Hinged closure for a container

Abstract

A closure for a container comprises a base and a cap comprising a top member and a body member; and a connecting member extending between and connecting the base and the cap, the cap being mobile between a first, closed position and a second, opened position, the body member further comprising a recess in the body member where the connecting member is fastened along a first hinge to the recess at a side thereof proximate to the top member, such that when the cap is disposed in the first, closed position the connecting member lies within the recess substantially flush with an exterior surface of the body member; the connecting member being capable of rotating through at least 90 about the first hinge in which the connecting member comprises a plurality of intermediate hinges providing rotation of the connecting member over a deflection of at least 270.

Claims

1. A closure for a container, comprising: a base configured to be attached to a mouth of the container; a cap comprising a top member and a body member extending from the top member; and a connecting member comprising a strip of resilient material extending between and connecting the base and the cap, said the cap being mobile between a first, closed position wherein the cap is disposed upon the base, and a second, opened position wherein the cap is detached from the base, in which the body member comprises a recess with a first side opening on an edge of the body member opposite the top member, and the connecting member is fastened along a first hinge to a second side of the recess opposite the first side, and in which when the cap is disposed in the first, closed position, the connecting member is accommodated in the recess such that the connecting member lies substantially flush with an exterior surface of the body member; and when the cap is disposed in the second, opened position, the connecting member is rotated through at least 90 about the first hinge; the connecting member comprises a plurality of intermediate hinges providing rotation of the connecting member over a deflection of at least 270; and the plurality of intermediate hinges are configured in progressively increasing rigidity from the cap to the base.

2. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the second side of the recess is closer to the top member than to the first side of the recess.

3. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is fastened along a second hinge to the base, such that when the cap is disposed in the second, opened position, the connecting member is rotated through at least 90 about the second hinge.

4. The closure according to claim 3, wherein the hinges are configured such that the second hinge is the most rigid, the intermediate hinges decrease in rigidity progressing from the base to the cap, and the first hinge is the least rigid.

5. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the recess in the body member of the cap comprises a notch.

6. The closure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the hinges is formed by a localized reduction in the thickness of the connecting member.

7. The closure according to claim 6, wherein at each of the hinges the strip of resilient material has a thickness of between 0.15 and 0.30 millimeters.

8. The closure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the hinges is a butterfly hinge.

9. The closure according to claim 8, wherein the at least one butterfly hinge has a vertex angle between 15 and 20.

10. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is bistably mobile between the first, closed position and the second, opened position.

11. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure is fabricated from a component selected from the group consisting of poly-ethylene terephthalate, low- or high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and vinyl resin.

12. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is formed integrally with the base and the cap.

13. A container comprising a closure comprising a base configured to be attached to a mouth of the container, a cap comprising a top member and a body member extending from the top member, and a connecting member comprising a strip of resilient material extending between and connecting the base and the cap, the cap being mobile between a first, closed position wherein the cap is disposed upon the base, and a second, opened position wherein the cap is detached from the base, in which the body member comprises a recess with a first side opening on an edge of the body member opposite the top member, and the connecting member is fastened along a first hinge to a second side of the recess opposite the first side, and in which when the cap is disposed in the first, closed position, the connecting member is accommodated in the recess such that the connecting member lies substantially flush with an exterior surface of the body member; and when the cap is disposed in the second, opened position, the connecting member is rotated through at least 90 about the first hinge, the connecting member comprises a plurality of intermediate hinges providing rotation of the connecting member over a deflection of at least 270, and the plurality of intermediate hinges are configured in progressively increasing rigidity from the cap to the base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the description of the presently preferred embodiments which are set out below with reference to the drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a closure according to the invention; and

(3) FIGS. 2 and 3 are side views of the closure of FIG. 1 in a fully-closed and fully-opened disposition, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary closure 100 according to the invention. The closure 100 comprises a base 102 and a cap 104 configured to be disposed on the base 102. The base 102, in its turn, is configured to be attached to the mouth of a container, according to the fashion generally known in the art.

(5) The base 102 is a substantially cylindrical, hollow structure, configured to fit on and about a mouth of a container (not shown). To this end, it may be provided with internal screw threads, locking beads, or other such structures as necessary to attach the base 102 to the container and seal it therewith.

(6) The cap 104 is also a hollow, substantially cylindrical structure, generally based on a top member 104A, which is generally a flat or convex member which, when the cap 104 is disposed upon the base 102, is disposed generally parallel with the mouth of the container.

(7) The cap 104 further comprises a body member 104B. The body member 104B is, here, a substantially cylindrical wall, which extends from the perimeter of the top member 104A.

(8) In this embodiment, the base 102 here comprises a spout 106, which is furnished with a nozzle 108. The nozzle 108 is in fluid communication with the inside of a container (not pictured) upon which the closure 100 is disposed; in this way, the product can be dispensed into another recipient (e.g. a cup), or the user may simply place his or her mouth on the spout 106 and drink directly from the container.

