Patent Publication Number: US-11383897-B2

Title: Closure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The integrity of closures on bottles and other container has always been a concern to consumer goods manufacturers. Leakage of product during shipping can be a costly problem. Also, leakage of product in the hands of consumers is not conducive to repeat purchase. 
     Leakage concerns are magnified in the current world of e-commerce. It is somewhat easier to ensure intact shipment of large numbers of bottles together than it is to secure the product form leakage during shipment of individual bottles from e-commerce retailers or even for e-commerce shipment from the manufacturer. Likewise, transport of a container by a consumer after she has opened it can be problematic and result in product leakage. 
     A popular type of closure for consumer goods such as shampoos, body washes, skin creams, etc. is the disc closure wherein a disc at the top of the closure rotates between an open and a closed position. With this type of closure care needs to be taken to ensure that the disc does not rotate open during shipment. 
     Various types of disc and other type closures are described in the literature. Puderbach et al. WO2017/046186 discloses a dispensing closure comprising a base and an actuator disc pivotally mounted on the base with two pivots. A tamper evident strip 24 is frangibly connected to the lid sidewall. The strip prevents movement of the lid but the act of pressing down on depression 25 causes the strip to be broken away from the sidewall. The strip is automatically separated from the lid as it is forced down against the notch. 
     Oder U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,318 discloses a toggle dispensing lid having an integral locking switch attached to the closure body. The integral locking switch includes at least two living hinges so that it may be moved between locked and unlocked positions thereby permitting movement of the dispensing lid between closed and product dispensing positions. 
     Lay WO 95/16633 discloses a toggle action dispensing closure. A cam 98 frictionally engage a wall of closure and serves to stabilize an actuator as it is pivoted. Frictional engagement of the cam maintains the actuator in the titled, open position. A post 110 is provided to prevent accidental movement of the actuator to the open position. A force equal to or greater than a predetermined force, such as that applied by a consumer to open the closure, will drive a wall against post 110 with a force sufficient to sever the abutment. 
     Englert et al. WO2004071882 discloses a disc top dispensing closure having an actuator which is pivotable about a pivot axis. The actuator is pivotable about a locked position and an unlocked position. A tab 80 and a recess 82 cooperate with each other so that when they are aligned the actuator is pivotable open but when they are not aligned the actuator is not pivotable between the open and closed position. The consumer rotates the actuator between the unlocked position wherein the tab and recess are aligned and the locked position. Kaufman et al. WO2004/054921 is similar. 
     Rosenthal et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,329 discloses a closure cap having a top plate pivotally attached to a body, for movement between open and closed positions. A locking lever is provided having a fulcrum so that the upper end of the locking lever can be located in the path of movement of the top plate when it is closed to thereby obstruct movement of the top plate to the open position. 
     Wood et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,866 discloses a dispensing structure having a pivoting actuator. The actuator may include a rearwardly extending angled cam 92 for engaging a protuberance 93. The cam slides against the protuberance on the peripheral wall and serves to stabilize the actuator as it is being pivoted. The cam provides a frictional engagement to maintain the actuator in the tilted, open position. 
     Gross et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,093 discloses a toggle action dispensing closure having a locking ring which in one position in which an abutment member lies under the actuator engaging a tab to prevent pivoting of the actuator to the open position and the locking ring including a second position wherein the locking ring abutment member is clear of the actuator engagement tab to permit pivoting of the actuator to the open position. 
     Sawicki U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,284 discloses a child resistant cap having a partial top wall preventing one from impressing effective opening forces on a press to open section of the actuator except using a probe acting through a restricted opening in the top wall. 
     Among dispensers disclosing containers having a closure and a fastener are Tacker et al. U.S. D749,363, Wahl US2014/0034644, and Lane, U.S. D690,559. 
     Vollers WO 022795 discloses a hinged disk top closure with a locking device. 
     Kaufman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,160 discloses a pivotable disc top dispensing closure. The actuator is rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position. 
     Additional dispensers include Long et al. U.S. Design Pat. No. 748,949, Laburu EP2559632, Wille WO2012/110335, George U.S. D624,357, Gilbert U.S. D587,969, Habermann EP1460000 discloses a hinged closure having grip lug (22) connected to a cover (20) in a pivoted manner by way of a film hinge (34). Klopfer WO02/42174, Mueller et al. WO 94/22733, Spaanstra U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,107, Moore et al. WO 89/03363, and Gross U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,264. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to a pivotable disc closure actuator, to a closure including the actuator and to the closure combined with a bottle or other container. The actuator includes a closing surface comprising a product dispensing opening at a front thereof, at least two pivots on the closing surface, an extension panel extending from a peripheral wall of the closing surface and having a locking and an unlocking position, the pivots being intermediate the product opening and the extension panel, and the extension panel having a latch member extending inwardly toward the closing surface when the extension panel is in the closed position. 
     The closing surface of the adaptor is generally circular, the opening is within a first arc of 120 degrees at the front of the closing surface, the extension panel is within a second arc of 120 degrees at a rear end of the closing surface, and the pivots are each within third and fourth arcs of 60 degrees each on opposite sides of the closing surface, the third and fourth arcs being intermediate the first and second arcs. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the pivotable disc closure actuator further includes a latch retainer for securing the panel extension and keeping the closing surface in the closed position. The actuator may comprise an aperture or indentation for receiving the latch to assist in retaining the latch. The extension panel is preferably attached to the actuator using a living hinge. 
