WO1994014588A1

WO1994014588A1 - Closure for dispensing produce from a container

Info

Publication number: WO1994014588A1
Application number: PCT/US1993/012550
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stafford Thompson
Original assignee: Sdt Technologies, Inc.
Priority date: 1992-12-22
Filing date: 1993-12-21
Publication date: 1994-07-07
Also published as: AU5985994A

Abstract

A plastic closure (1) or spigot for a container including a bi-stable element (20) intended to dispense product therethrough without its removal from the container, and a method of forming the closure or spigot. The method consists of forming the closure in a mold so that all structural elements are in axial alignment. During ejection from the mold, the closure is collapsed axially into a closed position ready for capping a container. Also described are features for opening, closing, and sealing the closure.

Description

CLOSURE FOR DISPENSING PRODUCT FROM A CONTAINER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a plastic closure or spigot for a container having a bi-stable element intended to dispense product therethrough without its removal from the container.

BACKGROUND

The use of closures for dispensing product without their removal is well known. Such closures offer great consumer convenience, particulaci-y with squeezable plastic containers. Some such closures are assemblies of plastic parts which operate to open and close the container by lifting, twisting or pushing down on a portion of the assembly. These closures are popularly referred to as pull-push, twist, turret and disk top closures and are seen on a wide variety of products including cosmetics, drugs, foods, household chemicals, etc. Some other dispensing closures are unitary plastic moldings typically referred to as captive lid or hinged, flip top closures and are also used for a broad range of products. All of the above closures can also be categorized as those employing biasing means in their opening or closing operation and those which do not employ such means.

Popular closures employing biasing means are the hinged, flip-top closure and the disk-top closure. A popular unitary dispensing closure in use today is

SUBSTfTUTESHPrr the biasing-hinge, flip-top closure which is distinguished^' from the captive lid closure by the convenience afforded by its biasing hinge in opening and reclosing. This closure has other advantages such as the fact that it is a single molding and does not reguire an assembly operation, it may be self- cleaning, it can incorporate a non-dripping lip feature, and it may dispense products with a very wide range of viscosities, including dry particulate products. Disadvantages of the biasing-hinged, flip- top closure lie in the fact that molding economies are offset by reduced mold cavitation, longer molding cycles and the need for a post-molding operation to close the closure; the hinges also form projections from the sidewall affecting appearance and the capping operation; the product is limited to being dispensed axially so that the container must be tilted almost vertically to direct the flow; and for some products there is a preference for a closure whose lid can be pressed down to open or close.

Other one-piece closure designs having biasing features have been proposed (eg. U.S. Patent Nos. 3,323,694; 3,405,848; 4,386,720; 4,440,327; 4,601,413). However, such proposed designs continue to have limitations because they dispense product axially, open only by lifting, are not self cleaning, do not have provision for a non-drip pouring feature and/or are complicated and expensive to produce.

Thus, existing dispensing closures are beset with problems associated with their cost to manufacture and the fact that no single design incorporates all or nearly all of the desired performance features for the broad spectrum of dispensed products. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a new and unique plastic closure for dispensing a product from a container, and a process for producing it, wherein the closure is unitary and comprises a lid for closing the container, a skirt having means to secure the closure to the container and an intermediate portion connecting the two comprising a bi-stable peripheral wall defining a generally truncated geometrical shape (e.g., cone, spheroid, toroid, polyhedron), and an outlet or orifice for dispensing a product. The lid, skirt and bi-stable connecting element are in axial alignment with one another. The bi-stable connecting element is capable of inverting to expand and collapse a portion of the closure sidewall. In the expanded position, the orifice is exposed and open. In the collapsed position, the orifice is hidden and closed. The orifice may be located in the bi-stable connecting element, in an adjacent portion or in both.

In a preferred embodiment a means of opening the closure may be by lifting a portion of the periphery of the lid whereafter closing may be accomplished by pressing down on the same portion of lid periphery. Optionally, opening and closing may be accomplished by lifting the entire periphery of the lid or pressing it down. In another option, a second outlet may be provided opposite the first and may have different dimensions wherein it may be used as a vent or to offer the user a second choice of how the product may be dispensed (e.g., volume, shape of effluent stream, insertion of spoon, etc.)

A preferred means of producing the closure is by molding wherein during removal from the mold, the bi-stable connecting element may be inverted and the closure collapsed, thereby closing the closure and its orifice.

In another preferred embodiment, the closure may be opened by pressing a portion of the lid periphery down or lifting an opposing peripheral portion and thereafter closed by pressing down said opposing peripheral portion. During removal of the closure of this embodiment from its mold, the bi- stable connecting element may be inverted at the segment of the periphery which includes the orifice to close and seal the closure, but not inverted at the opposite peripheral segment. Additionally a fulcrum is provided whereby the lid can be levered so that opening can be accomplished by pressing the lid periphery above the uninverted portion of the bi¬ stable connecting element to collapse it whereupon the oppositely located previously inverted portion of the element is reverted and expanded by the lifting action of the lever-lid to expose and open the orifice for dispensing a product. Optionally, the closure may be opened by lifting the lid above the inverted portion of the bi-stable element to revert it directly thereby exposing and opening the orifice while the opposing periphery collapses.

