Closure

Abstract

A dispensing closure (10) comprising an actuator disc (20) and a base (15) is provided. The disc is pivotally mounted on the base and is pivotable between a closed position which prevents fluid product dispensing and an open position which allows product fluid dispensing. The closure comprises a transport lock (24) for preventing the disc moving from the closed to the open position.

Claims

1. A dispensing closure comprising an actuator disc and a base, wherein the actuator disc is pivotally mounted on the base and is pivotable between a closed position which prevents fluid product dispensing and an open position which allows product fluid dispensing, wherein the dispensing closure further comprises a transport lock for preventing the actuator disc moving from the closed to the open position, wherein the transport lock comprises a pressable strip formed as part of the actuator disc that is movable from a locked position to an unlocked position, wherein the pressable strip comprises a central portion which is displaced radially inwards when pressed, wherein the disc comprises a disc sidewall and the pressable strip is non-frangibly attached at either side to the disc sidewall by an inclined portion that is attached to the disc sidewall by a first pair of bend lines, and in which the central portion extends between the inclined portions and is joined thereto by a second pair of bend lines, and wherein the inclined portions are configured to change inclination and extend inward when the pressable strip is pressed.

2. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a base sidewall and the base sidewall comprises a notch formed by a wall section, and in which in the locked position the pressable strip is positioned over the wall section to prevent the actuator disc moving to the open position.

3. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the actuator disc comprises a top plate and a disc sidewall depending from the periphery thereof.

4. The dispensing closure of claim 3, wherein a gap is formed in the disc sidewall and the pressable strip is formed across the gap.

5. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the actuator disc is generally circular.

6. The dispensing closure of claim 5, wherein the pressable strip moves radially inwards.

7. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the actuator disc includes a frontal dispensing outlet.

8. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the pressable strip is provided at a rear of the actuator disc.

9. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the pressable strip remains attached to the actuator disc.

10. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the pressable strip is biased towards the locked position and movable to the unlocked position.

11. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the pressable strip is initially in the locked position and movable to a stable unlocked position.

12. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the pressable strip is initially in the locked position and is irreversibly movable to the unlocked position.

13. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the base and the actuator disc are formed from different materials.

14. The dispensing closure of claim 13, wherein the base is generally cylindrical.

15. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the actuator disc comprises a pressing depression for assisting movement to the open position.

16. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the closure comprises tamper-evident means for indicating if the actuator disc has moved from an initially closed position to the open position.

17. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein, in the locked position, the central portion is generally convexly curved and, in the unlocked position, the central portion is generally convexly curved.

18. The dispensing closure of claim 1 in combination with a container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing closure;

(2) FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the dispensing closure;

(3) FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the dispensing closure;

(4) FIG. 4 is a top view of the dispensing closure;

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(6) FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(7) FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(8) FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(9) FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(10) FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(11) FIG. 11 is a rear elevation view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(12) FIG. 12 is a top view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4.

(13) FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(14) FIG. 14 is another bottom view of the lid included in the dispensing closure of FIGS. 1-4;

(15) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the closure showing the lid pivoted to an open position;

(16) FIG. 16 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a closure including a lid and showing the lid in a closed position;

(17) FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the closure of FIG. 16 showing the lid in the open position; and

(18) FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view of another embodiment of a closure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(19) Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 4 there is shown a disc-top or toggle-action style dispensing closure generally indicated 10. The closure comprises a generally cylindrical base 15 and a lid 20 (or actuator disc) pivotally mounted to the base 15. In this embodiment the material from which the base and lid is made is generally the same (although the colour may be different). In other embodiments the material from which the base and lid are formed may be different e.g. different types of a polymeric material such as polypropylene.

(20) The base is mountable on a container neck (not shown) for example by screw thread, ratchet, lugs, bayonet or snap bead engagement.

(21) The base 15 comprises a generally cylindrical sidewall 16. One end of the sidewall has a notch or cut-out portion 18.

(22) Referring now also to FIGS. 5 to 12 the lid 20 is generally disc-like, with a circular top plate 21 and a sidewall 22 depending from the periphery thereof. Two diametrically opposed pivot projections or trunnions 23a, 23b are provided and engage in corresponding sockets/recesses in the interior of the base sidewall. This allows the lid to pivot with respect to the base.

(23) At the rear of the lid, a notch/gap 34 is formed in the sidewall 22. Across the gap a transport lock strip 24 is provided. The strip 24 is non-frangibly attached at either side to the sidewall by an inclined portion 40, 42. A central portion 44 extends between the portions 40, 42 and is joined thereto by thinned bend lines 46, 48.

(24) The inclined portions 40, 42 position the central portion member 44 radially outwards of the top plate 21 and the truncated sidewall section 22a that defines the notch 18. This locates the locking member 24 so that it sits in the sidewall notch 18, directly above the section of sidewall 19 forming the notch.

(25) The top plate 21 includes a pressing depression 25 at one side adjacent the member 24 for manually pivoting the lid to an open position.

(26) The lid comprises a dispensing channel which commences with a dispensing inlet 30 on the underside of the lid and terminates with a dispensing opening 32 generally opposite the member 24. In the closed position the opening 32 is blocked and in the open position the opening 32 is unblocked and a dispensing path is established between the container and the opening, through the base and then through a channel in the lid.

(27) In use, with the strip 24 positioned over the wall section 19 the lid cannot be pushed down (accidentally or deliberately). This could be useful for avoiding accidental opening and could be useful, for example, for preventing the lid being pushed down by a child.

(28) In order to be able to press the lid down the strip must first be pressed inwards (into the gap 34) from the position shown in FIG. 13 to the position shown in FIG. 14.

(29) In this embodiment, when the strip is pressed it moves into the gap 34 by causing the portions 40, 42 to change their inclination and bend inwards, as represented by the dotted line in FIG. 14. In doing so the central portion 44 is displaced radially inwards.

(30) With the strip in the inwards/unlocked position and therefore no longer above the wall section 19 the lid 20 is then movable from a closed position to an open position by pressing downward on the depression 25, thereby pivoting the lid on the base, lifting the opposite side of the lid and exposing a discharge opening 32.

(31) In this embodiment once the strip 24 is pressed in it does not return to the locked position when the lid is placed back in the closed position. This could be useful, for example for a tamper-evident function with a tamper member that remains attached (i.e. not something like a tear-off tab). In some embodiments a member that is effectively permanently moved and/or deformed could therefore function as both a transport lock and a tamper-evident feature, for example. In other embodiments the member is purely a transport lock.

(32) In other embodiments the strip is biased to the outward position and movable inwards; it would then return to an outwards position, for example, when the lid is reclosed.

(33) In this embodiment the central portion 44 is not deformed as it moves inwards. In other embodiments the portion 44 is deformed.

(34) FIG. 15 shows the lid pivoted to the open position on the base.

(35) FIGS. 16 and 17 show sectional views of closed and open positions of a closure 110 formed according to a further embodiment.

(36) FIG. 18 shows a rear perspective view of a closure 210 formed according to a further embodiment.

(37) Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.