Closure with tear strip

• US 20050145628A1
• Filed: 01/07/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Letica Corporation (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Letica Corporation (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Schwarz, Stefan H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,207,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/276
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00092 circular
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00296 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00518 Skirt
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00555 on both the inside and the outside
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00629 Massive bead
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00685 Totality
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/0074 Massive bead
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00796 Totality
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00972 Collars or rings
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/0237 secured by snapping over beads or projections before removal of the tamper element

Abstract

A closure for covering an opening of a container. The closure includes an inverted U-shaped peripheral channel for receiving the rim of a container therein. A tear strip is formed with the skirt of the closure via a tear line that circumscribes the skirt. A breakaway pull tab having an inner surface with U-shaped ribs, the combination of the surface and ribs being such as to provide a concavity which assists in gripping the tab to pull the strip away. Linear vertical ribs may be provided on the outer surface to provide further assistance in the gripping function. The skirt includes a recessed area underlying the pull tab for providing access to the pull tab. An alternative embodiment uses a zig-zag structure of strengthening ribs in the skirt to reduce the amount of material necessary to provide the undercut. This reduces the probability of warpage in the closure structure.

Claims

1. A closure for an open top container comprising:

a deck portion having an inverted U-shaped peripheral channel for receiving an upper rim of a container therein, the channel being formed in part by a peripheral skirt;

a tear strip formed in the skirt and being defined in part by a tear line which extends around the skirt;

a breakaway pull tab formed on an end of the strip, and

a recessed area formed in the skirt inwardly adjacent the pull tab for providing access to the pull tab, said pull tab having an inner surface with multiple ribs formed thereon, the combination of the ribs and surface being such as to form a concavity for gripping purposes.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein the pull tab includes:

a concave inner gripping surface including multiple U-shaped ribs of substantially equal depth formed thereon.

3. The closure of claim 1 wherein the pull tab comprises:

an outer gripping surface having at least one substantially linear rib protruding in a substantially vertical arrangement therefrom.

4. The closure of claim 2 wherein the recessed area further comprises:

an opening formed in the skirt around the perimeter of the pull tab, the opening having an arrow shape formed on one end thereof indicating the direction of pull to remove the tear strip from the skirt.

5. The closure of claim 1 wherein the recessed area comprises:

a portion of the skirt having a reduced wall thickness relative to the remainder of the skirt.

6. The closure of claim 1 wherein the skirt comprises:

a lip including a substantially vertical wall extending upwardly from the deck portion, a substantially horizontal ring extending outwardly from the vertical wall, and a perimeter extending downwardly from the ring for surrounding an outer surface of the container.

7. The closure of claim 6 further comprising:

a plurality of through apertures spaced apart from one another along the perimeter of the skirt, the apertures operable for separating the perimeter into discrete sections after the tear strip is removed from the skirt.

8. The closure of claim 6 wherein the lid further comprises:

an inner surface forming an inverted U-shaped channel in the underside of the lip.

9. The closure of claim 8 further comprising:

an O-ring positionable in the inverted U-shaped channel for sealing the closure to the container; and

at least one projection extending from one side of the channel for preventing the O-ring from inadvertently being dislodged from the channel and releasably locking to an edge of the container.

10. The closure of claim 8 further comprising:

a plurality of stiffening ribs extending from the underside of the deck portion to one side of the channel.

11. The closure of claim 1 further including a locking flange formed in the interior of the peripheral skirt channel having a relatively continuous pattern of zig-zag ribs formed therein beneath an undercut which interfits with a peripheral flange on the open end of a container to secure said closure to such container.

12. A closure comprising:

a substantially planar deck portion for covering an opening of a container,

a skirt formed integral with the deck portion for providing a fluid tight seal with the container;

a tear strip removably attached to the skirt via a tear line;

a breakaway pull tab positioned flush with an outer portion of the skirt, the pull tab being connected to the tear strip and operable for removing the tear strip from the skirt such that the closure becomes removably attachable to the container after the tear strip is removed; and

an inner gripping surface on the pull tab with multiple parallel U-shaped ribs formed thereon, the combination of the inner surface and ribs being such as to form a concave gripping area.

13. The closure of claim 12 further comprising:

an outer gripping surface on the pull tab having at least one substantially linear rib protruding in a substantially vertical arrangement therefrom.

14. The closure of claim 12 further comprising:

an opening formed in the skirt around the perimeter of the pull tab, the opening having an arrow shape formed on one end thereof for defining the direction of pull to remove the tear strip from the skirt.

15. The closure of claim 12 wherein the skirt comprises:

a lip including a substantially vertical circumferential wall extending upwardly from the planar deck portion, a substantially horizontal ring extending outwardly from the vertical wall, and a circumferential perimeter extending downwardly from the ring, the perimeter surrounding an outer surface of the container.

16. The closure of claim 12 further comprising:

a recessed area formed in the skirt adjacent the pull tab for providing access to the pull tab.

17. The closure of claim 16 wherein the recessed area comprises:

a portion of the perimeter having a reduced wall thickness relative to the remainder of the perimeter.

18. The closure of claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of through apertures spaced apart from one another along the circumferential perimeter of the skirt, the apertures operable for separating the perimeter into discrete sections after the tear strip is removed from the skirt.

19. The closure of claim 15 wherein the skirt further comprises:

an inner surface forming an inverted U-shaped channel in the underside of the lip.

20. The closure of claim 19 further comprising:

an O-ring positionable in the inverted U-shaped channel for sealing the closure to the container; and

at least one projection extending from one side of the channel for preventing the O-ring from inadvertently being dislodged from the channel and releasably locking to an edge of the container.

21. The closure of claim 19 further comprising:

a plurality of stiffening ribs extending from the underside of the planar deck portion to one side of the channel.

22. A molded plastic closure for an open top container comprising:

a substantially planar, circular inner deck;

an inverted U-shaped channel portion surrounding the deck and defined by inner and outer walls, the outer wall being integrally contiguous with a skirt having an undercut and below the undercut, a circumferentially outwardly flared portion having an internal groove to define a tear line by way of which a lower flared portion of the skirt may be separated from the outer wall;

the outer wall being of substantially uniform thickness around the majority of the circumference but of reduced thickness in a discreet area; and

a tear tab integrally formed on the lower flared portion within said discreet area and radially outstanding therefrom to facilitate manually gripping thereof to initiate removal of the lower flared portion from the skirt.

23. The closure as defined in claim 22 further including spaced apertures formed in said skirt above said groove.

24. A molded plastic closure for an industrial shipping container comprising:

a central deck portion;

means including an inner wall structure and an outer skirt structure defining an inverted U-shaped channel to receive the upper peripheral end of an industrial shipping container therein;

a locking flange formed on the interior of the skirt within the channel to fit under a peripheral flange of a container to lock the closure to the container; and

a pattern of zig-zag ribs formed beneath the undercut to add strength to the skirt structure.

25. The closure as defined in claim 24 wherein the zig-zag rib structure comprises a plurality of V-shaped ribs substantially integrally joined at the tops of the legs of the Vs.

26. The closure as defined in claim 24 wherein the zig-zag structure is interrupted at several spaced locations by apertures.

27. The closure as defined in claim 24 wherein said closure is essentially round in plan.