U.S. patent application number 17/034989 was filed with the patent office on 2022-03-31 for closure with flexible hinge.
The applicant listed for this patent is Novembal USA Inc.. Invention is credited to Stephane GRAUX.
Application Number | 20220097928 17/034989 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005132531 |
Filed Date | 2022-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220097928 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GRAUX; Stephane |
March 31, 2022 |
CLOSURE WITH FLEXIBLE HINGE
Abstract
A closure for a container includes a closure shell having a
first interior surface, a tamper evident band having a second
interior surface, and a flexible hinge. The flexible hinge includes
a first end, a second end, and a gathered portion located between
the first and second ends. The first end is coupled to the closure
shell and the second end is coupled to the tamper evident band. At
least a portion of the gathered portion extends radially inward
with respect to the interior surface of the closure shell. The
flexible hinge permits the closure shell to be opened and remain
tethered to the tamper evident band. The closure may further
include a retaining bead or ratchets to keep the tamper evident
band attached to the container.
Inventors: |
GRAUX; Stephane; (Liergues,
FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Novembal USA Inc. |
Edison |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005132531 |
Appl. No.: |
17/034989 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2401/50 20200501;
B65D 55/16 20130101; B65D 2401/30 20200501; B65D 2401/40 20200501;
B65D 2401/60 20200501; B65D 47/0809 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 47/08 20060101
B65D047/08; B65D 55/16 20060101 B65D055/16 |
Claims
1. A closure for a container, the closure comprising: a closure
shell having a first interior surface; a tamper evident band having
a second interior surface; and a flexible hinge having a first end,
a second end, and a gathered portion located between the first and
second ends, the first end is coupled to the closure shell and the
second end is coupled to the tamper evident band, wherein at least
a portion of the gathered portion extends radially inward with
respect to the interior surface of the closure shell.
2. The closure of claim 1, further comprising at least one
retaining bead that extends inward from and circumferentially along
the second interior surface of the tamper evident band, wherein a
first portion of the retaining bead is vertically offset from a
second section of the retaining bead and the second section of the
retaining bead is positioned approximately beneath the flexible
hinge and configured to prevent the tamper evident band from moving
over a neck ring of a container.
3. The closure of claim of claim 2, wherein the retaining bead is a
continuous bead formed circumferentially along the second interior
surface of the tamper evident band.
4. The closure of claim of claim 2, wherein the retaining bead is
formed as an intermittent bead formed circumferentially along the
second interior surface of the tamper evident band.
5. The closure of claim 2, wherein the retaining bead is integrally
formed with the tamper evident band.
6. The closure of claim 1, further comprising a guide tab coupled
to the tamper evident band of the closure.
7. The closure of claim 1, further comprising a guide tab coupled
to the closure shell of the closure.
8. The closure of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of
frangible attachment bridges that couple the closure shell to the
tamper evident band, wherein the bridges are readily breakable when
the closure shell is moved relative to the tamper evident band.
9. The closure of claim 1, wherein the flexible hinge includes
additional gathered portions.
10. The closure of claim 1, wherein the flexible hinge includes a
V-shaped or U-shaped portion.
11. The closure of claim 10, wherein the flexible hinge includes
additional gathered portions, each being V-shaped or U-shaped.
12. The closure of claim 1, wherein the flexible hinge keeps the
closure shell tethered to the tamper evident band when the closure
shell is in an open position.
13. The closure of claim 1, further comprising a first protuberance
positioned on a first exterior surface of the closure shell and a
second protuberance positioned on a second exterior surface tamper
evident band, wherein the first and second protuberances are
configured to interact in order to maintain the closure shell in an
open position relative to the tamper evident band.
14. The closure of claim 1, wherein the tamper evident band is a
foldable band comprising a first ratchet at a first height and a
second ratchet at a second height, smaller than that the first
height, the second ratchet being positioned approximately beneath
at least a portion of the flexible hinge, such that when the tamper
evident band is folded along a hinge, the first and second ratchets
are located on the second interior surface of the tamper band and
are configured to prevent the tamper evident band from moving over
a neck ring of a container.
