Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-10-23
Silbaugh, Jan H. (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
C264S266000, C264S268000, C264S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306330
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to molding of closures such as for bottles, and more particularly to a two-step molding method for a closure adapted particularly for molding a simulated promotional compartment inside the closure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of container closures, such as those used for sealing bottled soft drinks, are known in the art. One such commonly used closure is formed of plastic and includes a circular top wall portion and an internally threaded depending skirt portion which threads onto an associated container. For improved sealing, many such closures include a liner positioned on the inside surface of the top wall.
Examples of such closures and methods of making such closures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,205,426 to McBride et al. and 4,497,765 to Wilde et al., hereby incorporated by reference.
Soft drink manufacturers and bottlers presently use closures and closure liners for promotional campaigns. Container closures and liners have been used as redemption pieces for reduced pricing or rebates, and sweepstakes or game prize pieces, in many known promotional campaigns.
In a typical promotional application, a logo or other representation for prize redemption, such as a prize amount award amount or item, is printed or transferred onto the inside of the closure cap or liner. Such prize pieces, however, must be redeemed through either the retailer or directly through the soft drink manufacturer or bottler. While this type of promotional campaign, for the most part, is effective and is well accepted by the consuming public, it does not provide the consumer with the excitement of being an on-the-spot, instant winner.
In many promotional campaigns, it is desirable to provide the player, i.e., the soft drink purchaser, “instant gratification”. As such, the promotional or gaming piece itself must have a value, preferably in cash, or otherwise instantly redeemable. In such a promotional campaign, it is most preferable to provide a closure cap which can contain or store the promotional piece within the cap. For example, as part of the promotion, cash incentives can be packaged in the closure. The incentives can be packaged within the closure in a promotional piece compartment to prevent pilferage when the containers are stored on a food market shelf.
In such a promotional campaign, it may also be desirable to provide a closure without the promotional piece with cash incentive, but instead, having a message to urge the purchaser to “please try again”. Such a closure can be provided with a simulated promotional piece compartment, securely molded to an inside of the closure, without adversely affecting the ability of the closure to retain a seal with the container. The simulated promotional piece compartment advantageously appears identical to the promotional piece compartment when viewed from outside of a closed container. There is a need for providing an economical, effective and reliable method for installing the simulated promotional piece compartment within the closure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A simulated promotional piece compartment for a closure is provided which includes a disk-shaped wall and a depending annular wall with an open end, wherein the simulated promotional piece compartment is mold-fastened to a pre-installed liner within the closure. The pre-installed liner can include raised tabs extending in a direction toward an open end of the closure. The simulated promotional piece compartment is molded in a second step, within the closure, and onto the raised tabs which act as anchors by at least partially encapsulating the tabs. The raised tabs can be bent over under pressure during the molding of the simulated promotional piece compartment. When the simulated promotional piece compartment has solidified, the bent over tabs are enhanced as anchors to hold the simulated promotional piece compartment securely in place to the inside liner of the closure. The tabs are preferably arranged in concentric, spaced-apart circular patterns forming a “target”.
The simulated promotional piece compartment is advantageously a cylindrical element with a disk-shaped plate at one end thereof which encapsulates the tabs; and open at an opposite end thereof. The simulated promotional compartment is shaped and sized to be visibly identical to an actual promotional piece compartment (which is typically an enclosed, sealed volume within the closure for holding a valuable promotional piece), when viewed from outside a full bottle closed by the closures.
Although in the disclosed embodiment the securement of a simulated promotional piece compartment to a liner is described, the two-step molding process of the present invention can also be applied to secure other type of components to an inside surface of a closures. The two-step molding process can be used to secure winning promotional compartments as well.
The simulated promotional piece compartment described may be used in conjunction with a first step molded-in liner positioned in a closure cap, the liner preferably having a first side adjacent to a top wall portion of the closure cap. The liner can include an annular sealing bead portion for providing a seal between the closure cap and the container such as a bottle, when the closure is engaged therewith. The simulated promotional piece compartment is molded and integrated with the liner in a second molding step.
An advantageous, two-step method for making the closure liner and simulated promotional piece compartment allows for the initial molding of the liner within the closure cap, the liner including upstanding tabs, and the subsequent molding of the simulated promotional piece compartment onto the tabs under pressure to bend the tabs to form anchors for fixedly holding the simulated promotional piece compartment.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2068389 (1937-01-01), Smith
patent: 3189209 (1965-06-01), Owens
patent: 4343754 (1982-08-01), Wilde et al.
patent: 4378893 (1983-04-01), Wilde et al.
patent: 4497765 (1985-02-01), Wilde et al.
patent: 4938370 (1990-07-01), McBride
patent: 5056659 (1991-10-01), Howes et al.
patent: 5806707 (1998-09-01), Boehm et al.
patent: 464721 (1968-12-01), None
Alena Closure Systems International
Lee Edmund H.
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
Silbaugh Jan H.
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