Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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i P 13 C I F I C A T I 0 N
"8IDE DI8PENSING CLOSUR3~"
133~
FIELD OF T~E INlIENTION -:
This invention relates to container closures and more
particularly to a side dispensing pivoted top container closure. ~;
PRIOR ART -~
Containers are normally fitted with closure caps which
are frequently molded plastic cap members. Numerous examples :~
exist of such molded closures equipped with dispensing tops ;~:~
including devices where a portion of the end piece or top of the :~
dispensing cap is pivotable from a closed position to an open
dispensing position. Such dispensing tops normally provide for ~-
contents dispensing in a direction substantially normal to the
: plane of the end face of the cap. Frequently, however,
: containers are provided with side dispensing openings, ~:~
particularly where the container is provided for dry, shakeable ~-
ingredients such as, for example, grass seed, rock salt or the ~ .
like. Often such side dispensing openings are formed as tear
away portions of the container and such tear away portions may `:~
include both a portion of a side wall of the container and a
portion of a top wall of the container.
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More recently, plastics material containers have been
used for packaging such products and it is frequently not
desirable to provide tear away portions for such containers.
- Such containers, once opened, may not thereafter adequately
protect the remaining contents from environmental conditions,
such as moisture. Equipping such containers with shakeable
dispenser caps having top openings generally requires the
container be held in an inverted position. This is frequently
awkward and can result in undesired dispensing patterns and ;
difficulty in achieving proper flow control.
Chute type pivoted side dispensers are also known to the
art, such as the classic table salt container utilizing a small
pivotable (generally metal) chute forming member attached to the
top of the container which can be pivoted to define a pouring
chute providing a opening between the top of the pivoted member
and side walls which depend from the top and extend into the ;~
interior of the container. Such chute-like dispensers have
generally not been adapted for shaking type dispensing, nor do ~i~
they have a reinforcing web interconnecting the bottom of the
slde walls, nor do they have multiple chute orifices, nor do they
have means to provide multiple sized openings, nor have they
generally been designed to extend directly to the periphery of ;
the cap. ;
It would therefore be an improvement in the art to
provide a container closure cap that has a hinged top and chute-
like side dispenser means to provide a side pour dispenser which
is particularly applicable for shake dispensing.
It would be a further improvement in the art to provide
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a molded plastic side pour container cap which cap is capable
of side dispensing via a hinged chute-like top lid portion which
opens adjacent the periphery of the cap and has a reinforcing
web.
5 SUMMARY OF ~HE IlNVENTION
The present invention provides a container closure cap
which is preferably a one-piece molded plastic cap. The cap
includes a skirt portion which may be provided with female
threads for attachment to the male threaded neck of a container
and a top surface. The top surface lid is connected to the skirt
to preferably form a hat~like closure cap. The top has a hinged
lid portion which may be formed with a living hinge and which
extends to adjacent the periphery of the top surface. The hinged
lid portion has a top lid wall with depending side walls which,
together with th~ hinged top lid wall, define a chute-like
dispensing opening adjacent to periphery of the top surface.
Internal divider walls are preferably provided to define a
plurality of chute-like dispensers. A reinforcing web member
joins the lower portion o~ the side walls and divider walls to
define plurality of dispensing orifices. The divider walls are
substantially parallel to each other. Stop members may be
provided ~or locking the lid in several open and closed
positions. A lip on the lid overlies the periphery of the hat-
like extension to allow the hinged lid to be readily opened. The
bottom web preferably has stop means thereon to prevent the lid
from opening beyond the bottom of the web.
In this manner we provide a one piece molded plastic
container closure adapted for side dispensing which has at least
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one and preferably a plurality of chute-like dispensing orifices
which open substantially at the periphery of the closure so as
to facilitate side dispensing o~ the ingredients contained within
the container. If desired, one or more of the side walls or
divider walls may be provided with beads or ribs which can
cooperate with portions of the container periphery or with an
inturned lip thereat, to retain the dispensing opening in various
open or closed positions.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to
provide an improved side dispensing container closure or cap.
It is a specific object of this invention to provide an
improved one-piece molded plastic container closure or cap
adapted for side dispensing of the container's contents through
a dispensing opening formed adjacent a peripheral edge of the
closure and by a plurality of chute-like dispensers formed as
part of a hinged lid which is hinged to the closure top by a
living hinge. The hinged lid has side walis, at least one
internal divider wall between the side walls and a web
interconnecting the bottom portions of the side walls and divider
walls to define a plurality of dispensing orifices and having
projections whiah interfit with other portions of the top to
retain the hinged portions selectively opened or closed.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention
will be readily apparent from the following description of a
preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may
be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the
novel concepts of the disclosure, and in which:
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION ~F THE DRAWING~
Figure 1 is a fragmentary prospective view of a container
eguipped with closure cap of this invention with the dispensing
- orifice open.
