US3255909A

US3255909A - Linerless closure

Info

Publication number: US3255909A
Application number: US337443A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ira H Miller; Ned J Smalley
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Inc
Current assignee: OI Glass Inc
Priority date: 1964-01-13
Filing date: 1964-01-13
Publication date: 1966-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-14

Description

June 14, 1966 I. H- MILLER ETAL 3,255,909

LINERLESS CLOSURE Filed Jan. 13, 1964 INVENTORS IRA H. MILLER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,255,909 LTNERLESS OLGSURE Ira H. Miller, Lambertville, Mich, and Ned J. Smalley,

Toledo, Cthio, assignors to Uweusdliinois End, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 337,443 2 Claims. ((11. 21543) This case relates generally to a linerless closure and, more particularly, to the combination of a container and a linerless closure.

The closure industry has long sought a closure which would efifectively seal a container from leakage of liquid contents without the necessity of providing such closure with a gasket. There are numerous linerless closures on the market as well as patents relating to molded plastic linerless closures; however, none have been completely effective in producing a leak-proof seal between the container to which it is afiixed and the sealing element of the closure. To be completely effective, it is necessary that the seal between the closure and its associated container be liquid-tight not only upon the initial application of the closure to the container but also upon resealing.

Many of the linerless closures on the market or described in patents rely upon a downwardly and inwardly directed sealing fin which depends from the closure top panel to effect a sealing engagement with the container. Such inwardly directed sealing fin engages the rim of its associated container and, as the closure is tightened thereon, is forced upwardly toward the closure top panel. The upward movement of the sealing fin causes the lower marginal edge thereof to be urged inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the closure skirt, thereby reducing the diameter of the circle defined by such sealing fin lower marginal edge. As a result, the lower portion of the sealing fin becomes wrinkled or corrugated thereby preventing the attainment of an effective seal.

Other types of linerless closures have various styles and configurations of sealing fins, some of which rest directly on the top of the rim of the container mouth to which the closure is afiixed and others which fit within the mouth of the container. While many of these linerless closures are satisfactory in some respects, to my knowledge none have met with widespread acceptance because they are either too complicated and too expensive or they simply do not provide an effective seal.

As pointed out above, one of the essential requirements of a linerless closure is that it be effective upon rescaling. Thus, it is highly desirable to use linerless closures in the packaging of toiletries and similar items of such a nature that only a portion of the contents are dispensed from the container at each use, the container then being reclosed to await the next use. Frequently such reclosed container is carried on overnight trips and, accordingly, is carried in luggage where it will rarely be in an upright position. It is obvious that the failure of such closure to attain a liquid-tight seal with its associated container upon reapplication thereto makes the closure virtually worthless.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a closure-container combination which will be highly effective in providing a liquid-tight seal both upon the initial application of the closure to the container and upon rescaling.

Despite the work done in developing various styles of linerless closures, it is apparent that virtually no attention has been given to developing a container neck finish and a linerless closure for use in combination. It is a specific object of the present invention to provide a novel combination of a container neck finish and a linerless closure.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide the above combination characterized in Patented June 14, 1966 that the sealing contact between the closure and the container extends over a substantial area.

It is afurther object of the present invention to provide a linerless closure which provides an effective seal on the container neck finish for all types of liquids and which is relatively simple and economical to manufacture.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheet of drawings on which:

.FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevational view of the closure portion of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevational view showing the closure partially engaged to the container neck;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the closure-container combination with the closure being in full sealing position with the container neck.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a closure generally designated 10 having a top panel portion 12 and a depending annular skirt 14. The closure as shown is provided with inwardly facing threads 16 formed on the skirt 14 for securing the closure to a container neck. Depending downwardly and outwardly from the top panel 12 is an annular sealing fin 18. The sealing fin 18 is frusto-conically shaped, decreasing in size as it approaches the top panel 12. Preferably the sealing fin 18 in its undeformed condition is disposed at an angle of 25 to 40 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the skirt 14. Such angle is denoted by the letter A in FIGURE 1. The sealing fin 18 is joined to the top panel 12 by two

fillets

13 and 15, one on each side thereof.

