Abstract:
In a preferred embodiment, a sifter dispensing cap base for attachment to a package containing material to be dispensed, including: a vertical cylindrical shell portion; a web portion covering an upper end of the vertical cylindrical shell portion; the web portion including a flap, opening of the flap permitting access to the material; and the flap including a living hinge disposed along one edge thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to covers for containers generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel sifter dispensing cap and base. 
     2. Background Art 
     Packages for the containment and dispensing of materials are widely used. Those under consideration here are principally used in the containment and dispensing of food products such as spices, grated cheese, artificial butter granules, candy sprinkles, dried herbs, cereal products, and synthetic flavors, but are not necessarily limited to consumables. A significant quantity of these packages comprise a twist cap design. The cap is generally a two-part construction with the upper, rotating section containing a horizontal web, divided into three, equal, circular sectors of 120 degrees each. One sector contains an opening that is essentially in the shape of a circular segment that permits the maximum rate of dispensing. Another sector contains round bores that may be of varying size and distribution. These openings are designed to sprinkle or distribute the contents more or less evenly over a designated surface. The third circular segment is free from any openings, serving to seal the package when it is in a non-dispensing mode. 
     A particular undesirable feature of the conventional construction of a sifter cap concerns the bottom half of rotating sifter caps in which the web thereof contains an area essentially coincident with the circular sector of the rotating cap that is open and permits the maximum rate of dispensing. This area is defined by very thin-walled borders with the intention of facilitating punching the area, or segment, through to separate it from the web, thus preparing the component for dispensing. This punching operation results in the segment being punched into the product contained in the package, subjecting each subsequent dispensing to partial plugging or actually shaking the segment into soup, gravy, stew, sauce, and the like. 
     It is also desirable that there be secure, positive, vertical anchoring of the rotating top and the fixed base to ensure relative rotation of those components with a minimum of surface friction and the dispensing rotation of the scalloped top may be accomplished with a smooth uninterrupted action. 
     It is further desirable that the orientation of the rotating top be precise with respect to the fixed base, so that the top circular segmental opening cooperates with the identical one in the base after the flap has been punched inwardly, the dispensing holes cooperate with the punched-in opening of the base, or the completely closed portion of the upper web shutting off the punched-in orifice of the bottom web. It is highly desirable that the upper component rotate smoothly, yet exhibit a marked resistance at each of the two dispensing or one non-dispensing orientations for proper function. It is equally desirable that the mechanisms that regulate the orientation be overridden with relative facility to advance the rotation to subsequent modes. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a sifter dispensing cap and base in which the material sealing the dispensing opening is not punched into the material held in the container. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a sifter dispensing cap and base in which there is secure, positive, vertical anchoring of the rotating top and the fixed base to ensure relative rotation of those components with a minimum of surface friction. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a sifter dispensing cap and base that facilitate orientation of the rotating cap on the fixed base in one of three positions, yet permits the orientating mechanism to be relatively easily overridden. 
     It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a sifter cap and base that can be economically constructed using conventional techniques. 
     Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention achieves the above objects, among others, by providing, in a preferred embodiment, a sifter dispensing cap base for attachment to a package containing material to be dispensed, comprising: a vertical cylindrical shell portion; a web portion covering an upper end of said vertical cylindrical shell portion; said web portion including a flap, opening of said flap permitting access to said material; and said flap including a living hinge disposed along one edge thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Understanding of the present invention and the various aspects thereof will be facilitated by reference to the accompanying drawing figures, submitted for purposes of illustration only and not intended to define the scope of the invention, on which: 
     FIGS.  1 (A),  1 (B), and  1 (C) are top plan, cross-sectional side elevational, and bottom plan views, respectively, of a fixed base according to the present invention. 
     FIGS.  2 (A),  2 (B), and  2 (C) are top plan, cross-sectional side elevational, and bottom plan views, respectively, of a rotatable cap according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the rotatable cap mounted on the fixed base and with a punched-in flap. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the rotatable cap mounted on the fixed base and with a punched-in flap. 
     FIG. 5 is a an isometric view showing the bottom of the rotatable cap. 
     FIG. 6 is fragmentary isometric view showing the construction detail of a trap on the fixed base. 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the fixed base showing an alternative embodiment of a flap. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference should now be made to the drawing figures, on which similar or identical elements are given consistent identifying numerals throughout the various figures thereof, and on which parenthetical references to figure numbers direct the reader to the view(s) on which the element(s) being described is (are) best seen, although the element(s) may be seen also on other views. 
     FIGS.  1 (A),  1 (B), and  1 (C) are top plan, cross-sectional side elevational views, and bottom plan views, illustrating, respectively, a fixed base, constructed according to the present invention, and generally indicated by the reference numeral  20 . 
     Referring first to FIG.  1 (B), fixed base  20  includes a vertical, cylindrical shell portion  30  having a threaded internal surface  32  for attachment to an open top package (not shown) in the conventional manner. Fixed base  20  further includes a vertical circular outer ring  40  disposed around the top of the fixed base somewhat inboard of the outer surface of cylindrical shell portion  30  and having an outwardly facing circular locking element  42  disposed around the upper edge thereof. A tongue groove  48  is defined between the inner surface of vertical circular outer ring  40  and the outer surface of a vertical circular inner ring  52 , the inner and outer rings having essentially equal heights. A horizontal web  60  extends between the upper edges of vertical circular inner ring  52  to form a cover for fixed base  20 . A flap  70  (FIGS.  1 (A) and  1 (C)) has a straight living hinge  72  formed along one edge thereof and the balance of the attachment of the flap to horizontal web  60  is very thin-walled to facilitate the partial separation of the flap from the web. One or two door stops  80  (FIG. 1C) depending from the lower surface of web  60  extend partially inwardly from the inner surface of vertical circular inner ring  52  slightly inwardly of living hinge  72 . One of door stops  80  is shown in broken lines to indicate that it is optional. Typically, two door stops  80  are provided on larger sifter dispensing caps  120  and only one is provided on smaller sifter dispensing caps. A governor bar  90  (FIG.  1 B), parallel to door stops  80 , and slightly inwardly thereof, depends from the lower surface of web  60  and extends between opposite sides of the inner surface of vertical circular inner ring  52 . 
     Referring to FIG.  1 (A), three traps  100  are disposed in tongue groove  48  and spaced therealong at 120-degree intervals, the construction of which is detailed on FIG.  6 . 
     FIGS.  2 (A),  2 (B), and  2 (C) are top plan, cross-sectional side elevational, and bottom plan views illustrating, respectively, a rotatable cap, constructed according to the present invention, and generally indicated by the reference numeral  120 . Rotatable cap  120  includes a cylindrical vertical shell  130  and a cover  132  extending between edges of the cylindrical vertical shell (FIG.  2 (B)). Defined through cover  132  is a relatively large opening  140  which is generally coextensive with flap  70  FIG.  1 (A)). Also defined through cover  132  are a plurality of relatively small openings, as at  150 , for the sifting of the contents of the package (not shown). A short tongue (FIGS.  2 (B) and  2 (C)) depends from the inner surface of cover  132  and rides in tongue groove  48  (FIG.  1 (B). The outer surface  160  of cylindrical vertical shell  130  is scalloped FIGS.  2 (A) and  2 (C)) to facilitate the manual grasping of the outer surface to rotate rotatable cap  120 . Three, equally spaced apart, inwardly facing arcuate locking elements  170  (FIG. 2C) are provided around the lower edge of cylindrical vertical shell  130 . Nubs  172  (FIG. 2C) are disposed on either side of tongue  50 . Nubs  172  face inwardly from the lower edge of cylindrical vertical shell  130  and, as will be understood from the following figures, especially FIG. 5, the nubs engage the underside of circular locking element  42  (FIG.  1 (B) and overcome the tendency of cap  120  to lift slightly when in the most delivery dispensing mode. 
     Referring now to FIGS.  1 (B) and  2 (B), web  60  has a depressed central portion  180  which under some circumstances can fill with product from the package (not shown), such product being engaged by a nib  182  of rotatable cap  120  to space these components apart a slight distance, for facilitating operation of the rotatable cap. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates rotatable cap  120  disposed on fixed base  20 , the attachment having been accomplished by circular locking elements  170  (FIG.  2 (B)) bearing against circular locking element  42  (FIG.  1 (B)), with the elastic plastic deformation of vertical circular outer ring  40 . FIG. 3 also illustrates flap  70  having been severed from web  60 , except for living hinge  72  and folded downwardly and inwardly to the position shown. Flap  70  has been elastically plastically deformed as it passed door stops  80  and now the door stops prevent flap  70  from passing thereby so as to protrude substantially into opening  140 . In this position, flap  70  does not interfere with the operation of rotatable cap  120  and fixed base  20 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the function of governor bar  90  which is to limit the degree to which flap  70  may be pressed inwardly by engaging the lower surface of the flap when it reaches the governor bar. This eliminates the possibility of overstressing hinge  72  to a degree that could result in fracture of the hinge. FIG. 4 also illustrates how circular locking elements  42  and  170  are generally vertically aligned and cooperate to slidingly secure rotatable cap  120  to fixed base  20 . As indicated above, cap  120  and fixed base  20  have been assembled in the position shown by means of the temporary plastic deformation of those elements as the cap is snapped onto the fixed base. Also illustrated on FIG. 4 is tongue  50  engaging a trap  100 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates more clearly arcuate locking elements  170  and nubs  172  and shows how those elements are disposed around the inner lower edge of cylindrical vertical shell  130 . 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a trap disposed in tongue groove  48 . As rotatable cap  120  is rotated on fixed based  20  (FIG.  4 ), tongue  50  rides up one of sloped ends  200 , depending on the direction of rotation, and becomes lightly captured in lower central portion  202  of trap  100 , thus lightly holding rotatable cap  120  in one of the three positions described above. However, if that is not the desired position, a moderate amount of force will disengage tongue  50  from lower central portion  202  and rotatable cap  120  can be rotated to a different position. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a fixed base, here generally indicated by the reference numeral  20 ′. Elements of fixed base  20 ′ similar or identical to elements of fixed base  20  (FIG.  1 (A)) are given the same, but primed, reference numerals. Fixed base includes a flap  70 ′ having an arcuate living hinge  72 ′. Thus arranged, flap  70 ′ toggles as it is pressed downwardly and inwardly, thus holding the flap in place away from the opening created without the necessity of providing door stops  80  (FIG.  4 ). Governor bar  90  (FIG. 1B) is provided, however, to prevent overstressing hinge  72  to a degree that could result in fracture of the hinge. 
     Fixed base  20  and rotatable cap  120  can be economically constructed of suitable thermoplastic materials using conventional manufacturing techniques. 
     In the embodiments of the present invention described above, it will be recognized that individual elements and/or features thereof are not necessarily limited to a particular embodiment but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in any selected embodiment even though such may not be specifically shown. 
     Spacially orienting terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “inwardly”, “outwardly”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, and the like, when used herein, refer to the positions of the respective elements shown on the accompanying drawing figures and the elements of the present invention are not necessarily limited to such positions. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those elucidated in, or made apparent from, the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown on the accompanying drawing figures shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.