Patent Publication Number: US-2007102390-A1

Title: Closure with deformed wall retention of lid hinge shaft

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
      Not applicable.  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not applicable.  
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
      Not applicable.  
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      This invention relates to closure system for a container. The invention is particularly suitable for incorporation in a dispensing closure for use with a squeezable container.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART  
      There are a variety of types of conventional closures which function generally satisfactorily in applications for which they are designed. One type of prior art closure includes a body or base for being attached to the top of a container. The body defines a dispensing orifice. The system further includes a lid which is mounted on the base or body and which can be lifted up to open the dispensing orifice. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,487.  
      The U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,487 discloses the use of a closure having a lid hinge system in which the closure base or body includes a channel for snap-fit retention of a hinge pivot shaft projecting from the rear of the lid. While such a design offers significant advantages, it would be desirable to provide a further improved closure system.  
      In particular, it would be desirable to provide an improved design in which the lid hinge shaft could be even more securely held on the closure body.  
      It would also be beneficial if a closure system could readily accommodate molding of the closure body from a thermoplastic material.  
      It would also be advantageous if such an improved closure system could accommodate bottles, containers, or packages which have a variety of shapes and which are constructed from a variety of materials.  
      Further, it would be desirable if such an improved system could accommodate efficient, high-quality, high-speed, large volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate to produce products having consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention can be incorporated into a closure system that may include one or more of the above-discussed, desired features.  
      The present invention provides an improved closure system for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The system can be readily operated by the user to open and close the system. One form of the invention includes a completed closure system, and another form of the invention comprises unassembled components that include an intermediate manufactured preform which can be subsequently deformed to create the completed closure system. The present invention also provides a method for making the closure system.  
      According to a first aspect of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, unassembled closure system components are provided and include a lid, and a preform body as an intermediate article of manufacture. The body is either a separate structure for attaching to, and of extending from, the container at the container opening or is a unitary extension of the container at the opening. The body has 
          (1) at least one orifice for communicating with the container opening, and     (2) a bearing member comprising two spaced-apart lower walls which together define between them a channel, and     (3) at least one deformable wall projecting from one of the lower walls for being inelastically deformed over at least a portion of the channel.        

      The lid is adapted to be disposed on the body for accommodating lifting of the lid relative to the at least one orifice between (1) a closed position over the at least one orifice, and (2) an open position away from the at least one orifice. The lid includes a pivot shaft for being received in the channel prior to the deformable wall being inelastically deformed over at least a portion of the channel to prevent removal of the shaft from the channel.  
      According to another aspect of the invention, a completed closure system is provided for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The closure system includes a body that is either a separate structure for attaching to, and extending from, the container at the at the opening or is a unitary extension of the container at the opening. The body has 
          (1) at least one orifice for communicating with the container opening,     (2) a bearing member comprising two spaced-apart lower walls which together define between them a channel, and     (3) at least one deformed wall that (a) projects from one of the lower walls, and (b) has been inelastically deformed over at least a portion of the channel; and        

      A lid is disposed on the body for accommodating lifting of the lid relative to the at least one orifice between (1) a closed position over the at least one orifice, and (2) an open position away from the at least one orifice. The lid includes a pivot shaft received in the channel under the inelastically deformed wall which prevents removal of the shaft from the channel.  
      According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for making a closure system for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The method comprises the steps of:  
      (A) molding from thermoplastic material a body that 
          (1) is either a separate structure for attaching to, and capable of extending from, the container at the opening or is a unitary extension of the container at the opening,     (2) has at least one orifice for communicating with the container opening, and     (3) has a bearing member comprising two spaced-apart lower walls which together define between them a channel, and     (4) has at least one deformable wall projecting from one of the lower walls;        

      (B) molding from thermoplastic material a lid which (1) has a pivot shaft, and (2) is adapted to be disposed on the body for accommodating lifting of the lid relative to the at least one orifice between (a) a closed position over the at least one orifice, and (b) an open position away from the at least one orifice;  
      (C) mounting the lid on the body in the closed position with the pivot shaft disposed in the channel; and  
      (D) inelastically deforming the at least one deformable wall over at least a portion of the channel and pivot shaft to prevent removal of the pivot shaft from the channel.  
      Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      In the accompanying drawings that form part of the specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,  FIG. 1  is a front, perspective view of an exemplary dispensing closure system in the form of a separate dispensing closure according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and the closure is shown in a closed configuration, before installation on a container, and from a vantage point generally above, or from the top of, the closure;  
       FIG. 1A  is a rear, perspective view of the dispensing closure system shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but  FIG. 2  shows the lid in the open position with a tamper-evident feature having been broken;  
       FIG. 3  is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken generally along the plane  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 , but  FIG. 3  further shows the closure installed on the neck of a container and shows part of the lower tamper-evident band of the closure turned upwardly to engage a flange on the container neck;  
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken generally along the plane  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 4  shows the closure prior to the closure being installed on the neck of the container, and  FIG. 4  further shows the lower tamper-evident band in the as-molded, downwardly depending configuration prior to being turned up under the flange on the container neck;  
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged, cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , but  FIG. 5  shows the closure (1) prior to the lid anchor member being welded to the closure body, and (2) prior to the closure being installed on the neck of a container, and  FIG. 5  further shows the lower tamper-evident band in the as-molded, downwardly depending configuration prior to being turned up under the flange on the container neck;  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the closure body prior to the lid being initially mounted on the body by the manufacturer and prior to the completed closure being installed on the container;  
       FIG. 7  is a enlarged, cross-sectional view taken generally along the plane  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 7  shows the closure body prior to being installed on the neck of the container, and  FIG. 7  further shows the lower tamper-evident band in the as-molded, downwardly depending configuration prior to being turned up under the flange on the container neck;  
       FIG. 7A  is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the area within the circle designated  FIG. 7A  in  FIG. 7 ;  
       FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the closure lid prior to the lid being mounted on the closure body by the manufacturer;  
       FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of the lid prior to the lid being mounted on the closure body by the manufacturer;  
       FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the closure lid prior to the lid being mounted on the closure body by the manufacturer;  
       FIG. 11  is a bottom view of the lid prior to the lid being mounted on the closure body by the manufacturer;  
       FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the plane  12 - 12  in  FIG. 10 ;  
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the plane  13 - 13  in  FIG. 10 ; and  
       FIG. 14  (on drawing sheet  9 / 12  with  FIG. 7A ) is a front, elevational view of the lid taken generally along the plane  14 - 14  in  FIG. 10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, this specification and the accompanying drawings disclose only some specific forms as examples of the invention. The invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments so described, however. The scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.  
      For ease of description, most of the figures illustrating the invention show a closure system in the typical orientation that it would have at the top of a container when the container is stored upright on its base, and terms such as upper, lower, horizontal, etc., are used with reference to this position. It will be understood, however, that the dispensing closure system of this invention may be manufactured, stored, transported, used, and sold in an orientation other than the position described.  
      The closure system of this invention is suitable for use with a variety of conventional or special containers having various designs, the details of which, although not illustrated or described, would be apparent to those having skill in the art and an understanding of such containers. The container, per se, described herein forms no part of, and therefore is not intended to limit, the present invention. It will also be understood by those of ordinary skill that novel and non-obvious inventive aspects are embodied in the described exemplary closure systems alone.  
      A presently preferred embodiment of a closure system of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS.  1  et seq. and is designated generally therein by reference number  20  in  FIG. 1 . In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the closure system  20  is provided in the form of a separate, dispensing type closure  20  which is adapted to be mounted or installed on a container  22  ( FIG. 3 ) that would typically contain a fluent material. The container  22  includes body  24  and a neck  26  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The neck  26  defines an opening  28  to the container interior. The container neck  26 , in the preferred embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , has an external, male thread  29  for engaging the closure  20 .  
      The body  24  of the container  22  may have any suitable configuration, and the upwardly projecting neck  26  may have a different cross-sectional size and/or shape than the container body  24 . Alternatively, the container  22  need not have a neck  26 , per se. Instead, the container  22  may consist of just a body with an opening. The container  22  may have a rigid wall or walls, or may have a somewhat flexible wall or walls.  
      Although the container, per se, does not necessarily form a part of the broadest aspects of the present invention, per se, it will be appreciated that at least a body portion of the closure system  20  of the present invention optionally may be provided as a unitary portion, or extension, of the top of the container. However, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the closure system  20  is a separate assembly (e.g., a closure) of two pieces, and is adapted to be removably or non-removably installed on a previously manufactured container  22  that has an opening  28  to the container interior. Hereinafter, the closure system  20  will be more simply referred to as the closure  20 .  
