WO1997037900A1

WO1997037900A1 - Hinged dispensing closure

Info

Publication number: WO1997037900A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/000737
Authority: WO
Inventors: Klaus Heyn
Original assignee: Carnaudmetalbox Plc; Carnaudmetalbox S.A.; Carnaudmetalbox N.V.; Carnaudmetalbox (Holdings) Usa Inc.
Priority date: 1996-04-11
Filing date: 1997-03-18
Publication date: 1997-10-16
Also published as: TW364889B; EP0894070B1; ATE187406T1; AR006563A1; DE69700918D1; AU2034197A; ID18552A; EP0894070A1; CA2248780A1

Abstract

A child-resistant dispensing closure is snap-engageable and freely rotatable on a container neck. The closure has body and lid portions (14, 14' and 16, 16') one of which has two parts capable of relative rotation. One of the two parts (20A, 22A') is attached to the other portion of the closure by an integral hinge (18, 18') which enables the lid portion to be swung between closed and open positions as required for dispensing. A catch (68, 70 and 99, 97) between the lid and body portions is automatically engaged when the lid portion is closed. In order to subsequently release the catch for dispensing, it is necessary for the user to grasp the closure with both hands and rotate the relatively rotatable parts, possibly against the action of a return spring (64, 202, 100). The closure is intended for liquid products such as liquid soaps.

Description

"HINGED DISPENSING CLOSURE"

This invention relates to a hinged dispensing closure having a hinged reclosable lid which may be swung open to reveal a dispensing orifice for the closure. A particular object of the invention is to provide child- resistance for such a closure.

In accordance with the invention there is accordingly provided a dispensing closure for a container, which has a body portion and a lid portion hingedly connected to the body portion for relative swinging movement between an open and a closed position, the body portion having a closure part to overlie the container mouth and a tubular part dependant from the closure part and internally formed with container engaging means engageable with complementary closure engaging means on the container to attach the closure to the container, there being a dispensing orifice defined by the closure part and sealing means on the lid portion arranged to seal the dispensing orifice when the lid portion is in its closed position, characterised in t at:-

(a) either the lid portion or the body portion has two relatively rotatable parts a first of which is hingedly attached to the body portion or the lid portion respectively; and (b) the lid portion and the body portion have complementary formations capable of forming an operating catch by which the lid portion may be held in its closed position, the formations being mutually disengageable by movement of the said parts of the lid portion or the body portion from a predetermined relative angular position. Preferably the container engaging means is arranged for snap-engagement with the closure engaging means so as to hold the closure captive on the container but able to rotate freely thereon. It is further preferred for the said relatively rotatable parts to be parts of the lid portion. Preferably the closure includes spring means arranged to bias the two relatively rotatable parts resiliently towards their predetermined relative angular position, the catch formations being mutually engageable by snap-engagement. In order that the invention may be better understood four dispensing closures in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:- Fig.l shows the first closure in central vertical section and when in its closed condition;

Fig.2 is an exploded view of the first closure in central vertical section and when closed;

Fig.3 shows the upper moulding of the first closure in underplan view;

Fig. shows the lid portion of the first closure in underplan view and when the closure is closed;

Fig.5 similarly shows the lid portion of the first closure during an opening operation; Figs.βA, 6B and 6C show detail of the operating catch of the first closure, respectively in its engaged condition and during and after disengagement for opening the closure;

Fig.7 is a view similar to Fig.l of the second closure;

Fig.8 shows the upper moulding of the second closure in central vertical section; Fig.9 shows the upper moulding of the second closure in underplan view;

Fig.10 is an enlarged view of the second closure as seen from above on Section X, XI of Fig.7, when closed; Fig.11 similarly shows the second closure during opening;

Figs. 12A and 12B are scrap views from Fig.8, showing the relationship of the auxiliary lugs and the upper moulding during stages of the opening procedure; Fig.13 is an enlarged scrap view from Fig. , showing the condition of the operating catch during a stage of the opening procedure;

Fig.14 is a view similar to Figs.1 and 7, showing the third closure when closed; Fig.15 similarly shows the third closure when open;

Fig.16 shows the third closure as seen in upper plan view and when open;

Fig.17 is a view similar to Figs. 1, 7 and 14 of the fourth closure; Fig.18 is a view of the fourth closure as seen in side elevation and when in its closed and relaxed condition; and

Fig.19 similarly shows the fourth closure when able to be opened for dispensing product. Referring now to Figs.1 and 2 in particular, a dispensing closure 10 for a liquid product such as a liquid soap is designed to fit onto a bottle neck (not shown) . The closure has a body portion 14 for fitting to the container, and a lid portion 16 which is integrally attached to the body portion by an integral hinge 18.

