Patent Application
20060086757
The present invention is directed to hinged-lid dispensing closures, packages and methods of manufacture, and more particularly to provision of a child-resistance feature on such a closure or package.
Fluid dispensing closures typically have a one-piece integrally molded plastic shell that includes a base and a lid integrally connected to the base by one or more hinge elements. The base includes a dispensing opening through which product can be dispensed in the open position of the lid, and through which dispensing is blocked in the closed position of the lid. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,638,916, 5,489,035 and 5,913,435 illustrate dispensing closures of this general type. Child-resistance features on dispensing closures of this type tend to be undesirably complex and/or undesirably costly in terms of the mass of plastic and the consequent cost of manufacture. A general object of the present invention is to provide a hinged-lid-type child-resistant dispensing closure, package and method of manufacture in which child-resistance features are simply and economically implemented.
A child-resistant dispensing closure in accordance with one aspect of the present invention includes a base having a deck, a dispensing opening in the deck and a peripheral skirt extending from the deck. A lid is integrally hinged to the base for movement between a closed position overlying the deck and an open position spaced from the deck. The base has an opening in the deck adjacent to the peripheral skirt and opposite from the hinge, and a tab extends from the skirt adjacent to the opening. The lid has a lug for snap-coupling over an exterior of the tab in the closed position of the lid. The peripheral skirt on the base is resiliently flexibly moveable into the opening to move the tab out of engagement with the lug on the lid skirt and thereby permit movement of the lid to the open position. In the preferred embodiment, and in accordance with another aspect of the invention, the lid has a skirt with the lug being interiorly disposed on the lid skirt. The base has a ledge for engagement by the lid skirt in the closed position of the lid. The ledge has an outside peripheral dimension that is greater than the corresponding outside peripheral dimension of the lid skirt so that the lid cannot readily be pushed or urged away from the base in the absence of resilient flexure of the base skirt to provide an area for engagement with the lid.
A child-resistant dispensing closure in accordance with a further aspect of the invention includes a base having a deck, a dispensing opening in the deck, a peripheral skirt extending from the deck, an inner skirt extending from the deck within and spaced from the peripheral skirt, and a ledge recessed from the deck around the peripheral skirt. A lid is integrally hinged to the base for movement between a closed position overlying the deck and an open position spaced from the deck. The lid has a skirt for engagement with the ledge around the base in the closed position of the lid. The lid skirt has a peripheral dimension that is less than the corresponding peripheral dimension of the ledge, such that the lid skirt is recessed inwardly on the deck ledge in the closed position of the lid. The base has an arcuate opening in the deck between the inner skirt and the peripheral skirt, such that the peripheral skirt is resiliently flexibly moveable into the arcuate opening so that the lid skirt can be engaged to open the lid. The peripheral skirt has at least one interior channel adjacent to the arcuate opening to localize flexible movement of the peripheral skirt. In the preferred embodiment in accordance with this aspect of the invention, the base has a tab extending from the peripheral skirt adjacent to the arcuate opening, and the lid includes a lug for snap-coupling over the exterior of the tab. The peripheral skirt preferably has a pair of parallel interior channels positioned on opposite sides of the tab for localizing flexure of the peripheral skirt to the area of the tab.
The invention, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:
Closure base 22 includes a deck 28 having a dispensing opening 30 surrounded by an outwardly extending wall 32. An outer peripheral skirt 34 extends from the underside of deck 28, and an inner skirt 36 extends from the underside of deck 28 at a position spaced radially inwardly from peripheral skirt 34. Inner skirt 36 is cylindrical, and has one or more internal threads or thread segments 38 for engagement with external threads or thread segments 18 on container neck finish 16. Other closure/container attachment means, such as interlocking beads, can be employed; however, interlocking threads are currently preferred. An annular wall 40 extends from the underside of deck 28 within skirt 36 for plug-sealing engagement within the open end or mouth of container neck finish 16. Peripheral skirt 34 is illustrated as being cylindrical in the preferred embodiment of the invention, and deck 28 is illustrated as circular. However, the periphery of deck 28 and outer peripheral skirt 34 may be of other geometries, such as oval, to blend with the underlying adjacent contour of container 12.
A shoulder or ledge 42 is axially recessed beneath the level of deck 28 around peripheral skirt 34, and has an axially upwardly facing surface that preferably lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of inner skirt 36. (Directional words such as “upper” and “under” are employed by way of description and not limitation with respect to the upright orientation of the closure and container illustrated in
An arcuate opening 52 extends through deck 28 at a position diametrically opposite from hinge 26. Arcuate opening 52 extends radially inwardly from peripheral skirt 34, preferably but not necessarily to inner skirt 36 between inner skirt 36 and outer skirt 34, as best seen in
In the closed position of closure lid 24 illustrated in
Closure 20, including base 22, lid 24 and hinge 26 preferably is of integrally molded plastic construction such as polypropylene. The illustrated geometries of dispensing opening 30 and walls 32, 48, 50 are merely exemplary. Likewise, the circular peripheral geometry of the dispensing closure is exemplary, as noted above. It is also envisioned that a dispensing valve can be mounted within dispensing opening 30, as illustrated for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,487 or U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Docket 18258).
There have thus been disclosed a child-resistant dispensing closure, package and method of manufacture that fully achieve all of the objects and aims set forth above. The invention has been disclosed in conjunction with one presently preferred embodiment thereof, and a number of modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations will readily suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing description. The invention is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
