Composite, vacuum indicating closure

• US 4,721,219 A
• Filed: 11/17/1986
• Issued: 01/26/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Owens-Illinois Closure, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Owens-Illinois Closure, Inc.
• Inventors: Fillmore, William E., Dullabaun, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): STUCKER, NOVA E
• Application Number:
  US06/931,271
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 215/274, 215/276, 215/350, 215/318, 215/230
• US Class Current: 215/274
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/145 by means of an additional element connected directly to the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 79/0087 the deformable part being located in a closure, e.g. in caps or lids

Abstract

A vacuum indicating closure for a container for the packaging of a vacuum-packed product, the closure being of two-piece construction and having a metal lid portion which is retained in sealing engagement with the rim of a container by a plastic ring portion. The metal lid portion has a vacuum indicating button centered therein, which vacuum indicating button can flex downwardly from its normal position into the headspace of a container under the influence a sub-atmospheric or negative pressure in the headspace. The ring portion of the closure has a radially inwardly projecting annular flange at the top thereof to urge a peripheral portion of the lid portion of the closure against the rim of the container, the ring portion of the container further having a radially inwardly projecting annular bead to lock the lid portion of the closure against the underside of the annular flange of the ring portion so that the lid portion and the ring portion can be conveniently handled in unison. The ring of the closure further has an annular skirt with radially inwardly projecting ribs thereon, whereby the closure can be mechanically attached to a helical threaded container finish by a push-on action, the ribs being deformable under compressive loadings by the helical thread on the container finish to deform and thereby ensure that the closure under normal circumstances can be removed from the container by an unscrewing motion.

Claims

1. A vacuum indicating closure for sealingly engaging the rim of a helically threaded finish on a container containing a vacuum-packed product, said closure comprising:

a metal lid portion having an outside diameter, said metal lid being adapted to span and sealingly engage the finish of the container, said metal lid portion further including a generally centrally located vacuum indicating button, an annular portion surrounding and extending radially outwardly from said vacuum indicating button, and a second annular portion surrounding and extending radially outwardly from said annular portion, said vacuum indicating button being movable relative to said second annular portion, under the influence of subatmospheric pressure conditions within the container, between a first position which indicates that such subatmospheric pressure conditions do not exist and a second position which indicates that such subatmospheric pressure conditions do exist; and

a ring portion, said ring portion being molded from a thermoplastic material and having an annular skirt which is adapted to surround the helically threaded finish on the container, said annular skirt having a bottom, said ring portion further having an annular flange with an inside diameter, said annular flange extending generally radially inwardly from an end of said annular skirt and being adapted to engage at last a peripheral portion of said metal lid portion and to urge said at least a peripheral portion of said lid portion against the rim of the container, said annular skirt portion of said ring portion being provided with radially inwardly projecting bead means, said radially inwardly projecting bead means being spaced from said annular flange, said metal lid portion being mechanically engaged between said annular flange and said radially inwardly projecting bead means in a snap fit to permit said metal lid portion and said ring portion to be handled in unison, said annular skirt further having a circumferential series of spaced-apart, generally vertically extending ribs formed integrally with said annular skirt for engaging the helically threaded finish of the container to thereby permit said closure to be affixed to the helically threaded finish of the container, each of said ribs being subejct to deformation upon engagement with the helically threaded finish portion of the container, whereby said closure may be applied to the helically threaded finish of the container by a push-on motion and may be removed from the helically threaded finish by a twist-off motion, each of said ribs having a deeper portion that is disposed away from said annular flange of said ring portion, said deeper portion of each of said ribs projecting radially inwardly to a greater extend than any other portion of said each of said ribs and serving to offset any stretching that may occur near the bottom of said annular skirt of said ring portion away from said annular flange.

2. A closure according to claim 1 wherein said annular skirt, said annular flange, said radially inwardly projecting bead means and said radially inwardly projecting thread engaging means of said ring portion are integrally molded in a single piece from a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, polypropylene and modifications of polypropylene.

3. A closure according to claim 2 wherein said ring portion is molded by injection molding or compression molding.

4. A closure according to claim 1 wherein each of said ribs further has a taper portion that tapers downwardly from said deeper portion and away from said annular flange and inwardly toward said annular skirt, said taper portion helping to center said closure on the helically threaded finish portion of the container upon the application of said closure to the helically threaded finish portion of the container.

5. A closure according to claim 1 wherein said metal lid portion comprises a sealing material, said sealing material serving to help seal said closure to the rim of the helically threaded finish portion of the container.

6. A closure according to claim 1 wherein said radially inwardly projecting bead means is a circumferential series of spaced apart arcuate beads which series has an inside diameter that is at least slightly less than said outside diameter of said metal lid portion.

7. A closure according to claim 6 wherein the portion of said metal lid portion that is mechanically engaged between said annular flange and said annular bead has a thickness and wherein said annular bead and said annular flange define a space that has a thickness which is only slightly greater than said thickness of said portion of said metal lid portion, to securely engage said metal lid portion in said space between said annular bead and said annular flange.

8. In combination with a container containing a vacuum-packed product therein, and having a finish portion for receiving a closure to close and seal said container, said finish portion having a rim and an outwardly projecting and helically extending thread for engagement with a closure, a closure in engagement with said thread and sealingly engaging said finish portion, said closure comprising:

a metal lid portion having an outside diameter, said metal lid portion spanning and sealingly engaging said finish of said container, said metal lid portion including a generally centrally located vacuum indicating button, an annular portion surrounding and extending radially outwardly from said vacuum indicating button, and a second annular portion surrounding and extending radially outwardly from said annular portion, said vacuum indicating button being movable relative to said second annular portion, under the influence of subatmospheric pressure conditions in said container, between a first position which indicates that such subatmospheric pressure conditions do not exist and a second position which indicates that such subatmospheric pressure condition do exist; and

a ring portion, said ring portion being molded from a thermoplastic material and having an annular skirt which surrounds said finish portion of said container including said thread, said annular skirt having a bottom, said ring portion further having an annular flange with an inside diameter, said annular flange extending generally radially inwardly from an end of said annular skirt and being adapted to engage at least a peripheral portion of said metal lid portion and to urge said at least a peripheral portion of said lid portion against said rim of said container, said annular skirt portion of said ring portion being provided with radially inwardly projecting bead means, said radially inwardly projecting bead means being spaced from said annular flange, said metal lid portion being mechanically engaged between said annular flange and said radially inwardly projecting bead means in a snap fit, said annular skirt further having a circumferential series of spaced-apart, generally vertically extending rims formed integrally with said annular skirt engaging said thread of said finish portion to maintain said closure in sealing engagement with said finish portion of said container, each of said ribs being subject to deformation upon engagement with said finish portion of said container, whereby said closure may be applied to said finish portion of said container by a push-on motion and may be removed from the same finish portion by a twist-off motion, each of said ribs having a deeper portion that is disposed away from said annular flange of said ring portion, said deeper portion of each of said ribs projecting radially inwardly to a greater extent than any other portion of said each of said ribs and serving to offset any stretching that may occur near the bottom of said annular skirt away from said annular flange.

9. A combiantion according to claim 8 wherein said annular skirt, said annular flange, said radially inwardly projecting bead means and said radially inwardly projecting thread engaging means of said ring portion of said closure are integrally molded in a single piece from a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of high density polyethylene, polypropylene and modifications of polypropylene.

10. A combination according to claim 9 wherein said ring portion of said closure is molded by injection molding or compression molding.

11. A combination according to claim 8 wherein each of said ribs further has a taper portion that tapers downwardly from said deeper portion and away from said annular flange and inwardly toward said annular skirt, said taper portion helping to center said closure on said finish portion of said container upon the application of said closure to said finish portion of said container.

12. A closure according to claim 8 wherein said metal lid portion of said closure comprises a sealing material, said rim of said sealing material serving to help seal said closure to said finish portion of the container.

13. A combination according to claim 8 wherein said radially inwardly projecting bead means of said closure is a circumferential series of spaced apart arcuate beads which series has an inside diameter that is at least slightly less than said outside diameter of said metal lid portion.

14. A combination according to claim 13 wherein the portion of said metal lid portion that is mechanically engaged between said annular flange and said annular bead has a thickness and wherein said annular bead and said annular flange define a space that has a thickness which is only slightly greater than said thickness of said portion of said metal lid portion, to securely engage said metal lid portion in said space between said annular bead and said annular flange.