Abstract:
A system ( 20; 302 ) comprising the unitarily molded single-piece combination of: a first portion ( 24; 324 ); a living hinge ( 22; 322 ); and a second portion ( 26; 326 ) coupled by the living hinge to the first portion and shiftable between a first condition and second condition via rotation about the living hinge. The living hinge comprises: a first end ( 80 ) at the first portion; and a second end ( 82 ) at the second portion, in the as-molded condition the second end is spaced upward from the first end.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Benefit is claimed of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/387,965, filed Sep. 29, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein as if set forth at length. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to packaging. More particularly, the invention relates to living hinges for molded package closures. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    One aspect of the invention involves a system comprising the unitarily molded single-piece combination of: a first portion; a living hinge; and a second portion coupled by the living hinge to the first portion and shiftable between a first condition and second condition via rotation about the living hinge. The living hinge comprises: a first end at the first portion; and a second end at the second portion. In the as-molded condition the second end is spaced upward from the first end. 
         [0004]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is an open isometric view of a molded closure in an open as molded condition. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the closure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a left side view of the closure of  FIG. 1 , a right side view being a mirror image. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3A  is an enlarged view of the hinge of the closure of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the closure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a central vertical/longitudinal sectional view of the closure of  FIG. 4 , taken line  5 - 5 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5A  is an enlarged view of the hinge of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is an offset vertical/longitudinal sectional view of the closure of  FIG. 4 , taken along line  6 - 6 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6A  is a detailed view of the hinge of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a transverse vertical sectional view of the hinge taken along  7 - 7 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a top view of the closure in a snapped closed condition. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a central vertical/longitudinal sectional view of the closure of  FIG. 8 , taken along line  9 - 9 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a side view of the closure of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a rear view of the closure of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a view of a container having a second closure in an open condition. 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a first view of a hinge member of the closure of  FIG. 12  in a relaxed/as-molded condition. 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is a second view of the hinge member of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 15  is a first sectional view of the hinge of  FIG. 13 , taken along line  15 - 15 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 16  is a second sectional view of the hinge of  FIG. 13 , taken along line  16 - 16 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 17  is a view of the container of  FIG. 12  in a closed condition (with hinges flexed). 
           [0025]      FIG. 18  is a partial sectional view of the container of  FIG. 17 , taken along line  18 - 18 . 
       
    
    
       [0026]    Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]      FIG. 1  shows a closure system  20  in an open condition. The illustrated exemplary system  20  comprises a unitarily molded combination comprising a living hinge  22  coupling a first portion  24  to a second portion  26 . The exemplary first portion is a fixed portion such as a mounting base. The exemplary mounting base is internally threaded for screw-on engagement to the mouth of a bottle or similar container body. Snap-on mounting, adhesive mounting, solvent-bond mounting, thermal weld mounting are also possible. The base has an aperture  30  through which product (e.g., foodstuffs, cosmetics, and the like) may be delivered in the open condition. The exemplary aperture is a mouth at an upper portion  32  of a rebated sidewall  34  of the mounting base. In an exemplary typical orientation of a bottle closure, a central vertical axis  500  of the exemplary closure is defined as extending through the aperture. The exemplary sidewall extends from a lower end/rim  40  to an upper end/rim  42  and has an exterior surface  44  and an interior surface  46 . A lower portion  47  of the sidewall is separated from the upper portion  32  via a shoulder  48 . Along the interior surface, the lower portion bears the internal thread  50 . 
         [0028]    The exemplary second portion  26  is a cap having a sidewall  60  (extending upward from a lower rim  62 ) and a transverse web  64  across an upper end of the sidewall. In a closed condition, a lower portion of the cap sidewall surrounds an upper portion of the base and seals therewith. The closed condition may be maintained by cooperating detent moieties  70 ,  72  on the cap and base. Alternative second portions comprise plugs for receipt by the base aperture.  FIG. 1  further shows an exemplary latch system formed by a tab on the cap and a catch on the base. Release may be by finger actuation (e.g., depressing) of the catch (optionally, depending upon implementation, a lifting of the tab). A latching may be via a camming action of the tab against the catch until snapping into an opening of the catch. 
