Dispensing closure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispensing closure including a base and a cover attached to the base by a hinge and movable between an opened and a closed position. The cover includes an outer side-wall with a push-button region. The push-button region has, in a first position, a flat or convex outer surface and is adapted such that it can be pushed by a user at least partly in an inward direction from the first position into a second position. The push-button region has, in the second position, at least partly a concave outer surface.

Claims

1. A dispensing closure (10), said dispensing closure (10) comprising: a base (200) and a cover (100), being attached to said base (200) by a hinge (400) and being movable between an opened and a closed position, said cover (100) comprising an outer side-wall (120), characterized in that said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) comprises a push-button region (300), wherein said push-button region (300) has, in a first position, a flat or convex outer surface and is configured to be pushed by a user at least partly in an inward direction from said first position into a second position, wherein said push-button region (300) has, in said second position, at least partly a concave outer surface, wherein said push-button region (300) is connected to said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) by an intermediate connecting region (320), wherein said intermediate connecting region (320) is adapted such that some parts of said intermediate connecting region (320) break when one of: (i) said push-button region is moved from said first position to said second position; and (ii) said push-button region is moved back from said second position into said first position.

2. A dispensing closure (10), said dispensing closure (10) comprising: a base (200) and a cover (100), being attached to said base (200) by a hinge (400) and being movable between an opened and a closed position, said cover (100) comprising an outer side-wad (120), characterized in that said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) comprises a push-button region (300), wherein said push-button region (300) has, in a first position, a flat or convex outer surface and is configured to be gushed by a user at least partly in an inward direction from said first position into a second position, wherein said push-button region (300) has, in said second position, at least partly a concave outer surface, wherein said push-button region (300) is connected to said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) by an intermediate connecting region (320), wherein said intermediate connecting region (320) is configured with sub-regions with a rated breakpoint.

3. A dispensing closure (10), said dispensing closure (10) comprising: a base (200) and a cover (100), being attached to said base (200) by a hinge (400) and being movable between an opened and a closed position, said cover (100) comprising an outer side-wall (120), characterized in that said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) comprises a push-button region (300), wherein said push-button region (300) has, in a first position, a flat or convex outer surface and is configured to be pushed by a user at least partly in an inward direction from said first position into a second position, wherein said push-button region (300) has, in said second position, at least partly a concave outer surface, wherein said base (200) has a groove (280) on an upper side of said base (200), said groove (280) having inner side-walls, said groove (280) and said cover (100) are configured such that a lower rim (140) of said cover (100) is at least partly covered by said inner side-walls of said groove (280), when said cover (100) is in said closed position.

4. A dispensing closure (10), said dispensing closure (10) comprising: a base (200) and a cover (100), being attached to said base (200) by a hinge (400) and being movable between an opened and a closed position, said cover (100) comprising an outer side-wall (120), characterized in that said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) comprises a push-button region (300), wherein said push-button region (300) has, in a first position, a flat or convex outer surface and is configured to be pushed by a user at least partly in an inward direction from said first position into a second position, wherein said push-button region (300) has, in said second position, at least partly a concave outer surface, wherein said push-button region (300) is connected to said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) by an intermediate connecting region (320), wherein said intermediate connecting region (320) comprises at least one indicator element configured to be at least partly destroyed when one of: (i) said push-button region (300) is moved from said first position into said second position; and (ii) said push-button region (300) is moved back from said second position to said first position.

5. The dispensing closure (10) according to claim 4, wherein said at least one indicator element is made from a material that is more rigid than a remaining part of said intermediate connecting region (320).

6. The dispensing closure (10) according to claim 4, wherein said at least one indicator element is made of the same material as one of: (i) said push-button region (300); and (ii) a remaining part of said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100), and wherein a remaining part of said intermediate connecting region (320) is made of a material that is more elastic than one of: (i) said material of said at least one indicator element (340); and (ii) a material of said cover (100) of said dispensing closure (10).

