U.S. patent application number 17/097904 was filed with the patent office on 2021-06-17 for tethered container closure.
This patent application is currently assigned to Niagara Bottling, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Niagara Bottling, LLC. Invention is credited to Jay Clarke Hanan.
Application Number | 20210179324 17/097904 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005238239 |
Filed Date | 2021-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210179324 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hanan; Jay Clarke |
June 17, 2021 |
TETHERED CONTAINER CLOSURE
Abstract
An apparatus and methods are provided for a container closure
that includes a tether that keeps the closure coupled with a
plastic container after the closure has been unsealed to access
contents within the container. The container closure comprises a
closure portion coupled to a tamper evidence band by a tether
bridge. The closure portion threadably engages with a finish
portion of the container and seal contents in an interior of the
container. The tamper evidence band remains engaged with the finish
portion when the closure portion is removed from the finish
portion. A multiplicity of thin connections between the tamper
evidence band and the closure portion break apart when the closure
portion is untightened from the finish portion. The tether bridge
remains unbroken and is configured to allow the closure portion to
be tilted away from the finish portion by an end-user.
Inventors: |
Hanan; Jay Clarke; (Diamond
Bar, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Niagara Bottling, LLC |
Diamond Bar |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Niagara Bottling, LLC
Diamond Bar
CA
|
Family ID: |
1000005238239 |
Appl. No.: |
17/097904 |
Filed: |
November 13, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62948144 |
Dec 13, 2019 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 41/3428 20130101;
B65D 55/16 20130101; B65D 47/122 20130101; B65D 41/0492 20130101;
B65D 47/142 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 41/34 20060101
B65D041/34; B65D 41/04 20060101 B65D041/04; B65D 47/12 20060101
B65D047/12; B65D 47/14 20060101 B65D047/14; B65D 55/16 20060101
B65D055/16 |
Claims
1. A closure for sealing contents within an interior of a container
and remaining coupled with the container after being unsealed from
the container, the closure comprising: a closure portion for
threadably engaging with a finish portion of the container; a
tamper evidence band for engaging with the finish portion; and a
tether bridge for keeping the closure portion attached to the
tamper evidence band.
2. The closure of claim 1, wherein a multiplicity of thin
connections attach the tamper evidence band to closure portion and
are configured to break apart when the closure portion is
untightened from the finish portion.
3. The closure of claim 2, wherein the tamper evidence band is
configured to remain engaged with the finish portion when the
closure portion is removed from the finish portion, thereby causing
the thin connections to break apart and allow the closure portion
to separate from the tamper evidence band.
4. The closure of claim 2, wherein the tether bridge is configured
such that only the thin connections break apart during loosening of
the closure portion.
5. The closure of claim 4, wherein the tether bridge is formed
during injection-molding by allowing material comprising the
closure to remain disposed between a pair of adjacent thin
connections.
6. The closure of claim 4, wherein the tether bridge is formed
after injection-molding by using a blade to create spaces between
the thin connections and avoiding cutting at the location of the
tether bridge.
7. The closure of claim 1, wherein the tether bridge comprises a
single piece of material that extends between the tamper evidence
band and the closure portion.
8. The closure of claim 1, wherein the tether bridge comprises two
or more portions of material joining the tamper evidence band and
the closure portion.
9. The closure of claim 1, wherein the tether bridge is configured
to keep the closure portion attached to the finish portion after
the closure portion is unsealed from the finish portion.
10. The closure of claim 1, wherein the tether bridge is configured
to flex while the closure portion is tilted with respect to the
tamper evidence band.
11. The closure of claim 10, wherein the tether bridge comprises a
relatively thick portion of plastic that is configured to resist
breaking during tilting the closure portion away from the finish
portion.