15. The closure of claim 14, further comprising an intermediate
ratchet being positioned between the first and second ratchets and
having a height that is intermediate between the first and second
ratchets.
16. A method of making a closure for a container, the method
comprising: forming a closure shell having a first interior
surface; forming a tamper evident band having a second interior
surface; and forming a flexible hinge configured to couple the
closure shell to the tamper evident band, the flexible hinge having
a first end coupled to the closure shell, a second end coupled to
the tamper evident band, and a gathered portion located between the
first and second ends, wherein at least a portion of the gathered
portion extends radially inward with respect to the interior
surface of the closure shell.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming at least one
retaining bead that extends inward from and circumferentially along
the second interior surface of the tamper evident band, wherein a
first portion of the retaining bead is vertically offset from a
second section of the retaining bead and the second section of the
retaining bead is positioned approximately beneath the flexible
hinge and configured to prevent the tamper evident band from moving
over a neck ring of a container.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein obtaining the closure shell
includes integrally forming the closure shell in accordance with a
molding process.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein obtaining the tamper evident
band includes integrally forming the tamper evident band in
accordance with a molding process.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein coupling the closure shell to
the tamper evident band with the flexible hinge includes integrally
forming the flexible hinge with the closure shell and the tamper
evident band in accordance with a molding process.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to closures for containers
such as, but not limited to glass and plastic bottle-type
containers. More particularly, the invention relates to flexibly
hinged closures for containers.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Containers with closures are well known in the art,
including containers with closures that have both a closure shell
or cap and a tamper evident band (e.g., a standard, single-use,
plastic water bottle). Although less common, hinged and tethered
closures also exist such as those described in U.S. Published
Patent Application No. US20110000137; Japanese Patent No.
JP11278520; Japanese Patent No. JP2005306421; and Japanese Patent
No. JP08301329. In the foregoing references, the hinges of the
described closures are external to the closure and therefore may be
more difficult to keep sanitary when the closure shell is closed,
may not be aesthetically pleasing, and/or may be prone to damage
even with the closure shell in a closed position. Further, the
hinges of the foregoing references may not be usable with a tamper
evident band, they may lack flexibility for use on various sized
container necks, they may only provide a limited opening range for
the closure relative to the container, they may not effectively
encourage the closure to remain in an open position after the
closure has been opened, or some combination thereof.
[0003] In view of government activity in several jurisdictions,
hinged and tethered closures may likely become mandatory in the
near future. For example, California proposed legislation that
would require all single-use plastic beverage containers have a cap
that is tethered to the container primarily to deal with the
problem of marine debris. Likewise, the European Commission
proposed a directive to target the ten single-use plastic products
most often found on Europe's beaches and seas. Specifically, the
European Commission proposed that single-use drink containers made
with plastic will only be allowed on the market if their caps and
lids remain attached.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention generally relates to a closure for a
container. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the
closure includes a closure shell having a first interior surface, a
tamper evident band having a second interior surface, and a
flexible hinge. The flexible hinge includes a first end, a second
end, and a gathered portion located between the first and second
ends. The first end is coupled to the closure shell and the second
end is coupled to the tamper evident band. At least a portion of
the gathered portion extends radially inward with respect to the
interior surface of the closure shell. The flexible hinge permits
the closure shell to be opened and remain tethered to the tamper
evident band. The closure may further include a retaining bead to
keep the tamper evident band attached to the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are
therefore do not limit the scope of the present invention, as other
equally effective embodiments are within the scope and spirit of
this disclosure. The elements and features shown in the drawings
are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed
upon clearly and legibly illustrating the principles of the present
invention. Additionally or alternatively, certain dimensions or
features may be exaggerated or shown in a see-through format to
help visually convey certain principles, functions or relative
locations. In the drawings, similar reference numerals between
figures designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily the
same, elements.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view of a container system with
the closure in a closed position and shown in a partially
transparent and see-through format for clarity according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a container system with
the closure in an open position according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a closure having a closure
shell and a tamper evident band according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0009] FIG. 4 is cross-sectional, perspective view of the closure
showing the flexible hinges according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0010] FIG. 5 is another cross-sectional, perspective view of the
closure showing the retaining bead and attachment bridges according
to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the closure with a
flexible hinge having two or more bent or gathered portions
according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0012] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional, perspective view of the closure
having a folded tamper band including a ratchet formation according
to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] In the following description, certain specific details are
set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various
embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will
understand that the invention may be practiced without these
details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with
containers and closures may have not been shown or described in
detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the
embodiments of the invention.