The closure 10 may include tamper evident features such as pin 17 which breaks when the closure is first opened. This is shown only in Figure 1 and is not discussed further herein.

As is shown in exploded view in Fig.2, the closure 10 is formed of two mouldings of a suitable plastics material which are assembled together. A first of the mouldings is denoted by the reference numeral 20 and provides the body portion 14 and an inner part 20A of the lid portion 16, whereas the second moulding 22 provides the remainder of the lid portion, that is to say, its outer part.

The hinge 18 allows the lid portion freedom to swing through approximately 180° from the closed position shown to the open position which is indicated in part in Fig.l by the broken line 16S, but it allows substantially no freedom for the body and lid portions to rotate in relation to one another in the horizontal plane (i.e. about the closure axis XX) . However, for the purpose to become apparent later, the moulding 22 is rotatable through a limited angle about the closure axis XX in relation to the moulding 20, in particular its lid part 20A.

For the body portion 14 the first moulding 20 provides a tubular skirt 24 open at its bottom end (as shown) for receiving the container neck. The top end of the skirt is closed by a generally transverse closure panel 26, except at a dispensing orifice 28 which is centred on the closure axis XX and defined by a short downwardly extending chimney 30 of the closure panel. The chimney is formed on a central part (not referenced) of the closure panel which is raised at a generally cylindrical step 32 above a surrounding annular platform 33 which forms the closure panel periphery. The closure 10 is captive and freely rotatable on the container neck, and for that purpose its skirt 24 is formed with an inwardly projecting continuous bead 34 which can be snap-engaged beneath a complimentary formation (not shown) on the container neck. Inwardly projecting ribs 15 are provided as a strengthening feature and to guide the closure onto the container neck. A flexible tubular spigot 35 carried by the closure panel 26 concentrically within the skirt then makes a liquid- tight seal with the container neck bore.

The arrangement of the lid portion 16 is apparent from Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The inner part 20A of the lid portion is in the form of an inverted cup having a plane "base" 36 and a short peripheral wall 38 extending to a free edge 39. When the lid is closed the edge 39 rests on the annular platform 33 of the body portion 14, and a boss 40 on the underside of the base 36 makes sealing engagement in the chimney 30 of the body portion to prevent escape of the container contents. The moulding 22 surrounds an upper portion

(unreferenced) of the part 20A of the lid portion 16, and has a plane, unbroken base 41 and a peripheral wall 42. Segments 44 of a snap bead are spaced regularly around the inside of the wall adjacent its free edge 46, and these formations are capable of snap-engagement in a recess 48 which is formed around the part 20A part way up its own wall 38. The moulding 22 is accordingly held captive and rotatable on the lid part 20A, with its base 41 closely overlying the base 36 and with its cylindrical outer surface 50 flush with the cylindrical outer surface 52 provided by the part 20A below the recess 48. The surface 52 in turn is generally flush with the outer surface 54 of the body portion 14, except locally at the hinge 18 and at a finger recess 56 which is formed at the top of the skirt 24 of the body portion diametrically opposite to the hinge. Fig.3 shows the moulding 22 as seen from below, whereas Figs. 4 and 5 show the whole of the assembled lid portion 16 as seen from below and as if severed at the hinge 18. From those figures in conjunction with Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that a pair of aligned and spaced lugs 58 are formed on the underside of the moulding base 41 on either side of the common diameter DD of the hinge 18 and the finger recess 56. A further and longer lug 60 also extends downwardly from the base 41 on this diameter, as shown. In the assembled and closed closure the free edge of the lug 60 lies just above the platform 33 and the lug is free to flex outwardly for a short distance.

The base 36 of the lid part 20A is formed with an aperture 62 which allows access for the lugs 58 to engage a tongue 64 which projects inwardly from the side wall 38 along the diameter DD - see Figs. 2 and 4. The tongue is flexible and resilient, and tapers both horizontally and vertically towards its free end. As shown in Fig. 4, it is located between the lugs 58 when the moulding 22 is snap-engaged onto the lid part 20A in the assembly of the closure.

