Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TOGGLE-ACTING DISPENSING CLOSURE
WITH PREMATURE ACTUATION PREVENTION MEANS
Background of the Invention
A variety of dispensing closures for containers for
consumer use are currently available. One such closure which
combines highly effective operation with desirable aesthetics
is a toggle-acting closure in which the actuator is mounted for
pivotal movement between a closed non-dispensing position and
an open dispensing position.
One difficulty which is sometimes encountered with
such closures is premature actuation of such closures during
shipping and handling. Thus the closure may inadvertently or
accidently be moved to the open dispensing position, resulting
in spillage of the contents and damage of the container as a
saleable item. Further such a closure may typically be
deliberately opened without itself providing evidence of
opening having occurred.
It would therefore be of advantage to provide an
2o improved toggle-acting closure in which the possibility of
undesirable leakage would be substantially reduced, and in
which premature deliberate actuation would be clearly
evidenced, all without changing or affecting the operation of
the closure and associated container, and without otherwise
significantly changing the structure and the ease of initial
actuation of the closure.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there
is provided a toggle-acting dispensing closure for securance to
a container, and which is resistant to premature actuation
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during shipping and handling prior to purchase and which
evidences access to the contents of the container comprising: a
body having a rear wall portion defining a fingerwell that is
open upwardly and outwardly at the top of the body, said rear
wall portion having an outwardly downwardly inclined upper
surface, said fingerwell accommodating an inwardly extending
finger during actuation of said closure; an actuator defining a
discharge passage located opposite said fingerwell, said
actuator being mounted on said body for pivotal movement of the
actuator on the body normally in response to a force applied to
a finger pad portion of said actuator at a first location on
said actuator adjacent said fingerwell for movement of the
actuator between a closed, non-dispensing position and an open
dispensing position; and removable tear tab means joined
integrally via severable frangible bridging means with said
actuator and located oppositely from said discharge passage,
said tear tab means being positioned adjacent said finger pad
portion and between said body and said actuator to prevent
pivotal movement of said actuator on said body prior to removal
of said tear tab means, said tear tab means including a
peripherally oriented segment extending along said actuator in
the closed position adjacent said fingerwell and a tear tab
portion which overlies said rear wall portion upper surface,
said tear tab portion having a generally complementary
downwardly inclined lower surface, whereby when said tear tab
means is removed by severing said frangible means, said
actuator may be pivoted to said open dispensing position in
response to the application of said force to said finger pad
portion.
In one form of the invention the frangible bridging
means comprises a continuing web means integral with the
actuator.
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According to another aspect there is provided a
toggle-acting dispensing closure for securance to a container,
and which is resistant to premature actuation during shipping
and handling prior to purchase and which evidences access to
the contents of the container comprising: a body having a rear
wall portion defining a fingerwell that is open upwardly and
outwardly at the top of the body for accommodating an inwardly
extending finger during actuation of said closure; an actuator
defining a discharge passage located opposite said fingerwell,
said actuator being mounted on said body for pivotal movement
of the actuator on the body normally in response to a force
applied to a finger pad portion of said actuator at a first
location on said actuator adjacent said fingerwell for movement
of the actuator between a closed, non-dispensing position and
an open dispensing position; and removable tear tab means
joined integrally via severable frangible bridging means with
said actuator and located oppositely from said discharge
passage, said tear tab means being positioned adjacent said
finger pad portion and between said body and said actuator to
prevent pivotal movement of said actuator on said body prior to
removal of said tear tab means, said tear tab means including a
circumferentially oriented segment and an out-turned finger
grippable end portion, said frangible bridging means comprising
a continuous web means integral with said actuator adjacent the
top of said body rear wall portion that defines part of said
fingerwell, said tear tab means projecting upwardly from and
overlying the top of said body rear wall portion that defines
part of said fingerwell, said tear tab means being oriented
upwardly and being spaced outwardly away from said actuator and
body rear wall and located adjacent said actuator in the closed
position, and said top of said body rear wall portion and a
lower confronting portion of said tear tab means being
contoured to be complementary to each other, whereby when said
tear tab means is removed by severing said frangible means,
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said actuator may be pivoted to said open dispensing position
in response to the application of said force to said finger pad
portion.
