Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6382443
-
Patent Number
6,382,443
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, April 28, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 7, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Young; Lee
- Hylton; Robin A.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 215 252
- 215 329
- 215 44
- 215 330
- 215 331
- 215 258
- 220 288
- 264 268
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A tamper-indicating closure of integrally molded plastic construction that includes a base wall having a peripheral skirt with internal threads for engaging external threads on a container finish. A tamper-indicating band is connected to the edge of the skirt by a plurality of circumferentially spaced integral frangible bridges. A stop flange extends axially outwardly and radially inwardly from an edge of the band remote from the skirt for inversion and engagement with a bead on the container finish. The stop flange is in the form of a circumferentially continuous base of uniform thickness circumferentially of the band, and either uniform or increasing thickness radially and axially of the band. A plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs are integral with and extend from the base. The lugs widen uniformly from zero thickness at the band to a maximum thickness at the free edge of the flange. The lugs are thus disposed for opposed abutting engagement with the Al diameter of the container finish beneath the A bead on the container finish. The channels or serrations between the lugs permit drainage of liquid from the area between the skirt and the container finish.
Description
The present invention relates to tamper-indicating closures, to methods of manufacturing such closures, and to a package that includes such a closure on a container.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is conventional to form a tamper-indicating closure having a band connected to the skirt of the closure by integral frangible bridges or webs. The band has a stop element (e.g., a flange or a bead) that engages a bead on the container to resist unthreading of the closure, so that removal of the closure ruptures the frangible elements that connect the band to the closure skirt. U.S. Patent Re 33,265, assigned to the assignee hereof, discloses a tamper-indicating closure of this character, in which the tamper-indicating band is completely severed from the closure skirt and remains with the container upon removal of the closure from the container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,600, also assigned to the assignee hereof, discloses a tamper-indicating closure in which the tamper-indicating band remains connected to the closure skirt and is removed from the container with the closure.
Although tamper-indicating closures of the types disclosed in the noted patents have enjoyed substantial commercial acceptance and success in the art, further improvements remain desirable. In particular, problems are encountered when employing this type of closure with a container in so-called wet finish applications, in which liquid may spill during or after the filling operation onto the outside surface of the container finish so as to be disposed between the container finish and the closure skirt after capping. Wet finish situations of this type are encountered during hot-fill, cold-fill and aseptic-fill situations, in which the containers are filled close to the brim or to overflow prior to capping. Wet finish situations can also be encountered during filling operations in which liquid may drip from the filling machinery onto the container finish. In wet-finish situations of this type, problems are encountered in connection with draining and drying of the area between the outer surface of the container finish and the closure skirt—i.e., between the threads on the container finish and skirt, and around the tamper-indicating band and the stop element. Liquid trapped within this area can result in growth of mold and mildew. This drainage problem is particularly exacerbated in situations in which the self-resiliency of the closure biases the stop flange into opposed engagement with the so-called A1 diameter of the container finish. While wet finish applications are not usually recommended by closure manufacturers because of the potential for entrapment of product in the closure threads and the consumer problems that result therefrom, the present invention will help alleviate the potential for product entrapment when the product filler finds it necessary to use such a filling process.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a closure and method of manufacture that facilitate drainage of liquid products after filling and capping of the closure and container package. Another and related object of the present invention is to provide a closure and method of manufacture that achieve the foregoing objectives while retaining the advantages of the closures disclosed in the above-noted patents in terms of ease of application to the container finish after filling (lower top load and lower temperature) and whole or partial rupture of the tamper-indicating band from the closure skirt to provide the tamper-indicating feature. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a package, which includes a closure and a container, that is particularly well adapted for use in conjunction with wet finish applications as described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A tamper-indicating closure of integrally molded plastic construction in accordance with presently preferred embodiments of the invention includes a base wall having a peripheral skirt with internal threads for engaging external threads on a container finish. A tamper-indicating band is connected to the edge of the skirt by frangible means such as a plurality of circumferentially spaced integral frangible bridges. A stop flange extends axially outwardly and radially inwardly from an edge of the band remote from the skirt for inversion and engagement with a bead on the container finish. The stop flange is in the form of a circumferentially continuous base of uniform thickness circumferentially of the band, and either uniform or increasing thickness radially and axially of the band. A plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs are integral with and extend from the base. The lugs widen uniformly from zero thickness at the band to a maximum thickness at the free edge of the flange. The lugs are thus disposed for opposed abutting engagement with the A1 diameter of the container finish beneath the A bead on the container finish. The channels or serrations between the lugs permit drainage of liquid from the area between the skirt and the container finish.
In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the lugs are of uniform dimension circumferentially of the flange, and spacing between the lugs is of uniform dimension circumferentially of the flange. The uniform circumferential dimension of the lugs is preferably less than the uniform circumferential spacing between the lugs to enhance the area for drainage of liquid between the flange and the opposing surface of the container finish. The lugs thus serve to space the flange base from the container finish, and to strengthen the flange base upon abutting engagement with the finish A bead during removal of the closure from the container finish. The thickness of the lugs at the free edge of the flange may be either greater than or less than the thickness of the base at the free edge of the flange. Thickness of the flange base may be either uniform axially and radially of the flange, or may increase axially and radially of the flange from the band to the free edge of the flange. The free edge of the flange preferably is circumferentially continuous without scallops or indentation, and lies entirely in a plane parallel to the base wall.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a package is provided that comprises a container having a finish with external threads and an external bead disposed beneath the threads, and a tamper-indicating closure that includes a base wall having a peripheral skirt with internal threads securing the closure to the container. A tamper-indicating band is connected by frangible means to an edge of the skirt, and a stop flange extends axially and radially from an edge of the band remote from the skirt. The stop flange includes a circumferentially continuous base of uniform thickness circumferentially of the band, and either uniform or increasing thickness radially and axially of the band. A plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs integrally extend from the base into opposed abutting engagement with the opposed surface of the container finish beneath the bead. The lugs widen uniformly from zero thickness at the band to a maximum thickness at the free edge of the flange. The present invention also contemplates a method of manufacturing a tamper-indicating closure of the type described in the preceding paragraph.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of filling and capping a container includes the step of providing a container having a finish with external threads and an external bead, and filling the container with liquid to a brim of the finish. A closure is then applied to the container finish, with the closure having a base wall, a skirt with internal threads, a band connected to the skirt by frangible means, and a flange extending from the band for engagement with the container bead. To facilitate drainage of liquid from between the closure skirt and the container finish, the flange on the closure is provided in the form of a circumferentially continuous base of uniform thickness circumferentially of the band, and either uniform or increasing thickness radially and axially of the flange. A plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs are formed integrally with and extend from the base for abutting engagement with an opposing surface of the container finish beneath the bead. The lugs widen uniformly radially and axially of the flange from zero thickness at the band to a maximum thickness at the free edge of the flange.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention, together with additional objects, features and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a fragmentary perspective view of a container and closure package in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2
is a fragmentary sectional view that illustrates the container finish and closure in the package of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a partially sectioned side elevational view of the closure in the package of
FIGS. 1 and 2
as molded—i.e., before stop flange inversion;
FIG. 4
is a fragmentary sectional view of the portion of the closure within the circle
4
in
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a fragmentary plan view taken from the direction
5
—
5
in
FIG. 4
;
FIG. 6
is a fragmentary sectional view that bisects a closure and container finish in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 7
is a partially sectioned side elevational view of the closure in the package of
FIG. 6
as molded;
FIG. 8
is a fragmentary sectional view of the portion of
FIG. 7
within the circle
8
;
FIG. 9
is a fragmentary plan view taken from the direction
9
—
9
in
FIG. 8
; and
FIG. 10
is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line
10
—
10
in FIG.
7
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1-3
illustrate a package
20
in accordance with one presently preferred embodiment of the invention as comprising a container
22
of glass or molded plastic construction and a tamper-indicating closure
24
threaded thereon. Container
22
has an axially extending finish
26
for receiving closure
24
. Closure
24
has a flat base wall
30
on which a sealing liner
32
is secured. An annular peripheral skirt
34
extends downwardly from closure base wall
30
, and has an internal thread
36
for securing closure
24
over an external thread
28
on container
22
. (Direction adjectives such as “downwardly” are taken with reference to the vertical orientation of the container and closure illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
.) A tamper-indicating band
38
is secured to the lower end of skirt
34
, being separated therefrom by a circumferential score
40
. Tamper-indicating band
38
is coupled to closure skirt
34
by a circumferentially spaced array of frangible bridges
41
(FIGS.
2
and
3
). Bridges
41
preferably are formed during the scoring operation, as described in patents referenced hereinafter. Alternatively, the bridges may be molded onto the inside surface of skirt
34
and band
38
, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,422 and 4,418,828. Alternatively, but less preferably, band
38
may be connected to skirt
34
by one or more thin frangible webs integrally molded with the closure. A stop flange
42
extends radially inwardly and axially upwardly (
FIG. 2
) from the lower end of band
38
to a position beneath a radially outwardly extending bead
43
on container
22
beneath threads
28
. Bead
43
is sometimes called the container transfer bead or the A bead, referring to the fact that bead
43
defines the A dimension of the container finish.
