CONTAINER, CLOSURE, AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURE

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to contain and dispense a fluid, such as a thixotropic fluid. In some embodiments, a bottle having a closure cap includes a control device, a base, and a disk, where the base and disk define a mixing chamber configured to facilitate mixing of any serum or liquid separated from the fluid back therein. In some embodiments, a dispensing bottle includes a non-removable closure cap with a tamper evident feature that indicates whether the cap was previously opened. By one approach, the dispensing bottle includes discontinuous threads on a bottle neck and ratchet projections on a closure cap that engage the discontinuous thread(s) to prevent or inhibit manual removal of the cap from the bottle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to containers for fluids. More particularly, this disclosure generally relates to containers with closure caps.

BACKGROUND

Fluid containers, especially those having food or consumer products therein, often have aluminum or foil seals underneath caps to provide a hermetic seal and prevent product leakage, especially during shipping and/or when the containers are placed in certain configurations. One problem attendant these types of seals is that they are generally not recyclable or biodegradable. Another issue is that a consumer typically needs to unscrew or remove a closure cap to remove such seals. Alternatively, the caps occasionally have a plastic portion that separates from remainder of the cap to provide a tamper evident indicator.

In addition, the foil seals and separable plastic portions often provide a tamper evident indicator. A replacement for these elements should similarly provide a safety and tamper evident indicator for consumers who are considering purchasing the container and closure. While some tamper evident seal replacements have been developed (such as the plastic portions mentioned above), these typically create small broken pieces of the closure cap that are difficult to recycle and often end up entering waterways or other sensitive ecosystems. Accordingly, such closure caps have generally proven to be a poor choice for a recyclable seal replacement given the difficulties associated with recycling.

Another problem attendant many potential solutions in this space is that they are often expensive because they require particular changes to both the container body and closure cap, which then limits the usefulness of the container or closure cap with other, similarly sized containers and caps. This increases the costliness of such changes because the molds used for a closure cap or container can only be used for one particular combination or combined in one particular embodiment.

Moreover, fluid containers occasionally have issues with dosing and leakage, especially during shipping and/or when the containers are placed in certain configurations. Many consumer products delivered in bottles may suffer from such drawbacks. By way of example, thixotropic fluids, such as, for example, ketchup or certain liquid soaps, are sometimes sold in bottles that use a flexible plastic membrane valve with an “X” shaped slit. These are sometimes used with inverted bottles that rest on their caps when not in use so that gravity retains the product in position adjacent the valve.

One issue with this type of valve is that such membrane valves are often formed of silicon, whereas other portions of the caps are often formed of another material such as polypropylene. Having a closure cap comprised of multiple materials increases the complexity and cost of manufacturing and can make recycling difficult and/or impractical, thereby making the solution less attractive for large scale use.

Further, such membrane valves and other similar solutions do not always sufficiently address product separation that often occurs in fluids, such as when serum, water or another thin liquid component of relatively low viscosity separates from the remainder of a fluid such as ketchup. This separation can increase leakage, increase splatter, and cause the thin liquid component to be dispensed separately from the remainder of the product.

Another issue with this type of valve is that in some cases, product may leak through the valve when the bottle is not in use. Moreover, during dispensing, product may squirt from the opening at an undesirably high velocity, increasing the risk of splatter. The high velocity of the product being discharged also makes proper dosing difficult because there is generally insufficient control over the product at high velocities. Yet another issue is that the valve may resist or prevent inflow of air to maintain interior volume after dispensing, leading to development of subatmospheric pressure, i.e., a partial vacuum, in the bottle. This can lead to paneling, i.e., buckling, or other undesirable inward deflection of container walls, which can be esthetically problematic and also functionally problematic, as it may increase the manual pressure required to dispense product, and may lead to uneven or inconsistent dispensing in response to a squeeze, i.e., manual application of pressure to the container exterior.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, apparatuses and methods pertaining to a container, closure and methods for manufacturing. This description includes drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a bottle with a cap in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 1B is a cross sectional view of the bottle of FIG. 1A in an inverted position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cap and a portion of a bottle in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cap of FIG. 2 in an open configuration.

FIG. 4 is a perspective cross sectional view of a portion of a cap in an inverted orientation.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an underside of a portion of a cap with a disk removed therefrom in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an underside of a disk in accordance with several embodiments.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are top and bottom plan views of the disk in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 7C is an elevational side view of the disk of FIGS. 7A and 7B.

FIG. 7D is a cross section along line 7D-7D of FIG. 7B.

FIG. 7E is a cross section along line 7E-7E of FIG. 7B.

FIG. 8 is a perspective cross sectional partial view of the cap in a closed configuration with the disk removed therefrom in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a perspective cross sectional view of a portion of the cap without the disk attached thereto in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a perspective cross sectional view of a portion of the cap without the disk attached thereto in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the internal shaft at the cap opening in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the internal shaft at the cap opening in accordance with several embodiments.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are partial cross-sectional views of a portion of alternative embodiments.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are partial cross-sectional views of a portion of the cap in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 17 is a perspective cross sectional view of a portion of a cap showing an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a perspective cross sectional view of a portion of a cap showing an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a perspective cross sectional view of a portion of a cap showing an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a side view of a cap in an open configuration in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 24 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cap of FIG. 21.

FIG. 25 is a side view of another cap in an open configuration in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 26 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cap of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a side view of another cap in an open configuration in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 28 is a partial cross-sectional view of the cap of FIG. 27.

FIGS. 29 and 30 are cross sectional views illustrating alternative mixing chambers.

FIGS. 31-33 are partial cross-sectional views illustrating alternative internal shafts in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 34 is a cross section of a cap having detailed portions magnified to show various finishing options for the internal shaft.

FIGS. 35-40 are partial perspective views having a portion removed therefrom illustrating alternative embodiments of the internal shaft of the base.

FIGS. 41A-I are top plan views of alternative embodiments of the disk.

FIG. 42 is a cross section of an alternative embodiment of the disk.

FIGS. 43A-43I are perspective views of an underside of alternative embodiments of the disk.

FIG. 44 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of an alternative cap in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 45 is a partial cross-sectional view of an alternative cap.

FIG. 46 includes a perspective view of a portion of an alternative cap.

FIG. 47 is a partial perspective view of a bottle or body that is threadingly engageable with two different closure caps in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 48 is perspective view of a closure cap that can threadingly engage with two different bottles in accordance with several embodiments.

FIG. 49 is a top perspective view of a bottle neck in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 50 is a side perspective view of the bottle neck of FIG. 49.

FIG. 51 is a top view of the bottle neck of FIG. 49.

FIG. 52 is a cross sectional view of the bottle neck of FIG. 51 along line 52-52.

FIG. 53 is a lower perspective view of a closure in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 54 is cross sectional view of the closure of FIG. 53 along line 54-54.

FIG. 55 is cross sectional side view of the closure of FIG. 53 along line 55-55.

FIG. 56 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of a bottle neck in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 57 is a side view of the bottle neck of FIG. 56.

FIG. 58 is a top view of the bottle neck of FIG. 56.

FIG. 59 is a side view of a flip-top closure cap in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 60 is a top perspective view of the flip-top closure cap of FIG. 59 in an open configuration.

FIG. 61 is a bottom perspective view of the flip-top closure cap of FIG. 59 in an open configuration.

FIG. 62 illustrates a bottle having a closure with a push-pull valve.

Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may be omitted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence when such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described herein are systems, apparatus and methods that are useful to dispense a fluid, such as, for example, a thixotropic fluid, from a bottle. In some embodiments, the container body may be used to package ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, other condiments, or other flowable food products in quantities similar to those presently packaged in existing bottles for consumer use. In some embodiments, the bottle may a monomaterial bottle, i.e., the bottle may be made entirely of a single material. In some of these embodiments, the material may be a recyclable material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or PET) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or one or more biodegradable materials. In various embodiments, the container body may contain a quantity in the range of 10 to 100 g, 100 g to 1 kg, 100 g to 200 g, 200 g to 300 g, 300 g to 400 g, 400 g to 500 g, 500 g to 600 g, 600 g to 700 g, 700 g to 800 g, 800 g to 900 g, 900 g to 1 kg, or more than 1 kg.

Some embodiments include a closure cap for such a bottle. The closure cap may include a flip-top, a base, and a disk, where the base and disk define a mixing chamber configured to facilitate mixing of the fluid, which may mix serum or liquid separated from the fluid back therein. In some configurations, the base has a central opening through which the fluid exits, and a hollow internal shaft with a non-planar end surface opposite a central opening, with the non-planar end surface and the disk defining one or more channels between the mixing chamber and the interior of the shaft. (In other configurations, the shaft may have a planar end surface opposite the opening, and the shaft may have apertures formed therein.) In some embodiments, the disk includes a central opening, a plurality of partial annular openings through a planar surface of the disk, and projections extending into the mixing chamber. To exit the bottle, the fluid advanced from the reservoir or body of the bottle through the openings in the disk (e.g., the partial annual openings or the central pinhole) and through the chute formed by the internal shaft and out the central opening of the base. The fluid is advanced through these openings and pathways by having a user apply manual pressure to the body of the bottle.

In some embodiments, the dispensing bottle includes a container body having a neck with external threads thereon that engage internal threads on a closure cap that includes a base and a flip-top lid. In one illustrative embodiment, the base of the closure cap has a skirt with base threads disposed thereon, where the base threads are configured to engage the external threads on the neck of the bottle. Further, in some embodiments, the base includes one or more retaining elements, projections, or rings on an internal surface of the base (such as on the internal surface of the skirt) and a central portion having an opening therein aligned with an internal shaft, where the opening permits the fluid to egress therethrough when the opening is unobstructed. By one approach, the internal shaft terminates at a non-planar end surface opposite the central portion. Further, this internal shaft may have a disk mounted adjacent thereto.

As noted, the cap has a flip-top lid, and in one illustrative configuration, the flip-top lid has an interior projection that is movable between a closed first position to an open second position, where the projection blocks the opening of the base, preventing or inhibiting egress of the fluid from inside the container body in the first position and, in the second position, permits egress of the fluid through the opening of the base. In addition, in one illustrative embodiment, a disk is attached to an interior of the base by snapping the disk into position at retaining ring(s), the disk having a central pinhole and partial annular slots disposed around the central pinhole. In one exemplary configuration, a mixing chamber is formed by the disk and the central portion of the base, along with the skirt and the internal shaft. Further, in some configurations multiple fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk permitting fluid to flow from the mixing chamber into the internal shaft.

In some embodiments, the closure cap, in the closed position, is capable of maintaining the thixotropic fluid in stable equilibrium in the bottle without leakage when the bottle is in an inverted position such that the bottle opening is positioned below the body of the container. In some embodiments, when the closure cap is in the open position, during application of pressure to the container body, the configuration of the closure cap enables controlled dispensing of the thixotropic fluid, and release of pressure on the container body enables prompt cessation of dispensing, such as, for example, by permitting air to flow back into the container body to allow for spring back of the bottle and reversal of flow of thixotropic fluid in the interior channel. Further, in one illustrative configuration, this occurs without movement of the disk relative to the base. By one approach, the spring back is achieved by permitting air to be able to quickly enter the bottle to replace the volume of fluid that has been dispensed, which permits the bottle to quickly recover its original shape.

In one illustrative approach, at least a portion of fluid is dispensed by advancing downward through the partial annular openings, through the mixing chamber, then inward through the fluid channels defined between the disk and the nonplanar end of the internal shaft, then downward through the interior of the shaft before exiting the dispensing bottle via the central opening. By one approach, a thixotropic fluid disposed in the bottle can be squeezed from the bottle such that it advances through the partial annular slots in the disk, and through the mixing chamber where any separated serum can be mixed into the fluid before the thixotropic fluid moves through channels formed by an end of the internal shaft and the disk and out the central opening of the base. Further, a portion of the fluid also may advance downward through the small aperture or pinhole in the disk and through the central opening of the base. As suggested above, in operation, the bottle is able to quickly regain its shape upon cessation of pressure on the bottle. Air may flow into the bottle via one or both of these pathways, e.g., through the pinhole in the disk and/or through the annular openings, such that air is able to flow into the bottle through the internal chamber, channels, pinhole, mixing chamber, and/or partial annular slots. Generally, the air is pulled into the bottle when pressure is released on the body of the bottle or container. Thus, in short, the air is admitted into the main cavity of the bottle by flowing through at least one of the central pinhole or the partial annular slots of the disk. Further, once the disk is installed into the base of the closure cap, by one approach, the disk remains stationary relative to the base.

