CA1086264A

CA1086264A - Toggle type dispensing closure

Info

Publication number: CA1086264A
Application number: CA290,371A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Robert E. Hazard
Original assignee: Silgan Dispensing Systems Slatersville LLC
Current assignee: Silgan Dispensing Systems Slatersville LLC
Priority date: 1976-11-22
Filing date: 1977-11-07
Publication date: 1980-09-23
Also published as: FR2371352A1; AU3086177A; SE7713116L; AT366341B; IT1088494B; ATA834977A; NL7712667A; AU515708B2; ES242433Y; GB1591853A; JPS5382583A; US4124151A; DE2749946A1; BE861063A; DK515877A; ES242433U; CH624633A5; FR2371352B1

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A "toggle" type dispensing closure can be constructed so as to utilize a first closure part such as a cap or the top of a container upon which there is pivotally mounted a second closure part such as a lid so that the second closure part may be pivoted between a closed position in which an opening through the first part is closed off and an open position in which material may be moved through the opening. With such a closure one end of a spring is pivotally connected to the first closure part and the other end of the spring is pivotally connected to the other closure part. The spring is connected to these two parts at spaced locations such that the distance between the ends of the spring is decreased as the second closure part is moved between these positions. Preferably, the entire dispensing closure is formed as an integral unit of a somewhat flexible, somewhat resilient polymer material in such a manner that the first part is mounted on the second by means of trunnions and bearings which are snapped together and in such a manner that the ends of the spring are connected to the parts by integral, flexible sections of the polymer material serving to pivotally connect the spring to these parts.

Description

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: ' with closures which are a~apted to be mounted upon bottles or : similar containers and which utilizu a spout which is adapte~
to be located botweon a closed position and an open position in which a spout is in alignment with the opening through the closure.

However, this term is also employed commonly to desi%nate closures ln which a lid is rotatably mo~mted so as to be capable of being moved between opon and closed positions as noted. Both of these types of closures are considored to lo havc significant commercial snd utilitarian merit. At present they are most commonly formed out of a polyolefin such as a common grado of either low or high density ~olyethylene or polypropylene by conventional in~ection mold techniques.
; Such closures normally require assembly after thçir psrts are ~anufactured by such techni~ue~.

It is known to facilitate the nsscmbly of a dis- -pensing closure by forming the parts of such a closure so that they are integrally connocted together either by a flexibie strap or hinge-like soction. Such a ~trap or such a hinge-like section movably or pivotally connects the parts of such a closure together in such a manner ~hat such parts cannot be lost from onç another. When such a strap or such a section is appropriately desi~ne~ it can serve more or less as a guide or alignmont structure to facilitate the closure parts bcinB brought together into a final opcra~ive assembly.

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108~264 This is considered to be desirable from the point of view of obtaining economy of manufacture.
'' As the dispensing closure field has developed it has been realized that one-piece dispensing closures employing closure parts connected by a strap or hinge-like structure could be modified so as to utilize what may be referrcd to as a "toggle" type actlon. This term "toggle" is a hard to defille mechanical term rcferring to the utiliza~ion of a first forc~ to bias 8 member in elther of two different ~-o positions in such a manner that a further force is required to move the member between these two posittons. Frequently th~ first ~orce is derived from a spring or spring means and the second force i5 applied so as to elongate the spring as -the member is moved between such positions.
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The toggle actions which have been incorporated in known one-piecc dispensing closures are primarily based upon the use of 8 part integrally formed with such a closure as a tension member or spring which will exercise a pull so as to hold the principal parts of such a closure in either a closed or op~n position. Thus for example, prior dispensing closures employing what may be referred to as a "togglo"
action have utilized between a cap adapted to be attached to a containcr and a lid pi~otally mounted upon the cap one or more spring-like sections of polymer material extending ~- botween the cap and the lid in such a manner as to tend to ~086264 hold the lid in either an open or a closed position and in such a manner that the spring-like sections have to be stretched or placed in tension to move the lid between these two positions.

