Bottles and jars – Closures – Frangible member or portion
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-17
2001-04-10
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
Frangible member or portion
C215S303000, C220S229000, C141S351000, C141S364000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213322
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the field of emptying flasks or containers containing specific products, and in particular to flasks containing photographic development chemicals. More specifically, the invention relates to a frangible closure for containers containing photographic development chemicals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain chemical products must, prior to their use, be specially mixed with other products of the same nature. For shelf-life reasons or product freshness it is often important for the mixing to be carried out just before use. This is particularly the case with chemical products in photographic processing. Customer requirements for easier handling of these photochemical bottles with less exposure to the chemicals has generated the need for a cap which does not need to be removed or replaced to dispense photochemicals. Seal integrity, customer handling, and recycleability has generated the need for a cap molded from high density polyethylene (HDPE) resin which can seal the bottle and be opened simply by inserting the bottle into processing apparatus. At the present time, each product forming part of such a combination is stored in a plastic flask closed by a liquid tight stopper. The photochemical manufacturing community currently utilizes various methods for sealing bottles filled with photographic development chemicals which includes, but is not limited to: 1) foam/cardboard seal insert inside the bottle cap; and 2) aluminum foil seal welded over the bottle neck opening and covered with a cap. A shortcoming of the aforementioned sealing methods is that they each present a propensity to leak that detracts or prevents recycling of the bottle without removing the cap and seal residue.
Another currently available practice for sealing a flask used in the photochemical manufacturing community includes a bottle cap with an integral bottleneck seal and segmented lid section. The cap provides a reliable fluid seal while the segmented lid is rupturable by blades available on existing photographic processing apparatus that tear or rupture the segmented portion of the cap. The aforementioned stopper design utilizes a tear channel or weakness with a rectangular cross-section to bisect half of the frangible lid.
While the above cap meets the bottle seal requirements and recycling requirements, it is generally known in the photochemical community that a rather significant shortcoming is the puncturability of the segmented lid. Skilled artisans will appreciate that the downward force (average puncture force of 30.12 lbs. or 134.5 Newtons) required to puncture the segmented lid is beyond the physical capabilities of the average person.
Therefore, a need persists in the art to remedy the aforementioned shortcomings by requiring lower puncture forces while maintaining an inexpensive emptying method, as well as complete recycleability of the flask and closure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a container for photoprocessing materials having a frangible closure that is recyclable, prevents leaks, and opens easily.
It is another object of the invention is to provide a frangible closure that collapses along a central weakness and partially along a radial weakness.
Yet another object of the invention to provide a frangible closure having at least two hinge points which enables the closure sheet to bend inward towards an adjoining processing container.
It is a feature of the invention that a central weakness and a connecting radial weakness in the closure sheet of the frangible closure enables the closure sheet to easily collapse inward toward the container to which it is adjoined.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, a container for photoprocessing materials, comprises:
A container body, an opening and a frangible closure closing said opening, said frangible closure comprising a closure sheet having a central weakness having a thickness and a central portion of greater thickness than the thickness of the central weakness so as to resist shearing of said central weakness; and, a lateral skirt surrounding said closure sheet, said lateral skirt and said closure sheet having at least a partial radial weakness therebetween for cooperating with the central weakness and enabling said central weakness to fracture.
The present invention has numerous advantages over current developments. First, the frangible closure of the current invention reduces the puncture forces to an acceptable level. The addition of a gate pad allows the tear channel to be molded through the center of the closure resulting in lower puncture forces while eliminating the possibility of shearing a hole through the top of the closure. The gate pad allows the frangible closure to be center gated eliminating weld lines in the cap that can crack under loads, allowing leakage of photographic chemicals through the cap.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5687865 (1997-11-01), Adams et al.
patent: 5687867 (1997-11-01), Lamoureux
patent: 5788099 (1998-08-01), Treu et al.
patent: 5937921 (1999-08-01), Guglielmini
patent: 6032812 (2000-03-01), Lamoureux
Hoover Lynn C.
Johnson Gerald L.
Rzepka John M.
Schwallie Scott H.
Bailey, Sr. Clyde E.
Cronin Stephen K.
Eastman Kodak Company
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