Patent Publication Number: US-2021179326-A1

Title: Shaker Top With Freshness Seal And Method Of Making Same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The invention relates to dispensing liners and protective seals for jars and other containers, and to methods for making such dispensing liners and protective seals. 
     2. Background Art 
     Containers with shaker tops are useful for storing and dispensing powders, flakes, and other particulate contents, such as spices and seasonings. A typical shaker top includes a dispensing liner that extends across the open mouth of a container such as a wide-necked jar. The dispensing liner contains at least one perforation, which is of a size that permits the controlled release of contents from the container, by actions such as shaking and sifting. To prevent spoilage and loss of contents during shipping and storage, the dispensing liner is usually sealed with a peelable protective cover, also known as a “freshness seal”, which occludes the perforations of the dispensing liner. The protective cover is affixed to the dispensing liner with an adhesive weak enough to permit its removal by a user, prior to dispensing the contents from the container. 
     A typical shaker top is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,781, to Ullrich, et al. (“Ullrich”). The shaker top includes a dispensing liner in the form of a perforated sifter. The sifter extends across the mouth of a bottle. A protective cover, in the form of a peel-away liner, is sealed over the top surface of the sifter, to cover at least the perforations of the sifter. The sifter preferably includes a metallic foil such as aluminum foil, because such foils can be induction sealed to the mouth of the bottle. In induction sealing, an adhesive layer, such as a heat sealable polymer film, is laminated to a metal foil. The laminate is then exposed to an induction coil emitting an oscillating electromagnetic field. Induced current in the foil melts the polymer film, which flows into the gap between the foil and a substrate, such as the mouth of a bottle. When cooled, the polymer film forms an adhesive bond between the foil and the substrate. In the shaker top of Ullrich, both the sifter and the peel-away liner include heat sealable adhesive layers. A closure cap, such as a threaded screw-on cap, protects the entire shaker top assembly. 
     A container top disclosed by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0168423, to Williams, is designed for dispensing of liquids. It includes an induction sealed barrier film with a pour spout, rather than a sifter top, but is otherwise similar to the shaker top disclosed by Ullrich. 
     Ullrich also discloses a typical method for manufacturing a bottle having a shaker top. The sifter, peel-away liner, and their adhesive layers, are assembled into a package, which is mounted within a specialized retaining area within the closure cap. The mounting of the package in the retaining area is mediated by a friction fit, or by an adhesive. The package and closure cap are stored or transported as a unit, with the elements of the package being held in alignment by confinement within the retaining area of the closure cap. The package and closure cap are then mounted upon the neck of a bottle or other container, and subjected to induction bonding. The sifter is sealed across the neck of the bottle, and the peel-away liner is sealed to the sifter, beneath the closure cap. 
     The method of Ullrich is efficient, but it imposes restrictions upon the sizes and compositions of the sifter and protective liner, and upon the structure of the closure cap. For example, a protective liner that is smaller in diameter than the sifter may be desirable, but cannot be used with the Ullrich method. A protective liner smaller than the diameter of the sifter will not be securely confined within a closure cap whose retaining area accommodates the wider sifter. The protective liner is therefore likely to slip out of alignment with the perforations in the sifter during shipping and handling of the package-closure cap unit. The choice of closure caps is also restricted. Well known, off-the-shelf closure caps cannot be used with the Ullrich method, for they lack a retaining area to keep the package in proper alignment. 
     There is a need for a method for manufacturing shaker tops without preassembling components into a package prior to mounting upon a container. There is also a need for the diverse assortment of shaker tops that can be produced by such a method of manufacture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides for a shaker top for dispensing products in a container, including a top unit having a peelable protective cover affixed upon a dispensing liner having at least one perforation, the top unit affixed to a mouth of a container. 
     The present invention provides for a method of manufacturing a shaker top with a peelable protective cover, including the steps of affixing a peelable protective cover upon a dispensing liner, assembling a top unit including the peelable protective cover and the dispensing liner, affixing the top unit to a mouth of a container, and covering the container with a cap. 
     The present invention further provides for a shaker top with a peelable protective cover attached to a container, manufactured by the above method of manufacture. 