Unquestionably dispen~ing closure structures as arc indicated employing a toggle action are utilitarian.
Thcy are considered to be relatively undesirable from a commercial standpoint because of tho msnner in which they are constructed. In order to obtain satisfactory operational -characteristics in such a closure which is relatively simple (and~inexpensive) to mold by injection molding techniques it ' nas been necessary to employ a toggle or spring member in such a mallner that such a member tcnds to project exteriorly of a one-piece closure when the closure itsel~ is in either an open or closed con~iguration, or when the closure lid is in both of these positlons. It is undesirable for commercial reasons to utilize~any dispensing closure which has any parts which significantly extend from the closure when the closure is closed.

This i5 because such extending parts are apt to become damaged during handling and/or capping operations. -It i~ considered relatively;~impracti¢a~,and~o~ diffic~lt to mount dispensing closures having projecting parts on containers using much common capping equipment. Further, it is undesir-eble to have parts such as a togglo ~omber or spring extendlng from the exterior of a closure when the closure is in use and is in an open position. Such extending parts tend to present an undes~rable appearance. Whenever such parts extend from the closure--even when the ciosure is open--there is danger of such parts becoming damaged and/or in~erfering to a minor extent with the use of ~he closure.

BRIEF S~ ~ RY OF THE INVE~TION

A broad ob~ect of the present invention is to provlde new and improved "toggle" type dispen~lng closures.
More speciflcally the invention is intended to supply dispen-sing closures of the type indicated which overcome various llmitations and disadvantages of pr~or closures as are indicated in the preceding discussion. A further object of the present invention is to provide dispencing closures :-8s indicated which can be constructed in such a manner that no parts o~ such closures significantly extend from the exteriors of such closures when such closures are in either ~ open or closed positions. Further.objectives of the present : -inventlon are to provido dispensing closures as indicated which can be essily and conveniently manufactured with minimal difficulty uslng conventional injection molding techniques, which may be easily and conveniently a~sembled to an operative configuration without significant difficulty or expense, which may bo easily and conveniently utilized over a ~rolongo~ period and which operate satisfactorily throughout `` 1C~86Z64 such utilization.

. In accordance with this invention these various , objectives are achieved in the combination of a dispensing closure having a first closure part having an opening extending therethrough, a second clo~ure part pivotally mounted on the first closure part so as to be capable of being rotated between a closed position in whlch said second ,~ closure part closes off the opening so that material cannot -~
pass thercthrouKh and an open position in which sald opening is exposed so as to permit material to pass therethrou~h and . spring means connecting said first and second c~osure parts ~or holding said second closure part in,either of said :- positions in:which the iml7rovement comprises: said sprin~
means comprising a spring havin~ ends, one of which ends is pivotally attached to the first closure part and the other of which ends is pivotally connected to the second closure part, sa~d spring being connected to said first and said : second closure parts at space~ locations such that the dis-~
, tance between said ends and said spring is decreased so as , 20 to compress said spring as said second closure part is mo~ed between said positions. ' BRIEF DESCRIPTION 0P Tl~ DRAWING
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Although a summary such as the precedlng lndicates much information with respect to the nature of a structure :``
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` 1~86Z6~ -, :
.' coming within the scope of an invention because of its length -~ such a su~mary csnnot effectively delineate ~any important aspects or features of an invention. Because of this,"togglc'~
. type dispensing closures coming within the scope of the present ; invention are best more fully indicated with reference to the " accompanying drawing in which: . : -- . Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a presently preferred :: embodiment ôr form of a dispensing closure in accordance with this inYention;
o Pig. 2 i~ a front elevational view at an enlarged scale in which part of the closure is shown in section;
Fig. 3 corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken at line 3-3 of Fig.,2 in which the parts, are shown as they are produced,- prior to bo~ng placcd in assembled or operative positions; and Figs. 4, S and 6 are partial cross-sectional views -. corresponding to Fig. 3 showing various positions of a lid as e~ployed in the closure illustrated in the preceding figures and of a sprlng associated with this lid.