The sealing fin 18 is relatively thin, on the order of .005 to .015" at the free end and .010" to .030 at the joined end just below the

fillets

13 and 15. The top panel 12 and skirt 14 are substantially thicker than the sealing fin as is well known in the art. The closure may be formed of any desired material possessing the properties of flexibility and resilience in thin section (i.e., the sealing fin thickness). Polyethylene and polypropylene are cited as materials from which the closure may be molded, however, these materials are cited for the purpose of illustration and not limitation.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, there is provided a container 20 which is especially designed for use in combination with the closure 10. The container 20 has a neck 22 with outwardly facing threads 24 adapted for holding engagement with the closure. threads 16. The neck 22 terminates at its upper end in an annular rim 26 defining the periphery of an open mouth. The rim 26 includes a horizontal portion 27 and a downwardly tapering sealing portion 28 disposed outwardly therefrom. The horizontal portion 27 and the tapered sealing portion 28 meet at a breaking point 29.

. It can be seen from viewing FIGURE 3 that the portion of the sealing fin 18 lower surface adjacent the top panel can never achieve contact with the container sealing portion 28 because of the bulk of material in the area where the sealing fin 18 joins the top panel 12. It has been determined that the point on the lower surface of the sealing fin closest to the top panel 12 capable of making contact with the sealing portion 28 is one which lies in vertical alignment with the point of intersection between sealing fin centerline and the under surface of the closure top panel 12. For purposes of orientation, vertical is defined as the longitudinal axis of the skirt 14 or any line parallel thereto. This point on the sealing fin 18 may be referred to as the ultimate contact point 19.

The container neck 22 and rim 26 are sized relative to the closure 10 such that the diameter of the circle defined by the breaking point 29 is no greater than the diameter of the circle defined by the sealing fin ultimate contact point 19 thus insuring that no part of the sealing fin makes firm contact with the horizontal portion 27. This is essential as such contact may destroy the seal between the fin and the tapered sealing portion.

The included angle between vertical and the tapered sealing portion 28 is approximately 60 to 75 degrees and is illustrated by the letter B in FIGURE 2.

Application of the closure 10 to the container 20 causes the lower free end of the sealing fin 18 to initially engage the rim tapered sealing surface 28 and be pushed upwardly and outwardly thereby (see FIGURE 2). Continued tightening of the closure on the container neck causes the sealing fin 18 to be further cammed upwardly and outwardly by the tapered sealing surface 28 until it reaches the position shown in FIGURE 3 where a liquidtight seal is achieved. Such seal is especially effective because of the fact that the sealing fin 18 is stretched tightly over the container tapered sealing surfaces to achieve a firm interfacial engagement therewith. It can be noted from FIGURE 3 that the sealing contact between these surfaces is over a relatively wide area. Thus, by viewing the elements in section as in FIGURE 3, it may be seen that contact is effected from the free end of the sealing fin to the ultimate contact point 19.

The upward and outward urging of the sealing fin 18 is limited by the degree of taper of the sealing surface 28. Such taper, within the limits previously noted, while causing sufficient stretching of the sealing fin 18 to result in an effective seal, is sufficiently small to insure the attainment of an effective seal upon reapplication of the closure to the container. In addition, by providing a closure-container combination which effects sealing contact between two tapered members (the sealing fin 18 and the tapered sealing surface 28), the force resulting from such sealing contact has a horizontal as well as a vertical component. The horizontal component in effect places the sealing fin 18 in hoop tension against the sealing surface 28 thereby insuring that the free end of the sealing fin 18, as well as.the other portions of the sealing fin up to the point of ultimate contact 19, is maintained in sealing contact. Equally importantly, the sizing of the respective members to cause the point of ultimate contact 19 to hit the rim 26 on the tapered sealing surface 28 and not on the horizontal surface 27 insures that the entire length of the fin 18 from such point of ultimate contact 19 to the free end engages such sealing surface.

It can be readily seen from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a novel and exceptionally effective container and linerless closure combination which meets not only the requirement of providing a liquid tight seal upon initial sealing but also upon resealing.