     The actuator will generally be combined with a closure base which includes an opening suitable for receiving the pivotable adaptor, at least two surfaces on which the pivots can rest when the closing surface is received within the closure base, the combined pivotable closure and closure base further comprising a latch retainer on one or both of the pivotable closure and closure base suitable for receiving and securing the latch member when the extension panel is in the closed position. 
     The closure base of the invention may include a cut out or opening in an outer wall and the extension panel may rests on a surface of the outer wall cut out or opening when the actuator is in the locked position. 
     For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the actuator of the closure of the invention in the unlocked position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the actuator of  FIG. 1  in the locked position. 
         FIG. 3  is an isolated view of the locking mechanism of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view from the front and the side of the actuator of the invention shown above the closure body. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the actuator and closure body of  FIG. 4  taken from the rear and one side. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the actuator in place on the closure body in the actuator-closed but unlocked position. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the actuator in place on the closure body and in the unlocked and actuator-open position. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the actuator in place on the closure body in the locked and actuator-closed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Closure actuator  10  comprises a disc closing surface  12  having a generally circular finger indentation  20 . The actuator  10  includes a closing surface comprising a product dispensing opening  50  at a front thereof, An upper skirt  14  depends from surface  12  and a tapered lower skirt  16  depends from upper skirt  14 . Rounded pivot member  18  extends outwardly from upper and lower skirts  14 ,  16 ; a second rounded pivot (not shown) extends from outwardly from the opposite side of the actuator. 
     Extension panel  22  is connected to upper skirt  14  adjacent finger indentation  20  by living hinge  15 . In the unlocked position seen in  FIG. 1 , panel  22  extends outwardly perpendicular to skirts  14 ,  16 . Extending perpendicularly to panel  22  is L-shaped latch  24 , best seen in the locked position in  FIG. 3 . In the locked position Latch  24  extends inwardly toward actuator  10  and terminates in upwardly extending integral retaining tab  28 . 
     Skirt  16  includes latch receiving/retaining aperture  16  beneath hinge  15 , which aperture is illustrated in a generally semicircular shape. 
     Lower closure body  32  is illustrated as generally cylindrical comprising a generally cylindrical outer wall  31  and includes on its inner wall  33  pivot-receiving semicircular depression  30 . A second pivot receiving depression (not shown) is located on the opposite inner wall. Inner wall  33  snugly receives tapered lower skirt  16 . One or more tabs  60  facilitate a friction fit for the adaptor with inner wall  33  to assist in retaining the actuator  10  in the open position. Lower body  32  includes circular product passage  34  for conveying product from a bottle (not shown) to the exterior of the closure. Pivot members  18  on actuator  10  pivot in depressions  30  to permit the actuator to pivot between a closed position wherein product cannot be dispensed from the package (seen in  FIG. 6 ) and an open position (seen in  FIG. 7 ) wherein product can be dispensed from the package. 
     Lower closure body  32  outer wall  31  includes a generally semicircular cutout  40 , which may alternatively be an opening, adjacent depression  20  to accommodate extension panel  22 , as will be explained below. 
     As mentioned above, inadvertent opening of closures and attendant product leakage pose a special problem for shipping products ordered through e-commerce. The closure of the invention solves this problem by including extension panel  22 , living hinge  15  and latch  24 . When it is desired to permit the opening of the actuator, extension panel  22  is in the open position seen in  FIGS. 1, and 4-6 . In this position, force from a consumer&#39;s finger can be impressed on depression  20  to cause the actuator to open. 
     When it is desired to ship or otherwise transport the container, extension panel  22  is pressed downwardly, rotating on living hinge  15 , so that latch  24  passes into aperture  26  and retaining tab  28  is disposed interior of the upper and/or lower skirts and keeps the extension panel in the locked position. As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , in the locked position, bottom surface  19  of extension panel  22  contacts the bottom of cutout  40  thereby preventing force imposed on depression  20  from rotating actuator  10  out of the closed position. 
     When it is desired to dispense product from the container, extension panel  22  is lifted upwardly thereby removing latch  24  from aperture  26 , so that actuator  10  is in the position shown in  FIG. 6 . With surface  19  of extension panel  22  no longer contacting the bottom surface of cutout  40 , the actuator is free to rotate out of the closed position into the open position as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The adaptor and living hinge will typically be made of polypropylene or polyethylene. Post consumer polypropylene may be included as well. The adaptor and/or living hinge may also be made from the hinge material described in Domoy et al. U.S. Pat. No. 9,637,626, namely a molded article having a hinge, the molded article being a polymer, the polymer comprising a mixture of a first high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin and a second HDPE resin, that is different than the first HDPE, wherein, when mixed: the first high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin has: 
     a. a Melt Index (I 2,16 ) of about 0.5 dg/min to 10 dg/min, 
     b. a Density of about 0.940 g/cm3 to 0.968 g/cm3, and 
     c. a Melt Flow Ratio (I 21.6 :I 2.16 ) greater than about 25; 
     and 
     the second HDPE resin has a Melt Flow Ratio (I 21.6 :I 2.16 ) of less than about 30. The disclosure of Domoy et al. U.S. Pat. No. 9,637,626 is hereby incorporated by reference herein. The closure will generally be fabricated using injection molding. 
     An alternative claim could be: The combined actuator and closure base according to claim  9  wherein the actuator includes an opening in an outer wall and the extension panel rests on a surface of the opening when the actuator is in the locked position. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.