Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02701019 2 010-04-1 9
= Agent Ref: 75923/00003
1 DISPENSING CLOSURE
2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
3 The invention generally relates to dispensing closures and, in
particular, to a dispensing
4 closure with a dual-action living hinge.
BACKGROUND
6 Dispensing closures for bottles, cans and other containers frequently
have one or more
7 flaps that can be pivoted between open and closed positions to
conveniently dispense product
8 from the container without removing the closure. The dispensing closures
are typically made of
9 plastics with a living hinge so that they can be produced as a single-
piece structure by an
injection molding process. The most fragile part of such structure is the
living hinge, which is
11 under considerable stress when the hinge is actuated. In addition, the
living hinge generally
12 protrudes from the outside peripheral of the enclosure when the flap is
in a closed position, and
13 is often damaged during use and transportation. Therefore, there exists
a need for dispensing
14 closures that are durable and can be produced at low cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
16 A dual action living hinge is disclosed. The dual action living hinge
includes a first hinge
17 member and a second hinge member flexibly interconnected by a connecting
element. The first
18 and second hinge members are adapted to be folded about a geometric axis
of the connecting
19 element. The connecting element includes a recession at each axial end
along the geometric
axis and a reinforced area in a center section along the geometric axis.
21 Also disclosed is a one-piece dispensing closure. The one-piece
dispensing closure
22 includes a base, a lid and a connecting element connecting the base to
the lid. The connecting
23 element includes a living hinge allowing the lid to move pivotally
relative to the base along a
24 geometric axis, recessions at each axial ends of the living hinge to
reduce stress of hinge
material, and a reinforced area in a center section along the geometric axis
on the exterior side
26 of the connecting element.
27 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
28 Figure 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a one-piece dispensing
closure with a dual
29 action living hinge in an as-molded position.
Figure 2 is a side view of the dispensing closure of Figure 1 in an as-molded
position.
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CA 02701019 2 010-04-1 9
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1 Figure 3 is a side view of the dispensing closure of Figure 1 in a
closed position.
2 Figure 4 is a close-up view of the exterior side of the living hinge in
the dispensing
3 closure of Figure 1.
4 Figure 5 is a close-up view of the interior side of the living hinge in
the dispensing
closure of Figure 1.
6 Figure 6 is a close-up side view of the living hinge in the dispensing
closure of Figure 1.
7 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
8 This description is intended to be read in connection with the
accompanying drawings,
9 which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this
invention. The drawings
are not necessarily to scale and certain features of the invention may be
shown exaggerated in
11 scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity. In the
description, relative terms
12 such as "front," "back," "up," "down," "top" and "bottom," as well as
derivatives thereof, should
13 be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown
in the drawing under
14 discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and
normally are not
intended to require a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments,
coupling and the like,
16 such as "connected" and "attached," refer to a relationship wherein
structures are secured or
17 attached to one another either directly or indirectly through
intervening structures, as well as
18 both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly
described otherwise.
19 Referring now to Figures 1-6, there is shown an embodiment dual action
living hinge 100.
The living hinge comprises two hinge members 10 and 20, connected by a
connecting element
21 30. The hinge member 10 constitutes a flap or lid for sealing the
opening. The hinge member
22 20 constitutes the body or base of a dispensing disclosure and is
adapted to be fitted on the
23 opening of a container. The hinge members 10 can be folded against the
hinge member 20
24 along a center line or a "geometric" main axis 40.
The term "living hinge" refers to a hinge integrally formed with two opposite
portions of
26 the same material. Typically the material along the living hinge is thin
relative to the adjacent
27 areas to facilitate flexing or bending of the opposite portions (Le.,
the hinge members 10 and 20).
28 A living hinge allows one portion to bend relative to the other portion,
as would other hinges
29 between the two portions. The living hinge 100 allows for a single piece
design that can be
molded as in-line of draw. No slides or sub-slides are required in the molding
design.