In yet another embodiment, the bi¬ stable connecting element is defined by a generally truncated geometrical shape wherein one side of its periphery is not curvilinear, but generally linear. The lid is hinged at or adjacent the linear segment so that the closure may be opened by lifting the lid periphery orthogonal to the hinge to expand the bi¬ stable element and expose and open the closure outlet. In still another preferred embodiment a plurality of bi-stable elements are included and a peripheral wall abuts one of the bi-stable elements on its inner periphery to seal the closure.

A feature of the invention is its low cost derived from the fact that the cap is unitary and upon removal from the mold is in its closed position so that no subsequent assembly or closing operation is required.

Another feature of the invention is its low cost derived from greater mold cavitation. Not only is the closure unitary but all elements of it are in axial alignment and may be center gated so that the area of the mold required to produce it is reduced.

Yet another feature of the invention is its low cost derived from improved cooling and shorter molding cycles because all elements of the closure are in axial alignment and may be center gated.

An additional feature of the invention is that it has no projecting hinges requiring special capping heads or other handling precautions, or resulting in discomfort to the user.

Still another feature of the invention is that it provides a radial stream of product so that the container requires less tilting to dispense a product. Yet another feature of the invention is that for different embodiments, the closure may offer the convenience of being opened by pressing down a portion of the lid periphery opposite the orifice or by lifting the lid periphery above the orifice or both modes of opening may be provided in the same closure.

An additional feature of the invention is that the orifice is self cleaning when reopened.

Still another feature of the invention is that the orifice may have a non-drip lip. Another feature of the invention is that it may be non-glugging to facilitate the pouring of beverages and other low viscosity products.

Another feature of the invention is that a positive secondary seal may be provided away from the primary seal .

Another feature of the invention is that lifting forces can be low as a result of configurations yielding low inversion force for inverting the bi-stable elements. Another feature of the invention is that the liftable lids of the invention can be protected from accidental opening.

Another feature of the invention is that it may be used for a broad range of products which are liquids, powders or various particulate products.

Additionally the closure of the invention has a clean, attractive appearance so that it may be used for cosmetic and other stylish packages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is a detailed description together with accompanying drawings of illustrative embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation apparent to those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a closure of the invention as formed in a mold before the mold is opened illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of Fig. 1; FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the closure of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a closed configuration after it is ejected from a mold;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective' view of the closure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the closure of FIGS. 1 to 4 in an open configuration;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective of the closure of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal view of the closure of FIG. 6, with the closure rotated 90 degrees;

FIG. 9 is the same as FIG. 8, except the mold is shown opened with the closure remaining on the mold core;

FIG. 10 is the same as FIG. 9, except that the closure is partially stripped from the mold core;

FIG. 11 is the same as FIG. 10, except that the closure is more fully stripped from the mold core; FIG. 12 is the same as FIG. 11, except that the closure is fully stripped from the mold core and is in a closed configuration;

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a closure of the invention as formed in a mold before the mold is opened illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the closure of FIGS. 13 and 14 after it is ejected from a mold in a closed configuration;

FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of the closure of FIGS. 13 to 16 in an open configuration; FIG. 18 is the same as Fig. 17, except the closure is rotated 90 degrees.

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIG. 18; FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view of a closure of the invention as formed in a mold before the mold is opened illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 21 is an elevational view of the closure of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a top perspective view of the closure of FIG. 21 except that the closure is rotated 90 degrees;

FIG. 23 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIGS. 20 to 22 showing the closure in a closed configuration;

FIG. 24 is a plan view of the closure of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a top perspective view of the closure of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged sectional view of, and generally the same as, the closure shown in FIG. 2 except that the orifice includes a non-drip lip;

FIG. 27 is a longitudinal view of the closure orifice of FIG. 26; and

FIG. 28 is generally the same as FIG. 26 except that the orifice is in a closed configuration.

FIG. 29 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIG. 29 in a closed configuration after it is ejected from a mold;

FIG. 30 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIG. 29 in a closed configuration after it is ejected from a mold; FIG. 31 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the closure of FIGS. 29 and 30 in an open configuration;

FIG. 32 is a longitudinal view of the closure of FIG. 31, with the closure rotated 90 degrees;

FIG. 33 is a longitudinal view of the closure of FIG. 31;

FIG. 34 is a longitudinal view of the closure of FIG. 30;

FIG. 35 is a longitudinal sectional view of a closure as formed in a mold before the mold is opened in open position illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention; FIG. 36 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIG. 35 in a closed configuration, after it is ejected from a mold;

FIG. 37 is a longitudinal view of the closure of FIG. 36, with the closure rotated 90 degrees;

FIG. 38 is a plan view of the closure of FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 is a top perspective view of the closure of FIGS. 35 to 38; FIG. 40 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lid and intermediate portion of a closure as formed in a mold before the mold is opened illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 41 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid and intermediate portion of FIG. 40, rotated 90 degrees;

