Closure for a container with flexible features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548692-B2
Application number	US-201817259731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2018
Priority date	Nov 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A closure (20, 20A, 20B) for a container (22) with an outwardly projecting flange (25). The closure including a skirt (50, 50A, 50B) for attaching the closure (20, 20A, 20B) to the container (22). The skirt (50, 50A, 50B) has an annular, flexible retention member (66, 66A) extending laterally inwardly from a lower end portion (54, 54A, 54B) of the skirt (50, 50A, 50B) to define a connection (62, 62A, 62B) therebetween. In one form, the flexible retention member (58, 58A, 58B) has (a) an initial, undeflected configuration, (b) a deflected configuration rotated away therefrom about the connection (62, 62A, 62B), and (c) a proximal end surface (126, 126A) located at the connection (62, 62A, 62B) defining a shoulder when the flexible retention member (58, 58A, 58B) is in the undeflected configuration. In another form, the flexible retention member (58, 58A, 58B) is movable into the deflected configuration when subjected to an axial force of between about 100 Newtons and about 150 Newtons.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure for a container, said container having an opening to the interior of the container wherein contents may be stored and an outwardly projecting flange, said closure comprising:
(A) a base for being installed on the container at the container opening, said base having an access passage through said base for permitting access to the container interior; and
(B) a closing element operable on said base between a closed position for occluding said access passage and an open position for permitting communication with said access passage, and
wherein said base has a skirt for attaching said closure to the container, said skirt having (i) an exterior surface, (ii) an interior surface, (iii) a lower end portion for being located laterally outwardly of the container flange when said base is installed at the container opening, and (iv) an annular, flexible retention member extending laterally inwardly from said skirt lower end portion so as to define a connection therebetween, said flexible retention member having
(a) an initial, undeflected configuration,
(b) a deflected configuration rotated away from said initial, undeflected configuration about said connection, and
(c) an arcuate distal side surface, when viewed in a vertical cross-section through a central axis of the closure, that faces toward said interior surface of said skirt when said flexible retention member is in said deflected configuration, and that is closer to said interior surface when said flexible retention member is in said deflected configuration than when said flexible retention member is in said initial, undeflected configuration.

2. A closure for a container, said container having an opening to the interior of the container wherein contents may be stored and an outwardly projecting flange, said closure comprising:
(A) a base for being installed on the container at the container opening, said base having an access passage through said base for permitting access to the container interior; and
(B) a closing element operable on said base between a closed position for occluding said access passage and an open position for permitting communication with said access passage, and
wherein said base has a skirt for attaching said closure to the container, said skirt having (i) an exterior surface, (ii) an interior surface, (iii) a lower end portion for being located laterally outwardly of the container flange when said base is installed at the container opening, said lower end portion defining an annular, lower end surface, and (iv) an annular, flexible retention member extending laterally inwardly from said lower end portion so as to define a connection therebetween, said flexible retention member having
(a) an initial, undeflected configuration,
(b) a deflected configuration rotated away from said initial, undeflected configuration about said connection, and
(c) a proximal end surface located at said connection, said proximal end surface and said lower end surface together defining a shoulder when said flexible retention member is in said undeflected configuration, said proximal end surface of said flexible retention member is normal to said lower end surface in said undeflected configuration, when viewed in a vertical cross-sectional plane taken through a central axis of said closure.

3. A closure for a container, said container having an opening to the interior of the container wherein contents may be stored and an outwardly projecting flange, said closure comprising:
(A) a base for being installed on the container at the container opening, said base having an access passage through said base for permitting access to the container interior; and
(B) a closing element operable on said base between a closed position for occluding said access passage and an open position for permitting communication with said access passage, and
wherein said base has a skirt for attaching said closure to the container, said skirt having (i) an exterior surface, (ii) an interior surface, (iii) a lower end portion for being located laterally outwardly of the container flange when said base is installed at the container opening, and (iv) an annular, flexible retention member extending laterally inwardly from said lower end portion so as to define a connection therebetween, said flexible retention member having
(a) an initial, undeflected configuration, and
(b) a deflected configuration rotated away from said initial, undeflected configuration about said connection, and said flexible retention member being movable between said initial, undeflected configuration to said deflected configuration when subjected to an axial force of between 100 Newtons and 150 Newtons.

4. The closure in accordance with claim 2 in which (i) said flexible retention member extends a first distance from said lower end surface of said skirt, and (ii) said proximal end surface of said flexible retention extends a second distance away from said lower end surface of said skirt, when said flexible retention member is in said undeflected configuration, wherein said first distance is between 15 and 20 times greater than said second distance.

5. The closure in accordance with claim 2 in which (i) said connection between said flexible retention member and said skirt lower end portion extends a third distance from said lower end surface, and (ii) said proximal end surface of said flexible retention member extends a second distance away from said lower end surface, when said flexible retention member is in said undeflected configuration, wherein said third distance is between 2 and 3 times greater than said second distance.

6. The closure in accordance with claim 3 in which said flexible retention member includes a flat distal end surface oriented an angle α 2 of between 25 and 35 degrees relative to a horizontal plane defined by said access passage when said flexible retention member is in said undeflected configuration.

7. The closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said flexible retention member is movable between said initial, undeflected configuration to said deflected configuration when subjected to an axial force of between 100 Newtons and 150 Newtons.

8. The closure in accordance with claim 3 in which said flexible retention member has a maximum, first thickness at its distal end and a minimum, second thickness at said connection with said skirt lower end portion, wherein said flexible retention member has a tapered configuration such that said first thickness is greater than said second thickness.

9. The closure in accordance with claim 8 in which said first thickness is between 1.3 and 4 times greater than said second thickness.

10. The closure in accordance with claim 3 in which said flexible retention member has a uniform thickness.

11. The closure in accordance with claim 3 in which said flexible retention member extends radially and axially inwardly from said skirt lower end portion at an angle α 1 of between 25 degrees and 35 degrees relative to a vertical axis extending through said connection between said flexible retention member and said skirt lower end portion.

12. The closure in accordance with claim 3 in which said flexible retention member includes a flat, distal side surface when viewed in a vertical cross-sectional plane taken through a central axis of said closure, wherein said flat, distal end surface is configured to face said container when said flexible retention member is in said deflected configuration.

13. The closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said lower end portion defines an annular, lower end surface, and said flexible retention member includes a proximal end surface

Assignees

• Aptargroup Inc

Inventors

• Lenz Franz
• Jaeckel Gerhard

Classifications

• B65D43/169 Primary

  the lid, the hinge and the element connecting them to the container being made of one piece · CPC title

• B65D2543/00759

  Flange or lip · CPC title

• B65D51/246 Primary

  provided with eating utensils or spatulas (applicator rods or brushes B65D51/32) · CPC title

• B65D2543/00435

  Lids secured to an intermediate ring or like annular member fixed to the container mouth · CPC title

• B65D47/20

  comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge (closures with discharge by pumping {B05B11/10}) · CPC title