HK1146720B - A closure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to a closure and particularly to a closure including a body part and an insert part.

It is known to provide closures having two or more components, such as a body and a spout. In many cases it is necessary for extraneous fluid to be applied to such closures. For example, cooling or cleaning fluid is sprayed onto closures during the manufacturing process. EP1582475 discloses a closure according to the preamble of claim 1 and describes the use of a series of openings between tabs or on other parts of the closure cap to ease removal of said extraneous fluid.

It is difficult to produce closures which can reliably prevent the ingress of water between various parts of a body and an insert. The result is that the fluid can become trapped within the closure which is undesirable.

The present invention seeks to address the problems with known closures.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a closure as defined in claim 1.

The drainage path/s may be formed wholly or partly in either or both of the body and the insert.

The or each drainage path may comprise one or more slots formed at the periphery of the insert.

The insert may comprise a plurality of ribs or radial projections at its periphery. The slots may be formed between the ribs.

The slot/s may comprise an inclined drainage face to assist drainage.

The insert may comprise a plurality of mutually spaced retention spokes. The spokes may define, at least in part, the drainage paths.

According to a second aspect there is provided an insert for a closure body as defined in claim 12.

The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

• Figure 1 is a section of a closure formed according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a side elevation of the closure of Figure 1;
• Figure 3a is an exploded perspective view of the components making up the closure of Figures 1 and 2;
• Figure 3b is a side elevation of the view of Figure 3a;
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a spout insert forming part of the closure of Figures 1 to 3; .
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of the closure of Figures 1 to 4 shown with a cut-out section illustrating the internal structure; and
• Figure 6 is a magnified view of the cut-out section of Figure 5.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 there is shown a closure generally indicated 10. The closure 10 comprises a body 15, a spout insert 20 and a self-closing valve assembly 25.

The body 15 comprises a generally cylindrical side wall 16 having at one end a tamper-evident annular ring 17 connected thereto by a plurality of frangible bridges 18.

The side wall 16 terminates at its end opposite the band 17 with an annular shoulder 16c which extends radially inwards. A generally turret-like lid 30 is connected to the free end of the shoulder 16c via a hinge 32.

The interior of the side wall 16 comprises internal screw thread formations 16a for engaging corresponding external screw thread formations on a container neck. The interior of the side wall 16 further comprises an annular retention bead 16b.

The interior of the band 17 comprises a plurality of upturned flaps 17a for engagement under a locking bead on a container neck so that if the closure is unscrewed the band will remain on a container neck.

The lid 30 comprises a generally hexagonal top plate 34 from which depends a spigot 36. Opposite the hinge 32 the lid 30 includes a small peak 38 used to lift the lid and flip it open with respect to the base 15.

A tamper-evident strip 40 is frangibly connected between the lid 30 and the base 15. The strip 40 terminates with a tab 42 at either end to allow it to be tom away prior to first opening of the lid.

Referring now also to Figure 4, the spout 20 comprises a generally cylindrical lower portion 50, a generally cylindrical central portion 51 and a generally frusto conical upper portion 52.

The lower portion 50 comprises an annular sealing part 54 having an external sealing bead 56. In use, the sealing part 54 enters a container neck such that the sealing bead 56 seals against its inner surface (as shown in Figures 5 and 6).

The central retention portion 51 comprises an annular base 58 from which project a plurality of spaced axial ribs 60 which are used to secure the insert 20 in the body 15.

The base 58 further includes a plurality of radially outwardly extending retention spokes 62 positioned at the bottom of each rib 60. Between each spoke 62 is an inclined ledge 64 which extends radially outwardly approximately the same extent as the ribs 60. The spokes 62 are generally L-shape with the shorter leg projecting away from the upper portion 52.

As shown in best in Figure 1, the upper portion 52 comprises a curved, generally frusto conical outer surface defining a spout. At the end of the spout side wall opposite the central portion 51 is a cylindrical terminal portion 70. An annular orifice wall 72 extends inwards from the free end of the portion 70 and defines an orifice 74. An annular retention bead 76 depends internally from the base of the terminal portion.

The self-closing valve assembly 25 comprises a body 26 and a valve 27. This structure is itself known from the Applicant's international Patent Application No PCT/EP2005/053917 . The valve body 25 includes a retention bead 28 which clips over the spout retention bead. The valve assembly 25 is received between the retention bead 76 and the annular wall 72 as shown best in Figure 1.

Referring now also to Figures 5 and 6, the spout 20 is received into the body 15. The retention spokes 62 engage over the retention bead 16b and the ribs 60 fit tightly within the orifice defined by the shoulder 16c so that the spout is held firmly in position. The ribs 60 also fit tightly within the lid 30 to hold it in the closed position. The spigot 36 enters the orifice 74 and abuts against the valve 27 to prevent it from opening with the lid closed.

As will be appreciated best from Figures 4 to 6, with the insert 20 in position slots are formed between the spokes 62 and ledges 64 of the central portion 51 and the side wall 16. Furthermore, a passage between the lid 30 and the base 58 is established by the ribs 60.

As illustrated in Figure 6, when fluid is sprayed at the closure 10, it may enter the interior of the closure via the hinge line interface between the lid 30 and the base 15. If this happens, the fluid can pass between the ribs 60 and down over the ledges 64 before passing through the slots and then between the closure and container screw threads and out at the bottom of the side wall 16. This means that there is an unobstructed drainage path for fluid to follow if it enters the closure. It may be necessary to force fluid through the drainage path, for example by blowing air at the closure.

Claims (12)

1. A closure (10) comprising a body (15) and an insert comprising a spout (20), the body comprising a base and a lid (30), characterised by comprising one or more drainage paths formed at the interface between the insert and the body for allowing fluid which enters between the base and the lid to pass between the exterior of the insert and the interior of the body (16a, 16b) so as to allow removal thereof.
2. A closure as claimed in Claim 1, in which the or each drainage path comprises one or more slots formed at the periphery of the insert.
3. A closure as claimed in preceding claim, in which the insert comprises a plurality of ribs (60) at its periphery.
4. A closure as claimed in Claim 3, in which the slots are formed between the ribs.
5. A closure as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 4, in which the slot/s comprise an inclined drainage face (64).
6. A closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the insert comprises a plurality of mutually spaced retention spokes (62).
7. A closure as claimed in Claim 6, in which the spokes define, at least in part, the drainage paths.
8. A closure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the base and lid are connected by a hinge (32).
9. A closure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the lid is generally turret-like.
10. A closure as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the closure further comprises a self-closing valve (25).
11. A container having a closure as claimed in any preceding claim.
12. An insert comprising a spout (20) for a closure body having a base and a lid, characterised by comprising one or more drainage paths formed at its periphery at the interface between the insert and the body for allowing fluid which enters between the base and the lid to pass between the exterior of the insert and the interior of the body so as to allow removal thereof.