US20180016057A1

US20180016057A1 - Two-piece dispensing closure

Info

Publication number: US20180016057A1
Application number: US15/158,792
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond Paul Mozes
Original assignee: Controlled Molding Inc
Current assignee: Controlled Molding Inc
Priority date: 2016-05-19
Filing date: 2016-05-19
Publication date: 2018-01-18

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide a dispensing closure for a dry goods container. The closure includes a a base secured to a top portion of a dry goods container and having a substantially planar upper surface with central hub aperture and at least one product dispensing aperture formed therethrough, the base being molded in a first shot of a two-shot process from polyethylene material or syndiaotactic polyethylene. The closure further includes a rotor having a substantially planar lower surface having at least one product dispensing aperture formed therethrough, the rotor being molded in a second shot of a two-shot process from a low density polyethylene, the rotor being molded directly on the base in the two-shot process. A breakout plug is integrally molded with the rotor and connected by at least two axially aligned breakaway securing members, the breakaway securing members each having a structural connection between an outer perimeter surface of the breakout plug and a main body of the rotor, the structural connection having a larger cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the breakout plug than a cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the main body of the rotor. A hub is integrally molded with the rotor and extending therefrom through the central hub aperture and a hub securing member is positioned on a distal end of the hub that extends through the central hub aperture, the hub securing member having a larger diameter than a diameter of the central hub aperture.

Description

BACKGROUND

Two-piece dispensing closures have been used for decades in the packaging industry, most commonly for dispensing dry goods, such as sugar, salt, spices, etc. Two-piece closures have been used on composite cans and more recently have been applied to plastic canisters. The typical construction of a two-piece dispensing disclosure includes a base part that fits on top of the container, where a disk-shaped rotor is rotatably positioned on top of the base part. The rotor is configured to rotate to align various openings in both the rotor and base to selectively dispense product in the container.
A prior art two-piece dispensing closure 11 used in the packaging industry is illustrated in FIG. 1. The dispensing closure 11 includes a base 13 with a circular rotor 12 positioned thereon. The rotor 12 is configured to rotate about a central axis on top of the base 13 to align any one of a plurality of apertures 14 so that product may be dispensed from a canister (not shown) that the dispensing closure 11 is attached to. Before its first use, the dispensing enclosure 11 includes a breakout piece 15. The breakout piece typically includes an area molded into the race 13, wherein the perimeter of the area molded into the base 13 is thinner or weaker than the surrounding material. The thin or weak area forms a breakout line 17 that allows the user to detach the breakout piece 15 from the base 13 to allow product to flow from the container (not shown) and through the apertures 14 in the base 13 and rotor 12. FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of the prior art dispensing closure 11. This view shows the breakout line 17 of the breakout piece 15 from the bottom view. Also shown is the hub 16 of the rotor 12 positioned on top of the base 13. The hub 16 is essentially the central axis of the rotor 12 that is rotatable with respect to the base 13. FIG. 3 shows a top perspective view of the prior art dispensing closure 11 with the breakout piece 5 partially detached from the base 13. FIG. 4 shows the same configuration of the breakout piece 5 from the bottom of the dispensing closure 11. Both FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the breakout piece 15 being detached from the base 13 at the breakout line 17 so that the product in the container (not shown) may flow through the aperture 14 formed in the base 13 and one or more of the selected apertures 14 on the rotor 12, assuming the aperture 14 is aligned with the breakout portion of the base 13.
