The present invention relates generally to the field of containers. The present invention relates more specifically to containers configured to interact with closures with various coupling mechanisms.
Containers, such as bottles, may be filled with contents (e.g., liquids, solids, mixtures thereof, foods, drinks, etc.) and then sealed with a closure. There are various types of closures. Sealing of containers may be accomplished by automated machines and processes. Different types of closures having different closing mechanisms may be coupled to different types of containers to seal such containers.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a method of closing a first container and a second container. The first and second containers each have a body and a neck extending from the body. The neck extends from a first open end to a second end proximate the body portion. The neck includes an outer surface. The neck includes a first thread extending radially outwardly. The neck defines a channel extending around at least a portion of the circumference of the neck between the first thread and the first open end. The method includes rotating a first closure relative to the first container to couple the first closure to the first container. The first closure has a closed upper portion. The first closure has an annular skirt extending downwardly from the closed upper portion. The annular skirt has an inner surface. The annular skirt includes a thread extending from the inner surface. The thread is configured to interact with the first thread of the first container to couple the first closure to the first container. The method includes rotating a second closure relative to the second container. The second closure has a closed top portion and an annular skirt extending downwardly from the closed top portion. The skirt has an inner surface. The inner surface defines a protrusion extending around at least a portion of the circumference of the skirt. The protrusion is configured to be located in the channel defined by the outer surface of the neck of the second container to couple the second closure to the second container.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a closure. The closure includes a lower portion. The lower portion includes a removable portion configured to be removed to provide access to an aperture through the lower portion. The closure includes an upper portion pivotally coupled to the lower portion. The lower portion includes an upper wall and an annular skirt extending axially downwardly from the radial periphery of the upper wall from a first end proximate the upper wall to a second end distal from the upper wall. The annular skirt includes at least one discontinuous thread portion. The discontinuous thread portion extends radially inwardly. The lower portion includes a radially inwardly extending protrusion extending around at least a portion of one of the annular skirt and the upper wall. The protrusion extends in a direction generally parallel to the second end of the annular skirt.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a container. The container includes a body portion. The container includes a neck portion. The neck portion extends from a finish defining an aperture through which an interior of the container may be accessed to the body portion. The neck portion includes an exterior surface and a first thread extending radially outwardly and circumferentially around at least a portion of the neck portion. The neck portion defines a channel extending circumferentially around at least a portion of the neck portion. The channel is configured to receive a protrusion of a closure therein to couple the closure to the container.
Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combinations of features as may be generally recited in the claims.
This application will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in which:
Referring generally to the figures, various embodiments of containers and closures are shown. Containers may be filled and closed with a closure in an automated process. For different applications, different closures may be used. For example, in an application in which the closure will be removed completely from the container to allow the contents of the container to be dispensed, a screw-on flat cap may be used, for example. In an application in which the closure will remain coupled to the container during dispensing of the contents of the container, a closure with a top portion that can be opened while a bottom portion remains coupled to the container, e.g., a stay-on flip-top closure, may be used, for example. Different closures may have different features that allow the closure to be coupled to a container and to maintain the closure coupled to the container. Additionally, different closures may be applied to different containers by different apparatuses, movements, mechanisms, steps, etc. Additionally, for example, rotation of a stay-on flip-top closure relative to the container should not remove the closure from the container. However, rotation of the screw-on flat cap relative to the container should remove the screw-on flat cap from the container.
During an automated process, when it is desired to switch to a different type of closure, often the automated process must be interrupted and both different containers and different closures are provided. Additionally, in some cases, different movements, process steps, mechanisms, etc., may be used to couple the different types of closures to containers.
Embodiments of the present containers allow different types of closures to be coupled to the same types of containers with the same movements, process steps, mechanisms, etc., which may provide for more efficient changes between different closure types.
Referring to
Referring to
Embodiments of containers described herein may allow for coupling of different types of closures, such as closures 22 and 24, to the same type of containers.
With reference to
Located axially between the threads 34 and the finish 36, the neck 32 defines a channel 40 extending around the circumference of the neck 32. The neck 32 also includes a stop feature 41 located axially between the channel 40 and the threads 34 and extending radially outwardly. The neck 32 also includes a radial protrusion 42 located axially between the threads 34 and the body of the container 20.
With reference to
With reference to
With further reference to
In one embodiment, the annular wall 31 and the spout 52 are configured to interact to seal the closure when the upper portion 28 and the lower portion 26 are in a closed configuration. In one embodiment, the upper wall 29 of the upper portion 28 and the upper wall 50 of the lower portion 26 are spaced apart when the closure is in a closed configuration allowing a user to apply force to the lower side of the upper wall 29 to move the upper portion 28 into an open configuration relative to the lower portion 26.
The lower portion 26 also includes a radially inwardly extending protrusion, shown as radially inwardly protruding ring 58 extending axially downwardly and radially inwardly between the annular wall 56 and the skirt 44. In one embodiment, the ring 58 is a locking ring. In another embodiment, the ring 58 is a locking bead. In one embodiment, the ring 58 extends around the lower portion 26 in a direction generally parallel with the axial lower periphery of the skirt 44. In one embodiment, the ring 58 extends around the entire circumference of the lower portion 26. In another embodiment, the ring 58 is interrupted, e.g., does not extend around the entire circumference of the lower portion 26. In one embodiment, the ring 58 extends downwardly to a lower axial periphery. In one embodiment, the lower axial periphery of the downwardly extending annular wall 56 is axially lower than the lower axial periphery of the ring 58.
A channel 60 is formed between the annular wall 56 and the protruding ring 58 in which the finish of a container will be located. In one embodiment, the radially outer surface of the protruding ring 58 is spaced apart from the inner surface 46 of the skirt 44, which may allow the ring 58 to deflect outwardly to allow the finish of a container to move into the channel 60.
With reference to
With reference to
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With reference to
In one embodiment, the configuration of the ring 58 in
In one embodiment, the mechanism rotating the closure 24 may detect the resistance to further rotation provided by the stop feature 41 and stop rotating the closure 24. In another embodiment, it may be desired to have the closure 24 coupled to the container 20 in a predetermined rotational orientation. The stop feature 41 may be configured to deter further rotation of the closure 24 relative to the container 20 when the closure 24 is located at the desired rotational orientation relative to the container 20.
With reference to
With reference to
The closure 128 has various features similar to the closure 22, and therefore, differences from closure 22 are the focus of the description of closure 128. With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
In one embodiment, an automated mechanism, apparatus, and/or process may be used to couple closures such as, e.g., closures 22 and 24, to containers such as, e.g., container 20, or closures such as, e.g., closures 128 and 138 to containers such as, e.g., container 120. It may be advantageous for both closures to be able to be coupled to the container, for example, so that different types of closures, e.g., for different applications, may be coupled to the container without introducing a different type of container into the automated mechanism, apparatus, and/or process. It may also be advantageous for the mechanism, apparatus, and/or process to execute the same steps and/or movements regardless of which type of closure is being coupled to the container, e.g., without the need for recognition, reprogramming, or change in movements or steps by the mechanism, apparatus, and/or process to apply the different closures to the container.
In one embodiment, the heights of the closures 22 and 24 are the same. In another embodiment, the heights of the closures 128 and 138 are the same. In one embodiment, the diameters of the closures 22 and 24 are the same. In another embodiment, the diameters of the closures 128 and 138 are the same.
In one embodiment, the closures 22 and 128 are low profile flat caps. In one embodiment, the closures 24 and 138 are caps such as, e.g., flip-lid caps, hinged lid caps, dispensing caps, etc.
In one embodiment, rotating vacuum chucks may be configured to rotate embodiments of closures described above relative to containers and to provide axial force on the closures relative to the containers to couple the closures to the containers.
In another embodiment, closures may be coupled to containers by application of downward axial force without rotation of the closures relative to the containers.
With reference to
In one embodiment, the first and second containers have features as described above with regard to container 20, the first closure has features as described above with regard to closure 22, and the second closure has features as described above with regard to closure 24. In another embodiment, the first and second containers have features as described above with regard to container 120, the first closure has features as described above with regard to closure 128, and the second closure has features as described above with regard to closure 138.
In one embodiment, the protrusion 58 is segmented. In another embodiment, the protrusion 58 is continuous. In one embodiment, the detent ring 142 is segmented. In another embodiment, the detent ring 142 is continuous.
In another embodiment, a closure is provided. The closure includes an annular skirt. The annular skirt includes a radially inwardly extending protrusion. A container including a neck is provided. The neck includes a bottom lead thread. The closure is configured to be coupled to the container with the radially inwardly extending protrusion trapped below the bottom lead thread of the neck to maintain the closure coupled to the container.
In one embodiment, a closure, such as those described above, may be coupled to the neck of a container in a rotatable fashion such that the closure may be realigned relative to the bottle.
Once a flat or specialty cap (e.g., flip-lid cap, hinged lid cap, dispensing cap, etc.) closure is in a fully applied position on the bottle finish by screw or snap fit, it is attached to the bottle finish and cannot be removed easily without external means. It can be free to rotate into alignment position with specialty bottles (which have handles or other special features which require the alignment of the cap) or can be locked out of rotation by an alternate means. Thus a low profile flat cap or a specialty cap can share the same bottle neck finish and function as intended for both types of caps.
A low profile flat cap or specialty cap may have a single lead thread or a multiple or three lead thread on its internal cap skirt wall cooperative with continuous or interrupted or segmented external thread structure of a bottle neck finish. Also the low profile flat or specialty cap may have a cap detent lock ring at an upper or mid portion of its internal cap skirt cooperative with a neck finish detent ring or groove structure at the upper portion of the bottle neck finish.
Embodiments of containers herein may be plastic containers formed from any suitable plastic, e.g., thermoplastic, thermoset, polyethylene terephthalate, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. In other embodiments, containers described herein may be formed from any other suitable material. Embodiments of closures herein may be formed from any suitable type of plastic, e.g., thermoplastic, thermoset, polyethylene terephthalate, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., and may include other suitable rubbers, gaskets, etc. Embodiments of containers herein may be unitarily formed, e.g., molded, blow molded, injection molded, extruded, etc.
It should be understood that the figures illustrate the exemplary embodiments in detail, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only. The construction and arrangements, shown in the various exemplary embodiments, are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Some elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process, logical algorithm, or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two components directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional member being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature.
In various exemplary embodiments, the relative dimensions, including angles, lengths and radii, as shown in the Figures are to scale. Actual measurements of the Figures will disclose relative dimensions, angles and proportions of the various exemplary embodiments. Various exemplary embodiments extend to various ranges around the absolute and relative dimensions, angles and proportions that may be determined from the Figures. Various exemplary embodiments include any combination of one or more relative dimensions or angles that may be determined from the Figures. Further, actual dimensions not expressly set out in this description can be determined by using the ratios of dimensions measured in the Figures in combination with the express dimensions set out in this description.
This application is a Non-Provisional of 61/783,609, filed Mar. 14, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61783609 | Mar 2013 | US |