      The closure  20  is adapted to be used with a container  22  having an opening  28  to provide access to the container interior and to a product contained therein. The closure  20  can be used with many materials, including, but not limited to, relatively low or high viscosity liquids, creams, gels, suspensions, mixtures, lotions, pastes, particulates, granular materials, small pieces or items, etc. as constituting a food product, a personal care product, an industrial or household cleaning product, or other compositions of matter (e.g., compositions for use in activities involving manufacturing, commercial or household maintenance, construction, agriculture, etc.).  
      The container  22  with which the closure  20  may be used would typically be a squeezable container having a flexible wall or walls which can be grasped by the user and squeezed or compressed to increase the internal pressure within the container so as to force the product out of the container and through the opened closure. Such a flexible container wall typically has sufficient, inherent resiliency so that when the squeezing forces are removed, the container wall returns to its normal, unstressed shape. Such a squeezable wall container is preferred in many applications but may not be necessary or preferred in other applications. For example, in some applications it may be desirable to employ a generally rigid container, and to pressurize the container interior at selected times with a piston or other pressurizing system. Also, the interior of the container need not be pressurized at all. Instead, if the closure is large enough, the product could be accessed by reaching through the open closure with a hand, spoon or straw, or the package could be inverted to let the product discharge through the opened closure solely under the influence of gravity.  
      In other designs, a flexible, slit valve could be included in the closure for dispensing product when the lid is opened. Such a valve could open to accommodate dispensing of a fluid under the influence of a differential pressure acting across the valve (as may be created, for example, if suction (i.e., reduced pressure) is applied to the exterior of the valve, and/or if the pressure inside the container is increased).  
      It is presently contemplated that many applications employing the closure  20  will conveniently be realized by molding some or all of the components of the closure  20  from suitable thermoplastic material or materials. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the components of the closure could each be molded from a suitable thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The closure components may be separately molded from the same material or from different materials. The materials may have the same or different colors and textures.  
      As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the closure system or closure  20  includes, two basic components, (1) a base or body  30 , and (2) a lid  40  which is adapted to be carried on the body  30 . The closure  20  may also include optional tamper-evident features as described in detail hereinafter. The optional, tamper-evident features do not form a necessary part of the present invention.  
      The lid  40  is pivotable between a closed position over the body  30  as shown in  FIG. 1  and an open position as shown in  FIG. 2 . The lid  40  is manufactured (e.g., preferably molded from thermoplastic material) as a component which is initially completely separate from the closure body  30 . The detailed structure of the presently preferred form of the lid  40  is described in detail hereinafter.  
      After the closure body  30  is initially molded, the lid  40  is assembled (as described in detail hereinafter), and a rear portion of the body  30  is deformed in order to establish a secure retention of the lid  40  to the body  30  in a way that accommodates the pivoting movement of the lid  40  while preventing removal of the lid  40  from the body  30 . The structure of the closure body  30 , prior to mounting of the lid  40  thereon and deforming of a rear portion of the body  30  to secure the lid  40  to the body  30 , will next be described in detail.  
      As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , the closure body  30 , as initially molded, includes a spout  42  defining a dispensing orifice  44  which opens to the hollow interior of the closure body  30  and which therefore communicates with the opening  28  in the container neck  26  when the closure  20  is mounted on the container  22  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The interior of the spout  42  contains an apertured baffle structure  45  ( FIGS. 3-7 ) for controlling the flow of the discharging fluid product. The baffle structure  45  may be omitted altogether, or other spout interior structures may be included (e.g., a discharge valve).  
      As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , at the bottom of the spout  42 , the closure body  30  has a peripheral upper deck  46 . The peripheral upper deck  46  is defined at its outer edge by a generally vertical wall  48  as can be seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Surrounding the lower edge of the vertical wall  48  is an intermediate deck  50 . The intermediate deck  50  is defined at its outer edge by a generally vertical wall  52 . At the bottom edge of the vertical wall  52  is a lower deck  54 . The lower deck  54  defines an attachment surface and functions to accommodate a thermoplastic weld attachment of an optional, tamper-evident feature on the lid  40  as described in detail hereinafter.  