(9) Thus, when the cap 104 is placed upon the base 102 in a first, closed position, the cap seals the nozzle 108 of the spout 106, ensuring that the container does not leak or spill while being manipulated or transported.

(10) Optionally, the cap may be furnished with a sealing structure, here represented by the sealing ring 105 disposed within the cap. The sealing ring 105 will engage with the nozzle 108 and spout 106, further improving the sealing action of the closure 100.

(11) The closure is further provided with a connecting member 110, in the form of a strip of resilient material extending from the base 102 to the cap 104.

(12) The connecting member 110 comprises a first hinge 112 and a second hinge 113.

(13) The first hinge 112 is situated at the interface of the connecting member 110 and the cap 104, while the second hinge is disposed at the interface between the connecting member 110 and the base 102. Since the connecting member 110 is ideally fabricated from a flexible, resilient material, the combined action of the connecting member 110 and the first and second hinges 112, 113 will permit the deflection of the cap 104 between the first, closed position and a second, opened position wherein the cap 104 is detached from said base 102.

(14) The cap 104 is moreover provided with a recess 114, which is, in the present embodiment of the invention, comprises a notch in the body member 104B. Said recess 114 is substantially the same width as the connecting member 110 and defined by a first edge 115A and a second edge 115B. The first edge 115A is defined essentially by the body member 104B, as depicted here. The second edge 115B is parallel to the top member 104A of the cap 104, and disposed such that it is closer to said top member 104A than it is to the second edge 115B.

(15) It is most preferable that the height of the recess 114, i.e. the distance between the first edge 115A and the second edge 115B, be greater than half of the total height of the cap 104. This will permit the connecting member 110 to be long enough to rotate the cap 104 down and away from the nozzle 108 without binding on the base 102. Therefore, the second edge 115B is disposed closer to the top member 104A than it is to the first edge 115A, in order to realize the full benefit of the invention.

(16) The first hinge 112 thus connects the cap 104 to the connecting member 110 at the second edge 115B, permitting the cap 104 to rotate through at least 90 about the second edge 115B. In the same way, the second hinge 113 permits the cap 104 to rotate through at least 90 about the joint between the connecting member 110 and the base 102. Finally, since the connecting member 110 is a flexible, resilient strip of material, it is itself deflectable so as to rotate the cap 104 another 90.

(17) The collective effect of this is to rotate the cap 104 through at least 270 when it is moved from the first, closed position to the second, opened position. Moreover, the length of the connecting member 110 will displace the cap 104 away from the nozzle 108, reducing the likelihood that the cap 104 will contact the face of a user drinking from the container to which the closure 100 is attached.

(18) The recess 114 accommodates the connecting member 110 when the cap is disposed in the first, closed position. In this way, the connecting member 110 will be disposed flush with the body member 104B of the cap, avoiding any protrusion of the connecting member.

(19) In the present embodiment, the recess 114 is furnished in the form of a notch in the body member 104B. However, other forms for the recess are certainly possible. In particular, it may be advantageous to furnish the recess 114 in the form of a concavity, so as to avoid having any openings in the body member 104B through which dirt or other contaminants may enter.

(20) It will be recognized that, insofar as the flexion of the connecting member 110 is concerned, a sufficient deflection may be achieved simply by way of the elastic properties of the connecting member 110. However, in many embodiments, it may be advantageous to provide a certain structure within the connecting member 110 so as to ensure that this deflection occurs in a controlled manner, and to minimize wear on the connecting member.

(21) To this end, the connecting member 110 is provided with several intermediate hinges 116. The intermediate hinges 116 are so-called butterfly hinges, which are constituted by the live hinges formed in the connecting member 110 in the X-shaped arrangements depicted in FIG. 1. Such live hinges are merely localized, profiled reductions in the thickness of the connecting member 110, and may thus be furnished in a simple and inexpensive fashion. Said plurality of intermediate hinge allows providing rotation of said connecting member over a deflection of at least 270 which is an important advantage versus prior art.

(22) Thus, the stiffness of each hinge 112, 116 is thus at least partially a function of the thickness of the connecting member 110 at that location: the thicker the remaining material at the hinge 112, 116, the stiffer the hinge will be.

(23) In a preferred embodiment the thickness of the hinges 112, 116 varies from between 0.15 and 0.30 millimeters, which has been found offer an acceptable compromise between smooth operation and durability in the connecting member 110.

(24) It will be noted that the butterfly hinges that constitute each of the intermediate hinges 116 are formed in a pair of V-shaped structures, with each of them having a vertex angle (one of which is depicted here for clarity). All else being equal, the shallower the vertex angle formed in one of intermediate hinges 116, the more supple that intermediate hinge 116 will be when the connecting member 110 is deflected. In the embodiment depicted here the angle e is between 15 and 20; however, this may be varied as appropriate to the particular embodiment of the invention.

