Pour Spout Closure

Pour spout closures of various types have been utilized for a long period of time in combination with various containers for granular products wherein the entire contents of the container are not normally dispensed at one time. Thus, to preserve and protect the remainder of the contents within the container, the closure must be readily capable of assuming an effective reclose position.

Heretofore such closures were beset with one or more of the following shortcomings: (a) they were of costly, complex and/or fragile construction; (b) they could not be readily attached to the container by high speed equipment which was compatible with conventional slitting, slotting and scoring equipment utilized in forming container blanks; (c) the manipulation of the closures by the customer was oftentimes awkward and frustrating; (d) the closures were susceptible to accidental opening; and (e) they embodied an inordinate number of component parts.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a pour spout closure which avoids all of the aforenoted shortcomings besetting the prior art.

It is further object to provide an improved pour spout closure which is of unitary construction and formed of inexpensive plastic material.

It is a still further object to provide an improved pour spout closure which enables a customer to readily ascertain whether there has been tampering of the container prior to purchase thereof.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a pour spout closure, sometimes referred to as a fitment, is provided for use on a container for granular products and the like. The closure is of unitary construction and includes a base section and a cover section mounted thereon for selective hinged adjustment between open and reclose positions. The base section has first and second marginal portions affixed to a surface of the container having an opening formed therein. The base section also includes a third marginal portion having a flap foldably connected to a peripheral edge thereof and secured in a folded position to the underside of the third marginal portion. The folded flap has an edge portion thereof adjacent to the perimeter of the container opening. The cover section is provided with a protuberance which is sized to enter the container opening when the cover section is in an initial unopened position or a reclose position. The cover section includes a laterally extending tab which projects beyond the base section third marginal portion and the folded flap secured thereto. The cover section protuberance is frictionally engaged by the flap edge portion when the cover section is in either the initial unopened position or a reclose position.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference is made to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective top view of one embodiment of the improved pour spout closure prior to the base section flap assuming its folded position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 1 but showing the closure of FIG. 1 in an initial unopened position and attached to a container surface.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the cover section in a fully open position.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a second embodiment of the improved pour spout closure prior to being affixed to a container surface.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the closure of FIG. 6 shown affixed to a container surface.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 3-5, one embodiment of the improved pour spout closure 10 is shown mounted on the exterior surface of an exposed top closure flap T of a foldable container C. As an alternative the closure may be attached to the upper portion of a narrow side wall of the container. The container is adapted to accommodate a predetermined volume of a granular product such as detergent, flour, grass seeds, etc. The container, prior to being set up and loaded, may assume a collapsed tubular configuration, not shown.

The pour spout closure 10 is of unitary construction and may be thermo-formed from a thin sheet of plastic material (e.g., PETG or glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate having a thickness of 15 MIL). Closure 10 includes a base section 11 and a cover section 12 mounted thereon for selective hinge adjustment between an open position (FIG. 5) and an initial unopened position (FIG. 3) or reclose position.

The base section 11 has a first marginal portion 13 which is connected by a hinge line 14 to an adjacent portion 15 of the cover section 12. Extending angularly from opposite ends of first marginal portion 13 are second marginal portions 16. The distal ends of the second marginal portions 16 are interconnected by a transversely extending third marginal portion 17. The marginal portions 13, 16 and 17 cooperate with one another to form a dispensing aperture 18 in the base section 11. The dispensing aperture 18, which is exposed when the cover section 12 is in the open position, is in registered relation with an opening 20 provided in the container C and through which the accommodated product P is dispensed from the container when the latter is tilted downwardly. As noted in FIG. 5, the dispensing aperture 18 is substantially larger in size than container opening 20.

Foldably connected to the outer edge of marginal portion 17 is a flap 21, the latter having a centrally disposed notch N formed in the edge thereof, see FIG. 1, Prior to the closure 10 being attached to the container surface, the flap 21 is folded under and affixed to marginal portion 17, see FIGS. 3 and 4. To compensate for the increased thickness of the base section in the area of marginal portion 17 due to the folded flap and in order to have the undersurface of the folded flap in coplanar relation with the undersurfaces of marginal portions 13 and 16, the connection 22 between portions 16 and 17 is offset outwardly by an amount equal to the thickness of flap 21. Thus, when the closure is to be affixed to the container surface, either the coplanar under surfaces of marginal portions 13 and 16 and folded flap 21 are coated with a suitable adhesive or the area of the container surface to be subsequently engaged by the base sections has first applied thereto a suitable adhesive.

The width of flap 21 measured perpendicular to the foldline connection 23 between the flap and marginal portion 17 and the depth of notch N are such that the central portion of the notch will be disposed adjacent the perimeter of the container opening 20 and project a small amount into the area of the opening, see FIG. 5.