In some embodiments, the closure cap is a monomaterial closure cap, i.e., the cap is made entirely of a single material. In some of these embodiments, the material is a recyclable material. In some of these embodiments, the closure cap, including the base, flip-top, and disk are generally comprised of a polypropylene material, such that the entire closure cap is recyclable as a unit. In addition, without a silicon membrane, the strength of the closure in some embodiments does not significantly degrade over time, and there is little or no degradation of its performance over time. In some embodiments, there is little or no variation in the pressure required to dispense fluid from the bottle over the life of the bottle.

As described herein, the closure cap may permit better dosing. It may prevent accidental high velocity discharge of product from the bottle, which can be messy, and may prevent permanent collapse or other permanent inward deformation of the bottle. Further, the closure cap configuration may reduce splatter. Also, as described below, the mixing chamber may be configured to facilitate cleaning of its exterior surface, e.g., by having an outwardly convex or dome-shaped exterior surface.

By one approach, the outside, bottom (when the bottle is inverted) surface of the base, adjacent the central opening through which the fluid is dispensed, has an arcuate or dome-shaped central portion with a planar peripheral surface therearound. In one example, the inside of the base has the internal shaft extending at least somewhat parallel to the skirt of the base. In some configurations, the base includes an internal cut-off blade disposed adjacent the central opening, where an inner diameter of the internal shaft is sharply reduced. By one approach, the cut-off blade has an edge that is sharp, without a burr thereon. In some configurations, an inner diameter of the opening itself is different from the internal shaft wall. More particularly, in such a configuration, the diameter of the opening into the container is smaller than the diameter between the walls of the internal shaft, and this reduction in size and the relatively sharp edge therebetween helps facilitate reduction of the tailing formation of the product by partially retaining the product in the closure. Also, the surface tension and the size of the opening also can help reduce the tailing formation of the product as well. While this cut-off blade does not prevent product from flowing out of the opening in the closure cap, it reduces the amount released under certain pressures by slowing the flow. By one approach, the cut-off blade is relatively small compared with the diameter of the shaft and in some configurations the internal cut-off blade has a width of about 1 mm, while the diameter of the opening into the container itself is about 3 mm to about 7 mm. In another configuration, the opening has a diameter of about 3.5 mm to about 4.5 mm. In yet another embodiment, the opening has a diameter of about 4 mm and the diameter of the internal shaft is about 6 mm. Accordingly, the cut-off blade has a width of about 1 mm in some configurations.

While the cut-off blade assists with rapid cessation of fluid dispensing, upon release of pressure on the bottle, the disk (and its interface with the internal shaft) also reduces the pressure caused by the product in the bottle, which assists with cessation of dispensing. As discussed below, the size and configuration of the openings in the disk assist with flow monitoring and depending on the viscosity and surface tension of the product, and the geometry of the disk may be adjusted to accommodate different fluids.

At the upper end of the internal shaft, disposed away from the opening in the base, the internal shaft, in some embodiments, has a non-planar end surface. By one approach, the non-planar end surface has a stepped configuration creating a plurality of teeth and depressions. By another configuration, the non-planar end surface is configured with a wavy, sinusoidal or other arcuate depression.

As suggested above, the bottle and cap described herein may be employed for use with a wide variety of fluids. In one illustrative configuration, the bottle is filled with a thixotropic fluid, such as, for example, certain condiments, sauces, or certain consumer items, such as shampoo or body wash. Such applications may be particularly advantageous because they permit the consumer or user to easily and quickly dispense a desired amount of fluid without splattering or otherwise creating an unintended mess with the fluid. By one approach, the dispensing bottle with the closure cap may have a capacity of about 250 mL to about 1000 mL. Further, a variety of container configurations are contemplated, including some that are stored in an inverted configuration where the bottle rests on the closure cap. In one illustrative approach, the disk has a diameter of between about 20 to about 40 mm, the internal shaft has a height of between about 4 to about 12 mm, and the internal shaft has a diameter of about 3 to about 9 mm. In other configurations, the internal shaft has a height of about 5 to about 9 mm, with a diameter of about 3-5 mm.

As noted above, the closure cap has a mixing chamber formed by a portion of the base that has a disk secured thereto. By one approach, the mixing chamber includes a plurality of extensions therein from the disk. More particularly the disk, in some configurations includes a plurality of extensions of flanges that extend downward from the bottom of the disk (with the bottle inverted) into the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber described herein helps prevent serum from leaking from the dispensing bottle, in part, by mixing serum that has separated from the thixotropic fluid back into the remainder of thixotropic fluid. By one approach, the mixing chamber prevents separated serum from leaking from the bottle by mixing the separated serum back into the fluid before it leaves the opening of the bottle. In some embodiments, the mixing chamber has a capacity of, or retains, 2 mL to 11 mL, 3 mL to 9 mL, or 5 to 7 mL, or about 6 mL. The disk extensions may help with remixing of separated serum by slowing the flow of the fluid through the mixing chamber, creating or increasing turbulence, and/or otherwise increasing interaction between separated serum and the remainder of the fluid.

By one approach, multiple retaining rings may be provided, and one of those rings may have a bottle or cap liner associated therewith that may seal the bottle after the closure cap is attached thereto. For example, a first retaining ring and a second retaining ring may be spaced axially (vertically) from each other with an edge of the disk captured therebetween. The upper ring (with the bottle inverted) may have a removable film or liner member associated therewith that seals against the opening at the neck of the bottle before use. Prior to dispensing product, the liner member may be manually removed by a consumer.

A bottle with a closure cap described herein may be formed, filled and sealed in high speed, high volume, mass production operations, or in other types of operations. In one approach, a method of manufacturing a dispensing bottle generally includes forming a squeezable, flexible bottle, e.g., by blow molding, injection molding, or other methods; forming a disk and a closure cap having a base and a flip-top lid by injection molding or other methods; snapping the disk into the base; filling the receptacle with a fluid (such as, for example, a thixotropic fluid); and securing the closure cap onto the filled receptacle. In some embodiments, the base has inner and outer skirts with base threads on the interior of the inner skirt (where the base threads are configured to engage the threads on the exterior of the bottle neck), a retaining ring on the interior of the inner skirt, and a central, dome-shaped portion having an opening therein aligned with an internal shaft terminating at a non-planar end surface opposite the central opening. The dome-shaped portion includes an opening permitting fluid to egress therethrough when the opening is unobstructed, and the flip-top lid has an interior projection that is movable between a first position and a second position, where the projection blocks the opening of the base inhibiting or preventing egress of the fluid when in the first position, and permits egress of the fluid through the opening of the base when in the second position. In some embodiments, the disk has a central pinhole, and partial annular slots disposed around the central pinhole, wherein the disk, the central portion of the base, the inner skirt, and the exterior surface of the internal shaft define a mixing chamber, and wherein multiple fluid channels are formed between the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk. In some configurations, the method also includes sealing the receptacle with a removable liner associated with the closure cap to seal the product in the body of the bottle. As discussed further below, the base and flip-top lid may be molded with the disk or separately therefrom.

In one illustrative configuration, a closure cap for a container includes a flip-top lid and base having, at least, a dome-shaped wall with an opening therethrough, an inner skirt, an outer skirt connected by an upper, planar portion, threads and one or more retaining rings on the inner skirt, and an internal shaft inwardly depending from the dome-shaped wall. By one approach, the internal shaft terminates at a non-planar end surface. Further, in such a configuration, the flip-top lid has a projection and is movable between a first position where the projection blocks the opening and a second position where the projection does not obstruct the opening of the base. The closure cap, in some configurations, has a disk attached to an interior of the base by snapping the disk into the retaining ring(s). In such a configuration, the disk has a central pinhole, partial annular slots disposed around the central pinhole, and flanges extending toward the base, the flanges disposed in between the internal shaft and the partial annular slots when the disk is attached to the base. Further, by one approach, the closure cap includes a mixing chamber defined by the disk, the dome-shaped wall, the inner skirt, and the internal shaft, wherein multiple fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk.

In another approach, a method of manufacturing a closure cap includes forming, in a mold, a flip-top cap with (a) a base having, at least, a dome-shaped wall with an opening therethrough, an inner skirt, an outer skirt connected by a planar portions, threads and a retaining ring on the inner skirt, and an internal shaft inwardly depending from the dome-shaped wall, the internal shaft terminating at a non-planar end surface, and (b) a flip-top lid hingedly connected to the base, the flip-top lid having an interior projection and being movable from a first position where the interior projection blocks the opening to a second position where the interior projection does not obstruct the opening of the base. Further, in some approaches, the method also includes snapping a disk into the retaining ring of the base of the flip-top cap, the disk having a central pinhole, partial annular slots disposed around the central pinhole, and flanges extending toward the base, the flanges disposed in between the internal shaft and the partial annular slots when the disk is attached to the base. Further, in some embodiments, the disk and the base form a mixing chamber defined by the disk, the dome-shaped wall, the inner skirt, and the internal shaft, wherein multiple fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk.

Further, in some configurations, the method also includes forming the closure cap as two separate components, including the flip-top cap and the disk, where the flip-top cap includes the base and flip-top lid formed in a single, integral, unitary, one-piece structure, and wherein the two separate components are made of the same material, and are assembled at the mold or at a separate station.

In yet other embodiments, the dispensing bottle includes a non-removable closure cap having one or more control devices thereon such as a flip-top lid, a push-pull valve, and/or other means to permit a user to control flow of contents. In some embodiments, the closure cap may be made entirely of one or more of the materials listed above. In some embodiments, the bottle and closure cap are made of the same recyclable material, and can be recycled together in compliance with applicable regulations. In some embodiments, the bottle and/or the closure cap material(s) may include recycled content. By some approaches, the closure cap includes one or more tamper evident features to indicate whether control device has been previously opened. Accordingly, a dispensing bottle with a closure cap having a tamper evident feature does not require a tamper evident seal disposed at the neck of the container body.

In one illustrative configuration, the dispensing bottle includes discontinuous threads on the bottle neck and ratchet projections or extensions on the closure cap. The container body, in one embodiment, includes a bottle neck with discontinuous bottle threads having at least one space or cutout between a first thread portion and a second thread portion. In addition, a closure cap, in some embodiments, includes a base with a skirt having an inner surface with base threads and ratchet projections disposed thereon and one or more control devices such as a push-pull valve and/or a hingedly attached flip-top lid that is movable from a closed position to an open position. In operation, the bottle threads are generally sized and located to threadingly engage the base threads once the closure cap is secured to the container body and at least a portion of one of the ratchet projections extends into the at least one space or cutout to prevent manual removal of the closure cap from the bottle neck. In addition to the closure cap having ratchet projections, in some configurations, the discontinuous bottle threads form one or more bottle ratchet projections.

