Closure With Integral Cover for Lateral Spout

When dealing with closures particularly for bottles and similar containers it is often desirable to have relatively inexpensive structures both from a manufacturing and a use standpoint. This is particularly true when one is concerned with disposability of the closures after use. It is of value to provide closures which can be opened and closed simply and easily to permit pouring from the container whenever desired. The closure whould be one which can be easily and quickly installed on a container and can itself be quickly and easily assembled. In fact, one-piece construction should be utilized wherever possible.

Naturally, without sacrificing simplicity of structure it is also desirable to include other features on the closure and in addition to the ability of the closure to be easily opened and closed. Safety means to assist in retaining the closure in the closed position is one additional feature which is useful. Additionally, in dealing with some materials it is helpful to have a baffle means in the closure to control flow and also to rest materials with which the fluid should come into engagement with when being dispensed. For example, this would include materials to impart a flavor to the fluid as it is passed from the container through a pouring orifice. It would be attractive to permit such closure to be adaptable to producing foam.

Another feature which is often employed as part of a closure structure is a dip tube which is to be extended into the liquid in a container to a desired depth for a desired purpose. Of course, all of the above features are utilized on occasion and they lead to a more complex and expensive closure to manufacture and utilize. Accordingly, it would be of great value to provide a closure which can accomplish all of the above structural advantages in a simple and inexpensive device. A minimum amount of component parts should be employed in order to minimize the material and manufacturing costs.

With the above background in mind, it is among the primary objectives of the present invention to provide a one-piece closure of inexpensive and simple design adapted for use on a container. The closure is designed for ease in opening and closing a pouring orifice, design to include safety means on the structure to control the opening and closing of the pouring orifice, is adapted to include thereon as part of the one-piece structure a baffle to restrict flow in a desired manner and to provide means for supporting a material to be engaged by the liquid during the pouring operation, and a structure which is adapted to accept a dip tube for use in extending into a container for any of a number of desired purposes. It is also possible to use the closure as a foam generator by providing a foraminous disc in the path of fluid before it enters the outlet orifice.

In summary, the closure for the container includes a cover half and a spout half, the spout half has a base portion for mounting the closure on a container and a cover extending therefrom. The spout half has a base portion for mounting the closure on a container and a spout with a pouring orifice therethrough extending therefrom. An integral hinge connects the cover half to the spout half so as to form an integral one-piece closure with the halves having been pivoted into engagement. Mating surfaces are on the bases of the cover and spout halves to facilitate cooperative interengagement therebetween and to form the closure with the cover in position for removable engagement with the spout so as to permit opening and closing of the pouring orifice as desired.

The cover and spout halves are formed of a single piece with an integral hinge interconnecting their ends so that the halves are adapted to be folded into engagement with one another about the hinge.

With the above objectives among others in mind, reference is had to the attached drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the closure of the invention in unfolded condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof in simifolded condition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof in a fully folded condition with the cover closing the pouring orifice;

FIG. 4a is a side elevation view of the closure in unfolded condition;

FIG. 4b is a similar but fragmentary side elevational view of another contemplated orifice construction for providing a different path of travel for the dispensed container contents;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the closure with the cover in locked position covering the pouring orifice;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the alternate embodiment of the closure showing deformation of the cover to release it from the locked position covering the pouring orifice;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the closure mounted in a bottle with the cover closing the pouring orifice;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view thereof with the cover in open position with respect to the pouring orifice and pressure being applied to the bottle to expel fluid through the orifice;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the closure as depicted in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the closure as depicted in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of a second alternative embodiment of the closure mounted in a container;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a third alternative embodiment of the closure in unfolded condition;

FIG. 13a is a fragmentary sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 12 with the cover closing the pouring orifice; and

FIG. 13b is a foam generator embodiment of the invention.

Closure 20 is depicted in FIGS. 1-4 and can be constructed of any well known inexpensive materials such as a platic like polypropylene. The closure is resilient while retaining desirable strength and chemical properties and is designed to be formed in a one-piece form such as by use of a conventional molding process. The closure includes a cover half 22 and a spout half 24. Halves 22 and 24 are joined end to end by means of an integral hinge 26. Hinge 26 permits the halves 22 and 24 to be folded into engagement with one another.

Half 22 includes an arcuate base portion 28 which connects to hinge 26 at one end and includes a cover 30 extending from the other end. The cover 30 is in the form of a resilient closed loop integrally connected to the end of base portion 28. A flange or rim 32 extends about the outer surface of base 28 adjacent to cover 30.

Spout half 24 also includes an arcuate base portion 34 which is connected at one end to hinge 26 and has a spout 36 extending from its other end. Once again a flange 38 extends from the periphery of base 34 adjacent to spout 36.

The spout includes a cylindrical plug 40 integrally formed in spout half 24 and extending inwardly of the arcuate base portion 34. Extending upwardly from plug 40 is a ramp 42 which terminates in a lateral seat 44 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arcuate base portion 34. A pouring orifice 46 extends axially through plug 40 to communicate with the interior of base 34 and then at right angles through ramp 42 until it forms an opening or orifice 48 on the lateral seat. Orifice 48 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of base 34. In FIG. 4b another construction orifice 48a is shown to facilitate dispensing the container contents at another angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the closure. Obviously other forms and dispositions fo the discharge orifices are within the purview of this invention.

A pair of opposing keys 50 extend from the exposed edges of arcuate base 28 of cover portion 22 and a pair of mating notches 52 are in the corresponding edges of base 34 on spout portion 24. The purpose of keys and notches is to keep halves in line during folding. Pressures of the cover as it moves up the ramp tends to force the spout half downward, slowing assembly.

