Patent Application
20060016836
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a flip-top type dispensing closure of the type that has a hinged reclosable lid that may be swung open to reveal a dispensing orifice for the closure. More specifically, this invention relates to dispensing spouts for such closures.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Various beverages, foods, medicines and the like are delivered to the public in bottles or other containers that are provided with resealable closures. Such closures provide a benefit to the consumer in that the containers can be tightly sealed and resealed after opening, which prolongs the shelf life of the product and maintains freshness. One popular type of resealable closure is the flip-top closure that typically includes a main body portion that is adapted to be secured to a container and a lid member that is hingedly mounted to the main body portion. An orifice is typically defined in the main body portion and a mating plug is provided on the lid member for sealing the orifice when the closure is in the closed position.
When dispensing viscous liquid materials such as dishwasher detergent, recurring issues to consumers and design professionals in this area of technology include deposition of dried or caked product around the dispensing orifice and pourability of the product as it is pushed out of the closure by squeezing the container. In addition, aesthetics and potential brand identity play an important role in closure technology.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved flip-top type closure for a container that improves pourability and control of the material as it is being dispensed from the closure, and that provides the potential for improved aesthetics and an element of brand identity for the product manufacturer.
In order to achieve the above and other objects of the invention, a closure for a container that is constructed according to a first aspect of the invention includes a main body portion that is constructed and arranged to be secured to a container, the main body portion having an upper deck portion defining an upper surface and a dispensing spout projecting upwardly from the upper surface, the main body portion further having a dispensing orifice defined in the dispensing spout, and wherein the dispensing spout is constructed and arranged to have a noncircular shape when viewed in plan; a lid portion that is hingedly mounted to the main body portion, the lid portion having a plug member that is shaped and sized to selectively plug the dispensing orifice, the lid portion further being movable between a first, open position wherein material may be dispensed from the container through the dispensing orifice and a second, closed position wherein the orifice is blocked by said plug member.
A closure for a container according to a second aspect of the invention includes a main body portion that is constructed and arranged to be secured to a container, the main body portion having an upper deck portion defining an upper surface and a dispensing spout projecting upwardly from the upper surface, the main body portion further having a dispensing orifice defined in the dispensing spout, the dispensing spout further having a raised peripheral rim and at least one downwardly sloping surface between the peripheral rim and the dispensing orifice; a lid portion that is hingedly mounted to the main body portion, the lid portion having a plug member that is shaped and sized to selectively plug the dispensing orifice, the lid portion further being movable between a first, open position wherein material may be dispensed from the container through the dispensing orifice and a second, closed position wherein the orifice is blocked by the plug member.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty that characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding structure throughout the views, and referring in particular to
As is best shown in
Dispensing spout 22 is advantageously provided with a noncircular shape when viewed in plan. Dispensing spout 22 preferably has a surface area circumscribed by its outer periphery that is within a range of about 10 percent to about 65 percent of the total surface area of the upper surface 20 of the upper deck portion 18.
Lid member 26 is hingedly attached to the main body portion 12 by a hinge 28. Preferably, the entire closure 10, including the main body portion 16, lid member 26 and hinge 28 is unitary in structure, being molded out of a single piece of polymeric material such as polyethylene or polypropylene. A downwardly depending plug member 30 extends from an underside of lid member 26 and is sized and shaped to be received within the orifice 24 in order to seal the orifice 24 when the closure 10 is in the closed position, as is illustrated in
Dispensing spout 22 includes a raised peripheral rim 33 that extends around the periphery of the dispensing spout 22. At least one downwardly sloping surface 32 is defined by the dispensing spout 22 between the raised peripheral rim 33 and orifice 24. In the preferred embodiment, downwardly sloping surface 32 is preferably concave and smooth, and has a varying radius of curvature permitting a smooth, continuously curved transition between the entrance to the orifice 24 and the noncircular outer profile of the raised rim 33 and the outer periphery of the dispensing spout 22. A conical shape is considered to be concave for purposes of this document.
Alternatively, dispensing spout 22 could be provided with a substantially flat upper surface in which the orifice 24 is centrally defined.
In the embodiment of the invention that is shown in
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
