This invention relates to closures for use in flexible containers or pouches that generally contain food products.
Various closures have been used for sealing flexible pouches containing liquids, pastes, gels and similar products. Some closures are designed for single use, meaning that once the cap is removed from the spout on the closure, the contents are to be fully consumed and the cap is not designed to be placed back on the spout. In the other instance, the closure is designed to re-seal the spout and to preserve the contents remaining in the pouch.
In either instance, the closure presents a potential safety issue. In some prior art devices, when the top or cap is removed, the closure leaves a band around the opening or spout. Children can attempt to remove it with their teeth, or the band can sometimes be easily pulled off. The band may be swallowed or worse, presents a choking hazard. Applicant's invention provides a removable top or cap that, when removed from the spout, leaves no band around the spout.
Another problem with some prior art devices is that when the cap is removed, it is free to be discarded. However, the removed cap also presents a safety hazard to small children who may swallow the cap. Applicant's invention provides a removable cap, that when removed from the spout, is still attached by a hinge member to the closure.
Another problem with past closures is that if they are designed to re-seal the container, there is often no visual indication the cap was partially or completely removed and then placed back onto the spout. This again presents a safety hazard as one would want to know if the contents are fresh or have been exposed to the atmosphere or, even worse, if the contents of the pouch have been tampered with.
Applicant's invention provides a means by which there is visual indication that the cap has been removed and then placed back onto the spout. Applicant's cap provides such a visual indicator. There is a window section in the cap that has a filament or bridge forming the bottom of the window. This filament is broken when the cap is unscrewed and removed.
Turning first to
The cap 12 has a substantially cylindrical sidewall and further has a tab 16 extending out from the sidewall, the tab 16 being the portion grasped by the person that intends to open the closure 10 to access the contents of the pouch. The tab 16 is preferably formed as part of the cap 12 but may be separately manufactured and attached to the cap 12.
The spout 14 as seen in
Additional details of the spout 14 are more clearly illustrated in
As seen in
The cap 12 has a pair of rectangular openings 34 at the base of the cap 12. The rectangular openings have a bottom filament or element 36. As best seen in
In order to open the closure 10, the user holds the pouch in one hand and with the opposite hand lifts the tab 16. Additionally, the user may simultaneously twist the cap 12 which may assist as the user raises the tab 16. Sufficient force is applied by the user so that the filament 36 ruptures along the reduced thickness portion 38 and the cap 12 can be lifted from the top portion 15 of the spout 14. When the cap 12 is fully removed, the cap 12 is still tethered to the spout 14 by the flexible strap 18, thus remaining with the closure 10 and pouch. The ruptured filament 36 gives a visual indication that the cap has been opened.
Thus, there has been provided a tamper evident closure that can, be used with flexible containers or pouches that generally contain food products and provides a visual indication if the closure has been opened. While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application is based on and claims priority of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/597,528 filed Dec. 12, 2017.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62597528 | Dec 2017 | US |