The particular dispensing closure ~llustrated in ~, the drawing is constructed so as to embody certain operative ; concepts or principles as are indicated in the appended claims. It is considered obvious that other somowhat differently appearing and somewhat difforently constructed . closures can be designed so as ~o utili~e these same concepts or principles through the use or exerciso of routine 10~
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. en~ineering skill.

. DF.TAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawing there is shown ~ "toggle" type dispensing closure 10 which is formed as an integral unit by . ~nown conventional injection molding techniqucs out of a polyolef~n such as polypropylene and/or out of other related polymers which are related to polypropylene in the sense that they have similar and/or comp~rable physical properties. Any pol~mer used in con~tructing a closure should be somewhat lo flexible and somewhat resilicnt in order to achieve the mode of o~eration embodied in this particular closure 10.
' As the closure 10 is formed by such injection mol~ing techniques the various parts of this closure 10 will be "unass~mble~" altllough attache~ to one another in the manner indlcated in figure 3 of the drawing. As formed, the closure 10 will consist of a first part or cap 12 connected to a lid 14 through the use of a small, normally substantially flat, plate-like spring 16 and through the use of integral, flexible, line-like sections 18 located at the ends (not separately numbered) of the spring 16. These sections 18 serve as hin~es or pivots during the use of the closure 10.

The cap 12 is formed so 8S to include a substantially cylindrlcal skirt 20 having internal threads 28 serving as a ~: 1086Z64 `' ~
means for attaching the closure 10 to a container (not shown).
Obvlously various other known equivalent mounting means can be employed. This skirt 20 is covercd by a top 24 carryin an internally extending, known type of sealing member 26 which is adspted to abut against a container (not shown) so as to form a seal therewlth. Various other k~own equivalent sealing structures can be used instesd of the sealing member 26. This top 24 is provided with upstanding oppo~ed parallel walls 28 WhiCll are interconnected by the top 24 itself so as to create a structure which appears much as a flat bottomed groove tnot separa~ely numbered).
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extcnd upwar~ly generally between these two walls 28. This boss 30 is pro~lded with a top wall 32 which in turn is provided with a centrally located dispensing opening 34.
It is noted that this wall 32 is slightly tapered so as to facilitats any liquid (not shown) which ~ay get upon it draining back into the opening 34.
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The walls 28 are provided with bearing openings 36 which are adapted to retain trunnions 38 o~ the iid ~4 s~ as to rotatably ~ount this lid 14 on the cap 12 in such a manner that it can be rotated between a closed position as indicated in Fig. 6. It is presently consiclered preferable to use trunnions 38 which are substantially of a conical configur-ation and bearing openings 36 of a similar configuration but . .
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hJving an included sngle whic}l is greater than the included angle employed in connection with the trunnion 3~. This is inten~ed to provide comparatively low frictional character-istics so as to facilitate rotation of the lid 14 relative to the cap 12.
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In order to facilitate assembly of the ~runnions ; 38 within the bearin~ openings 36 it is preforred to locate 3~ tapered notches 40 in the walls 28 above the bearing openings ~, 3fi whlch will facilitate thcse walls 28 being temporarily s LO deEormed so as to move apart as the trunnions 38 are pressed ....
downwardly into the notches 40 so as to "snap" or "pop" the trunnion~ 38 into place within tlle bearing ol~enings 3fi. If ~- desired various other snap-ln or ~op-in ty~e bearings and trunnions c~n be utilized on the lid 14 and the cap 12 so as to rotatably mount the lid 14 upon the cap 12.