     The present invention also provides for a method of using a container having a shaker top with a freshness seal, by removing a cap from a mouth of a container, removing a peelable protective seal from a dispensing liner affixed the mouth, the dispensing liner including at least one dispensing perforation, and releasing contents of the container through the at least one dispensing perforation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages of the present invention are readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded view of a container including a shaker top according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a top unit of the shaker top, including a dispensing liner and a protective cover; and 
         FIG. 3A  shows a top view of a shaker top with a dispensing perforation in a triangular shape with a protective cover peeled back, and  FIG. 3B  shows a top view of the same shaker top with the protective cover attached. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally provides for shaker top containers and methods of manufacturing the shaker top containers. A shaker top according to the present invention, generally shown at  10  in the FIGURES, includes a top unit  12  and a cap  14 . The top unit  12  includes a dispensing liner  16  and a protective cover  18 , which acts as a peelable freshness seal (therefore it is a peelable protective cover  18 ). The top unit  12  is affixable to the mouth  20  of a container  22 , which holds the contents C to be dispensed. The protective cover  18  limits the spoilage-accelerating effects of atmospheric air, retains volatile flavorings and scents of the container contents, and serves as a tamper-indicating seal. 
     The dispensing liner  16  and the protective cover  18  preferably are made of a foil, such as aluminum foil, or a foil laminate. The advantage of foil-containing materials is their compatibility with induction heating sealing processes. A foil laminate can additionally include layers of plastic, paper, cardboard, or foam, among other suitable materials (not shown). 
     The dispensing liner  16  includes an upper liner surface  24 , a lower liner surface  26 , and at least one dispensing perforation  28  defined therethrough. Preferably, a plurality of dispensing perforations  28  are provided, with the number and diameter of the dispensing perforations  28  being determined by the nature of the contents C of the container  22 . For example, several small perforations can be desired if the contents C are spices or powders to be shaken out of the container  20 . The dispensing perforations  28  can also be in any suitable shape for dispensing a product, such as, but not limited to, triangular, oval, square, or circular. In  FIG. 3A , the single dispensing perforation  28  is in a triangular shape  32 . This particular shape can be preferred for dispensing pills or capsules. The shape and size of the dispensing perforation  28  can be determined by the shape and amount of pills or capsules that are preferred to be dispensed from the container  20  at a time. For example, this can be useful in limiting the amount of pills or capsules that are dispensed with medications that people commonly take too much of. One skilled in the art can readily determine an appropriate number and diameter of perforations  28  to enable a user to dispense a specific type of contents at a satisfactory rate of flow, while maintaining a satisfactory degree of control. The dispensing perforations  28  can thus be designed to allow for a controlled dispensing of the contents C, whether they are a food product or medicine. 
     The container  22  can include any plastic or glass container known in the art. Preferred materials include polyethylene (PE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and glass. 
     The top unit  12  is affixed to the container  22 , with the lower liner surface  26  of the dispensing liner  16  in contact with the mouth  20  of the container  22 . The lower liner surface  26  is preferably affixed to the mouth  20  by a permanent bond, to prevent dislodgment of the dispensing liner  16  during use. Preferably, affixation of the dispensing liner  16  is performed by induction sealing with a heat sealable film, such as a polyester or polyethylene film, situated on at least the periphery of the lower liner surface  26 . The preferred material for the dispensing liner  16  is a metallic foil, such as an aluminum foil, or a foil laminate. Dispensing perforations  28  are readily machined into these materials, for example by hole-punching. Heat sealable foils pre-coated with a layer of heat sealable film are well known in the art, and can be readily matched for adhesive compatibility with the specific material of which the container is composed. For example, for an HDPE or PE container, the Selig FS 3-19 induction foil seal is a suitable material for a dispensing liner  16  (Selig Sealing Products, Inc., Naperville, Ill.). In a less preferred alternative, a pressure sensitive adhesive can be employed, in lieu of a heat sealable adhesive. 
     The protective cover  18  is affixed to the upper liner surface  24  of the dispensing liner  16 , preferably in a concentric position relative to the dispensing liner  16 . Again, affixation is preferably performed by induction sealing, but with a less aggressive seal than that created between the dispensing liner  16  and the container  22 , so that the protective cover  18  can be easily peeled away by a user. An exemplary heat sealable film is a polyolefin film. The heat sealable film can be situated on the upper liner surface  24  of the dispensing liner  16 , or on the lower cover surface  30  of the protective cover  18 , or on both of these surfaces. An exemplary pre-coated induction foil suitable for inclusion in the protective cover  18  is the Selig FS 3-22 induction foil seal. In a less preferred alternative, a pressure sensitive adhesive can be employed, in lieu of a heat sealable adhesive. 