As noted above, the benefits of the containers disclosed herein may be leveraged if the closure caps and/or bottles may be employed with a number of differently configured containers. Indeed, as used herein, the teachings outlined herein including, for example, the dispensing bottle and closure cap embodiments may be employed with a variety of bottle features, such as, for example those disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/US2019/067485, filed Dec. 19, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Nos. 62/783,790, filed Dec. 21, 2018 and 62/903,245, filed Sep. 20, 2019, and International Patent Application No. PCT/US2020/035840, filed Jun. 3, 2020, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/903,245, filed Sep. 20, 2019 which are all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Further, as outlined below, the teachings described herein may permit the use of a container or bottle without a liner sealingly attached to the bottle neck, which avoids creating small pieces of plastic waste upon container opening. Accordingly, a bottle formed according to these teachings may result in a container with improved recyclability that is much less likely to have pieces or portions thereof that end up in waterways or sensitive ecosystems. With reference to the figures, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a packaged food product comprising a bottle 10 containing a fluid food product 5 such as ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, or another product, with a closure cap 18 attached to a container body 12 via internal threads 32 (see, e.g., FIG. 4) of the closure cap 18 engaging external threads 16 of the container body 12. One or both of the internal threads 32 and external threads 16 may be discontinuous threads and/or include ratchet projections as described in more detail in relation to the closure cap 3218 and bottle 3212 shown, for example, in FIGS. 47-61. A portion of the closure cap 18 is shown transparently in FIG. 1A for illustrative purposes. While FIG. 1A shows the bottle in an upright position, in some embodiments, the bottle 10 is configured to be stored inverted while resting on its closure cap, such as that shown in FIG. 1B. Accordingly, during storage and dispensing, the bottle 10 may have the closure cap 18 positioned below the container body 12 of the bottle 10 without unintended leakage of the fluid 5 from the bottle 10.

In some embodiments, the bottle 10 is made from a three layer PET (polyethylene terephthalate or polyester) material. Some prior art bottles included a three layer material with a middle layer of EVOH or another oxygen barrier or oxygen scavenger material. Eliminating the oxygen barrier or oxygen scavenger layer may have some effect on color stability of the fluid 5 within the bottle 10. As an example where the fluid 5 is ketchup, over time, if oxygen contacts ketchup in the bottle, the ketchup may change color slightly. To avoid this color change, some embodiments may include an oxygen barrier or oxygen scavenger middle layer that is recyclable with the PET inner and outer layers. For example, the middle layer may be made of a PET material. Alternatively or additionally, some embodiments may include a modified ketchup including an ingredient effective to avoid this color change. In some embodiments, headspace of the bottle 10, i.e., volume above the fluid 5 within the filled bottle 10, is reduced. The headspace may be occupied by a modified atmosphere consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or another gas that does not include oxygen. Reduction of headspace and and/or use of a modified atmosphere may help to increase shelf life by increasing stability, including color stability, and stability of organoleptic properties.

The closure cap 18, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 includes a base 20 and a hinged or flip-top lid 22. To open the bottle 10 to permit the fluid 5 to be easily dispensed therefrom, a user may pivot the flip-top lid 22 from the closed configuration of FIG. 2 to the open configuration of FIG. 3. To that end, a user or consumer may apply upward force to the lid 22 by engaging the mouth-shaped indentation 70 defined by the upper surface 72 and a lower surface 74. By one approach, a user will manually grasp and pull upward on the upper surface 72 pulling it away from the base 20 and a remainder of the bottle 10. The flip-top lid 22 then pivots about a hinge 19 opposite the mouth-shaped indentation 70 to sit stably in the open configuration.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, when the flip-top lid 22 is in the open configuration, a projection 90 of the flip-top lid 22 is moved from obstructing or blocking an opening 34 in the base 20 to a position away therefrom such that the opening 34 is unobstructed. FIG. 3 also illustrates a central portion 30, which may be dome-shaped, through which the opening 34 extends, and a planar portion 62 disposed at least partially therearound. The lower surface 74 of the mouth-shaped indentation 70, as shown in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 3, extends between sections of the planar portion 62.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the closure cap 18 in an inverted orientation. In FIG. 4, flow of ketchup during dispensing is shown as a dashed line. Flow of air into the bottle to replace ketchup after dispensing is shown as a heavy solid line. A lighter solid line illustrates flow of serum that has separated from the fluid 5, into the mixing chamber 56 where it mixes back into the fluid 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, the base 20 includes an inner skirt 26, upon which the internal threads 32 and one or more retaining rings 44 are disposed, an outer skirt 28, a planar portion 62 therebetween, and a dome-shaped central surface 30 having an opening 34 disposed therein. One or more radial stiffeners or strengthening ribs 76, shown in FIG. 4, are disposed between the outer skirt 28 and the inner skirt 26. As shown in the illustrative configuration of FIGS. 4 and 5, the base 20 includes an internal shaft 36 extending upward away from the central dome-shaped surface 30 and terminating at a non-linear surface 38 (as shown in FIG. 5).

In one illustrative embodiment, the closure cap 18 includes a disk 42 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 6) with a plurality of openings therein, through which the fluid 5 and air can flow. By one approach, the retaining rings 44 disposed on the inner wall of the inner skirt 26 capture the disk 42 therebetween. In another configuration (not shown), the disk 42 may be captured between a retaining ring and another structure, such as, for example, a portion or extension of the internal shaft 36. FIG. 4, illustrates a cross section of a portion of the closure cap 18 having the disk 42 snapped in between two retaining rings 44, illustrates how the disk 42 and the base 20 form a mixing chamber 56. In one illustrative embodiment, the mixing chamber 56 is formed by the walls of the inner skirt 26, the central portion 30, the internal shaft 36 of the base 20, and the disk 42.

Further, the planar portion 62 of the base 20 joins the inner and outer skirt 28 as well. As shown in FIG. 1, the base 20 also has ribs 80 disposed on the portion of the base 20 below (with the bottle in an upright orientation) the flip-top lid 22. These ribs provide a gripping surface for embodiments where one may remove the entire closure cap 18 from the container body 12. The ribs 80 enable the user to more easily grasp the closure cap 18 to disengage the internal threads 32 of the base 20 from the external threads 16 of the neck 14. In other configurations, the ribs 80 may be removed from the closure cap 18.

FIGS. 5 and 9 illustrate one exemplary non-linear terminating surface 38 of the internal shaft 36 of the base 20. In some embodiments, the non-linear terminating surface 38 forms channel openings for both the fluid and air to travel between the mixing chamber 56 and the internal shaft 36. By one approach, the non-linear terminating surface 38 has a stepped configuration 64, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In yet another approach, the non-linear terminating surface 38 has a wavy, sinusoidal or other arcuate configuration. In some configurations, the non-linear terminating surface 38 may have semi-circular depressions cut into the wall of the internal shaft 36. In addition, a single or a number of depressions may form one or more channels between the mixing chamber 56 and the internal shaft 36.

Further, the stepped configuration 64, which is shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, may include one or more projecting teeth 68, and a one or more deep slots 64 extending from a mid-point therebetween, or otherwise positioned. The stepped configuration 64 of the non-linear terminating surface 38 of the internal shaft 36 cooperates with the surface of the disk to form the fluid channels 58 having varying width and/or depth. As shown in FIG. 10, the non-linear terminating surface 39 also may have a wavy or an arcuate configuration with multiple slots or depressions 65 and rounded extensions 69. The wavy, non-linear terminating surface 39, which operates similar to the stepped configuration discussed above, forms channels 58 with the disk 42. In some configurations, the non-linear terminating surface may have a combination of stepped portions, projections, angles, and/or curved sections, among other elements.

Indeed, the non-linear terminating surface 38 may take a variety of configurations, such as, for example, those illustrated in FIGS. 8-10 and 35-40. As discussed above, the non-linear surface 38, shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, has a stepped configuration forming a number of channels 58. Further, in another configuration, the non-linear terminating surface 39, shown in FIG. 10, has a wavy or sinusoidal configuration. FIG. 35 illustrates a non-linear terminating surface 2238 that has two different heights, as opposed to the three different heights illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 36 illustrates a non-linear terminating surface 2338 that has two heights and angled portions therebetween. FIG. 37 illustrates a non-liner terminating surface 2438 that has generally v-shaped valleys disposed in between prongs or projections having a triangular-shaped cross section. FIG. 38, similar to FIG. 35, illustrates a non-linear terminating surface 2538 having two different heights, but the prongs or projections of FIG. 37 have a triangular shape or a trapezoid shape with more acute or smaller angles adjacent the larger base. FIG. 39 illustrates a non-linear terminating surface 2638 having a stepped configuration, where the lowest step has a smaller width that the width of the uppermost step. Finally, FIG. 40 illustrates a non-linear terminating surface 2738 with triangular-shaped prongs or projections having u-shaped valleys therebetween. It is noted that the features illustrated may be used as shown or combined with other exemplary features including, for example, those shown in other figures. Alternatively, the end of the shaft may be linear or flat and the shaft may include other openings incorporated therein.

In addition to forming, in part, the mixing chamber 56, the disk 42 also defines annular partial slots or openings 50 therein to permit flow of fluid (and its constituent parts) into the mixing chamber. The annular openings 50 may take a variety of configurations, such as, for example, those illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 41A-411. By one approach, shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the disk 52 includes four openings. In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 41A, the disk 1242 has two openings. In another example, FIG. 41B includes three annular openings 1250, whereas the example of FIG. 41C includes five openings 1350. FIG. 41D illustrates an exemplary disk 1442 with six openings 1450, whereas FIG. 41E illustrates an exemplary disk 1542 with seven annular openings 1550. The exemplary disk 1642, shown in FIG. 41F, includes eight annular openings 1650 and an offset pinhole 1648, whereas the pinholes in FIGS. 41A-41E and 41G-411 are centrally disposed in the disks shown therein. Further, while the corners of the annular opening illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 41A-41F are rounded, lacking any sharp edges or pinch points, FIGS. 41G-411 illustrate openings with less rounded openings 1750, 1850, and 1950. These features may be combined in a variety of manners.

FIGS. 43A-43I also illustrate a number of exemplary disks with a variety of features that may help manage the flow of the fluid from the bottle and through the cap. As mentioned above, the bottle is often stored and/or used in a top-down position, such that serum that separates in the chamber may leak from the bottle, in part, because it may not have a particularly long flow path or time with which to mix back into the fluid before advancing through being moved out of the bottle cap.

To facilitate the mixing of any separated serum with the remainder of the fluid, the disk may incorporate a number of additional features, such as, for example, additional openings disposed interior of the flanges thereof. In one illustrative embodiment, these openings are intermediate to the annular slots and the center of the disk, which may have central pinholes, as discussed above. One illustrative disk 2042, shown in FIG. 43A includes annular openings 2051 that are interior to the flanges 2054, which are themselves interior to the larger annular openings or slots 2050. In this manner, there are smaller, interior openings 2051 adjacent the inner wall of the flange 2054 that assist with mixing the fluid and any separated constituent elements thereof. FIGS. 43B and 43C similarly illustrate exemplary disks 2142, 2242 that have intermediate or interior openings 2151, 2251 adjacent flanges 2154, 2254 and annular opening or slots 2150, 2250, though the shape and size of the openings are differently configured as compared to FIG. 47A and to each other. In addition, FIG. 43C lacks a central pinhole, whereas FIGS. 43A and 43B include a central opening in the disks illustrated therein. In addition to these configurations, the pinhole also may be disposed offset from the geometric center of the disks as well, as previously suggested above.

FIGS. 43D-43F illustrate additional illustrative embodiments of a disk with a post extending therefrom to facilitate mixing of the fluid as it moves through the cap. Once installed or secured to a remainder of the cap, the post typically extends toward the exit or opening of the bottle. For example, the exemplary disk 2342 (FIG. 43D) includes annular openings 2350 and a centrally disposed post 2353 having relatively smooth sides thereof. The illustrative disk 2442 illustrated in FIG. 43E includes annular openings 2450, flanges 2454, and a centrally disposed post 2453. Whereas post 2353 has relatively a rounded exterior, the post 2453 has uneven sides, with a cross section having a generally x-shaped configuration.

While the post is shown centrally disposed, it also may be disposed off-center and multiple posts may be incorporated into the disk. Further, the post may have a variety of surface textures and configurations. Indeed, depending on the fluid moving through the cap, a variety of differently configured posts may be incorporated into the cap.

In some configurations, instead of a post, the disk may have another, similar structure such as a cone. FIG. 43I illustrates the central portion of a disk 2842 having a cone shaped extension 2857 with an opening 2848 extending therethrough. In addition, the disk 2842 also includes annular openings 2851, flanges 2854, and openings 2850.