5Figure 2 is a top plan view of the closure cap of Figure
1.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines
3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines
loof 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side view with portions broken away to show
underlying portions of a container closure cap of Fiyure 1.
Figure 6 is a sectional view taken from the ~ront of the
container closure adjacent the dispensing openings substantially
15along the lines of 6-6 of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken
substantially along the lines of 7-7 of Figure 2.
Figure 8 is a enlarge.d fragmentary sectional view
substantially along the lines of 8-8 of Figure 2 with the
20dispensing orifice closed.
Figure 9 is a side plan view of the container closure of
Figure 1 illustrating the position in which the closure may be
molded and, by dotted lines showing closure of the chute
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dispensing mechanism. ~.
25Figure 10 is a fragmentary prospective view of a
container equipped with another closure cap of this invention
with the dispensing orifice open.
Figure 11 is a top plan view of the closure cap of Fi.gure
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10 .
Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines
of 12-12 of Fig. 11.
Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the liens
of 13-13 of Fig. 12.
Figure 14 is a side view with portions broken away to
show underlying portions of a container closure cap of Fig. 10.
Figure 15 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken
from the front of the container closure of a sidewall of the
hinged portion substantially along the lines of 15-15 of Fig.
14.
Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially
along the lines of 16-16 of FIG. 14.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED ~MBODIMENTS
Figure 1 illustrates a container 10 equipped with a one-
piece molded plastic or closure cap 11. The particular shape
of the container has no importance to this invention except that
it is equipped with a open ended throat 12 which may have a means
for affixing a closure to the container formed thereon. In the
20 further discussion of the preferred embodiment the fixing means
on the closure is shown as including female threads 13 which
would index with male threads on the neck of the container.
Alternatively other types of cooperating fasteners may be used
such as a snap-on béad fasteners or the like.
The type of container sought to be illustrated is a dry
goods container generally molded of plastic which has recently
;~ become popular for ingredients designed to be shaken such as
grass seed, road salt, fertilizer and the like. Such containers
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are generally large and they may hold a quart or more of product
to be dispensed.
The particular closure of this invention is particularly
well adapted for use with dry ingredient and dispensing and
particularly of that type of dry ingredient which is most
advantageously dispensed by a back and forth sweeping or shaking
motion of the container.
However, the container and closure may be sized for finer
materials sucA as spices, powders, and even liquics such as
syrups, oils and shampoos.
The closure body is illustrated as hat-like with a
depending peripheral skirt 15 on which the internal female
threads 13 are formed. The top 16 is formed as a generally hat-
like extension extending upwardly from the skirt but positioned
inwardly therefrom and spaced from the periphery of the skirt by
a ledge section 17. The ledge 17 may overlie the rim of the
container. The hat-like extension includes an annular peripheral
wall portion 18 and a top end wall 19. Such hat-liXe closures
are common in the industry. The closure, including the skirt 15,
the ledge 17, the periphery wall 18 and the top end wall 19 is
circular although if desired other shapes could be employed as
will be apparent to those skilled in the art. An annular skirt
is preferred because the closure is generally adapted for
containers hav~ a circular neck.
The top end wall 19 is provided with a hinged lid portion
20 which occupies more than half of the top wall 19. The lid
is pivotally connected to the top end wall through a living hinge
connection 21. As illustrated, the hinged lid portlon fits in ~ -
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a dispensing aperture or an opening 90 in the top 19. The lid
extends from the hinge to the periphery 27 and is defined by
converging sidewalls 25 and 26 which generally coverage from the
hinge to the periphery 27. The width of the hinge and the width
5 of the opening at the periphery are predetermined depending on
what material is to be dispensed and on what container the
closure is to be used. The hinged lid 20 is provided in the
manner of a flap or leaf which is attached to the top wall only
at the living hinge.
~he undersurface 29 of the hinged lid portion is provided
with a plurality of divider walls 30 which, in the preferred
embodiment are parallel to each other but at a slight angle to
the converging sidewalls. The divider walls (30) may be of
uniform thickness or of varying thickness. As illustrated in
15 Figure 4, each dividing wall 30 has a narrow tail end 31 and a
wider forward end 32 ad~acent the forward end of the hinged lid
20. The dividing walls 30 terminate short of the foremost
pro~ection or periphery 27 of the hinged lid 20 which foremost
pro~ection overlies and extends beyond the peripheral top 36 of
20 the wall 18 to form an opening lip 35. A portion of the wall 18
underlying the lip may be recessed as at 38 to facilitate
insertion of the portion of the finger to pry open the hinged lid
20.
