Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7611025?dq=6859936
Timestamp: 2014-07-13 01:49:30
Document Index: 783315333

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 103', 'art 101', 'art 103', 'art 103', 'art 103', 'art 101', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4']

Patent US7611025 - Closure device comprising a hinged cap moulded in the closed position - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign in<nobr>Advanced Patent Search</nobr>PatentsThe invention concerns a closure comprising a base portion and a cap forming portion including a top articulated to a ring through a hinge. The strap enables the cap forming portion to be moulded in closing position of the top, tamperproof means being provided between the ring and the top. When the cover...http://www.google.com/patents/US7611025?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7611025 - Closure device comprising a hinged cap moulded in the closed positionAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7611025 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/032,292Publication dateNov 3, 2009Filing dateJan 10, 2005Priority dateJul 12, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2495191A1, CA2495191C, CN1675108A, CN100540408C, DE60323493D1, EP1521710A1, EP1521710B1, US20050173368, WO2004007313A1Publication number032292, 11032292, US 7611025 B2, US 7611025B2, US-B2-7611025, US7611025 B2, US7611025B2InventorsPhilippe Nusbaum, Yannick Celerier, Jeremy Le CamOriginal AssigneeBericapExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (87), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (12), Classifications (23), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetClosure device comprising a hinged cap moulded in the closed positionUS 7611025 B2Abstract The invention concerns a closure comprising a base portion and a cap forming portion including a top articulated to a ring through a hinge. The strap enables the cap forming portion to be moulded in closing position of the top, tamperproof means being provided between the ring and the top. When the cover is closed, the sensitive zones of the cap are either located in a sealed closed space, or capable of being in contact with a liquid (in solution or spray) and capable of being treated so as to eliminate said liquid, so as to sanitize the closure. Furthermore, the tamperproof means are deformed and ruptured when the top is first opened such that the resulting free ends are sufficiently spaced apart from each other, thus easily revealing to a user whether it has been tampered with.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of Application No. PCT/FR2003/002061, filed Jul. 2, 2003, which claims priority to French Application Nos. 02 08849 and 02 08850, both of which were filed Jul. 12, 2002. All of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention concerns a closure of the type comprising on the one hand a base part comprising a top opening and a bottom opening at its axial ends and intended to be mounted on the neck of a receptacle, and on the other hand a part forming a cap itself comprising an annular ring connected to the base part and a cover associated with the ring by a joining and hinging device, the cover being able to be moved, with respect to the ring, between an open position and a closed position.
In addition, the structure of this type of hinge�and in particular the small distance separating the top edge 105 from the bottom edge 106, does not make it possible to produce closures which, when the closing/opening part 103 is in the closed position, provides an excellent seal between the base part 101 and the closing/opening part 103. This is because, when the closing/opening part 103 is in the closed position, the bottom edge 108 of the closing/opening part 103 and the top edge 109 of the base part 101 are not perfectly contiguous, a clearance j existing between them (see FIGS. 1 to 3).
�Sensitive areas of the closure� means areas of the closure which are wanted to be free from contamination, in particular because a user is liable to place his mouth there, or because they may constitute a space for the proliferation of pathogenic germs which can be transferred to the content of the receptacle. The function of the particular structure of the closure according to the invention is thus to make the sensitive areas of the closure either enclosed in a impervious space or accessible to contact with an asepticising liquid, and to a rinsing liquid, for example sprayed. �Impervious� means impervious to liquids, when the closure is immersed in a liquid at a pressure less than 3 bar, or when a liquid is sprayed onto the closure. For example, the space between the external face of the cover and the opposite face of the strap is of sufficiently large size to be able to be treated in order to remove said liquid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The other characteristics of the invention result from the following description of embodiments, a description given with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference is made first of all to FIGS. 4 to 6, which depict a closure 1 of axis 2, provided with a joining and hinging element 3. The closure 1 is for example produced from plastics material. The closure 1 comprises on the one hand a base part 4, intended to be mounted on a receptacle neck, and on the other hand a part forming a cap 5 intended to be associated with the base part 4. The closure 1 is described in a position where the axis 2 is vertical, the part forming a cap 5 being situated above the raised part 4. The axis 2 defines an elevation direction with respect to which the terms �height�, �top�, �bottom� are defined. A location close to the axis 2 is said to be �internal�, in contradistinction to a location at a distance from the axis 2, said to be �external�. Naturally, the closure 1 can take other positions in space, in particular when it is used by a consumer.
The cover 31 comprises a top wall 33�able to cover the top opening of the base part 4�from which there project, substantially perpendicular and in the same direction:
The strap 3 is now described. The strap 3 has a first end 43 connected to the ring 29 and a second end 42 connected to the cover 31. The strap 3 is for example connected to the ring 29 close to the top edge 39 of said ring 29, the second end 42 of the strap 3 being connected to the cover 31 at a significant distance from the ring 29, for example close to halfway up the height of the funnel 18. In addition, the distance between the external face of the cover 31 and the internal face of the strap 3�opposite the cover 31�is relatively great. Thus the space provided between the strap 3 and the cover 31 is relatively great, unlike the prior art, which helps to allow effective rinsing of the closure 1.
The strap 3 is designed to allow moulding in the closed position of the part forming a cap 5 as well as excellent asepticisation of the closure 1. This is because the strap 3 is �external� to the closure 1 in that it does not require any particular arrangement of the closure 1 (strip 29 and cover 31) at the ends 42, 43 of the strap 3. In particular, no aperture is necessary on the ring or cover, and the strap 3 is not �integrated� in the ring or cover, but simply connected to these.
According to one possible embodiment, the strap 3 also comprises at least one�and for example a single�transverse weakening area 44 situated between the two hinge areas 47, 48, for example substantially halfway up the strap 3. This transverse weakening area 44 can be in the form of a localised thinning. It is intended to assist the movement of the strap 3 towards the open position of the cover 31 and holding it in this position. According to other embodiments, the strap 3 has no such transverse weakening area 44.
When the closure 1 is looked at sideways (FIGS. 6 and 17), it can be seen clearly that the tamper-evident element 53 is projecting towards the outside of the closure, rather than housed in the recess 51, in contact with the funnel 18. In addition, when the closure 1 is looked at �front on�, that is to say in the direction of the tamper-evident element 53, a space 61 appears between the free edge 38 of the lateral wall 34 of the cover 31 and the top edge 54 of the tamper-evident element 53 (FIG. 16). Because of the pivoting of the tamper-evident element 53 about the bottom 52 of the recess 51, this space 61 is relatively large, and in any event with dimensions greater than the space generally existing between a tamper-evident strip and a cover. By way of comparison, the breakage of the bridges 40 between the ring 29 and the cover 31 is not as clearly visible.
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KGPlastic screw cap for pressurized bottlesES1002990U Title not availableFR1303608A Title not availableFR2309425A1 Title not availableFR2407140A1 Title not availableFR2558444A1 Title not availableFR2744101A1 Title not availableGB1140840A Title not availableGB1522692A Title not availableGB1530158A Title not availableGB1569781A Title not availableGB2200619A Title not availableGB2353519A Title not availableJPS56161954A Title not availableWO1992017379A1Mar 26, 1992Oct 15, 1992Rudolf Ernst AgBottle closure made of plastics materialWO2000027722A1Nov 3, 1999May 18, 2000Bericap Technologies Rical SaClosing cap for threaded-neck bottlesWO2000076875A1Jun 6, 2000Dec 21, 2000Bouchons Mac IncDual tamper evident closureWO2001042103A1May 30, 2000Jun 14, 2001Courtesy CorpTwo piece hinge closureWO2001054999A1Jan 25, 2001Aug 2, 2001Bericap Uk LtdScrew on container closures* Cited by examinerNon-Patent CitationsReference1French Search Report of French Publication No. 2842176, 1 page.2French Search Report of French Publication No. 2842177, 1 page.3International Search Report for PCT/FRO3/02061, dated Nov. 27, 2003, 7 sheets.Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS8439212 *Sep 3, 2010May 14, 2013Berry Plastics CorporationTamper-evident container closure with flip-top capUS8459504 *Sep 11, 2009Jun 11, 2013Paula BraxtonFood dispensing mouthpieceUS8584875 *Feb 14, 2013Nov 19, 2013Berry Plastics CorporationTamper-evident container closure with flip-top capUS8672167 *Nov 28, 2008Mar 18, 2014Sig Technology AgSelf-opening and re-sealable pouring element of plastics material for application to a pack for liquidsUS8684204Aug 25, 2010Apr 1, 2014A. Raymond Et CieLocking cover for a vessel having a neck, including a cap having attachment tabsUS8684225Aug 17, 2010Apr 1, 2014A. Raymond Et CieLocking cap for a vessel having a neckUS20100147885 *Sep 11, 2009Jun 17, 2010Paula BraxtonFood dispensing mouthpieceUS20100320209 *Nov 28, 2008Dec 23, 2010Sig Technology AgSelf-opening and re-sealable pouring element of plastics material for application to a pack for liquidsUS20110000137 *Feb 11, 2009Jan 6, 2011Druitt Rodney MClosure with an external hingeUS20110100990 *Sep 3, 2010May 5, 2011Berry Plastics CorporationTamper-evident container closure with flip-top capUS20110127232 *Nov 30, 2010Jun 2, 2011Amphipod, Inc.Cap with integrated spoutUS20130087523 *Nov 30, 2012Apr 11, 2013The Clorox CompanyClosure* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification215/253, 215/235, 222/556, 220/254.3International ClassificationB65D41/00, B65D43/16, B65D47/00, B65D51/00, B65D55/02, B65D41/32, B65D47/14, B65D39/00, B65D47/08, B65D43/00Cooperative ClassificationB65D47/0847, B65D55/024, B65D47/0842, B65D47/0838, B65D2101/0023European ClassificationB65D55/02F, B65D47/08B4F, B65D47/08B4C1, B65D47/08B4CLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionMar 13, 2013FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Apr 21, 2005ASAssignmentOwner name: BERICAP, FRANCEFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:NUSBAUM, PHILIPPE;CELERIER, YANNICK;LE CAM, JEREMY;REEL/FRAME:016493/0816Effective date: 20050405RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google