The disk 2542 of FIG. 43F, similarly has a centrally disposed post 2553 with a generally x-shaped cross section and annular openings 2550. Instead of discrete flanges, however, the disk 2542 has one continuous flange or a cylindrical wall 2555 extending from the disk 2542. While the cylindrical wall 2555 is illustrated generally perpendicular to the disk, it also may extend from the disk at an angle such that the cylindrical wall 2555 is not perpendicular. As one example, the cylindrical wall 2555 extends outwardly from the disk such that the 90° angle shown in FIG. 42 is less than 90°. One such example is shown in FIG. 46B of PCT/US2020/035840 which has been incorporated by reference herein.

FIG. 44 illustrates the disk 2542 secured to a remainder of the closure cap 2518. Furthermore, the post 2553 is illustrated as extending at least partially into internal shaft 2536. In this manner, the fluid must advance through annular openings 2550, over or around the cylindrical wall 2555, over or around the end of the internal shaft 2536 and through the shaft, along the post 2553 to the opening 2534. Such configurations, having a somewhat winding flowpath, may be particularly suited for certain fluids with particular fluid properties.

Other modifications or combinations of the features described herein may be made. For example, FIG. 43G illustrates a disk 2642 that is similar to the disk 2142 of FIG. 43B, however, flanges 2654 are not as long as those illustrated in FIG. 43B such that the fluid has more room or space to move between the flanges 2654 of FIG. 43G, as compared to those in FIG. 43B. In addition, FIG. 43H illustrates a disk 2742 having outer annular openings 2750 adjacent openings 2751 without flanges disposed therebetween. Many of the various structural features of the disks may be combined or modified in a variety of manners, including those described herein, to tailor the disk to accommodate the properties of the fluid advancing from the bottle through the cap thereof.

As noted above, the mixing chamber 56 and the openings formed in the disk 42 by the disk 42 and the internal shaft 36 permit accurate dispensing and dosing of the fluid 5 within the container. Accordingly, the geometry of the disk 42 helps facilitate the proper dispensing of the fluid 5.

FIG. 7A illustrates a first side of the disk 42 which has flanges 54 extending downward therefrom when the bottle is inverted, and which faces the internal shaft 36 when the disk 42 is mounted in position between the retaining ring(s) of the closure cap 18. While the flanges 54 may extend orthogonally from a face of the disk 42 (as shown in FIGS. 7C-7E), the flanges 54 also may extend from the disk 42 at an angle besides 90°. Turning briefly to FIG. 42, an illustrative flange configuration is illustrated. FIG. 42 illustrates the flanges 54 extending about 90° from the body of the disk 42. However, in other configurations, the flanges 54 extend less than 90° from the body of the disk 42. Such an angled flange may impact the flow of the product 5 entering the mixing chamber 56 and may influence the mixing action in the chamber. While both the flange configurations described above help mix the product as it advances toward the exit, depending on the fluid characteristics of the product, the angle of the flange may be smaller than 90°. As mentioned above, the central pinhole 48, which is centrally disposed through a planar portion of the disk 42, is partially surrounded by a plurality of slots or partial annular openings 50. The peripheral, partial annular openings 50 are significantly larger than the central pinhole, and a majority of the fluid 5 exiting the bottle 10 advances through the partial annular openings 50. In some embodiments, the disk 42 has a diameter, D₁, of 20 mm to 40 mm, 25 mm-35 mm or about 30-34 mm. In one illustrative configuration, the disk 42 has a diameter, D₁, of about 31.9 mm±0.1 mm. By one approach, the annular slots have an arcuate length of 10-15 mm, or 11-14 mm. As shown in FIG. 7B, the arcuate length Ai, of each of the openings may be about 12.7 mm. Further, the annular openings 50 have an inner radius of curvature R₁ on the inner edge of the opening and an outer radius of curvature R₂ on the outer edge of the opening. In one illustrative approach, R₁ is about 6-10 mm and R₂ is about 10-15 mm. In another illustrative approach, R₁ is about 8-9 mm and R₂ is about 12-13 mm. In one exemplary embodiment, R₁ is about 8.3 mm and R₂ is about 12.3 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, the partial annular openings 50 are disposed adjacent flanges 54, which, when the disk 42 is installed in the base 20, extend into the mixing chamber 56 such that the fluid 5 (including any constituent parts, such as serum) cannot advance directly through the openings 50 and into the internal shaft 36 to exit the bottle, but instead, the portion of fluid 5 that advances through openings 50 must flow into the mixing chamber 56 (thereby promoting the mixing of any constituent parts of the fluid 5 that have separated therefrom) before the fluid exits the bottle 10. In one illustrative approach, the extensions or flanges 54 have a height, h₁ that is about 2-5 mm. In another illustrative approach, the height h₁ is about 3-4 mm. In one exemplary embodiment, h₁, is about 3.5 mm. Further, in operation, the length or height of the flanges 54 may be linked to the depth of the channels 58 formed by the non-linear terminating surface 38 because having them similarly sized helps facilitate mixing by requiring that the fluid flow around the flanges 54 and not directly through the annular openings 50 and through the fluid channels 58. In one illustrative approach, the height of the disk 42, h₂, is about 3-7 mm. In another illustrative approach, the height of the disk 42, h₂ is about 4-6 mm. In yet another approach, the height of the disk 42, h₂, is about 4.8 mm.

The width, w₁, of the planar portion of the disk 42, as shown in FIG. 7D, in some embodiments is between about 0.75 mm to about 3 mm. In one illustrative approach, the width of the disk 42, w₁, is about 1-2 mm. In one exemplary approach, the width of the disk 42, w₁, is about 1.3 mm. The width of the central pinhole opening 48, as shown in, FIG. 2 as d₂, is about 1-2 mm. In one exemplary approach, the width of the pinhole the disk 42, d₂ is about 1.5 mm.

As shown in FIG. 7E, each of the partial annular openings 50 may have a beveled edge on a surface of the disk 42 facing the base 20. This orientation may facilitate flow of fluid 5 (e.g., at least a portion of the fluid not retained in the internal shaft 36) back into the container body 12 when the bottle is placed in the cap-side up (upright) configuration. Further, the beveled edge also may facilitate moving the air back into the bottle to improve spring-back of the bottle or container body 12.

To facilitate proper dispensing of the fluid, the geometry of the disk 42 regulates the flow of the fluid 5 including for example, the size, shape, and angle of the flanges 54. In addition to the geometry discussed above, the disk 42 has sufficient openings therein relative to the area of the disk 42 to facilitate sufficient flow of the fluid 5, while nonetheless preventing leakage from the closure cap 18. The openings 50 are of a particular size, shape, and position to facilitate fluid flow that permits easy dispensing and quick spring back of the bottle. In one illustrative approach, the entire area of the disk is about 800 mm² and the aggregate area of the partial annular openings 50 and the central pinhole is about 211 mm² of that total area, or about 26% of the total area of the disk. By some approaches, the aggregate area of the openings of the disk will cover about 20-35% of the total disk area, and generally the partial annular openings comprise much more of this area than the central pinhole.

In some illustrative approaches, the closure cap 18 (e.g., the base 20, the flip-top lid 22, and the disk 42) is comprised of a single material, such as, for example, a polypropylene or other food grade plastic or polymer, or similar recyclable material. In operation, having the closure cap 18 formed of a single material may increase the ease and likelihood of recycling the material. By some approaches, the material may be chosen with a specific surface tension. For example, the disk 42 surfaces (and potentially other internal surfaces of the closure cap) may be rougher or textured to provide flow resistance and help control the flow of the fluid being dispensed. As discussed further below, the interior surface of the internal shaft 38 also may be textured to inhibit flow or may have a smooth surface to facilitate movement of the fluid therethrough. A smooth surface may result in faster and/or less controlled fluid flow, and due to a reduction in surface tension, may also lead to leakage of the product or a separated component of the product. The finish of the material or the manner in which the element was formed also may impact the surface tension of the elements and help facilitate control of the fluid flow. For example, some portion of the flip-top cap 18 may be formed in such a manner as to create a rough surface that might impact the flow of the fluid 5 passing therethrough.

Turning briefly to FIG. 34, two different exemplary finishes 77 and 79 are illustrated. While a single interior wall 78 may have the entire surface thereof with a single texture or portions of the surface with different textures, the cap 2018 illustrated in FIG. 34 has a first portion 2078 with a rougher texture and a second portion 2178 with a smoother texture. As noted above, the surface of the material forming the cap 18 may inhibit, slow, or restrict flow of the fluid 5 within the bottle. Whether or not to include a textured surface on portions of or the entire cap, such as, for example, the inner wall of the internal shaft, may depend on the type of fluid being advanced through the cap 2018.

As shown in FIG. 6, a first side of the disk 42 (which is disposed adjacent the internal shaft 36 of the base 20 when installed) includes rainbow-shaped or arcuate flanges or extensions 54 that extend therefrom. When the disk 42 is mounted in the base 20, the arcuate flanges or extensions 54 extend into the mixing chamber 56 and toward the base 20. The disk extensions 54 facilitate mixing of the fluid 5 in the mixing chamber 56 by requiring that the fluid 5 move around the extensions 54 and not directly into the fluid channels 58 from the partial annular openings 50.

As shown in FIG. 8, the base 20 at the opening 34 and the internal shaft 36 has an internal cut-off blade or ledge 60 on an inside surface adjacent the opening where the inner diameter of the internal shaft is sharply reduced. For example, the diameter of the internal shaft may decrease sharply at the ledge 60 such that the sharp edge helps to facilitate reduction of the tailing formation of the product by partially retaining the product in the closure until the manual pressure on the container body becomes significant enough to overcome the tendency of the fluid to be retained in the closure cap by the ledge. By one approach, the cut-off blade has a sharp edge without a burr thereon. In some configurations, the diameter of the opening into the container is smaller than the diameter of the internal shaft, and this reduction in size and the relatively sharp edge therebetween assist with cessation of dispensing in a quick and clean manner. While this cut-off blade does not prevent product from flowing out of the opening in the closure cap, it reduces the amount released under certain pressures by slowing the flow. By one approach, the cut-off blade is relatively small compared with the diameter of the shaft, while the opening into the container itself is between about 3.5 mm to about 4.5 mm, and in one illustrative embodiment, is about 4 mm.

As noted above, the internal shaft 36 may help support the disk 42 when the disk is attached to the base 20. By one approach, the internal or interior wall 78 of the internal shaft 36 funnels fluid 5 toward the opening 34. In one embodiment, the interior wall 78 forms at least one of a circular shape or a parabolic shape. As one example, the interior wall 78 narrows slightly near the exit of the internal shaft 36 attached to the dome-shaped central portion 30, guiding fluid toward the opening 34. The interior wall 78 may be angled slightly with respect to the dome-shaped central portion 30 or may curve slightly toward the opening 34. Further, in some embodiments, the shaft 36 may flare open again adjacent the opening 34. By flaring a bit where the opening meets the upper surface of the base, the opening permits the projection 90 to more easily and quickly be placed in the opening 34 when closing the flip-top lid 18 In yet another configuration, shown in FIG. 11, the interior wall 78 has straight portions that are generally vertical and then has angled portions that direct the fluid 5 to the opening 34. FIG. 12 is similar to the internal shaft 36 of FIG. 11, but further includes a cut-off blade 60 or sharp reduction in the diameter of the internal shaft 36 to assist with cessation of dispensing of the fluid 5, as discussed above. Additional examples of cut-off blade configurations or internal projections around the opening are illustrated in. FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 illustrates an opening 134 with a cut-off blade 160 that has an inner surface that is angled slightly downward or toward the throughopening without a horizontal shelf extending therefrom, whereas the previously discussed FIG. 12 includes a downward angled portions but has a horizontal cut-off blade 60 extending therefrom. Further, FIG. 14 illustrates an opening 234 with a cut-off blade 260 having an inner surface that is angled away from the throughopening.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate two options for the configuration of the surface of the container or dome on the outside of the opening 34. For example, FIG. 15 illustrates a rounded edge at the juncture where the central portion 30 meets with the opening 34. Previously discussed FIGS. 13 and 14 have an angled depression around the opening at that location. Further, FIG. 16 illustrates a depression 161 with a sloping wall surface between the central portion 30 and the opening 34.