A further aperture 66 is formed in the base 36 and extends down the height of the side wall 38 adjacent. This aperture allows access for the lug 60 to extend downwardly through the lid part 20A to terminate at a position which, when the lid portion 16 is closed, is located adjacent the step 32 in the closure panel 26 of the body portion 14 - see Fig.l. At that position the closure panel is formed with a horizontally projecting snap bead 68 which is capable of snap-engagement in a recess 70 formed in the lug 60. When the lid portion 16 is closed and the moulding 22 is in the rotational position shown in Fig.4, this snap-engagement prevents the lid portion from being swung to its open position 16S.

The assembly and operation of the closure is as follows. The mouldings 20, 22 are separately formed in conventional manner by injection-moulding. The moulding 20 is moulded in its "open" position, that is to say, with the lid part 20A in the position 16S depicted in Fig.l. Following moulding the lid part 20A is swung to its closed position, and the moulding 22 is assembled with the moulding 20 by simple downward movement. This movement locates the lugs 58 on either side of the tongue 64, and snap-engages the lug 60 with the bead 68 to hold the lid portion in its closed and sealing position. At the same time the bead segments 44 are snap-engaged into the recess 48 so as to attach the mouldings 20, 22 permanently but rotatably to one another. In this condition the closure is dispatched to the packer for snap-engagement by the bead 34 to the neck 12 of a product-filled container.

After fitting, the closure is freely rotatable on the container. Moreover, it is held in its closed position by snap-engagement of the bead 68 with the lug 60 which together form an operating catch for the closure. In order to open the closure for dispensing product it is necessary for the user to first rotate the upper moulding 22 in relation to the lower moulding 20. As can be seen in Fig.4, in the closure as assembled the lug 60 lies closely adjacent one side edge 72 of the aperture 66 in the lid part 20A. Any substantial rotational movement of the upper moulding 22 on the lower moulding in a clockwise direction (as seen from above in relation to Figs. 1, 2) is therefore not possible. However, the aperture 66 allows a limited rotational movement of the upper moulding in an anticlockwise direction, until the lug 60 comes into engagement with the opposite side edge 74 of the aperture to prevent further movement. During this available movement the tongue 64 is deformed by the lugs 58 sideways and in a resilient manner as shown in Fig.5, and the tab 60 becomes disengaged from the bead 68 through the successive stages shown in Figs. 6A, 6B and 6C. This involves outward camming of the tab 60, against its own resilience, by inclined surfaces 76, 78 of the bead 68 and recess 70 (Fig.6B) .

Accordingly, at the end of the limited rotational movement of the mouldings 20,22 in relation to one another, the lid portion 16 is free to open for dispensing product and may be swung open on hinge 18 for that purpose. Release of the rotational pressure on the mouldings by the user then allows the tongue 64 to return them resiliently to the relative position shown in Fig.4, so that the snap-engagement of the bead 68 in the recess 70 is automatically reestablished when, later, the lid portion is swung back to its closed position.

As previously indicated, the closure presents a relatively unbroken exterior surface and is able to rotate freely on a container to which it is fitted. Moreover, for successful opening it is required for the user to grasp both the mouldings 20, 22, rotate them to the required relative position against the resilience of the tongue 64, and, whilst maintaining the mouldings in their displaced position, swing the lid portion to its open position 16'. These combined operations present a considerable mental and manipulative problem to a child seeking access to the container contents, and the closure has a high degree of child-resistance. In a modification of the described embodiment the hinge 18 is a snap hinge arranged to bias the closure bistably to its closed and open conditions. This further increases the difficulty for a child to open the closure.

The second closure embodying the invention is shown in Figs.7 to 13, and can be considered as a modification of the closure described above with no resilient return but requiring a more complicated manipulative procedure to open it. Because of the substantial degree of similarity between the two closures, the same reference numerals are used as before wherever appropriate. The second closure is generally shown in Fig.7 in a view corresponding to Fig.l, and likewise has a body portion 14 and lid portion 16 attached by an integral hinge 18, the lid portion being formed of an inner part 20A, and an outer part which is snap-engaged onto the inner part and rotatable on it through a small angle.

