Kicker latch for container closures

• US 5,332,131 A
• Filed: 09/28/1992
• Issued: 07/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pehr, Harold T.
• Original Assignee: Pehr, Harold T.
• Inventors: Pehr, Harold T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pomrening, Anthoula
• Application Number:
  US07/951,877
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 222/153, 222/505, 222/508, 222/509, 222/526-538, 222/556, 215/237, 215/245, 215/216, 215/225, 220/324, 220/326
• US Class Current: 222/505
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/1016 Means for locking the closure in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/066 the spout being either flexible or having a flexible wall portion, whereby the spout is foldable between a dispensing and a non-dispensing position B65D47/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0838 located at an edge of the base element
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2006 formed by a rigid spout outlet opened by tilting of the spout outlet

Abstract

A kicker latch for container closures includes a latch wall integrally hinged to the cap and having a latch tab extending from an end of the latch wall toward the cap and kicker lever extending in generally the same direction and spaced from the latch tab. In general, pivoting the kicker latch outwardly causes the kicker lever to urge a closure member of the cap away from its closed position to facilitate grasping the closure member to pivot it to its fully open position. On a folding spout type of cap, wherein the folding spout functions as a closure member, the latch wall may include a plug positioned between the latch tab and the kicker lever to seal the end of the spout. In general, the kicker latch has utility with a variety of types of container closures, including caps with nonfolding spouts, open top types of caps for pills and granulates, and containers for which the closure member is a lid which is completely separable from the container.

Claims

1. In a container including a closure member adapted to close said container in a closed position of said closure member, said closure member in said closed position having an outer surface facing away from said container and an inner surface facing toward said container, the improvement comprising:

(a) a kicker latch including a latch wall connected to means on said container to enable pivotal movement of said kicker latch relative to said container;

(b) a latch tab extending from said latch wall toward said closure member and positioned to engage said outer surface of said closure member in said closed position to retain said closure member in said closed position;

(c) a kicker lever extending from said latch wall toward said closure member in spaced relation to said latch tab and positioned to engage said inner surface of said closure member in said closed position; and

(d) said kicker latch, upon being pivoted away from said closure member, withdrawing said latch tab from retaining said closure member in said closed position and revolving said kicker lever to urge said closure member away from said closed position.

2. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said closure member is a spout connected to means on said container to enable movement between an open position and said closed position, said spout having a spout passage formed therethrough and having an outer end, and said latch including:

(a) spout plug means formed on said latch wall between said latch tab and said kicker lever, said plug means being sized and positioned to close said spout passage at said outer end in said closed position of said spout.

3. A container as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

(a) said spout is elongated and has opposite sides; and

(b) grip beads are formed along said opposite sides of said spout and facilitate gripping said spout to move same to said open position.

4. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said closure member is a spout connected to means on said container to enable movement between an open position and said closed position, said spout having a spout passage formed therethrough and having an inner end, and including:

(a) inner seal means positioned at said inner end of said spout, said inner seal means closing said spout passage at said inner end upon said spout being placed in said closed position.

5. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said container includes means forming a peripheral wall;

(b) an opening is formed in said peripheral wall and defined by opening edges;

(c) said kicker latch is positioned in said opening;

(d) said latch wall has latch edges facing toward said opening edges; and

(e) snap means are formed on at least one of said opening edges and said latch edges, said snap means retaining said kicker latch in a position to retain said closure member in said closed position thereof.

6. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(a) said container closure member is a container lid which is separable from said container; and

(b) said container has opposite sides;

said kicker latch is a first kicker latch and including a second kicker latch;

one of said kicker latches being positioned on each of said opposite sides respectively to engage said lid and retain said lid in said closed position.

7. A container cap comprising:

(a) a cap housing including container engaging means to engage said cap housing with a container;

(b) a closure member connected to said cap housing and movable between an open position enabling access to contents of a container with which said housing is engaged and a closed position preventing access to said contents, said closure member having an outer surface facing away from said housing in said closed position and an inner surface facing generally toward said housing in said closed position;

(c) a kicker latch including a latch wall connected to said housing to enable pivotal movement of said kicker latch relative to said housing;

(d) a latch tab extending from said latch wall toward said closure member and positioned to engage said outer surface of said closure member in said closed position to retain said closure member in said closed position;

(e) a kicker lever extending from said latch wall toward said closure member in spaced relation to said latch tab and positioned to engage said inner surface of said closure member in said closed position; and

(f) said kicker latch, upon being pivoted away from said closure member, withdrawing said latch tab from retaining said closure member in said closed position and revolving said kicker lever to urge said closure member away from said closed position.

8. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) said kicker latch and said kicker lever are so configured and positioned that said kicker latch remains in an outwardly pivoted position after said closure member is opened thereby and said kicker lever is engaged by said closure member upon pivoting said closure member to said closed position whereby said kicker latch is pivoted toward said cap to position said latch tab in a position retaining said closure member in said closed position.

9. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) said cap is formed as a single piece by molding.

10. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) said cap is formed as a single piece by coreless injection molding.

11. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein said closure member includes:

(a) a spout connected to said housing to enable movement between said open position and said closed position.

12. A cap as set forth in claim 11 wherein:

(a) said kicker latch and said spout are so adapted that said spout is in a downwardly angled orientation from outer end to inner end in said closed position with said cap in an upright position whereby any liquid within said spout is urged to drain therefrom in said closed position.

13. A cap as set forth in claim 11 wherein:

(a) said kicker latch is resiliently urged toward said closure member;

(b) said spout has catch means formed in an outer end thereof whereby, upon pivoting said kicker latch away from said cap, said spout is urged away from said closed position and said kicker latch is resiliently urged to cause said latch tab to engage said catch means and retain said spout in an intermediate position between closed and open; and

(c) said kicker latch is pivoted farther away from said cap to release said latch tab from said catch means and said spout is grasped to move said spout to a fully open position.

14. A cap as set forth in claim 13 wherein:

(a) said latch tab and said catch means cooperate to seal said spout in said intermediate position.

15. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein said closure member is a spout connected to said housing to enable movement between said open position and said closed position, said spout having a spout passage formed therethrough and having an outer end, and said latch including:

(a) spout plug means formed on said latch wall between said latch tab and said kicker lever, said plug means being sized and positioned to close said spout passage in said closed position of said spout.

16. A cap as set forth in claim 15 and including:

(a) inner seal means positioned at an inner end of said spout opposite from said outer end, said inner seal means closing said spout passage at said inner end upon said spout being placed in said closed position.

17. A cap as set forth in claim 15 wherein:

(a) said spout is elongated and has opposite sides; and

(b) grip beads are formed along said opposite sides of said spout and facilitate gripping said spout to move same to said open position.

18. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) said housing includes means forming a peripheral wall;

(b) an opening is formed in said peripheral wall and defined by opening edges;

(c) said kicker latch is positioned in said opening;

(d) said latch wall has latch edges facing toward said opening edges; and

(e) snap means are formed on at least one of said opening edges and said latch edges, said snap means retaining said kicker latch in a position to retain said closure member in said closed position thereof.

19. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) said cap includes a depending cylindrical wall having a cylindrical axis and having said container engaging means formed thereon;

(b) a transverse wall closes said cylindrical wall;

(c) stub spout means extends parallel to said cylindrical axis from said transverse wall and forms spout passage means through said transverse wall;

(d) said closure member includes a lid connected to said cylindrical wall by lid hinge means whereby said lid is in covering relation to said cylindrical wall in said closed position; and

(e) said kicker latch is hingedly connected to said cylindrical wall in diametric opposition to said lid hinge means.

20. A cap as set forth in claim 19 and including:

(a) spout plug means formed on a surface of said lid which faces said cylindrical wall in said closed position of said lid, said plug means being positioned to be sealingly received in an outer end of said spout passage means in said closed position of said lid.

21. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) said cap housing forms a wide mouth opening; and

(b) said closure member closes said opening in said closed position.

22. A cap as set forth in claim 21 and including:

(a) seal means formed on at least one of said cap housing or said closure member which fluidically seals said opening in said closed position.

23. A cap as set forth in claim 22 wherein said seal means includes:

(a) a seal groove formed on the periphery about one of said housing opening or said closure member; and

(b) a seal bead formed on the periphery about the other of said housing opening or said closure member, said seal groove and said seal bead being cooperatively sized and shaped whereby said seal bead is received in said seal groove in said closed position of said closure member.

24. A cap as set forth in claim 22 wherein said seal means includes:

(a) a peripheral rim depending from an inner surface of said closure member which is sized and shaped to be sealingly received in said housing opening in said closed position of said closure member.

25. A cap as set forth in claim 21 wherein:

(a) said housing includes an upstanding security rim extending about said housing opening which is sized and shaped to receive said closure member flushly therewithin in said closed position of said closure member.

26. A cap as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

(a) said kicker latch is resiliently urged toward said closure member; and

(b) said closure member and said latch tab have cooperating cam surfaces formed respectively thereon whereby, upon pivoting said kicker latch away from said closure member and urging same away from said closed position, the latch tab cam surface engages the closure member cam surface and urges said closure member back toward said closed position if said kicker latch is released prior to grasping said closure member and moving same a sufficient degree away from said closed position.