There are several challenges with conventional dispensing closures. For example, conventional dispensing closures require the formation of two separate pieces (a base and a rotor), which must be assembled in a subsequent process to the formation of the pieces. Further, for smaller dispensing closures, it is very difficult to get the breakout piece to separate from the base as the whole or aperture through which one must push the breakout piece out is quite small and often times requires a tool or other hard device to punch through the breakout piece to get it to detach. Further, with conventional closure devices, the detached breakout piece often falls into the product to be dispensed from the container.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved dispensing closure device that overcomes the various disadvantages of the prior art closure devices.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a dispensing closure for a container that includes a base having a substantially planar upper surface having a central hub aperture and at least one product dispensing aperture formed therein; a rotor having a substantially planar lower surface having at least one product dispensing aperture formed therein; a breakout plug integrally molded with the rotor and being connected thereto by at least two axially aligned breakaway securing members; a hub integrally molded with the rotor and extending therefrom through the central hub aperture; and a hub securing member positioned on a distal end of the hub that extends through the central hub aperture, the hub securing member having a larger diameter than a diameter of the central hub aperture.
Embodiments of the disclosure may further provide a dispensing closure for a container that includes a base having a contoured upper surface; a rotor having a contoured lower surface that substantially conforms to the contoured upper surface, the lower surface being positioned immediately on the upper surface; a first product dispensing aperture formed in the base and a second product dispensing aperture formed in the rotor; and a breakout plug positioned in the second product dispensing aperture and being integrally molded with the rotor, the breakout plug being connected to a main body of the rotor by at least two axially aligned breakaway securing members.
Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide a dispensing closure for a dry goods container. The closure includes a base secured to a top portion of a dry goods container and having a substantially planar upper surface with a central hub aperture and at least one product dispensing aperture formed therethrough, the base being molded in a first shot of a two-shot process from polyethylene material or syndiaotactic polyethylene. The closure further includes a rotor having a substantially planar lower surface having at least one product dispensing aperture formed therethrough, the rotor being molded in a second shot of a two-shot process from a low density polyethylene, the rotor being molded directly on the base in the two-shot process. A breakout plug is integrally molded with the rotor and connected by at least two axially aligned breakaway securing members, the breakaway securing members each having a structural connection between an outer perimeter surface of the breakout plug and a main body of the rotor, the structural connection having a larger cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the breakout plug than a cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the main body of the rotor. A hub is integrally molded with the rotor and extending therefrom through the central hub aperture, and a hub securing member is positioned on a distal end of the hub that extends through the central hub aperture, the hub securing member having a larger diameter than a diameter of the central hub aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying Figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a prior art dispensing closure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of a prior art dispensing closure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a prior art dispensing closure with a breakout tab separated from the closure base;