The inner part 20A is part of a first plastics moulding 20, being integrally joined to the body portion 14 by the hinge 18, and the outer part is a second plastics moulding 22 formed separately from the first moulding. The second closure lacks the lugs 58 and tongue 64 of the first closure, and instead has two secondary lugs 80 (Figs.8, 9) which are diametrically opposed one on each side of a diameter EE (Fig.9) orthogonal to the diameter DD. As can clearly be seen in Fig.8, the lugs 80 are formed with inwardly facing and generally rectangular recesses 82. These recesses are open at one end for entry of respective beads 84 which are formed on the closure panel 26 at the top of its step 32 in a similar way to the bead 68 but at the ends of the diameter EE. These and other features of the second closure will be apparent from the following description of the child-resistant operation of the second closure to dispense product.

To open the second closure for dispensing the user must first turn the moulding 22 in an anticlockwise direction as described above in relation to the first closure. As before, this has the effect of freeing the bead 68 from the lug 60. However, whereas before the lid portion 16 is then free to open fully, in this closure the limited rotation of the moulding 22 has the effect of entering the beads 84 into the recesses 82 of the secondary lugs 80, as can clearly be understood from a comparison of Figs.10 and 11.

The height of the recesses 82 is greater than the height of the beads 84, and the beads are arranged to enter the respective recesses adjacent the top edges of the latter as shown in Fig.l2A. Some opening movement of the lid portion 16 of the closure is therefore possible when the moulding 22 has been turned. However, the magnitude of this movement is small, being limited by engagement of the bottom faces 88 of the recesses with the bottom faces 86 of the beads (See Fig.l2B).

The partial raising of the lid portion 16 has the effect of lifting the lug 60 above the level of the bead 68 as shown in Fig.13. For dispensing product it is necessary for the user subsequently to return the moulding 22 to its original rotational position whilst maintaining the partially raised position of the lid portion. This action disengages the beads 84 from the recesses 82 and, because the lug 60 is already disengaged, frees the lid portion for a full opening movement. The lid portion accordingly has to be subjected to forward and return rotational movements and an intermediate small raising movement before it can be opened. This is difficult or impossible for a child to achieve. After dispensing the lid portion is closed so as to reengage the bead 68 in its recess 70 in preparation for the next dispensing operation. Additional features of the second closure which are shown in the drawings are, firstly, a round bulge 90 which projects from the side wall 38 on the diameter DD and is capable of entering a complementary groove 92 formed down the side wall 42 when the moulding 22 is in its initial position. The bulge prevents looseness between the mouldings 20 and 22, and so prevents inadvertent rotation of the moulding 22. Also provided are pairs of pimples 94 which are formed on the side wall 42 at a position to restrain the secondary lugs 80 against outward movement when engaged by the beads 84. The pimples accordingly prevent the beads from being disengaged from the secondary lugs if an attempt is made to force open the closure with the moulding 22 in its displaced position. In the third closure, shown in Figs. 14 to 16, the operating catch is formed by a bead 68 on a nose 199 which projects from the generally conical closure panel 26 of the body portion 14, in cooperation with a recess 70 in a lug 60 which extends down from the rotatable upper moulding 22 of the lid portion 16. As with the closures described previously, the lower moulding 20 of the closure provides the whole of the body portion and a part only (20A) of the lid portion. A snap-hinge 18 joins the lid and body portions integrally together and allows the lid portion as a whole to be swung freely between open and closed positions in relation to the body portion, whilst allowing little or no relative rotational movement between the lid and body portions transversely of the closure. The snap-hinge shown is as featured in our German patent No. P 3150493.0, to which the reader's attention is directed. The upper moulding 22 is formed with a continuous internal bead 44 at which it is snap-engaged over outwardly projecting nibs 200 which are spaced around the part 20A of the lower moulding 20. It may therefore rotate on the lower moulding through a restricted angle, this angle being determined by engagement of the lug 60 with the side edges 72, 74 of an aperture 66 in the part 20A through which the lug extends.

In this embodiment, automatic return of the upper moulding 22 to its original angular position prior to reclosure is provided by a resilient elongate spring 202

(Fig. 16) which is moulded integrally as part of the lid part 20A. The spring lies generally in the plane of the base 36 of the lid part 20A within an opening 203, being attached to the peripheral wall 38 of the lid part at its ends. It has two generally U-shaped resilient segments 204, 205 joined by a generally straight segment 206. An enlargement 207 within the straight segment provides a rotary bearing for a pin 208 which extends downwardly from the upper moulding 22.