12. A method for a closure to seal contents within an interior of a
container and remain coupled with the container after being
unsealed from the container, the method comprising: configuring a
closure portion for threadably engaging with a finish portion of
the container; configuring a tamper evidence band for engaging with
the finish portion; and joining the closure portion and the tamper
evidence band by way of a tether bridge.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein joining includes configuring
the tether bridge to keep the closure portion attached to the
finish portion after the closure portion is unsealed from the
finish portion.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein joining includes configuring
the tether bridge to flex when the closure portion is tilted with
respect to the tamper evidence band.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein joining includes extending a
single piece of material comprising the tether bridge between the
tamper evidence band and the closure portion.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein joining includes coupling the
tamper evidence band and the closure portion by way of two or more
portions of material comprising the tether bridge.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein joining includes coupling the
closure portion and the tamper evidence band by way of a
multiplicity of thin connections configured to break apart when the
closure portion is untightened from the finish portion.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein joining includes configuring
the tether bridge such that only the thin connections break apart
during loosening of the closure portion.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the tether bridge
includes injection-molding such that material comprising the
closure fills one or more spaces between adjacent thin
connections.
20. A method for a closure, comprising: loosening a closure portion
threaded onto a finish portion of the container; breaking a
multiplicity of thin connections disposed between the closure
portion and a tamper evidence band engaged with the finish portion;
and bending a tether bridge disposed between the closure portion
and a tamper evidence band by tilting the closure portion away from
the finish portion.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S.
Provisional Application, entitled "Tethered Container Closure,"
filed on Dec. 13, 2019 and having application Ser. No. 62/948,144,
the entirety of said application being incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to
the field of plastic bottles and preforms. More specifically,
embodiments of the disclosure relate to an apparatus and methods
for a container closure that includes a tether configured to keep
the closure coupled with a plastic container after the closure has
been unsealed to access contents within the container.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Plastic containers have been used as a replacement for glass
or metal containers in the packaging of beverages for several
decades. The most common plastic used in making beverage containers
today is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Containers made of PET
are transparent, thin walled, and have the ability to maintain
their shape by withstanding the force exerted on the walls of the
container by their contents. PET resins are also reasonably priced
and easy to process. PET bottles are generally made by a process
that includes the blow-molding of plastic preforms which have been
made by injection molding of the PET resin.
[0004] Advantages of plastic packaging include lighter weight and
decreased breakage as compared to glass, and lower costs overall
when taking both production and transportation into account.
Although plastic packaging is lighter in weight than glass, there
is still great interest in creating the lightest possible plastic
packaging so as to maximize the cost savings in both transportation
and manufacturing by making and using containers that contain less
plastic.
[0005] A plastic container for storing liquid contents typically
includes a base that extends up to a grip portion suitable for
affixing a label, as well as providing a location for grasping the
container. The grip portion generally transitions into a shoulder,
which connects to a bell. The bell has a diameter that generally
decreases as the bell extends upward from the shoulder to a neck
and a finish. The finish is adapted to receive a closure, such as a
bottle cap, to seal the contents within the interior of the plastic
container.
[0006] In many instances, the closure includes a tamper evidence
band that is disposed around the perimeter of the finish. The
tamper evidence band generally remains positioned on the finish
when an end-user loosens the closure to access the contents within
the container. As such, the tamper evidence band and the finish
cooperate to indicate to the end-user whether or not the closure
has been previously loosened after being installed by the
manufacturer.
[0007] Advantages of plastic containers include lighter weight and
decreased breakage as compared to glass, and lower costs overall
when taking both production and transportation into account. As
such, there is a continuous interest in creating the lightest
possible plastic container so as to maximize cost savings in both
transportation and manufacturing by making and using containers
that contain less plastic.
[0008] One difficulty that may be associated with closures
typically installed onto plastic containers is that once the
closure is removed from the container, the closure is separable
from the container. This may result in the closure being misplaced
or lost after being removed from the container, thus hindering
resealing unfinished liquid contents within the container. In some
instances, misplaced or lost closures may contribute to plastic
waste littering the environment. As such, there is a desire to
attach or tether closures to plastic containers so as to reduce the
environmental impact of misplaced closures while maintaining the
convenience and enjoyment often associated with drinking beverages
by way of plastic containers. Embodiments disclosed herein provide
container closures that include tethers configured to keep the
closures coupled with plastic containers after the closures have
been unsealed to access contents within the containers.