(25) It will therefore be readily understood that by controlling the stiffness of each of the first and second hinges 112, 113 and the intermediate hinges 116 as heretofore described, one can realize a great deal of control over the motion of the cap 104 as it is displaced from the first, closed position to the second, opened position. In particular, the curvature of the form assumed by the connecting member 110 when the cap 104 is disposed in the second, opened, position can be substantially pre-determined by carefully selecting the stiffness of said hinges 112, 113, 116.

(26) In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, for instance, the first and second hinges 112, 113 and the intermediate hinges 116 are configured such that the second hinge 113 (disposed where the connecting member 110 meets the base 102) is the most rigid, and the intermediate hinges 116 decrease in stiffness progressing from the base 102 to the cap 104, with the first hinge 112 (disposed where the connecting member 110 meets the cap 104) being the most flexible. In this way, the position of the cap 104 when it is disposed in a fully-opened position, where the connecting member 110 is fully extended, is effectively controlled. This aspect is discussed in further detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

(27) Of course, it will be understood that the stiffness gradient of the hinges may differ from that presented in the present embodiments, for instance decreasing in stiffness from the cap to the base, or with the intermediate hinges configured to be stiffer than either the first or second hinges.

(28) Ideally, the connecting member 110 is configured such that it is bistable; that is, naturally disposed to be in one of two stable positions. Said stable positions will, ideally, correspond to the first, closed position and the second, opened position. While the provision of the intermediate hinges 116 in the form of butterfly hinges will provide a degree of bistability, this bistability may also be provided by e.g. creating a degree of curvature across the width of the connecting member 110, or by any other means as appropriate.

(29) Furthermore, while the connecting member 110 may be provided as a discrete, separately-fabricated component, in many implementations it may be preferable to fabricate the base 102, cap 104, and connecting member 110 as a single, discrete component. Such a fabrication may easily be accomplished by way of known techniques, such as injection moulding and the like.

(30) The closure 100 will thus be easily manipulated and assembled to a container in a container-fabrication process. The closure 100 may be fabricated from a number of different materials; however, for most uses a moulded polymer resin is desirable. In particular, resins such as poly-ethylene terephthalate, low- or high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and vinyl are advantageous, in that they all have desirable fatigue resistance properties and are well-known in the plastic fabrication arts. Such resins are also advantageous in that they can be furnished in food-grade quality, making the resulting closures ideally suited for containers intended for foods and/or beverages.

(31) Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the operation of the closure 100 is now discussed.

(32) In FIG. 2, the closure 100 is depicted in a closed position, with the cap 104 disposed on the base 102. The base 102 has an associated axis 202, about which it is generally symmetric; the cap 104 also has an associated axis 204, about which it is also generally symmetric. As the cap 104 is disposed upon the base 102, the axes 202, 204 are generally coincident.

(33) It is recalled that the connecting member 110 is configured such that the closure 100 is bistable between an open and a closed position. Thus, when the cap 104 is disposed upon the base 102 to put the closure 100 in the closed position depicted in FIG. 2, the rigidity of the connecting member 110 will serve to bias the cap into a closed position.

(34) In this way, the sealing action of the closure 100 is augmented, and a small margin of protection against the inadvertent dislodging of the cap 104 is provided.

(35) It will also be evident that the connecting member 110 is disposed in the recess 114, and thus lying flush with the surface of the cap 104. In this way, the closure 100 avoids any protrusions when disposed in the first, closed position.

(36) FIG. 3 depicts the closure 100 in an opened position, with the cap 104 displaced into the position shown.

(37) In particular, an exemplary motion of the cap 104 is indicated by the dashed lines 300, 302. Specifically, the cap first translates upwardly away from the base 102, so as to clear the spout 106. The cap subsequently translates laterally and vertically into a position aside the base 102 shown here, and rotates through approximately 270 of rotation.

(38) As mentioned above, the opened position depicted in FIG. 3 constitutes the other stable position of the bistable connecting member 110. More specifically, the rigidity of the connecting member 110 will maintain the cap 104 in the opened position and prevent it from contacting the face of the user, or otherwise impeding the use of the container of which the closure 100 is a part.

(39) The displacement of the cap 104 is particularly evident when considering the position of the axis 204 of the cap 104, relative to the base 102 and its axis 202. The position of the axis 204 shows that the cap 104 has been displaced downwards, further away from the nozzle disposed at the end of the spout 106 and, by extension, further from the face of the user.

(40) However, as discussed above the motion of a cap as it moves from the closed position to the opened position is primarily a function of the configuration of the connecting member. Thus, it will be understood that in any particular embodiment, the motion of the cap specifically, the translation and rotation of said cap at any point in its movement from the closed to the opened position can be substantially pre-determined in part based on the configuration of the connecting member.

(41) In particular, it will be readily understood that the number of intermediate hinges formed in the connecting member need not necessarily be the same as in the embodiment disclosed above. Rather, the number of said intermediate hinges may be adapted so as to achieve the degree of motion necessary for the application to which that particular embodiment is adapted.

(42) It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.