[0014] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the
specification and claims which follow, the word "comprise" and
variations thereof, such as, "comprises" and "comprising" are to be
construed in an open, inclusive sense, which is as "including, but
not limited to."
[0015] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment
or aspect" or "an embodiment or aspect" means that a particular
feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with
the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the
present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one
embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this
specification are not necessarily all referring to the same
embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or
characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or
more embodiments.
[0016] The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do
not interpret the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.
[0017] In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure,
as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the
present disclosure, relate to closures for containers, wherein the
closures have a flexible hinge that allows the closure to remain
tethered to the container while the container is being used. In
general, embodiments of the present disclosure provide for flexibly
hinged and tethered closures and methods of making the same. For
instance, the flexibly hinged closures described herein are
generally used in connection with containers for dispensing
products such as, but not limited to, food and beverages (e.g.,
carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, water, oils or condiments,
powders or granular products such as seasonings, over the counter
medicine); beauty and hygiene products (e.g., shampoos, lotions,
gels); and household products (e.g., adhesives, detergents,
cleaning solutions). Nevertheless, the closures of the present
disclosure may also be used in connection with various other
containers even though such containers have not been expressly
identified herein. The closures, and various embodiments thereof,
may be adapted for container applications having a screw closure, a
snap closure, or some combination thereof.
[0018] For purposes of brevity and clarity, the following terms and
variations thereof such as, but not limited to, "container,"
"closure," "closure shell," "tamper evident band," and "hinge" as
used herein should be broadly interpreted. For example, container
may be any type of container, but in most cases will take the form
of a container for dispensing a commercially available good or
product. The term "closure" includes at least the closure shell and
the tamper evident band in combination. The term "closure shell"
may be any type of top, cap, lid, or cover that can be moved from
an open to a closed position, and vice-versa, relative to the
container. The term "tamper evident band" may be any structure
(e.g., ring, continuous strip) that preferably remains coupled to
the container after the closure shell has been moved to the open
position. Lastly, the term "hinge" may be as any type of flexible
structure that couples the closure shell to the tamper evident
band, and for purposes of the present invention the hinge may take
the form of gathered, corrugated, bent, V-shaped, U-shaped, or some
other accordion-like configuration wherein at least a portion of
the hinge extends radially inward with respect to the container
and/or closure when the closure shell is in a closed position.
Further, the hinge permits the closure shell to remain tethered or
otherwise attached to the tamper evident band when the closure
shell is in an open position.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a container system 100 having a container 102
and a closure 104. For purposes of illustrative clarity, the
closure 104 is shown as partially transparent or see-through to
illustrate a transportation ring 106 (also referred to as a support
ring) and a tamper evident neck ring 108 formed as part of the neck
finish of the container 102. The closure 104 includes a closure
shell 110 and a tamper evident band 112.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows the container system 100 with the closure shell
110 in an open position relative to the container 102 with the
tamper evident band 112 of the closure 104 remaining coupled to or
otherwise attached to the container 102. In the illustrated
embodiment, a flexible hinge 118 couples or tethers the closure
shell 110 to the tamper evident band 112. When in the open
position, the flexible hinge 118 tends to straighten, as compared
to its bent or gathered configuration shown in FIG. 3.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows the closure 104 with the closure shell 110 in a
closed and aligned position relative to the tamper evident band
112. In the illustrated embodiment, the tamper evident band 112
optionally includes a guide tab 114 that extends vertically upward
from the tamper evident band 112. The guide tab 114 may be coupled
to or integrally formed with the tamper evident band 112. The guide
tab 114 primarily operates to keep dust and debris from entering
the closure 104 and becoming trapped around the neck of the
container 102 (FIG. 1). The guide tab 114 prevents dust and debris
to from residing on portions of the closure 104 and container 102,
which create unacceptable food and beverage conditions.
