Patent Description:
As known, many solid or pourable food products, such as coffee, tea, or instant preparations, such as instant milk, soluble barley, instant chocolate, infant formula, flour, sugar, and nutritional supplements, such as protein or dietary supplements, or also fruit juice, milk, wine, tomato sauce, etc., are sold in container items, such as composite packages, bottles, jars, cans and the like.

Because many of these items are stored, shipped, and ultimately dispensed from the same container, the container should be robust enough to withstand the conditions to which it can be exposed. Additionally, the container should be user friendly for the ultimate consumer. Containers formed of plastic and/or metal are often used to store and sell various granular products, particularly in the industrial food and pharmaceutical sectors. Some containers may include a lid or closure such that the container can be repeatedly opened and closed. One problem often associated with such containers is leakage of the product from the container. Such leakage typically occurs in the area around the closure. Moreover, if a lid or closure does not provide an adequate seal, contaminants can more readily be introduced into the product stored in the container, resulting in spoilage or other deleterious effects. As such, while some containers include resealable lids which a user can open and close to access product contained within the container, many of these lids do not provide a sufficiently secure seal.

In order to overcome such inconveniences, it has been proposed to tether the lid to the ring member by means of a connection element. Even though such closure assemblies work satisfyingly well, a desire is felt in the sector to further improve such closure assemblies. In this regard, means for hermetically sealing a container in conjunction with the reclosable lid or overcap are also known. One example of a hermetic seal for a container is the provision of a flexible membrane thermosealed to the rim of the container, with the membrane being removable to provide access to the contents of the container.

For example, <CIT> shows a closure for a container having an outer ring with a central opening that is closed by a laminate sheet. The ring includes an upper circular portion and vertically positioned skirt portion. The two portions surround the top and outside edge of the rim of the container. The laminate sheet is secured between the bottom surface of the upper ring portion and the upper edge of the container rim. The laminate is sealed to both the ring and container rim by induction heating. Opening the container by removal of the ring causes a separation of the laminate from the rim of the container.

<CIT> shows a closure for a container having a membrane sealed between the underside surface of the outer peripheral edge of the closure and the top surface of the rim of the container. The closure includes a pivotable inner member surrounded by an outer ring member. The pivotable member includes a rim having a downwardly projecting flange that is sealed to the membrane. As the pivotable member is lifted, the membrane tears adjacent the flange and a central portion of the membrane is carried by the member.

<CIT> and <CIT> show a container with a membrane thermoseal attached to the upper surface of the container rim. An overcap is provided on an underside surface with a pattern of heat deformable ribs that engage the edge of the membrane in the area of the container rim. An RF source is used to heat a conductive portion of the membrane to create a seal with the rim while simultaneously heating the ribs. The heated ribs conform to the surface of the membrane. <CIT> discloses a closure assembly according to the preamble of independent claim <NUM>.

However, all these closures are quite complex and, accordingly, also expensive. Moreover, different elements of the same closure are made of different materials, so that the overall closure results to be not convenient from the point of view of environmental sustainability and disposal.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a closure that overcomes the technical drawbacks of the prior art.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure that is cheaper than those that are currently on the market, as well as more environmentally sustainable and easily recyclable.

This and other objects are achieved through a closure assembly as defined in the claims, as well as a process for producing the same.

As it will be apparent from the following detailed description, the closure assembly of the invention allows to satisfactorily preserve the container's content, at the same time giving the consumer an easy opening and an easy handling.

Moreover, the process for producing the closure has resulted in a very rapid and efficient sequence of a only few steps, thus making the overall production very convenient under both the economical and environmental points of view.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will be clear from the description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the invention, illustrated by working examples provided for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, as well as the accompanying figures, wherein:.

The present invention relates to an improved closure assembly comprising:.

wherein the flat annular protrusion overlaps and embeds the peripheral surface area of the flexible membrane, the latter extending beyond the area of the central opening, thus closing the same.

Reference now will be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment.

For the sake of clarity, not all reference numerals are necessarily present in each drawing Figure. In addition, positional terms such as "upper," "lower," "side," "top," "bottom," "vertical," "horizontal," etc. refer to the closure assembly when in the orientation shown in the drawings. It is clear that the closure assembly can assume different orientations when in use.

With reference to <FIG>, an embodiment of a closure assembly <NUM> of the present invention is shown, in a top view (<FIG>), in a top perspective view (<FIG>), in a lateral view (<FIG>), in a bottom perspective view (<FIG>), and in a bottom view (<FIG>).