FIG. 42 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid and intermediate portion of FIG. 40 in a closed configuration after it is ejected from a mold; FIG. 43 is a bottom view of the intermediate portion of FIG. 42;

FIG. 44 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lid and intermediate portion of a closure in a closed configuration as ejected from a mold, illustrating another preferred ^■ embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 45 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid and intermediate portion of FIG. 44 in a partially opened configuration;

FIG. 46 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid and intermediate portion of FIG. 44 in a fully opened configuration;

FIG. 47 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lid and intermediate portion of a closure in a closed configuration as ejected from a mold, illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 48 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid and intermediate portion of a closure of FIG. 47 in a partially opened configuration;

FIG. 49 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lid and intermediate portion of a closure of FIG. 47 in a fully opened configuration; FIG. 50 is a top perspective view of a closure in its closed position illustrating another preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 51 is a top perspective view of the closure of FIG. 50 showing it in an open position; FIG. 52 is a plan view of the closure of

FIGS. 50 and 51 showing its bi-stable element in phantom;

FIG. 53 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIGS. 50 to 53 taken along the major axis of the bi-stable element; FIG. 54 is an elevational view taken along the line 55-55 of FIG. 53;

FIG. 56 is a longitudinal sectional view of the closure of FIGS. 50 to 56 in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, there is shown a semi-rigid threaded dispensing closure 1 of plastic having a lid 10, a lower peripheral internally- threaded skirt 50 and an interconnecting portion comprising a peripheral bi-stable element 20 and an integrally connected peripheral wall 14. The skirt 50 has a shoulder 40 which includes a seal 42 for sealing the closure to the threaded neck of a container, not shown. The bi-stable element 20 is connected to the skirt shoulder 40 by a peripheral hinge 32 and is connected to the peripheral wall 14 by a peripheral hinge 31. The bi-stable element 20 has the shape of a truncated cone facing upwardly and is invertible downwardly by employing hinges 31 and 32. The flexibility of hinges 31 and 32 are controlled by their relationship with grooves 18 and 34 which define the hinge thickness and land dimensions. A snap fit element 27 projects from bi-stable element 20 and a coacting snap fit element 17 projects from peripheral wall 14. All the closure structural elements are in axial alignment and the closure is unitary. The illustrated wall 14 has an outlet or orifice 15 which abuts a cooperating orifice 23 in the bi-stable element 20 and provides a radial stream of product. The orifice 15 is bordered by a sealing contour or lip 16 which engages the periphery of orifice 23.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the closure 1 as it is formed in a mold before it is collapsed into its working configuration, then shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in its closed and sealed position and then in Figs.5 to 7 in its open position.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the dispensing closure in its closed and sealed position. The bi¬ stable element 20 is positioned downwardly so that its snap-fit element 27 is positioned to provide an intimate snap-fit interference with snap-fit element 17 of peripheral wall 14 to also create a secondary seal for the closure. In addition, in this position lip 16 surrounding orifice 15 engages and seals the periphery of orifice 23 to create a primary seal for the closure. In the closed position, orifices 15 and 23 are in radial alignment with each other. Means to open the closure by lifting lid 10 is provided by a crevice 46 which is created by indent 12 on lid 10 at its peripheral location 11a above orifices 15 and 23 and a similar indent 44 located on skirt shoulder 40.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show the dispensing closure 1 in its open position after lid 10 has been raised and bi-stable element 20 inverted by lifting lid 10 at its periphery 11a. As shown, the inversion of bi-stable element 20 is partial in that only the peripheral portion under lid periphery 11a where it is lifted actually inverts. This is facilitated by the flexibility of element 20 and element 14, their ability to expand at their juncture away from the locale of inversion by becoming oval or warped, and by providing suitably flexible hinges 32 and 31. Alternatively the closure 1 may be opened by lifting lid 10 around its full periphery so that bi-stable element 20 is completely inverted as illustrated by FIG. 2. As lid 10 is lifted, the seal 16 parts from the periphery of orifice 23 to unseal the closure. The two orifices 15 and 23 now unfold to create an opening which is very much larger than in the radially-aligned closed position so that any residue which might have been left therein by the container contents on closing would not plug the enlarged orifice and would be easily dislodged.

Optionally the shape ^■ of the bi-stable element 20 may have other truncated geometric shapes such as a spheroid, toroid or polyhedron.