Sidewalls 40 and ~llextend downwardly from the top surface~
25 42 of the hinged lid at the sides 25 and 26. Both the sidewalls
40 and 41 and the dividing walls 30 are wedgeshaped such that
they pro~ect below the undersurface 29 to a greater extent
ad~acent the dispensing peripheral opening 27 and decrease in
height towards the living hinge portion. The sidewalls 40 and
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41 may extend all the way back to the living hinge and are sized
to provide side walls when the lid is in all of its open
operating positions. The side walls generally slidably contact
the ~ides of thP dispensing aperture 90 80 as to provide the
desired chute~like dispenser. The dividing walls 30 may be
terminated intermediate the fronts 32 of the ribs and the living
hinge and may therefore have a greater angle of wedge inclination
than the sidewalls.
As best illustrated in Figure 6 the walls 30 and
sidewalls 40 and 41 are all interconnected at the dispensing end
of the hinged flap section 20 at thelr bottoms by a reinforcing
web member 50.
As illustrated in Figure 7, the web member 50 has a
projecting latch portion 51. This is designed to underlie in
an inturned lip portion 52. The lip 52 is at the top 36 of the
periphery wall 18 and is sized to form a catch that with the
latches 51 limit~ the opening of the lid. Additionally, one
or more of the dividing walls 30 may be provided with latch beads
55 which are dimensioned to underlie and overlie respectively the
inturned lip 52 as the lid 20 is moved towards a wider or
narrower opening. The beads 55 cooperate with optimally
pro~ecting bead ribs 57 formed on the sidewalls 40 and 41. The
bead ribs 57, as shown in Figure 8, cooperate with a downturned
!
lip 58 formed on the undersurface 59 of the top 19 at the sides
25 and 26 of the dispensing opening 90 formed for receipt of the
hinged lid 20. I~ this manner a plurality of opened positions
can be provided allowing the hinged lid to be snapped into
greater and lesser opened positions. In the most fully closed ~;
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position both the topmost of the beads 55 and the topmost of the
bead ribs 57 cooperate with their respective opposed surfaces of
the lips 52 and 58 to maintain the dispensing flap closed.
As illustrated in Figure 9 the closure of this invention
may be formed in a single molding most expeditiously by molding
the hinge portion elevated out of the opening in the top 19 into
which it is to fit. Thereafker by forring the web latch 51 which
may be formed with a series of spaced stop ribs 70 best shown in
Figure 6, past the inturn lip 52, the pivoted flap section 20 can
then be inserted into operable position in the remainder of khe
closure cap. It will be appreciated that this forcing can occur
because the cap will be formed of a rigid but partially yieldable
plastics material.
It will be seen that by forming the inturned lip 52 of
relatively small dimensions extending directly inwardly from the
periphery of wall 18 that the actual dispensing opening 90 will
lie substantially at the periphery of the hat~like top. Again,
by maintaining the ledge 17 relatively small, or even
nonexistent, the actual dispensing will occur at the periphery.
Moreover it will be appreciated that the hinged lid 20 when in
an open position defines a chute-like dispenser defined by the
undersurface 29, the sidewalls 40 and 41 and/or internal chute
divider walls 30 and web 50. This provides a plurality of chute-
¦ like dispensing passages 33 (Figure 6). This chute-likè
¦ 25 dispensing, particularly when coupled with the variable opening
settings provided by the ribs 55 and/or rib beads 57 allows very
effective dispensing especially of dry or granular material from
the container.
I
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However, when the flap is closed, it is held in a secure
closed position by the beads 55 and bead ribs 57 to insure
against accidental spillage and to act as a protective closure
for the contents. It will be appreciated that by rounding or
inclining the surfaces of the beads 55 adjacent to their latch
slots as illustrated, and by rounding the top and bottom surfaces
of the bead ribs 57, that an over center snapping action can be
provided for during closing to maintain the actual pivoted flap
in a secure closed position with the container being tightly
closed at the dispensing opening with the projecting lip 35
pressed against the top surface 36.
By properly sizing the position of the sidewalls 40 and
41, little or no gap will exist between the downturn lip 58 and
the sidewalls.