      As can be seen in  FIGS. 6, 7 , and  7 A, the rear of the closure body  30  includes a receiving structure or bearing member comprising two, spaced-apart, lower portions or walls  80  which together define between them an upwardly open channel  82 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the upper, distal end portion of each lower wall  80  extends toward the other wall  80  over the channel  82  to define a reduced width passage  84  to the channel  82 . The bottom of the channel  82  includes a narrower recess or groove  86 .  
      As can be seen in  FIG. 7A , a deformable post or deformable wall  87  projects upwardly from the top end of each lower wall  80 . Each deformable wall  87  also preferably includes an angled or chamfered inner edge surface  88 . Each deformable wall  87  is thin enough to accommodate its permanent deformation over the channel  82  after the closure lid  40  has been mounted to the closure body  30  as described in detail hereinafter.  
      As used herein, the phrase “lower wall” (e.g., lower wall  80 ) refers to portions of material on either side of, and defining, the channel  82 . Each lower wall  80  may actually be very thick, and merge into, or be part of, a larger surrounding structure of the closure body. The term “lower” as employed in the phrase “lower wall” is a relative term used with respect to the upwardly projecting deformable wall or walls (e.g., deformable wall  87 ) which project from the top portions of the lower walls  80 . Each lower wall  80  may actually be in an “upper” portion of the closure body  30  as in the preferred embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 .  
      As can be seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the closure body  30  has an annular skirt  90  extending downwardly form the upper portion of the closure body  30 . The interior surface of the skirt  90  defines a female thread  92 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the closure body skirt thread  92  is adapted to threadingly engage the exterior, male thread  29  on the container neck  26 .  
      Alternatively, the closure skirt  90  could be provided with some other container connecting means, such as a snap-fit bead or groove (not illustrated) in place of the thread  92  for engaging a container neck groove or bead (not illustrated), respectively. The closure body  30  could also be permanently attached to the container  22  by means of induction melting, ultrasonic melting, gluing, or the like, depending on materials used for the closure body  30  and container  22 . The closure body  30  could also be formed as a unitary part, or extension, of the container  22 .  
      The closure body skirt  90  may have any suitable configuration for accommodating an upwardly projecting neck  26  or other portion of the container  22  received within the particular configuration of the closure body  30 , and the main part of the container  22  may have a different cross-sectional shape than the container neck  26  and closure body  30 .  
      An optional seal or liner (not illustrated) may be sealed across the top of the container neck  26  or, alternatively, may be sealed across an interior region or underside of the upper portion of the closure body  30 . However, if the function of a tamper-evident seal or freshness seal as provided by such a liner is not needed or desired in a particular application, then the liner may, of course, be omitted.  
      Also, if desired, the closure body  30  may be provided with an interior, annular seal  96  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) extending downwardly from the underside of the upper portion of the closure body  30 . Such a seal  96  could be “plug” profile seal, as illustrated, or a “crab&#39;s claw” seal, or some other such seal, depending upon the particular application and depending upon whether or not a liner is employed.  
      In the preferred form of the closure illustrated, the closure body skirt  90  has a generally annular configuration. However, the closure body skirt  90  may have other configurations. For example, the closure body skirt  90  might have a prism or polygon configuration adapted to be mounted to the top of a container neck having a polygon configuration. Such prism or polygon configurations would not accommodate the use of a threaded attachment, but other means of attachment could be provided, such as a snap-fit bead and groove arrangement, or the like. However, if the closure body included a double wall defining a polygon outer skirt and a cylindrical inner attachment wall, then the cylindrical inner attachment wall could be provided with a thread for engagement with a threaded container  
      In one preferred form of the closure as shown in  FIG. 5 , the closure body  30  incorporates a conventional or special tamper-evident ring  100  along the bottom edge of the closure body skirt  90  for cooperation with a container  22  that has a retention flange  104  ( FIG. 3 ) below the container neck thread  26 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the tamper-evident ring  100  is initially molded as a downwardly extending, unitary flange on the bottom of the closure body skirt  90 . Prior to the installation of the closure body  30  on a container, such as on the container  22  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the lower half of the tamper-evident ring  100  is deformed or bent radially inwardly and upwardly. Then, the closure body  30  is lowered onto the container neck  26  and threadingly rotated relative to the container neck  26 . The upwardly bent tamper-evident ring  100  passes over the container neck thread  29  and over the container neck retention flange  104 . The upwardly bent portion of the tamper-evident ring  100  snaps inwardly below the container neck retention flange  104  as shown in  FIG. 3 . This resists removal of the closure body  30  if a user attempts to rotate the closure body  30  in an unscrewing direction. However, the tamper-evident band or ring  100 , in the preferred form, is connected to the bottom end of the closure body skirt  90  by a very thin portion or portions of material (which may have, for example, circumferentially spaced-apart notches or a scored groove or a molded groove (not shown)). If the user attempts to unscrew the closure body  30  with a sufficient amount of torque, then the interconnecting, thin portion of material will break, and the tamper-evident band  100  will separate from the bottom of the closure body skirt  90 . This will serve as an indication that the closure body  30  has been unscrewed, at least partially, from the fully assembled configuration.  