7. A dispensing closure (10), said dispensing closure (10) comprising: a base (200) and a cover (100), being attached to said base (200) by a hinge (400) and being movable between an opened and a closed position, said cover (100) comprising an outer side-wall (120), characterized in that said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) comprises a push-button region (300), wherein said push-button region (300) has, in a first position, a flat or convex outer surface and is configured to be pushed by a user at least partly in an inward direction from said first position into a second position, wherein said push-button region (300) has, in said second position, at least partly a concave outer surface, wherein said cover (100) comprises an inner side having a ring-like protrusion (162) configured to be at least partly inserted into a dispensing opening (222) of said base (200) when said cover (100) is in said closed position to seal said dispensing opening (222).

8. A dispensing closure (10), said dispensing closure (10) comprising: a base (200) and a cover (100), being attached to said base (200) by a hinge (400) and being movable between an opened and a closed position, said cover (100) comprising an outer side-wall (120), characterized in that said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100) comprises a push-button region (300), wherein said push-button region (300) has, in a first position, a flat or convex outer surface and is configured to be pushed by a user at least partly in an inward direction from said first position into a second position, wherein said push-button region (300) has, in said second position, at least partly a concave outer surface, wherein said dispensing closure (10) comprises (i) a first latch element attached to an inner side of said outer side-wall (120) of said cover (100), said first latch element is movable from a locking position to an unlocking position, and (ii) a second latch element attached to said base (200), wherein said first and said second latch elements are arranged and positioned to engage when said cover (100) is in said closed position and when said first latch element is in said locking position, wherein said first latch element is in said locking position when said push-button region (300) is in said first position, and wherein said first latching element is in said unlocking position, when said push-button region (300) is in said second position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other features and advantages of the dispensing closure according to the present invention will become even more apparent in view of the figures showing preferred embodiments and the accompanying explanation:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a front view of an embodiment of a dispensing closure according to the present invention with the push-button region in a first position,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a side-view of an embodiment of the dispensing closure according to the present invention with the push-button region in a first position,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a dispensing closure according to an embodiment of the present invention with the push-button region in a first position,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view through an embodiment of the dispensing closure according to the present invention with the push-button region in a second position,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the dispensing closure with the push-button region in a second position and with the cover being partly opened, and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the dispensing closure with the push-button region in a second position and with the cover in its fully opened position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a dispensing closure 10 according to the present invention in a front view and in a side view. The dispensing closure 10 comprises a base 200 and a cover 100, while said cover 100 is attached to said base 200 by means of a hinge 400, so that the cover 100 can be essentially rotated around the hinge 400, as can be also seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 being described hereinafter.

(9) The base 200 is essentially cylindrical and provides an inner thread (see FIGS. 3 and 4), so that it can be attached to a corresponding outer thread of a container, so that the closure 10 can be attached to a container to cover an opening of such a container.

(10) The cover 100 has an outer side-wall 120, which has a curved outer form, and an essentially flat cover plate 160.

(11) According to the invention, the dispensing closure 10 has a push-button region 300 at the outer side-wall 120 of the cover, while said push-button region 300 has an essentially circular form.

(12) The push-button region 300 in this embodiment is connected with or attached to the remaining part of the outer side-wall 120 by means of an intermediate connecting region 320.

(13) In this embodiment, the intermediate connecting region 320 is made of the same material as the cover 100 and the base 120, namely HDPE. However, the thickness of the intermediate connecting region 320 is thinner than the thickness of the push-button region 300 and the remaining part of the outer side-wall 120.

(14) In this embodiment, the side-wall 120 has a thickness of 0.9 mm and generally the thickness of the side-wall is preferably in the area of about 0.6 mm to 2.0 mm.

(15) The thickness of the push-button region 300 in this embodiment is also 0.5 mm and generally the thickness of the push-button region is in an area of about 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm.

(16) The thickness of the intermediate connecting region 320 in this embodiment is 0.2 mm generally it can be in an area of about 0.05 mm to 0.8 mm.