In addition a seal-like connection can be provided at
the top of the bead ribs to the sidewall. If desired the bead
ribs can be extended to enhance that seal. Alternatively, if
desired, the lid can extend slightly beyond the sidewalls and a
corresponding portion of the top end wall 19 ad~acent the sides
25 and 26 can be races6ed to facilitate the seal. It will be
appreciated that the skirt portion 18 is recessed at the top at
the portion overlied by the lip 35 as illustrated at 36 in Figure
3. A similar rece6sing can extend along the sidewalls if desired.
. . . . .
To reiterate, one of the embodiments of our invention
has a side dispensing closure 11 for a container 10. The closure
body has a top end wall 19, bounded by a skirt 15. The skirt has
internal means 13 to attach the closure to the container. A
relatively large aperture 90 is formed in the top end wall to
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permit the dispen6ing of pourable product carried in the
container. A hinged lid 20 is integrally attached to the top end
wall 19 to open and close the aperture 90. The lid 20 has a rear
21, front 27 and two sides 25, 26 with its rear being hinged to
5 the top wall and said front 27 extending beyond the periphery of
the top wall to form a lip 35. A pair of side walls 40, 41
¦ depending from the sides of the lid and are adapted to move in
the aperture 90 when said lid is pivoted from an open position
to a closed position. The lid ha~ at least one separate dividing
10 wall 30 depending from the undersurface of the lid, spaced a
predetermined distance from each of the said walls and a
reinforcing web 50 interconnecting the bottom front portions of
tne side walls and dividing wall. The dividing wall, side walls,
lid and web forming at least two chute-like dispensing orifices
15 33. When more than one dividing wall is used, they preferably
extend parallel to each other. The side walls and dividing walls
have front ends 44 and 34 respectively. The front ends 34 and ;~
44 have a height which extend the entire opening of the orifices ;~
33. Preferably at least one side wall has a latch mechanism 55 ~i
20 to hold the lid in a desired position.
In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated generally in Fig.
10 the container 10 i9 equipped with a closure ~1. The closure
cap 61 has female threads 13 on the closure skirt 15 which would
index with male threads on the neck of the container.
25 Alternatively as noted above other types of fasteners may be used
;
such as a snap-on bead fastener or the like.
The closure as illustrated in Figs. 10-12 has a depending
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peripheral skirt 15 on which the internal female threads 13 are
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formed. The top 16 is formed as a generally hat~like extension
extending upwardly from the skirt but positioned ln~ardly
therefrom and spaced from the periphery of the skirt by a ledge
section 17. The ledge section may overlie the rim of the
5 container. The hat-like extension includes a peripheral wall
portion 18 and a top portion 19. The closure, including the
skirt 15, the ledge 17, the periphery 18 and the top 19 is
circular although if desired other shapes, except for the skirt
15, could be employed as will be apparent to those skilled in the
10 art.
The top 19 is provided with a hinged lid portion 60
which occupies less than half of the top wall 19. The lid is
connected to the remaining portions of the top wall through a
living hinge connection 62 which extends chordally of the top and
15 is positioned such that the hinged portion occupies a substantial
portion of the area of the top. When the periphery 18 is
circular, as in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the hinge
connection in this embodiment is located at the diameter of the
top 19 80 that all generated curves, as will be described in
20 greater detail below, can be generated with the hinges
connections as the centerpoint. As illustrated, hinged portion
fits in an opening 84 in the top 19. The lid extends from the
hinge to the periphery and is defined by converging sidewalls 65
and 66. Thelside walls ! at dispensing periphery 67 are spaced
25 apart a considerable distance. The hinged portion 60 is provided
in the manner of a flap or leaf which is attached to the top wall
!; only at the living hinge 62.
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` An undersurface 68 of the hinged portion iis provided with
a plurality of divider walls rib~ 69 which, in the preferred
embodiment are parallel to each other but at a slight angle to
the converging sidewalls 65, 66. The divider walls are wedge
5 shaped with varying height such that, as illustrated in FIG. 12,
each wall 69 has a short end 71 near the hinge connection 62 and
a taller forward end 72 adjacent the dispensing periphery of the
opening 84. The walls 69 terminate short of a foremost
projection 73 of the hinged lid 60 which foremost projection
10 overlies and extends significantly beyond a peripheral top 36 of
the periphery 18 to form an opening lid (FIG. 14).