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of a prior art dispensing closure with a breakout tab separated from the closure base;

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of a dispensing closure with the breakout plug in place;

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of a dispensing closure with the breakout plug in place;

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of a dispensing closure with the breakout plug partially separated from the closure rotor;

FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of a dispensing closure with the breakout plug removed;

FIG. 9A illustrates a top view of a dispensing closure base;

FIG. 9B illustrates a side sectional view of a dispensing closure base;

FIG. 9C illustrates a side view of a dispensing closure base;

FIG. 10A illustrates a top view of a dispensing closure rotor;

FIG. 10B illustrates a side sectional view of a dispensing closure rotor;

FIG. 10C illustrates a side view of a dispensing closure rotor;

FIG. 11A illustrates an assembled view of a dispensing closure;

FIG. 11B illustrates a side sectional view of an assembled dispensing closure;

FIG. 11C illustrates a side sectional view of an assembled dispensing closure;

FIG. 11D illustrates a partial side sectional view of an assembled dispensing closure focusing on the breakout tab area; and

FIG. 11E illustrates a simplified sectional view of the relationship between a rotor and base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the following disclosure describes several exemplary embodiments for implementing different features, structures, or functions of the invention. Exemplary embodiments of components, arrangements, and configurations are described below to simplify the present disclosure; however, these exemplary embodiments are provided merely as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various exemplary embodiments and across the Figures provided herein. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various exemplary embodiments and/or configurations discussed in the various Figures. Moreover, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed interposing the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Finally, the exemplary embodiments presented below may be combined in any combination of ways, i.e., any element from one exemplary embodiment may be used in any other exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Additionally, certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, various entities may refer to the same component by different names, and as such, the naming convention for the elements described herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, unless otherwise specifically defined herein. Further, the naming convention used herein is not intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. Additionally, in the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to.” All numerical values in this disclosure may be exact or approximate values unless otherwise specifically stated. Accordingly, various embodiments of the disclosure may deviate from the numbers, values, and ranges disclosed herein without departing from the intended scope. Furthermore, as it is used in the claims or specification, the term “or” is intended to encompass both exclusive and inclusive cases, i.e., “A or B” is intended to be synonymous with “at least one of A and B,” unless otherwise expressly specified herein.
FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of an exemplary dispensing closure 100 with a breakout plug 108 in place. The exemplary dispensing closure 100 generally includes a rotor 102 positioned on or within a base member 104. The rotor 102 has an outer diameter 114 that is generally smaller than an inner diameter 116 of the surrounding base 104. The rotor 102 generally includes a plurality of apertures 106 formed therein. The apertures 106 are configured to allow product to flow therethrough when the aperture 106 is aligned with a hole formed in the base 104. The exemplary dispensing closure 100 illustrated in FIG. 5 is presented in a new or unused mode, as one of the apertures 106 includes a breakout plug 108 positioned within the aperture 106. The breakout plug 108 generally covers a substantial portion of the surface area of the aperture 106, leaving only a small gap around the perimeter of the breakout plug 108. That small gap is bridged by at least one breakaway securing member 112 that operates to connect the breakout plug 108 to the surrounding rotor 102. In one embodiment of this disclosure the breakaway securing members 112 may be positioned on opposite sides of the breakout plug 108, thus allowing the breakout plug to pivot or rotate about an axis formed by the breakaway securing members 112.
The breakaway securing members 112 may also be configured to readily detach from the main body of the rotor 102 when rotated or pivoted. For example, the breakaway securing members 112 may be wider or otherwise have a larger cross sectional surface area approximate the breakaway securing member 112, while also having a narrower or otherwise smaller cross-sectional surface area proximate the main body of the rotor 102. Having the narrower or smaller cross-sectional surface area near the main body results in the breakaway securing members 112 detaching or breaking away from the rotor main body 102 at or very near the main body of the rotor 102 when the breakout plug 108 is pivoted or rotated.
The breakout plug 108 also includes a raised button portion 110 generally positioned on a distal end of the breakaway plug 108. The raised button portion 110 may be actuated by pushing down on one side of the breakout plug 108, thus causing the breakout plug 108 to pivot or rotate on the axis formed by the breakaway securing members 112. As noted above, this pivot or rotational movement of the breakout plug 108 causes the narrow or smaller cross-sectional area portion of the breakaway securing members 112 to detach from the main body of the rotor 102, thus causing the breakout plug 108 to be able to be removed from the rotor 102 and allows product stored in the container upon which the dispensing closure 102 is attached to flow therethrough.
FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of a dispensing closure 100 with the breakout plug 108 in place. The breakout plug 108 is shown with its outer perimeter touching or being immediately adjacent (touching and sealing to) the corresponding base aperture 128 that is formed in the base 104, yet the breakout plug 108 is not physically or chemically bonded to the base aperture 128. The base aperture 128 receives the breakout plug 108 until the first use of the container when the breakout plug 128 is removed, and then the base aperture 128 becomes an aperture through which the product in the container may be dispensed therefrom. Thus, the breakout plug 108 abuts directly against the base aperture 128 formed in the base 104 that corresponds to the breakout plug 108. This Figure also illustrates the center hub 118 of the rotor 102 that extends through the base 104 and includes a hub securing member 120. The hub securing member 120 may generally include an annular disk or other shape having a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the hole through which the center hub 118 of the rotor 102 extends through. Thus, the larger diameter of the hub securing member 120 prevents the rotor 102 from separating from the base 104, while still allowing the rotor 102 to rotate relative to the base 104.
FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of an exemplary dispensing closure 100 with the breakout plug 108 partially separated from the rotor 102. In this Figure, the user of the dispensing closure 100 has pushed the raised button 110 so that the breakout plug 108 has started to pivot or rotate about the axis formed between the two breakaway securing members 112. As the breakout plug 108 rotates, it simultaneously operates to weaken or in many cases sever the connection between the main rotor body 102 and the breakout plug via the breakaway securing members 112. More particularly, as the user pushes the raised button 110, the breakout plug 108 rotates and twists the breakaway securing members 112 such that they generally separate from the main body of the rotor 102. The separation allows the breakout plug 108 to be removed from the rotor 102, thus opening the aperture 106 in the rotor 102 at the location where the breakout plug 108 was previously located.
FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of an exemplary dispensing closure with the breakout plug 108 removed. With the breakout plug 108 removed, the aperture 106 in the rotor 102 where the breakout plug 108 used to reside is now open. Thus, rotor 102 may be rotated by the user via actuation of the rotor handle 122 to align the aperture 106 in the rotor 102 with a second aperture 128 formed in the rotor base 104. When the user aligns the rotor aperture 106 with the base aperture 128, the product in the container upon which the dispensing closure 100 is positioned may then freely flow out of the container through the two apertures 106, 128. Once the breakout plug 108 is removed, the user may align any one of the apertures 106 in the rotor 102 with the base aperture 128 to allow product from the container to flow therethrough.
FIG. 9A illustrates a top view of an exemplary dispensing closure base 104. The closure base 104 is shown in this Figure to include a central hole 134 through which the center hub 118 of the rotor 102 extends through when the rotor 102 is positioned on the base 104. The base 104 includes a substantially planar upper flat surface 138 upon which the rotor 102 is configured to slidably engage. This Figure further illustrates the base aperture 128 formed in the base that allows the product in the container to pass therethrough, and further through the aperture 106 in the rotor 102 to be dispensed. The product passes through aperture 128 and aperture 106 when these respective apertures are aligned via rotation of the rotor 102. FIG. 9B illustrates a side sectional view of a base 104 of an exemplary dispensing closure 100. The side view shows the base having a central recess 130 within which the rotor 102 is positioned. The center hub of the rotor 118 is sized and positioned to be axially received in the hub hole 134 in the base 104. The base aperture 128 is also shown in this Figure. Further, the base 104 may be configured with a central recess 130 that includes a flat upper surface of the base 132 that is configured to slidably and/or rotationally engage the rotor 102 positioned there on. FIG. 9C illustrates a side partial sectional view of the base 104 of an exemplary dispensing closure base 104. The side view illustrates the flat upper surface of the base 132, the hub hole in the base 134, and the exemplary structure of the base 104 that may be configured to be received on the top of a product container and attached thereto, by scurrying the base 104 thereon, by snapping the base 104 thereon, or by other means through which caps or other closures for product containers are typically attached.
FIG. 10A illustrates a top view of an exemplary dispensing closure 100 rotor 102 and generally illustrates the same features of the exemplary dispensing closure 100 as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 10B illustrates a side sectional view of the exemplary dispensing closure 100 rotor 102 shown in FIG. 10A across section line A-A. This sectional view of the rotor 102 shows the center hub 118 and the hub securing member 120. This view also illustrates the breakout plug 108 positioned in the open aperture 126 of the rotor 102. Since the section lines of FIG. 10A do not go through the breakaway securing members 112, the sectional view of the rotor 102 in FIG. 10B shows a small gap between the outer surface of the breakout plug 108 and the surrounding main body of the rotor 102. This small gap allows the breakout plug 108 to be supported in the open aperture 126 only by the breakaway securing members 112. Further, the breakout plug 108 only being supported by the breakaway securing members 112 allows for the breakout plug 108 to be readily and easily removed from the rotor 102 by the user via a simple pivot or rotational movement of the breakout plug 108. FIG. 10C illustrates a side view of the exemplary dispensing closure 100 rotor 102. This side view clearly illustrates the handle 122, the raised button 110, and the raised portion surrounding one of the apertures 106.