A feature of the engagement of seal 16 with the periphery of bi-stable element orifice 23 is the location of groove 18 which is such that the line of folding at hinge 31 is slightly within the plane of seal 16 so that a very tight sealing engagement is assured at hinge 31. FIGS. 8 to 12 illustrate a preferred method of the invention by which the closure 1 of FIGS. 1 to 7 is produced. A mold 60 is shown comprising a cavity 61 which forms lid 10, another cavity portion 63 which forms the skirt 50, split cavity portions 62a and 62b which form peripheral wall 14 and bi-stable element 20, core 65 which forms the interior surfaces of closure 1, and stripper element 67. Cavity 61 includes a runner ^• 68 and a gate 69 through which molten plastic is introduced to the mold assembly. FIG. 8 illustrates mold 60 in its closed position after plastic has been introduced. The action of the mold during closure removal is illustrated by FIGS. 9 to 12. FIG. 9 shows the mold 60 is opened by parting along the line between cavity portion 61 and split cavity portions 62a and 62b which then have been moved laterally to enable closure 1 to be removed axially from cavity portion 63. At this point closure 1 is held on core 65 by thread 52 and the interference of peripheral wall 14 because of its inverted truncated conical shape. Stripper portion 67 is then used to strip closure 1 from cavity 63 while the core 65 is unscrewed from within the closure 1 as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12. As relative axial motion of stripper 67 occurs with respect to core 65 and closure 1, bi- stable element 20 is caused to fold and invert (FIG. 10) by the axial force directed to it by wall 14 which is held fast to core 65 by the interference created by its conical shape until bi-stable element 20 is completely inverted, seal 16 sealingly engages the periphery of orifice 23 and lid 10 engages shoulder 40 (FIG 11). At this point closure 1 is still engaged by core 65 as a result of the interference of peripheral wall 14. As relative axial movement of stripper portion 67 and closure 1 progresses (FIG. 11), core 65 withdraws from lid 10 and peripheral wall 14 with resultant expansion of wall 14 and bi-stable element 20 until closure 1 is completely free of core 65 (FIG. 12). At this point closure 1 is in a closed position ready for commercial application to a container. Optionally cavity portion 63 may also be split.

Optionally the method of the invention may include molding a cap with a peripheral wall 14 which is cylindrical (see FIGS. 47 to 49) and which by itself offers no interference to closure removal from the mold core 65. In this instance interference to removal from core 65 may be introduced by other means including suitable undercuts between the cylindrical peripheral wall 14 and mold core 65 to assure a continuing force on bi-stable element 20 and thereby its inversion during mold removal.

Optionally the method of the invention may accomplish removal of the closure from the mold by alternative means such as stripping the threads of the closure from the core or by employing a multicomponent core which is collapsible to produce a fully collapsed and closed closure. Alternatively any means of mold removal may be employed followed by a separate, subsequent collapsing and closing of the closure.

Useful plastic materials which may be used for forming the closures of the invention include polypropylene, polyethylene and other semi-rigid, semi-flexible polymers.

Typical dimensions for bi-stable element 20 in a 33mm diameter closure are about .015 to .040 inches in thickness, for hinges 31 and 32 about .010 to .020 inches and for peripheral wall 14 about .015 to .040 inches.

The orifices of the invention may be round, oval, rectangular or of any desired shape and desired size. The orifices may be located only in the bi¬ stable element 20 or the coacting peripheral wall 14 or both. There may also be a plurality of orifices including one or more located at different positions around the closure perimeter. For example, a first orifice may be for dispensing product while a second oppositely placed may be employed as a vent to allow air into a non-squeezable container to allow the free and continuous flow of liquid from the first orifice. Or the second orifice may have a different size or shape from the first to provide a different effluent pattern or volume or, for dry product, to permit access for a spoon. The second orifice may be preferentially accessed by lifting the lid periphery only above the second orifice. Or there may be a plurality of smaller orifices arrayed to spray a liguid or powdery product.

Closures of the invention may be used to dispense a wide variety of products from squeeze bottles, including lotions, detergents, food products, etc. Also they may be employed with rigid containers to dispense distilled spirits, wine and other free flowing beverages and liquids to restrain or meter the volume of flow or to provide a non-glugging character to the effluent. In addition, the closures of the invention may be employed as spigots for beverages and other liquids contained in kegs, bag-in-box and other containers.