The bottle 10 and the closure cap 18 may be produced in a number of different manners. In one illustrative approach, a method of manufacturing or producing a filled bottle for dispensing fluid includes molding a receptacle, such as a container body with a threaded neck, filling the receptacle with a fluid, such as a thixotropic fluid, molding a closure cap having a base and a flip-top lid and a disk, and closing the filled receptacle with the closure cap. Further, a bottle may be formed and filled in-line or may be formed at one location and filled at another.

By one approach, the closure cap and disk are separately molded and snapped together. In some configurations, the molded base has an inner and outer skirt with base threads disposed on the inner skirt that are configured to engage the threads on the neck of the receptacle. The threads may be continuous or discontinuous threads, as discussed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 47-61. The molded base may also include one or more ratchet projections for locking the closure cap to the bottle, also discussed in more detail below. Further, the molded base may have one or more retaining rings on the inner skirt (a short distance from the threads) and a central, dome-shaped portion having an opening therein aligned with an internal shaft terminating at a non-planar end surface opposite the central, dome-shaped portion. As mentioned above, the opening in the base permits fluid to egress therethrough when the opening is unobstructed. In some configurations, the molded flip-top lid has an interior projection that is movable between a first position and a second position, where the projection blocks the opening of the base inhibiting egress of the fluid inside the container body in the first position, and the second position permits egress of the fluid through the opening of the base.

As mentioned above, the closure cap and disk, in some approaches, are separately molded and then secured to one another or snapped together. In such configurations, the method of manufacturing also may include an assembling step that orients the disk in a particular position relative to the remainder of the closure cap or base 20. By including one or more orientation steps prior to assembling the disk with the remainder of the closure cap, the assembled caps are more likely to have a consistent flow rate therethrough. Further, in some configurations, the flow rate can be adjusted for different fluids by adjusting the relative positioning of certain elements of the closure cap or disk without requiring structural changes thereto. By one approach, a visual mark or indented notch disposed on one or both of the closure cap or disk may be used to help position the disk and/or closure cap relative to one another.

This may depend, in part, on the configuration of the various elements thereof. In one illustrative example, such as the base 20 of FIG. 5, the non-linear terminating surface 38 of the internal shaft 36 includes three cutouts, whereas the disk 42 of FIG. 6, includes four flanges 54. The flow of the fluid through the assembled closure cap may be impacted by the orientation of the flanges 54 relative to the cutout openings of the internal shaft 36. Thus, these two structural elements may be oriented relative to one another to facilitate increased fluid flow therebetween or to slow fluid flow by requiring the fluid to take a longer pathway to the exit of the bottle. Given the interest in adjusting the fluid path or standardizing the flow rate for numerous closure caps, the method of manufacturing or assembling the closure cap and bottle may include orienting the disk in a particular manner relative to the remainder of the closure cap.

As suggested above, the method for producing the filled bottle may include snapping a disk into the retaining ring(s) of the closure cap. The molded disk, in some configurations, includes a central pinhole and partial annular slots disposed around the central pinhole. Once the disk is attached to the remainder of the closure cap 18, the disk 42, the central portion of the base 20, the inner skirt 26, and the internal shaft 36 of the base define a mixing chamber 56 and multiple fluid channels 58 are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft 36 and the disk 42. The channels 58 formed between the end of the internal shaft 36 and the disk 42 permit fluid to advance from the mixing chamber 56 to the chute formed by the internal shaft 36 that is in communication with the opening 34.

The filled receptacle or container body, in some configurations, is sealed with the fluid therein by a liner associated with the closure cap. For example, a liner, such as a liner of a paperboard, plastic, and/or metallic material is associated with a portion of a retaining ring and when the closure cap 18 is threadingly attached to the container body, the liner seals the fluid 5 in the container. In other embodiments, the closure cap may form an airtight or hermetic seal with the container body. In these embodiments, the use of a liner associated with the closure cap may be omitted. Omitting the inclusion of a liner may reduce the number of different materials included in the dispensing bottle, which may aid in making the dispensing bottle recyclable.

Further, in some approaches, a method of manufacturing a closure cap includes forming, in a mold, a flip-top closure cap including a base and a flip-top lid. In some embodiments, the molded base has a dome-shaped wall with an opening therethrough and an inner shaft extending therefrom, an inner skirt with threads thereon, an outer skirt connected to the inner skirt by a planar portion and/or possible strengthening ribs, and a retaining ring on the inner skirt. The internal shaft of the molded base generally extends inwardly from the dome-shaped wall and terminates at a non-planar end surface. Further, the molded closure cap also has a flip-top lid hingedly connected to the base, where the flip-top lid has an interior projection and is movable from a first position where the interior projection blocks the opening to a second position where the interior projection does not obstruct the opening of the base. The method of manufacturing the closure cap, in some configurations, further includes snapping a disk into the retaining ring(s) or projection(s) of the base. In some embodiments, the disk has a central pinhole, partial annular slots disposed around the central pinhole, and flanges, that when installed, extend toward the base and are disposed in between the internal shaft and the partial annular slots. Once the disk and base are attached, a mixing chamber is formed between the disk, the dome-shaped wall, the inner skirt, and the internal shaft, wherein multiple fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk.

In some configurations, the closure cap is made from only two separate components, including the flip-top cap and the disk, where the flip-top cap comprises the base and flip-top lid formed in a single, integral, unitary, one-piece structure, and wherein the two separate components (i.e., the flip-top cap and disk) are made of the same material, and are assembled. In operation, after the closure cap is molded and ejected from the mold, a mechanism can be used to assemble the disk into the closure cap (which can be formed at the same mold as the base and flip-top lid or at a different location), such as, for example, by snapping it into place in the base. Further, the mechanism or another device may be used to attach a liner to the retaining rings, which may help seal the fluid in the bottle. The base and flip-top lid, in some configurations, are molded in the same mold as the disk; in other configurations, the disk, along with the base and flip-top lid, are separately molded at the same mold. Further, the base and disk may be separately molded and assembled at another station. In yet other configurations, the entire closure cap (including the base, flip-top lid, and disk) might be molded or printed together.

As mentioned above, a number of adjustments to the concepts described herein may be made while remaining consistent with these teachings. For example, FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate another embodiment of a disk with annular openings. As shown, the disk 342 has a central portion 384 that is disposed a vertical distance from the peripheral portion 386, which has the annular openings 350 disposed therein. In such a configuration, the mixing chamber 356 may be designed to have a volume that is somewhat independent of the volume of the discharge shaft or chamber formed by the internal shaft 356. Indeed, the mixing chamber 356 is somewhat smaller than some of the others discussed above. To permit the flow of fluid 5 from the mixing chamber 356 to the internal shaft 356 forming the discharge chamber, the radius of the central portion 384 may be sufficiently large enough, as compared to the radius of the internal shaft 336 to provide clearance for the fluid 5 to pass from the mixing chamber 356 through the openings or fluid channels 358 formed between the internal shaft 336 and the mixing chamber 356 and/or the openings 358 may extend such that they have a height or location that is disposed beyond the vertical portion of the disk 342 that may be disposed adjacent the internal shaft 336. In short, the openings between the mixing chamber 356 and the internal shaft 358 may be moved or sized to permit fluid flow even if the central portion 384 is not notably larger than the internal shaft. Further, while the central portion 384 is illustrated as lacking a central pinhole in FIGS. 17 and 18, in some configurations, the central portion 384 may include such an air vent formed via a pinhole or other structure. In addition, the disk 342 may be mated to the remainder of the cap in any of the manners, such as, for example, via a snap fit between portions of the base including ribs and/or projections or other complementary geometry between the disk and the base. FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate another example of a disk 442, which lacks the central pinhole 48 found in some of the other embodiments. Also, while FIGS. 17 and 18 do not include flanges similar to those described above, the vertical portion of the disk separating the central portion 384 and the peripheral portion 386 operates similarly to mix the product therein.

Turning to FIGS. 21 and 22, another embodiment is illustrated and is a three-part solution having a disk 542 that is flat and an inner cap or inner cylindrical housing 596. By one approach, the inner cylindrical housing 596 includes a circular wall 592 with one or more openings 598 disposed therein. In this manner, the mixing chamber 556 is in fluid communication with an intermediate chamber 594 defined, in part, by the inner cylindrical housing 596. By one approach, the inner cylindrical housing 596 is arranged in position about the internal shaft 536 and held into place via the disk 542 that is retained in position by the retaining members 544, such as rings. In addition, the inner cylindrical housing 596 also may be securely attached to the central portion 530. When the inner cylindrical housing 596 is disposed in position about the internal shaft 536, the fluid 5 advances from the bottle to the exit or opening 534 by advancing through the annular openings 540, through the openings 598 of the inner cap 592 and upward along the length of the internal shaft 536 through the internal opening 588 of the internal shaft 536 and down the shaft to the exit opening 534. As shown the disk 542 includes annular openings 540 but lacks a central pinhole because the inner cylindrical housing 596 lacks an opening in the surface thereof between the walls 592. In this manner, the fluid 5 travels and mixes as it advances through the fluid channels of the three-part cap 518. In addition to mixing, this configuration may be particularly useful for larger containers where the downward force on the fluid when the container is inverted are quite large because of the significant amount of product that might be disposed above the cap.

Also, while FIGS. 19-22 are not illustrated as including the flanges extending from the disk, in some configurations, the disks may include flanges similar to those described above.

The exterior shape of the central portion of the base also may have a variety of configurations. As noted above, the central portion 30 of the base 20 may have a dome-shaped configuration, such as that incorporated into the cap 18 illustrated in FIG. 23. FIG. 24 illustrates the dome-shaped central portion 30 and the exit 34 in cross section. While the dome-shaped central portion 30 of the base 20 provides a surface that easily wipes clean, other configurations with similar properties may be employed with the teachings described herein. For example, FIG. 25-26 illustrate another exemplary embodiment with a cap 618 having a central portion 630 with a general volcano-shape with sloping walls and an opening 634 disposed in the center thereof. Further, FIGS. 27-28 illustrate yet another embodiment including a cap 718 with a flap central portion 730 and opening therein 734 with flat surfaces surrounding the exterior of the opening 734. Further, while the exemplary shapes shown in FIGS. 23-28 illustrate openings with an exemplary cut-off blades, these various shapes may be incorporated with other opening shapes and aspects described herein.

As noted above, the mixing chambers described herein permit separated serum to be incorporated or mixed back into the fluid before the fluid and/or portions thereof are discharged from the opening of the container cap. By one approach, the desired size of the mixing chamber may depend, in part, on the viscosity or other fluid attributes of the fluid or product in the container. By one approach, the size of the mixing chamber 56 is defined, in part, by the size of the internal shaft 36, the location of the disk 42 via the corresponding geometry of the base, and/or the configuration of the disk, as mentioned above. Turning briefly to FIGS. 29 and 30, two differently sized mixing chambers 56 and 56′ are illustrated. While the components are similar, the walls forming the internal shaft 36 are longer in FIG. 30 than the walls of shaft 36′ in FIG. 29 and the corresponding geometry (such as, for example, the retaining rings 44′) are disposed a larger distance away from the central surface 30′ of the base 20′, as compared to the corresponding geometry (e.g., the retaining rings 44) and central surface 30 of the base 20. While the relative size of these components may change, as shown, the function thereof remains; that is, the mixing chamber assists with preventing separated serum from leaking from the bottle separately from the remainder of the fluid product 5.