      The use of a tamper-evident ring or band  100  is an entirely optional feature of the illustrated embodiment, and it does not form a necessary part of the present invention. Indeed, if the closure body  30  is non-releasably attached to the container neck  26  (as with adhesive, thermal bonding, irreversible snap-fit configurations, etc.), then the tamper-evident ring  100  would provide no additional benefit. Similarly, a tamper-evident ring  100  would provide no additional benefit if the closure body  30  is formed as a unitary molded extension of the container neck  26 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the lid  40  includes a top wall  122  and a skirt  124 . The front of the lid  40  has an indentation or recess  126  in the skirt  124 . A thumb lift tab  128  projects outwardly from the top portion of the lid  40  over the recess  126 . As can be seen in  FIG. 9 , the skirt  124  has a flat wall section  125  at the rear of the lid  40 . Projecting outwardly from the flat wall section  125  is a pair of rearwardly extending lugs  130 . A shaft  132  extends between, and connects, the lugs  130  at a location where the shaft  132  is spaced from the lid skirt flat wall section  125 . The shaft  132  has a centrally located, outwardly projecting ridge or bead  133 .  
      After the closure body  30  has been made (as by molding it from thermoplastic material) with the upwardly projecting deformable walls  87 , the closure body  30  may be characterized as an intermediate article of manufacture or preform. Subsequently, the lid  40  can be mounted to the closure body  30  in a way that accommodates the pivoting movement of the lid  40  between the open and closed positions. With reference to  FIG. 4 , the lid  40  is initially mounted in a closed position on the body  30  so that the lid shaft  132  is received within the upwardly open channel  82  defined at the rear of the closure body  30 . Subsequently, the deformable walls  87  ( FIG. 7A ) are permanently deformed over the shaft  132  to form a retention bridge  135  ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ).  
      The shaft  132  has a width dimension or diameter that is greater than the opening  84  between the upper, distal ends of the walls  80  which define the sides of the channel  82 . This provides a snap-fit engagement that holds the lid shaft  132  on a fixed axis relative to the closure body  30  so as to accommodate pivoting movement of the lid  40  relative to the closure body  30  between the full closed position ( FIG. 1 ) and the full open position ( FIG. 2 ). The shaft ridge or bead  133  ( FIG. 4 ) is received in the groove  86  ( FIGS. 4 and 6 ) at the bottom of the channel  82  when the lid  40  is fully opened ( FIG. 2 ) to provide a detent engagement that increases the resistance to rotation of the lid  40  away from the open position.  
      Although the above-described snap-fit engagement of the lid shaft  132  within the channel  82  functions well in many applications, in some applications it would be desirable to have a structure that even more strongly retains the lid hinge shaft  132  on the closure body  30 , and that prevents removal of the lid hinge shaft  132  from the body channel  82 . To this end, the bridge  135  ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ) formed by the deformable walls  87  ( FIG. 7A ) functions as a positive retention system preventing withdrawal of the hinge shaft  132  from the channel  82 .  
      The deformable walls  87  are preferably each deformed from the vertical orientation ( FIG. 7A ) to a position extending over the channel  82  by a suitable operation applying force to the walls  87 . Heat may also be applied to facilitate the process. The deformable walls  87  may be deformed over the lid shaft  132  in the channel  82  by cold-forming, by heat-swaging (e.g., with a hot tip to deform the walls  87 ), or by ultrasonic swaging.  
      The preferred material of the closure body  30 , including the deformable walls  87 , is a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, and such a material accommodates forming of the deformable walls  87  into the desired, final shape bridging the lid shaft  132  in the channel  82 . Other materials could be used.  
