Receptacles – Closures – With closure opening arrangements for means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2001-08-28
Garbe, Stephen P. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
With closure opening arrangements for means
C222S083000, C229S204000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279769
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a device for attachment to a container. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a device adapted to be mounted on a container formed mainly of a paper or plastic to provide a mouth or pouring mechanism for the container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The mouth or pour opening in a container formed primarily of paper or plastic is generally sealed by covering the opening in the container with a film-like sheet or a pull-tab made of a resin. To open the container opening, the sheet or pull-tab is peeled or a straw is inserted through the sheet to pierce the sheet.
This use of a sheet which is peeled off the container or a pull-tab which is pierced with a straw does, however, present certain disadvantages and drawbacks. In one respect, the sheet, pull-tab and straw constitute rubbish separate and apart from the container itself and such items are liable to be easily thrown away.
There are containers in which only part of the sheet or pull-tab is peeled so that they are not completely separated from the containers. These containers have a problem because, when the sheet or pull-tab is released after opening, the mouth or opening in the container can be blocked by the released sheet or pull-tab. In containers made of a metal such as aluminum, a mouth structure is known in which, once the container is opened, the opened state is held. However, containers which are formed mainly of a paper or a plastic and which have such a mouth structure are not available. Thus, a need exists for a device which is adapted to be mounted on a container made primarily of paper or plastic and which serves as a mouth or pouring arrangement for the container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the foregoing, the present invention provides a mouth forming device which is adapted to be used in conjunction with a container formed mainly of a paper or a plastic and which has a simple structure.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a container mouth forming device for forming a mouth in a container formed mainly of a paper or plastic, includes an opening section operable to form an opening in a part of the container, an operating section for operating the opening section, and a supporting section secured to the container for supporting the operating section. The opening section and the operating section are positioned opposite to each other with a substantially U-shaped groove provided between the opening section and the operating section. The U-shaped groove has a thin wall portion and the operating section is connected to and supported by the supporting section through projecting support axles provided on both sides of the groove at positions spaced apart from the groove by a predetermined distance. The opening section, the operating section and the supporting section are integrated through the thin wall portion and the support axles by molding.
To open the part of the container that is to be opened to form a mouth or pouring opening, a portion of the operating section opposite the opening section is raised to rotate the operating section about the support axles. As a result, the operating section and the opening section are bent at the thin wall portion, so that the opening section is pressed by the operating section and a portion of the opening section opposite the operating section is pressed downward, whereby the part of the container to be opened is broken with the opening section.
The opening section has a flexible engaging member that is adapted to engage, from above, an engaging step portion formed in the supporting section. Thus, when a portion of the operating section opposite the opening section is raised, the operating section rotates about the support axles so that the groove is closed, the opening section is pressed by the operating section, the engaging member is deformed and is disengaged from the engaging step, a portion of the opening section opposite the operating section is pressed downward, and the part of the container located beneath the opening section is opened with the opening section.
The engaging member projects from the opening section toward the supporting section, and each of the support axles extends obliquely from the operating section toward the supporting section and has an axial cross-section possessing a laterally extending portion extending along a plane formed by the opening section and the operating section. The supporting section can be provided with an opening maintaining member that is adapted to engage the opening section when the opening section is pressed downward to form an opening in the container, and this opening maintaining member is designed to restrict the upward rotational movement of the opening section.
Also, the operating section preferably has an engaging part that is adapted to engage, from below, an engaging step part formed on the supporting section so that when the portion of the operating section opposite the part to be opened is pulled down after the opening section has opened the container part to be opened, the engaging part is passed over the engaging step part to a location beneath the engaging step part and is engaged by the engaging step to prevent the upward movement of the operating section. Thus, the upward movement of the operating section is prevented when the operating section is pulled down, after the part of the container to be opened is opened, to bring the engaging part into engagement with the engaging step part. The opening section has a lower surface at a portion opposite the operating section and the lower surface can be provided with a protrusion for effecting an opening in the container during operation of the operating section and downward movement of the opening section.
The supporting section is preferably provided with an outer peripheral portion that is smoothly inclined downward so as to be flush with the surface of the container on which the mouth-forming device is mounted. The opening section can also provided with a resin charging portion used to integrally mold the opening section, the operating section and the supporting section. This allows the resin charged into the mold cavity during molding of the mouth-forming device to flow from the opening section to the operating section via the thin wall portion and to pass to the supporting section through the support axles.
According to another aspect of the invention, a container mouth forming device for forming a mouth in a container that is formed primarily of paper or plastic includes a supporting section adapted to be attached to the outer surface of the container, an operating section connected to and supported on the supporting section, and an opening section connected to the operating section. The opening section has a first end portion and an oppositely located second end portion, while the operating section also has a first end portion and an oppositely located second end portion. The operating section is positioned relative to the opening section so that the first end portion of the opening section is located adjacent to the first end portion of the operating section with a gap being located between the first end portion of the opening section and the first end portion of the operating section. The operating section is designed to be rotatable about an axis with rotation of the operating section in an upward direction closing the gap and causing the first end portion of the operating section to engage the first end portion of the opening section to move the opening section downwardly so that the lower surface of the opening section extends below the lower surface of the supporting section. This downward movement of the opening section causes the opening section to contact the container wall and form an opening in the container.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4544079 (1985-10-01), Elrick
patent: 4907722 (1990-03-01), Ueda et al.
patent: 4913294 (1990-04-01), Giacomelli
patent: 4925034 (1990-05-01), Robichaud et al.
patent: 4930683 (1990-06-01), Färber
patent: 49480
Duvander Patrik
Klopfenstein Andre
Mock Elmar
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Garbe Stephen P.
Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
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