As discussed above, the interior walls 78 of the internal shaft may have a cross section that forms different shapes, such as, for example, a circle or an ellipse, among others. In addition, the shape formed or configuration of the interior wall 78 along the length thereof may adopt a variety of configurations. As illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 4, 13 and 14, the internal shaft 36, 136, 236 may have generally linear interior wall 78 along the height of the internal shaft 36. In other embodiments, the internal shaft 36 may have one or more interior walls 78 that are non-linear. In one embodiment, FIG. 31 illustrates an interior wall 878 of the internal shaft 836 that angles toward the opening 834. By one approach, the downward angle provides the cross section with a v-shaped configuration. In another embodiment, FIG. 32 illustrates an internal shaft 936 having an interior wall 978 with a downward slope that is slightly non-linear. By one approach, the downward slope provides the cross section with a modified u-shape. In another embodiment, FIG. 33 illustrates an internal shaft 1036 having an interior wall 1078 having a stepped configuration that narrows the diameter in a stepped manner.

Turning to FIG. 45, the cross section of the top portion of a dispensing bottle according to another embodiment is shown. As shown in FIG. 45, dispensing bottle 2900 includes a container body 2902 and a cap 2910. The cap 2910 is configured to selectively allow dosing of the contents of the container body 2902. The container body 2902 may be similar to a container body described above. In use, the container body 2902 may contain a fluid, such as a thixotropic fluid. The container body 2902 typically has a neck 2904 extending from a body portion of the container body 2902. The neck 2904 may have threads 2906 disposed on a surface thereof to threadingly engage a cap, such as cap 2910.

The cap 2910 shown in FIG. 45 has a base 2912 and a flip-top lid 2914. The base 2912 has an outer skirt 2916 and an inner skirt 2918 connected by a planar section 2920. Inner skirt 2918 includes threads 2922 disposed on the internal surface of the skirt. The threads 2922 may be sized and configured to engage the threads 2906 on the neck 2904 of the container body 2902. The threads 2906, 2922 may be continuous or discontinuous as described below in relation to FIGS. 47-48. The inner skirt 2918 may also include ratchet projections, such as ratchet projections 3238 described in relation to FIGS. 47-61. The base 2912 also includes a dome-shaped central surface 2924 having an opening 2926 disposed therein. The opening 2926 is generally aligned with the internal shaft 2927 that extends from the dome-shaped surface 2924 and terminates at a non-planar end surface 2928, which may take a variety of forms. The non-planar end surface 2928 shown has a stepped configuration, similar to the configuration shown in more detail in FIGS. 8 and 9. In other approaches, however, the non-planar end surface 2928 may have a wavy, sinusoidal or other arcuate configuration such as, for example, the configuration shown in FIG. 10. The central opening 2926 permits fluid to egress from the container body 2902 when the opening 2926 is unobstructed.

The base 2912 further includes an internal annular attachment skirt 2929 depending from the dome-shaped central surface 2924. The end of the attachment skirt 2929 opposite the dome-shaped central surface 2924 typically has geometry that engage with geometry of the disk 2938 that is assembled therewith. In one illustrative approach, the geometry of the attachment skirt 2929 includes an angled tip 2930 on an end thereof. As shown in FIG. 45, the angled tip 2930 has an engaging surface 2932 that faces inward toward the internal shaft 2927. By some approaches, the angled tip 2930 is configured to engage with a portion of the disk 2938 to guide the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 in connecting with the disk 2938, as will be described in more detail below. The internal annular attachment skirt 2929 may further include a ridge 2933 disposed on an internal surface of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929. The ridge 2933 may be an extension of the angled tip 2930 as shown in FIG. 45 or may be independent of the angled tip 2930, for example, disposed on a surface of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 at a point closer to the dome-shaped central surface 2924. Together, the angled tip 2930 and the ridge 2933 may have a hook or barb configuration such that the angled tip 2930 can be easily snapped over a ridge, rib, or groove, but is more difficult to remove. For example, as shown in FIG. 45, the angled tip 2930 has an engaging surface 2932 extending away from the end of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 at an slight angle before sharply angling back toward the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 at a point closer to the central surface 2924 of the base 2912, thereby resulting in a secure snap-fit or friction-fit connection between the disk 2938 and the remainder of the cap 2912. In addition, the annular attachment skirt 2929 and the corresponding exterior annular wall 2940 that engages the attachment skirt 2929 are typically comprised of material that permits them to easily flex relative to one another during assembly to accommodate being mated together with a low risk of damage to either portion of the cap 2900.

In addition, the cap 2910 includes a flip-top lid 2914 having an interior projection 2936 disposed on the inner surface of lid 2914. The lid 2914 is typically hingedly connected to the base 2912 to permit the lid 2914 to be reclosably movable between a closed, first position to an open, second position. The hinged connection may be, for example, a living hinge connecting the flip-top lid 2914 and the base 2912. In the closed first position the projection 2936 blocks the opening 2926 of the base 2912 inhibiting egress of the fluid inside the container body 2902. The projection 2936 may be configured to inhibit egress of the fluid without leakage even when the bottle in an inverted position, i.e., the cap 2910 is at the bottom of the dispensing bottle 2900. In the open second position, the projection 2936 is no longer positioned in the opening 2926 of the base 2912, and thus, permits egress of the fluid through the opening 2926.

As mentioned above, the dispensing bottle 2900 also includes a disk 2938, which typically includes an exterior annular wall 2940, one or more pinholes 2942, partial annular slots 2946 disposed around the pinhole 2942, and internal flanges 2948. By one approach, the pinhole 2942 is disposed in a central portion 2944 of the disk 2938, yet in other configurations, the disk may lack a pinhole entirely. As illustrated, the exterior annular wall 2940 has an angled tip 2952 disposed on an end thereof. In FIG. 45, the angled tip 2952 has an engaging surface 2954 that faces partly outward from the exterior annular wall 2940. The angled tip 2952 is configured to engage with the angled tip 2930 of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 of the base 2912 when attaching the disk 2938 to the base 2912. Like the angled tip 2930 of the internal angular attachment skirt 2929, the angled tip 2952 of the disk 2938 is configured to guide the disk 2938 when connecting the disk 2938 to the base 2912. For example, the angled tip 2952 guides the exterior annular wall to flex inward or outward to snap over a rib or ridge of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929. The exterior annular wall 2940 may further include a ridge 2955 disposed on a surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 45, the ridge 2955 is disposed on the outward facing surface of the exterior annular wall 2940. In some configurations, the ridge 2955 may be an extension of the angled tip 2952 as shown in FIG. 45. In other configurations, the ridge 2955 may be independent of the angled tip 2952, for example, disposed on a surface of the exterior annular wall 2940 at a point closer to the body of the disk 2938. Together, the angled tip 2952 and the ridge 2955 may have a hook or barb configuration such that the angled tip guides the exterior annular wall 2940 over a rib or ridge in one direction, but causes movement in the reverse direction over the rib or ridge to be more difficult. For example, as shown FIG. 45, the angled tip 2952 at the end of exterior annular wall 2940 has an engaging surface 2954 extending away from the exterior annular wall 2940 at a slight angle before sharply angling back toward the exterior annular wall 2940 at the base 2956 of the tip 2952 a point closer to the body of the disk 2938. In operation, the slight angle typically allows the disk to be slid over a ridge with ease in the direction where the slight angled surface engages the ridge, while the sharp angled surface causes movement over the ridge in the reverse direction to require more force.

As noted above, the pinhole 2942 may be disposed in a central portion 2944 of the disk or may be offset therefrom. As shown in FIG. 44, the pinhole 2942 is located at the geometrical center of the disk 2938. The pinhole 2942 typically allows air to flow into the container body 2902 during use of the dispenser 2900. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 46, the disk 3100 may have two pinholes 3102, 3104 rather than a single pinhole. Similar to the pinhole previously discussed, such as that illustrated in FIG. 41F, the pinholes 3102, 3104 may be offset from the center point 3106 of the disk 3100. This configuration may be of interest where the disk 3100 is injection molded, so that the injection point can be in the center of the disk 3100. The pinholes 3102, 3104 may both be the same distance from the center point 3106 of the disk 3100 or may each be a different distance from the center point 3106. As shown in FIG. 46, the pinholes 3102, 3104 are symmetrical across the center point 3106. In some alternative embodiments, the pinholes 3102, 3104 may be asymmetrical over the center point 3106. For example, both pinholes 3102, 3104 may be adjacent to the same partially annular slot. While the embodiment shown in FIG. 46 shows two pinholes, configurations with more than two pinholes offset from the center point are also contemplated. In addition, the pinhole may have a variety of shapes, or the disk may lack any pinholes.

When attaching the disk 2938 to the base 2912, the disk 2938 is aligned with the base 2912 such that the engaging surface 2932 of the annular angled tip 2930 of the base 2912 contacts the engaging surface 2954 of the annular angled tip 2952 of the disk 2938. Force is applied to urge the disk 2938 and the base 2912 together. As force is applied, the angled engaging surfaces 2932, 2954 of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 and the external annular wall 2940 cause the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 and the external annular wall 2940 to flex or elastically deflect away from one another as the angled engaging surfaces 2932, 2954 slide over each other. Once the angled tip 2930 of the base 2912 has passed beyond the ridge 2955 of the disk 2938, the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 elastically returns or springs back to its original non-flexed state. Likewise, once the angled tip 2952 of the disk 2938 has passed beyond the ridge 2955 of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929, the exterior annular wall 2940 elastically returns or springs back to its original non-flexed state. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 45, once the angled tips 2930, 2952 have passed beyond the ridges 2933, 2955 the base 2912 and the disk 2928 are held or secured together, unless pried apart from one another. Force in the opposite direction causes the ridge 2933 of the base 2912 to contact the ridge 2955 of the disk 2938. Because the angle of the side of the ridge 2933 proximal to dome-shaped surface 2924 is great relative to the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 and the angle do the side of the ridge 2955 proximal the disk 2938 is great relative to the exterior annular wall 2940, a greater amount of force is required to cause the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 and the exterior annular wall 2940 to flex away from one another to allow the angled tips 2930, 2952 to pass back over the ridges 2933, 2955.

Once assembled, a mixing chamber is formed by the disk 2938, the dome-shaped central portion 2924, the internal annular attachment skirt 2929, and the internal shaft 2927. Fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface 2928 of the internal shaft 2927, the disk 2938, and the partial annular slots 2946 in the disk 2938. In use, the flip-top lid 2914 is moved from the first closed position to the second opened position, such that the projection 2936 does not inhibit egress of fluid through the opening 2926 of the base 2912. Once the bottle 2900 is opened, pressure may be applied to the container body 2902 to control the dispensing of the fluid contained in the container body 2902. Then, once pressure is applied to the container body 2902, fluid is forced to flow out of the container body 2902 along the neck 2904 of the container body 2902 and through the partial annular openings of the disk 2938. The fluid may then flow over or in between the internal flanges 2948 and then through fluid channels in the internal shaft 2927. The fluid then flows along the internal shaft 2927 and exits the dispensing bottle 2900 via the opening 2926 in the base 2912. While the fluid is flowing through the openings and channels of the mixing chamber, the flow of the fluid causes the fluid to be mixed as described in more detail above.

When pressure is removed from the container body 2902, the fluid promptly ceases to exit the dispensing bottle. This is partly due to air being permitted to flow back into the container body 2902. Air may be admitted into the container body 2902 by, for example, the opening 2926 and the pinhole 2942, the partial annular slots 2946, or both. This causes the container body 2902 to spring back to its original non-pressurized state, thus causing the flow of the fluid in the interior channel to be reversed without movement of the disk 2938 relative to the base 2912.

In another embodiment, the angled tip 2930 of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 has an engaging surface 2932 that faces outward and away from the internal shaft 2927 rather than inward. The ridge 2933 is also disposed on an external surface of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 rather than the internal surface. The angled tip 2952 of the exterior annular wall 2940 of the disk 2938 has an engaging surface 2954 that faces partly inward from the exterior annular wall 2940. The ridge 2955 is disposed on the inward facing surface of the exterior annular wall 2940. The angled tip 2952 is configured and positioned to engage with the angled tip 2930 of the internal annular attachment skirt 2929 of the base 2912 to guide the disk 2938 when connecting the disk 2938 to the base 2912.