SUMMARY
[0009] An apparatus and methods are provided for a container
closure that includes a tether that keeps the closure coupled with
a plastic container after the closure has been unsealed to access
contents within the container. The container closure comprises a
closure portion coupled to a tamper evidence band by a tether
bridge. The closure portion is configured to threadably engage with
a finish portion of the container and seal contents in an interior
of the container. The tamper evidence band is adapted to remain
engaged with the finish portion when the closure portion is removed
from the finish portion. A multiplicity of thin connections between
the tamper evidence band and the closure portion are configured to
break apart when the closure portion is untightened from the finish
portion. The tether bridge remains unbroken and is configured to
allow the closure portion to be tilted away from the finish portion
by an end-user.
[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, a closure for sealing contents
within an interior of a container and remaining coupled with the
container after being unsealed from the container comprises: a
closure portion for threadably engaging with a finish portion of
the container; a tamper evidence band for engaging with the finish
portion; and a tether bridge for keeping the closure portion
attached to the tamper evidence band.
[0011] In another exemplary embodiment, a multiplicity of thin
connections attach the tamper evidence band to closure portion and
are configured to break apart when the closure portion is
untightened from the finish portion. In another exemplary
embodiment, the tamper evidence band is configured to remain
engaged with the finish portion when the closure portion is removed
from the finish portion, thereby causing the thin connections to
break apart and allow the closure portion to separate from the
tamper evidence band. In another exemplary embodiment, the tether
bridge is configured such that only the thin connections break
apart during loosening of the closure portion. In another exemplary
embodiment, the tether bridge is formed during injection-molding by
allowing material comprising the closure to remain disposed between
a pair of adjacent thin connections. In another exemplary
embodiment, the tether bridge is formed after injection-molding by
using a blade to create spaces between the thin connections and
avoiding cutting at the location of the tether bridge.
[0012] In another exemplary embodiment, the tether bridge comprises
a single piece of material that extends between the tamper evidence
band and the closure portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the
tether bridge comprises two or more portions of material joining
the tamper evidence band and the closure portion. In another
exemplary embodiment, the tether bridge is configured to keep the
closure portion attached to the finish portion after the closure
portion is unsealed from the finish portion. In another exemplary
embodiment, the tether bridge is configured to flex while the
closure portion is tilted with respect to the tamper evidence band.
In another exemplary embodiment, the tether bridge comprises a
relatively thick portion of plastic that is configured to resist
breaking during tilting the closure portion away from the finish
portion.
[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for a closure to seal
contents within an interior of a container and remain coupled with
the container after being unsealed from the container comprises:
configuring a closure portion for threadably engaging with a finish
portion of the container; configuring a tamper evidence band for
engaging with the finish portion; and joining the closure portion
and the tamper evidence band by way of a tether bridge.
[0014] In another exemplary embodiment, joining includes
configuring the tether bridge to keep the closure portion attached
to the finish portion after the closure portion is unsealed from
the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, joining
includes configuring the tether bridge to flex when the closure
portion is tilted with respect to the tamper evidence band. In
another exemplary embodiment, joining includes extending a single
piece of material comprising the tether bridge between the tamper
evidence band and the closure portion. In another exemplary
embodiment, joining includes coupling the tamper evidence band and
the closure portion by way of two or more portions of material
comprising the tether bridge. In another exemplary embodiment,
joining includes coupling the closure portion and the tamper
evidence band by way of a multiplicity of thin connections
configured to break apart when the closure portion is untightened
from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, joining
includes configuring the tether bridge such that only the thin
connections break apart during loosening of the closure portion. In
another exemplary embodiment, configuring the tether bridge
includes injection-molding such that material comprising the
closure fills one or more spaces between adjacent thin
connections.
[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for a closure
comprises: loosening a closure portion threaded onto a finish
portion of the container; breaking a multiplicity of thin
connections disposed between the closure portion and a tamper
evidence band engaged with the finish portion; and bending a tether
bridge disposed between the closure portion and a tamper evidence
band by tilting the closure portion away from the finish
portion.
