Multiple orifice dispensing closure

• US 4,717,050 A
• Filed: 05/19/1986
• Issued: 01/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunbeam Plastics Corporation (Silgan Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sunbeam Plastics Corporation (Silgan Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wright, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Application Number:
  US06/864,332
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 222/502, 222/545, 222/536, 222/537, 222/531, 222/532, 222/481, 222/481.5, 222/486, 222/482-485, 222/487, 222/546, 220/256, 220/259, 220/86 AT, 73/428, 73/866.5
• US Class Current: 222/482
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0885 one part of the hinge being integral with the hinged closure and the other part with the base element, without any other additional hinge element

Abstract

A multiple orifice closure for attachment to a container for dispensing product, usually in the form of a liquid, at different rates. The closure includes a cap incorporating the larger orifice and an annular skirt having a container attachment such as threads or a snap bead. Two lids are hinged to the closure; one is an intermediate lid which covers the cap top and contains the second smaller orifice. The other lid is a top lid which acts to close the smaller orifice on the intermediate lid.

Claims

1. A multiple orifice dispensing closure for dispensing product at different rates from a container comprising, in combination:

a cap having a flat top with a first dispensing orifice extending therethrough and a cylindrical skirt having means for attachment to a container;

an intermediate lid hinged to said cap with a second orifice extending therethrough; and

a top lid hinged to one of said intermediate lid and cap for closure of said second orifice whereby said intermediate lid may be swung open for dispensing through said first orifice, said top lid can be swung open with said intermediate lid seated on said cap for dispensing through said second orifice, said second orifice being smaller than said first orifice and aligned with the area of said first orifice when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap; and

a tubular plug depending from said intermediate lid surrounding said second orifice and engaging said first orifice when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap so that the dispensing from said second orifice occurs by flow from said container, through said first orifice, and out of said second orifice, and both of said orifices being closed when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap and said top lid is seated on said intermediate lid with said plug in engagement with said first orifice.

2. The dispensing closure of claim 1 further comprising a stopper depending from said top lid for engagement with said second orifice when said top lid is seated on said intermediate lid, said tubular plug and said stopper acting to close both dispensing orifices when said top lid is seated on said intermediate lid and said intermediate lid is seated on said cap.

3. The dispensing closure of claim 1 wherein said intermediate lid has a depending annular skirt, and said cap top has a peripheral recess which said intermediate lid skirt engages maintaining said intermediate lid in a seated position on said cap.

4. The dispensing closure of claim 3 further comprising a tubular plug depending from said intermediate lid for engagement with said first orifice, which together with said annular skirt and recess, maintain said intermediate lid seated on said cap.

5. The dispensing closure of claim 3 wherein said intermediate lid has a peripheral recess opening upward and said top lid has an annular skirt which engages the recess in said intermediate lid maintaining said intermediate lid in a seated position on said cap.

6. The dispensing closure of claim 5 wherein said top lid has a depending stopper for engagement with said second orifice, which together with said top lid skirt and intermediate lid recess, maintains said top lid seated on said intermediate lid.

7. The dispensing closure of claim 1 including a third orifice extending through said cap top and acting as an air vent as product is dispensed through said first orifice.

8. The dispensing closure of claim 7 wherein said second orifice is aligned with the area of one of said first and third orifices so that dispensing from said second orifice occurs by a flow from said container through one of said first and third orifices and out said second orifice.

9. The dispensing closure of claim 8 wherein said second orifice is aligned with said third orifice for dispensing product from said container through said third orifice and out said second orifice when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap.

10. The dispensing closure of claim 9 further comprising a plug aligned with said second orifice and depending from said intermediate lid for engagement with said third orifice when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap, said plug having a passage therethrough for communication with said container through said third orifice and in communication with said second orifice for dispensing therethrough.

11. The dispensing closure of claim 10 further including a second plug depending from said intermediate lid in alignment with said first orifice for closure of said first orifice when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap.

12. The dispensing closure of claim 11 further including a stopper depending from said top lid for engagement with said second orifice when said top lid is seated on said intermediate lid.

13. A multiple orifice dispensing closure for a dispensing product at different rates from a container comprising, in combination:

a cap having a top with a first dispensing orifice extending therethrough and a cylindrical skirt having means for attachment to a container;

an intermediate lid hinged to said cap with a second orifice smaller than said first orifice extending therethrough in alignment with the area of said first orifice when said intermediate lid is seated in abutment with said cap;

a tubular plug depending from said intermedite lid surrounding said second orifice and engaging said first orifice when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap; and

a top lid hinged to said intermediate lid for closure of said second orifice when said top lid is seated in abutment with said intermediate lid, whereby said intermediate lid may be swung open for dispensing a relatively larger quantity of product through said first orifice, said top lid can be swung open with said intermediate lid seated on said cap for dispensing a relatively smaller quantity of product through said second orifice, and both of said orifices can be closed by seating said intermediate lid on said cap and seating said top lid on said intermediate lid with said plug in engagement with said first orifice.

14. The dispensing closure of claim 13 wherein the hinging between said intermediate lid and said cap is in line with the hinging between said top lid and said intermediate lid.

15. A multiple orifice dispensing closure for dispensing products at different rates from a container comprising, in combination:

a cap having a flat top with a larger and a smaller dispensing orifice extending therethrough and a cylindrical skirt having means for attachment to a container;

an intermediate lid having an opening therein and having a nozzle extending therefrom and aligned with one of the larger and smaller orifices for dispensing product therethrough; and

a top lid hinged to said intermediate lid for closure of said nozzle;

whereby said intermediate lid may be swung open for dispensing a relatively larger quantity of product through said larger orifice as said smaller orifice acts as an air vent, said top lid can be swung open with said intermediate lid seated on said cap for dispensing a relatively smaller quantity of product through said nozzle, said orifices and nozzle being closed when said intermediate lid is seated on said cap and said top lid is seated on said intermediate lid.

16. The dispensing closure of claim 15 wherein said intermediate lid is hinged to said cap along a hinge axis parallel to said cap top and said larger and smaller orifices are aligned along an axis parallel to said hinge axis and said top lid is hinged to said intermediate lid along a hinge axis perpendicular to said orifice axis.