         [0029]    The exemplary living hinge  22  is un-slitted and extends from a first (proximal) end  80  at the base to a second (distal) end  82  at the cap. The exemplary hinge has a left edge  84  and a right edge  86 . The exemplary hinge has a first (inboard) face  88  and a second (outboard) face  90  ( FIG. 3 ). Between the proximal and distal ends, the first face has a central portion  92  ( FIG. 3A ) that is convex along the medial plane  520  ( FIG. 4 ) and planes parallel thereto. The central portion is also convex transverse thereto (thus doubly convex). The adjacent central portion  94  of the second face  90  is similarly doubly concave. In the as-molded condition, a median  530  of the hinge is generally upwardly convex along the central portion. The relative convexities and concavities are such that the central portion is centrally relatively thick and thins away from a location  98  ( FIG. 5 ) proximate the hinge center in both directions (lateral and proximal-distal). Curvature changes along the length of the hinge so that the exemplary face  92  is lengthwise concave and  94  convex in a proximal region of the hinge and, along a distal region their respective convexity and concavity decreases relative to the central portion.  FIG. 7  shows a central thickness T 1  and a thickness T 2  at or near the hinge edges. An exemplary thickness decrease from center to edge is of at least 30%.  FIG. 7  shows a hinge width W 1 . Exemplary W 1  is one inch (2.5 cm) (largely depending on container/lid size, weight, etc., but likely typically 0.5-1.5 inch (1.3-3.8 cm) or 0.75-1.25 inch (1.9-3.2 cm)). 
         [0030]    In the as-molded condition, the first end  80  and second end  82  are generally horizontal with the second end spaced upward from the first end. An exemplary vertical offset H 1  is at least 50% of a horizontal separation S 1 , more narrowly close to 100% (e.g., about 80-120%). In an exemplary implementation, T 1  is 0.057 inch (and T 2  is 0.023 inch).  FIG. 3A  similarly shows thicknesses T 3  and T 4 , respectively near the ends  80  and  82 . In the exemplary embodiment, T 3  is 0.05 inches (1.3 mm) from edge-to-edge and T 4  varies from a low value (0.021 inch (0.53 mm)) at the edges to a relatively higher value (e.g., 0.035 inch (0.89 mm)) along the medial plane. Thus, in this particular embodiment, the thickness profile transversely across the hinge is relatively more uniform near the proximal end than along the central portion or along the distal end. Exemplary T 2  is less than 70% of T 1 , more narrowly, less than 50% or 30-50%. Exemplary T 1  is 0.03-0.08 inch (0.76-2.0 mm). 
         [0031]    Such a hinge configuration provides a snap-open action which creates a generally open relatively relaxed condition, allowing dispensing/delivery without needing the user to hold the cap open. An exemplary characterization of the transverse curvature (e.g., at the middle of the hinge in the view of  FIG. 7 ) is the dimension S 2  between the surface  94  near the edge and the surface  92  near the center. The difference between this and the smaller T 1  may provide a proxy for the amount of effective curvature. Alternatively, a proxy (identifying the bowing associated with the curvature) may be formed by a similar offset (not marked) between the center of the cross-section at the center and the centers of the cross-section at the edges. The greater this offset, the more snap action there will be. Exemplary S 2  minus T 1  is at least 10% of T 1 . 
         [0032]    As the hinge articulates between the opened and closed conditions, there may be an effective over-center snap action involving a toggling of the central portion to be in a relatively stressed condition (when closed) wherein the transverse curvature is reduced or even reversed (reversal being particularly likely if relatively soft material is used). The axial curvature would also reverse. The illustration of flexed/closed conditions is an approximation reflecting artifacts of computer aided drafting. 
         [0033]    Exemplary closure material is a molded plastic such as a conventional polypropylene or copolymerpolypropylene (CoPP) or an LDPE. In an alternative embodiment the first and second portions are mounting features respectively connecting to other components such as a separately-molded base and cap (e.g., of dissimilar plastics).  FIGS. 12-18  show such an alternate container  300  having a pair of modular hinges  302 . The modularity of the hinges allows the hinges to be formed separately from one or both of the container or closure body and the cap/cover/lid/etc. In this exemplary system, the hinges are separate from both. This exemplary system features a container body (e.g., a molded plastic tub)  310 . A closure system (assembly)  312  includes a mounting ring (base)  314  mounted at a neck/mouth portion of the body. The closure system further includes a lid  318  and the hinges. 
         [0034]    Each hinge includes a central living hinge portion  322  which may be generally similar to the living hinge  22 . In this implementation, however, there is a slight difference in that the adjacent portions of the lid and body are straight rather than circular in planform. 
         [0035]    Each hinge member  302  includes a first portion  324  and a second portion  326  at opposite ends of the living hinge  322 . The respective first portion and second portion are formed as flat generally rectangular planform tabs for being received in accommodating pockets  330  and  332  of the ring and the lid, respectively. The exemplary tabs include apertures which receive detent barbs of the pockets to prevent/resist extraction of the tabs once inserted. When installed, the first tab  324  thus forms a proximal portion and the second tab  326  thus forms a distal portion. In the exemplary embodiment, the body, ring, lid, and hinges are all molded of plastic materials. However, the use of modular hinges allows the choice to use different hinge material from one or both mating structures (i.e., the ring or lid in the present implementation). Such differing materials may even be non-plastic. For mating with other materials, other configurations of mounting features may replace the tabs. The exemplary container includes a latch system  340  formed by cooperating features of the lid and ring. 
         [0036]    One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, when implemented in the redesign of an existing closure, details of the closure and its use may influence details of any particular implementation. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.