Classifications

• • 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
  • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
  • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
  • B65D47/06—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages
  • B65D47/08—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages having articulated or hinged closures
  • B65D47/0857—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages having articulated or hinged closures made separately from the base element provided with the spout or discharge passage
  • B65D47/0876—Hinges without elastic bias
• • 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
  • B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
  • B65D2401/15—Tearable part of the closure
  • B65D2401/20—Frangible elements completely enclosed in closure skirt

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates generally to a closure for a fluid containing vessel. More specifically the present disclosure relates to a multi-piece closure for a fluid containing vessel that may be attached to the fluid containing vessel without regard to the orientation of the fluid containing vessel.
• Many fluid containing vessels such as drink bottles and motor oil bottles, are provided with a spout or a nozzle that allows fluid within the bottle to be accessed by a user.
• the spout or nozzle is often covered by a closure with a lid or a flip-top lid.
• a user can access the contents of the container by moving the hinged lid from a closed position to an open position.
• a user can also provide a fluid tight seal for the container by moving the hinged lid back to the closed position.
• Such an application is particularly useful in certain beverage containing vessels, such as bottles for water, juices, sports drinks, or beverages for children, where a user may periodically desire access to the contents of the vessel, but also wishes to avoid spilling the contents of the vessel once the contents have been accessed.
• the existing hinged closure can be closed to form a fluid tight seal in the closed position even after being initially opened, it is often desirable to provide an optional tamper evident feature so that a user may determine if the closure has previously been opened.
• Many tamper evident features are disposed in a generally vertical direction between portions of the closure with a hinged lid, such that the tamper evident features deform or even break when a hinged lid is initially opened. Manufacturing a closure with such vertical features may also require slidable mold pieces or a costly secondary operation to the molding (i.e. , slitting).
• a closure for a fluid containing vessel comprises a base and a one-piece lid.
• the base has a sidewall and a shoulder formed at a top surface of the sidewalk
• a spout extends upward from the shoulder and has an opening formed in a top surface of the spout.
• the one-piece lid has a ring portion, a hinge portion and a cover portion.
• the hinge portion connects the cover portion to the ring portion and allows the cover portion to move from a closed position to an open position.
• the hinge portion is disposed completely within an outer periphery of the ring portion with the cover portion in the closed position.
• the cover portion covers the opening in the top surface of the spout in the closed position to form a fluid tight seal between the base and the one-piece lid.
• a closure for a fluid containing vessel comprises a base portion and a lid portion.
• the base portion comprises a generally horizontal shoulder portion, a first generally vertical sidewall, a second generally vertical sidewall, and a securing groove.
• the generally horizontal shoulder portion has an outer periphery and an inner periphery.
• the first generally vertical sidewall extends in a first direction from the outer periphery of the shoulder portion.
• the second generally vertical sidewall extends in a second direction from the inner periphery of the shoulder portion.
• the second generally vertical sidewall terminates in a generally horizontal rim.
• the generally horizontal rim has an opening formed therein.
• the securing groove is disposed radially between the first generally vertical sidewall and the second generally vertical sidewall.
• the lid has a connecting ring having a periphery with a
• the cover portion has a hinged connection to the connecting ring.
• the cover portion is movable between a closed position and an open position.
• the hinged connection is disposed within the periphery of the connecting ring when the cover portion is in the closed position.
• the cover portion is disposed over the opening of the horizontal rim of the base portion.
• a lid for a fluid containing vessel comprises a connecting ring, a cover portion, and a hinge.
• the connecting ring has a periphery with a generally circular shape.
• the cover portion is connected to the connecting ring by a hinge.
• the cover portion is movable between a closed position and an open position.
• the hinge forms between the connecting ring and the cover portion.
• the hinge is disposed within the periphery of the connecting ring when the cover portion is in the closed position.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closure for a fluid containing vessel according to one embodiment in a closed position
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the closure for a fluid containing vessel according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 in an open position;
• FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 4 is a top view of the closure for a fluid containing vessel according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the closure for a fluid containing vessel according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 6 is a front view of a closure for a fluid containing vessel according to another embodiment
• FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the closure for a fluid containing vessel taken through lines A-A of FIG. 6;
• FIG. 8 is a view of the base portion of the closure for a fluid containing vessel of FIG. 7;
• FIG. 9 is a view of the lid portion of the closure for a fluid containing vessel taken of FIG. 7;
• FIG. 10 is a top view of the lid portion of the closure for a fluid containing vessel of FIG. 6.
• FIGs. 1-5 depict a closure for a fluid containing vessel 10 according to one embodiment.
• the closure 10 comprises a base portion 12 and a lid portion 14.
• the base portion 12 comprises a first generally vertical sidewall 16 that descends from a shoulder portion 18.
• the shoulder portion 18 has an outer periphery 19, and an inner periphery 21 (FIG.3).
• the first generally vertical sidewall 16 connects to the shoulder portion 18 at the outer periphery 19.
• a second generally vertical sidewall 20 ascends from the inner periphery 21 of the shoulder portion 18.
• the second generally vertical sidewall 20 terminates at a generally horizontal rim 23.
• the generally horizontal rim 23 has an opening 22 formed therein.
• the opening 22 allows fluid within a fluid containing vessel (not shown) that the closure 10 is disposed on to flow out of the fluid containing vessel.
• the base portion 12 may be threaded and function as a screw-on cap for a vessel. It is contemplated the base portion 12 may be a snap-on cap or be formed as part of the vessel or any other form.
• the lid portion 14 comprises a connecting ring 24 and a cover portion 26 which are connected via a hinge 28.
• the connecting ring 24 is depicted as forming a complete circle in the embodiment of FIGs. 1 -5, but it is contemplated that a partial circle may be utilized, or that a full or partial polygon may be utilized as the shape for the connecting ring 24.
• the lid portion 14 may be formed from a single piece of material, such as molded plastic.
• the lid portion 14 is moveable from a closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, to an open position, as shown in FIG. 2. In the closed position, the lid portion 14 prevents fluid from exiting the opening 22 of the fluid containing vessel as a plug seal 36 (FIG. 3) which is disposed on the cover portion 26, being positioned to contact the opening 22 of the base portion to form an interference fit. It is contemplated that additional types of seals may also be formed between the lid portion 14 and the opening 22, such as, for example, a gasket, an o-ring, a blade seal, or the like.
• the base portion 12 has a securing groove 32 formed on the shoulder 18.
• the securing groove 32 is adapted to receive a connecting portion 34 of the connecting ring 24 of the lid portion 14.
• the connecting ring 24 has a generally complimentary shape to the securing groove 32 of the base portion.
• the securing groove 32 has a securing lip 33 that the connecting portion 34 of lid portion 14 interacts with to secure the connecting ring 24 to the base portion 12.
• the connecting portion 34 is in the form of a tab, however, it is contemplated that other geometric arrangements may be utilized to secure the connecting portion 34 of the lid portion 14 to the securing groove 32 of the base portion 12, such as a friction fit or an interference fit.
• the cover portion 26 of the lid portion 14 additionally has an opening tab 30.
• the opening tab 30 is disposed on an opposite side of the lid portion 14 from the hinge 28. It is contemplated that the opening tab 30 may be positioned elsewhere on the lid portion 14. The opening tab 30 allows a user to more easily move the lid portion 14 from the closed position to the open position.
• FIGs. 4 and 5 show a plurality of tamper evident features 38 disposed between the cover portion 26 and the connecting ring 24.
• the tamper evident features 38 are disposed in a generally horizontal plane.
