US20090120899A1

US20090120899A1 - Flip top container closure

Info

Publication number: US20090120899A1
Application number: US11/983,351
Authority: US
Inventors: Gene Stull, SR.; Wayne E. Ford; Robert T. Auer
Original assignee: Stull Tech Inc
Current assignee: Stull Tech Inc
Priority date: 2007-11-08
Filing date: 2007-11-08
Publication date: 2009-05-14

Abstract

A flip-top container closure for use with a bottle or similar container having a neck. The closure includes a base cap that attaches to the container. The base cap is connected to an cover cap by a hinge. The base cap includes a skirt extending downward from the section's top surface, and a concentric plug seal extending from the surface inside the skirt. The base cap includes an orifice for passage of the container's contents. The cover cap includes a plug that seals the orifice when the closure is closed.

Description

FILED OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to closures for a bottle or other container having a neck, and more particularly, to a container closure having a flip top and a plug for sealing an orifice.

BACKGROUND

It is known to provide a removable closure for bottles and other containers, and it is known to provide a sealable passage in the closure. This is often accomplished by use of a hinged two-sectioned “flip-top” type closure that features an cover cap section with a plug to seal an orifice on a base cap, which itself it secured to the container or bottle. However, current designs suffer from several flaws. First, flip-top closures typically rely on the engagement of a snap ring on the edge of the base cap to secure the cover cap in a closed position. However, when excess weight is applied to the side of the closures, such as when the closures are packed in a box for shipping, the weight deforms the closures and causes them to open. Second, the motion of a flip-top closure inherently causes interference between the surfaces of the plug and the orifice as the closure is sealed, causing damage to the tip of the plug and the edge of the orifice, and leading to leakage.
A need, therefore, exists for a closure that remains closed reliably, and that avoids seal degradation when used.

SUMMARY

The invention is directed to a container closure for use with a bottle or other container having a neck. In exemplary embodiments, the closure includes two sections—a base cap and an upper or cover cap section—connected by a living hinge. The base cap is adapted to mate to the outside of the neck of a container and preferably features a plug seal adapted to fit the inside of the container neck, while the upper section functions as a cover that seals and covers the base cap. The base cap includes an orifice adapted to allow passage of the container's contents, the orifice preferably being defined by a nozzle or spout. The nozzle or spout also preferably features a sealing bead ring circumscribing its exterior circumference. The cover cap features a plug adapted to seal the orifice and a shroud preferably featuring a lock adapted to mate to the bead ring; the shroud and bead ring ensure that the cover cap will remain closed. As the cover cap is closed over the base cap, the shroud makes contact with the nozzle and acts as a cam surface, forcing the cover cap to move laterally, rather than in a continuous arc. This lateral movement allows the plug to seal the orifice without interference and avoids damage to either the plug or the nozzle, maintaining the integrity of the seal and reducing the chance that the contents of the container will leak.
Other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, when considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings briefly described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments that are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and constructions particularly shown. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a container closure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the opposite side of the closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the closure of FIG. 3, taken along lines 4A-4A.

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of a portion of the closure shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is an enlarged view of a portion of the closure shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D is an enlarged view of a portion of the closure shown in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the closure of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the closure of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 7A-7D are side cross-sectional views of the operation of the closure of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings that illustrate several preferred embodiments of the invention, a closure is shown for use on a bottle or similar container having a neck. As will be discussed in more detail below, the container closure preferably includes two sections connected by a hinge. One section attaches to the container, while the other section removably seals and covers the first section.
The following description and embodiments of the invention are not intended to describe all cover/container combinations, but are merely illustrative of how the teachings of the present invention may be employed in the context of a preferred container configuration.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of the present invention. Closure 10 includes a base cap 12 and a cover cap 14. The base cap attaches to the neck of a container 11 (shown in FIGS. 7A-7D) through any conventional method, such as with threads or a snap on connection. The bas cap includes a top surface 16 with circumferential edge 17, a skirt 18, and a nozzle or spout 20 which projects upward from the top surface as shown in FIG. 1. The circumferential edge preferably features a shoulder 19, adapted to mate to the lower edge 21 of the cover cap. The nozzle includes an orifice 22 for dispensing the contents of the container to which the closure is attached. As shown in FIG. 2, the base cap may also include a plug seal 23 configured to engage the inside surface of the neck of the container. The attachment to the neck may include at least one skirt rib 24 or thread that helps hold the closure on the container neck (such as by engaging with a lip or thread on the neck.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cover cap is attached by a hinge 25 that integrally attaches the cover cap to the top surface or skirt of the base. The cover cap includes a shroud 26 and a plug 28 extending from a bottom surface 30 of the cover cap. The plug 28 preferably features an angled tip 29 (shown in FIG. 4B). When the closure is closed, the cover cap covers the base cap and seals the orifice. In that position, the plug 28 is positioned inside the orifice thereby sealing the orifice, while at the same time the shroud surrounds the upper portion of the nozzle. The shroud 26 is preferably flared outwardly so as to facilitate entry of the nozzle into the shroud when the cover cap is moved into its closed position.
FIGS. 3-6 show the closure in more detail. FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the closure in an open position. Visible in FIGS. 4 and 4B is a nozzle ring bead 32 (also shown in FIG. 8) that projects outward from the upper portion of the nozzle. The nozzle ring beam 32 mates with a bead notch 34 (see FIG. 4A) formed on the inside surface of the shroud 26 when the closure is closed, as shown in FIG. 7D. The ring bead helps keep the cover cap sealed to the base cap and prevents opening of the closure if the skirt is deformed from its original shape.
As discussed above, in one embodiment, the skirt includes at least one skirt rib 24 (also shown in FIGS. 2, 4A, 4D, and 7A-7D). As shown in FIGS. 7A-7D, the base cap grips and seals the neck of a bottle or other container. The plug seal 23 preferably includes at least one seal ring 38 that prevents the contents from escaping. More preferably the skirt includes multiple ribs 38 formed on the outside of the plug seal and vertically spaced apart from one another. Each rib may be continuous or broken, as shown in FIG. 2. The skirt is adapted to fit snugly against the outside of a bottle neck, and the rib or ribs help ensure that the closure stays attached to the bottle. Meanwhile, the plug seal is sized to fit snugly against the inside of the bottle neck, and the seal rings prevent the bottle contents from escaping.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the closure, showing the top surface 16 of the base cap 12, and the bottom surface 30 of the cover cap 14. FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the closure, showing the underside of the base cap (including the plug seal 22) and the top side of the cover cap. FIG. 6 is a side view of the closure in an open position, and shows the exterior surface detail of the closure.
The closure is preferably molded of a single piece of a suitably flexible plastic, such as [polypropylene?]. However, the closure may be constructed of multiple pieces, using various materials.
FIGS. 7A-7D show the operation of the closure. To seal the closure, a user pivots the cover cap about the hinge to a position above the base cap. As the cover cap moves into position above the base cap, the nozzle makes contact with the shroud on the cover cap, as shown in FIG. 7B. The shroud acts like a cam surface, forcing the cover cap to translate laterally as it pivots. The cover cap's lateral movement is enabled by the hinge, which stretches as shown in FIG. 7B. This movement facilitates proper alignment of the shroud around the nozzle. It also assists wit guiding the shroud such that the plug enters into the orifice to properly seal the nozzle.
In the exemplary embodiment, contact between the nozzle and the shroud causes the cover cap to translate approximately 0.02″. However, it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the required amount of lateral translation will vary according to design characteristics such as component size and material elasticity. This lateral translation places the plug in position to seal the orifice without making contact with the nozzle, as shown in FIGS. 7B, 7C, and 7D. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 7C, the end of the plug is preferably angled, providing clearance between the front edge of the plug and the nozzle. By preventing contact between the plug and the nozzle, the lateral motion of the cover cap helps ensure that neither surface will be damaged during operation. Thus, the resulting seal between the two surfaces will remain stronger and more durable.
As shown in FIG. 7D, the nozzle bead engages the shroud channel when the cover cap is in the closed position. This engagement holds the cover cap on the base cap, preventing unintended opening due to side loads and changes in the skirt shape. When the cover cap is in the closed position, the lower edge of the cover cap preferably rests on the shoulder formed around the circumferential edge of the base cap. This provides a positive stop for the cover cap, as well as increased stability to the closure. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 6, the cover cap may also include alignment teeth 40 adapted to engage alignment notches 41 on the base cap. The base cap shoulder and the alignment notches ensure proper alignment of the caps, and prevent damage to the nozzle and plug by resisting any side or twisting loads placed on the caps. While the present embodiment discloses the use of teeth and notches to align the caps, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other forms of alignment may be used, including posts and holes.
To open the closure, a user applies upward pressure on a lip 44 formed on the cover cap which preferably projects laterally pas the radial location of the shoulder. as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. This upward pressure causes the cover cap to separate from the base cap and swing back on the hinge. The base cap preferably includes a recessed portion 42 below the lip 44 which increases the surface area of the lip 44.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the configuration of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations provided they come within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

Claims

1. A flip-top closure device for a bottle or other similar container having a neck, the closure comprising:

a base cap including a top wall with an upper surface, a lower surface and a circumferential edge, a nozzle projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the top wall and having an orifice formed in the nozzle, a cylindrical skirt depending downwardly from the circumferential edge, the skirt adapted to engage the neck of a container; and

a cover cap adapted to cover at least a portion of the base cap, the cover cap having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface having a lower circumferential edge, a plug is formed integral with and depending downward from the inner surface of the cover cap, the plug sized to fit within the orifice so as to seal the orifice, and a sealing shroud having an inner surface and an outer surface, the shroud depending downwardly from the cover cap and circumscribing the plug,

wherein the cover cap is hingeably attached to the base cap through an integrally formed hinge, wherein the pivoting of the cover cap onto the base cap causes the sealing shroud to engage with an upper portion of the top of the nozzle, the contact between the sealing shroud and the nozzle adapted to cause the cover cap to move laterally in relation to the base cap, thereby properly aligning the plug with the orifice.

2. The closure of claim 1, wherein the base cap includes a hollow cylindrical plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt and depending downwardly from the lower surface of the top wall, the plug seal having an outer surface adapted to engage the inside surface of the neck of the container and including at least one bead ring formed on the outer surface.

3. The closure of claim 2, wherein the circumferential edge includes a shoulder circumscribing the circumference of the top wall, the shoulder adapted to mate with the lower edge of the cover cap when the cover cap is in a closed position.

4. The closure of claim 3, wherein the plug includes a tip end which is sloped.

5. The closure of claim 4, wherein the angled tip provides clearance between the tip and the shroud when the cover cap is transitioned during the closing process.

6. The closure of claim 3, wherein the nozzle includes an integral bead extending around its circumference.

7. The closure of claim 6, wherein the inner surface of the shroud includes a notch adapted to engage the integral bead on the nozzle when the cover cap is in the closed position thereby securing the nozzle to the shroud.

8. The closure of claim 7, wherein the skirt includes at least one rib adapted to grip the neck of a container.

9. The closure of claim 5, wherein the plug seal includes at least two sealing beads on its outer surface, the beads being spaced apart from one another and adapted to sealingly contact the inside surface of the container neck.

10. The closure of claim 5, wherein the cover cap includes at least one tooth adapted to engage at least one notch in the base cap when the cover cap is placed in the closed position.

11. A flip-top closure device for a bottle or other similar container having a neck, the closure comprising:

a base cap including a top wall with an upper surface, a lower surface and a circumferential edge, a nozzle projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the top wall and having an orifice formed in the nozzle, a cylindrical skirt depending downwardly from the circumferential edge, the skirt adapted to engage the neck of a container, a hollow cylindrical plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt and depending downwardly from the lower surface of the top wall, the plug seal having an outer surface adapted to engage the inside surface of the neck of the container; and

a cover cap adapted to cover at least a portion of the base cap, the cover cap having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface having a lower circumferential edge, a plug is formed integral with and depending downward from the inner surface of the cover cap, the plug sized to fit within the orifice so as to seal the orifice, the plug having a sloped tip, and a sealing shroud having an inner surface and an outer surface, the shroud depending downwardly from the cover cap and circumscribing the plug,

12. The closure of claim 11, wherein the nozzle includes an integral bead extending around its exterior circumference, and the shroud includes a bead notch formed in its interior surface, the notch adapted to engage the bead when the cover cap is in a closed position.

13. The closure of claim 12, wherein the shroud is adapted to contact a portion of the nozzle during the closing motion, the contact causing the cover cap to move laterally during the closing motion.