Closure for a container, closure components, and method of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10618686-B2
Application number	US-201815894310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2018
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A closure body (40) is provided for installation with a liner membrane (52) on a container (44). The closure body (40) has a peripheral portion (74) for being mounted on the container (44) around an access opening (48), and a separable portion (82) that (i) is disposed laterally inwardly of the peripheral portion (74); (ii) is initially connected to the peripheral portion (74) by at least one frangible connection (86); and (iii) can be separated from the peripheral portion (74) upon breaking of the at least one frangible connection (86). The closure body (40) has an opening member (94) that is connected with the separable portion (82) to accommodate movement of the opening member (94) relative to the separable portion (82). The opening member (94) has a grippable portion (102) and a puncture portion (106) each disposed in an initial inactive orientation relative to the separable portion (74).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure body that can be installed with an attachable liner membrane on a container of product to define a package wherein
the container has (i) an interior in which the product is contained, (ii) an exterior, and (iii) an access opening communicating between the exterior and the interior, and
the access opening can be initially occluded by the liner membrane attached to both the container and closure body around the access opening to define an installed closure on the container,
said closure body comprising:
A. a peripheral portion for being mounted on the container around the access opening;
B. a generally ring shaped separable portion that
(i) is disposed laterally inwardly of said peripheral portion;
(ii) is initially connected to said peripheral portion by at least one frangible connection; and
(iii) can be at least partially separated from said peripheral portion upon breaking of said at least one frangible connection; and

C. an opening member that
(i) is connected with said separable portion to accommodate movement of said opening member relative to said separable portion;
(ii) has a grippable portion and a puncture portion each disposed in an initial inactive orientation relative to said separable portion, and wherein said grippable portion is configured to be lifted away from said inactive orientation and pulled outwardly away from said peripheral portion, whereby, after said closure body and the liner membrane have been installed on the container, then
(a) said grippable portion can be lifted away from said inactive orientation to re-orient said opening member relative to said separable portion so that said puncture portion punctures the liner membrane, and
(b) subsequently said grippable portion can be pulled outwardly away from said peripheral portion so that said opening member is pulled outwardly away from said peripheral portion to break said at least one frangible connection between said separable portion and said peripheral portion.

2. The closure body of claim 1 further in combination with the liner membrane which together define a closure and in which the said membrane is of the type that is initially sealed on an upper surface of said liner membrane to both said separable portion and said peripheral portion whereby said liner membrane is exposed within the separable portion and is configured to subsequently be sealed on an oppositely facing lower surface to the container to occlude the container access opening and seal the container.

3. The closure body of claim 2 in which said liner membrane has a metallic component and is heat sealable on (i) said upper surface to both said separable portion and to said peripheral portion, and (ii) said lower surface to the container.

4. The closure body of claim 1 wherein said opening member is connected to said separable portion by a hinge to accommodate rotation of said opening member relative to said separable portion.

5. The closure body of claim 4 wherein
A. said opening member is connected to said separable portion with a pair of spaced-apart film hinges to accommodate rotation of said opening member relative to said separable portion;
B. said opening member includes a leg extending from said grippable portion between and beyond said pair of spaced-apart film hinges; and
C. said puncture portion is located at the distal end of said leg.

6. The closure body of claim 1 wherein said separable portion defines a recess configured to accommodate movement of said puncture portion through said recess when said gripping portion is lifted away from said inactive orientation.

7. The closure body of claim 1 wherein said puncture portion is generally wedge-shaped.

8. The closure body of claim 1 wherein
A. said separable portion has an outer perimeter;
B. said peripheral portion has an inner perimeter; and
C. said at least one frangible connection includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart frangible connections located along and between said outer perimeter and said inner perimeter.

9. The closure body of claim 1 wherein said separable portion has a thickened annular portion proximal to said at least one frangible connection.

10. The closure body of claim 1 wherein
A. said opening member is connected with said separable portion at a location that is intermediate said grippable portion and said puncture portion, and
B. said grippable portion defines a gripping aperture for accommodating insertion of a finger of the user.

11. The closure body of claim 1 wherein said peripheral portion, said separable portion, and said opening member all together compromise a unitary molded structure.

12. The closure body of claim 1 wherein
A. said separable portion defines a plane; and
B. said opening member is connected with said separable portion to accommodate rotation of said opening member relative to said separable portion to move (i) said grippable portion away from said plane on a first side of said plane, and (ii) said puncture portion away from said plane on an oppositely facing second side of said plane.

13. A method of using the closure body of claim 1 in combination with a container and a liner membrane that is attached to (i) both said closure body peripheral portion and said separable portion, and (ii) said container filled with product, whereby said closure body and said liner membrane when attached together on and to said container, define an installed closure on said container, and whereby both said container filled with product and said closure as installed on the container together define a package, the method comprising the steps of:
A. holding said package;
B. lifting said grippable portion away from said liner membrane to move said puncture portion toward and into said liner membrane to puncture said liner membrane and create a tear in said liner membrane; and
C. subsequently pulling said grippable portion away from said peripheral portion to break said at least one frangible connection and move at least a portion of said separable portion away from said peripheral portion to propagate a tear in said liner membrane.

14. The closure body of claim 7 wherein said puncture portion is arcuate and extends partially along a perimeter of said generally ring shaped separable portion.

15. The closure body of claim 7 wherein said puncture portion terminates in a point.

16. The closure body of claim 1 further in combination with the liner membrane which together define a closure, said puncture portion is completely spaced from the liner with said grippable portion in said initial inactive orientation.

17. The closure body of claim 5 wherein said puncture portion and said leg have a generally T-shaped configuration with said puncture portion extending symmetrically from opposite sides of said leg.

18. The closure body of claim 8 wherein said puncture portion is located at a first location along said outer perimeter of said separable portion and said closure body has no frangible connections between said outer perimeter of said separable portion and said inner perimeter of said peripheral portion at a second location that is diametrically opposite of said first location.

Assignees

• Aptargroup Inc

Inventors

• Hammond James
• Mazurkiewicz Timothy
• Wallace Tim

Classifications

• B65D2517/0007

  in a separate cover · CPC title

• B65D2517/0013

  pull-out tear panel, e.g. by means of a tear-tab · CPC title

• B65D2517/0016

  pivot tab, push-down and pull-out tear panel · CPC title

• B65D2517/0086

  laminated · CPC title

• B65D2517/0071

  located externally of tear-out/push-in panel or preformed opening · CPC title