Snap action hinge with closed position straight straps
First Claim
1. A resilient snap-action closure for a container, said closure comprising:
- a body for being joined to said container and defining an opening for dispensing the contents of said container, said body including at least a first convexly curved exterior portion;
a cover movable between a closed position on said container for engaging said body to close off said body opening and an open position spaced from said body opening, said cover including at least a second convexly curved exterior portion adapted to lie adjacent and in registry with said first convexly curved exterior portion when said cover is in said closed position;
a main hinge means for hingedly connecting said convexly curved exterior portions of said body and cover along a main hinge axis; and
two spaced-apart connecting elements, each said connecting element being joined to said body first curved exterior portion with a first hinge and being joined to said cover second curved exterior portion with a second hinge so as to locate said connecting elements offset on one side of said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position whereby said cover is held open, the closure deforming elastically as said cover is moved from said open position to said closed position about said main hinge axis until said closure snaps through a dead center position at which said closure is maximally deformed and beyond which both of said connecting elements are located on the other side of said main hinge axis where the deformation is at least partly reduced so that said cover is urged to said closed position, said connecting elements lying on opposite ends of said main hinge means, each said connecting element having a generally linear configuration adjacent said first and second curved exterior portions when said cover is in said closed position and having a non-linear configuration lying generally in a plane parallel to said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A snap-action closure is provided with a body for being mounted on a container and with a cover hinged to the body. The closure includes two spaced-apart connecting elements. Each connecting element is joined to the body with a first hinge and to the cover with a second hinge so as to locate the connecting elements offset on one side of the main hinge axis when the cover is in the open position. Each connecting element has a generally linear configuration adjacent the cover and body when the cover is in the closed position and has a non-linear configuration lying generally in a plane parallel to the main hinge axis when the cover is in the open position.
88 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A resilient snap-action closure for a container, said closure comprising:
-
a body for being joined to said container and defining an opening for dispensing the contents of said container, said body including at least a first convexly curved exterior portion; a cover movable between a closed position on said container for engaging said body to close off said body opening and an open position spaced from said body opening, said cover including at least a second convexly curved exterior portion adapted to lie adjacent and in registry with said first convexly curved exterior portion when said cover is in said closed position; a main hinge means for hingedly connecting said convexly curved exterior portions of said body and cover along a main hinge axis; and two spaced-apart connecting elements, each said connecting element being joined to said body first curved exterior portion with a first hinge and being joined to said cover second curved exterior portion with a second hinge so as to locate said connecting elements offset on one side of said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position whereby said cover is held open, the closure deforming elastically as said cover is moved from said open position to said closed position about said main hinge axis until said closure snaps through a dead center position at which said closure is maximally deformed and beyond which both of said connecting elements are located on the other side of said main hinge axis where the deformation is at least partly reduced so that said cover is urged to said closed position, said connecting elements lying on opposite ends of said main hinge means, each said connecting element having a generally linear configuration adjacent said first and second curved exterior portions when said cover is in said closed position and having a non-linear configuration lying generally in a plane parallel to said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A resilient snap-action closure for a container, said closure comprising:
-
a body for being joined to said container and defining an opening for dispensing the contents of said container, said body including a collar defining at least a partially cylindrical portion; a cover movable between a closed position on said container for engaging said body to close off said body opening and an open position spaced from said body opening, said cover defining at least a partially cylindrical portion adapted to be disposed adjacent said body cylindrical portion when said cover is in said closed position; main hinge means for hingedly connecting said cylindrical portions of said body and cover along a main hinge axis; a pair of connecting elements on opposite ends of said main hinge means for each connecting said body with said cover, each said connecting element being connected to said cylindrical portion of said body with a first hinge and to said cylindrical portion of said cover with a second hinge; said body cylindrical portion defining a pair of channels located on opposite ends of said main hinge means, said cover cylindrical portion defining a pair of channels located on opposite ends of said main hinge means, each said body channel being in registry with one of said cover channels when said cover is in said closed position to define a recess for receiving one of said connecting elements; each said connecting element lying in a generally straight line in one of said recesses when said cover is in said closed position and lying in a non-linear configuration in a plane generally parallel to said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position; and said connecting elements being offset on one side of said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position whereby said cover is held open, the closure deforming elastically as said cover is moved from said open position to said closed position about said main hinge axis until said closure snaps through a dead center position at which said closure is maximally deformed and beyond which both of said connecting elements are located on the other side of said main hinge axis where the deformation is at least partly reduced so that said cover is urged to said closed position.
-
-
9. A resilient snap-action closure for a container, said closure comprising:
-
a body for being joined to said container and defining a contents dispensing opening; a cover hinged to said body for pivoting movement about a main hinge axis between closed and open positions relative to said opening; and two spaced-apart connecting elements, each said connecting element being joined to said body with a first hinge and to said cover with a second hinge so as to locate said connecting elements offset on one side of said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position whereby said cover is held open, the closure deforming elastically as the cover is moved from said open position to said closed position about said main hinge axis until said closure snaps through a dead center position at which said closure is maximally deformed and beyond which both of said connecting elements are located on the other side of said main hinge axis where the deformation is at least partly reduced so that said cover is urged to said closed position, and each said connecting element having a generally linear configuration adjacent said cover and body when said cover is in said closed position and having a non-linear configuration lying generally in a plane parallel to said main hinge axis when said cover is in said open position. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification