U.S. patent application number 11/433172 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-15 for spice dispensing closure with positive seal.
Invention is credited to Thomas J. Dolan, Robert J. Sheffler, Harold E. Zuber.
Application Number | 20070262078 11/433172 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38684146 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070262078 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sheffler; Robert J. ; et
al. |
November 15, 2007 |
Spice dispensing closure with positive seal
Abstract
A circular lid hinged to open and close a circular cap having a
web with a plurality of orifices cooperates with a two-component
seal and two-component lock in a manner such that the lid is
secured in position when depressed while at the same time providing
a positive seal preventing any intake of moisture from ambient
humidity to enter a cylindrical container to agglomerate the
particulate inside and/or to clog its dispensing orifices.
Inventors: |
Sheffler; Robert J.;
(Morganville, NJ) ; Dolan; Thomas J.; (Flemington,
NJ) ; Zuber; Harold E.; (Wall, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles I. Brodsky
2 Bucks Lane
Marlboro
NJ
07746
US
|
Family ID: |
38684146 |
Appl. No.: |
11/433172 |
Filed: |
May 15, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/254.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/06 20130101;
B65D 47/0809 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/254.3 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/18 20060101
B65D051/18 |
Claims
1. A dispensing closure for a cylindrical container comprising: a
cylindrical cap attached to said container; a circular lid hinged
to said cap; a circular web having a plurality of orifices upwardly
facing from said cap toward said lid; a two-component seal, one
component being a male member ring extending downwardly from an
underside of said lid inwardly of its outer circumstance, and one
component being a female member seat encircling said web; and a
two-component lock, one component being a male member projection
downwardly extending from an underside of said lid and one
component being a female member well within said web oriented to
receive said male member projection; whereby depressing said lid
positions said male member projection within said female member
well and encloses said male member ring onto said female member
seat.
2. The dispensing closure of claim 1, also including a locking ring
within said female member well to envelop said male member
projection securing it into position.
3. The dispensing closure of claim 2, additionally including a
finger detent on said cylindrical cap to release a depressed lid by
an upwards pushing movement.
4. The dispensing closure of claim 1, including a further orifice
within said female member well communicating with the inside of
said cylindrical container.
5. The dispensing closure of claim 1 wherein said circular hinge is
rotatable from substantially 0.degree. closed to 180.degree. open
with respect to said cap.
6. The dispensing closure of claim 1 wherein said web includes a
first plurality of orifices of larger diameter than a second
plurality of orifices located therein.
7. The dispensing closure of claim 1 wherein said male member
projection is of a cylindrical configuration.
8. The dispensing closure of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical cap
is detachably attached to said container.
9. The dispensing closure of claim 1, including a second
two-component seal, one component being a second male member ring
extending upwardly from a top side of said web and one component
being a second female member seat extending said underside of said
lid inwardly of its said outer circumference.
10. A dispensing closure for a cylindrical container comprising: a
cylindrical cap attached to said container; a circular lid hinged
to said cap; a circular web having a plurality of orifices upwardly
facing from said cap toward said lid; a two-component seal, one
component being a male member ring extending downwardly from an
underside of said lid inwardly of its outer circumstance, and one
component being a female member seat encircling said web; and a
two-component lock, one component being a male member projection
downwardly extending from an underside of said lid and one
component being a female member well within said web oriented to
receive said male member projection; whereby depressing said lid
positions said male member projection within said female member
well and encloses said male member ring onto said female member
seat; a further orifice within said female member well
communicating with the inside of said cylindrical container;
wherein said circular hinge is rotatable from substantially
0.degree. closed to 180.degree. open with respect to said cap; a
locking ring within said female member well to envelop said male
member projection securing it into position; and a finger detent on
said cylindrical cap to release a depressed lid by an upwards
pushing movement.
11. The dispensing closure of claim 5 wherein said web includes a
first plurality of orifices of larger diameter than a second
plurality of orifices located therein; wherein said male member
projection is of a cylindrical configuration; and wherein said
cylindrical cap is detachably attached to said container.
12. A dispensing closure for a cylindrical container comprising: a
cylindrical cap attached to said container; a circular lid hinged
to said cap; a circular web having a plurality of orifices upwardly
facing from said cap toward said lid; a two-component seal, one
component being a male member ring extending downwardly from an
underside of said lid inwardly of its outer circumstance, and one
component being a female member seat encircling said web; and
whereby depressing said lid encloses said male member ring onto
said female member seat.
13. The dispensing closure of claim 12, additionally including a
finger detent on said cylindrical cap to release a depressed lid by
an upwards pushing movement.
14. The dispensing closure of claim 12 wherein said circular hinge
is rotatable from substantially 0.degree. closed to 180.degree.
open with respect to said cap.
15. The dispensing closure of claim 12, including a second
two-component seal, one component being a second male member ring
extending upwardly from a top side of said web and one component
being a second female member seat extending onto said underside of
said lid inwardly of its said outer circumference.
16. The dispensing closure of claim 15, also including a
two-component lock, one component being a male member projection
downwardly extending from an underside of said lid and one
component being a female member well within said web oriented to
receive said male member projection; whereby depressing said lid
also positions said male member projection within said female
member well.
17. The dispensing closure of claim 16, wherein said web includes a
first plurality of orifices of larger diameter than a second
plurality of orifices located therein; and wherein said cylindrical
cap is detachably attached to said container.
18. The dispensing closure of claim 17, also including a locking
ring within said female member well to envelop said male member
projection securing it into position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] None.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Research and development of this invention and Application
have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under
any Federal program.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] This invention relates to dispensing closures that one would
utilize in sprinkling solid particulate such as spices or mixtures
of spices.
[0006] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0007] Dispensing closures for spice containers traditionally
depend on the underside of its lid having projections that close
off the orifices when the lid is in the sealing or storage mode.
Such arrangements, although theoretically functional, are not
practicable owing to the plurality of orifices and cooperating
projections that require precise alignment to make sealing
effective. Additionally, frequently there is entrapment of residual
particles between the lid and the web. As a result, the projections
cannot mesh precisely within the orifices to accomplish a true
seal. This problem is especially prevalent among mixtures of spices
that contain salt, and accordingly are hygroscopic--the particulate
then may agglomerate and clog the orifices, preventing the spices
from being freely dispensed. Furthermore, any inadequate sealing
will permit moisture from ambient humidity to enter the container
and agglomerate the particulate inside. In some cases oxygen
combined with humidity may promote degradation of the contained
product.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to
provide a new and improved sealing efficacy of hinged covers over
the web that contains the dispensing orifices of the spice
container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] As will become clear from the following description, the
spice dispensing closure of the invention provides a
circumferential valve seal between the underside of the lid and the
orifice-containing web to prevent moisture from entering. As will
be seen, the seal is so designed that no components of the lid and
the web are able to contact one another to prevent the efficacy of
the valve seal which follows. The seal is enabled even should there
be an inclusion of particulate between the lid and the web.
[0010] In a first embodiment of the invention, a male member of the
seal extends downward from the lid and circumvents the center of
the lid near its extreme circumference. A female cooperating member
is located in the web to receive the male member.
[0011] In a second embodiment, a second valve seal arrangement is
presented in which the location of the male and female cooperating
components are reversed--the male portion being located within the
dispensing web, and the female component being located within the
underside of the lid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] These and other features of the present invention will be
more clearly understood from a consideration of the following
description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a top view of the spice dispensing closure of the
invention with its lid fully opened to 180.degree.;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the closure cross-sectioned
through its center without the lid in place;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a lateral view of the cross-sectioned closure with
the lid opened to approximately 135.degree.;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the cross-sectioned closure with
the lid fully opened to substantially 180.degree.;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a lateral cross-sectioned view of the spice
dispensing closure of the invention with the lid in a closed, or
sealed, orientation;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a detail helpful in an understanding of the
snap-lock operation of the embodiment of the invention shown in
FIGS. 1-5; and
[0019] FIG. 7 is a lateral cross-sectioned view of a second
embodiment of the invention in a closed, sealed orientation,
utilizing a double valve seal.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] In FIGS. 1 through 6, a circular lid or cover for the
dispensing closure 10 is shown at 12 joined by a toggle hinge 14 to
a cylindrical cap 16. The dispensing orifices in a circular web 28
are illustrated at 18, 20--with reference numeral 22 identifying a
male snap-lock projection member extending downwardly from the
underside of the lid 12 and with reference numeral 24 representing
a female snap-lock well, extending downwardly in the web. A further
orifice 26 is provided in the snap-lock well 24 to prevent any
spice product from collecting there, falling instead into a
cylindrical spice container or bottle beneath (not shown).
[0021] In the lateral view of FIG. 2, the wall of the cap 16 is
shown at 30, a female valve seat encircling the web 28 is shown at
32, and a continuous thread for joining with the spice container or
bottle is illustrated at 34. Reference numeral 36 identifies an
injection mold gate for forming the dispensing closure of
plastic.
[0022] (As previously noted, FIG. 1 represents a top view of the
dispensing closure with its cover-lid 12 fully opened to
substantially 180.degree., while FIG. 2 is a lateral view only of
the cap 16, cross-sectioned through its center.)
[0023] As the lateral cross-sectioned views of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5
illustrate a male valve seal ring 40 extends downwardly from the
underside of the cover-lid 12 near its extreme circumference 15
(see FIG. 1), and is configured to fit within the female valve seat
32 encircling the web 28 to which it is joined. As FIGS. 3-5
illustrate, the male snap-lock projection member 22 is configured
to fit within the female snap-lock well 24, and a locking ring 44
within the well 24 retains the male member in place. Closing the
lid 12 locks the male and female members 22, 24, and seals the ring
40 within the seat 32. Reference numeral 42 identifies a finger
detent for then opening the cover-lid 12, and reference numeral 46
identifies a stacking ring on the top side of the lid 12 for
arranging the closure for storage.
[0024] As will be understood, the orifices 18-20 of FIG. 1 are of
different size for dispensing spices of different diameters or
characteristics. The hinge 14 is constructed in three dimensions to
give to it a toggle action as the cover-lid 12 opens and closes.
The product passage orifice 26 within the female locking well 24
allows passage of the product back into the dispensing container
should there be a tendency of particulate to build up within the
well. The continuous thread 34 is in the nature of a screw thread
for attaching the dispensing closure to the container or bottle.
The circumferential valve seal formed by the ring 40 within the
seat 32 between the underside of the cover-lid 12 and the web 28
prevents any component of the lid and web contacting one another to
affect the efficacy and positive nature of the seal. The snap-lock
that maintains the closure when the cover-lid 12 is depressed
prevents any moisture from getting into the container and
agglomerate the spices or mixtures of spices within. FIG. 6 is
helpful in an understanding of the snap-lock operation.
[0025] In the configuration shown in the lateral cross-sectioned
view of FIG. 7, a second female valve seat 50 is illustrated along
with a second male valve seal ring 52. With all other component
parts remaining the same, the male seal ring 52 will be understood
to extend upward from the web 28 and the female valve seat 50 will
be understood to be located within the underside of the lid 12 to
provide a second seal encircling the seal formed by the ring 40
within the seat 32. This is just the opposite with respect to the
orientation of FIGS. 1-5. With this arrangement, an even increased
positive seal results.
[0026] While there have been described what are considered to be
preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily
appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be
made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. For
at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims
appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the
invention.
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