[0022] In some embodiments, as shown, the guide tab 114 extends
from the tamper evident band 112 upward towards the closure shell
110. In other embodiments, the guide tab 114 may extend downward
from the closure shell 110 towards the tamper evident band 112.
[0023] In some embodiments, the closure shell 110 can optionally
include one or more protuberances 116 coupled to or integrally
formed with the closure shell 110. In some embodiments, the tamper
evident band 112 additionally includes one or more protuberances
117 coupled to or integrally formed with the tamper evident band
112. When the closure shell 110 is opened, the protuberances 116
may interact or interlock with the protuberances 117 to secure or
otherwise maintain the closure shell 110 in the open position.
[0024] In the present invention, the closure 104 includes one or
more flexible hinges 118. Referring to the illustrated embodiment
of FIG. 3, the closure 104 includes two flexible hinges 118 located
on either side of the guide tab 114. The flexible hinges 118 are
attached or otherwise coupled to the closure shell 110 and the
tamper evident band 112, respectively. As explained in further
detail below and in association with FIG. 4, one purpose of the
flexible hinges 118 is to allow the closure shell 110 to remain
open without the tendency to move back towards the closed position.
Moreover, the configuration of the flexible hinges 118 allows
additional extension of the closure shell 110 when the closure
shell 110 is moved from a closed position to an open position
because the flexible hinges 118 will unfold and tend to straighten,
which allows the closure shell 110 to move over threads on the neck
and ultimately over the opening of the container 104. Additionally,
the flexible hinges 118 withstand an amount of torsional or
rotational flexibility that allows the closure shell 110 to stretch
and thereby clear the threads and opening of the container.
[0025] In some embodiments, the flexible hinges 118 may be made of
a material that is a different material from that of the closure
shell 110, the tamper evident band 112, or both. By way of example,
the flexible hinges 118 may be made from a more flexible plastic,
silicon, a molded rubber material, or some other material that
allows for the necessary amount of torsional flexibility or
stretching during the opening process of the closure shell 110.
[0026] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the interior structure of the closure 104
in two, slightly different cut-away, perspective views,
respectively. Referring primarily to FIG. 4, the flexible hinges
118 take the form of a band of material having a gathered portion
120 located between a first end 122 and a second end 124 of the
flexible hinge 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the first end
122 is coupled to or integrally formed with the closure shell 110
and the second end is coupled to or integrally formed with the
tamper evident band 112, respectively.
[0027] In at least one embodiment, the gathered portion 120 takes
the form of bent, folded, corrugated or accordion-like section of
material having multiple V-shape or U-shape portions (e.g.,
connected end to end). At least a portion of the gathered portion
120 extends radially inward with respect to a first interior
surface 126 of the closure shell 104, and more specifically with
respect to a second interior surface 128 (FIG. 5) of the tamper
evident band 112. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and
second interior surfaces 126, 128 are flush with each other, but in
other embodiments the surfaces 126, 128 may not be flush with each
other. The gathered portion 120 of the flexible hinge 118 may be
comprised of a single gathered portion 120 or a plurality of
gathered portions forming an accordion-type configuration (FIG.
6).
[0028] Advantageously, the flexible hinge 118 is situated such that
at least a portion of the gathered portion 120 is inside of the
closure, which may provide for improved cleanliness or sanitation,
and may limit damage to the flexible hinge during transportation.
Further, the flexible hinge 118 functions in conjunction with a
tamper evident band 112, may provide flexibility for use on various
sized container necks, may provide a wider opening range for the
closure relative to existing closures, may assist in maintaining
the closure into an open position after the closure has been
opened, or any combination thereof.
[0029] Now referring primarily to FIG. 5, the tamper evident band
112 includes a retaining bead 130. When the closure shell 110 is
initially opened (e.g., unscrewed or unsnapped), the tamper evident
band 112 wants to remain attached to the closure shell 110 and
raise upwards relative to the container 102 (FIG. 1). The
configuration of the retaining bead 130, which will be described in
more detail below, prevents the tamper evident band 112 from moving
upwards over the tamper evident neck ring 108 of the container 102
(FIG. 1).