(17) In this embodiment, the material and the thicknesses of the elements are selected such that the intermediate connecting region 320 does not break when the push-button region is moved between the first position (see FIGS. 1 to 3) and the second position (see FIGS. 4 to 6). However, in other embodiments it would be possible to adapt the cover and especially the material and the thicknesses of the elements such that the intermediate connecting region (320) does not break when the push-button region is moved for the first time, from its initial and first position (see FIGS. 1 to 3) to a second position (see FIGS. 4 to 6), however in case the push-button region is pushed back into the first position, e.g. by exerting a pressure against the push-button region from the inside of the cover 100 when said cover is open, the intermediate connecting region will break at least at one or at multiple points or even completely.

(18) As already mentioned above, the push-button region is shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 in its initial and first position, as provided directly after manufacturing of the dispensing closure.

(19) As can be especially well seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, showing the closure with the cover in its closed position, so that the outer surface of the outer side-wall and the outer surface of said push-button region 300 can be seen from a user from the outside, the push-button region 300 has a concave outer surface, and the curvature of the concave outer surface is in this case higher than the curvature of the outer surface of the side-wall 120. This realization is preferred as thereby the push-button region 300 outwardly extends beyond the outer surface of the outer side-wall, so that it can be more easily manipulated by the user, however it is in principle also possible that the push-button region has a concave curvature being essentially equal to a concave outer surface of the side-wall 120, and it would be even possible that the push-button region 300 has an essentially flat outer surface.

(20) FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through the dispensing closure as shown in FIG. 1 along line A-A as indicated in FIG. 1. In this cross-sectional view, the inner threads 210 of the base 200 for an attachment of the closure 10 to a container can be well seen. Furthermore FIG. 3 very well shows a dome-shaped dispensing spout 270, extending essentially upwardly from said base 200 and having a dispensing opening (222, see especially FIGS. 5 and 6).

(21) The cover 100 comprises, on its inner side and extending from said cover plate 160, a ring-like protrusion 162, which extends into said dispensing opening 222 when said cover 100 is in its closed position, thereby sealing said dispensing opening 222.

(22) The dispensing closure 10 of this embodiment also comprises a tamper-evident element 600, which is arranged such that breaking element 610 will break, when said dispensing closure 10 is unscrewed from the corresponding container for the first time.

(23) The base 200 has, on its upper area, a groove 280, into which a lower rim 180 of said cover 100 is inserted (see especially FIGS. 5 and 6). The groove 280 extends nearly around the completed circumference of the dispensing closure, however the groove is not provided in the area where the hinge 400 is provided.

(24) The lower rim 180 of the cover 100 and the groove 280 are dimensioned such that there is a friction between these two elements when said lower rim 180 of said cover 100 is inserted in said groove 280, so that the opening of the cover 100 requires a predetermined minimum force.

(25) FIG. 4 shows the dispensing closure as shown in FIG. 3, however with the push-button region 300 in its second position. This position is achieved by a user who has pushed the push-button region 300, when being in the initial or first position as shown in FIG. 3, e.g. by a fingertip, in an inward direction.

(26) As can be well seen in FIG. 4, the push-button region 300 has, in this second position, a concave outer surface. As can be also well seen in FIG. 4, it is now easily possible for a user to place a fingertip into the concave outer surface of said push-button region 300, which enables the user to exert an opening force onto said cover 100 such that the cover 100 can be opened, in this embodiment essentially by a rotation around the hinge 400, as can be well seen in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

(27) FIG. 5 shows the dispensing closure 10 after the cover 100 has been partly opened such that the ring-like protrusion 162 has moved out of the dispensing opening 222.

(28) FIG. 6 shows the dispensing closure 10 with its cover 100 in its completely opened position, so that the dispensing opening 222 is completely free for dispensing liquid or another flowable medium out of a container to be attached to the dispensing closure 10.

(29) It is clear to the expert that various amendments can be made to the embodiments, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the attached claims, and any features disclosed in connection with the embodiments or the general description can be important for realizing the invention, either alone or in any combination thereof.