The closure assembly <NUM> is intended for use in closing a container, not shown. The closure assembly <NUM> includes a collar <NUM> having a central opening <NUM>. A lid <NUM>, such as the one shown in <FIG>, can releasably engage collar <NUM>, so that lid <NUM> covers central opening <NUM>. In <FIG> and <FIG>, the lid <NUM> is pivotally attached to collar <NUM>, so that lid <NUM> can pivot between an open position, where a bottom surface <NUM> of the lid <NUM> is disengaged from collar <NUM>, and a closed position, where the bottom surface <NUM> of lid <NUM> engages collar <NUM> and lid <NUM> covers central opening <NUM>. Lid <NUM> is seen in an open position in <FIG>. In certain embodiments, lid <NUM> and collar <NUM> are pivotally connected via hinge structure, such as "flip-top" closure type or via living hinge <NUM>. In other embodiments, lid <NUM> and collar <NUM> are two separate pieces, as shown in <FIG>, and lid <NUM> can be press fit onto collar <NUM> by the user to engage collar <NUM> with lid <NUM> and place lid <NUM> in a closed position.

In some embodiments, the shape of collar <NUM> and lid <NUM> is complementary to the shape of container. For instance, when the container is cylindrical, having a generally circular cross-section, collar <NUM> and lid <NUM> can have a generally circular shape. However, collar <NUM> and lid <NUM> can be manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes, including round, elliptical, oval, square, rectangular, hexagonal, etc. In preferred embodiments, the shape of collar <NUM> and lid <NUM> is complementary to the shape of container, said shape being elliptical or essentially elliptical, as exemplary shown in the top and bottom views provided in the Figures.

For each of these shapes, lid <NUM> can be pivotally attached to collar <NUM> (such as by a living hinge <NUM>), or lid <NUM> and collar <NUM> can be two separate pieces, lid <NUM> being press fit onto collar <NUM> to engage lid <NUM> with collar <NUM> and place the lid <NUM> in a closed position. In other embodiments, the shape of the upper end of the container can be complementary to the shape of the collar <NUM> and the lid <NUM>, and the remainder of the container can have a different shape.

Collar <NUM> is configured to engage and connect to a container. The container typically has an open upper end. Closure assembly <NUM> can be configured such that when collar <NUM> is connected to container, the bottom side of the closure assembly <NUM> facing and fitting the open upper end of the container, the central opening <NUM> is concentric with said open upper end. As such, when lid <NUM> is engaged with collar <NUM> in the closed position, lid <NUM> can cover both the central opening <NUM> in collar <NUM> and said open upper end in the container.

In preferred embodiments, the lid <NUM> engages the collar <NUM> in the closed position, by simply exerting a pressure on the lid <NUM>.

In some other embodiments, the closure assembly <NUM> can further include a collar latch element. In embodiments not shown in Figures, the collar latch element can be located on an outer surface <NUM> of collar <NUM>. In some embodiments, collar latch element is a latch that can be pivotally attached to collar <NUM> via mechanical fasteners commonly known in the art, such as bolts or pins. In some embodiments, collar latch element is pivotally attached to collar <NUM> via a living hinge <NUM>, so that collar <NUM> and collar latch element can be manufactured as one integral piece. In these alternative embodiments, the lid latch element can be located on an outer surface <NUM> of lid <NUM>. Collar latch element is configured to engage lid latch element to secure lid <NUM> to collar <NUM> in a closed position. In other embodiments, lid latch element is a latch that can be pivotally attached to lid via mechanical fasteners, such as bolts or pins. In some embodiments, lid latch element is pivotally attached to lid via a living hinge <NUM>, to secure lid <NUM> to collar <NUM> in a closed position.

Referring again to <FIG>, a flexible membrane <NUM> is partially embedded into the flat annular protrusion <NUM> of the collar <NUM>. In fact, said flexible membrane <NUM> can serve as both a protective barrier preventing contaminants from reaching the product during shipping and as a tamper evident mechanism indicating that a consumer should not buy or use the product, if flexible membrane <NUM> has been tampered with or removed. Therefore, advantageously, the closure assembly of the present invention also satisfies the needs of providing an aesthetically appealing container closure, while having tamper evident sealing mechanisms and being easy to use.

In particular, said flexible membrane <NUM> is partially embedded into the flat annular protrusion <NUM> of the collar <NUM>, and is openable by a consumer prior to the first use of the product. "Partially embedded" means that the flat annular protrusion <NUM> overlaps and embeds the peripheral surface area of the flexible membrane <NUM>, the latter extending beyond the area of the central opening <NUM>, thus closing the same. Accordingly, with reference to the Figures, the flexible membrane <NUM> and the central opening <NUM> coincide, and, as further disclosed below with respect to the process of production, said peripheral surface area is no longer visible once the closure assembly is formed.