     The cap  14  can include any suitable container closure, such as, but not limited to, a snap-on cap and a screw-on cap. A suitable material for the cap  14  includes, but is not limited to, polypropylene or polyethylene. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the protective cover  18  is less than the diameter of the dispensing liner  16 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . That is, the protective cover  18  occludes all of the dispensing perforations  28  but does not extend completely to the edges of the dispensing liner  16 . The protective cover  18  can also generally be the shape of the dispensing perforation  28  but slightly larger to cover it, such as in a triangular shape to cover the triangular shaped dispensing perforation  28  in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . This configuration economizes on materials used for the protective cover  18 . The configuration is made possible by the method of manufacture provided by the present invention. The protective cover  18  can further include a lip  34 , as in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  to aid in peeling back the protective cover  18  from the dispensing liner  16 . The lip  34  can be in any suitable shape and size and it itself is not sealed to the dispensing liner  16  so that it can be grabbed by the fingertips of a user. 
     In a method of manufacturing the shaker top  10  of the present invention, the protective cover  18  is positioned atop the dispensing liner  16 , with the lower cover surface  30  of the protective cover  18  in contact with the upper liner surface  24  of the dispensing liner  16 . The dispensing liner  16  and the protective cover  18  are then combined by affixing the protective cover  18  to the dispensing liner  16 . In the preferred embodiment, the dispensing liner  16  and the protective cover  18  include a metallic foil or foil laminate and a heat sealable adhesive, and the affixation step is performed by induction heating. Alternatively, and less desirably, the dispensing liner  16  and/or the protective cover  18  include a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive (not shown), and the affixation step is performed by exerting pressure upon the dispensing liner  16  and the protective cover  18 . In this case, the inclusion of a foil in the dispensing liner  16  or the protective cover  18  is optional. In either case, the dispensing liner  16  and the protective cover  18  are assembled to form the top unit  12 . The top unit  12  is then positioned upon the mouth  20  of the container  22 , with the lower liner surface  26  of the dispensing liner  16  in contact with the mouth  20 . The top unit  12  is then affixed to the mouth  20  of the container  22 , a step which can be performed by induction heating, or, less desirably, by compressing a pressure sensitive adhesive, as previously described. Finally, a cap  14  is applied to the mouth  20  of the container  22 . The cap  14  is situated so as to enclose and protect the top unit  12 . 
     Thus, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a container with a shaker top  10 , including the steps of: positioning a protective cover  18  upon a dispensing liner  16 , affixing the protective cover  18  to the dispensing liner  16 , assembling a top unit  12 ; positioning the top unit  12  upon a mouth  20  of a container, affixing the top unit  12  to the mouth  20  of the container, and applying a cap  14  to the mouth  20  of the container  22 . 
     In an alternative variation of the method, which is also within the scope of the present invention, the step of assembling the top unit  12  is performed in situ, upon the mouth  20  of the container  22 . That is, the dispensing liner  16  is applied to, and affixed to, the mouth  20  of the container  22 ; and, subsequently, the protective cover  18  is applied to, and affixed to, the dispensing liner  16 . 
     The present method of manufacture avoids the restraints required by the method of Ullrich. That is, there is no need to position the dispensing liner  16  and protective cover  18  within a retaining space defined within the cap  14 ; there is no need for the protective cover  18  to have the same diameter as the dispensing liner  16 , to prevent it from slipping out of alignment, within the retaining space; and no need to limit the cap  14  to those including a restraining space. The present invention thereby provides greater flexibility in the dimensions and choice of the materials of the shaker top  10  than do shaker tops of the prior art. 
     The present invention also provides a container  22  having a shaker top  10 , with the shaker top  10  being manufactured and affixed to the container  22  through the method previously described. 
     Also provided by the present invention is a method of using a shaker top with a freshness seal. The method includes the steps of: removing a cap  14  from the mouth  20  of a container  22 , the cap lacking a retaining space (not shown); removing a protective seal  18  from a dispensing liner  16  affixed to the mouth, the protective seal  18  having a diameter smaller than that of the dispensing liner  16 ; and releasing the contents C of the container  22  through dispensing perforations  28  defined through the dispensing liner  16 . 
     Throughout this application, various publications, including United States patents and patent applications are referenced by number. The disclosures of these patents in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.