Lug closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10676250-B2
Application number	US-201515504418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Aug 20, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A lug closure (10) includes a central top panel (20), an annular channel (30) outboard of the top panel, a downwardly extending skirt (50) outboard of the channel, the skirt terminating at an inward curl (54) that defines a curl height, and lugs (60) formed in the curl. Each one of the lugs includes a body that extends radially inwardly from the skirt. The body includes a leading edge (70a) that merges into a leading portion (80a) of the curl. The leading edge tapers in thickness from the curl height to a minimum lug thickness and forms a leading edge vertical taper angle from horizontal between 6 and 15 degrees. A trailing edge (70b) merges into a trailing portion (80b) of the curl and the trailing edge (70b) tapers in thickness from the curl height to the minimum lug thickness.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A lug closure comprising:
a central top panel;
an annular channel outboard of the top panel;
a downwardly extending skirt outboard of the channel, the skirt terminating at an inward curl that defines a curl height; and
lugs formed in the curl, each one of the lugs including a body that extends radially inwardly from the skirt, the body including:
a leading edge that merges into a leading portion of the curl, the leading edge vertically tapers in thickness from the curl height to a minimum lug thickness at a tip of the lug such that the leading edge at the tip of the lug is located below an uppermost edge of the curl and the lug thickness at the tip of the lug is less than the curl height, the leading edge taper forming a leading edge vertical taper angle (A 5 ) from horizontal between 5 and 15 degrees, and
a trailing edge that merges into a trailing portion of the curl, the trailing edge vertically tapers in thickness from the curl height to the minimum lug thickness at the tip of the lug, the trailing edge taper forming a trailing edge vertical taper angle from the horizontal of less than 25 degrees.

2. A package for food or beverage contents, the package including:
a wide mouth plastic hot fillable container, the container having a finish including threads, at least an upper portion of the threads defining a thread pitch angle; and a lug closure of claim 1 .

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein the container has a blow-molded and trimmed finish.

4. The package of claim 2 , wherein the thread pitch angle of the finish is within four degrees of the vertical taper angle (A 5 ) of the leading edge of the lug.

5. The package of claim 2 , wherein the thread pitch angle of the finish is within two degrees of the vertical taper angle (A 5 ) of the leading edge of the lug.

6. The package of claim 2 , wherein the thread pitch angle is less than the vertical taper angle (A 5 ) of the leading edge of the lug.

7. The package of claim 2 , wherein the leading edge taper angle and thread pitch angle are each between 5 degrees and 15 degrees.

8. The package of claim 2 , wherein the leading edge taper angle and thread pitch angle are each between 5 and 22 degrees.

9. The package of claim 2 , wherein the trailing edge taper angle is between 10 and 20 degrees.

10. The package of claim 2 , wherein the threads are individual thread segments, each thread further comprising a lower portion that has a pitch angle that is less than the pitch angle of the thread upper portion.

11. The package of claim 2 , wherein the wide mouth plastic hot fillable container is formed of PET or polypropylene.

12. The lug closure of claim 1 , wherein the lug thickness tapers at an angle (A 5 ) of between 6 and 12 degrees.

13. The lug closure of claim 1 , wherein the lug thickness tapers at an angle (A 5 ) of approximately 15 degrees.

14. The lug closure of claim 1 , wherein the top panel includes a button and the channel includes a shoulder on an inboard side.

15. The lug closure of claim 14 , wherein the shoulder merges into the top panel and the shoulder is configured and sized to be disposed proximate inside surface of a bottle finish such that the shoulder and the inside surface are separated by less than 0.025 inches relative to a longitudinal center axis of the closure, whereby the shoulder is configured to enhance roundness of the finish.

16. The lug closure of claim 1 , wherein the body of the lugs further includes a lower edge that extends along a length of the lug, wherein the lower edge at the tip of the lug is located above a lowermost edge of the curl.

17. A lug closure comprising:
a central top panel;
an annular channel outboard of the top panel;
a downwardly extending skirt outboard of the channel, the skirt terminating at an inward curl that defines a curl height; and
lugs formed in the curl, each one of the lugs including a body that extends radially inwardly from the skirt, the body including:
a leading edge that merges into a leading portion of the curl, the leading edge vertically tapers in thickness from the curl height to a minimum lug thickness at a tip of the lug such that the leading edge at the tip of the lug is located below an uppermost edge of the curl and the lug thickness at the tip of the lug is less than the curl height, the leading edge taper forming a leading edge vertical taper angle (A 5 ) from horizontal between 5 and 15 degrees, and
a trailing edge that merges into a trailing portion of the curl, the trailing edge vertically tapers in thickness from the curl height to the minimum lug thickness at the tip of the lug, wherein the lug is approximately symmetric about a vertical, radial plane and the lug has a maximum radial dimension located approximately equidistant from its ends.

18. A lug closure comprising:
a central top panel;
an annular channel outboard of the top panel;
a skirt outboard of the channel, the skirt extending in a vertical direction and terminating at an inward curl, the inward curl having an uppermost edge and a lowermost edge positioned below the uppermost edge in the vertical direction; and
lugs formed in the curl, each one of the lugs including a body that extends radially inwardly from the skirt, the body including:
a leading edge that merges into a leading portion of the curl, the leading edge tapers in a vertical direction from the uppermost edge of the curl such that the leading edge of the curl at the tip of the lug is located below the uppermost edge of the curl in the vertical direction, the leading edge taper forming a leading edge vertical taper angle (A 5 ) from horizontal between 5 and 15 degrees, and
a trailing edge that merges into a trailing portion of the curl, the trailing edge vertically tapers in thickness from the curl height to the minimum lug thickness.

Assignees

• Crown Packaging Technology Inc

Inventors

• Sims Bart
• German Galen

Classifications

• B65D43/0231 Primary

  only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth of the container (B65D43/0227 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D1/0246

  Closure retaining means, e.g. beads, screw-threads · CPC title

• B65D2543/00972

  Collars or rings · CPC title

• B65D2543/00527

  NO contact · CPC title

• B65D2543/00537

  on the outside, or a part turned to the outside of the mouth of the container · CPC title