[0016] These and other features of the concepts provided herein may
be better understood with reference to the drawings, description,
and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure
in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an exemplary container
suitable for storing liquid contents, including pressurized
contents;
[0019] FIG. 2 a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a
preform suitable for being blow-molded to form a container in
accordance with the present disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary
embodiment of a tethered closure that is configured to remain
coupled with a container after the tethered closure is unsealed
from the container by an end-user;
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a tethered
configuration of the tethered closure of FIG. 3 that may occur upon
the tethered closure being loosened from a container by an
end-user; and
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein an
exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure has been installed onto
a finish portion of a container and then subsequently untightened
from the finish portion.
[0023] While the present disclosure is subject to various
modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof
have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein
be described in detail. The invention should be understood to not
be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary,
the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and
alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] In the following description, numerous specific details are
set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of
ordinary skill in the art that the invention disclosed herein may
be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,
specific numeric references such as "first bottle," may be made.
However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted
as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the
"first bottle" is different than a "second bottle." Thus, the
specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific
details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within
the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term "coupled"
is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or
indirectly to the component through another component. Further, as
used herein, the terms "about," "approximately," or "substantially"
for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional
tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to
function for its intended purpose as described herein.
[0025] In general, there is a desire to attach or tether closures
to plastic containers so as to reduce the environmental impact of
misplaced closures while maintaining the convenience and enjoyment
often associated with drinking beverages by way of plastic
containers. One difficulty typically associated with closures
installed onto plastic containers is that once the closure is
removed from the container, the closure may be misplaced or lost.
Lost closures hinder resealing unfinished liquid contents within
containers and may contribute to plastic waste littering the
environment. Embodiments disclosed herein provide container
closures that include tethers configured to keep the closures
coupled with plastic containers after the closures have been
unsealed to access contents within the containers.
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an exemplary container 100
typically used for storing liquid contents, such as water, juice,
and particularly carbonated contents. The container 100 comprises a
base 104 that extends up to a grip portion 108. In some
embodiments, the base 104 may be of the petaloid variety, although
other configurations of the base may be incorporated into the
container 100, without limitation. The grip portion 108 comprises a
plurality of grip portion ribs 112 (i.e., sidewall ribs). As
illustrated in FIG. 1, the plurality of grip portion ribs 112
generally vary in depth, and swirl or angulate around the grip
portion 108. A label portion 116 is connected to the grip portion
108 and comprises one or more label panel ribs (not shown). The
label panel portion 116 transitions into a shoulder 124, which
connects to a bell 128.
[0027] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the bell 128
comprises a plurality of design features 132. In other embodiments,
however, the bell 128 may include various other design features, or
may be smooth and generally unornamented. The bell 128 connects to
a neck 136, which connects to a finish 140. As shown in FIG. 1, the
bell 128 comprises a diameter that generally decreases as the bell
128 extends upward from the shoulder 124 to the neck 136 and the
finish 140. The finish 140 is adapted to receive a closure, such as
by way of non-limiting example, a container cap or closure 144, so
as to seal contents within the container 100. The finish 140
generally defines an opening that leads to an interior of the
container 100 for containing a beverage, or other contents, such as
any of a variety of carbonated soft drinks. The finish 140 may be
of the Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) variety, or may be configured to
receive closures suitable for sealing noncarbonated contents within
the interior of the container 100.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, a tamper evidence closure 144 may be
threadably engaged with the finish 140 of FIG. 3. The closure 144
generally includes interior threads that are configured to engage
with threads disposed on the finish 140, as described herein.
During tightening of the closure 144 onto the finish 140, a plug
seal of the closure 144 extends into the opening of the container
100 and enters into a pressed relationship with the finish 140
whereby contents may be sealed in the interior of the container
100.