Moreover, once the flexible membrane <NUM> is positioned and tightened by the flat annular protrusion <NUM>, the central surface area of the flexible membrane <NUM> matches the central opening <NUM> in collar <NUM>, closing the same. With reference to the embodiment of <FIG>, the flat annular protrusion <NUM> of the collar <NUM> overlaps and embeds the peripheral surface area of the flexible membrane <NUM>, insofar as the latter extends beyond the area of the central opening <NUM> up to the dots <NUM>, included. As illustratively depicted in the form of a dashed line in <FIG>, the flexible membrane <NUM> extends between the dots <NUM> and the opening tab <NUM>. The dots <NUM> are punctual depressions preferably provided on the flat annular protrusion <NUM> of the collar <NUM>, and deriving from a preferred embodiment of the production process of the closure assembly <NUM>, as will be further detailed below.

Flexible membrane <NUM> can then be removed by a consumer by cutting or pulling the flexible membrane <NUM> up through central opening <NUM> in collar <NUM>, thereby giving the consumer access to the contents of container. Preferably, an opening tab can be provided in order to facilitate the removal by the consumer. Said opening tab can be positioned on the flat annular protrusion <NUM> or on the flexible membrane <NUM>. In <FIG>, it is depicted a preferred embodiment of said opening tab <NUM>, which is hook-shaped to be easily handled by the consumer. In said preferred embodiment, the opening tab <NUM> is located on the flat annular protrusion <NUM>, projecting upwards therefrom. This embodiment advantageously reduces the time associated with assembling closure <NUM> during manufacture because opening tab <NUM> does not have to be connected to collar <NUM> via a secondary operation (whether manually or through automation). The opening tab <NUM> projecting from the flat annular protrusion <NUM>, is also advantageously oriented so as to follow cutlines (dotted lines in <FIG>) running between the dots <NUM> and the inner surface <NUM> of collar <NUM>. Once the opening tab <NUM> is pulled up and along the cutlines, a strip is torn out around the flexible membrane <NUM>, thus allowing the total removal of the latter and access to the content of container.

In <FIG>, it is depicted a preferred embodiment of the lid <NUM>, wherein a recess <NUM> is present on the bottom surface <NUM> of said lid <NUM>, with the aim to house the opening tab <NUM> of the collar <NUM>, when the closure assembly <NUM> and the lid <NUM> are in the closed position. The lid <NUM> has a bottom surface <NUM> and a lower perimeter <NUM>. The collar <NUM> includes a flat annular protrusion <NUM>. When lid <NUM> is in a closed position and engages collar <NUM>, lower perimeter <NUM> can be in mating contact with flat annular protrusion <NUM>. Preferably, the collar <NUM> has a peripheral rim having a higher diameter than the collar diameter, thus defining an intermediate lid mating surface. Alternatively, the lid and the collar can be threaded and closed by screwing, if both are of round shape.

In <FIG>, flat annular protrusion <NUM> extends laterally inward generally from the inner surface <NUM> of collar <NUM>, thus defining the area of the central opening <NUM>, as well as the exposed area of the flexible membrane <NUM>. It will be readily apparent that, when lid <NUM> is in the closed position, flat annular protrusion <NUM> of collar <NUM> faces the lower perimeter <NUM> of the lid <NUM>, and the bottom surface <NUM> faces the flexible membrane <NUM>.

Preferably, the flexible membrane <NUM>, the collar <NUM> and the lid <NUM> are made of the same or different thermoplastic materials.

In preferred embodiments, the flexible membrane <NUM>, the collar <NUM> and the lid <NUM> are made of the same thermoplastic material, so as to improve the recyclability of the whole closure assembly, as well as to reduce the overall production costs.

More preferably, said thermoplastic material is selected from acrylic (PMMA), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and mixtures thereof.

Preferably, said thermoplastic material is polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Preferably, the thickeness of the flat annular protrusion <NUM> is <NUM> to <NUM> times the thickness of the flexible membrane <NUM>, preferably <NUM> to <NUM> times. These ratios allow the peripheral surface area of the flexible membrane <NUM> to be excellently embedded into the flat annular protrusion <NUM>, thus improving the tamper evident sealing properties of the closure assembly <NUM>.

In preferred embodiments, the thickness of the flexible membrane <NUM> is <NUM>-<NUM>, more preferably <NUM>-<NUM>, even more preferably <NUM>-<NUM>.

In preferred embodiments, the thickeness of the flat annular protrusion <NUM> is <NUM>,<NUM>-<NUM>,<NUM>, preferably about <NUM>,<NUM>.

In another aspect, the present invention concerns a process for producing the closure assembly above described.

Particularly, the process for producing the closure assembly, comprises the following steps:.