Closure
24
may be injection molded, or may be compression molded as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,327. Liner
32
may be separately formed, or more preferably compression molded in situ within a preformed closure as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,984,703 and 5,451,360. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,488,888, 5,522,293 and 5,564,319 disclose techniques for forming score
40
and bridges
41
in the scoring operation. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,755,347 and Re 33,265 disclose techniques for inverting stop flange
42
from the as-molded configuration of
FIG. 3
to the configuration of
FIG. 2
ready for use. All patents noted herein, assigned to the assignee hereof, are incorporated herein by reference for purposes of background.
FIGS. 3-8
illustrate closure
24
as molded—i.e., before inversion of stop flange
42
, formation of score line
40
and molding of liner
32
. Stop flange
42
in accordance with one aspect of the present invention comprises a circumferentially continuous base
44
on which a plurality of lugs
46
are integrally molded. Flange base
44
in the embodiment of
FIGS. 1-5
is of uniform thickness both circumferentially of flange
42
, and radially and axially of flange
42
. Thus the radially and axially outer surface of base
44
is parallel to the radially and axially inner surface thereof, as best seen in FIG.
4
. Lugs
46
are of identical and uniform circumferential dimension as best seen in
FIGS. 3 and 5
, and widen or thicken axially and radially of flange
42
from zero thickness at the juncture of flange
42
with band
38
, to a maximum thickness at the free edge of flange
42
. As best seen in
FIG. 5
, circumferentially spacing between lugs
46
preferably is greater than the circumferential dimension of lugs
46
. Lugs
46
serve not only to space flange base
43
from the container finish as will be described, but also to strengthen the flange
42
during abutting engagement with finish bead
43
during frangible separation of band
38
from skirt
34
. It is presently preferred that lugs
46
occupy minimum circumferential dimension of flange
42
consistent with this strengthening function.
As best seen in
FIG. 2
, following inversion of flange
42
and securement of closure
24
to container
22
, lugs
46
are urged by internal resiliency of the closure material into opposed abutting engagement with the opposing surface at the so-called A1 diameter of the container finish beneath bead
44
. The circumferentially spaced lugs
46
thus serve to space base
44
of flange
42
radially outwardly from the opposed container finish surface, thereby providing intervening serrations or channels for drainage of liquid that might otherwise be captured between the closure skirt and the container finish. The spaced lugs
46
thus function to form serrations or channels between the lugs for drainage of liquid.
FIGS. 6-10
illustrate a closure/container package
50
in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Elements in
FIGS. 6-10
that are identical or similar to elements in the embodiment of
FIGS. 1-5
are indicated by correspondingly identical reference numerals, while modified elements are indicated by corresponding reference numerals followed by the suffix “a.” Closure
52
in package
50
includes a base wall
30
a
and a peripheral skirt
34
a
. A liner
32
a
is provided on the internal surface of base wall
30
a
, preferably by compression molding in situ as previously described. Whereas liner
32
in
FIG. 2
is of the type illustrated in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/851,821, liner
32
a
in
FIG. 6
is of the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,113 or 5,265,747. It is also contemplated in accordance with the present invention that closure
24
(
FIGS. 1-5
) or closure
52
(
FIGS. 6-10
) may be of the so-called linerless type, embodying a sealing lip as illustrated for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,236. A stop flange
42
a
extends from tamper-indicating band
38
of closure
52
. As best seen in
FIG. 8
, flange
42
a
differs somewhat from flange
42
in
FIG. 4
in that flange base
44
a
is of uniform dimension circumferentially, but thickens or widens radially and axially from tamper-indicating band
38
. Circumferentially spaced lugs
46
a
are of uniform and identical circumferential dimension, as are the gaps or spaces between the lugs, and thicken or widen axially and radially from band
38
to the free edge of flange
42
a
. Thus, flange
42
a
in
FIGS. 6-8
is stronger than
42
in
FIGS. 1-5
, but the serrations or channels formed between the lugs
46
a
are of lesser radial dimension in the embodiment of
FIGS. 6-10
than in the embodiment of
FIGS. 1-5
.
In an exemplary 43 mm embodiment of the closure illustrated in
FIGS. 1-5
, flange base
44
has a nominal thickness of 0.014 inches and a total thickness at the free edge of flange
42
of 0.035 inches. Thus, the thickness of lugs
46
increases from zero at band
38
to about 0.021 inches at the free edge of the flange. The overall axial and radial length of flange
42
is about 0.060 inches. There are thirty-six equally spaced lugs
46
disposed around band
44
in this 43 mm closure embodiment, with each lug
46
having a circumferential dimension of 0.050 inches. In a 38 mm example of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in
FIGS. 6-10
, the thickness of flange base
44
a
at the juncture with band
38
is 0.010 inches, and the overall thickness at the free edge of flange
42
a
is 0.035 inches. There are thirty-two equally spaced lugs
46
a
around the circumference of flange
42
a
, with each lug having a circumferential thickness of 0.059 inches. The overall radial and axial dimension of flange
42
a
is about 0.068 inches. The thickness of flange base
44
a
at the free edge of the flange is 0.021 inches. Thus, lugs
46
a
increase from zero thickness adjacent to band
38
to about 0.014 inches at the free edge of the flange. All exemplary dimensions are nominal.