[0029] As further shown in FIG. 1, the closure 144 includes a
tamper evidence band 148 to provide an indication of whether or not
the closure 144 has been loosened after being installed by a
manufacturer. In some embodiments, the tamper evidence band 148 may
be attached to the closure 144 by a multiplicity of thin
connections. The tamper evidence band 148 may include a cam that is
configured to fixedly engage with a tamper evidence ledge disposed
on the finished 140 during loosening of the closure 144. Once the
closure 144 is installed onto the finish 140 by a manufacturer and
later an end-user loosens the closure 144, the cam engages the
tamper evidence ledge, breaking the thin connections between tamper
evidence band 148 and the closure 144. The tamper evidence band 148
remains positioned on the tamper evidence ledge after the closure
144 is removed from the container 100. As such, the tamper evidence
band 148 cooperates with the tamper evidence ledge to indicate to
the end-user whether or not the closure 144 has been previously
loosened after being installed by the manufacturer.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a preform 160
suitable for being blow-molded to form a plastic bottle, such as
the container 100, according to the present disclosure. The preform
160 preferably is made of material approved for contact with food
and beverages such as virgin PET or recycled PET and can be of any
of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The preform 160 shown in
FIG. 2 is of the type which will form a 12-16 oz. beverage bottle,
but as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other
preform configurations may be used depending upon the desired
configuration, characteristics and use of the final article. The
preform 160 may be made by injection molding methods, without
limitation.
[0031] The preform 160 includes a finish portion 164 and a body
portion 168, formed monolithically (i.e., as a single, or unitary,
structure). Advantageously, the monolithic arrangement of the
preform 160, when blow-molded into a bottle, provides greater
dimensional stability and improved physical properties in
comparison to a preform constructed of separate neck and body
portions that are bonded together.
[0032] The finish portion 164 begins at an opening 172 to an
interior of the preform 160 and extends to and includes a tamper
evidence ledge 176. The finish portion 164 is further characterized
by the presence of one or more threads 180 configured to provide a
means to fasten the closure 144 (see FIG. 1) onto the container 100
produced from the preform 160. As such, the threads 180 are
configured to rotatably engage with similar threads disposed within
the closure 144 to provide a way to seal contents within the
container 100. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the
threads 180 generally extends along a section of the circumference
of the finish portion 164 and approaches the tamper evidence ledge
176. Thus, when the threads of the closure 144 are engaged with the
threads 180, and the closure 144 is rotated in a clockwise
direction, the closure 144 advances toward the tamper evidence
ledge 176.
[0033] With continuing reference to FIG. 2, each of the one or more
threads 180 begins at a thread start 184 and extends along an
angular section of the finish portion 164 to a thread end 188. The
thread start 184 is configured to guide a thread comprising the
closure 144 into a space, or a valley 190, between adjacent threads
180 so as to threadably engage the closure 144 with the finish
portion 164. Further, the threads 180 generally are disposed
adjacently to one another, separated by valleys 190, and are spaced
uniformly around the circumference of the finish portion 164. In
some embodiments, wherein three threads 180 are disposed around the
finish portion 164, the thread starts 184 of adjacent threads 180
are spaced at substantially 120-degree intervals around the
perimeter of the finish portion 164. As will be appreciated,
however, more or less than three threads 180 may be incorporated
into the finish portion 164 without deviating beyond the scope of
the present disclosure.
[0034] In some embodiments, a plurality of gaps (not shown) may be
disposed in the threads 180 and positioned uniformly around the
perimeter of the finish portion 164. Preferably, the gaps of
adjacent threads 180 are vertically aligned so as to form channels
extending longitudinally along the finish portion 164. The channels
advantageously operate to relieve pressure within the container 100
when the closure 144 is loosened. As will be appreciated, the
channels may provide a direct route for gases escaping the interior
of the container 100, rather than the gases being forced to travel
around the finish portion 164 between adjacent threads 180.
[0035] The body portion 168 includes a neck portion 192 that
extends to a tapered portion 196 of the body portion 168. The
tapered portion 196 comprises a smooth transition from a diameter
of the neck portion 192 to a relatively smaller diameter of a
cylindrical portion 200 of the preform 160. The cylindrical portion
200 is a generally elongate member that culminates in an end cap
204. In some embodiments the body portion 168 may be generally
cylindrical, and the end cap 204 may be conical or frustoconical
and may also be hemispherical, and the very terminus of the end cap
204 may be flattened or rounded.