      In the preferred design illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the bridge  135  is created by deforming the deformable walls  87  downwardly until the distal end of each deformable wall  87  abuts the distal end of the other deformable wall  87 . Appropriate application of heat and force causes the two walls to come together to close the gap over the lid shaft  132  so as to define a bridge  135  over the lid shaft  132  in the channel  82 .  
      Although  FIGS. 2 and 4  illustrates the bridge  135  as a continuous structure defined by the two deformed and joined walls  87  ( FIG. 7A ), the present invention contemplates that each deformable wall  87  need not be so long, and need not be deformed so far, that it touches and becomes joined to the other deformable wall  87 . Rather, there may be a small gap between the distal ends of the two deformable walls  87  in the final configuration. It is sufficient that the deformable walls  87  merely be permanently deformed sufficiently close to the lid shaft  132 , and that any gap between the adjacent distal ends of the two deformed walls be sufficiently small so that the lid shaft  132  cannot be pulled outwardly past the deformed walls  87 .  
      The present invention also contemplates that only one deformable wall  87  could be employed instead of two deformable walls  87 . In such an alternate embodiment (not illustrated), one deformable wall  87  would have a sufficient length to accommodate permanent deformation to a position over the lid shaft  132  that prevents removal of the lid shaft  132  from the channel  82 . In such an alternate design, the one deformable wall  87  could be either on the inboard side of the channel  82  (i.e., between the channel  82  and the spout  42 , or on the outboard side of the channel  82 .  
      Conventional or special tools or equipment may be employed for effecting deformation of one or two deformable walls  87 . The details of the particular process, and details of each tools or equipment used for cold-forming, heat-swaging, or ultrasonic swaging of one or two deformable walls  87 , form no part of the present invention. Equipment operating energy, time, force, etc., depend, of course, on the size and mass of the particular deformable wall as designed, as well as upon the type of thermoplastic material.  
      As can be seen in  FIG. 12 , the lid  40  optionally may include, and preferably includes, a plug or spud  140  projecting downwardly from the underside of the lid top wall  122 . An annular sealing member  142  projects from the underside of the lid  40  around the spud  140 . The member  142  has a radially inwardly projecting sealing bead  144 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the spud  140  is adapted to be received within the dispensing orifice  44  of the spout  42 . In the preferred embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 4 , the dispensing orifice  44  is a substantially cylindrical orifice, and the exterior of the lid plug or spud  140  has a generally cylindrical surface. The diameter of the exterior surface of the lid spud  140  is slightly greater than the internal diameter of the body dispensing orifice  44 . This provides an interference fit to effect good sealing engagement. Either the spud  140  or the spout  42 , or both, have sufficient flexibility to accommodate such an interference fit providing leak-tight sealing capability. The lid sealing member  142  and its bead  144  are optional features that may be included so that the bead can sealingly engage the upper, exterior surface of the spout  42 . The spud  140  also is an optional feature. The closure  20  could alternatively be provided with just the spud  140  alone, or the lid member  142  alone, or both the spud  140  and lid member  142  (as in the illustrated, preferred embodiment).  
      Although not part of the present invention per se, an optional tamper-evident feature may be provided for indicating that the lid  40  has been initially moved away from the fully closed configuration ( FIG. 1 ) toward the fully opened position ( FIG. 2 ). The tamper-evident feature involves cooperation between the lid  40  and closure body  30 . As shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  7 , and  9 , the tamper-evident feature includes at least one anchor member  152  which is initially connected to the lid  40  with one or more frangible members or webs  160 . The combination of the lid  40 , webs  160 , and anchor members  152  may be characterized as a top structure for being initially mounted on, and attached to, the closure body  30 .  
      There are two anchor members  152 —one provided on each side of the lid  40  along the bottom edge of the lid  40 , but spaced a distance Y ( FIGS. 14-16 ) below the lid skirt bottom edge. As illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , there are a plurality of frangible webs  160  in the form of spaced-apart bridges extending between each anchor member  152  and the lid skirt  124 .  
      In the illustrated preferred embodiment, each anchor member  152  includes a generally vertically inner surface  153  ( FIGS. 12 and 13 ) that faces radially inwardly and that is connected to the lower portion of each frangible web  160 . The webs  160  are initially molded simultaneously with, and as part of the unitary top structure that includes, the lid  40  and anchor members  152 . Each anchor member  152  is a generally arcuate bar. In other contemplated embodiments (not illustrated), each anchor member need not be an arcuate bar. Each anchor member  152  includes an attaching portion  162  ( FIGS. 13 and 14 ) which, in the illustrated preferred embodiment, is defined by the underside or bottom surface of the member  152 . Preferably, the attaching portion  162  is initially molded as the bottom surface of the anchor member  152  and also includes a downwardly projecting protuberance  164  that has a triangular transverse cross section for facilitating the thermoplastic welding attachment of the anchor member  152  to the closure body attachment surface  54  as described in detail hereinafter.  
