Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1
CLOSURE FOR A PACKAGE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a polymeric closure for a
package.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a polymeric closure that
is especially
desirable for a package exposed to high-temperature applications such as
pasteurization, hot-
fill and retort applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In high-temperature applications such as retort applications, the
sterilization
chamber can reach and maintain temperatures in excess of 250 F for a
sufficient period of
time to ensure that any potentially harmful organisms that may have entered
the product are
killed. At such high-temperatures, chemical bonding between polymeric surfaces
may occur
between the closure and the container. Strong bonding, of course, is desirable
for creating a
robust seal, but can be potentially problematic for a user removing the
closure from the
container.
[0003] In retort applications, traditional closure designs include a three
piece system
consisting of a contoured metal disc, a donut-shaped plastisol liner and a
threaded ring. The
closure is used with a container to form a package. In this three piece
design, the soft
plastisol liner and an exterior surface of the container do not chemically
bond to each other.
Because there is no chemical bonding between the plastisol liner and the
container, the metal
disc and the plastisol liner are easily lifted and separated from the
container during removal
of the closure from the container. This traditional closure design, however,
is not as desirable
from a cost perspective. It also not desirable from an environmental
perspective of the
difficulty in recycling.
[0004] It would desirable to provide a closure for a package in high-
temperature
applications that addresses the above-noted disadvantages.
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SUMMARY
[0005] According to one embodiment, a closure comprises a polymeric top wall
portion, a polymeric liner, a polymeric disc and a polymeric annular skirt
portion. The
polymeric disc is located between the polymeric top wall portion and the
polymeric liner.
The polymeric annular skirt portion depends from the polymeric top wall
portion. The
annular skirt portion includes: (1) an internal thread formation for mating
engagement with
an external thread formation of a container; and (2) an internal prying
projection to assist in
removing the closure from the container. At least a portion of the internal
prying projection
is located nearer the polymeric top wall portion than the internal thread
formation.
[0006] According to another embodiment, a closure comprises a polymeric top
wall
portion, a polymeric liner, a polymeric disc and a polymeric annular skirt
portion. The
polymeric disc is located between the polymeric top wall portion and the
polymeric liner.
The polymeric annular skirt portion depends from the polymeric top wall
portion. The
annular skirt portion includes: (1) an internal thread formation for mating
engagement with
an external thread formation of a container; (2) an internal bead to assist in
positioning the
polymeric liner and the polymeric disc; and (3) an internal prying projection
to assist in
removing the closure from the container. The internal prying projection is
located adjacent to
or contacting the internal bead. The internal prying projection extends
farther inwardly
toward a center of the closure than the internal bead.
[0007] According to a further embodiment, a package comprises a container and
a
closure. The container has a neck portion defining an opening. The container
has an external
thread formation on the neck portion. The closure is configured for fitment to
the neck
portion of the container for closing the opening. The closure comprises a
polymeric top wall
portion, a polymeric liner, a polymeric disc and a polymeric annular skirt
portion. The
polymeric disc is located between the polymeric top wall portion and the
polymeric liner.
The polymeric annular skirt portion depends from the polymeric top wall
portion. The
annular skirt portion includes: (1) an internal thread formation for mating
engagement with
an external thread formation of a container; and (2) an internal prying
projection to assist in
removing the closure from the container. At least a portion of the internal
prying projection
is located nearer the polymeric top wall portion than the internal thread
formation.
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[0008] According to yet another embodiment, a package comprises a container
and a
closure. The container has a neck portion defining an opening. The container
has an external
thread formation on the neck portion. The closure is configured for fitment to
the neck
portion of the container for closing the opening. The closure comprises a
polymeric top wall
portion, a polymeric liner, a polymeric disc and a polymeric annular skirt
portion. The
polymeric disc is located between the polymeric top wall portion and the
polymeric liner.
The polymeric annular skirt portion depends from the polymeric top wall
portion. The
annular skirt portion includes: (1) an internal thread formation for mating
engagement with
an external thread formation of a container; (2) an internal bead to assist in
positioning the
polymeric liner and the polymeric disc; and (3) an internal prying projection
to assist in
removing the closure from the container. The internal prying projection is
located adjacent to
or contacting the internal bead. The internal prying projection extends
farther inwardly
toward a center of the closure than the internal bead.
[0009] According to another embodiment, a closure comprises a polymeric top
wall
portion, a polymeric liner, a polymeric disc, and a polymeric annular skirt
portion. The
polymeric disc is located between the polymeric top wall portion and the
polymeric liner.
