Patent ID: 7677421

Claim:
A female threaded dispensing closure assembly suitable to be engaged with a male threaded complementary container, said assembly comprising a first component having a female thread for threadingly engaging an outlet of a complementary container over a first thread interaction zone, a column with an outlet from which any liquid content of the container can egress, and a closure portion located above the outlet, said first component defining an annular well, in part defined by said column, a second component located coaxially about said column and sitting at least partially within the annular well, the second component having a dispensing outlet capable of being closed by the closure portion of said first component, and said second component being threadedly associated with the first component over a second thread interaction zone so that rotation of one relative to the other causes at least one of closure and opening by axial movement of the dispensing outlet relative to the closure portion, and a third component held captive by said first component but rotatable relative thereto, and able to rotate the second component coaxially therewith, said second component having one of a guide-way or a guide-way follower to provide a non rotational guided sliding relationship with a guide-way follower or guide-way of said third components, and in both a closure condition and an opening condition, at least a part of said second component being in the annular well, with the part of the second component being further within the annular well when in the closure condition, and, in the closure condition, (A) at least the annular well being encompassed by the first thread interaction zone over a substantial part of its axial height, and (B) at least when in the closure condition, the second component being encompassed by the first thread interaction zone over at least some of its axial height.