[0030] The retaining bead 130 is located on the tamper evident band
112 and extends radially inward from the second interior surface
128 of the tamper evident band 112. The retaining bead 130 may be
coupled to or integrally formed with the tamper evident band
112.
[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining bead 130 is a
continuous protuberance having a first section 132 and a second
section 134 with a vertically offset 136 from each other. The first
section 132 may be the lower section and the second section 134 may
be the upper section as illustrated in FIG. 5, or these may be
interchanged for another retaining bead 138 located on an opposing
surface of the closure 104 as shown in FIG. 4. The tamper evident
band 112 may have one, two, or more retaining beads. For purposes
of clarity, the stepwise configuration of the retaining bead 130 is
intended to prevent the tamper evident band 112 from moving over or
off of the tamper evident ring 108 located on a neck of the
container 102 (FIG. 1).
[0032] The first section 132 is positioned approximately beneath
the flexible hinge 118 or the area including the flexible hinges
118. In particular, the first section 132 is positioned at a height
on the tamper evident band 112 such that the section 132 prevents
the tamper evident band 112 from moving upwards over the tamper
evident neck ring 108 of the container 102. For example, the first
section 132 may be at a height that is lower when compared to the
remainder of the retaining bead 130, thus forming the vertical
offset 136.
[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining bead 130 is
continuous in that the first section 132 continuously flows into
the second section 134 through a curved or sloped section 140. In
an alternate embodiment, the retaining bead 130 may be staggered,
spaced-apart, or otherwise non-continuous. By way of example, the
retaining bead 130 may comprise a plurality of protuberances that
function in the same or similar manner as the continuous retaining
bead 118.
[0034] In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 7, a tamper evident
band 212 is a foldable band on which a plurality of outwardly
projecting ratchets 220, 222 (or lugs) are positioned around the
perimeter of the tamper evident band 212. The ratchets 220, 222 are
positioned such that when the band 212 is in an unfolded position
(not shown) the ratchets 220, 222 are located on the external
perimeter of the closure 104. When the band 212 is folded along a
hinge 215 (e.g., thinned material) into a folded position as seen
in FIG. 7, the ratchets 220, 222 are located within the interior
perimeter of the closure 104.
[0035] The configuration of the ratchets 220, 222 prevents the
tamper evident band 212 from moving upwards over the tamper evident
neck ring 108 of the container 102. For example, the ratchet(s) 220
has a first height that is configured to prevent a portion of the
band 212 from moving over the neck ring 108, and the ratchet(s) 222
has a second height that is configured to prevent a remaining
portion of the band 212 from moving over the neck ring 108
approximately near the location of the flexible hinge 118.
Specifically, the ratchet(s) 222 extend around a portion 230 of the
tamper evident band 212 that, when in the folded position, is
positioned approximately beneath the flexible hinge 118.
[0036] In some embodiments (not illustrated), at least one ratchet
is positioned between the ratchets 220, 222. This intermediate
ratchet would have a height intermediate the first height and the
second height and be positioned to create a transition region. For
example, the portion 230 would include the third ratchet(s) having
the intermediate height to create a region of gradual transition
from the higher height of the ratchet 220 to the lower height of
the ratchet 222. Lastly, the closure 104 includes a plurality of
frangible attachment bridges 142 that couple the closure shell 110
to the tamper evident band 112. The bridges 142 are readily
breakable when the closure shell 110 is moved (e.g., twisted,
rotated, moved or lifted upwards by an unsnapping movement)
relative to the tamper evident band 112.
[0037] The various embodiments described above can be combined to
provide further embodiments. Aspects can be modified, if necessary,
to employ devices, features, and concepts of the various patents,
applications and publications to provide yet further
embodiments.
[0038] These and other changes can be made in light of the above
detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the
terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the
specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims,
but should be construed to include all types of closures, closure
shells, tamper evident bands, flexible hinges, retaining beads, and
attachment bridges, as well as other systems and processes in the
bottling, capping and closure industry that operate in accordance
with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the
disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by
the following claims.
* * * * *