HK1081089B - Scrubbing closure - Google Patents

Description

Rinse closure

Background of the invention and technical problems of the prior art

Various packages have been developed for, for example, liquid laundry detergents and other materials that include a dispensing closure system on a container. Such containers typically have a neck defining an open upper end to which a dispensing closure is mounted.

Products sold in such packages include dishwashing detergents, laundry detergents and other types of liquid or fluid materials. The inventors of the present invention have found that it is advantageous to provide the closure with a structure which is suitable for cleaning articles with such fluid cleaning materials or products. For example, it may be desirable to provide a structure to assist the entry of laundry detergent into an article of clothing or to assist in washing dishes with dishwashing detergent.

It would be desirable to provide a structure that can incorporate a closure to eliminate or reduce the need for a separate scrubbing pad, brush or the like. The use of a package with an integral scrubbing system allows the consumer to reduce the number of washes in a kitchen, laundry or other room and thereby reduce unwanted parts and mess.

The incorporation of the scrubbing structure as part of the closure has the additional advantage that when the cleaning material has been used up and the container is empty, the container can be discarded with the closure and the overall scrubbing structure as a separate piece of trash and then the new cleaning product package of the present invention can be used to advantageously provide a new, clean scrubbing structure without wearing or becoming dirty.

It would also be advantageous if such an improved dispensing closure could be readily made from a variety of different materials. In addition, it would be advantageous if such an improved dispensing closure could be provided with a structure suitable for efficient, high quality, high volume manufacturing techniques with a minimum of defective parts. Preferably, the improved dispensing closure is also adaptable to high speed manufacturing techniques to produce units with consistent operating performance with a high degree of reliability.

The present invention provides an improved dispensing closure that may be adapted for use with structures having the advantages and features described.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the invention, a dispensing closure is provided on an opening to a container. The closure includes a body extending from the container about the container opening and defining a discharge orifice in communication with the opening. The closure also includes a cap that is movable between (a) a closed position preventing flow from or into the closure and (b) an open position permitting flow from the closure and away from the closed position. The body includes a scrubbing structure (a) a base molded from a desired material and (b) protrusions molded from a material onto the base and bonded thereto to define protrusions for scrubbing.

In an embodiment of the invention, the lid is a rotatable twist top that can be rotated to effect upward movement of the twist top to open the closure. The lid includes a substantially rigid bottom molded from polypropylene. The twist top also includes a scrubbing structure molded from a soft material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer. In a preferred form, the base polypropylene material and the scrubbing structure thermoplastic material are bi-injection molded.

In particular, a dispensing closure for an opening of a container is proposed, said closure comprising:

a body extending from the container around the opening, the body defining a central post and an adjacent discharge orifice in communication with the opening; and

a cap in the form of a twist top rotatably mounted on said body and axially movable between a closed position preventing flow from said closure and an open position movable away from said closed position to permit flow from said closure,

wherein said cap includes a base in the form of a housing having an annular platform defining a dispensing orifice that is blocked by said closure body central post when said twist top is in said closed position and is spaced from said closure body central post when said twist top is in said open position;

the base in the form of a shell is a substantially rigid structure molded from a first material in an initial injection molding step;

said lid further comprising a resiliently flexible scrubbing structure in the form of a projection projecting above said annular platform of said base in the form of a shell; and

the scrubbing structure is injection molded from a second material onto the first material in a subsequent molding step so as to bond to the first material by interfacial solidification of the melted portions of the material.

Many other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, the claims, and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification, like reference numerals are used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of the closure of the present invention mounted on a container and shown in a closed condition;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along the plane 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the closure of FIG. 1 with the closure in a fully open position;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the plane 4-4 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 shows the closure in a fully open position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane of FIG. 5-5 of FIG. 3;

figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a closure.

Detailed Description

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, this specification and the accompanying drawings disclose only some specific forms as examples of the invention. The invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments so described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the appended claims.

For ease of description, most of the drawings illustrating the invention show the closure system in a typical orientation, with the situation at the top of the container when the container is stored upright with its bottom end, and terms such as upper, lower, horizontal, etc., are used in this position as a reference. It will be understood that the dispensing closure system of the present invention can be manufactured, stored, transported, used, and sold in an orientation other than the position described.

