Dispensing – With lock or fastening seal – Inhibiting operation of flow controller or closure
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-18
2004-12-21
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With lock or fastening seal
Inhibiting operation of flow controller or closure
C222S546000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832700
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a toggle-action dispensing closure for a container, wherein the closure can be manipulated between a closed orientation and an open, dispensing orientation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART
Designs have been proposed for containers used with flowable substances wherein a closure is provided for being attached to the container mouth and wherein the closure includes a toggle-action actuator, flip-up spout, or nozzle assembly for dispensing the container contents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,283,333; 5,346,100; 5,058,775; 4,962,869; 4,776,501; 4,645,086 and 3,516,581.
The toggle-action closures, such as those disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,283,333; 5,346,100, 5,058,775, 4,962,869, and 4,776,501, require that the operator push down on a top, rear portion of the closure in order to pivot the actuator of the closure to the dispensing orientation.
When the actuator is pivoted to the dispensing orientation, a discharge passage in the actuator is in communication with the container contents, and the container contents can flow out through the actuator. Typically, such toggle-action closures are provided on squeezable containers fabricated from a thermoplastic material providing a inwardly deformable, resilient wall structure. When the container wall structure is squeezed, the contents within the container are forced upwardly and out through the open dispensing closure.
It has also been found that toggle-action closures can present problems when using automatic equipment to initially apply the closure to a container. Typically, modern container filling and closure-applying processes employ conveying systems in which containers are moved seriatim and filled with the product prior to a closure being applied to each of the filled containers. After a container has been filled with the product, the filled container is typically moved to a capping station where a capping machine automatically applies the closure.
The capping machine typically receives toggle-action dispensing closures fed to it from a supply of such closures which have been previously assembled so that each actuator is in the closed, non-dispensing position on the closure body.
Typically, a closure manufacturer makes and assembles the closure body and actuator at a facility remote from the container filling and capping facility. The toggle-action dispensing closures, each comprising an assembled closure body and actuator in the closed position, are typically shipped in bulk to the container filling and capping facility. During such shipment, one or more of the toggle-action dispensing closures may be bumped or impacted in such a way that the actuator moves to a partly open or completely open, dispensing position on the closure body. After the toggle-action dispensing closures are received by the container filling and capping facility, the toggle-action dispensing closures are fed to the automatic capping machines. If an actuator of a toggle-actuating dispensing closure has been accidentally bumped and moved to a partly open, or completely open position, then that closure may become lodged, or otherwise stuck, in the equipment that feeds the closures to the automatic capping machine, or that open closure may become stuck in the automatic capping machine itself. This can cause production down time and loss owing to the necessity for stopping the automatic cap-applying process in order to permit the problem to be remedied.
During subsequent shipping and handling of a filled container capped with a closed toggle-action closure, the toggle-action closure may be accidentally bumped or impacted in a way that causes the actuator to pivot to the partly open, or completely open, dispensing orientation. It is then possible for the contents to be accidentally discharged. If the container is lying on its side, the contents can leak out of the accidentally opened closure. If the container is upright in a carton, the carton may be subjected to rough handling causing the wall of the container to be temporarily squeezed inwardly and causing an unwanted discharge of a portion of the container contents through the open closure (resulting in leakage or spillage).
In order to eliminate, or substantially minimize, the potential for premature opening of a toggle-action closure during automatic capping processes and/or during shipping and handling of filled containers capped with toggle-action closures, the toggle-action closure of the type disclosed in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,869 was developed. This closure has effectively solved a long-felt need to prevent inadvertent discharge through toggle-action closures during capping processes, shipping, and handling.
The closure disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,869 provides a unique structure which prevents or greatly inhibits the opening of the toggle-action actuator during capping processes, shipping, and handling. In particular, the closure body is provided with an upstanding abutment or resistance post under a rear portion of the toggle-action actuator. The actuator includes a shearing wall for confronting the abutment post when the actuator is initially closed in the non-dispensing position. When a moderate force is applied to the rear of the actuator, the actuator will not tilt upwardly to the open position because the shearing wall engages the abutment.
The abutment is designed to withstand the forces typically encountered during automatic capping processes, during shipping, and during handling. However, the abutment is designed to be sheared off when the actuator is subjected to at least a predetermined force greater than the forces typically encountered during capping processes, shipping, and handling. When the consumer uses the closure for the first time, the consumer must apply, to the rear of the actuator, a force at least equal to the predetermined force so as to cause the shearing wall to shear off the abutment. Thereafter, the consumer can subsequently open the actuator by applying a much lower force.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,346,100 and 6,283,333 describe further improved toggle-action dispensing closures provided for manipulation between a closed, non-dispensing orientation and an open, dispensing orientation. The closures include an actuator mounted on a body that can be secured to the container. The body has an angled control surface at the base of an abutment which is broken by a shearing wall of the actuator. The control surface influences the fracture of the abutment from the control surface through the abutment. With this surface, the fracture is more likely to occur within a predetermined narrow range of forces applied to the actuator.
The above-discussed closure designs disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,962,869, 5,346,100, and 6,283,333 function well and satisfy the objectives of preventing or inhibiting leakage during capping processes, during shipping, and during handling. However, the present inventors have recognized that it is difficult to design and mold the abutment so that it will reliably always shear off completely when the abutment is subjected to a predetermined shearing force, and that the required shear force may vary somewhat from closure to closure. Also, the molding of a closure with such an abutment design is somewhat complicated, in part because the mold assembly typically employs at least one mold insert.
The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide an improved design which would not require breaking of an abutment, which would be more reliable, and which would have lower design and manufacturing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The toggle-action dispensing closure structure of the present invention includes a closure body that can be mounted to, or formed with, a container, and a pivotable actuator mounted on the closure body.
Th
Jelich Nicholas J.
Roberts Charles E.
Schultz Catherine F.
Vandenboom Terry J.
Kaufman Joseph A.
Seaquist Closures Foreign, Inc.
Wood Phillips Katz Clark & Mortimer
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