The embodiment of
FIGS. 6-10
illustrates another feature or aspect of the present invention. Closure
52
is provided with a double internal thread starting 180° apart. Each thread has a circumferential dimension of 250°. A pair of diametrically opposed friction ribs
60
extend radially inwardly from the inside surface of closure skirt
34
a
, and extend axially between adjacent reaches of the internal threads
36
a
. The radial dimension of ribs
60
is less than half the radial depth of closure threads
36
a
. In the illustrated embodiment, the circumferential dimension of each rib
60
is 0.060 inches, and the radial dimension is 0.015 inches. Each rib
60
has rounded circumferential edges for camming engagement with the container threads as closure
52
is threaded onto the finish
26
a
of container
22
a
. Thus, ribs
60
help to maintain frictional engagement between the closure and the container finish as the closure is threaded onto and off of the container. This is particularly useful in conjunction with double-thread closures.
Claims
- 1. A package that comprises a container having a finish with an external thread and an external bead disposed beneath said thread, and a tamper-indicating closure that includes:a base wall having a peripheral skirt with an internal thread securing the closure to said container, a tamper-indicating band connected by frangible means to an edge of said skirt, and a stop flange extending axially toward said base wall and radially inwardly from an edge of said band remote from said skirt for engagement with said bead, said stop flange comprising a circumferentially continuous base extending from said band to a free edge of said flange and being of constant cross section circumferentially entirely around said flange, said free edge being circumferentially continuous and lying entirely in a plane parallel to said base wall, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs integral with and extending axially along said base and radially inwardly from said base, said lugs radially thickening uniformly from zero thickness adjacent to said band to a maximum thickness at a free edge of said flange, each of said lugs being of constant cross section circumferentially of said flange, said lugs at said free edge of said flange being urged by resiliency in said closure into radial abutting engagement with said finish beneath said bead.
- 2. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said lugs are of identical circumferential width.
- 3. The package set forth in claim 2 wherein circumferential spacing between said lugs is uniform around said flange, and wherein said circumferential width of said lugs is less than said circumferential spacing between said lugs.
- 4. The package set forth in claim 3 wherein said base of said stop flange has a constant thickness both circumferentially and radially.
- 5. The package set forth in claim 4 wherein said maximum thickness of said lugs at said free edge of said flange is greater than the thickness of said base at said free edge.
- 6. The package set forth in claim 3 wherein said base has a thickness that increases axially and radially of said flange.
- 7. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said frangible means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced frangible bridges.
- 8. The package set forth in claim 1 wherein said closure further includes a plurality of ribs extending axially between reaches of said thread for frictional engagement with said external thread on said container finish.
- 9. The package set forth in claim 8 wherein said closure comprises a double thread, and wherein said plurality of ribs comprises diametrically opposed ribs.
- 10. The package set forth in claim 9 wherein said ribs have rounded circumferential edges.
- 11. The package set forth in claim 10 wherein said ribs have a radial dimension that is less than that of said thread on said closure.
- 12. A package that comprises a container having a finish with an external thread and an external bead disposed beneath said thread, and a tamper-indicating closure that includes:a base wall having a peripheral skirt with an internal thread securing the closure to said container, a tamper-indicating band connected by frangible means to an edge of said skirt, and a stop flange extending axially toward said base wall and radially inwardly from an edge of said band remote from said skirt for engagement with said bead, said stop flange comprising a circumferentially continuous base extending from said band to a free edge of said flange and being of constant cross section circumferentially entirely around said flange, said base having a thickness that increases axially and radially of said flange, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs integral with and extending axially along said base and radially inwardly from said base, each of said lugs being of constant cross section circumferentially of said flange, said lugs radially thickening uniformly from zero thickness adjacent to said band to a maximum thickness at a free edge of said flange, said lugs being of identical circumferential width, circumferential spacing between said lugs being uniform around said flange, and said circumferential width of said lugs being less than said uniform circumferential spacing between said lugs, said lugs on said stop flange being urged by resiliency in said closure into abutting engagement with an opposing surface of said finish.
- 13. The package set forth in claim 12 wherein said free edge is circumferentially continuous and lies entirely in a plane parallel to said base wall.
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