As aforementioned cover section 12 is connected to marginal portion 13 by hinge line 14, whereby the base section and the cover section remain integrally connected to one another regardless of the position of adjustment of the cover section. Portion 15 of the cover section cooperates with side and front portions or segments 24 and 25, respectively, incorporated in the cover section to form a flange-like rim or frame 26 which encompasses an exposed surface of a protuberance or plug 27 formed in the cover section. The front portion 25 of frame 26 is provided with a step 25a which compensates for the offset connection 22 formed in base section 11.

When the cover section 12 is in the initial unopened position, the side portion 24 and segments of the front portion 25 are preferably connected by elongated tear webs or weakened scorelines W to corresponding marginal portions 16 and 17 of the base section 11, see FIGS. 1 and 3. The webs W are torn, when the cover section 21 is manually pivoted about hinge line 14 from the initial unopened position to the open position. Thus, if the webs W are torn at the time of purchase of the container, the customer will know that there has been possible tampering of the container.

To facilitate pivoting of the cover section 12, a tab or tongue-like segment 25b formed on the front portion 25 of the cover section frame 26 projects beyond the edge of portion 17 defined by the foldline connection 23, see FIG. 3. As seen in FIG. 4, the tab 25b is spaced outwardly from the container surface T thus, facilitating grasping of the tab.

The protuberance 27 is sized so that when it enters the container opening 20, the central portion of the notch N of folded flap 21 will frictionally engage a nose-shaped portion 27' of the protuberance.

The frame portions 15 and 24 of the cover section 12 are adapted to engage the surface of the container circumjacent the opening 20 and thus limit the extent to which the protuberance 27 can be inserted into the opening upon the cover section assuming a reclose position.

A second embodiment of the improved pour spout closure 110 is shown in FIGS. 6-8. Closures 10 and 110 are similar in construction and components of closure 110 which are similar to those of closure 10 will be numbered the same except in a one hundred series. Closure 110 is of unitary construction and is preferably thermo-formed from the same material as that of closure 10. Closure 110 includes a base section 111 which has predetermined portions thereof affixed by adhesive or the like to the container surface T which is circumjacent the opening 20 formed therein. A cover section 112 is hingedly connected by foldline 114 to a marginal portion 113 forming a segment of the base section 111. Extending angularly from opposite ends of portion 113 are marginal portions 116 which are disposed on opposite sides of the container opening 20. The distal ends 116a of marginal portions 116 are offset inwardly towards one another but are separated from one another by a finger tab 125b provided on the cover section 112. When the closure 110 is initially formed, the marginal portions 116 and their distal ends 116a are connected to adjacent segments 124 and 125 of the cover section 112 by a pair of tear webs or weakened scorelines WW, see FIG. 6.

Connected by foldline 123 to the distal ends 116a of the marginal portions 116 is a flap 121. The outer edge of flap 121 is contoured at the center to conform substantially to the shape of the nose portion 127' of the protuberance 127 formed in the cover section 112. Prior to closure 110 being affixed to the container surface T, flap 121 is folded and affixed to the underside of the distal ends 116a and partially to the underside of marginal portions 116 of the base section, see FIG. 8. Because of the increased thickness of the closure 110 due to the folded flap 121, each marginal portion 116 of the base section 111 is provided with a step 122, offset outwardly by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the material. Thus, the underside of the folded flap is substantially coplanar with the underside of other portions (e.g. 113) of the base section thereby providing substantial areas for affixing the base section to the container surface T, see FIGS. 7 and 8. Likewise, the segments 124 of the cover section 112 are provided with similar outwardly offset steps 124a which are in endwise alignment with the steps 122 formed in the base section, see FIG. 7. When the flap 121 is disposed in its folded subtending position with respect to the base section marginal portions 116, the contoured edge 121a of the flap will be disposed proximate to and extend a short distance into the area defined by the container opening 20.

Cover section 112 is provided with a central protuberance 127 which is sized to enter the container opening 20 when the cover section is in either an initial unopened position or a reclose position. As noted in FIGS. 6 and 8, the side wall 127a of the protuberance 127 is provided on the exterior thereof with a plurality of laterally spaced projections sometimes referred as nibs N. When the cover section 112 is in its initial unopened position or reclose position, the nibs N will be disposed beneath the edge 121a of the folded flap 121. Thus, the edge 121a will yieldably retain the cover section in either the initial close or reclose position. To initially open or reopen the cover section requires a nominal predetermined external pulling force to be applied to the tab 125b of the cover section causing the flap edge 121a to be distorted slightly so as to allow the nibs N to pass thereby. The number and relative location of the nibs on the cover section protuberance may vary from that shown, if desired.

While the container opening 20 and the cover section protuberance 27 or 127, as illustrated have a substantially pentagonal configuration, the invention is not intended to be limited thereto. The protuberance and the container opening should have substantially the same configuration (e.g., circular, triangular, etc.). Furthermore, the location of the closure 10 or 110 on the container and the size and shape of the closure may also vary from that shown without departing from the scope of the invention.