Portions 22 and 24 can be folded about hinge 26 as depicted in FIG. 2 until they reach the fully closed position as depicted in FIG. 3. As shown, cover 30 extends along ramp 42 until the loop passes over the edge thereof and engages the lateral seat 44 and covers the pouring orifice 48. Cover 30 is in the full seated position when its undersurface 54 is in engagement with the upper surface of flange 38. In the folded position, when the closure 20 is fully formed, flanges 32 and 38 mate to form a continuous annular flange about the closure. Keys 50 extend into notches 52 so as to accurately mate the cover half 22 with the spout half 24. Plug 40 extends into base 28 so that it engages with the inner surface thereof and thereby continuously engages with the cylindrical wall formed by the cylinder composed of halves 22 and 24.

In the fully formed position as shown in FIG. 3 the cylinder formed by halves 22 and 24 has an opening 56 at one end and is closed by spout 36 at the other end with cover 30 closing pouring orifice 48. To expose the orifice and permit fluid to pass through open end 56 of closure 20 and out through orifice 46, it is merely necessary to push resilient loop cover 30 upward and away from engagement with lateral seat 44 thereby exposing the pouring orifice and permitting flow of fluid therethrough. It should also be noted that the lower portions of bases 28 and 34 which are adjacent to hinge 26 are tapered inwardly on their exterior surface so as to form a beveled portion adjacent to opening 56 to facilitate insertion of closure 20 within the open neck of a container. These beveled surfaces 50 are opposed to one another in the unfolded position as depicted in FIG. 4 and/or combined to form a continuous annular beveled surface when the closure is folded into the operable condition.

A modification is depicted in FIGS. 5-10. Accordingly, like components are provided with like numerals as in the previous embodiment with the addition of the subscript "a". Closure 20a includes a lip 60 extending from the upper edge portion of lateral seat 44a. The lip 60 extending from the upper edge portion of lateral seat 44a. The lip is in vertical alignment with outlet orifice 48. Additionally, cover 30a is designed in loop form so that its pair of opposing arms 62 are normally spaced from ramp 42a in the closed position and the connecting portion 64 between arms 62 is in relaxed position in engagement with seat 44a so as to close orifice 48a. In the closed position as depicted in FIG. 5 with cover 30 in substantially relaxed position, the upper surface of connecting portion 64 is retained in position by engagement with lip 60. This provides a safety feature in that the cover cannot be inadvertently displaced from the spout so as to expose orifice 48.

To shift the cover from the closed to the open position it is necessary to take the action depicted by arrows in FIG. 6. Resilient arms 62 are depressed toward one another thereby deforming connecting portion 64 so that it is free from engagement with lip 60. The cover 30 can then be simply lifted upward and away from ramp 42 thereby exposing orifice 48 for the pouring operation.

FIGS. 7-10 depicts closure 20a in operation when mounted on a conventional container 66. The type of container depicted is one which dispenses fluid by means of compression of the container to expel the fluid upward and out through closure. Closure 20a is inserted into the neck of container 66 by initially passing the beveled edge 58a of the bases 28 and 34 through the opening until the undersurface of the annular flange formed by flanged portions 32a and 38a engages with the upper rim of the container. With cover 30a in the closed position as depicted in FIGS. 7 and 9, orifice 46a is closed by cover 30a and accordingly no fluid can pass from the container. However, when the cover 30a is removed from the closed position as depicted in FIGS. 8 and 10, compression of container 66 will cause fluid to pass through opening 56a and through communicating orifice 46a and be expelled from the container through communicating outlet opening 48a.

A further modified form of the closure is depicted in FIG. 11 and similar components are similarly numbered as in the previous embodiments with the addition of the subscript "b". Closure 20b is modified in comparison to closure 20a in the respect that the portion of orifice 46b passing through plug 40b is enlarged so that it may receive the end portion of a dip tube 68 therein. The dip tube 68 can be of a conventional plastic material and can be frictionally engaged in the enlarged portion of orifice 46b or held in position by other conventional means such as adhesive. The dip tube 68 has a continuous passageway 70 therethrough and is open at the bottom end for insertion into fluid in an appropriate container 66b. The passageway communicates with pouring orifice 46b and accordingly fluid can pass from the container 66b through dip tube 70 and out through orifice 46b in a similar manner as described in connection with the previous embodiments.

Another modification is depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13 of the drawing. Once again similar components are similarly numbered as in the previously discussed embodiments with the addition of the subcript "c. " Closure 20c is identical in all respects with respect to closure 20b with the exception of the addition of a integral baffle 72 formed on the interior surface of base 28c and extending laterally inward so as to shut off a portion of the passageway through the cylinder formed by engaged halves 22 and 24. A suitable notch 74 is provided in disc 72 so that the desired size of fluid passageway is retained for the particular use. Baffle 72 serves as a rate of flow restriction surface and additionally forms a support surface for a pellet 76 of material for use with the fluid to be dispensed. It should also be noted that the provision of baffle 74 serves to form a chamber 78 for use in bringing the fluid to be dispensed into communication with a material in pellet form or other conventional form. An example of material for pellet 36 would be a concentrate such as essence of lemon peel. Fluid passes from container 66c through opening 56c and into chamber 78 in engagement with pellet 36 and then through orifice 46b to be expelled from the closure and container combination through orifice 48c. A further embodiment can be structured similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13a with the exception that the baffle 72 is replaced by a porous or foraminous disc as in FIG. 13b extending across the opening 56 so that a foam generator is formed. The liquid must pass through the disc before entering the orifice for expulsion from the container and closure combination as a foam.

Thus the several aforenoted objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although several somewhat preferred embodiment have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.