The dispensing closure system of the present invention is adaptable to a variety of conventional or special containers of varying construction, the details of which, although not illustrated or described, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and an understanding of such containers.

In the preferred embodiments of the invention described herein, the container itself forms no part of the invention and therefore does not form a limitation. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the novelty and non-obviousness of the present invention are embodied only in the exemplary closure system described. In other embodiments not described herein, some or all of the components of the closure system may form an integral or non-removable portion of the container, such that the invention is considered in this context to include at least the dispensing closure portion of such a container.

A first presently preferred embodiment of a dispensing closure structure or dispensing closure system of the present invention is illustrated in fig. 1-5 and is generally designated by the reference numeral 40 in fig. 1. In the first embodiment described, the dispensing closure system 40, which may be referred to hereinafter simply as the "closure 40", is provided as a separately manufactured unit that can be mounted on top of the container 41. It will be appreciated, however, that in certain applications it is desirable for the dispensing closure system of the present invention to form an integral part or extension of the container.

The container 41 generally has a conventional mouth or opening 42 (fig. 2) that provides access to the container interior and the product contained therein. The product may be, but is not limited to, a fluid mixture cleaning product such as a laundry detergent or a dish detergent or other liquid product including fine particles, slurries, and the like. Such materials may be sold, for example, as industrial and household products or other compositions (e.g., for activities involving medical, manufacturing, commercial or home maintenance, construction, agriculture).

The container 41 may generally have a neck 43 (fig. 2) or other suitable structure defining a container mouth 42. The neck 43 may (but need not) have a circular cross-sectional configuration and the body of the container may have other cross-sectional configurations, such as an elliptical cross-sectional shape. The container 41, on the other hand, has a substantially uniform shape along its length or height, without any neck of reduced size or of different cross-section.

The described embodiments of the closure are suitable for use with fluent materials that flow from a container under the force of gravity without the need to squeeze the container to force the fluent food material out. However, the container may be a squeezable container having one or more flexible walls that a user can grasp and compress to increase the pressure inside the container to squeeze product out of the container through the closure 40 when the closure 40 is opened. Such container walls typically have sufficient inherent resiliency so that when the squeezing forces are removed, the container wall returns to its normal, unstressed shape. This structure is preferred in many applications, but may not be required or preferred in other applications. Thus, the container may be substantially rigid. A piston may be provided within such a rigid container to assist in dispensing product, particularly relatively viscous products. Rigid containers, on the other hand, can be used to dispense the contents in reverse, either under the influence of gravity alone or under the influence of reduced ambient pressure outside the container.

Although the container itself need not form part of the broadest aspects of the invention itself, it will be understood that the lower portion of the dispensing structure, system or closure 40 of the present invention can be provided as an integral part or extension of the top of the container 41. However, in the preferred embodiment depicted, the dispensing system or closure 40 is a separate closure or assembly adapted to be removably or non-removably mounted or fitted to a previously manufactured container having an opening to the interior of the container.

A preferred application for employing the closure 40 will typically be by molding some or all of the components of the closure 40 from one or more suitable thermoplastic and/or thermoset materials. The closure may be molded separately from the same material or different materials. In a preferred embodiment, one part is bi-injection molded from two different materials. The materials may have the same or different colors or textures.

As shown in fig. 2, the closure 40 includes a body 46 and a cap 48. In the preferred embodiment depicted, the cover 48 is a twist top 48 and scrubbing structure 52 that includes a bottom or shell 50.

The closure body 46 has a generally hollow, generally cylindrical skirt 56. As shown in fig. 2, the closure body skirt 46 internally defines the female thread 44. The skirt 56 is adapted to receive the upper end of the container neck 43 and has complementary male threads 45 for engaging the closure body skirt threads 44.

