Tethered flip closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214413-B2
Application number	US-201916520958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2019
Priority date	Jul 24, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A closure includes a hinged sealing element including a top wall and a first skirt. The first skirt has a sealing formation allowing engagement of a mating sealing formation of a bottle. A second skirt has an attachment formation engageable with a mating attachment formation of the bottle. A plurality of frangible members is attached to each of the skirts. A pair of hinge members is attached between the first and second skirts. A biasing member is attached to the first skirt between the hinge members and extending downwardly from the first skirt to interact with a neck portion of the bottle such that the sealing formation of the first skirt and the mating sealing formation of the bottle are biased toward each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure, for closing a bottle having a neck portion including a mating sealing formation and a mating attachment formation, the closure comprising:
a hinged sealing element including a top wall and a first skirt extending downwardly from the top wall, the first skirt including a circumference, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the inner surface having a sealing formation that allows engagement of the mating sealing formation of the bottle, a tab attached to the outer surface of the first skirt, the first skirt extending below and perpendicular to the top wall down to a lower edge of the first skirt;
a second skirt defining an inner surface, an outer surface, a top edge, and a circumference larger than the circumference of the first skirt, the inner surface having an attachment formation engageable with the mating attachment formation of the bottle, the second skirt extending downward in a same direction as the first skirt;
a plurality of frangible members each having first and second edges and being attached to a respective skirt to form a gap between the first and second skirts, the first edges of the frangible members being attached to the first skirt with frangible formations;
a pair of hinge members each attached between the first and second skirts within the gap; and
a biasing member attached to the first skirt between the hinge members and extending downwardly from the first skirt to interact with the neck portion of the bottle such that the sealing formation of the inner surface of the first skirt and the mating sealing formation of the bottle are biased toward each other.

2. The closure of claim 1 , wherein the lower edge of the first skirt detaches from the frangible formations of the first edges of each the frangible members upon lifting the tab, moving the first skirt from a closed position to an open position, the pair of hinge members and the biasing member allowing the first skirt to remain in the open position.

3. The closure of claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the first skirt comprises an outer section and an inner section, the outer section defining a circumference, the inner section defining a circumference smaller than the circumference of the outer section, a space between the outer section and the inner section to receive the mating sealing formation of the bottle, the outer section creating an outer seal with the mating sealing formation of the bottle, and the inner section creating a plug seal with the mating sealing formation of the bottle.

4. The closure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frangible members is positioned at an angle from 0 degrees to 135 degrees, relative to a horizontal axis.

5. The closure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frangible members is spaced around a portion of the circumference of the first skirt, at 10 degree angle increments.

6. The closure of claim 1 , wherein the attachment formation of the second skirt is a plurality of threads spaced around the circumference of the inner surface of the second skirt.

7. The closure of claim 3 , wherein the attachment formation of the second skirt is a plurality of threads spaced around the circumference of the inner surface of the second skirt.

8. The closure of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of frangible members section is positioned at an angle from 0 degrees to 135 degrees, relative to the horizontal axis.

9. The closure of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of frangible members is spaced around a portion of the circumference of the first skirt, at 10 degree angle increments.

10. A closure, for closing a bottle having a neck portion including a mating sealing formation and a mating attachment formation, the closure comprising:
a hinged sealing element including a top wall and a first skirt extending downwardly from the top wall, the first skirt including a circumference, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the inner surface having a sealing formation that allows engagement of the mating sealing formation of the bottle, the sealing formation comprising an outer section and an inner section, the outer section defining a circumference, the inner section defining a circumference smaller than the circumference of the outer section, a space between the outer section and the inner section to receive the mating sealing formation of the bottle, the outer section creating an outer seal with the mating sealing formation of the bottle, and the inner section creating a plug seal with the mating sealing formation of the bottle, a tab attached to the outer surface of the first skirt, the first skirt extending below and perpendicular to the top wall down to a lower edge of the first skirt;
a second skirt defining an inner surface, an outer surface, a top edge, and a circumference larger than the circumference of the first skirt, the inner surface having an attachment formation engageable with the mating attachment formation of the bottle, the second skirt extending downward in a same direction as the first skirt;
a plurality of frangible members each having first and second edges and being attached to a respective skirt to form a gap between the first and second skirts, the first edges of the frangible members being attached to the first skirt with frangible formations;
a pair of hinge members each attached between the first and second skirts within the gap; and
a biasing member attached to the first skirt between the hinge members and extending downwardly from the first skirt to interact with the neck portion of the bottle such that the sealing formation of the inner surface of the first skirt and the mating sealing formation of the bottle are biased toward each other.

11. The closure of claim 10 , wherein the lower edge of the first skirt detaches from the frangible formations of the first edges of each the frangible members upon lifting the tab, moving the first skirt from a closed position to an open position, the pair of hinge members and the biasing member allowing the first skirt to remain in the open position.

12. The closure of claim 10 , wherein the frangible members are positioned at an angle greater than 0 degrees relative to a horizontal axis.

13. The closure of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of frangible members is spaced around a portion of the circumference of the first skirt, at 10 degree angle increments.

14. The closure of claim 10 , wherein the attachment formation of the second skirt is a plurality of threads spaced around the circumference of the inner surface of the second skirt.

15. The closure of claim 12 , wherein the frangible members are positioned at an angle from 0 degrees to 135 degrees, relative to the horizontal axis.

16. A closure, for closing a bottle having a neck portion including a mating sealing formation and a mating attachment formation, the closure comprising:
a hinged sealing element including a top wall and a first skirt extending downwardly from the top wall, the first skirt including a circumference, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the inner surface having a sealing formation that allows engagement of the mating sealing formation of the bottle, the sealing formation comprising an outer section and an inner section, the outer section defining a circumference, the inner section defining a circumference smaller than the circumference of the outer section, a space between the outer section and the inner section to receive the mating sealing formation of the bottle, the outer section creating an outer seal with the mating sealing formation of the bottle, and the inner section creating a plug seal with the mating sealing formation o

Assignees

• Silgan White Cap LLC

Inventors

• Berge Gary L
• Hennessy Thomas P

Classifications

• B65D47/0842 Primary

  consisting of a strap of flexible material · CPC title

• B65D47/0823 Primary

  and elastically biased towards the closed position only · CPC title

• B65D47/10

  having frangible closures · CPC title

• B65D2401/15

  Tearable part of the closure (B65D2401/60 takes precedence) · CPC title