According to another aspect there is provided a
toggle-acting dispensing closure for securance to a container,
and which is resistant to premature actuation during shipping
and handling prior to purchase and which evidences access to
the contents of the container comprising: a body; an actuator
defining a discharge passage and being mounted on said body for
pivotal movement of the actuator on the body normally in
response to a force applied to a finger pad portion of said
actuator at a first location on said actuator for movement of
the actuator between a closed, non-dispensing position and an
open dispensing position; and upwardly projecting removable
tear tab means integrally joined via severable frangible
bridging means only with said body, and located oppositely from
said discharge passage adjacent said finger pad portion of said
actuator, said tear tab means including a circumferentially
oriented segment and an out-turned finger grippable end
portion, said actuator overlying said tear tab means to prevent
pivotal movement of said actuator on said body prior to removal
of said tear tab means, whereby when said tab tears means is
removed by severing said frangible means, said actuator may be
pivoted to said open dispensing position in response to the
application of said force to said finger pad portion.
According to yet another aspect there is provided a
toggle-acting dispensing closure for securance to a contained,
and which is resistant to premature actuation during shipping
and handling prior to purchase and which evidence access to the
contents of the container comprising: a body having a rear wall
portion defining a fingerwell that is open upwardly and
outwardly at the top of the body for accommodating an inwardly
extending finger during actuation of said closure; an actuator
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defining a discharge passage located opposite said fingerwell,
said actuator being mounted on said body for pivotal movement
of the actuator on the body normally in response to a force
applied to a finger pad portion of said actuator at a first
location on said actuator adjacent said fingerwell for movement
of the actuator between a closed, non-dispensing position and
an open dispensing position; and removable tear tab means
joined via severable frangible bridging means with said
actuator and located oppositely from said discharge passage,
said tear tab means being positioned adjacent said finger pad
portion and between said body and said actuator to prevent
pivotal movement of said actuator on said body prior to removal
of said tear tab means, said frangible bridging means
comprising a continuous web means integral with said actuator
adjacent the top of said body rear wall portion that defines
part of said fingerwell, said tear tab means overlying the top
of said body rear wall portion that defines part of said
fingerwell, said tear tab means being oriented upwardly and
being spaced outwardly away from said actuator and body rear
wall and located adjacent said actuator in the closed position,
and said top of said body rear wall portion and a lower
confronting portion of said tear tab means being contoured to
be complementary to each other, the top of said body rear wall
portion being curved and inclined downwardly and the lower
confronting portion of said tear tab means being complementary
thereto, whereby when said tear tab means is removed by
severing said frangible means, said actuator may be pivoted to
said open dispensing position in response to the application of
said force to said finger pad portion.
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Further objects, features and advantages of
the present invention will become apparent from the
following description and drawings.
Brief Description of The Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closure of
the present invention in a closed, non-dispensing
position;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the closure of
Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken
substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure ~ is an enlarged view of a portion of
Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view like
Figure 4, but with the actuator moved to the dispensing
position; and
Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of an
alternative embodiment of the present invention which is
similar in general construction to the closure of
Figures 1-5.
Detailed Description
Referring now to the drawings, a toggle-acting
dispensing closure 10 of the present invention includes
a body 12 defining threads 1~1 for threaded securance to
the neck of a container (not shown). Body 14 may be
integrally molded of plastic, such as of polypropylene,
or of polyethylene, polyoxymethylene, polystyrene,
polybutylene, polymethylpentene, and styrene-
acrylonitrile.
An actuator 20 is pivotally mounted on the
body 12 via trunnions 21 which are retained in
conventional recesses 16 defined by the body. ~s such,
the actuator 2D is tocJgle-acting, i.e., is pivotally
moveable about 'the trunnions (and recesses) from the
closed, non-dispensing position shown by Figures 1 to 9,
4
to a conventional open dispensing position illustrated
by Figure 5. Actuator 20 may be integrally molded of
plastic, such as of a polyethylene, or of polypropylene,
polyoxymethylene, polystyrene, polybutylene,
polymethylpentene, and styrene-acrylonitrile.
As best seen in Figure 3, the body 12 defines
a passageway comprising a discharge opening 18 which is
in flow communication with the actuator 20. Actuator 20
defines a flow receiving sleeve 22 which, at its forward
side, defines a dispensing passage 24. When the
actuator 20 is in the non-dispensing position (Figure
3), the passage 24 sealingly engages a front wall
portion 26 of the body 12, preventing discharge through
passage 24. Additionally, the discharge opening 18 in
the body is sealed within the flow-receiving sleeve 22,
as by a sealing post 2B.