Alternatively, the closure skirt 56 could be provided with some other attachment means, such as a bead or groove (not shown), in place of the skirt thread 44, for engaging a mating groove or bead (not shown), respectively, on the container neck. In another alternative (not shown), the closure body skirt 56 may have some other suitable connecting configuration such that, after the closure is molded, the closure skirt may be permanently secured to the container by induction melting, ultrasonic melting, bonding or the like, depending on the materials used for the container and closure body 46. With appropriate structure, the closure body 46 can also be molded as an integral part of the container (e.g., by molding the closure and container together with the initially open container bottom, then installing one or more additional dispensing closure components (e.g., a twist top or cap), then inverting and filling the container through the open bottom, and finally closing the open bottom in a second operation (e.g., by applying a separate bottom closure cap to the bottom of the filled container)).

As shown in fig. 2, the closure body 46 includes a deck 60 at the top of the skirt 56. The underside of the closure body deck 60 includes a downwardly projecting, annular, flexible "crab's claw" type sealing ring 70 (fig. 2) which can sealingly engage the top annular surface or rim of the neck 43 of the container 41 to provide a leak-proof seal.

The container and closure 40 may be stored in a generally upright orientation with the closure 40 at the top of the container. The closure 40 is normally closed when the fluent product is not being dispensed from the container.

Projecting upwardly from the platform 60 of the body 46 is a reduced diameter nozzle 72 which includes a central post 74 at its upper end (fig. 2 and 5). The post 74 is supported across the upper end opening of the nozzle 72 by a connecting portion 76 that defines a plurality of distribution channels or discharge openings 78 (fig. 5).

As shown in fig. 2, two posts or abutments 84 project upwardly from the closure body deck 60, and the abutments 84 are adapted to engage fins or stop members 118 on the inside of the closure cover shell 50, as described below.

The skirt 56 of the closure body defines two arcuate cam channels 80 (fig. 1 and 4). Each arcuate cam channel has a generally helical configuration and extends over an arc of about 160 degrees. Each cam channel 80 is adapted to receive a cam follower rib 94 (fig. 4) on the inside of the closure cap shell 50, as described below.

As shown in fig. 2, the shell 50 of the twist top 48 includes a platform 90 and a peripheral skirt 92. The inside of the shell skirt 92 includes two spaced apart helical ribs 94 that are each received within one of the body skirt rib channels 80. Each cam rib 94 extends through an arc of approximately 5 degrees.

The exterior of the twist top shell 50 includes two spaced apart regions of gripping ribs or serrations 98 (fig. 1 and 3). The serrations or ribs 98 define gripping surfaces that a user can grasp (typically with a thumb on one region 98 and an index finger on the other region 98) to assist the user in twisting the nozzle 48 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to close or open the closure 40.

The deck 90 of the twist top shell 50 defines a dispensing orifice 100 (fig. 4) through which product can flow when the twist top 48 is in the raised, open position shown in fig. 4 and 5. When the twist top 48 is in the lowered, closed position (fig. 2), the platform 90 of the twist top shell 50 sealingly engages the closure body post 74 so as to block the dispensing opening or orifice 100.

Inside the twist top shell 50 is an annular seal wall 110 that projects downwardly from the twist top shell deck 90 (FIGS. 2 and 4). As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the lower end of the annular sealing wall 110 includes a sealing bead 112 that sealingly engages the exterior surface of the closure body nozzle 72. This forms a sliding seal suitable for vertical movement of the twist top 48 between the lowered closed position (fig. 2) and the elevated fully open position (fig. 4 and 5).

As shown in fig. 2 and 5, the stop member 118 projects downwardly from the twist top housing platform 90 on the interior of the housing 50. The stop member 118 engages one of the closure body abutments 84 in the fully closed position (fig. 2) and the other of the closure body abutments 84 in the fully open position.

With respect to the closure 40 as described, the closure body 46 and twist top bottom or shell 50 are generally conventional and incorporate commonly used structures. However, in accordance with the present invention, the unique combination of the base or shell 50 and the novel scrubbing structure 52 provides the desired advantages. In the preferred embodiment shown in fig. 1-5, the projections are radially oriented ribs, namely long ribs 120 and short ribs 121 (fig. 1). In a preferred embodiment, the long ribs 120, short ribs 121, and bead 124 are made of the same generally resilient, soft, flexible material that can be pressed against the object to be cleaned. The movement of the scrubbing structure 52 against the object to be cleaned in a scrubbing manner will temporarily and resiliently deform the scrubbing structure 52 and assist in the scrubbing action and cleaning of the object.