Referring now to FIGS. 13 to 19, there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention in which a closure 70 is configured to be opened by pressing down on a peripheral portion of its lid 72 or optionally by lifting up an opposing portion of its periphery. FIGS. 13 and 14 show the closure 70, as formed in a mold before ejection, having a lid 72, a lower skirt 80 including threads 82 and an interconnecting portion comprising a peripheral bi¬ stable element 81 and a coacting peripheral wall 83. The skirt 80 has a peripheral shoulder 74 which includes a seal 76 for sealing the closure to the threaded neck of a container, not shown. Extending upwardly from shoulder 74 are opposing ramped shoulders 78. The bi-stable element 81 is connected to the ramped shoulders 78 by a peripheral hinge 71 and is connected to_ the peripheral wall 83 by a peripheral hinge 73. The bi-stable element 81 has a modified truncated cone shape facing upwardly and is invertible downwardly as a result of its flexibility and by employing hinges 71 and 73. The flexibility of hinges 71 and 73 are controlled by their relationship with grooves 75 and 77 which define the hinge thickness and land dimensions. Peripheral wall 83 is connected to the lid 72 by a hinge 86 which facilitates the ability of wall 83 to respond to the inversion and reversion of bi-stable element 81 by ovalizing at and adjacent to hinge 73. All the structural elements of closure 70 are in axial alignment. The peripheral wall 83 has an outlet or orifice 79 which abuts on a part of its periphery a cooperating orifice 85 in the bi-stable element 81. The orifice 79 is bordered by a sealing contour 84 which engages the periphery of orifice 85 in the closed position to seal the orifice 88.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show the closure 70 after ejection from a mold having been collapsed axially into its working configuration in the manner described for FIGS. 8 to 12. In this embodiment it is desired not to collapse that portion of the periphery opposite the orifices 79 and 85. To facilitate this, the forward peripheral wall 83a, which includes the orifice 79, has an inverted conical shape which interferes with the mold core removal while the oppositely disposed peripheral wall 83b is cylindrical and does not interfere with mold core removal. The result upon mold ejection of the closure is to invert only forward bi-stable element 81a which places orifice 79 adjacent to and within orifice 85 and seals the aligned orifices 85 and 79 with seal 84 as shown in FIG. 16. FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate this embodiment in its closed and sealed position. FIGS. 17 to 19 illustrate the closure 70 in its open position. The closure is opened by pressing the lid 72 downward at its rearward periphery 72a or by lifting at its forward periphery 72c which includes an overhang for such a purpose. With downward pressure at lid periphery 72a, the rearward bi-stable^' element portion 81b is thereby caused to invert and because the periphery of lid 72 is engaged by the upstanding ramped shoulders 78 at central locations 72b and 78a, the lid 72 is pivoted so that its forward portion 72c lifts the forward bi-stable element portion 81a and peripheral wall portion 83a and unfolds the orifices 79 and 85 from one another to form a larger dispensing orifice 88 as shown in FIG. 19. The closure 70 is held in the open position by the biasing action of bi-stable element portions 81a and 81b as shown in FIG. 19. The closure 70 is closed by pressing forward lid portion 72c down to force the forward bi-stable element portion 81a to invert thereby engaging seal 84 with the periphery of orifice 85 and sealing the container while the rearward lid portion 72a is pivoted upward to revert the rearward bi-stable element portion 81b whereupon the biasing action of bi-stable element portions 81a and 81b maintain the closure 70 in its closed position. Optionally the rearward bi-stable element portion 81b does not invert and revert but simply performs as a vertically collapsible and expandable element relying on the forward bi-stable element portion 81a to bias the closure open and closed. When closure 70 is opened by lifting at the overhang of its forward peripheral portion 72c, the forward bi-stable element portion 81a is inverted thereby unfolding sealed orifices 79 and 85 to create the larger, open orifice 88 as shown in FIG. 19. The configuration of closure 70 is prevented from returning to its as-molded configuration shown in FIG. 14 because of the difficulty ^• of inverting the intermediate bi-stable portions 81c simultaneously with forward bi-stable portion 81a. As a result, rearward bi-stable portion 81b inverts simultaneously with forward portion 81a. Product may then be dispensed. The closure 70 may be reclosed by pressing down on the lid forward periphery 72c to revert forward and rearward bi-stable element portions 81a and 81b to close orifice 88 as shown in FIG. 16. Referring now to FIGS. 20 to 25, there is shown another embodiment of the invention in which the configuration of the bi-stable element of FIGS. 1 to

7 is modified to include a linear portion to act in concert with a hinged lid.

FIGS. 20 to 22 show a closure 90 in an open configuration as it is formed in a mold and before it is ejected and collapsed into a closed condition, having a lid 92 including a liftable portion 92a connected by a hinge 94 to an immovable lid portion 92b and a lower internally threaded skirt 93 having a shoulder 95 and an interconnecting portion consisting of a bi-stable element 96 having a modified upstanding conical shape and a coacting wall 98 having a modified depending conical shape. The bi-stable element 96 is connected to shoulder 95 by a hinge 97 and connected to the wall 98 by a hinge 91. Bi-stable element 96 and wall 98 are also connected to lid portion 92 by hinge 94 which represents a linear portion of their periphery. The shoulder 95 has a depending seal 102 and the skirt 93 has threads 104 for engagement with a threaded neck of a container, not shown. All the closure structural elements are in axial alignment. The bi-stable element has a plurality of outlets or orifices 99 therein suitable for dispensing a powder. The wall 98 has a plurality of sealing projections 101 which cooperate with the orifices 99 to seal them when the closure is in the closed position. Alternatively sealing contours may be provided around the periphery of the orifices 99 which provide sealing contact with an uncontoured wall 98.

FIGS. 23 to 25 show the closure 90 in a closed configuration which is accomplished during ejection from its mold as a result of the interference to mold core removal created by the depending conical shape of wall 98 as described in FIGS. 8 to 12.

In the closed configuration of FIGS. 23 to 25, bi-stable element 96 has been inverted and the sealing projections 101 of wall 98 are engaged with the orifices of bi-stable element 96 in a plug-seal self-cleaning arrangement wherein any residual product is displaced from the orifices 99 by the projections 101. To open closure 90, a digital purchase is provided at lid portion 92c and shoulder portion 95a whereby liftable lid portion 92c is lifted and bi¬ stable element 96 is inverted and the orifices 99 are positioned for dispensing. Inversion of bi-stable element 96 is facilitated by the flexibility of wall 98 at and adjacent the hinge 91 so that ovalization may occur thereat. The bias of bi-stable element 96 holds the lid 92a in the open position until it is pressed down whereupon bi-stable element 96 reverts and holds the lid 92c and the sealing projections 101 and orifices 99 in their closed position as a result of its bias.

