A one-piece dispensing closure is disclosed. The one-piece dispensing closure includes a base, a lid having a first flap and means to irreversibly attach to the base, a first living hinge connecting the base to the lid, and a second living hinge connecting the first flap to the lid. The simplistic design of the dispensing closure allows for easy production of dispensing closures of different shapes and sizes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to dispensing closures and, in particular, to a one-piece closure with at least one flap for opening and closing a dispensing aperture.

BACKGROUND

Dispensing closures for bottles, cans and other containers frequently have one or more flaps that can be pivoted between open and closed positions to conveniently dispense product from the container without removing the closure. Examples of the general type of closures under consideration here are disclosed in the following U.S. patents, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,693,399, 4,936,494, 5,330,082 and 6,575,323. The dispensing closures are typically produced by an injection molding process.

There is a continuous demand, however, for dispensing closures that can be produced at low cost with better performance, less mold maintenance, faster cycle, more design flexibility and low capital expenditure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A one-piece dispensing closure is disclosed. The one-piece dispensing closure includes a base, a lid having a first flap and means to irreversibly attach to the base, a first living hinge connecting the base to the lid, and a second living hinge connecting the first flap to the lid. In one embodiment, the means to irreversibly attach to the base comprises a positive snap lock on the lid and a matching hole on the base. In another embodiment, the lid comprises a third living hinge connecting a second flap to the lid. In another embodiment, the lid comprises a plurality of living hinges connection a plurality of flaps to the lid. In another embodiment, the flap is maintained in a closed position by a releasable snap-bead structure at the top edge of the lid.

Also disclosed is a container assembly. The container assembly includes a container having a dispensing opening and a one-piece dispensing closure attached to the dispensing opening. The one-piece dispensing closure includes a base; a lid having a first flap, a first living hinge connecting the base to the lid, and a second living hinge connecting the first flap to the lid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This description is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. In the description, relative terms such as “front,” “back,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom,” as well as derivatives thereof, should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and normally are not intended to require a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “attached,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

Referring now toFIGS. 1-9, there is shown a dispensing closure10in an embodiment of the invention. The dispensing closure10is a unitary or one-piece structure preferably formed of an injection molded suitable thermoplastic material such as polypropylene. The dispensing closure10comprises a base20, a lid30, a living hinge40that connects the base20to the lid30. The term “living hinge” refers to a hinge integrally formed with two opposite portions of the same material. Typically the material along the living hinge is thin relative to the adjacent areas to facilitate flexing or bending of the opposite portions (i.e., the base20and the lid30). A living hinge allows one portion to bend relative to the other portion, as would other hinges between the two portions. The living hinge40allows for a single piece design that can be molded as in-line of draw. No slides or sub-slides are required in the molding design.

The base20has a generally circular end wall21and a cylindrical skirt22depending from the periphery of the end wall. The skirt22is formed with internal threads23enabling it to be screwed onto a mouth of a container. A lower face or side of the end wall21includes a circumferentially continuous sealing surface24that registers with and can engage the mouth of a bottle or container. A removable liner (not shown) such as an induction seal liner, may be positioned in the base20against the sealing surface24prior to assembly of the dispensing closure on a bottle to assure freshness and tamper evidence by causing the liner to seal on the mouth of the container. The base20illustrated inFIGS. 1-6is a two-mode design having a relatively large spoon or pouring opening26at one side of the end wall21, and a plurality of sift or shake openings27in an opposite side of the end wall.

The lid30contains a pair of flaps31and32. Each of the flaps31and32selectively opens and closes the pouring opening26and shake openings27, respectively. The flaps31and32are connected to a chordal or diametral area33of the lid30by respective living hinges34and35. The term “chordal”, as used herein, is intended to cover the special case where the area33is symmetrical with a diametral line such as where, as illustrated, the flaps31and32are essentially of the same size, but also includes arrangements where the flaps are of unequal size and the area is more distinctly offset from a true diametral line. In the illustrated case, the living hinges34and35are elongated elements that extend along a major portion of the chordal area33and the width of the respective flaps. The living hinges34and35in the illustrated embodiment are parallel to each other. The hinges34and35comprise relatively thin, small areas of material that connect the flaps31and32to the chordal area33.

In a as-molded condition, the lid30is connected to the base20by the living hinge40. The lid30is then folded towards the base20and is irreversibly attached to the base20via positive snap locks36. The positive snap locking mechanism is well-known to one skilled in the art. As shown inFIGS. 4 and 6, the positive snap locks36are formed in the chordal area33on the back side of the lid30. When the lid30is folded towards the base20, the positive snap locks36enter and engage with the corresponding locking holes or slot28on the base20. Once in a lock-in position, the positive snap locks36cannot be disengaged unless broken.

A releasable flap catch mechanism, such as the snap-bead design as illustrated, is provided to releasably hold each of the flaps31and32closed on the end wall21to close their respective apertures or openings26and27. The snap-bead catch mechanism includes an edge29on the circular end wall21that extends slightly over the exterior wall of the cylindrical skirt22, and a complimentary inward curvature37on the edge of the lid30that snap catches the edge29of the base20when the flaps31and32are in a closed position. The release of the flaps31and32is facilitated by thumbtabs41and42formed on the opposite sides of the cylindrical skirt22.

Although a two-flap design is shown inFIGS. 1-8, one skilled in the art would understand that the dispensing closure10can easily adopt a tri-flap or quad-flap design as shown inFIG. 9.

As shown inFIGS. 1-8, the top surface38of the lid30is free of any structure components and, therefore, can be used for displaying the company name or logo. The simplistic design of the dispensing closure10allows for easy production of dispensing closures of different shapes and sizes. The living hinge design allows for less stress during the molding process, which may be further simplified by using modular tooling. In addition, since product will be flexed during the in-mold closing step before it is ejected from tool, the hinges will always be flexed at the same time, thus eliminating the variance with a lag in time until lid is actually closed.

Also disclosed is a container assembly. The container assembly includes a container having a dispensing opening and a one-piece dispensing closure attached to said dispensing opening. The one-piece dispensing closure includes a base; a lid having a first flap, a first living hinge connecting the base to the lid, and a second living hinge connecting the first flap to the lid.

In one embodiment, the one-piece dispensing closure is reversibly attached to the container.

In another embodiment, the one-piece dispensing closure is irreversibly attached to the container.

In another embodiment, the lid further includes a second flap connected to the lid by a third living hinge.

In another embodiment, the lid further includes attaching means to irreversibly attach the lid to the base.

In a related embodiment, the attaching means includes a positive snap lock on the lid and a matching hole on the base.

In another embodiment, the base includes an end wall with at least one opening on the end wall and a skirt extending downward from the periphery of the end wall.

While the invention has been shown and described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art all within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the invention, besides being employed with screw-on caps such as disclosed herein, can also be employed with friction or adhesive retained or snap-on closures that fit on or in a container. Accordingly, the patent is not to be limited in scope and effect to the specific embodiments herein shown and described nor in any other way that is inconsistent with the extent to which the progress in the art has been advanced by the invention.