Sidewalls 74 and 75 extend downwardly from the top surface
76 to the hinged lid at the sides 65 and 66. Both the sidewalls
74 and 75 and the dividing walls 69 are wedge-shaped such that
15 they pro~ect below the undersurface 68 to a greater e~tent
. ad~acent the dispensing peripheral opening 67 and decrease in
height towards the living hinge portion 62. The sidewalls 74 and
: 75 have a lesser angle of wedge inclination than the walls 69.
The ~ide wall angle of inclination would normally cause the
. 20 sidewalls to extend rearwardly beyond hinge. Thus near a rear
. terminal end 76, 77 of the sidewalls there is a recessed portion
: 78, 79 which angles rapidly toward the undersurface 68 of the
hinged lid 60. When the hinged lid is in a normal full open
position, as shown in FIGI. 12, the bottom edge of the sidewall
. 25 is below the undersurface of the top end wall 19. In this
manner, the sidewalls 74, 75 will always remain captured in the
. opening in the top 19 so that closing of the hinged lid will be
,
easy to accomplish.
The ~idewalls 74, 75 are preferably formed as sections of
. a cone, as best seen in FIG. 15, such that the walls 74, 75
. 14
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are bowed outwardly slightly along a height of the walls to
maintain the outer surface of the walls in tight sealing contact
with the opening sides 65, 66 in the top wall 19 of the closure
as the hinged portion 60 moves between an open and closed
position.
As best illustrated in FIG. 16 the dividing walls 69 and
sidewalls 74 and 75 are all interconnected at the dispensing end
of the hinged flap 60 at their bottoms by a web member 80. The
web member 80 has a projecting latch portions 70 which are
designed to underlie an inturned lip portion 52 at the top 36
of the periphery 18 to form a catch that with the latches 70
limits the opening of the hinged lid.
Additionally, one or more of the dividing walls 69 may
be provided with detentes 81 which are formed by elongated
integral ribs 82 formed on the arcuate ends of one or more of
, the dividing walls. The ribs 82 are sized and dimensioned so
that the detentes 81 engage the inturned lip 52 as the hinged
lid 60 is moved towards a wider or narrower opening. In this
manner a plurality of opened positions can be provided allowing
the hinged lid to be shaped into greater and lesser opened
i positions. In the most fully closed position the topmost of the
detentes 81 cooperates with the opposed surface of the lip 52 to
maintain the dispensing lid or flap 60 closed.
As illustrated in phantom in FIG. 12, the closure cap of
this invention may be formed in a single molding most
expeditiously by molding the hinged portion elevated out of the
opening in the top 19 into which it is to fit. Thereafter by
~ ~ forcing the web latches 70 which may be formed as a series of
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spaced ribs best shown in FIG. 16, pas-t the inturned lip 52, the
pivoted flap 60 can then be inserted into operable position in
the remainder of the closure. It will be appreciated that this
forcing can occur because the cap will be formed of a rigid but
partially yieldable plastics material. Further, the hinged lid
60 may also be reopened to the phantom position of FIG. 12 by
forcing the latches 70 past the inturned lip 52, for example, to
provide greater access to the interior of the container for a
utensil such as a spoon.
It will he seen that by forming the inturned lip 52 of
relatively small dimensions extending directly inwardly from the
periphery 18 that the actual dispensing opening 83 will lie
substantially at the periphery of the hat-like top. Again, by
maintaining the ledge 17 relatively small, or even nonexistent,
the actual dispensing will occur at the periphery. Moreover it
will be appreciated that the hinged lid 60 when in an open
position defines a plurality of chute-like passages defined by
the undersurface 68, sidewalls 74 and 75, dividing walls 69 and
reinforcing web 50. This chute-like dispensing, particularly
when coupled witn the variable opening settings provided by the
detentes 81 allows very effective dispensing of material from the
container.
However, when the flap is closed, it is held in a secure
closed position by the top detentes ~1 to insure against
,...
accidental spillage and to act as a protective closure for the
contents. By properly sizing the position of the sidewalls 74
and 75, when the lid is closed, little or no gap will exist
between the lid 60 and its adjacent walls. If desired, the
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I actual lid can extend slightly beyond the sidewalls 74, 75 (as
I at 85 in FIG. 15) to facilitate the seal. It will be appreciated
that the skirt por~ion 18 is recessed at the top at the portion
overlaid by the lip 73 as illustrated at 84 in FIG. 1.
It will therefore be seen from the above embodiments that
this invention provides an improved side dispensing container
closure having a hinged lid which is constructed to provide
chute-like dispensing passages.
While two embodiments have been shown, modifications and
changes may become apparent to those skilled in the art which
shall fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. It is
intended that such modifications and changes be covered by the
attached claims.
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