The polymeric disc includes an external prying projection to assist in
removing the closure
from a container. The external prying projection extends from one end of the
polymeric disc.
The polymeric annular skirt portion depends from the polymeric top wall
portion. The
annular skirt portion includes an internal thread formation for mating
engagement with an
external thread formation of a container.
[0010] According to a further embodiment, a closure comprises a polymeric top
wall
portion, a polymeric liner, a polymeric disc and a polymeric annular skirt
portion. The
polymeric liner has a weakened area near or at one end thereof. The weakened
area of the
polymeric liner reduces the amount of adhesion with a container to assist in
removing the
closure from a container. The polymeric disc is located between the polymeric
top wall
portion and the polymeric liner. The polymeric annular skirt portion depends
from the
polymeric top wall portion. The annular skirt portion includes an internal
thread formation
for mating engagement with an external thread formation of a container.
[0011] A closure comprises a polymeric top wall portion, a polymeric annular
skirt
portion, a polymeric liner and a polymeric disc. The polymeric annular skirt
portion depends
from the polymeric top wall portion. The annular skirt portion includes an
internal thread
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formation for mating engagement with an external thread formation of a
container. The
polymeric disc has an exterior surface. The polymeric disc is located between
the polymeric
top wall portion and the polymeric liner. The polymeric disc includes a
plurality of channels
formed therein. The plurality of channels assists in allowing liquid to travel
on the exterior
surface of the polymeric disc and between the polymeric annular skirt portion
and an external
finish of a container.
[0012] A package comprises a container and a closure. The container has a neck
portion defining an opening. The container has an external thread formation on
the neck
portion. The closure is configured for fitment to the neck portion of the
container for closing
the opening. The closure comprises a polymeric top wall portion, a polymeric
liner, a
polymeric disc and a polymeric annular skirt portion. The polymeric annular
skirt portion
depends from the polymeric top wall portion. The polymeric annular skirt
portion includes
an internal thread formation for mating engagement with the external thread
formation of the
container. The polymeric disc has an exterior surface. The polymeric disc is
located between
the polymeric top wall portion and the polymeric liner. The polymeric disc
includes a
plurality of channels formed therein. The plurality of channels assists in
allowing liquid to
travel on the exterior surface of the polymeric disc and between the polymeric
annular skirt
portion and the external thread formation on the neck portion of the
container.
[0013] A closure comprises a polymeric top wall portion, a polymeric annular
skirt
portion and a polymeric disc. The polymeric annular skirt portion depends from
the
polymeric top wall portion. The annular skirt portion includes an internal
thread formation
for mating engagement with an external thread formation of a container. The
polymeric disc
has an exterior surface. The polymeric disc is located adjacent to the
polymeric top wall
portion. The polymeric disc includes a plurality of channels formed therein.
The plurality of
channels assists in allowing liquid to travel on the exterior surface of the
polymeric disc and
between the polymeric annular skirt portion and an external finish of a
container.
[0014] A package comprises a container and a closure. The container has a neck
portion defining an opening. The container has an external thread formation on
the neck
portion. The closure configured for fitment to the neck portion of the
container for closing
the opening. The closure comprises a polymeric top wall portion, a polymeric
disc and a
polymeric annular skirt portion. The polymeric annular skirt portion depends
from the
polymeric top wall portion. The polymeric annular skirt portion includes an
internal thread
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_
formation for mating engagement with the external thread formation of the
container. The
polymeric disc has an exterior surface. The polymeric disc is located adjacent
to the
polymeric top wall portion. The polymeric disc includes a plurality of
channels formed
therein. The plurality of channels assists in allowing liquid to travel on the
exterior surface of
the polymeric disc and between the polymeric annular skirt portion and the
external thread
formation on the neck portion of the container.
[0015] The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment or every
aspect of the present invention. Additional features and benefits of the
present invention are
apparent from the detailed description and figures set forth below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the
following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 A is a bottom perspective view of a polymeric closure (shown for
clarity without a polymeric liner and disc) according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 1B is a top perspective view of the polymeric closure of FIG. 1A.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the closure of FIGS. 1A and B
(including
the polymeric liner and disc) in threaded connection with a container
according to one
embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of generally circular region A of FIG. 1A.
[0021] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of generally circular region B of FIG. 1B.
[0022] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of generally circular region C of FIG. 2.
[0023] FIG. 6a is a partial view of a polymeric disc and liner used in a
closure that
includes an encapsulated oxygen-barrier layer according to one embodiment of
the invention.