      In the presently contemplated, preferred form of the optional tamper-evident feature, the manufacturer can readily mold the lid  40 , webs  160 , and anchor members  152  (with the protuberances  164 ) together as a single, unitary component (i.e., the “top structure”), and the manufacturer can separately mold the closure body  30  as another, separate component. The top structure and body  30  may be molded from the same thermoplastic material or from different thermoplastic materials. The lid  40 , webs  160 , anchor members  152 , and body  30  may have the same color and texture or may have different colors and/or textures.  
      After separately molding the closure body  30  and the top structure (i.e., the lid  40 , webs  160 , and anchor members  152  with protuberances  164 ), the two components are assembled by mounting the lid  40  on the closure body  30  so that the lid hinge shaft  132  is received in a snap-fit engagement within the closure body receiving channel  82 . The lid  40  is initially closed on the closure body  30  as shown in  FIG. 5 . In the initially closed position of the lid  40 , each anchor member  152  is disposed above the closure body lower deck  54  which defines the upwardly facing attachment surface. The lower, pointed edge of the anchor member attaching portion protuberance  164  rests on the closure body attachment surface (i.e., the upwardly facing surface of the closure body lower deck  54 ). The closure manufacturer can then (1) deform the upstanding deformable walls  87  ( FIG. 7 ) over the lid shaft  132  as previously described, and (2) weld the anchor members  152  to the deck  54 .  
      A presently preferred method for welding the optional tamper-evident anchor members  152  to the closure body lower deck  54  employs thermoplastic welding, and preferably thermoplastic welding as effected with ultrasonic energy. The triangular cross section protuberance  164  on the attachment portion  162  at the bottom of each anchor member  152  functions as an energy director for the ultrasonic energy. The ultrasonic energy can be applied with commercial ultrasonic welding equipment which may be of any suitable conventional or special design. Such ultrasonic welding equipment typically includes a suitable horn or engaging member for engaging the outwardly facing, exterior portions of the anchor members  152  and for applying a force against the anchor members  152  in a direction tending to urge the anchor members  152  downwardly toward the closure body lower deck attachment surface  54  at the same time that the ultrasonic equipment transfers ultrasonic energy into and through the anchor members  152 . The same equipment could also include, but need not include, suitable engaging members for deforming the deformable walls  87  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ) over the lid pivot shaft  132  at substantially the same time that the members  152  are welded to the closure body deck  54 . The equipment operating energy, time, force, etc. depend, of course, on the size and mass of the closure top structure components that are to be welded as well as upon the type of thermoplastic material. The detailed design and operation of such ultrasonic welding equipment form no part of the present invention.  
      In one presently preferred embodiment of the optional tamper-evident feature, the ultrasonic welding of the anchor members  152  to the closure body lower deck  54  is facilitated by providing the deck  54  with a textured surface. One such suitable textured surface can be provided by conventional etching of the relevant region of the mold steel through a conventional texture mask or plaque. In a preferred embodiment of the closure molded from polypropylene, the surface of the mold at the attachment surface  54  is AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute) type  420  stainless steel with a hardness of 54-64 Rockwell c that has been (1) ferric chloride acid attached to a depth of 0.052 mm. through a plaque or mask designated MT 11050 as sold by Mold Tech (having an office at 279 East Lies Road, Carol Stream, Ill. 60188, U.S.A.), and (2) bead blasted to remove ash residue.  
      During the welding of the anchor members  152  to the closure body deck  54 , the energy director protuberances  164  (which may have a projection of about 0.55 mm. in a presently preferred embodiment) become softened and/or melted along with adjacent portions of the closure body deck  54 . The softened or melted protuberances  164  and the softened or melted portions of the closure body deck  54 , along with any softened or melted portions of the anchor member  152  adjacent the protuberances  164 ) fuse and re-solidify after termination of the application of the ultrasonic energy. This effects a welding of the thermoplastic material (as schematically designated by reference number  168  in  FIG. 3 ).  
