AU760708B2 - A closure - Google Patents

Description

2 A CLOSURE Field of the invention The present invention relates to a closure for a container of the type having a pourer located to an outlet thereof. The invention will be described primarily in relation to bottles having pourers located in the spout (neck) thereof, but can be used with other containers.

Background Art Two known bottle closures are the so-called "screw and snap cap" which is provided with a pourer plug, and a "ring seal cap" which is provided with sealing rings.

S. In the screw and snap cap the pourer plug is integral with the cap and projects downwardly from the underside of the top wall of the cap. The ring seal cap has, for o 0. 15 example, two concentric and deformable integral rings •0 projecting from an underside thereof. The two caps are mutually distinct in construction and are used in different applications.

One way in which the screw and snap cap is produced involves manufacturing the pourer and the cap at the same location, and then pre-fitting the pourer inside the cap prior to bottle fitting. This unit is then provided to a bottle contents manufacturer, who has been supplied with "0"0 bottles with suitably receptive spouts, typically from a separate source. The manufacturer fills the bottles with the particular liquid contents, and then the screw and snap cap with the pourer fitted therein is screwed onto the bottle. Eventually, the pourer is brought into engagement with the spout, and the pourer is configured such that it snap fits onto the spout with the screwing action.

A consumer, when unscrewing the cap, then does not remove the pourer (it being maintained on the spout for the duration of bottle usage).

The known ring seal caps, on the other hand, being differently shaped are not suitable for use with pourers.

In the ring seal cap, the cap is screwed onto a bottle 36082 3 spout, and the rings deform against the spout to directly provide a seal between the cap and spout.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a closure for a container of the type having an outlet spout that is adapted for having a pourer of narrower opening located thereat, the closure including a spacing element projecting internally from an underside of a top wall of the closure, wherein the element is adapted, when the closure is fitted to the container, for interacting directly or indirectly with the container outlet spout in a manner that provides sufficient space for the pourer to be accommodated under the closure.

The closure according to the present invention can combine both the screw and snap and ring seal caps into a closure having a single overall appearance. In addition, the use of a spacing element provides space at the centre of the closure to allow a pouring spout to be accommodated (eg. recessed) therein. This represents a significant departure from the prior art.

When it is stated that "the element is adapted" for "interacting directly or indirectly with the container", it is to be appreciated that, typically, a pourer is already fitted to eg. a container spout, so that a wall of the 25 pourer is in fact located between the container and the element. In other words, the pourer when fitted to the spout becomes "integral" therewith. In such arrangements the element does not directly abut the container, but rather abuts the pourer, however it still provides a spacing function. Such arrangements are thus included within the definition of "interacting directly or indirectly with the container".

Preferably (and usually) the container is a bottle and the pourer is a separate fitting that is attached in use to ego* S 35 a spout of the bottle.

S"Typically the spacing element is a continuous annular shaped rib projecting from an underside of a top wall of g7- the closure. Typically the diameter of the element 36082 -4 corresponds to the diameter of the spout. The rib can also provide a load bearing surface for when the closure is eg.

screw-fitted to the spout to maintain both the height and integrity of the closure in its mounting to the spout.

Alternatively, rather than the use of a continuous circular rib, one or more discreet rib elements can project from an underside of the top wall of the closure (there preferably being at least three such elements) to provide the load bearing and spacing functions.

Typically the closure top wall is outwardly domeshaped. In this regard, the external appearance of the S. closure can be the same in both screw and snap, and ring seal applications. The dome can additionally assist in accommodating the pourer, and thus the amount of spacing S 15 required from the element can be reduced. This dome shape provides both aesthetic and manufacturing advantages.

Typically a plug is provided at the underside of the closure top wall for closing the pourer when the element is positioned at the container, although this is not essential 20 to the invention. By providing a plug at the underside of the closure, the closure can function as a screw and snap cap. Typically the plug is a cylindrically-shaped lug projecting from the underside of the closure top wall and being concentric with the rib. The plug preferably projects further from the wall than the rib and typically fits inside a corresponding pourer spout to close the same in use. Such further projection of the plug ensures an adequate sealing at the pourer. Preferably both a circularshaped plug and pourer outlet are provided, the circular shape providing both manufacturing and in-use advantages, especially when the closure is screwed onto and off the bottle.

Alternatively, or in addition to the plug, it is preferred that one or more deformable and thinner annular sealing rings are provided on and project out from the rib, and which deform when the rib abuts the spout to provide a 36082 5 seal at the closure. Thus, the closure can independently be provided in the form of a ring seal cap, or can even be provided as a dual screw and snap-ring seal cap. Thus the spacing element enables multiple functionality to be achieved in the one cap.

