Single use unit dosage dispensing closure

• US 20050236424A1
• Filed: 12/24/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Erie County Plastics Corporation (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Robert J., Walters, Ronald J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/83
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2835 ruptured by a sharp element, e.g. a cutter or a piercer

Abstract

A single use unit dosage dispensing closure includes a shell attached to a container, an axial movable cap attached to the shell, a dust cover preventing premature actuation of the cap, and a sealing member coupled to the cap. The shell has an inner guide in communication with the container and the cap is moveable along the guide. The cap has a chamber adapted to dispense material into the container. The chamber is sealed with the sealing member extending across a lower open end thereof, wherein axial movement of the cap along the inner guide member will open the chamber and dispense the contents of the chamber into the container. The axial movable cap is formed from a material with a higher oxygen and moisture barrier property than the material forming the shell.

Claims

1. A single use unit dosage dispensing closure comprising:

a shell adapted to be attached to a container, the shell having an outer skirt with a closure attaching mechanism on the outer skirt for attaching the shell to the container, the shell having an inner guide with an open top;

an axial movable cap attached to the shell and moveable along the inner guide through the open top, the cap having a chamber therein adapted to hold a unit dosage of material to be dispensed into the container;

a cover removably attached to the shell covering the open top thereby preventing actuation of the cap by an operator until the cover has been removed; and

a sealing layer coupled to the cap, wherein the chamber is sealed with the sealing layer extending across a lower open end of the cap, wherein axial movement of the cap after the cover has been removed along the inner guide will cause the sealing layer to be removed or ruptured to dispense the contents of the chamber into the container.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein the cap and the shell are made from different polymer materials.

3. The closure of claim 2 wherein the cap is formed from one of the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polypropylene with low shrink filler, and polyethylene with low shrink filler.

4. The closure of claim 3 wherein the cap is formed from one of the group polypropylene with low shrink filler and polyethylene with low shrink filler, wherein the low shrink filler is one of the group consisting of talc and mica.

5. The closure of claim 3 wherein the shell is formed of a polyolefin material.

6. The closure of claim 1 wherein the closure attaching mechanism on the outer skirt for attaching the shell to the container are threads and the shell has a tamper evident band on a lower portion of the outer skirt.

7. The closure of claim 1 wherein the inner guide is an annular tube having at least one annular seal engaging and sealing against the cap.

8. The closure of claim 7 wherein the inner guide includes an upper stop limiting the upward movement of the cap.

9. The closure of claim 8 wherein the inner guide includes a finger access in an upper side of the inner guide that is accessible after the cover has been removed.

10. The closure of claim 1 wherein the cover includes a tamper evident band.

11. The closure of claim 1 wherein the cap is formed from one of the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polypropylene with low shrink filler, and polyethylene with low shrink filler.

12. The closure of claim 1 wherein the cap has a top and a cylindrical side member forming the chamber.

13. A single use unit dosage dispensing closure comprising:

a shell adapted to be attached to a container, the shell having an inner guide with open ends in communication with the container;

a dust removably attached to the shell covering one open end thereby preventing actuation of the cap by an operator until the cover has been removed;

an axial movable cap attached to the shell and moveable along the inner guide, the cap engaging the inner guide and having a chamber therein adapted to hold a unit dosage of material to be dispensed into the container, wherein the axial movable cap is formed from a material with a higher oxygen and water barrier property than the material forming the shell; and

a sealing member coupled to the cap, wherein the chamber is sealed with the sealing member extending across a lower open end of the chamber, wherein axial movement of the cap along the inner guide member will dispense the contents of the chamber into the container.

14. The closure of claim 13 wherein the shell has an outer skirt with a closure attaching mechanism on the outer skirt for attaching the shell to the container.

15. The closure of claim 13 wherein the cap is formed from one of the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polypropylene with low shrink filler, and polyethylene with low shrink filler.

16. The closure of claim 13 wherein the cap is formed from one of the group polypropylene with low shrink filler and polyethylene with low shrink filler, wherein the low shrink filler is one of the group consisting of talc and mica.

17. The closure of claim 13 wherein the shell is formed of a polyolefin material and the cap is formed from one of the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, polypropylene with low shrink filler, and polyethylene with low shrink filler.

18. The closure of claim 13 further including a tamper evident band on the dust cover at an upper end of the inner guide.

19. The closure of claim 13 wherein the inner guide is an annular tube having at least one annular seal engaging and sealing against the cap with an upper stop limiting the upward movement of the cap and a finger access in an upper side of the inner guide.

20. The closure of claim 13 wherein the shell includes an outer skirt having a closure attaching mechanism on the outer skirt for attaching the shell to the container in the form of threads and wherein the shell has a tamper evident band on a lower portion of the outer skirt.