When the actuator is toggled or pivoted to the
position represented by Figure 5, as by an actuating
force F applied to a first location such as against the
actuator finger pad 30, the discharge passage 24 will be
positioned above the front wall portion 26 and liquid
will be free to flow from the container through
discharge opening 18, receiving sleeve 22 and discharge
passage 24.
As so far described, the closure 10 is the
same as closures which have been made for some years by
Seaquist Closures, a division of Pittway Corporation.
In accordance with the present invention, a
locking tab means is provided to prevent inadvertent or
deliberate premature actuation of the actuator 20 and to
provide evidence that the actuator has not been
actuated, hence that access has not been gained to the
contents of the container. To that end a removable
locking tear tab 50 is provided as at the rear of the
closure 10 arid in a position that overlies and extends
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outwardly from a rear wall portion 52 adjacent the
fingerwell zone of the body 12. The locking tear tab is
integrally formed with the actuator 20, as during the
molding of the actuator 20. Preferably the tab 50 is
_ 5 situated at the rear of the actuator adjacent the
actuator finger pad 30 to resist opening when a .force,
such as force F, is applied to finger pad 30. Thus, as
best seen in Figures 3 and 4, any effort to pivot the
actuator 20 from that non-dispensing position to the
dispensing position of Figure 5 will be impeded,
resisted and prevented. Of course actuation, via
toggling about trunnions 21 and recesses 16, will be
permitted once the tear tab 50 is removed, as is
apparent from Figure 5. Once the tear tab is removed, a
customary actuation force F on the first actuation of
the actuator will serve to open the closure, without any
additional force being required on that first actuation.
In the preferred form shown in the drawings,
the locking tear tab 50 comprises a circumferentially
oriented segment 60 and an out-turned grippable or
finger manipulatable end portion 62. The segment 60 is
desirably formed with the actuator 20 via a frangible
bridging means such as continuous frangible web 64. For
strength and integrity one or more stabilizing struts 65
may be provided. The base 68 of the tab 50 overlies
body portion 52 in the zone of the fingerwell 66, and,
of caurse, therefore interferes with pivoting of the
actuator Pram the position of Figure 4 'to that of
Figure 5.
:30 When access to the contents of the container
is desired, the tab 50 is gripped as by a user's
fingers, as via end portion 62, and is pulled or torn,
such as in a radial direction, thereby causing the web
64 to be severed. The tab 50 is thus removed and may be
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6
discarded. At that time the actuator 20 may be operated
in its normal fashion.
Tt will be apparent that the closure 10 may
serve also as a tamper-evident closure. Under such
circumstances it would be desirable also to lock the
closure to the container neck finish in one of a variety
of conventional ways, so that the closure may not be
removed (as it might be with a threaded finish
comprising only threads complementary to threads 14).
Tn that way, access to container contents could be
gained only via the discharge or dispensing passage 24,
and the integrity of the container would be evidenced by
the presence of the integrally formed locking tab 50,
Of course, the presence or absence of the locking tab 50
may serve also as proof-of-purchase evidence.
_Although a specific form of frangible
connec~C~_:~ has been shown, clearly a series of spaced
frangible web segments or bridges, rather than a
continuous web 64, may be used. Desirably the frangible
means may follow the contour of the fingerwell 66 of the
closure body rather than simply being straight and lying
straight across a central base portion of the
fingerwell. Further, although the frangible means may
be, as shown, connected to a vertical back wall 23 of
the actuator, the back wall 23 may be omitted and the
integral frangible connection be made at the base of the
top wall 25 with 'the necessary interference shown
between a tab base 68 and the body rear wall portion 52
being maintained.
Tt is also contemplated that. the tear tab may
be formed integrally with the body and may be positioned
to underlie a portion of the actuator, as is illustrated
by Figure 6. Thus, in Figure 6 a closure 10A has a body
12A which is formed integrally with a 'tear tab 50A which
is connected thereto by a frangible means such as a
frangible web 69A located along the fingerwell 66A. The
upper end 70A of the tear tab 50A underlies a portion of
the actuator 20A, preferably in the zone of the finger
pad 30A. As such, until tear tab 50A is removed, the
_ 5 actuator 20A will not oscillate or pivot about trunnions
21A between the closed position of figure 6 and an open
dispensing position comparable to that of Figure 5.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the
art that the principles of this invention may be applied
to a wide range of toggle-acting dispensing closures and
that a variety of locking tear tab constructions may be
developed for use depending upon the specific
construction of the toggle-acting dispensing closure to
which the principles are applied. As such, the
invention is to be construed in that light, and is not
intended to be limited to the specific embodiments
illustrated.
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