While the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 45 show both the base and the disk having an angled tip, there are also embodiments where only one of the base or the disk have an angled tip. For example, the base may have an angled tip and the disk may have a ridge or even an annular recess or groove extending around the external annular wall. The angled tip of the base may be configured to slide along a surface of the exterior annular wall and snap over the ridge or into the annular recess or groove disposed on the external annular wall. In a similar embodiment, the disk has the angled tip, while the base has the ridge, annular recess, or groove disposed on an annular surface of the interior annular attachment skirt that the angled tip snaps into.

Turning now to FIG. 47, a dispensing bottle 3210 is illustrated with multiple, optional closure caps 3218, 3218′. More particularly, the container bottle or body 3212 of the dispensing bottle 3210 can be matingly or threadingly engaged with a first closure cap 3218 or a second closure cap 3218′. Indeed, as illustrated in FIG. 47, the container body 3212 is compatible with both the closure cap 3218, which includes projections 3236 and is described in further detail below and the conventional closure cap 3218′, which lacks many of the details outlined herein. Thus, while the combination of the closure cap 3218 and container body 3212 provide for a secure closure as described in further detail below, a removable closure cap, such as closure cap 3218′ also may be coupled to container body 3212 so that the closure cap 3218′ may be threadingly disengaged or removed from the container body 3212 after being matingly engaged therewith. The container body 3212 is likewise compatible with the closure cap embodiments described above in relation to FIGS. 1A-46.

In one illustrative configuration, the dispensing bottle 3210 includes a closure cap 3218 and a container body 3212 having a neck 3214 with bottle threads 3216 thereon. By one approach, the bottle threads 3216 are discontinuous such that the bottle threads have at least one space 3223 between a first thread portion and a second thread portion. In addition, the dispensing bottle 3210 in some configurations includes a closure cap 3218 having a base 3220 and a flip-top lid 3222. In such a configuration, the base 3218 typically includes a skirt 3226 with an inner surface 3228 thereof having base threads 3232 disposed thereon and ratchet projections 3236 extending from the inner surface 3228 thereof. As illustrated, the closure cap 3218 includes a hingedly attached flip-top lid 3222 that is movable, via a hinge 3219, from a closed position (see, e.g., FIG. 53) to an open position. Further, the bottle threads 3216 are sized and located to threadingly engage the base threads 3232 once the closure cap 3218 is secured to the container body 3210 and at least one of the ratchet projections 3236 of the closure cap 3222 extends into at least one space 3223 between the first thread portion and the second thread portion such that manual removal of the closure will thereafter be difficult or impossible due to engagement of one or more closure ratchet projections 3236 with one or more bottle thread portions such as ratchet teeth 3238. Thus, while a conventional cap 3218′ may be threadingly removed from the container body 3212, the closure cap 3218 illustrated in FIG. 47 has portions thereof that engage with the geometry of the neck 3214 of the container body 3212 to prevent or at least inhibit removal of the closure cap 3218 from the container body 3212.

The container body 3212 is shown in FIG. 47. In one illustrative approach, the neck 3214 of the container body 3212 has discontinuous threads disposed thereon. The illustrated discontinuous threads include an elongated lead-in 3221, additional elongated threads 3216, and one or more bottle ratchet projections 3238. In some embodiments, the bottle threads comprise multiple bottle ratchet projections 3238 extending from the neck 3214 of the container body 3212 in between elongated thread 3216 and the elongated lead-in 3221.

As shown in FIGS. 49-52 the neck 3214 of the container body 3212 may include one or more bottle ratchet projections 3238, which may each have a size and shape that is approximately the same as each of the other bottle ratchet projections. In some embodiments, the ratchet projections 3238 may have a height in the range of about 1.7 mm to about 3.4 mm, or 2.4 to 2.58 mm, a length or circumferential dimension in the range of about 1.9 mm to about 6.3 mm, or 3.7 to 4.2 mm, and a radial dimension or width in the range of about 2.58 mm, or 1.80 mm to 3.35 mm. In addition, these typically cooperate with geometry of the closure cap 3218, such as, for example, the base projections 3236, which typically have a base thickness that is approximately equal to each of the other base projections.

FIG. 51 illustrates how, in some configurations, one of elongated bottle threads 3216 has a width, W₁, along a majority of the elongated thread 3216, and has a cutout or notch 3224, with a smaller width, W2, which can help with positioning the bottle, e.g., by facilitating detection of bottle orientation. As illustrated, this cutout 3224 is disposed in between or intermediate the ends of the elongated thread 3216, which may have an angled configuration or gradually increasing or decreasing width. Accordingly, the cutout 3224 has a smaller width or is narrower than the remainder of the elongated bottle thread 3216.

As noted, the closure cap 3218, in one illustrative embodiment, includes ratchet projections 3236. As illustrated in FIGS. 53 and 54, the ratchet projections 3236 of the base 3220 typically extend from the interior surface 3228 at an angle. In one illustrative embodiment, the ratchet projections 3236 of the base 3220 extend from the interior surface 3228 at an angle of less than about 60 degrees from the interior surface of the base. By some approaches, the base 3220 includes four to ten ratchet projections 3236 on each opposing side thereof, such that the base includes a total of eight to twenty ratchet projections. FIG. 53 illustrates four of the ratchet projections on one side of the closure cap 3218. It also illustrates the opening 3234 in the base 3220 and a projection 3290 on an interior surface of the flip-top lid 3222 that will block the opening 3234 when the flip-top lid is rotated or flipped into the closed configuration.

Tamper evidence may be provided by including a deformable or frangible component 3237, shown in FIG. 55, that will be visibly changed when the flip-top lid 3222 of the closure cap 3218 is pivoted from closed to open position. By one approach, a tamper-indicating feature may be included on the closure cap and may be configured so that the tamper-indicating structure remains part of the closure cap after opening, i.e., it does not detach from the closure cap upon opening. In one approach, the tamper-indicating feature may comprise a frangible layer of material such as a layer of shrink film, a strip of tape, or the like extending over all or part of the exterior surfaces of both the flip-top lid 3222 and the base 3220. In one approach, a shrink wrap film or a length of tape may extend over the cap such that the continuity of the film or tape must be interrupted, e.g., by cutting or tearing or otherwise deformed, to enable the top of the cap to be pivoted from closed to open position. The frangible material may include one or more lines of weakness 3239 such as one or more perforations or regions of decreased thickness aligned at or near the joint between the lid 3222 and base 3220 of the cap 3218 to facilitate rupture and removal of the frangible material. The frangible material may be secured to both the lid and base by a non-peelable or permanent adhesive. The frangible material may be made of the same material as the closure cap or a different material, and may be made of a biodegradable material. The frangible material may be attached to the cap only so that no portion of the frangible material will be attached to the bottle, or may be attached to both the cap and the bottle. In one illustrative embodiment, portions of the dispensing bottle, such as, for example, the container body 3212 are comprised of a plastic material, such as, for example, a blow-molded PET material, polypropylene material, or similar material. Further, in some configurations, the closure cap 3218 is comprised of a molded plastic material, such as an injection-molded PET material, polypropylene material or similar material.

As discussed above, previous bottles with flip top lids such as those shown in FIGS. 22-25 of U.S. Application No. 63/033,354, the contents of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, often have a lid that is hingedly movable with respect to a base, but which lacks any sort of base ratchet as described above, and lacks any sort of tamper evident feature. Accordingly, the neck of the prior art container body typically included a seal liner that required manual removal by a consumer before consumption of the fluid in the dispensing bottle. In this manner, a consumer typically unscrews the flip top lid that is threadingly engaging the bottle neck threads of the container body to access the liner, which is the grasped and peeled back from the container body to permit access to the fluid. Then, the flip top lid is typically re-screwed onto the container body to permit the fluid to be dispersed or portioned from the container body. As noted above, such liners are typically not recyclable, however, consumers want to ensure that the products and fluids being consumed from the container are safe and tamper-free.

As described above, the dispensing bottle 3210 is typically well suited to contain a fluid 325 therein. Further, the dispensing bottle 3210 typically includes geometry, such as, for example, an angled portion below the neck 3214 of the container body 3212 to direct the fluid 325 disposed therein to the open neck of the container body. In addition, the inverted bottle that is often popular with consumers of thixotropic fluids typically helps migrate much of the fluid 325 out of the bottle. (For illustrations of such a top-down bottle, see, e.g., International Patent Application No. PCT/US2019/067485, filed Dec. 19, 2019.) In some illustrative configurations, the dispensing bottle 3210 also incorporates therein a slip lining interior to the container body 3212 to facilitate complete discharge of the fluid 325 disposed within the container body 3212. By one approach, the slip lining is only disposed on a portion of the interior surface of the container body 3212. In other configurations the slip lining is continuously disposed around all or much of the interior of the container body. In some configurations, the slip lining or material may be disposed in the plastic material forming the container body and may then migrate to the interior surface of the container body to facilitate discharge of the fluid. In this manner, the fluid 325 may be more completely discharged from the container body. Accordingly, the container body 3212 may not require washing before recycling, which might otherwise be required for the recycler to recognize the PET or similar material forming the container body.

As illustrated in FIG. 47, the container body 3212 described herein may be employed with different closure caps, such as, for example, closure caps 3222, having ratchet projections 3236 that provide a non-removable, secure lid attachment. The container body 3212 may also be used with closure cap 3218 and the various embodiments described in regard to FIGS. 1A-46. In addition, the container body 3212, as illustrated, also may be employed with a more conventional closure cap 3218′ such as that illustrated in FIG. 47. By employing the container body 3212 with caps that do not include ratchet projections 3236, for example, a conventional closure cap 3218′, the closure cap is generally threadingly disengagable, via manual manipulation to remove the closure cap from the container body 3212.

The closure caps 3218, 3318 and 3402 can be employed with a variety of container bodies. When closure cap 3218 is employed with a conventional container body 3212′, the ratchet teeth 3236 do not lock the closure cap on the bottle, and accordingly, the closure cap 3218 is easily manually removable from the container body 3212′ by merely unscrewing the closure cap 3218 to disengage the base threads 3232 of the closure cap 3218 from the threads 3216′ of the neck 3214′ of the container body 3212′. Alternatively, the closure caps 3218, 33118 and 34202 can be employed with a container body 3212 having discontinuous threads 3216 to form a non-removable closure between the closure cap and the container body.

As shown in FIGS. 59-61, closure cap 3318 includes a base 3320 having a central surface with an opening 3334 therein and a skirt 3326 with an inner surface 3328 having base threads 3332 disposed thereon and ratchet projections 3336 extending therefrom. In addition, the closure cap 3318 includes a flip-top lid 3322 hingedly attached to the base 3320. The flip-top lid 3322 is movable, via a hinge 3319, from a closed position to an open position. A projection 3390 on an interior surface of the flip-top lid 3322 is configured to block the opening 3334 of the base when the flip-top lid 3322 is disposed in the closed position. Whereas some closure caps include ratchet projections disposed around much of the interior surface of the closure caps (such that, for example, the closure cap typically includes between eight to twenty ratchet projections somewhat evenly distributed), the ratchet projections 3336 extend only from a portion of the interior surface. By one approach, the ratchet projections extend from the interior surface 3328 at an angle and the base 3320 includes two to eight ratchet projections 3336, typically disposed along half or less than half of the circumference of the interior of the closure cap 3318. As shown in FIG. 61, the closure cap 3318 includes four ratchet projection 3336 disposed on a portion of the circumference opposite the hinge 3319 of the closure cap 3318. In other embodiments, other configurations may be used. For example, six ratchet projections may be provided on each side, and the ratchet projections may be spaced evenly or approximately evenly about the entire circumference. Similar to those discussed above, the ratchet projections 3336 extending from the skirt 3326 and the base threads 3332 are configured to threadingly engage elongated, continuous neck threads to permit the closure cap 3318 to be removably coupled with a bottle (e.g., 3212′ of FIG. 48) and the base threads 3316 are further configured to threadingly engage discontinuous neck threads to permit the closure cap to be irremovably coupled to another bottle (e.g., 3212 of FIG. 48).