[0024] FIG. 6b is an enlarged view of generally circular region D of FIG. 6a.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of a disc with an external prying
projection and a liner according to another embodiment of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a closure using the disc and liner
of FIG. 7
in threaded connection with a container according to another embodiment of the
invention.
[0027] FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of a disc and a liner with a
weakened area
according to a further embodiment of the invention.
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[0028] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a closure using the disc and liner
of FIG. 9
in threaded connection with a container according to a further embodiment of
the invention.
[0029] FIG. 11 is a top view of a polymeric disc according to one embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a generally rectangular area E in FIG.
11.
[0031] FIG. 13 is a generally cross-sectional view of line 13-13 in FIG. 11.
[0032] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a generally rectangular area F in FIG.
13.
[0033] FIG. 15 is an enlarged partial view of a closure depicting a liquid
path
according to one embodiment.
[0034] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and
alternative
forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the
drawings
and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that
it is not
intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the
contrary, the
intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling
within the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a polymeric closure 10 according to one
embodiment of the present invention. For clarity, the polymeric closure in
FIGS. 1A and 1B
has been shown without a polymeric liner and a polymeric disc. The closures
are configured
to be placed on a container and form a package.
[0036] The polymeric closures of the present invention are especially
desirable for a
package exposed to high-temperature applications such as pasteurization, hot-
fill and retort
applications. For example, a retort application may be done at temperatures
greater than
250 F. Other non-limiting examples include a hot fill (generally performed at
temperatures
around 185 F) or a hot-fill with pasteurization (generally performed at
temperatures around
205 F). It is contemplated that the polymeric closures of the present
invention can be used in
other high-temperature applications, as well as in other applications that are
not high-
temperature applications. For example, the polymeric closures of the present
invention may
be used in other applications using discs in which the disc needs to be
separated from a
container. One non-limiting example of the disc being separated from a
container would be a
canning jar application (e.g., a Ball mason jar).
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[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, a polymeric closure 10 includes a
polymeric
top wall portion 12, a polymeric liner 14, a polymeric disc 16 and a polymeric
annular skirt
portion 18 that depends from the polymeric top wall portion 12. The top wall
portion 12 is in
a donut-shaped configuration. It is contemplated that the top wall portion may
extend across
the entire top of the closure without any openings. The polymeric disc 16 is
located between
the polymeric top wall portion 12 and the polymeric liner 14.
[0038] The polymeric disc 16 of FIG. 2 has a plurality of channels 66 formed
therein.
The plurality of channels 66 assists in flushing potentially spoilable product
away from the
drinking surface after post filling. The channels 66 allow liquid to travel on
the exterior
surface of the polymeric disc 16 from a top of the package and between the
polymeric
annular skirt portion 18 and around the finish of the container. The channels
also allow water
to travel the opposite direction as well. The channels 66 may be referred to
as rinse channels.
[0039] The polymeric annular skirt portion 18 of FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 includes
an
internal thread formation 30, an internal bead 32, and an internal prying
projection 34. The
internal thread formation 30 is configured for mating engagement with a
corresponding
external thread formation of a neck portion of a container. The internal
thread formation of
the closure may include continuous or discontinuous thread segments, and may
include single
or multiple threads. Thus, it is contemplated that different threads
formations may be used in
the closure. One non-limited example of an internal thread formation is a
helical thread
formation.
[0040] The internal bead 32 of FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2 assists in maintaining the
polymeric disc 16 and the polymeric liner 14 in a proper position within the
closure 10. The
internal bead 32 extends generally circumferentially around an interior of the
closure 10 in a
continuous manner. It is contemplated that the internal bead may be
discontinuous. It also
contemplated that the internal bead may include a plurality of segments.
[0041] It is contemplated that the polymeric disc and polymeric liner may
maintain
their position by mechanisms other than an internal bead such as an internal
thread formation
that includes multiple threads.
[0042] The internal prying projection assists in removing the closure from the
neck
portion of the container. The internal prying projection is a mechanism for
breaking a sealing
adhesion formed between the polymeric liner and the container after processing
(e.g., high-
temperature processing such as retort processing). To assist in removing the
closure from a
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container, at least a portion of the internal prying projection is typically
located above the
internal thread formation (i.e., closer to the polymeric top wall portion 12).