[0036] In some embodiments, a wall thickness of the cylindrical
portion 200 may be substantially uniform throughout the cylindrical
portion 200 and the end cap 204. A wall thickness of the tapered
portion 196, however, generally decreases from the wall thickness
of the cylindrical portion 200 to a relatively thinner wall
thickness of the neck portion 192. As will be appreciated, the wall
thickness of the cylindrical portion 200 is relatively greater than
the wall thickness of the neck portion 192 so as to provide a wall
thickness at the desired dimensions of a finished product after the
preform 160 is blow-molded into the shape and size of a bottle. As
such, the wall thickness throughout most of the body portion 168
will depend upon the overall size of the preform 160 and the wall
thickness and overall size of the resulting container.
[0037] With continuing reference to FIG. 2, the tamper evidence
ledge 176 comprises a rounded upper portion 232 and a substantially
flat lower portion 236. As will be appreciated, the rounded upper
portion 232 facilitates passing the tamper evidence band 148 of the
closure 144 over the tamper evidence ledge 176 during assembly of
the closure 144 onto the container 100. The flat lower portion 236
is configured to retain the tamper evidence band 148 positioned
below the tamper evidence ledge 176 during loosening of the closure
144. For example, when the closure 144 is initially installed onto
the container 100 by a manufacturer, the tamper evidence band 148
easily passes over the tamper evidence ledge 176 due to the rounded
upper portion 232. When an end-user later loosens the closure 144,
the flat lower portion 236 retains the tamper evidence band 148
below the tamper evidence ledge 176, causing the tamper evidence
band 148 to break loose from the closure 144. Thus, the flat lower
portion 236 of the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the tamper
evidence band 148 of the closure 144 cooperate to indicate to the
end-user that the closure 144 has not been previously loosened
after being installed by the manufacturer. It should be understood,
however, that the tamper evidence ledge 176 is not limited to being
coupled with tamper evidence bands, as described above, but rather
the tamper evidence ledge 176 may be configured to operate with any
of various devices for indicating whether or not the container has
been previously opened.
[0038] Disposed between the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the
threads 180 is a handling valley 240 that extends circumferentially
around the finish portion 164. The handling valley 240 comprises a
portion of the finish portion 164 that has a wall thickness and a
diameter that are substantially similar to the wall thickness and
diameter of the neck portion 192, below the tamper evidence ledge
176. As such, the handling valley 240 and the neck portion 192
advantageously enable gripping fingers to engage with and support
the container 100 during air-conveying the container 100 along a
manufacturing assembly. For example, a first pair of gripping
fingers can extend into the handling valley 240 to support the
container 100 at a first station of a manufacturing line. Then,
upon being conveyed to a second station, a second pair of gripping
fingers can extend around the neck portion 192, below the tamper
evidence ledge 176, while the first pair of gripping fingers are
removed from the handling valley 240. Similarly, upon arriving at a
third station, a third pair of gripping fingers can engage with the
handling valley 240 while the second pair of gripping fingers are
removed from the neck portion 192. Thus, the container 100 can be
transported along the manufacturing line by alternatingly engaging
gripping fingers with the handling valley 240 and the neck portion
192.
[0039] As will be appreciated, the handling valley 240 provides a
separation between the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the threads
180 suitable for receiving the pair of gripping fingers, as
described above. In general, the separation must be large enough to
allow the gripping fingers to easily pass between the tamper
evidence ledge 176 and the threads 180. As such, any of various
separations, greater than the width of the gripping fingers, may be
disposed between the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the threads 180,
without limitation and without deviating beyond the scope of the
present disclosure.