• the tamper evident features 38 deform and/or disconnect as the cover portion 26 of the lid portion 14 is moved from the closed position to the open position. This provides visual evidence to a user that the lid portion 14 has been moved from its closed position and/or opened. Therefore, the user will know if the contents of the fluid containing vessel have been accessed by opening the lid portion 14 based upon the tamper evident features 38 being deformed, or no longer being connected to both the connecting ring 24 and the cover portion 26, even if the lid portion 14 has been returned to the closed position.
• the tamper evident features 38 may have a section with reduced width, such that the tamper evident features deform at the section with reduced width and generally the tamper evident features 28 will fail at the section with reduced width and thus disconnect from the connecting ring 24 and the cover portion 26.
• FIG. 4 additionally depicts the hinge 28 of the lid portion 14.
• the hinge 28 connects the cover portion 26 to the connecting ring 24.
• the hinge 28 has a connecting ring region 40 and a cover portion region 42 that are connected by a first web 44a and a second web 44b.
• the connecting ring region 40 of the hinge 28 is disposed at or within the outer periphery of the connecting ring 24, or, put another way, connecting ring region 40 of the hinge 28 connects to the connecting ring 24 at a location no greater than a maximum diameter of the connecting ring 24. Connecting the hinge 28 to the outer periphery of the connecting ring 24 eliminates the need for a slide action within the mold to create the hinge 28 of the lid portion 14.
• the connecting ring region 40 and the cover portion region 42 of the hinge 28 have a semicircular shape, but other shapes may be utilized.
• the hinge 28 is adapted to keep the lid portion 14 in the open position once the lid portion 14 has passed a predetermined amount of opening. As such, the opening 22 remains uncovered until a user asserts a force on the lid portion 14 to reinsert the plug seal 36 of the lid portion 14 back into the opening 22.
• the hinge 28 is completely disposed within the diameter or perimeter of an outer periphery of the connecting ring 24 when the lid portion 14 is in the closed position. Therefore, all of the lid portion 14 is disposed within the outer periphery of the connecting ring 24, whether at, below or above the ring's surface.
• the orientation of the lid portion 14 relative to the base portion 12 does not need to be controlled when attaching lid portion 14 to the base portion 12 via the connecting ring 24 being inserted into the securing groove 32, simplifying the assembly of the lid portion 14 to the base portion 12.
• the hinge 28 is disposed at or above the level of the shoulder portion 18 of the base portion 12. The higher the hinge 28 resides above the shoulder portion 18, the greater the opening angle of the hinge 28.
• the closure 100 comprises a base portion 102 and a lid portion 104.
• the base portion 102 comprises a first generally vertical sidewall 106 that descends from a shoulder portion 108.
• the shoulder portion 108 has an outer periphery 1 10, and an inner periphery 1 12 (FIGs.7-8).
• the first generally vertical sidewall 106 connects to the shoulder portion 108 at the outer periphery 1 10.
• a spout 1 14 ascends from the inner periphery 1 12 of the shoulder portion 108.
• the spout 1 14 terminates at a generally horizontal rim 1 16 (FIG. 8).
• the generally horizontal rim 1 16 has an opening 1 18 formed therein (FIG. 8).
• the opening 1 18 allows fluid within a fluid containing vessel (not shown) that the closure 100 is disposed on to flow out of the fluid containing vessel.
• the opening 1 18 may be sized to control the rate of fluid flow from the fluid containing vessel, such that a larger opening 1 18 allows a higher fluid flow rate, while a smaller opening allows a lower fluid flow rate.
• the lid portion 104 comprises a connecting ring 120 and a cover portion 122 connected via a hinge 124. As shown in FIGs. 6-10, the lid portion 104 is formed from a single piece of material.
• the lid portion 104 is moveable from a closed position, like that shown in FIG. 1 , to an open position, like that shown in FIG. 2. In the closed position, the lid portion 104 prevents fluid from exiting the opening 1 18 of the fluid containing vessel as a plug seal 126 (FIG. 7) disposed on the cover portion 122 and positioned to contact the opening 118 of the base portion 102 when the lid portion 104 is in the closed position.
• the base portion 102 has a securing groove 128 formed on the shoulder 108. The securing groove 128 is adapted to receive a connecting portion 130 of the connecting ring 120 of the lid portion 104 (FIG. 9).
• the connecting ring 120 has a generally complimentary shape to the securing groove 128 of the base portion 102.
• the securing groove 128 has a securing lip 132 that the connecting portion 130 of lid portion 104 interacts with to secure the connecting ring 120 to the base portion 102.
• the connecting portion 130 is in the form of a tab, however, it is contemplated that other geometric arrangements may be utilized to secure the connecting portion 130 of the lid portion 104 to the securing groove 128 of the base portion 102, such as a friction fit or an interference fit.
• the cover portion 122 of the lid portion 102 additionally has an opening tab 134.
• the opening tab 134 is disposed on an opposite side of the lid portion 104 from the hinge 124. The opening tab 134 allows a user to more easily move the lid portion from the closed position to the open position.
• FIG. 10 shows a plurality of tamper evident features 136 disposed between the cover portion 122 and the connecting ring 120.
• the tamper evident features 136 are disposed in a generally horizontal plane.
• the tamper evident features 136 deform and/or disconnect as the cover portion 122 of the lid portion 104 is moved from the closed position to the open position. Visual evidence that the lid portion 104 has been opened is thereby provided to a user.
• the tamper evident features 136 are depicted as being non-linear, such as, for example, being generally S-shaped or Z-shaped, as shown in FIG. 10.
• a non-linear tamper evident feature 136 contains less material near a midpoint of the tamper evident feature 136, thus making the tamper evident feature 136 more likely to fail and visually deform in that location as the lid portion 104 is opened.
• FIG. 10 additionally clearly depicts the hinge 124 of the lid portion 104.
• the hinge 124 connects the cover portion 122 to the connecting ring 120.
• the hinge 124 has a connecting ring region 138 (FIG. 9) and a cover portion region 140 that are connected by a web 142. It is contemplated that the connecting ring region 138 and the cover portion region 140 of the hinge 124 have a semi-circular shape, but other shapes may be utilized.
• the hinge 124 is adapted to keep the lid portion 104 in the open position once the lid portion 104 has passed a predetermined amount of opening. As such, the opening 1 18 remains uncovered until a user asserts a force on the lid portion 104 to reinsert the plug seal 126 of the lid portion 104 back into the opening 1 18.
• the hinge 124 is completely disposed at or within an outer periphery of the connecting ring 120 when the lid portion 104 is in the closed position. Therefore, all of the lid portion 104 is disposed at or within the outer periphery of the connecting ring 120.
• the orientation of the lid portion 104 relative to the base portion 102 does not need to be controlled when attaching lid portion 104 to the base portion 102 via the connecting ring 120 being inserted into the securing groove 128, simplifying the assembly of the lid portion 104 to the base portion 102.
• closure for a fluid containing vessel 10, 100 may be manufactured from a variety of frangible and/or elongating polymeric materials, such as homopolymers and copolymers of polypropylene and polyethylene.
• the base portion and the lid portion may be utilized to form the base portion and the lid portion.
• the base portion may be manufactured from an opaque material, while the cap portion is manufactured from a generally transparent material, or a different colored opaque material.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=44224131

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (2)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (10)

Family Cites Families (12)

• 2010
  • 2010-01-05 US US12/655,673 patent/US20110163135A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2011
  • 2011-01-05 CA CA2786497A patent/CA2786497A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-01-05 JP JP2012548093A patent/JP2013527823A/ja active Pending
  • 2011-01-05 WO PCT/US2011/020235 patent/WO2011085011A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-01-05 CN CN201180005435XA patent/CN103201184A/zh active Pending
  • 2011-01-05 MX MX2012007844A patent/MX2012007844A/es not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (10)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events