In the preferred embodiment shown in fig. 1-5, the scrubbing structure 52 is molded from a rubber-based thermoplastic elastomer onto the closure base or shell 50 of the twist top or cap 48. The housing 50 is preferably made of a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, which is generally rigid after molding. Thus, if made of a rubber-based thermoplastic elastomer, the scrubbing structure will be softer and more flexible than the shell 50. In one form of the closure 40, the scrubbing structure 52 material may also have a color that is different from the color of the material used to form the shell 50 of the twist top 48.

In the presently preferred form of the closure 40, the twist top 48 is formed by a molding process such as bi-injection molding, bi-shot molding, multi-injection molding or overmolding. Descriptions of Multi-shot, Multi-material injection molding techniques are mentioned on page 16 (author: Jay Rosenberg) of "Multi-Material injection save Time, While Cutting molds", MODERN PLASTIC, and Product Design and development on 19.12.1995, and "MoldingMany Parts Into One", and US patent No.5,439,124, 3.19.1994. Reference is also made to european patent application No.570276A1 which discloses how the inner moulding element 12 can be repositioned so as to be suitable for moulding a second material into a ring 8 against a closure body moulded from a first material.

Preferably, a dual injection molding process is used in the manufacture of the twist top 48 of the present invention. In particular, the closure shell 50 (excluding the scrubbing structure 52 itself) is molded as a first piece from a first material, such as polypropylene, within a cavity of a mold assembly or tool. A portion of the cavity is blocked by a removable or movable blocking member to prevent the hot, flowable polypropylene from filling a portion of the cavity in which the scrubbing structure 52 will subsequently be positioned. The first material is then cooled.

Subsequently, the blocking member is removed or moved to expose additional areas of the mold cavity. A second material, such as a rubber-based thermoplastic elastomer, is injected into the other empty region of the cavity. This allows it to cool while being joined or bonded to the first piece (i.e., the closure twist top bottom or shell 50) by a weld defined by the interfacial solidification of the melted portions of the second and/or first materials. The twist top 48 is thus removed from the mold assembly as a fully bi-injected molded structure. The twist top 48 can then be installed on the previously molded or subsequently molded closure body 46.

Although the twist top 48 is molded as follows, (1) a first shot of material is made to form the bottom or shell 50 and (2) a subsequent second shot of material is made to form the scrubbing structure 52, the material used in the first shot and the second shot may be the same material. In general, however, the scrubbing structure 52 is softer and more flexible than the shell 50, and the scrubbing structure 52 is distinguishable from the shell 50. The differentiation is achieved by providing the scrubbing structure 52 with different colors.

The scrubbing structure 52 and the underlying shell 50 may be provided by using two different materials, which may be the same color, but wherein the scrubbing structure 52 is softer and/or more flexible than the shell 50 and has a different surface texture. Different textures may be molded onto the surface of the scrubbing structure 52. Additionally, the scrubbing structure 52 may be provided with indicia molded directly onto the material, and such indicia may include symbols, words, logos, etc.

The present invention also contemplates that a third material or more may be molded by a multi-injection process to form a multi-material twist top 48. Additionally, one material may be molded in three or more separate injections to mold the twist top 48 with multiple injections. Wherein in case of the same material used in two or more injections, the material has different colors for the different injections.

The closure body 46 may be separately molded from a suitable material, such as polypropylene, within another mold assembly. The closure body 46 and twist top 48 can then be assembled together as a complete closure 40.

The closure body 46 may form an integral and integral part of the container, if desired. In this configuration, the particular configuration of the closure body 46 can be tailored as desired to be a simple, easily molded portion of the dispensing end of the container. This can be conveniently achieved by moulding the container with the bottom, non-dispensing end of the container initially open. After other dispensing closure components (e.g., twist top, cap or other lid) are installed on the dispensing end of the container in the closed condition, and after product is introduced into the container through the open bottom end of the container, the open bottom end of the container can be closed by a different suitable method. For example, a separate, bottom end closure may be attached over the open bottom end of the container. Such a bottom end closure may be threaded, snap-fit, adhesively secured, welded or otherwise suitably attached to the bottom end of the container.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in figure 6 in the form of a closure and is designated therein by the reference numeral 40A. The closure 40A is a twist top closure with a twist top shell 50A mounted on an underlying closure body 46A (only a small portion of which is shown in fig. 6). The closure body 46A and the housing 50A each have a configuration that is substantially the same as the configuration of the first embodiment closure body 46 and the housing 50 described with respect to the first embodiment described with respect to fig. 1-5. In this regard, the second embodiment housing 50A has an annular top platform 90A defining a dispensing orifice 100A for selective blockage by the upstanding post 74A of the closure body 46A.