It is to be noted that the bearing openings 36 are located so that the axis of rotation of tlle lid 14 is parallel to both of the sections 18. It is also noted that these sections 18 are of a length which is slightly shorter o than the distancc between the walls 28 and the li~ 14, ~nd the spring 16 is of such a width that when the trunnions 38 are in place within the opcnings 36 that this lid 14 and the spring 16 fit between the walls 28. With this type of con-struction the closure 10 can be assembled from an ~5 molded unass~mbled c~nfiguration as in.licated in Fi~.3 by merely ' -1~-:' -:

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folding the lid 14 and the spring 16 about the sections 18 to a position in which the trunnions 38 are adjacent to the ~. notches 40 and then pushing down on the lid 14 so as to snap - or pop these trunnions 38 in place in the openings 36.
uring such assembly the sections 18 and the spring 16 fold . so as to sct as guides or locating means facilitating the -.~ lid 14 beir.g loc~ted with the trunnions 38 ~enerally at and . . .
~ within the notches 40.
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When they are shaped and constructed in a preferred 10 mannor the sections 1~ and the spring 16 appear essentially .-, .
, as a smooth exterior connecting the walls 28 in this assembled . .
condition. Further, when assembled and.closed tlle lid 14 j. preferably appears essentially as n top wall (not separately i;:~ ;. -.,~ nu~bered) connectin~ the walls 28. In this assembled . .
~........ configuration when the lid 14 is closed it is located between ,1 .
':~ these walls 28 in such a position that the onl)~ practical ,~ way of gaining access to the lid 14 so as to rotate it from ~........ .
a closed position is through engagement of a lip 42 on this lid 14 which is located generally above a notch-like dèpres-sion 44 in the skirt 20. In the closed position of the lid 14 a bottlo cork-like hollow sealing plug 46 fits into the opening 34 so as to engage the interior of this opening 34 so as to form a seal therewith.
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Once the closure 10 has been assembled iJl the manner indicated tho utili~ation of this closure 10 ls :
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6Z~i4 essentially rather simple. The lip 42 may be engaged so as - -to rotate the lid 14 through an intcrmediate position as ~-indicated in Fig. 5 to the open position as indicated in Fig.
6. As this happens because of the manner in which the sections 18 are located they will be moved generally toward one another and will act as pivots or flexible connections so as to r,.,-~, acco~modate compressive forccs being applied through them to . the spring 16. Such forces will cause the spring 16 to be placed under compression and as a conse~uence of this the ,....
spring 16 will tend to bow generally in the manner indicated in Fig~ 5 so as to ex¢rcise a force relative to the lid 14.
' i~; As the lid 14 is moved betwcen opcn and closed ,.,~;. . .
; positions as in~icated in Pigs. 4 and 6~ it will pass through wh~t may be referrcd to as an ovcrcenter position when it is located relati~e to tho cap 12 substantially as indicated in Pig. 5. If the lid 14 is released when it is between ., .
: open and closed positions as noted~ the spring 16 will act . ,.:
so as to tend to pivot this lid 14 toward whichever of these ;~ t~o positions is ~ost closely ad~acent to the position of the lid 14 as it is reloase~. Thus, the action o~ the spring 16 will, when the lid 14 is discngagcd when it is relatively ad~acent to its closed position, tend to snap the lid toward the closed position in whicll the opening 34 is sealed off by the plug 46. Similarly whén the lid 14 ~s roleased as it is closer to the open po~ition th~n the closed position the spring 16 will tend to pivot the lid 14 to this open position.

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'' ~086264 ~-Preferably the section 18 which is connected to the lid 14 will abut the top 24 as shown in Fig. 6 so as to act ~s a stop for the lld 14 when the lid 14 is in the open position and the spring 16 will generally hold the lid so that it abuts against the top 24 in this open position in sucll a manner that the lid 14 must be d~liberately engaged --and moved in or~er to be moved from the open position. If ~esire~ other mechanically equivalent abutting stops or s~op means on tho li~ 14 and on the cap 12 can be employed to prevent thc li~ 14 from rotating past the open position shown in Fi~. 6.

