PLASTIC CONTAINER AND CLOSURE

• US 3,592,349 A
• Filed: 05/22/1969
• Issued: 07/13/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William A. Baugh
• Original Assignee: William A. Baugh
• Inventors: Baugh, William A.
• Application Number:
  US04/826,952
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• US Class Current: 215/307
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/0414 formed by a plug, collar, flange, rib or the like contacting the internal surface of a container neck
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/185 with integral internal sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/28 Caps combined with stoppers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/06 with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages with slidable spouts B65D47/26

Abstract

A container and a plastic closure therefor which provides an essentially leakproof seal. The container has an opening surrounded by a continuous sidewall defining a cylindrical neck opening at its outer end. The cylindrical opening defined by the sidewall is provided with an annular band of increased diameter adjacent its upper end. In the preferred form a closure cap for the container neck is provided which has an integrally formed, depending outer skirt providing a retention groove on the interior surface thereof. The closure cap is provided with an inner, coaxial, depending annular skirt attached to the underside of the top of the cap and spaced inwardly from the outer skirt. The inner skirt is of generally annular configuration, has a diameter slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the cylindrical neck opening and is of sufficient resiliency to conform to the interior wall of the continuous sidewall of the container neck. When the cap is snapped onto the container neck, the inner skirt is squeezed into the cylindrical opening defined by the inner sidewall of the neck and conforms to the shape of the stepped opening to control compressive engagement thereby providing a substantially leakproof closure.

Claims

1. In a container and closure therefor, the combination comprising:

a container having a continuous sidewall surrounding and defining a neck opening provided in said container;

said sidewall having an inner wall which includes an upper vertical section and a lower vertical section joined by a narrow shoulder section, said upper vertical section defining a neck opening of increased diameter compared to the neck opening defined by said lower vertical section;

a plastic cap with a top portion having depending from the underside a first flexible wall, generally cylindrical skirt, said skirt having an outside diameter larger than the maximum diameter of said neck opening whereby said first skirt makes an interference fit with said inner wall of said sidewall in the area adjacent said shoulder section when said first skirt is received in said neck opening; and

cooperating means on said neck and said cap to retain said cap on said container neck.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sidewall defining said neck opening in said container is an outwardly extending cylindrical neck, and said cap includes a second annular skirt attached to and depending from the periphery of the top portion of said cap, and said second skirt being spaced outwardly from and being concentric with said first skirt.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said neck is provided with helical threads on the outer surface and said second skirt is provided with matching grooves on its interior sidewall to receive said threads.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said first skirt is shorter than said second skirt and said neck is provided with an upper portion adapted to be frictionally engaged between said first skirt and said second skirt.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said shoulder section is upwardly facing and the outer wall of said upper portion of said neck is provided with a downwardly facing shoulder.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the inner wall of said second skirt is provided with an upwardly facing shoulder adapted to make frictional engagement with said downwardly facing shoulder on said outer wall of said upper portion of said neck.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the maximum outside diameter of said neck occurs at said downwardly facing shoulder which diameter is slightly greater than the maximum inside diameter of said upper portion of said second skirt immediately adjacent to said upwardly facing shoulder.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the outer surface of said upper portion of said neck is inwardly inclined and the corresponding inner upper surface of said second skirt is inwardly inclined but at a slightly lesser angle than said outer surface of said neck.

9. In a container and closure therefor, the combination comprising:

a generally annular-shaped neck on said container extending outwardly from and defining a neck opening in said container, said neck opening immediately adjacent its upper end having a slightly larger diameter than the diameter of said neck opening therebelow to define an upwardly facing shoulder at the point of merger;

a closure cap received on said neck, said cap including, a top wall having a dispensing opening therein, an inner depending annular skirt attached to the underside of said top wall, said inner skirt having an outside diameter slightly greater than the maximum diameter of said neck opening whereby said shoulder sealingly engages the outside wall of said inner skirt, an outwardly spaced, coaxial, outer flexible skirt attached to the periphery of said top wall, said outer skirt having an upwardly facing shoulder on the inner wall thereof and an inside diameter at this shoulder slightly smaller than the diameter of said neck at said upwardly facing shoulder whereby when said cap is forced onto said neck saId inner skirt makes an interference fit with at least a part of the interior wall of said neck portion and said upwardly facing shoulder and said downwardly facing shoulder engage to hold said closure cap tightly on said neck.