As can clearly be understood from Fig.16, when the lid portion 16 is in its closed position and the user rotates the upper moulding 22 in the clockwise direction (as seen in Fig.16) with a view to opening the closure, the more open one 204 of the U-shaped segments closes and the more closed U-shaped segment 205 opens. The resulting deformation of the segments 204, 205 generates a restoring force by which the upper moulding is later returned to its original angular position for the reengagement of the operating catch.

A feature of the three closures described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 6, 7 to 13 and 14 to 16 respectively arises because the first moulding 20 provides both the chimney 30 and the sealing boss 40 of the dispensing orifice 28, which are accordingly not required to rotate in relation to one another. The dispensing orifice may therefore be offset in relation to the closure axis XX if desired, and transverse cross- sections other than circular, for example, generally square or oval, can be readily used for the closure.

The fourth closure embodying the invention, now to be described with reference to Figs.17 to 19, is again formed of two plastics mouldings assembled together, but in this closure the body portion 14' is formed by the first moulding 20' and a part 22A¹ of the second moulding 22' which is rotatable on the first moulding, whereas the lid portion 16' is provided in its entirety by the second moulding. As will be seen from Fig.17, the chimney 30' providing the dispensing orifice of the closure and the boss 40' which seals the dispensing orifice are provided by separate, relatively rotatable, mouldings, and they therefore are located on the central axis XX of the closure.

In the fourth closure the part 22A' of the second moulding 22' is in the form of a band which is snap- engaged over a continuous bead 95 on the first moulding 20', so as to be held captive but rotatable on the latter. The band is attached to the lid portion 16' by an integral hinge 18', which in this embodiment is a snap-hinge of conventional design.

The peripheral wall 96 of the lid portion 16' is formed with a recess 97 having its base defined by an upwardly facing ledge 98. A short bead 99 formed on the body portion 14' can snap-engage with the recess 97 when the lid portion is closed and angularly centred as shown in Fig.18, so as to form an operating catch for the closure in a similar manner to the engagement of the bead 68 with the recess 70 in lug 60 in each of the first three closures described above. However, by rotating the moulding 22' in either direction to one of two limiting positions as depicted in Fig.19, the bead 99 can be brought over a vertical gap 102 in the ledge 98, so allowing the lid portion to be swung to its open position for dispensing. Centring action for the second moulding in relation to the first, so as to allow the operating catch to be reestablished when the lid portion 14' is subsequently closed, is provided by a vertically extending resilient tongue 100 on the moulding 20' (See Figs.18 and 19) . This tongue is entered into a gap formed between opposed abutments 101 on the moulding 22' when the two mouldings are snap-engaged together to form the closure.

Claims

CIAIMS :

1. A dispensing closure for a container, which has a body portion and a lid portion hingedly connected to the body portion for relative swinging movement between an open and a closed position, the body portion having a closure part to overlie the container mouth and a tubular part dependant from the closure part and internally formed with container engaging means engageable with complementary closure engaging means on the container to attach the closure to the container, there being a dispensing orifice defined by the closure part and sealing means on the lid portion arranged to seal the dispensing orifice when the lid portion is in its closed position, characterised in that:-

(a) either the lid portion or the body portion has two relatively rotatable parts a first of which is hingedly attached to the body portion or the lid portion respectively; and

(b) the lid portion and the body portion have complementary formations capable of forming an operating catch by which the lid portion may be held in its closed position, the formations being mutually disengageable by movement of the said parts of the lid portion or the body portion from a predetermined relative angular position.

2. A dispensing closure according to claim 1, characterised in that the container engaging means is arranged for snap-engagement with the closure engaging means so as to hold the closure captive on the container but able to rotate freely thereon.

3. A dispensing closure according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the said relatively rotatable parts are parts of the lid portion.

4. A dispensing closure according to any claim of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the closure includes spring means arranged to bias the two relatively rotatable parts resiliently towards their predetermined relative angular position, the catch formations being mutually engageable by snap-engagement.

5. A dispensing closure according to claim 4, characterised in that the said relatively rotatable parts are parts of the lid portion, and the spring means is a resiliently deformable part of the said first relatively rotatable part.

6. A dispensing closure according to claim 5, characterised in that the spring means is an elongate and non-linear integral part of the said first relatively movable part .

7. A dispensing closure according to claim 6, characterised in that the spring means has two generally U-shaped, resilient and spaced segments joined by a connecting segment which provides a bearing for rotary engagement by the other relatively movable part of the lid portion.