Dispensing Closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025270007-A1
Application number	US-202418876468-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2024
Priority date	Jul 17, 2023
Publication date	Aug 28, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dispensing closure (40, 40A, 40B) for a fluent substance-containing system, such as a container, includes a body (54, 54A, 54B) for receiving the fluent substance from the system, and a pivotable actuator (60, 60A, 60B) assembled with the body (54, 54A, 54B). The actuator (60, 60A, 60B) has a back region (116) opposite its outlet end (132) and having a central cam element (150, 150A, 150B) for frictionally engaging the closure body (54, 54A, 54B) to maintain the actuator in an open, dispensing position. The actuator back region (116) further includes at least one rib (160, 160A, 160B) located adjacent to the central cam (150, 150A, 150B) to resist movement of the actuator (60, 60A, 60B) into the open, dispensing position. The rib (160, 160A, 160B) has an initial configuration and a permanently deformed configuration after movement of the actuator (60, 60A, 60B) into the open, dispensing position.

First claim

1 . A dispensing closure for a system having an opening between an exterior of the system and an interior of the system where a fluent substance may be stored, said dispensing closure comprising:
A. a closure body that
1) can be located at the system opening and that defines a lower end for communicating with the system,
2) has an upper end, and
3) has a body flow passage to accommodate the flow of a fluent substance through said closure body;
B. an actuator that
1) is rotatably mounted to said closure body for occluding said body flow passage to prevent flow of a fluent substance through said dispensing closure when said actuator is in a closed, non-dispensing position and for permitting flow of a fluent substance through said dispensing closure when said actuator is rotated to an open, dispensing position,
2) includes a dispensing flow passage having an inlet end that is in communication with said body flow passage and having an outlet end which permits dispensing through said actuator in said open, dispensing position, and
3) includes a back region opposite said outlet end and having a central cam element for frictionally engaging said closure body to maintain said actuator in said open, dispensing position, and said back region includes at least one rib located adjacent said central cam to resist said actuator from moving into said open, dispensing position, said at least one rib having an initial configuration prior to movement of said actuator into said open, dispensing position and said at least one rib having a permanently deformed configuration after movement of said actuator into said open, dispensing position.

2 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said at least one rib has the form of a pair of ribs located on said back region and on opposite sides of said central cam element.

3 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 2 in which said pair of ribs are equidistantly spaced from said central cam element along a circumference of said back region.

4 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 2 in which said closure body defines a central axis extending between said lower end and said upper end, and said pair of ribs define a central angle of between about 30 degrees and about 50 degrees relative to said central axis.

5 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body defines a central axis extending between said lower end and said upper end, and said at least one rib extends parallel to said central axis along said back region.

6 . The dispensing in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body defines a central axis extending between said lower end and said upper end, and said at least one rib has a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape in a plane that is normal to said central axis.

7 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body defines a central axis extending between said lower end and said upper end, and said at least one rib has a substantially semi-circular cross-sectional shape in a plane that is normal to said central axis.

8 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body defines a central axis extending between said lower end and said upper end, and said at least one rib has a substantially flat abutment face for confronting said closure body in said closed, non-dispensing position, said abutment face extending in a plane that is normal to said central axis.

9 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said actuator is configured with a first actuation force when first moved between said closed, non-dispensing position and said open, dispensing position, and said actuator is configured with a second actuation force when subsequently moved between said closed, non-dispensing position and said open, dispensing position, said first actuation force being greater than said second actuation force.

10 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body defines a central axis extending between said lower end and said upper end, said at least one rib defines a pair of angled side walls that terminate in an edge that extends substantially parallel to said central axis.

11 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body defines an outer wall, said outer wall terminating in a sloping upper surface confronting said at least one rib, said sloping upper surface arranged to slope downwardly in a direction away from said at least one rib.

12 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 wherein an initial movement of said at least one rib from said initial configuration into said permanently deformed configuration does not generate any frangible pieces of said actuator and/or said closure body.

13 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one rib and said central cam element are integrally formed with said actuator.

14 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in combination with a system that is a container of a fluent substance, the closure and the container together defining a package.

15 . The dispensing closure in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body is adapted for use with a system that is a container defining said opening and in which said closure body is one of: a separate structure for being attached to the container at the container opening; or an integral structure that is a unitary part of a container formed at the container opening.

Assignees

• Aptargroup Inc

Inventors

• Prusko Curt
• Smith Kelly

Classifications

• B65D47/2006 Primary

  formed by a rigid spout outlet opened by tilting of the spout outlet · CPC title