In preferred embodiments, the mould is a multi-cavity mould having <NUM>-<NUM> cavities, more preferably <NUM>-<NUM> cavities. The number of cavities depends on the size of the closure assembly to be produced: the larger the size, the lower the number of cavities, unless increasing the size of overall mould and injection moulding apparatus.

It is understood that, when the mould is a multi-cavity mould, the manipulator positions a number of flexible membranes corresponding the the number of cavities.

In preferred embodiments, the mould is provided with punctual protrusions in correspondence of the peripheral surface area of the flexible membrane, assuring the correct positioning and tightening of said flexible membrane in step iii), when the mould closes and the thermoplastic material is injected. Indeed, said punctual protrusions, once the mould closes, fix the peripheral area of the flexible membrane in the position given by the manipulator until the thermoplastic material embeds the same. The presence of said punctual protrusions in the mould results in visible punctual depressions, i.e. dots <NUM>, in the flat annular protrusion <NUM> of the finished collar <NUM>, as shown in Figg. <NUM>-<NUM>.

Preferably, during the picking and positioning step ii), the flexible membranes are charged with static electricity so that, once placed within the mould cavities, they perfectly adhere to the latter, in addition to the tightening effect given by the vacuum system: this allows reducing to a minimum the risks of movement of the flexible membrane during the injection of the thermoplastic material into the mould.

Once the flexible membrane is positioned into the mould, the injection cycle starts, the mould closes and the cavities are filled with melted thermoplastic material, thus embedding the peripheral area of the flexible membrane.

At the end of the injection cycle, the cooling cycle starts. The material inside the mould is cooled, the mould opens and the so-obtained closure assembly is released. Advantageously, the single injection-moulded closure assembly having a flexible membrane in-moulded therein, can be made of a single thermoplastic material or of at least two types of mixed thermoplastic material or thermoplastic material that are moulded together.

In a further embodiment, the closure assembly is hinged to a lid, so that the mould is designed to produce a single injection-moulded closure assembly having a flexible membrane in-moulded therein and hinged to a lid.

It should be appreciated that the process of the present invention allows the closure assembly to be injection-moulded while partially embedding a flexible membrane, to give a single piece ready to use and easily disposable and recyclable.

In addition, this process advantageously enables very high printing quality to be maintained or obtained, and particular high resolution graphic effects and images to be reproduced on the flexible membranes, before the same are positioned in the mould. Therefore, also words and/or graphic elements (such as opening instructions) can be printed on the flexible membranes, thus further exploiting the flexible membrane surface for communicating additional information or for aesthetic purposes.

In this manner, from the mould, the closure assembly can be extracted that no longer needs additional processing before being coupled with the container.

Preferably, the temperature of the mould during the injection is of <NUM>-<NUM>.

Injection of step iii) can be performed at high pressure and at <NUM> for PP and <NUM> for PE to enable the thermoplastic material to flow inside the mould.

The closure assembly, as such or hinged to a lid, as above disclosed, leads to a significant energy saving inasmuch as it uses a single step, rather than at least two distinct steps necessary for producing the collar and then thermosealing the membrane. It is thus financially advantageous in addition to increasing production speed.

The closure assembly is further producible at low cost using standard machinery and procedures, ensuring the tightness and recyclability of the whole closure, thus overcoming the drawbacks of the aforementioned US documents.

Further, by the bi-injection system, it is possible to make the closure assembly (with or without lid hinged) in two or more colours, or even in two or more distinct plastics, even though in a single piece.

The closure assembly, at least in the configuration depicted in Figures, provides significant advantages also in logistical terms both in the steps of handling and storage, as being easily stackable.

In a further aspect, the present invention concerns a closure assembly obtainable by the process of production as above disclosed. In particular, the present invention also concerns a closure assembly (<NUM>) comprising:.

Moreover, advantageously, the closure assembly of the present invention also satisfies the needs of providing an aesthetically appealing container closure, while having tamper evident sealing mechanisms and being easy to use.

Claim 1:
A closure assembly (<NUM>) comprising:
- a collar (<NUM>) having an outer surface (<NUM>), an inner surface (<NUM>), and a flat annular protrusion (<NUM>) extending laterally inward from said inner surface (<NUM>) and defining the area of a central opening (<NUM>), and
- a flexible membrane (<NUM>) having a peripheral surface area,
wherein the flat annular protrusion (<NUM>) overlaps the peripheral surface area of the flexible membrane (<NUM>), the latter extending beyond the area of the central opening (<NUM>), thus closing the same, characterized in that the flat annular protrusion (<NUM>) embeds said peripheral surface area of the flexible membrane (<NUM>).