It isobvious that many changes and modifications may be made in this invention without departing from its spirit and scope which is to be limited only by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination: a rigid container having an externally threaded neck portion terminating at its end in a annular rim defining the periphery of an open mouth, said rim including a substantially fiat portion lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said neck and a primary sealing portion disposed radially outwardly from said fiat portion, said primary sealing portion tapering downwardly from said fiat portion, the included angle between said sealing surface and said longitudinal axis being 60 to 70 degrees, said sealing surface following a substantially straight line element and intersecting said fiat portion in a breaking point, said breaking point defining a circle; and a closure affixed to said container comprising a top panel, an internally threaded skirt depending from said top panel engaging said threaded neck, the longitudinal axis of said skirt being aligned with the longitudinal axis of said neck portion, a resilient sealing fin depending downwardly and outwardly from said top panel, the included angle between the sealing fin in an undeformed condition and said skirt logitudinal axis being 25 to 40 degrees, the circle defined by the intersection of the sealing fin centerline and the under surface of said top panel being at least as large as the circle defined by said container rim breaking point, said sealing fin maintained in sealing engagement with said container sealing surface from the free end thereof to a point axially aligned with said intersection between the sealing fin centerline and the top panel under surface. I

2. In combination: a container having an externally threaded neck portion terminating at its end in an annular rim defining the periphery of an open mouth, said rim including a substantially flat portion lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said neck and a primary sealing portion disposed radially outwardly from said flat portion, said primary sealing portion tapering downwardly from said flat portion, said sealing surface following a substantially straight line element and intersecting said fiat portion in a breaking point, said breaking point defining a circle; and a closure affixed to said container comprising a top panel, an internally threaded skirt depending from said top panel engaging said threaded neck, the longitudinal axis of said skirt being aligned with the longitudinal axis of said neck portion, a resilient sealing fin depending downwardly and outwardly from said top panel, the circle defined by the intersection of the sealing fin centerline and the under surface of said top panel being at least as large as the circle defined by said container rim breaking point, said sealing fin maintained in sealing engagement with said container sealing surface from the free end thereof to a point axially aligned with said intersection between the sealing fin centerline and the top panel under surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,039,345 5/1936 Ravenscroft 21531 2,848,130 8/1958 Jesnig 215-31 2,886,198 5/1959 Herter 215-31 3,053,406 9/1962 Wandell 215--43 X 3,055,526 9/1962 Plunkett 215-43 X 3,072,277 1/1963 Hclfmann.

FOREIGN PATENTS 202,476 3/1959 Austria.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner,

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION: A RIGID CONTAINER HAVING AN EXTERNALLY THREADED NECK PORTION TERMINATING AT ITS END IN A ANNULAR RIM DEFINING THE PERIPHERY OF AN OPEN MOUTH, SAID RIM INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PORTION LYING IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID NECK AND A PRIMARY SEALING PORTION DISPOSED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FLAT PORTION, SAID PRIMARY SEALING PORTION TAPERING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FLAT PORTION, THE INCLUDED ANGLE BETWEEN SAID SEALING SURFACE AND SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS BEING 60 TO 70 DEGREES, SAID SEALING SURFACE FOLLOWING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LINE ELEMENT AND INTERSECTING SAID FLAT PORTION IN A BREAKING POINT, SAID BREAKING POINT DEFINING A CIRCLE; AND A CLOSURE AFFIXED TO SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING A TOP PANEL, AN INTERNALLY THREADED SKIRT DEPENDING FROM SAID TOP PANEL ENGAGING SAID THREADED NECK, THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SKIRT BEING ALIGNED WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID NECK PORTION, A RESILIENT SEALING FIN DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID TOP PANEL, THE INCLUDED ANGLE BETWEEN THE SEALING FIN IN AN UNDERFORMED CONDITION AND SAID SKIRT LONGITUDINAL AXIS BEING 25 TO 40 DEGREES, THE CIRCLE DEFINED BY THE INTERSECTION OF