Preferably the closure is circular in cross-section and is of the screw type, having an internally threaded side wall for engaging with a corresponding external thread on the container (or spout). The closure is also most typically provided in the form of a cap.

Brief Description of the Drawings Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the S. scope of the present invention, preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, 15 with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional side view through a preferred closure in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows a similar view to Figure 1, but with part of the side wall removed for clarity; 20 Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional side view through an alternative preferred closure in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 shows a similar view to Figure 3 but with part of the side wall removed for clarity; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the external surface of a preferred closure in accordance with the present invention; Figure 6 shows another perspective view of the closure without external markings thereon; Figure 7 shows a side external view of a preferred closure in accordance with the present invention; Figure 8 shows an underside view of the closure of Figure 1; Figure 9 shows the closure of Figure 1 in crosssectional side elevation when located on a spout of a bottle fitted with an integral pourer in accordance with 36082 6 the present invention; and Figure 10 shows the closure of Figure 3 in crosssectional side elevation when fitted to the spout of a bottle.

Modes of Carrying Out the Invention Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a closure for a bottle is shown in the form of a cap 10. This cap is suitable for use with a bottle of the type adapted for having a pourer fitted at a spout of the bottle.

The cap includes a dome-shaped top wall 12 and an inwardly tapering side wall 14. The side wall is internally threaded with a thread 16 for engagement with a corresponding external thread on a bottle (ie. to enable screw fitting of the cap to the bottle) 15 Projecting downwardly from the underside of top wall :12 is a spacing element in the form of annular rib 20. The rib is adapted for engaging against the top of a bottle spout (or a pourer element when fitted to that spout see Figure The rib 20 ensures that the underside of top 20 wall 12 is always sufficiently spaced from the end of the spout for accommodating a pourer of the bdttle (described below). The rib also provides a secondary sealing function in the embodiment of Figure 1 (but can, in conjunction with the sealing rings shown in Figure 3, provide a primary sealing function) A cylindrical plug 22 also extends from the underside of top wall 12 and can be fitted into a corresponding opening in a pouring element (described below). In the embodiment of Figure 1, the rib additionally provides a load bearing function, so that any screw force applied to the cap when tightened against the spout is primarily taken up through rib 20. This can prevent, for example, the plug becoming stuck or damaged at the pourer. In the embodiment of Figure 3, the rib provides a primary load bearing function in conjunction with its primary sealing function.

The rib 20 need not be continuous and can be provided 36082 -7 in the form of discrete spacing lugs positioned evenly around the circumference of the cap underside. Typically at least three such lugs are provided.

As can be seen in Figure 9, cap 10 can be screwed onto the spout 24 of a container, typically a bottle. However, it should be appreciated that the closure can be used with other containers that may incorporate a pourer with an outlet.

The spout 24 has a separate pourer in the form of pourer element 26 snap-fitted thereto. The snap fitting is facilitated by providing a circumferential recess 28 in the *spout, and providing an internally projecting circumferential ridge 30 inside the pourer element, and which snaps into the recess.

In fact, the annular rib 20 assists in fitting the pourer element to spout 24. In this regard, typically the cap is pre-fitted with the pourer element (ie. mounted therein) and is supplied to a manufacturer as a unit. When the cap is screwed down onto the spout, the rib 20 ensures 20 that side wall 32 of the pourer element is forced around the spout and until rib 30 sits (snap fits) in recess 28.

When fitted, element platform 34 sits on top of the bottle, and once fitted the pourer element typically remains in place up until disposal of the bottle.

The pourer element 26 further includes an upwardly projecting, outwardly flared pourer outlet 36 which opens onto a downwardly extending cylindrical plug recess 38. As can be seen, when the cap is screwed down onto the spout, plug 22 progressively extends through outlet 36 and thence into plug recess 38. Typically the outside wall of the plug 22 is slightly tapered, and fits with a corresponding taper provided inside outlet 36 (and optionally provided inside recess 38). Thus, the plug provides a primary sealing function to the spout of the bottle when so fitted.

As can also be seen, the pourer outlet is received against the underside of the top wall in a recessed region 36082 8 As is further illustrated in Figure 9, rib 20 bears against the upper side of platform 34, which in turn bears against the top of the bottle. Thus, aside from maintaining a pourer accommodating space between the underside of top wall 12 and the spout end, the rib provides primary load bearing and secondary sealing through its abutment on platform 34. Of course, this abutment can also be directly against the top of the bottle itself, for example, where the pourer element is fitted wholly within the spout of the bottle (ie. so that the platform 34 is recessed in the spout and does not extend across the top of the bottle).

S"Referring to Figure 3, an alternative cap 10' is provided with a dome-shaped top wall 12 that corresponds to the cap of Figure 1. The rib 20 enables dual functionality of a cap having identical external appearance (ie. enables dual functionality between the screw and snap function and ring-seal function).

The rib 20 in the cap of Figure 3 is provided with a 20 pair of annular sealing rings 42 which extend downwardly, and inwardly at an angle. Each ring is parallel to the other, and each ring is sufficiently thin to be deformed S when screwed against a container end (eg. the end of spout 24 in Figure The cap of Figure 3 is not provided with a plug 22, as its primary function is as a ring seal cap. However, the plug can be provided, if required, with the arrangement of Figure 3 to provide a dual function cap with the attendant manufacturing, assembly and cost saving advantages.

As the cap 10 is screwed down onto the end of spout 24 (Figure 10) the sealing rings engage against the bottle end. With further on-screwing, the rings are deformed inwardly (ie. they bend about their point of attachment to the rib 20) and eventually are sandwiched between with rib 20 and the end of the spout 24. Thus, the sealing rings in conjunction with the rib 20 provide a primary sealing 36082 -9function to the spout of the bottle.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the external surface of the cap can be provided with sets of longitudinal grooves 44 which provide a gripping surface for a users fingers when screwing and unscrewing the cap. In addition, the inward tapering of the side wall facilitates gripping by a users finger pads. Figure 5 shows the cap provided with delineations 46 on the bottom of the outside for further facilitating gripping, and Figure 6 shows an unembossed smooth external surface, where such an appearance is desired.

Typically the caps 10, 10' are injection moulded, as is the pourer element. The caps and pourer element are particularly suited for use with glass bottles for storing 15 liquid condiments (eg. sauce bottles) which have a narrow neck/spout to which the cap is fitted to the end thereof.

The cap 10 combined with the pourer element 26 is typically used for lower viscosity (thin) liquids, as the pourer provides a controlled release of liquid during a 20 pouring operation, whereas the cap 10' is typically used with more viscous liquids where the spout of the bottle itself is sufficient to provide pouring control.

As stated above, the closure in accordance with the present invention can be used with containers other than bottles. For example, the closure can be used with canisters, jars etc., but typically is used wherever an integrated pourer element needs to be housed under the closure.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a number of preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in many other forms.

36082

Claims (13)

1. A closure for a container of the type having an outlet spout that is adapted for having a pourer of narrower opening located thereat, the closure including a spacing element projecting internally from an underside of a top wall of the closure, wherein the element is adapted, when the closure is fitted to the container, for interacting directly or indirectly with the container outer spout in a manner that provides sufficient space for the pourer to be accommodated under the closure.

2. A closure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the container is a bottle and the pourer is a separate fitting that is attached in use to a spout of the bottle.

3. A closure as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the element is a continuous annular shaped rib projecting from an underside of a top wall of the closure.

4. A closure as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the diameter of the element corresponds to the diameter of the spout.

A closure as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the rib provides a load bearing surface such that, when the closure is screw-fitted to the spout, the rib maintains both the height and integrity of the closure in its mounting to the spout.

6. A closure as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the 25 element is one or more discreet rib elements that project from an underside of a top wall of the closure to provide load bearing and spacing functions.

7. A closure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a top wall of the closure is outwardly dome- 30 shaped.

S8. A closure as claimed in any one of the preceding o o claims wherein a plug is provided at the underside of a eoc closure top wall for closing the pourer when the element is positioned at the container.

9. A closure as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the plug is a I AL cylindrically-shaped lug projecting from the underside of 36082 11 the closure top wall and being concentric therewith.

A closure as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the plug projects further from the wall than the element and fits inside a spout of the pourer to close the same in use.

11. A closure as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to wherein as an alternative, or in addition to the plug, one or more deformable and thinner annular sealing rings are provided on and project out from the element, and which deform when the element abuts the spout to provide a seal at the closure.

12. A closure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the closure is circular in cross-section and is of a screw type, having an internally threaded side wall for engaging with a corresponding external thread on the *a 0. 15 container (or spout) go

"13. A closure for a container, the closure being substantially as herein described with reference to the S. Sa accompanying drawings. 20 Dated this 18th day of November 1999 WELLMAN INDUSTRIAL PLASTICS CO PTY LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK S S 36082