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Within tho closure 10 the lid 14 and the cap 12 are constructed so that the distance between the sections 18 is approximately equal when the lid 14 i5 in its open position and when the lid 14 is in its closed positioll. Further, the spring 16 is preferably o. such a length between ~he sections 18 that it i5 not held un~er any significant compression or ~- tcnsion when the lid 14 is in either the open or the closed position. As a consequence of this the spring is unstressed except whcn the lid 14 is in the process of being moved betwee~
these two positions. This has the result that tlle spring 16 will not take a"permanent set" as a result of being subject ; to a pressure or forcc throughout a prolonge~ period. It is considere~ that this is qu~te important in enabling the spring ~6 to retain its resilient charact~ristics throughout the useful life of the closure 10.

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This closure lO is considered to bo desirable in that it is a relatively simple, inexpensive structure capable of being easily molded and assemblcd at a comparatively nominal cost. In cssence, the spring 16 and the sections ` 18 act as guides so 8S to facilitate the lid 14 being moved to a proper location for easy assembly~ The closure lO is ,`, also considered desirable in that all of the parts of the closure are substantially within the confines of the cap lZ
~' when the lid 14 is in a closed position. This is considered to mini~lize tlle possibility of damage duriilg han~ling and capping operations.
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Further, when the lid 14 is in an open position the s?ring 16 and the sections 18 are~ located generally between thc ~alls 28 so that they do not extend from the re~ainder of the closurc. This is considered bcneficial from an aesthetic standpoin~ and because it tends to minimize any possibility of damage to these parts when the lid 14 is open. Further the closure lO is considered quite desirable in that this closure is believed to utilize a comparatively minimum nur,lber of parts such as hinges or flexible sections.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THIS INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A dispensing closure including a first closure part having an opening extending therethrough J a second closure part pivotally mounted on said first closure part so as to be capable of being rotated about a pivot axis between a closed position in which said second closure part closes off said opening so that material cannot pass therethrough and an open position in which said opening is exposed so as to permit material to pass therethrough and said spring means connecting said first and second closure parts for holding said second closure part in either of said positions in which the improvement comprises:
said spring means comprising a spring having ends, one of which ends is pivotally connected to said first closure part and the other of which ends is pivotally connected to said second closure part, said first closure part having an upwardly opening cavity, the bottom of which is located below said pivot axis, said cavity having an upstanding wall, said one of said ends of said spring means being connected to said wall above said bottom of said cavity, said spring being connected to said second closure part at a location which is spaced so as to permit said other end of said spring which is connected to said second closure part to be pivoted toward said first closure part as said second closure part is pivoted from said closed to said open position, said cavity and said closure parts being dimen-sioned so as to accommodate movement of said second closure part and said other end of said spring into said cavity as said second closure part is moved between said positions, said first and said second closure parts and said spring are integral with one another and are constructed of a polymer material having resilient, flexible physical properties.

2. A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said first and said second closure parts are shaped so that the distance between said ends is the same in both of said positions and said spring is of such a length that it is neither under compression nor tension in either of said positions.

3. A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 2 wherein:
said dispensing closure includes integral flexible sections pivotally connecting said ends of said spring to said first and said second closure parts.

4. A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 3 wherein:
said first and said second closure parts include cooperating bearing and trunnion means pivotally mounting said second closure part on said first closure part, said cooperating bearing and trunnion means being capable of being "snapped" into cooperating engagement with one another, and said spring connecting edges of said first and second closure parts which are separated from one another when said closure parts are unassembled.

5. A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 3 wherein:
said flexible sections are elongated, line-like sections extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said second closure part relative to said first closure part.

6. A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 3 wherein:
said spring in an uncompressed condition has a flat plate-like shape.

7. A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said first and said second closure parts include cooperating bearing and trunnion means pivotally mounting said second closure part on said first closure part, said cooperating bearing and trunnion means being "snapped" into cooperating engagement with one another, said spring connecting edges of said first and second closure parts which are separated from one another when said closure parts are unassembled, said flexible sections are elongated, line-like sections extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said second closure part relative to said first closure part, said spring in an uncompressed condition has a flat plate-like shape.