In addition to the closure caps described herein being threadingly engageable with the bottles 3212, 3212′ of FIG. 48, the closure caps also may engage a bottle 3312 having a neck 3314 with threads 3316 as shown in FIGS. 56-58.

As used herein, the ratchet projections may take a variety of forms, such as, for example, a fin or flat member that protrudes from the interior surface at an angle. By one approach, the ratchet projections 3336 extend from the interior surface 3326 at an angle of less than about 60 degrees from the interior surface of the base. As noted above, the closure caps described herein may be formed of a molded plastic material. Similarly, the details thereon, such as for example, the ratchet projections 3336 and base threads 3332 also are generally comprised of a molded plastic material.

As shown in FIG. 60, the base 3320 of the closure cap 3318 includes an opening 3334 through which the contents of a container body, such as a fluid, can egress. When the closure cap 3318 is in the closed position a projection 3390 on an interior surface of the flip top lid 3322 extends into or adjacent the opening 3334 to seal or otherwise engage or block the opening 3334 to prohibit egress of the fluid 3205 therethrough.

In some configurations, the closure cap includes a material coated onto at least portions of a surface thereof that provides an oxygen barrier.

To seal the cap 3318 onto a container body, a seal may be formed directly between the container body and the base 3320 of the cap 3318, without a separate liner therebetween. The seal may be formed between the uppermost surface of the container body, i.e., the top surface of the finish, and the underside of the top wall of the base 3320. A thin coating of sealant material may be provided at this location on the container body and/or the cap 3318 to facilitate hermetic sealing. Sealant material may additionally or alternatively be disposed at one or more other locations, e.g., on or about portions of threads, on the exterior of the closure, or on the exterior of the bottle body, to further restrict or prevent ingress or egress of air or other fluids into or out of the closed bottle, which may help to increase the shelf life of the product or fluid 3205 in the dispensing bottle 3210.

In some embodiments, a closure cap 3402 may have a push-pull valve similar to those in conventional sports closures as shown in FIG. 62, in combination with the locking ratchet features described above. The push-pull valve shown in FIG. 62 comprises an upwardly extending annular projection 3404 and plug (not shown) similar to those used in conventional sports closures. The projection 3404 functions as both handle and valve seat. When the projection 3404 is in closed position, it surrounds a central plug which prevents flow of fluid through the closure. When it is pulled upward, it moves into an open position with clearance between the central plug and the annular projection, such that fluid may flow outward around the exterior of the plug and through a central opening or port in the projection 3404 to enable fluid to be dispensed from the bottle. The projection 3404 may be moved back from open to closed position by pushing it downward so that the projection 3404 again surrounds the plug such that the plug seats in the projection 3404. To facilitate pulling the projection 3404 upward, the illustrated projection 3404 has a manually engageable bottom peripheral surface 3410.

The closure cap 3402 of FIG. 62 is shown locked onto bottle 3406. In some embodiments, the closure cap 3404 and bottle 3406 may have a disc, mixing chamber, thread configurations, and/or locking features similar to those described and shown above with respect to one or more of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-61. In some embodiments, the closure cap 3402 of FIG. 62 may seal directly to the bottle 3406 without a conventional disc seal or other separate component extending over the top of the bottle between the finish of the bottle and the closure. In some embodiments, a frangible material 3408 may be provided over the projection 3404 to provide tamper evidence. In some embodiments, the frangible material 3408 may comprise a length of tape robustly sealed to one or more of the bottom, sides and top of projection 3404, and extending over the top of projection 3408 to cover the central opening, such that fluid flow through the closure is difficult or impossible without fracturing the tape. In some embodiments, the frangible material 3408 may comprise a layer of shrink-wrap material covering the bottom, top and sides of projection 3404 such that fluid flow through the closure is difficult or impossible without fracturing the shrink-wrap material. In some embodiments, a hinged cover, e.g., a flip-top lid, or other additional structure may also extend over and enclose the projection 3404.

The dispensing bottles including closure caps and container bodies described herein may be formed in a number of manners. In one illustrative approach, the method of manufacturing a filled dispensing bottle includes blow-molding or otherwise molding a container body with a neck having bottle threads thereon, wherein the bottle threads are discontinuous such that the threads have at least one space between a first thread portion and a second thread portion and molding a closure cap having a base and a flip-top lid. In some embodiments, the closure cap may be injection molded or otherwise molded, and includes a base with a skirt having an inner surface thereof with base threads disposed thereon and ratchet projections extending and a flip-top lid hingedly attached to the base, via a hinge, such that the flip-top lid is movable from a closed position to an open position relative to the base of the closure cap. The method also typically includes filling the container body with a fluid and threadingly engaging the bottle threads with the base threads to close the filled container body with the closure cap. As noted above, securing such a closure cap to container body may result in the closure cap not being manually removable from the filled container once one of the ratchet projections of the base extend into the at least one space of the bottle threads of the neck. In addition, in this method of manufacturing, the step of threadingly engaging the bottle threads with the base threads to close the filled container may occur without a security seal liner being disposed on the neck of the container body or below the flip-top cap. The closure cap and container body may be made from recyclable materials, biodegradable materials, and/or other materials.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of other modifications, alterations, and combinations can also be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.

Claims

1. A dispensing bottle comprising: a container body having a neck with threads thereon, the container body threads being discontinuous such that the container body threads have at least one space between a first thread portion and a second thread portion, the container body not including an inner liner;a closure cap having a base and a control device, the base having an inner skirt with an inner surface having base threads disposed thereon and base ratchet projections extending from the inner surface thereof, the base threads configured to engage the threads on the neck and at least a portion of the ratchet projections configured to engage the at least one space between the first thread portion and the second thread portion to prevent or hinder manual removal of the closure cap from the container body, the base having a central portion including a non-planar surface having an opening therein,the control device being reclosably movable between a closed first position to an open second position, where a portion of the control device inhibits egress of the fluid inside the container body in the first position and the second position permits egress of the fluid, the control device not including a silicone rubber valve;the cap further including a disk attached to an interior of the base, the disk including a body having a pinhole and partial annular slots disposed around the pinhole; andthe cap further comprising a mixing chamber defined by the disk and the base;wherein the cap is capable of maintaining the thixotropic fluid in stable equilibrium without leakage with the bottle in an inverted position such that the cap is at the bottom thereof, with the control device in the closed first position; andwherein application of pressure to the container body with the control device in the open second position enables controlled dispensing of the thixotropic fluid, with fluid being dispensed through the partial annular slots and through the mixing chamber before exiting the dispensing bottle via the opening in the base, and wherein release of pressure on the container body enables prompt cessation of dispensing by permitting air to flow back into the container body, and spring back and reversal of flow of thixotropic fluid in the interior channel, without movement of the disk relative to the base.

2. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the opening of the central portion is aligned with an internal shaft terminating at a non-planar end surface opposite the central portion.

3. The dispensing bottle of claim 2 wherein the opening permits the fluid to egress therethrough when the opening is unobstructed, the portion of the control device blocking the opening of the base in the first position.

4. The dispensing bottle of claim 3 wherein multiple fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk, the fluid further being dispensed through the fluid channels before exiting the dispensing bottle via the opening in the base.

5. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the non-planar surface of the central portion is a dome-shaped surface.

6-10. (canceled)

11. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the control device comprises a hingedly attached flip-top lid and wherein the discontinuous bottle threads form one or more bottle ratchet projections.

12. The dispensing bottle of claim 11 wherein the bottle threads comprise multiple bottle ratchet projections extending from the neck of the container body in between a first elongated thread and a second elongated thread.

13. The dispensing bottle of claim 11 wherein the one or more bottle ratchet projections have a thickness that is approximately equal to each of the other bottle ratchet projections and the base projections have a base thickness that is approximately equal to each of the other base projections.

14. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the control device comprises a push-pull valve.

15. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the ratchet projections of the base extend from the interior surface at an angle.

16. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the ratchet projections of the base extend from the interior surface at an angle of less than about 60 degrees from the interior surface of the base.

17. (canceled)

18. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the container body is comprised of a blow molded PET material.

19. The dispensing bottle of claim 1 wherein the closure cap is comprised of a molded plastic material.

20. The dispensing bottle of claim 11 wherein the closure cap cannot be manually removed from the container body without visibly damaging one or both of the closure cap and container body, further comprising a tamper evident feature permanently adhered to the base and flip-top lid such that continuity of the tamper evident feature must be interrupted to enable the top of the cap to be pivoted from closed to open position.

21. The dispensing bottle of claim 20 wherein the tamper evident feature comprises a shrink wrap film or a length of tape that is not permanently adhered to the container body.

22. The dispensing bottle of claim 11 wherein an interior surface of the flip-top lid includes a projection that engages and blocks the opening in the base of the closure cap when the flip-top lid is in the closed position to prevent egress of the fluid from the container body.

23-39. (canceled)

40. A dispensing bottle comprising: a container body having a neck with bottle threads thereon, the bottle threads being discontinuous such that the bottle threads have at least one space between a first thread portion and a second thread portion;a closure cap having a base and a control device, the base having, at least, a dome-shaped wall with an opening therethrough, an outer skirt with an inner surface thereof having base threads disposed thereon and base ratchet projections extending from the inner surface thereof, an inner skirt connected to the outer skirt by a planar portion, and an internal shaft inwardly depending from the dome-shaped wall, the internal shaft terminating at a non-planar end surface;the control device being movable from a closed position to an open position;a disk attached to an interior of the base by snapping the disk into the base, the disk having a plurality of annular slots and a plurality of intermediate openings therethrough, wherein the intermediate openings are disposed between the plurality of annular slots and a center of the disk; anda mixing chamber defined by the disk, the dome-shaped wall, the inner skirt, and the internal shaft, wherein multiple fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk,wherein the bottle threads are sized and located to threadingly engage the base threads once the closure cap is secured to the container body and at least a portion of one of the ratchet projections engages the at least one space between the first thread portion and the second thread portion to prevent or hinder manual removal of the closure cap from the container body.

41. The dispensing bottle of claim 40, wherein the control device is a flip-top lid hingedly connected to the base, the flip-top lid having a projection and being movable between the closed position where the projection blocks the opening and the open position where the projection does not obstruct the opening of the base.

42. A dispensing bottle comprising: a monomaterial container body having a neck with bottle threads thereon, the bottle threads being discontinuous such that the bottle threads have at least one space between a first thread portion and a second thread portion;a monomaterial closure cap having a base and a control device, the base having, at least, a dome-shaped wall with an opening therethrough, an outer skirt with an inner surface thereof having base threads disposed thereon and base ratchet projections extending from the inner surface thereof, an inner skirt connected to the outer skirt by a planar portion, and an internal shaft inwardly depending from the dome-shaped wall, the internal shaft terminating at a non-planar end surface;the control device being movable from a closed position to an open position;a disk attached to an interior of the base; anda mixing chamber defined by the disk, the dome-shaped wall, the inner skirt, and the internal shaft, wherein multiple fluid channels are formed by the non-planar end surface of the internal shaft and the disk,wherein the bottle threads are sized and located to threadingly engage the base threads once the closure cap is secured to the container body and at least a portion of one of the ratchet projections engages the at least one space between the first thread portion and the second thread portion to prevent or hinder manual removal of the closure cap from the container body.

43. The dispensing bottle of any of claim 42 wherein the mixing chamber is effective to prevent or inhibit separate dispensing of serum when ketchup is contained in the bottle.

44. The dispensing bottle of any of claim 42 wherein the dispensing bottle does not include a removable liner between the container body and closure, and wherein the closure cap does not include a silicone rubber valve.

45. The dispensing bottle of any of claim 42 wherein the dispensing bottle does not include any non-recyclable elements.