Referring now to FIGS. 26 to 28 there is shown a portion of a closure of the invention with an outlet or orifice 118 which includes a non-drip lip and sealing contour about its periphery having a knife edge cross section. The peripheral wall 114 is orthogonal to the lid 10 so that space is provided at orifice 115 for a tapered lip 116 about its periphery and is connected by hinge 126 with bi-stable element 120 which has an orifice 123 with a tapered lip 124 around its periphery. In the open position as shown in Figs. 26 and 27, orifices 115 and 123 abut along a portion of their peripheries to provide the larger orifice 118. The lip 116 of orifice 115 is slanted in relation to the wall 114 so that its ends 112 at hinge 126 are flush with wall 114. The lip 124 of orifice 123 at its ends 128 is not flush with bi-stable element 120 and is slightly unaligned with the ends of the lip 116 of orifice 115.

As shown in FIG. 28 when the bi-stable element 120 is inverted the lips 116 and 124 engage one another in a frictional fit to form a line seal 133 where the edge of lip 124, including its ends 128, slides frictionally within the bore of lip 116 to close the orifice 118. The edge 136 of lip 124 is thin to promote non-drip dispensing and a good sealing contact with the bore 117 of lip 116 and preferably may range in sharpness from the knife edge as shown to about .020 inches in thickness. The hinge 126 is slightly offset from the juncture of the lip ends 112 and 128, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, to assure an intimate mating and sealing of the lip surfaces at the hinge 126. Dotted line 135 in FIG. 27 indicates the line of sealing contact of lip 116 on lip 124. The balance of the sealing engagement is accomplished by contact of the edge 136 of lip 124 on the bore 117 of lip 116.

Referring now to FIGS. 29 to 34, there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention in which a closure 140 includes an inner peripheral plug seal 148, two bi-stable elements 142 and 144, and an intermediate non-bistable element 146 integrally connected to elements 142 and 144.' FIG. 29 shows the closure as formed in a mold. It includes a lid 143, a closure-to-bottle seal 145, threads 147 and an outlet or orifice 141 formed partially in the bi¬ stable element 144 and the non bi-stable element 146. FIG. 30 shows the closure as it is removed from the mold in a closed configuration by the method of FIGS. 8 to 12. When the bi-stable elements 144 and 142 are inverted to close the closure, the peripheral^' plug seal 148 is moved into position to abut and seal against the inner hinge or periphery 149 of the lower bi-stable element 142 and non bi-stable element 146. This effectively closes and seals the outlet 141. A snap-fit closing action is provided by the interference achieved by the tip 152 of seal 148 which protrudes outwardly to slightly engage the underside of the inner periphery 149 of bi-stable element 142. An additional means of sealing the outlet 141 is achieved by the slight curvature provided to the vertical cross section of bi-stable element 144 which provides a sealing contact with pressure between it and the integrally connected non bi-stable element 146 which can be over its entire interface. The curvature of element 144 also serves to clear product from between its interface with non bi-stable element 146 during closing by providing a squeezing action to express contents from this area. A sequence of inversion between bi-stable elements 142 and 144 may be achieved so that the inversion of one precedes the other by providing structural susceptibility to inversion to one which is greater than the other. For example the opening in bi-stable element 144 reduces its hoop strength and thereby increases its ease of inversion. Optional means of decreasing the bi-stable element's hoop strength may also be used including corrugations, pleats or thin areas orthoganal to its circumference (see FIGS. 40 to 43).

Referring now to FIGS. 35 to 39, there is shown a closure 160 of the invention similar to the closure of FIGS. 20 to 25 which is configured so that it can be produced in a mold without the need for side-acting mold components. The closure 160 consists of a fixed lid portion 161a and a liftable lid portion 161b having a linear hinge 169 and a foldable diaphragm portion consisting of a bi-stable element 163 and a non bi-stable coacting element 162 therebetween. The bi-stable element is connected to fixed lid portion 161a by a curvilinear hinge 158a and to non bi-stable element 162 by a curvilinear hinge 159. The non bi¬ stable element 162 is connected to the liftable lid portion 161b by curvilinear hinge 158b. An orifice or outlet 165 similar to that described in FIGS. 1 to 7 is provided by coacting and abutting outlets 165a and 165b located at hinge 159 in non bi-stable element 162 and bi-stable element 163 which produce a radial stream of product. FIGS 35, 37 and 38 show the closure in its open position as it is formed in a mold with liftable lid portion 161b upstanding, and FIGS. 36 and 39 show the closure in its closed position as it is ejected from the mold employing the method described in FIGS. 8 to 12. In this case the interference for pulling the closure shut upon withdrawal of the mold core from the molded closure is provided by a ledge 167. A snap-fit action is provided to the closing of closure 160 by coacting projections 166, located adjacent the liftable lid portion 161b in non bi-stable element 162, and 168, located adjacent the fixed lid portion 161a in bi- stable element 163. Inversion of bi-stable element 163 is facilitated by the flexibility of non bi-stable element 62 at and adjacent hinge 159 so that ovalization may occur thereat.

