Lid assembly

• US 20070187406A1
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Contec, Inc
• Original Assignee: Contec, Inc
• Inventors: Rudolph, Daniel, McMurray, Greg, Nobile, David, Gault, Pamela
• Application Number:
  US11/355,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20070187406A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/254.400
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/265 between planar parts B65D47/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0811 with means for assisting dispensing

Abstract

A lid assembly for a container that effectively seals the contents of the container from the environment and the environment from the contents. The lid assembly includes an upper sealing portion and a lower base portion that are mated together coaxially. Once mated together and secured to the container, the upper portion may be rotated relative to the lower portion to expose the contents of the container through the alignment of dispensing openings in each of the upper and lower portions. During rotation of the sealing portion from a closed position to an open position, the sealing portion is elevated relative to the base portion to form a separation between the sealing portion and the base portion while concurrently aligning the dispensing openings to permit withdrawal of the contents of the container. Upon release of the opening force, the sealing portion retreats away from the elevated position towards the base portion while simultaneously covering and sealing the dispensing opening in the base portion.

Claims

1. A rotating lid assembly for sealing a container with an open end, the rotating lid assembly comprising:

a lower base portion adapted to engage the open end of the container, wherein the lower base portion comprises a first upper surface with a first axis, a downwardly extending first circumferential wall intersecting the first upper surface, a first dispensing opening housed within a well in the first upper surface, a raised sealing lip disposed at least partially around a periphery of the well, a spring bore in the first upper surface disposed substantially coaxially with the central axis, a plurality of circumferential guide ridges disposed about the first circumferential wall, and a spring adapted to fit within the spring bore and be secured therein;

the lid assembly further comprising an upper sealing portion adapted to at least partially surround the first circumferential wall of the lower base portion, the upper sealing portion being adapted to selectively expose the first dispensing opening of the lower base portion when rotated from a closed position to an open position, wherein the upper sealing portion comprises;

a second upper surface, a downwardly extending second circumferential wall intersecting the second upper surface, and an upper dispensing opening in the second upper surface, the upper dispensing opening substantially aligning with the lower dispensing opening when the upper sealing portion is in the open position, an extension element projecting downwardly from the second upper surface adapted to engage said spring, and a circumferential guide groove cut into the circular interior surface and adapted to engage the circumferential guide ridges so as to lower the second upper surface and thereby sealably engage the second side of the second upper surface against the sealing lip when the upper sealing portion is in the closed position, the upper sealing portion being normally biased to the closed position by the spring such that a sealed relation is maintained around the well in the absence of an applied opening force.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the spring is a torsion spring including a torsion bar and a tangential extension.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein the lower base portion further comprises a spring extension groove communicating with the spring bore and extending substantially tangentially therefrom.

4. The invention of claim 2, wherein the extension element is a cylinder adapted to fit within the torsion spring, the cylinder including a spring engagement groove adapted to rotationally engage the torsion bar.

5. The invention of claim 1, further comprising:

an arcuate guide groove in the first upper surface, the arcuate guide groove defining an arc centered about the first axis; and

a guide post projecting from the second side of the second upper surface and adapted to be carried by the arcuate guide groove as the lid assembly is rotated between the open and the closed positions.

6. The invention of claim 1, further comprising a handle projecting outwardly from the second upper surface.

7. The invention of claim 6, wherein the handle comprises a pair of intersecting radial protuberances.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein the lower dispensing opening comprises a dispensing plate with a dispensing aperture cut therethrough.

9. The invention of claim 8, wherein the dispensing aperture is a star-shaped configuration adapted for the selective removal of sheet products from the container.

10. A rotating lid assembly for sealing a container with an open end, the rotating lid assembly comprising:

a lower base portion adapted to engage the open end of the container, wherein the lower base portion comprises a first upper surface with a first axis, a downwardly extending first circumferential wall intersecting the first upper surface, a first dispensing opening housed within a well in the first upper surface, a raised sealing lip disposed at least partially around a periphery of the well, a spring bore in the first upper surface disposed substantially coaxially with the central axis, a plurality of circumferential guide ridges disposed about the first circumferential wall, and a spring adapted to fit within the spring bore and be secured therein, wherein the spring is a torsion spring comprising a coil defining a substantially cylindrical interior with a torsion bar projecting at least partially across said interior and a tangential extension projecting outwardly from the coil;

the lid assembly further comprising an upper sealing portion adapted to at least partially surround the first circumferential wall of the lower base portion, the upper sealing portion being adapted to selectively expose the first dispensing opening of the lower base portion when rotated from a closed position to an open position, wherein the upper sealing portion comprises;

a second upper surface, a downwardly extending second circumferential wall intersecting the second upper surface, and an upper dispensing opening in the second upper surface, the upper dispensing opening substantially aligning with the lower dispensing opening when the upper sealing portion is in the open position, an extension element comprising a grooved projection extending downwardly from the second upper surface and adapted to engage the torsion bar of said spring, and a circumferential guide groove cut into the circular interior surface and adapted to engage the circumferential guide ridges so as to lower the second upper surface and thereby sealably engage the second side of the second upper surface against the sealing lip when the upper sealing portion is in the closed position, the upper sealing portion being normally biased to the closed position by the spring such that a sealed relation is maintained around the well in the absence of an applied opening force.

11. The invention of claim 10, further comprising:

an arcuate guide groove in the first upper surface, the arcuate guide groove defining an arc centered about the first axis; and

a guide post projecting from the second side of the second upper surface and adapted to be carried by the arcuate guide groove as the lid assembly is rotated between the open and the closed positions.

12. The invention of claim 10, further comprising a handle projecting outwardly from the second upper surface.

13. The invention of claim 12, wherein the handle comprises a pair of intersecting radial protuberances.

14. The invention of claim 10, wherein the lower dispensing opening comprises a dispensing plate with a dispensing aperture cut therethrough.

15. The invention of claim 14, wherein the dispensing aperture is a star-shaped configuration adapted for the selective removal of sheet products from the container.