FIG. 11A illustrates an exemplary dispensing closure 100 with the rotor 102 and the base 104 secured together for operation. In this embodiment of the dispensing closure, 100 the rotor 102 is rotatably positioned within the base recess 130 of the base member 104. The center hub 118 of the rotor 102 extends through the hub hole 134 in the base 104, thus allowing the rotor 102 to be rotatably movable about an axis that extends through the hub hole 134 and the center hub 118 of the rotor 102. The hub securing member 120 prevents the rotor 102 from separating from the base 104, and specifically, the hub securing member 120 keeps the lower flat surface 136 of the rotor 102 positioned immediately adjacent the upper flat surface 138 of the base 104. FIG. 11B illustrates a side sectional view of the exemplary assembled dispensing closure 100 taken along line A-A. This side view illustrates the rotor 102 being positioned within the base recess 130 of the base 104. This view also illustrates the lower flat surface 136 of the rotor 102 being positioned immediately adjacent or slidably positioned on the upper flat surface 138 of the base 104. This side view also illustrates the breakout plug 108 extending from the rotor 102 lower flat surface 136 into and through the base aperture 128. FIG. 11C illustrates a side sectional view of the assembled dispensing closure 100 taken along line B-B, which shows the raised button 110, at least one of the apertures 106 in the rotor 102, and the rotor center hub 118 with the hub securing member 120. FIG. 11D illustrates a partial side sectional view of the exemplary assembled dispensing closure 10 taken along section line C focusing on the breakout plug 108.
FIG. 11E illustrates a simplified sectional view of the relationship between the rotor 102 and the base 104. The rotor 102, breakaway securing members 112, and breakout plug 108 are molded from the same material. The base 104 is molded from a different material. The respective materials are preferred to have a dis-affinity for each other. More particularly, the material used to mold the rotor 102 and the material used to mold the base 104 are carefully selected to be molded in a two shot molding process, without the respective materials adhering to or otherwise bonding to each other in any way. Further, inasmuch as a two shot molding process is used to mold the base 104 and then the rotor 102 immediately there on, the melting points of the respective materials used in the molding process must also be carefully selected such that when the rotor 102 is molded on top of the base 104, that the melting temperature of the base 102 material is high enough (greater than the melting temperature of the base 104) to allow for the molding of rotor 102 thereon without distortion of the previously molded base 104.
In operation, the dispensing closure 100 of the present disclosure allows for easy removal of the breakout plug 108 from the closure device. To do so, the user simply pushes downward on the raised button 110 of the breakout plug 108. The downward force on the raised button 110 causes the breakout plug 108 to pivot or rotate about an axis that extends through the breakaway securing members 112. The pivotal or rotational movement of the breakout plug 108 and the attached breakaway securing members 112 causes the breakaway securing members 112 to detach from the main body portion of the rotor 102, as the cross-sectional area of the breakaway securing members 112 immediately adjacent the rotor 102 is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the breakaway securing members 112 adjacent the breakout plug 108. Thus, rotation of the breakout plug 108 causes the breakaway securing members 112 to detach from the rotor 102 main body, and therefore allows for the breakout plug to be easily removed, thus opening the aperture 106 in the rotor 102. Once the aperture 106 is free of the breakout plug 108, the rotor 102 may be rotated to align the aperture 106 in the rotor 102 with the aperture 128 in the base. Aligning the two apertures 106, 128 allows for the product in the container upon which the dispensing closure 100 is placed to flow through both apertures 106, 128 and to be dispensed therefrom.
The dispensing closure 100 of the present disclosure is generally manufactured by an overmolding type process. Overmolding is generally described as an injection molding process whereby a first part is molded and then a second part is molded on top of or around the first part. As such, the first part serves as all or a portion of the mold for the second part's molding process. One type of overmolding process is known as multiple material molding or two shot molding. Two shot molding requires a special injection molding machine that is equipped with two or more barrels, thus allowing for two or more materials to be shot into the same mold during the same molding cycle or process. Therefore, when the dispensing closure 100 of the present disclosure is molded, generally the base 104 will be injection molded first. Thus, the base 104 will be molded and then positioned for a second shot of molding whereby the rotor 102 will be on top of the base 104. More particularly, once the base 104 is molded, the part may be positioned in a second part of the mold where portions that form the base aperture 128 and the hub hole 134 in the base 104 are open to receive the rotor mold material. These portions of the base mold need to be removed so that the second shot molding process that forms the rotor 102 is allowed to flow the molding material into these areas where the rotor 102 will need to be formed.
Once the base 104 is molded and the portions of the base mold are removed, the next step is to mold the rotor 102 on top of the base 104. During this process the base 104 may be positioned in a second mold or another portion of the initial mold, whereby this second position or mold includes a support structure for the base 104 that covers the base aperture 128 and the hub hole 134 with the appropriate molding structure to form the portions of the rotor 102 that will extend in or through these apertures/holes. This portion of the molding process covers the bottom side of the base 104. The top side of the base 104 where the rotor 102 is generally formed will also include a second mold structure that will be positioned in the recess 130 of the base 104. The second molding structure will have the shape of the rotor 102 and will be positioned immediately above the upper flat surface 138 of the base 104. Once the molding structures are in place, the second shot injection molding may be used to form the rotor 102 directly on top of the base 104, and specifically, the rotor 102 will be formed directly on the upper flat surface 138 of the base 104. Further, the second shot molding will form the rotor features that extend through the hub hole 134 and the base aperture 128. These features (that extend through the base 104) include the breakout plug 108, the center hub 118, and the hub securing member 120.
Conventional two shot injection molding processes are typically configured to have the second shot component adhere or otherwise bond to the first shot component so as to form a unitary final component. The present disclosure uses an unconventional two shot molding process in that the materials for the first and second shot are selected specifically to not adhere or otherwise physically or chemically bond with each other, i.e., the materials are selected to have a lack of affinity for each other. Further, the current two shot injection molding process is also unconventional in that there are no coatings applied to the first component before the second component is shot or molded. Therefore, the present disclosure provides an unconventional two shot molding process whereby a second component is directly molded upon a first component, where the end result is that the second component is freely movable in relation to the first component, without having any additional chemicals or materials being applied to the first component to separate it from the second component during the molding process. More particularly, the present disclosure provides a novel process for molding the base 104 and a first shot and then molding the rotor 102 and a second shot, where the molding process uses no chemicals or additional materials to separate the first and second shot materials, and further, when the molding process is completed the rotor 102 is freely movable/rotatable on the base 104. The rotor 102 being freely movable on the base 104 requires no additional assembly or labor, rather the ability of the rotor 102 to rotate or move on the base 104 is purely the result of the novel two shot molding process and the careful selection of the first and second shot molding materials.
The material selection process for the first and second shot materials includes consideration of a number of properties. For example, the durometer or hardness of the material along with the modulus of the materials is important to the resulting flexibility and resistance to bending of the end component. The coefficient of friction between the two shot materials is also very important, as the current dispensing closure 100 seeks to minimize or eliminate friction between the rotor 102 in the base 104 so that the components may rotate relative to each other. As such, it is critical that the materials be selected to have the lowest amount of friction therebetween. Similarly, the adhesion of the two shot materials to each other is also an important parameter, as it is desired that the first and second molding materials not adhere or bond to each other in any way so that the rotor 102 and the base 104 can be freely movable relative to each other immediately after the injection molding process is completed. The melting temperature of the respective shot materials is also critical, as the material used to form the rotor 102 must have a melting temperature that is less than the mold dispensing temperature of the material used to form the rotor 104. If the melting temperature of the base 104 material is not sufficiently higher than the melting or dispensing temperature of the rotor 102 material, then the base 104 will melt or otherwise deform during the second shot of the molding process when the rotor 102 is formed thereon.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the base 104 may be injection molded in a first shot using a polyethylene material or syndiaotactic polyethylene, which are generally known to be inexpensive hard plastic materials used in injection molding. The rotor 102 may be injection molded in a second shot directly on top of the base 104 using a low density polyethylene, which is known as a common plastic material used in several everyday items. These two materials have shown the ability to be two shot molded without chemical or physical bonding between the respective materials/components and are able to be two shot molded without significant deflection, warping, burning, or other undesirable characteristics. Further, the first shot component (polyethylene) has shown to be freely movable from the second shot component (polyethylene) without requiring any additional materials, chemicals, releasing agents, coatings, or other components being applied to the first shot component before the second shot component is molded.
The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

We claim:

1. A dispensing closure for a container, comprising:

a base having a substantially planar upper surface having a central hub aperture and at least one product dispensing aperture formed therein;

a rotor having a substantially planar lower surface having at least one product dispensing aperture formed therein;

a breakout plug integrally molded with the rotor and being connected thereto by at least two axially aligned breakaway securing members;

a hub integrally molded with the rotor and extending therefrom through the central hub aperture; and

a hub securing member positioned on a distal end of the hub that extends through the central hub aperture, the hub securing member having a larger diameter than a diameter of the central hub aperture.

2. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the breakaway securing members each further comprise a structural connection between an outer perimeter surface of the breakout plug and a main body of the rotor, the structural connection having a larger cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the breakout plug than a cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the main body of the rotor.

3. The dispensing closure of claim 2, wherein the integrally molded breakout plug extends from the rotor into the product dispensing aperture of the base.

4. The dispensing closure of claim 3, wherein the integrally molded breakout plug further comprises a raised button portion positioned on a distal end thereof.

5. The dispensing closure of claim 4, wherein the breakout plug is rotatable relative to the main body of the rotor about the axis of the breakaway securing members via actuation of the raised button.

6. The dispensing closure of claim 1, wherein the rotor and breakout plug are molded from a first material and the base is molded from a second material, the first material having a lower melting temperature than the second material.

7. The dispensing closure of claim 6, wherein the first and second material are molded in a two shot injection molding process.

8. The dispensing closure of claim 7, wherein an interface between the first material and second material is substantially free of chemical or physical bonding between the respective materials such that the rotor is movable relative to the base.

9. A dispensing closure for a container, comprising:

a base having a contoured upper surface;

a rotor having a contoured lower surface that substantially conforms to the contoured upper surface, the contoured lower surface being positioned immediately on the contoured upper surface;

a first product dispensing aperture formed in the base and a second product dispensing aperture formed in the rotor; and

a breakout plug positioned in the second product dispensing aperture and being integrally molded with the rotor, the breakout plug being connected to a main body of the rotor by at least one breakaway securing member.

10. The dispensing closure of claim 9, wherein the breakout plug is further positioned in the first product dispensing aperture.

11. The dispensing closure of claim 10, wherein the first product dispensing aperture comprises a portion of a mold used to form the breakout plug in the rotor in a second shot of a two shot molding process.

12. The dispensing closure of claim 11, wherein the base is molded from a first material in a first shot of the two shot molding process and the rotor is molded from a second material in a second shot of the two shot molding process, the first material being different from the second material and having a higher melting point then the second material.

13. The dispensing closure of claim 12, wherein the first material comprises polyethylene and the second material comprises polyethylene.

14. The dispensing closure of claim 9, further comprising:

a central aperture formed through the base;

a center hub extending from the contoured lower surface through the central aperture; and

a hub securing member positioned on a distal end of the center hub and having a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the central aperture.

15. The dispensing closure of claim 9, wherein the base includes a recessed area having a first diameter and the rotor is positioned on the base in the recessed area, the rotor having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.

16. The dispensing closure of claim 9, wherein the breakout plug is pivotable relative to a main body of the rotor about an axis of two axially aligned breakaway securing members.

17. The dispensing closure of claim 9, wherein the rotor and breakout plug are molded from a first material and the base is molded from a second material, the first material having a lower melting temperature than the second material

18. The dispensing closure of claim 9, wherein an interface between the contoured lower surface and the contoured upper surface is substantially free of chemical or physical bonding between the respective surfaces such that the rotor is rotatable relative to the base.

19. The dispensing closure of claim 12, wherein the rotor is molded directly on the base and an interface between the rotor and base is molded substantially free of any additional chemicals, releasing agents, or bonding agents.

20. A dispensing closure for a dry goods container, comprising:

a base secured to a top portion of the dry goods container and having a substantially planar upper surface with central hub aperture and at least one product dispensing aperture formed therethrough, the base being molded in a first shot of a two-shot process from polyethylene material or syndiaotactic polyethylene;

a rotor having a substantially planar lower surface having at least one product dispensing aperture formed therethrough, the rotor being molded in a second shot of a two-shot process from a low density polyethylene, the rotor being molded directly on the base in the two-shot process;

a breakout plug integrally molded with the rotor and being connected thereto by at least two axially aligned breakaway securing members, the breakaway securing members each having a structural connection between an outer perimeter surface of the breakout plug and a main body of the rotor, the structural connection having a larger cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the breakout plug than a cross sectional area at a connection adjacent the main body of the rotor;