Referring now to FIGS. 40 to 43, there is shown the lid and intermediate portion of the closure described in FIGS. 1 to 7 including a bistable and coacting non bi-stable element which have been modified to reduce the lifting force needed for inversion of the bi-stable element. When a lifting force is applied to the lid 171, inversion of the bi- stable element 172 can take place only if the hinge 175 and adjacent portions of the bi-stable element 172 and non bi-stable element 174 collapse or ovalize circumferentially. Since complete freedom to ovalize is affected by the rigidity of the lid 171 and shoulders 177, facilitating the circumferential collapse is accomplished by including coacting pleats 178 and 176 in the bi-stable and non bi-stable elements 172 and 174 which collapse circumferentially as shown in FIG. 43 when a lifting force is applied to lid 171. Optionally, currugations, thin areas or other areas of weakness orthogonal to the circumference of bi-stable element 172 may be used to reduce the force needed for inversion. Referring now to FIGS. 44 to 46, there is illustrated a lid and intermediate portion of the closure of FIGS. 1 to 7 in which the bi-stable element has been modified to reduce the initial and peak lifting forces. The bi-stable element 182 consists of two portions, a first bi-stable element 182a having a comparatively more acute angle to its axis 185 and a second bi-stable element 182b connected by a hinge 187 having a comparatively less acute angle to axis 185. When the lid 181 is lifted the bi-stable element 182b can be lifted with less force than if a single conical bi-stable element were used because of its more The orthogonal attitude to the axis and the lifting force 183. For the same reason bi-stable element 182b will invert before element 182a. While the less orthognonal attitude to axis 185 of bi-stable element 182a would be expected to raise the peak lifting force, in this embodiment the lifting force is lowered because its hinge 187, at and adjacent to which the resistance to inversion is greatest, is of a greater diameter and because the length of its radial cross section is shorter than would be provided by a single bi-stable element and therefore inverts more easily.

Referring now to FIGS. 47 to 49, there are shown other configurations which reduce initial and peak lifting forces for the closure described in FIGS. 1 to 7 and FIGS. 44 to 46. A lid 191 is attached to a generally cylindrical non bi-stable element 194 which in turn is connected to a truncated spherical shaped bi-stable element 192 by a hinge 195. The cylindrical shape and more central attachment to lid 191 of non bi-stable element 194 reduces the lifting force 193 by first providing more leverage because its attachment site to lid 191 is closer to the lid turning fulcrum 197 and secondly by exerting a lift in a direction more orthogonal to the plane of bi-stable element 192 at its attachment site. Additionally the spherical shape of bi-stable element 192 provides a lower segment 192b close to and at hinge 195 which is more orthogonal to the axis 196 and therefore is easier to lift while the upper segment 192a is more remote from the axis which reduces lifting force as described in FIGS. 44 to 46.

Referring now to FIGS. 50 to 56, there is shown another embodiment of the invention in which the closure of FIGS. 13 to 19 has been modified to include fixed lid portions 207 which serve as a means of preventing opening of the liftable lid portion 202 when dropped accidentally. FIG. 50 shows the closure 200 and the relationship of fixed lid portion 207 and liftable lid portion 202 wherein the fixed shoulder portions 207a prevent the depression of liftable lid portion end 202a and thereby the lifting of end 207b exposing the orifice 205 and opening the closure 200, except by digital manipulation. The incorporation of the fixed lid portion 207 is made possible by configuring the bi-stable element 201 and non bi¬ stable element 203 into an oval shape as illustrated by FIGS. 52, 53 and 54. As shown in FIG. 56, to open, the liftable lid end 207a is depressed and rotated around pivot 209 to abut ramp 208. To close, the liftable lid end 207b is depressed.

Claims

1. A closure for a container having a lid, a skirt and means for engaging the container, comprising: an interconnecting portion made from polymeric material connecting the lid to the skirt and including a bi-stable region and a connected coacting region in which one of said regions includes an outlet in its wall for dispensing the contents of the container and the other includes a closure in its wall for closing such outlet, and wherein closing of said outlet is achieved with said bi-stable region in a first stable position such that said closure is in juxtaposition with the outlet to close the outlet and wherein opening of said outlet is achieved with said bi-stable region in a second stable position such that said outlet is exposed.

2. A closure for a container having a lid, a skirt and means for engaging the container, comprising: an interconnecting portion made from polymeric material connecting the lid to the skirt and including a bi-stable region, a connected coacting region and an abutting coacting region in which one of said connected regions includes an outlet in its wall for dispensing the contents of the container and the abutting coacting region includes a closure in its wall for closing such outlet, and wherein closing of said outlet is achieved with said bi-stable region in a first stable position such that said abutting regions are in juxtaposition to close the outlet and wherein opening of said outlet is achieved with said bi-stable region in a second stable position such that said outlet is exposed.