The scrubbing structure 52A is disposed on a platform 90A of the housing 50A. The scrubbing structure 52A and the shell 50A together form a twist top. The twist top 52A includes a generally annular bead 124A and a circular array of a plurality of spaced apart generally elongated upwardly projecting fingers 130A. Each finger 130A has a generally elongated cylindrical portion with an upper end having a generally truncated conical shape terminating in a slightly blunt end or point. The cuff 124A and fingers 130A are preferably formed of a resilient, flexible material. In a preferred form, the scrubbing structure 52A is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer. The same materials described for the first embodiment scrubbing structure 52 can be used for the second embodiment scrubbing structure 52A. The twist top shell 50A is typically a more rigid material such as polypropylene.

As with the first embodiment of the twist top 48 described with reference to fig. 1-5, the second embodiment of the twist top is preferably bi-injection molded during a process in which the shell 50A is molded as a first piece from a first material and the scrubbing structure 52A is injection molded onto the first material.

It will be appreciated that a scrubbing structure having a different first embodiment scrubbing structure 52 and a different second embodiment scrubbing structure 52A may be used in alternative embodiments. Additionally, the scrubbing structure may be used on closures for twist top type closures. For example, the scrubbing structure may be provided on top of a hinged lid of the dispensing closure. For example, US patent No.4,545,494 discloses a dispensing closure having a hinged lid 18 with a flat top. The closure of the present invention may be provided on a flat top of such a lid. US patent No.4,962,869 discloses another closure, so-called disc or toggle action closure, in which a disc-shaped actuator is provided with a generally flat top portion, which actuator can be pushed downwardly at a position near the rear edge to pivot the actuator so that the front dispensing end of the actuator projects upwardly in an open dispensing position. At least part of the top surface of such a disc top actuator may be provided with a scrubbing structure in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

The scrubbing structure may be incorporated on a closure structure comprising a pressure-actuated slit valve, including, but not limited to, any of the structures disclosed in U.S. patent No.5,839,614. Such a valve may be installed, for example, in the twist top dispensing orifice 100 shown in fig. 4.

It will be understood from the foregoing detailed description of the invention and from the foregoing description that numerous other modifications and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts or principles of this invention.

Claims (5)

1. A dispensing closure for a container opening, said closure comprising:

a body extending from the container around the opening, the body defining a central post and an adjacent discharge orifice in communication with the opening; and

a cap in the form of a twist top rotatably mounted on said body and axially movable between a closed position preventing flow from said closure and an open position movable away from said closed position to permit flow from said closure,

said cap including a base in the form of a shell having an annular platform defining a dispensing orifice that is blocked by said closure body central post when said twist top is in said closed position and is spaced from said closure body central post when said twist top is in said open position;

the base in the form of a shell is a substantially rigid structure molded from a first material in an initial injection molding step;

said lid further comprising a resiliently flexible scrubbing structure in the form of a projection projecting above said annular platform of said base in the form of a shell; and

the scrubbing structure is injection molded from a second material onto the first material in a subsequent molding step so as to bond to the first material by interfacial solidification of the melted portions of the material.

2. Closure according to claim 1,

said housing is molded from a thermoplastic material; and

the scrubbing structure is molded from a rubber-based thermoplastic elastomer.

3. A closure according to claim 1 wherein said closure body is an integrally moulded element separate from but connected to said container.

4. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the scrubbing structure comprises radially oriented ribs and a peripheral flange of resiliently flexible material.

5. A closure according to claim 1 wherein the scrubbing structure comprises a circular array of spaced generally elongate fingers and a peripheral flange of resiliently flexible material.