[0040] As described herein, once the preform 160 has been
blow-molded to form the container 100 and then the container 100
has been filled with liquid contents, the closure 144 is installed
onto the finish portion 164, by way of suitable equipment, to seal
the contents in the interior of the container 100. In general, the
threads 180 disposed around the finish portion 164 are engaged with
similar threads comprising the closure 144 and then the closure 144
is rotated in a clockwise direction to advance the closure 144
toward the tamper evidence ledge 176. The closure 144 preferably is
tightened until the tamper evidence band 148 is pushed over the
tamper evidence ledge 176 and a plug seal comprising the closure
144 extends into the opening 172 of the finish portion 164, thereby
sealing the liquid contents within the container 100.
[0041] Turning now to FIG. 3, a side plan view of an exemplary
embodiment of a tethered closure 244 is shown. The tethered closure
244 generally is configured to remain coupled with a plastic
container, such as the container 100, after the tethered closure
244 has been unsealed from the finish portion 164 by an end-user to
access contents within the container 100. The illustrated
embodiment of the tethered closure 244 includes a closure portion
248 that is coupled with a tamper evidence band 252 by way of a
tether bridge 256. Upon the closure portion 248 being removed from
the container 100, the tamper evidence band 252 remains fixed to
the finish portion 164 while the tether bridge 256 couples the
closure portion 248 with the tamper evidence band 252. As such, the
tether bridge 256 keeps the closure portion 248 attached to the
container 100 after the closure portion 248 is unsealed from the
finish portion 164 to access the contents within the container
100.
[0042] With continuing reference to FIG. 3, the closure portion 248
is configured to be threadably engaged with the finish portion 164
shown in FIG. 2. The closure portion 248 includes interior threads
that are configured to engage with the threads 180 of the finish
portion 164, as described herein. As such, the threads of the
closure portion 248 extend into the thread valleys 190 extending
around the finish portion 164. During tightening of the closure
portion 248 onto the finish portion 164, a plug seal disposed
within the closure portion 248 extends into the opening 172 and
enters into a pressed relationship with the finish portion 164
whereby contents may be sealed within the interior of the container
100. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of knurls 260 may be arranged
on top of the closure portion 248 and configured to facilitate
grasping the closure portion 248 during tightening and untightening
the closure portion 248 on the finish portion 164.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, a multiplicity of thin connections 264
attach the tamper evidence band 252 to closure portion 248. The
thin connections 264 are configured to break apart when the closure
portion 248 is untightened from the finish portion 164, such as
during opening the container 100 to access the contents within the
container 100. The tamper evidence band 252 generally includes a
cam, or a similar structure, disposed around an interior perimeter
of the tamper evidence band 252 that interferes with the flat lower
portion 236 of the tamper evidence ledge 176. Thus, when an
end-user loosens the closure portion 248, the flat lower portion
236 retains the tamper evidence band 252 below the tamper evidence
ledge 176, causing the thin connections 264 to break apart and thus
allowing the closure portion 248 to separate from the tamper
evidence band 252.
[0044] Once all the thin connections are broken, the tethered
closure 244 assumes a tethered configuration 280 as best shown in
FIG. 4. In the tethered configuration 280, the tamper evidence band
252 resembles a loop of plastic coupled to the closure portion 248
solely by way of the tether bridge 256. As will be appreciated, the
tether bridge 256 flexes while the closure portion 248 is tilted
with respect to the tamper evidence band 252. It is contemplated
that the tether bridge 256 comprises a relatively thick portion of
plastic that is configured to resist breaking during tilting the
closure portion 248 away from the finish portion 164.
[0045] In general, the tether bridge 256 is configured similarly to
the tamper evidence band 252, such that only the thin connections
264 break apart during loosening of the closure portion 248. For
example, in some embodiments wherein the tethered closure 244 is
formed by way of injection-molding, the tether bridge 256 may be
formed by allowing the material comprising the tethered closure 244
to remain disposed between a pair of adjacent thin connections 264.
In one exemplary embodiment, a mold for injection-molding the
tethered closure 244 may be configured to allow the material
comprising the closure 244 to fill one or more spaces 268 (see FIG.