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the internal prying projection 34 is located
adjacent to
or in contact with the internal bead 32. In this embodiment, as best shown in
FIG. 2, the
internal prying projection 34 extends farther inwardly toward a center of the
interior of the
closure 10 than the internal bead 32. The internal prying projection 34
assists in separating
the seal adhesion between the polymeric portion 14a and container surface 108a
shown in
general area 40 (identified with dashed lines in FIG. 5). The internal prying
mechanism 34
assists in a concentrated lifting moment (as opposed to a uniform lifting
moment) along a
generally ledge 42 as shown in FIG. 5. Once the seal release has been
initiated by the
internal prying projection 34, the rest of the seal between the polymeric
liner and the
container naturally peels away.
[0044] The internal prying projection 34 of FIGS. 1-5 is shown as a single
projection.
It is contemplated that the closure may include a plurality of internal prying
projections to
assist in removing the closure from the container. If a plurality of internal
prying projections
is used, they will typically be located in close proximity with each other to
assist in removing
the closure from the container. The internal prying projection desirably has
an edge surface
to assist in a concentrated lifting moment.
[0045] The internal prying projection 34 of FIGS. 1-5 is shown as being
generally
cylindrical. Referring to FIG. 4, the internal prying projection 34 has a
length L that is
generally from about 0.06 to about 0.4 inch. The length L may be from about
0.1 to about 0.3
inch and more specifically from about 0.1 to about 0.2 inch. The internal
prying projection
34 has a height H2 (total height) that is generally from about 0.04 to about
0.1 inch. The
height H2 is typically from 0.04 to about 0.08 inch, and more specifically
from about 0.05 to
about 0.08 inch. The internal prying projection 34 has a height H1 (height
above the internal
bead 32) that is generally from about 0.01 to about 0.06 inch. The height H1
is typically
from about 0.02 to about 0.06 inch and more specifically from about 0.02 to
about 0.04 inch.
Thus, the internal prying projection 34 in FIGS. 1-5 extends farther inwardly
toward a center
of the closure than the internal bead 32. Referring to FIG. 5, the internal
prying projection 34
has a thickness T that is generally from about 0.04 to about 0.1 inch. The
length L may be
from about 0.04 to about 0.08 inch, and more specifically from about 0.05 to
about 0.08 inch.
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[0046] It is contemplated that the internal prying projection may be of other
shapes
and sizes. For example, the internal prying projection may be a cylindrical
shape, a generally
rectangular or rectangular shape. The internal prying projection may also be a
generally
trapezoidal or trapezoidal shape.
[0047] The closure may also include a polymeric tamper-evident feature. For
example, the closure 10 includes a polymeric tamper-evident band 50 (FIGS. 1A,
1B) located
at the bottom thereof (i.e., an end opposite of polymeric top wall portion
12). The tamper-
evident band 50 depends from and at least partially detachably connected to
the annular skirt
portion 18 by a frangible connection 52. The tamper-evident band 50 works in
conjunction
with the container to indicate to a user that the contents of the container
may have been
accessed. More specifically, the tamper-evident band 50 is designed to
separate from the
annular skirt portion 18 if a user starts to open the package and gain access
to the container.
[0048] The closure 10 may include an oxygen-barrier material. The oxygen-
barrier
material may be added as a separate layer or may be integrated within a
material. For
example, referring to FIGS. 6a and 6b, a closure 110 includes a polymeric disc
116, an
oxygen-barrier layer 125 and a polymeric liner 114. The oxygen-barrier layer
125 is
encapsulated within the polymeric disc 116. This encapsulation may be
performed using a
co-extrusion process. Other than the improved oxygen-barrier properties, the
polymeric disc
116 and the polymeric liner 114 function in a similar manner as the polymeric
disc 16 and the
polymeric liner 14, respectively. The closure 110 further includes a polymeric
top wall
portion 112 and a polymeric annular skirt portion 118, which function in a
similar manner as
the polymeric top wall portion 12 and the polymeric annular skirt portion 18,
respectively.
Alternatively, in another embodiment, the oxygen-barrier material may be
integrated within
the closure. For example, the polymeric disc may further include and be formed
with specific
oxygen-barrier materials.
[0049] The oxygen-barrier layer may be formed by materials that assist in
preventing
or inhibiting oxygen from entering the container through the closure. These
materials may
include, but are not limited to, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH). It is
contemplated that other
oxygen-barrier materials may be used in the closure in the oxygen-barrier
layer.
[0050] The top wall portion 12 and the annular skirt portion 18 are made of
polymeric material. The top wall portion 12 and the annular skirt portion 18
are typically
made of polypropylene (PP) or blends including polypropylene. It is
contemplated that the
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top wall portion and the annular skirt portion may be made of other polymeric
materials. The
tamper-evident band 50, if used, is typically made of the same materials as
the top wall
portion 12 and the annular skirt portion 18.
[0051] The disc 16 is also made of polymeric material. Non-limiting examples
of a
polymeric material that may be used in forming the disc 16 include
polypropylene (PP),
polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or blends thereof. It is contemplated that
the disc may be
made of other polymeric materials.
[0052] The liner 14 is also made of polymeric material. Non-limiting examples
of a
polymeric material that may be used in forming the liner 14 include
thermoplastic elastomer
(TPE) or blends thereof. It is contemplated that the liner may be made of
other polymeric
materials
[0053] The closures are typically formed by processes such as injection
molding,
extrusion or the combination thereof. The plurality of channels is typically
formed in the
polymeric disc by molding. It is contemplated that the plurality of channels
may be formed
by other methods.
[0054] The closures of the present invention may be used with a container 108
used
to form a package 100 of FIG. 2. A portion of the container 108 is shown in
FIG. 2 and
includes a neck portion 102 that defines an opening. The neck portion 102 of
the container
108 includes an external thread formation 104. The external thread formation
104 of the
container 108 engages with the corresponding internal thread formation 30 of
the closure 10
to seal the package 100. The
external thread formation of the container may include
continuous or discontinuous thread segments, and may include single or
multiple threads.
Thus, it is contemplated that different threads formations may be used in the
container. One
non-limited example of an external thread formation is a helical thread
formation.
[0055] The container 108 is typically made of polymeric material. One non-
limiting
example of a material to be used in forming a polymeric container is
polypropylene. It is
contemplated that the container may be formed of other polymeric materials.
The container
108 typically has an encapsulated oxygen-barrier layer or material described
above.
[0056] To open the container 108 and gain access to the product therein, the
closure
is unthreaded by turning the closure 10 with respect to the container 108.
Initially during
the opening process, the internal prying projection 34 first engages the ledge
42 (see FIG. 5).
The internal prying projection 34 pushes the polymeric disc 16 (and the
attached polymeric
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liner 14) upwardly (in the direction of arrow U) as viewed with respect to
FIGS. 2 and 5. The
internal prying projection 34 assists in breaking the seal formed between the
polymeric liner
14 and container surface 108a. Once the seal release has been initiated by the
internal prying
projection 34, the rest of the seal between the polymeric liner and the
container surface
naturally separates as the closure is unthreaded. After the closure has been
unthreaded, the
closure 10, including the polymeric liner 14 and the polymeric disc 16, is
then removed from
the container so that the user can gain access to the container. If the tamper-
evident band 50
is used, this will be separated from the remainder of the closure 10. The
tamper-evident band
50 can remain with the container or be removed in a separate step from the
container.
[0057] It is contemplated that other prying mechanisms may be used instead of
the
internal prying projection 34 discussed above. For example, FIGS. 7 and 8 show
a closure
210 including a polymeric liner 214 and a polymeric disc 216. The polymeric
disc 216 of
FIGS. 7 and 8 has a plurality of channels 266 formed therein. The channels 266
allow liquid
to travel on the exterior surface of the polymeric disc 216 from a top of the
package and
between a polymeric annular skirt portion and around the finish of the
container.
[0058] The polymeric disc 216 includes a polymeric prying projection 234
located on
a bottom edge thereof (as viewed from FIG. 8). The polymeric prying projection
234
functions in a generally similar manner as the internal prying mechanism 34
discussed above.
More specifically, as the package is being opened, the polymeric prying
projection 234 is
contacted by an internal bead or internal thread formation, which causes the
prying projection
234 to lift and assist in separating the seal between the liner and the
container. This
separation continues as the closure is being unthreaded. In this embodiment,
the closure 210
further includes the polymeric top-wall portion 12 and the polymeric annular
skirt portion
closure 18 discussed above except that the internal prying projection 34 would
not be needed.
[0059] In another embodiment, FIGS. 9 and 10 show a closure 310 including a
polymeric liner 314 and a polymeric disc 316 according to another embodiment.
The
polymeric disc 316 of FIGS. 9 and 10 has a plurality of channels 366 formed
therein. The
channels 366 allow liquid to travel on the exterior surface of the polymeric
disc 316 from a
top of the package and between a polymeric annular skirt portion and around
the finish of the
container. The polymeric liner 314 and the polymeric disc 316 are the same as
polymeric
liner 14 and polymeric disc 16 discussed above except that the polymeric liner
314 includes a
weakened area 335. The weakened area 335 reduces an area of seal adhesion
(designated
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generally as area 337 in FIG. 9). The weakened area 335 may be a complete
opening in the
liner 314 or may be a reduced thickness of the liner.
[0060] The weakened area 335 of the polymeric liner 314 may be used without a
polymeric prying projection (such as internal prying projection 34 or
polymeric prying
projection 234 discussed above). The weakened area 335 is sized and shaped to
assist in
reducing the amount of seal adhesion between the polymeric liner 314 and the
container
surface. By reducing the amount of seal adhesion between the polymeric liner
and the
container surface, it is less likely that the polymeric liner and disc will
remain adhered to the
container during the removal process of the closure from the container.
[0061] One detailed example of a polymeric disc with a plurality of plurality
of
channels is shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a top view of the polymeric disc 16
that includes
the plurality of channels 66. FIG. 12 shows an enlarged area E of FIG. 11 that
depicts a
channel 66a. The channel 66a has a slightly wider channel exterior end 66b as
compared to a
channel interior end 66c. The width of the channel exterior end 66b is shown
as Wl, while
the channel interior end 66c has a width W2. The depth D1 and the length Li of
the channel
66a is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. Specifically, FIG. 13 is a generally cross-
sectional view of
line 13-13 of FIG. 11, while FIG. 14 is an enlarged area F from FIG. 13. FIG.
14 shows a
depth D1 of the channel 66a and a length Li of the channel 66a. It is noted
that this detailed
example of channel 66a is equally applicable to the other disclosed channels
of the present
invention to be discussed. It is also contemplated that the width of the
channel may be
constant or even slightly narrower at the interior end as compared to the
exterior end.
[0062] The width W1 of the channels generally ranges from about 0.005 to about
0.1
inch and, more specifically, from about 0.02 to about 0.075 inch. The width W1
of the
channel is more typically from about 0.035 to about 0.06 inch. The depth D1 of
the channels
generally is from about 0.005 to about 0.025 inch and, more specifically, from
about 0.005 to
about 0.015 inch. The length Li of the channels generally ranges from about
0.1 to about 0.4
inch and, more specifically, from about 0.15 to about 0.25 inch. The number of
channels
formed in the polymeric disc can vary, but is generally from about 5 to about
50 and, more
specifically, from about 12 to about 36.
[0063] Referring to FIG. 15, the closure 10 is shown with the polymeric top
wall
portion 12, the polymeric annular skirt portion 18, and the polymeric disc 16
that includes the
plurality of channels 66. To better illustrate a path P1 for liquid or water
flowing, the
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polymeric top wall portion 12 and the polymeric annular skirt portion 18 are
shown as being
generally transparent in FIG. 15. The channel path allows liquid or water to
travel on the
exterior surface of the polymeric disc 16 from the top of the package and
between the
polymeric annular skirt portion 18 and around the finish of a container. It is
contemplated
that other liquid or rinse paths may be used for the liquid or water to exit.
Examples
[0064] Inventive and Comparative closures were made and tested. Specifically,
the
Inventive closure included a polymeric top wall portion (PP), a polymeric
liner (TPE), a
polymeric disc (PP) and an annular skirt portion (PP) that included an
internal prying
projection. The configuration of the Inventive closure was substantially
similar to the closure
of FIG. 1. The Comparative closure was identical to the above described
Inventive
closure except that the Comparative closure did not include the internal
prying projection.
[0065] The Inventive and Comparative closures were placed and secured onto
respective retort packages. The retort packages were made of PP with an EVOH
encapsulated layer therebetween. The packages were placed in a retort test
chamber with a
temperature of about 250 F for about 10 minutes having a chamber pressure of
24 psi.
Approximately 6 samples of each of the Inventive and Comparative closures were
tested.
After removal from the retort test chamber, the removal torque of the
Inventive and
Comparative closures were tested and determined using a Spring Torque Tester
(Serial No.
100-2015MRA) distributed by SecurePak.
[0066] The results of the tested showed that the Inventive closures
surprisingly had an
average torque removal of 11.3 inch-pounds less than that of the Comparative
closures.
Additionally, the Comparative closures failed to remove the polymeric disc
from the
container 67% of the time (33% pass rate). The Inventive closures, on the
other hand, did not
fail to remove the disc from the container in any of the samples, resulting in
a 100% pass rate
(0% failure rate).
CA 2980335 2017-09-26