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1 The connecting element 30 are linked to the hinge members 10 and 20 by
film hinges 50
2 and 60, respectively. Each film hinge 50 and 60 extends continuously from
one axial end 32 of
3 the connecting element 30 to the other axial end 34 of the connecting
element 30 (Figure. 1).
4 Each film hinge describes a spatial curve, which is pulled tight in a
closed position and lies
entirely or almost entirely in the cylinder wall of the closure. When viewed
from the side, the film
6 hinge 50 or 60 consists approximately of an arc of a circle. A main hinge
70 that directly
7 interconnects the hinge members 10 and 20 is located on the center line
or "geometric" main
8 axis 40. The main hinge 70 merges continually into the two film hinges 50
and 60.
9 The film hinges 50 and 60, which limit the connecting element 30, may be
concave,
convex or straight. Numerous additional shapes may be adopted. In the
embodiment shown in
11 Figures 1-6, the film hinges 50 and 60 meet at the main axis of the
connecting element 30. In
12 this embodiment, the film hinges 50 and 60 are merged into the main
hinge 70 at the points they
13 meet the main hinge 70. In another embodiment, the film hinges are
continued to extend along
14 the main hinge and are closely spaced apart in that region (not shown).
The main axis/film hinge design provides a dual-action closure 100. In a
closed
16 position, the flap is held in the closed position by a suitable detent
mechanism, such as the
17 snap-bead design as illustrated in Figures 1-6. When the detent
mechanism has been opened,
18 the flap automatically opens to a first angle between 0 to 90 degrees by
pivoting along the main
19 axis due to the resilient force from the main hinge 70 and/or the
connecting element 30, which is
bent in a closed position. The flap may further spring to a second angle
between 90-180
21 degrees by a snap open mechanism using the resilient force of the film
hinge 60.
22 The axial ends 32 and 34 of the connecting element 30 each have a U-
shaped recession.
23 The U-shaped recessions benefit the hinge structure in several ways.
24 First, as shown in Figure 5, shadowed areas 36 and 38 of a connecting
element
generally create the most "stress" or "stretch" in areas 90, 91, 92 and 93
when the living hinge
26 100 is actuated by
opening or closing the hinge member 10 the lid of the dispensing
27 disclosure). The stress or stretch may weaken the areas and cause a
crack or fracture that
28 would soon extend through the connecting element 30, causing the hinge
to fail when a
29 consumer uses it. By removing the structure material in areas 36 and 38,
the connecting
element 30 is subjected to less stress in regions 90, 91, 92 and 93 at the top
and bottom ends,
31 which in turn minimizes the occurrence of hinge failure in the field.
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1 Moreover, the U-shaped recessions at the top and bottom ends of the
connecting
2 element 30 allow for the film hinges 50 and 60 to be pulled tighter to
the outside peripheral of
3 the closure without reaching the stress limits of the structure material.
4 In addition, the U-shaped ends create a smooth transition/lead-in to the
center section of
the connecting element 30, which forms a smooth bulge 26 on the outer
peripheral of the
6 closure (Figure 3). This smooth transition/lead-in allows customer
assembly equipment like in-
7 line wheel cappers to consistently torque the closure down without
breaking down or tearing up
8 the rubber wheels.
9 The exact shape and size of the U-shaped recessions at the axial ends 32
and 34 of the
connecting element 30 may vary in each individual application and can be
experimentally
11 determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art. In one embodiment,
the recessions have a
12 depth (D1) that is between 10% and 30% of the total length (D) of the
living hinge 100.
13 Referring now to Figures 4-6, there is shown an embodiment main hinge 70
that
14 comprises a narrow, elongated reinforced area 72 in the center section
on the exterior side of
the connecting element 30 (Figure 4). As used hereinafter, the "exterior side"
refers to the side
16 of the connecting element 30 that forms part of the exterior of the
closure in a closed position.
17 As shown in Figure 5, the main hinge 70 may also contain reinforced
connecting areas 74 and
18 76 to the hinge members 10 and 20, respectively, in the interior side of
the connecting element
19 30. The reinforced connecting areas 74 and 76 are separated by a groove
78 along the
"geometric" main axis 40.