3) between the thin connections 264. As such, one or more
protrusions comprising the mold that form the spaces 268 may be
omitted in the location of the mold that forms the tether bridge
256. Further, in some embodiments wherein a knife or other type of
blade is used to form the spaces 268 after injection-molding the
tethered closure 244, the blade may be configured to avoid cutting
the tethered closure 244 at the location of the tether bridge 256.
It should be understood, therefore, that the tether bridge 256 is
formed generally by leaving material comprising the tethered
closure 244 intact within one or more spaces 268 between the thin
connections 264, and thus the tether bridge 256 may be formed by
way of various diverse techniques without limitation, and without
deviating beyond the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure.
[0046] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the
tethered closure 244 has been installed onto a container 272,
formed from the preform 160 of FIG. 2, and then subsequently
untightened from the finish portion 164 of the container 272.
During installation of the tethered closure 244 onto the container
272, the rounded upper portion 232 of the tamper evidence ledge 176
facilitates passing the tamper evidence band 252 over the tamper
evidence ledge 176. As described herein, the flat lower portion 236
of the tamper evidence ledge 176 retains the tamper evidence band
252 positioned below the tamper evidence ledge 176 during loosening
of the closure portion 248. As such, loosening the closure portion
248 on the finish portion 164 causes the thin connections 264 to
break apart, thus causing the tethered closure 244 to assume the
tethered configuration 280 discussed in connection with FIG. 4.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, upon removing the closure portion 248
from the finish portion 164, the tether bridge 256 bends and allows
the closure portion 248 to be tilted with respect to the tamper
evidence band 252. As such, the tether bridge 256 keeps the closure
portion 248 attached to the container 272 after the closure portion
248 is unsealed from the finish portion 164 to access the contents
within the container 272. It is contemplated that keeping the
closure portion 248 coupled with the container 272 will
substantially eliminate instances of misplacing the closure portion
248, thereby encouraging the end-user reengaging the closure
portion 248 with the finish portion 164 to store unfinished
contents within the container 272, as well as preventing the
closure portion 248 from contributing to plastic waste being
deposited into the environment.
[0048] As described hereinabove, the finish portion 164 includes a
handing valley 240 disposed adjacent to the rounded upper portion
232 of the tamper evidence ledge 176. Upon comparing FIG. 2 and
FIG. 5, it straightforward to see that the tamper evidence band 252
is fixated on top of the tamper evidence ledge 176. In some
embodiments, however, the tether closure 244 may be configured to
position the tamper evidence band 252 entirely beneath the tamper
evidence ledge 176, as described hereinabove. Further, in some
embodiments, the tamper evidence ledge 176 may be configured to
fixate the tamper evidence band 252 on top of the tamper evidence
ledge 176, in lieu of being positioned below the tamper evidence
ledge, without limitation.
[0049] Moreover, it should be understood that the tethered closure
244 is not to be limited to the specific embodiments shown in the
drawings and described hereinabove. For example, the tether bridge
256 is not to be limited to comprising a single piece of material
that extends from the tamper evidence band 252 to the closure
portion 248. In some embodiments, for example, the tether bridge
256 may comprise two or more portions of material joining the
tamper evidence band 252 and the closure portion 248. It is
contemplated that in such embodiments, the two or more portions of
material comprising the tether bridge 256 generally are narrower
than the single piece of material comprising the tether bridge 256
shown in FIG. 3. It is further contemplated that the tether bridge
256 may comprise any of various structures or mechanisms that
facilitate tilting the closure portion 248 relative to the finish
portion 264, as shown in FIG. 5. For example, in some embodiments,
the tether bridge 256 may include one or more cuts that cause the
tether bridge 256 to operate similarly to a scissor hinge when the
closure portion 248 is removed from the finish portion 164. As
such, the tether bridge 256 may include a wide variety of different
configurations and include mechanisms other than shown and
discussed herein, without limitation, and without deviating beyond
the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
[0050] While the invention has been described in terms of
particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary
skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited
to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods
and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in
certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize
that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such
modifications are in accordance with the variations of the
invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed
concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as
performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are
variations of the invention, which are within the spirit of the
disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims, it
is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well.
Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not
limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *