in use.
- It will be appreciated from the above that the
closure 1 provides a function similar to the known metal locking ring without the disadvantages detailed above. Theclosure 1 furthermore allows opening without the need for the user to manually manipulate the skirt, as is required in some of the prior art closures described above.
Claims (13)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2005902907 | 2005-06-03 | ||
AU2005902907A AU2005902907A0 (en) | 2005-06-03 | Improved closure for containers |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20070045330A1 true US20070045330A1 (en) | 2007-03-01 |
Family
ID=36992582
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/444,531 Abandoned US20070045330A1 (en) | 2005-06-03 | 2006-06-01 | Closure for containers |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20070045330A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1728648A3 (en) |
AU (1) | AU2006202300B2 (en) |
NZ (1) | NZ547667A (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110239597A1 (en) * | 2007-10-18 | 2011-10-06 | Mccormick & Company, Incorporated | Tamper Resistant Container with Locking Rim |
US20120223077A1 (en) * | 2011-03-02 | 2012-09-06 | Rubbermaid, Inc. | Mechanically secured lid and container |
USD767387S1 (en) * | 2015-02-12 | 2016-09-27 | Aubrey Bailey Morgan Wyatt | Lid for container |
US20170305617A1 (en) * | 2014-09-24 | 2017-10-26 | Baltic Packaging A/S | A container with a lid and a securing ring |
US20210229893A1 (en) * | 2020-01-29 | 2021-07-29 | Igloo Products Corp. | Cooler latch |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CA2695655C (en) * | 2008-05-21 | 2014-05-20 | Helen Of Troy Limited | Container with sealing lid |
DE202010011347U1 (en) * | 2010-08-13 | 2010-10-28 | Schoeller Arca Systems Gmbh | Transport bucket with lid closure, in particular for the tight intake of flowable and / or pasty media |
ES1201886Y (en) * | 2017-11-30 | 2018-03-15 | Fernandez Julian Blanco | CLOSURE DEVICE FOR AN OPEN CONSERVATION CAN |
NO20190625A1 (en) * | 2019-05-16 | 2020-11-17 | Lidtek As | Lid and pail |
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AU767465C (en) | 1999-12-13 | 2007-03-29 | Nci Holdings Pty Ltd | Resealable closure for a container |
WO2001046026A1 (en) * | 1999-12-20 | 2001-06-28 | Gomez Cao Jose Luis | Container for liquids and closure for said container |
AU2001285604B2 (en) | 2000-09-08 | 2005-08-18 | Vip Plastic Packaging Pty Ltd | Container, container lid and locking ring |
NO20005745D0 (en) * | 2000-11-13 | 2000-11-13 | Kristian Bakke Haugen | Cork for mineral water bottles for one-handed operation - hereinafter called Drink Safe Cap |
AU2004100207B4 (en) | 2003-11-25 | 2004-11-11 | Nci Holdings Pty Ltd | A reusable closure for a container |
-
2006
- 2006-05-31 AU AU2006202300A patent/AU2006202300B2/en active Active
- 2006-06-01 US US11/444,531 patent/US20070045330A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2006-06-01 NZ NZ547667A patent/NZ547667A/en unknown
- 2006-06-02 EP EP06252864A patent/EP1728648A3/en not_active Withdrawn
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US1545227A (en) * | 1924-11-19 | 1925-07-07 | Louis E Baltzley | Closure |
US2037920A (en) * | 1932-05-23 | 1936-04-21 | Continental Can Co | Strip seal metal container |
US2045480A (en) * | 1933-07-31 | 1936-06-23 | Magnesen Seal And Closure Comp | Closure for bottles, jars, and similar containers |
US2339343A (en) * | 1940-04-11 | 1944-01-18 | Magnesen Seal And Closure Comp | Closure for bottles, jars, and other containers |
US2301962A (en) * | 1941-02-13 | 1942-11-17 | Edward C Mclean | Closure for jars and similar containers |
US2576580A (en) * | 1948-11-16 | 1951-11-27 | Mero Co Inc | Bottle cap |
US2814405A (en) * | 1954-12-31 | 1957-11-26 | Illinois Tool Works | Closure device |
US4279353A (en) * | 1977-04-23 | 1981-07-21 | Zensho Honma | Plastic bottle cap |
US4192428A (en) * | 1977-08-16 | 1980-03-11 | Segmueller B J | Bottle cap |
US4359166A (en) * | 1979-11-07 | 1982-11-16 | Createchnic Patent Ag | Container closure cap |
US5269429A (en) * | 1990-05-15 | 1993-12-14 | Robert Finke Gmbh & Co. Kg | Closure cap for infusion or transfusion bottles |
US5421469A (en) * | 1993-03-02 | 1995-06-06 | Morihiro Sudo | Synthetic resin sealing cap for a fluid bottle |
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110239597A1 (en) * | 2007-10-18 | 2011-10-06 | Mccormick & Company, Incorporated | Tamper Resistant Container with Locking Rim |
US20120223077A1 (en) * | 2011-03-02 | 2012-09-06 | Rubbermaid, Inc. | Mechanically secured lid and container |
US9321564B2 (en) * | 2011-03-02 | 2016-04-26 | Rubbermaid Incorporated | Mechanically secured lid and container |
US20170305617A1 (en) * | 2014-09-24 | 2017-10-26 | Baltic Packaging A/S | A container with a lid and a securing ring |
US10543964B2 (en) * | 2014-09-24 | 2020-01-28 | Baltic Packaging A/S | Container with a lid and a securing ring |
USD767387S1 (en) * | 2015-02-12 | 2016-09-27 | Aubrey Bailey Morgan Wyatt | Lid for container |
US20210229893A1 (en) * | 2020-01-29 | 2021-07-29 | Igloo Products Corp. | Cooler latch |
US11840393B2 (en) * | 2020-01-29 | 2023-12-12 | Igloo Products Corp. | Cooler latch |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2006202300A1 (en) | 2006-12-21 |
NZ547667A (en) | 2007-10-26 |
AU2006202300B2 (en) | 2011-11-10 |
EP1728648A3 (en) | 2012-03-21 |
EP1728648A2 (en) | 2006-12-06 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: VISY INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING HOLDINGS P/L, AUSTRALIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MCFADYEN, ROBERT CECIL;REEL/FRAME:018423/0090 Effective date: 20060823 |
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Owner name: PACT GROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:VISY INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING HOLDINGS PTY LTD;REEL/FRAME:023681/0152 Effective date: 20070518 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: VIP PLASTIC PACKAGING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:PACT GROUP PTY LTD;REEL/FRAME:026185/0530 Effective date: 20110412 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO PAY ISSUE FEE |