Spooning closure

• US 5,085,331 A
• Filed: 02/26/1990
• Issued: 02/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Magenta LLC
• Original Assignee: Magenta Corporation
• Inventors: Hofmann, Richard W., Groya, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garbe, Stephen P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K.
• Application Number:
  US07/485,246
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 215/235, 215/237, 215/238, 215/244, 215/245, 215/329, 215/228, 220/254, 220/291, 220/307, 220/326, 220/335, 220/336, 220/337, 220/339
• US Class Current: 215/245
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0847 located within a flat surface of the base element

Abstract

A spooning closure generally comprising a skirt a top, a spooning opening and a hinged spooning lid which is adapted to pivot from a closed position to an open spooning position. Two locking means are provided, one of which is adapted to securely and releasably lock the spooning lid in the closed position and the other of which is adapted to securely and releasably lock the spooning lid in an open spooning position. The lock to hold the spooning lid in the open position is a combination of a spooning lid tongue and a friction engaging slot. The lock to hold the spooning lid closed includes an arcuate latch projection which extends at an acute angle to the spooning lid bottom surface and a cooperating keeper which partially defines the spooning opening and is formed by an arcuate cantilever. Also provided is a reinforcing web extending from the bottom of the spooning lid.

Claims

1. A spooning closure for a container comprising a top, a skirt, and a first and second locking means,

the top including a fixed portion and a spooning lid pivotally hinged to the fixed portion, said spooning lid adapted to pivot from a closed position to an open dispensing position,

said skirt being connected to said fixed portion, and bounding said spooning lid when in the closed position,

said first locking means adapted to releasably lock said spooning lid in a closed position,

said second locking means adapted to releasably lock said spooning lid in an open dispensing position,

said second locking means comprises a tongue extending from said spooning lid and a locking slot formed on the top side of said skirt adjacent said fixed portion, said locking slot being sized to receive and frictionally engage said tongue.

2. The spooning closure of claim 1 wherein said locking slot is defined by a pair of flexible cantilevers.

3. The spooning closure of claim 2 wherein said flexible cantilevers are undercut from about 3°

to about 10° and

biased towards the center of said locking slot and wherein the distance between said cantilever inner surfaces at their upper ends is less than the width of said tongue.

4. The spooning closure of claim 1 wherein said locking slot is a pair of spaced apart extensions formed on said top wall fixed portion said tongue being positioned and sized to frictionally fit between said extensions when said spooning lid is pivoted to a desired open locked position.

5. The spooning closure of claim 4 wherein said extensions comprise inner surfaces undercut from about 3°

to about 10°

with the tops of said extension inner surfaces being spaced apart less than the width of said tongue, the first locking means includes a second locking means structure and has a latch projection extending in an arcuate direction on a bottom side of the spooning lid and a resilient cantilever extending in an arcuate direction adjacent an internal perimeter of said skirt, said latch extending at an acute angle from said bottom side toward a periphery of said spooning lid, and said cantilever being adapted to engage said latch projection and releasably lock said spooning lid in a closed position.

6. The spooning closure of claim 5 wherein a notch forms said cantilever and said cantilever is integral with an inner sealing ring which extends circumferentially around an inner sealing rim of the closure and said cantilever defines at least a portion of a spooning opening.

7. The spooning closure of claim 6 wherein said cantilever extends downward at an angle of from about 0°

to about 15°

measured from a vertical direction.

8. The spooning closure of claim 7 wherein said latch locking projection has an arc equal to or less than an arc of said tongue.

9. The spooning closure of claim 8 wherein said cantilever has a notch separating it from an end of said sealing ring and said notch has one side extending downward at an angle of from about 0°

to about 30°

measured from a vertical axis and an other side extending downward at an angle of from about 0°

to about 60°

.

10. The spooning closure of claim 6 wherein said notch is substantially rectangular in shape.

11. The spooning closure of claim 6 wherein said notch is substantially triangular in shape.

12. The spooning closure of claim 11 wherein the outer side of said triangular notch extends at an angle of from about 30°

to about 60°

measured from a horizontal direction and an inner side of said triangular notch extends at an angle of from about 0°

to about 15°

measured from a vertical direction.

13. The spooning closure of claim 2 wherein said closure is a one-piece molded plastic closure cap.

14. A spooning closure for a container comprising a circular top, a skirt, and a first and second locking means,

said circular top including a substantially semicircular fixed portion and a substantially semicircular spooning lid pivotally hinged to the fixed portion, said spooning lid adapted to pivot from a closed position to an open dispensing position,

said skirt being connected to said fixed portion, and bounding said spooning lid when in the closed position,

said first locking means adapted to releasably lock said spooning lid in a closed position,

said second lock adapted to releasably lock said spooning lid in an open dispensing position,

wherein said spooning lid includes a reinforcing web on a bottom side thereof, said web having at least one arcuate locking projecting wall, at least one longitudinal wall and at least two non-longitudinal walls intersecting said longitudinal wall and connected to said locking projection wall.

15. The spooning closure of claim 14 wherein two web walls extend on a diagonal from said hinge to said latch projection and one web wall extends parallel to said hinge and two arcuate walls extending from said latch projection to said hinge.

16. A one-piece container closure having a top, a spooning opening defined in a portion of said top, a spooning lid pivotally hinged to said top and adapted to close said spooning opening, a releasable lock means to releasably hold said spooning lid in a closed position and an arcuate seal latch projection extending at an acute angle from a bottom surface of the spooning lid, wherein said accurate seal latch projection has an attached arcuate first end and a second arcuate free end, said spooning opening being positioned relative to said arcuate projection such that said second free end is larger than the opening, said opening being at least partially defined by a flexible cantilever extending downwardly from said top, said cantilever and said projection each extending in an arc substantially equal to an arc of the opening.

17. The one-piece container closure of claim 16 wherein said seal latch projection acute angle is from about 40°

to about 60° and

said spooning lid has a reinforcing web on the bottom surface thereof with said reinforcing web having at least one longitudinal reinforcing rib extending substantially parallel to said spooning lid hinge, said longitudinal rib extending at an acute angle of from 40°

to about 60°

from said bottom surface, at least one reinforcing rib extending perpendicular to and intersecting said longitudinal rib and being attached to said arcuate projection, and at least two non-longitudinal ribs intersecting said longitudinal rib and being attached to said arcuate projection.

18. The one-piece container closure of claim 17 wherein a notch forms said cantilever and said cantilever is integral with an inner sealing ring which extends circumferentially around an inner sealing rim of the closure and said cantilever defines at least a portion of a spooning opening.

19. The one-piece container closure of claim 18 wherein said cantilever extends downward at an angle of from about 0°

to about 15°

measured from a vertical direction.

20. The one-piece container closure of claim 19 wherein said notch is substantially rectangular in shape.

21. The one-piece container closure of claim 19 wherein said notch is substantially triangular in shape.

22. The one-piece container closure of claim 21 wherein said triangular notch comprises an outer side extending at an angle of from about 30°

to about 60°

measured from a horizontal direction and an inner side extending at an angle of from about 0°

to about 15°

measured from said vertical direction.