3. The closure of Claims 1 and 2, wherein said interconnecting portion includes a plurality of bi-stable regions.

4. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein said lid, said means for engaging a container, said bi¬ stable region and said coacting region are in axial alignment.

5. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein said outlet is located in a wall of one of said regions to provide a radial stream of dispensed product.

6. The closure of Claims 1 , 2 and 3 , wherein the closure is unitary.

7. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein said bi-stable region is entirely within the periphery of said skirt.

8. The closure of Claims 1 and 3, wherein dispensing is achieved by moving said lid relative to said skirt thereby inverting said bi-stable region whereupon said juxtaposed closure is displaced from said bi-stable region to expose said outlet.

9. The closure of Claims 2 and 3, wherein dispensing is achieved by moving said lid relative to said skirt . thereby inverting said bi-stable region whereupon said abutting coacting region is displaced from said bi-stable region to expose said outlet.

10. The closure of Claims 8 and 9, wherein said lid is moved substantially uniformly about its periphery.

11. The closure of Claims 8 and 9, wherein said lid is moved along only a portion of its periphery while an opposing portion of said periphery remains substantially .undisplaced.

12. The closure of Claim 11, wherein inverting said bi-stable region is accomplished by expansion of its juncture with said connected coacting region away from the locale of its inversion.

13. The closure of Claims 11 and 12, wherein said lid is pivoted so that one portion of the periphery is moved away from and another portion towards said skirt.

14. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein a primary seal for said outlet is provided by the surface of a portion of one of said connected regions in which the contour of said surface is a continuation of the contour of the surface of the one region.

15. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein a primary seal is provided for said outlet by a sealing contour in at least one of the connected regions which seals the outlet.

16. The closure of Claim 15, wherein a primary seal is provided for said outlet in one said connected region and is sealed by a sealing contour in the surface of the other said connected region.

17. The closure of Claim 15, wherein a primary seal is provided for the outlet in one said connected region by a sealing contour about the outlet which engages the other said connected region.

18. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein each region has an outlet which abuts the outlet in the other region along a portion of its periphery so that a larger, combined outlet is created upon opening the closure, said larger outlet providing the easy removal during dispensing of residue accumulating in said each outlet during previous dispensing and intervals between dispensing.

19. The closure of Claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the periphery of said combined outlets has a non-drip feature created by a sharp outer edge in the sealing contour.

20. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein a plurality of outlets are provided.

21. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein at least a second outlet is provided away from a first outlet to vent the container during dispensing.

22. The closure of Claim 20, wherein at least a second outlet is provided away from a first outlet and is preferentially accessed by displacing only the portion of the lid periphery above said second outlet to provide an optional size or shape outlet for dispensing.

23. The closure of Claim 20, wherein an array of outlets are provided to permit multiple stream of product to be dispensed through such array.

24. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein a sealing contour is provided away from said outlet.

25. The closure of Claim 24, wherein said sealing contour is created by a positive peripheral interference on at least one said region which provides a sealing engagement.

26. The closure of Claim 25, wherein said positive peripheral interference provides a closing engagement.

27. The closure of Claim 26, wherein said peripheral interference is interrupted so that only a closing engagement is provided.

28. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the shape of at least one of said bi-stable regions is at least a segment of a truncated geometric shape including a cone, spheroid, toroid or polyhedron.

29. The closure of Claim 28, wherein at least one of said bi-stable regions has a linear side which provides a hinge for a liftable lid portion.

30. The closure of Claim 28, wherein at least one of said bi-stable regions has a collapsible portion which facilitates inversion.

31. The closure of Claim 30, wherein said collapsible portion has a structural weakness provided by a thin segment.

32. The closure of Claim 30, wherein said collapsible portion has a structural weakness provided by its shape, including pleats and corrugations.

33. The closure of Claim 28, wherein at least one of said bi-stable regions consists of two concentric segments connected by a hinge which invert separately to facilitate inversion of the bi-stable region.

34. The closure of Claim 28, wherein at least one of said bi-stable regions has a truncated spheroidal or polyhedral shape to facilitate inversion of the bi- stable region.

35. The closure of Claims 2 and 3, wherein the abutting coacting region includes a peripheral wall which engages one of said connecting regions to close said outlet.

36. The closure of Claim 35, wherein the peripheral wall includes a projection which produces a snap-fit interference with said one of said connecting regions.

37. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the lid comprises a liftable portion and a fixed portion which prevents accidental opening of the liftable portion.

38. The closure of Claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein the periphery of the bi-stable element is generally elongated or oval in shape.

39. A process for fabricating, a closure for a container having provision for dispensing the contents of such container, including a moveable bi-stable region for biasing a portion of such closure between opened and closed configurations, wherein a mold including cavity and core portions is employed to form such closure from molten polymeric material in a generally opened configuration, and wherein upon opening the mold and during removal of said closure from said core portion said bi- stable region is caused to move from said opened configuration to said closed configuration by the relative motion of said core with said closure and by the engagement of said core with a portion of said molded closure which causes said movement of the biasing region.