Closure for a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994368-B2
Application number	US-201314067522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 30, 2012
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a closure for an outlet opening of a container comprising a first component which snaps onto an outlet opening and provides a seal for an outlet opening said first component snaps with a second component of said closure; wherein the first component comprises one or more rails to enable stability of the assembly and defines the direction of movement of the second component relative to the first component; a second component comprising a dispensing orifice of said second component, said second component, snaps with said first component; wherein the second component comprises ribs which engage the rail(s) of said first component; a dispensing orifice positioned directly adjacent to the open portion of the container body; wherein one or more directions of the movement of the second component relative to the first component are independently controlled by rails and ribs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure for an outlet opening of a container comprising:
a) a first component which snaps onto an outlet opening and provides a seal for an outlet opening said first component snaps on with a second component of said closure; wherein the first component comprises one or more rails and defines the direction of movement of the second component relative to the first component
b) a second component comprising a dispensing orifice of said second component, said second component, snaps on with said first component; wherein the second component comprises ribs which engage the rail(s) of said first component
c) a dispensing orifice positioned directly adjacent to the open portion of the container body;
wherein one or more directions of the movement of the second component relative to the first component are independently controlled by rails and ribs wherein the closure comprises rail(s) and rib(s) with alternated up and down locations for the rib(s) wherein the first component comprises anchor ribs which increase a retention force of the second component relative to the first component and wherein the first component comprises one or more elements being in a specific juxtaposition enabling a small height and a low profile for one or more of the elements of the first component wherein a telescoping seal and elements supporting the operation of the closure are in the plane or below the plane of the outlet of the container.

2. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the first component comprises at least 2 rails or ribs.

3. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the second component comprises at least 2 rails or ribs.

4. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the first component comprises anchor.

5. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure will move in a method selected from the group consisting of twist, elevate, slide, diagonally, horizontally, rotating and mixtures thereof to define a dispensing orifice.

6. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises at least two materials.

7. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing orifice is formed by the orientation of the first component to the second component or the orientation of the second component to the first component.

8. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the first component comprises a rail(s) features to engage with said second component and the second component comprises a rib(s) counterpart feature of the closure.

9. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the second component comprises a rib(s) feature to engage with said first component and the first component comprises a rail(s) counterpart feature component of the closure.

10. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the second component is moved in concentric movement around the first component.

11. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure is integrated with a body of a container.

12. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the first or second component comprises rails with a variable pitch.

13. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the second component can be exchanged with different (shroud) sizes.

14. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure is integrated with a body of a container wherein geometry of the closure functions in completing the silhouette of the body of the container.

15. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure is operated by a single hand of a user or two hands of a user.

16. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure and a container connected to the closure are held by a single hand of a user and closure is operated by a single digit of the single hand.

17. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises a mechanism that suspends one component relative to the other component to ensure a closure remains closed or open.

18. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises tactile features.

19. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises visual features.

20. A closure according to claim 19 , wherein the closure comprises the visual features which provide the user with direction on how to operate the closure.

21. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises an audible sound mechanism.

22. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure is comprised of a sustainable material.

23. A closure according to claim 22 wherein the sustainable material is selected from the group consisting of biopolymers made from non-petroleum sources, biodegradable polymers, recycled resins and mixtures thereof.

24. A closure according to claim 23 wherein the non-petroleum source is selected from the group consisting of bio-derived polyethylene, bio derived polypropylene, bio derived polyesters and mixtures thereof.

25. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure comprises materials for functional performance selected from the group consisting of sealing, ergonomics, stability on storage surfaces, visual aids for user, container durability, customization of tactile and audible signals to the user and mixtures thereof.

26. A closure according to claim 25 wherein the closure comprises material selected from the group consisting of polyolefin resins, polyethylene PE, polypropylene PP; Acrylates, poly methyl acrylate, PMA; carbonates, polycarbonate PC; carbonates, polycarbonate PC; methacrylates, poly methyl methacrylate PMMA; amides, Nylon 6, acetal, copolymers, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ABS; chlorinated polymers, poly vinyl chloride PVC; styrenics, polystyrene PS; Esters, polyethylene terephthalate PET; modified esters, PETG, polyformaldehyde Delrin; methacrylates, poly methyl methacrylate PMMA; amides, Nylon 6, acetal, copolymers Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene—ABS, chlorinated polymers, poly vinyl chloride PVC; styrenics, such as polystyrene PS, esters, polyethylene terephthalate PET, modified esters, such as PETG, and polyformaldehyde, delrin and mixtures thereof.

27. A closure according to claim 19 wherein the closure comprises a soft material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elestomers; TPE, styrenic (SEBS and SBS) based and olefin (TPO PP Elastomer) based, thermoplastic eurothanes TPU, melt processable rubber MPR, thermoplastic vulcanizate TPV, and poly vinyl chloride PVC and mixtures thereof.

28. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the closure geometry provides a surface for leverage to operate the closure.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Pagan Alfredo
• Andres Brian David
• Violaprioli Cristian Alexis
• Mcconville Su-Yon
• NGUYEN Tuan Huu
• Stephenson John Robert

Classifications

• B65D47/127

  Snap-on caps · CPC title

• B65D47/242

  moving helically · CPC title

• B65D47/122 Primary

  Threaded caps · CPC title

• B65D41/16 Primary

  Snap-on caps or cap-like covers · CPC title