      With reference to  FIG. 14 , it can be seen that the frangible webs  160  extend downwardly for a distance Y below the bottom edge of the closure lid skirt  124  where the webs  160  adjoin the inner top edge of the anchor member  152 . The frangible web  160  spans the gap Y between the top of the anchor member  152  and the bottom edge of the closure lid skirt  124 .  
      When the user wishes to open the closure  20 , the user applies a generally upwardly directed force to the closure lid thumb lift  128  ( FIGS. 1 and 14 ). The application of a sufficiently large force will case the frangible webs  160  to break or rupture as illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  
      Before the lid  40  is lifted for the first time to break the frangible webs  160 , the frangible webs  160  provide an indication that the lid  40  has not yet been opened. The user can readily see that the frangible web  160  are not ruptured because the frangible webs  160  span a relatively large gap having the height Y as shown in  FIG. 14 . The gap Y between the bottom edge of the lid skirt  124  and the top of the anchor member  152  provides a good background, field of view, or visual environment in which to readily ascertain that the frangible webs  160  are not broken (or are broken).  
      It will be appreciated that the optional, lid tamper-evident feature (comprising, inter alia, the anchor members  152  and frangible webs  160 ) may be omitted altogether if tamper-evidency is not desired. Alternatively, a completely different tamper-evident system could be employed for the lid.  
      When the closure  20  is in the full open condition as shown in  FIG. 2 , the user can tip or invert the package to facilitate the dispensing of fluent product under the influence of gravity. If the container  22  has a flexible wall or walls, the container  22  can be squeezed to further assist in dispensing the product. After the desired amount of product has been dispensed, the package can be turned back to its upright orientation, and the user can close the lid  40 . If the package is designed for “inverted” storage (such as if the closure includes a flexible, pressure-actuatable, self-sealing dispensing valve), then the package may be left inverted at all times.  
      It will also be appreciated that the closure system of the present invention need not be provided as a separate closure for a container. The closure body  30  could instead be molded as a unitary part of the container  22 . A container could be molded to have (1) an initially open bottom end, (2) a peripheral wall forming an upper end that defines a container top end opening, and (3) a unitary closure body portion extending radially inwardly from the container peripheral wall over the container top end opening so as to form a unitary part of the container top end and so as to define a unitary, top end closure body, including the spout  42  (and optionally including a hinge and lid, if the body, hinge, and lid are to be part of a single, unitary structure). Then, the container could be filled with product through the open bottom end, and the open bottom end could be subsequently sealed closed by appropriate means, such as with thermally assisted deformation or with a separate bottom closure plug or bottom cap.  
      It will also be appreciated that the closure system of the present invention may include other components, elements, or features. For example, the closure body  30  ( FIG. 3 ) could include an internal valve system. The valve could be, for example, a pressure-actuated, flexible, resilient slit valve. Such a valve has the configuration and operating characteristics of a commercially available valve design substantially as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,289 with reference to the valve  46  disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,289. The operation of such a type of valve is further described with reference to the similar valve that is designated by reference number 3 d  in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,144. The embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 7  herein could accommodate such a valve within the closure body spout  42  under the dispensing orifice  44  and within, or in place of, the baffle structure  45 . Such a valve could be held in place with a suitable retainer ring in snap-fit engagement with the closure body. Alternatively, such a valve could be secured with other means, such as bi-injection molding, insert molding, adhesive securement, crimping, swagging, or the like.  
      It will also be appreciated that beyond the region of the lid hinge shaft  132  and shaft retention structure in the body  30 , the lid  40  and body  30  may have configurations and features other than those illustrated herein for the preferred embodiment. It will also be appreciated that the shapes of lid hinge pivot shaft  132 , receiving channel  82 , and deformable walls  87  need not be exactly as shown for the illustrated preferred embodiment.  
      The novel lid hinge shaft retention system of the present invention, which includes one or more deformable walls (e.g., walls  87  in  FIG. 7 ), can be readily molded from thermoplastic material. The shape of walls  87  allows the walls  87  to be more easily molded in the line of draw of the mold parts.  
      After deformation of the walls  87 , the deformed walls provide an enhanced, secure retention of the lid pivot shaft  132  in either the open or closed position.  
      It will be readily apparent from the foregoing detailed description of the invention and from the illustrations thereof that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts or principles of this invention.