21 The reinforced areas 74 and 76 provide strength and durability to the
hinge about the
22 axis of the hinge and ultimately allows for greater life cycles of the
hinge. It also allows the
23 formation of the U-shaped recessions on both ends of the connecting
element 30 without
24 weakening the overall strength of the hinge structure, which in turn
allows for the hinge to be
pulled tighter to the outer periphery of the closure. Finally, the reinforced
areas can be
26 designed to creates a smooth and blended region that protrudes from the
outer periphery of the
27 closure. Without reinforcement, this region of the main hinge 70 has a
tendency of producing
28 sharp edges when the flap is closed. These sharp edges can cause
significant problems on the
29 assembly equipment such as in-line wheel cappers. These cappers may get
very torn up and
broken down if this region of the closure has any sharp edges.
31 The exact shape and size of the reinforced areas 72, 74 and 76 in the
connecting
32 element 30 may vary in each individual application and can be
experimentally determined by a
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1 person of ordinary skill in the art. In one embodiment, the reinforced
areas have widths (W1
2 and W2) that are between 20% and 50% of the total length (D) of the
living hinge 100. In
3 another embodiment, the reinforced areas have widths (W1 and W2) that are
between 30% and
4 40% of the total length (D) of the living hinge 100.
Referring again to Figures 1-3, the base 20 has a generally circular end wall
21 and a
6 cylindrical skirt 22 depending from the periphery of the end wall. The
skirt 22 is formed with
7 internal threads enabling it to be screwed onto a mouth of a container.
In one embodiment, a
8 lower face or side of the end wall 21 includes a circumferentially
continuous sealing surface that
9 registers with and can engage the mouth of a bottle or container. A
removable liner such as an
induction seal liner, may be positioned in the base 20 against the sealing
surface prior to
11 assembly of the dispensing closure on a bottle to assure freshness and
to provide tamper
12 evidence by causing the liner to seal on the mouth of the container. The
base 20 illustrated in
13 Figures 1-3 has a relatively large pouring opening 23 on the end wall
21.
14 The flap 10 opens and closes the pouring opening 23. A releasable flap
catch
mechanism, such as the snap-bead design as illustrated, is provided to
releasably hold the flap
16 10 closed on the end wall 21 to close the opening 23. The snap-bead
catch mechanism
17 includes a circular edge 24 on the end wall 21 and a complimentary
inward curvature 12 on the
18 edge of the flap 10 that snap catches the edge 24 when the flap 10 is in
a closed position. The
19 release of the flap 10 is facilitated by a thumbtab 25 formed on the
cylindrical skirt 22 on the
side opposite to the living hinge. In another embodiment, the opening 23 is
surrounded by a
21 circular guard wall and the flap catch mechanism involves an edge on the
exterior of the guard
22 wall and a complimentary inward curvature on the inside surface of flap
10.
23 Also disclosed is a container assembly. The container assembly includes
a container
24 having a dispensing opening and a dispensing closure with a dual-action
living hinge attached
to said dispensing opening. The dispensing closure includes a base; a lid, and
a dual-action
26 living hinge connecting the base to the lid.
27 In one embodiment, the dispensing closure is reversibly attached to the
container.
28 In another embodiment, the dispensing closure is irreversibly attached
to the container.
29 In another embodiment, the base includes an end wall with at least one
opening on the
end wall and a skirt extending downward from the periphery of the end wall.
31 While the invention has been shown and described with respect to
particular
32 embodiments thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than
limitation, and other
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Agent Ref: 75923/00003
1 variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and
described will be
2 apparent to those skilled in the art all within the intended spirit and
scope of the invention. For
3 example, the invention, besides being employed with screw-on caps such as
disclosed herein,
4 can also be employed with friction or adhesive retained or snap-on
closures that fit on or in a
container. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred
embodiments set forth
6 in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation
consistent with the description
7 as a whole.
21986581.2 6
