Dispensing seal

• US 5,897,036 A
• Filed: 04/03/1997
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dart Industries Incorporated (Tupperware Brands Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dart Industries Incorporated (Tupperware Brands Corporation)
• Inventors: Daenen, Robert H. C. M., DeCoster, Pieter K. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US08/832,537
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 222/482, 222/485, 222/486, 222/480, 222/545, 222/565, 222/483
• US Class Current: 222/480
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/169 the lid, the hinge and the element connecting them to the container being made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0876 Hinges without elastic bias
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/06 for dispensing powdered or granular material B65D83/04 takes precedence

Abstract

A closure base mountable to a container presents two ports individually and selectively sealed and opened by overlying lids. The ports having unobstructed pouring zones, and the lids having coplanar upper surfaces and integral positioning ears for resiliently retaining each lid in both an open and closed position.

Claims

1. A dispensing seal for flowable material, comprising:

a base including a planar base panel having upper and lower faces and a peripheral flange projecting upwardly relative to said upper face of said base panel, said flange having an inner wall surface;

a dispensing port defined through said base panel, said dispensing port having a periphery, a portion of said periphery defining a pouring point coextensive with said peripheral flange, the remainder of said periphery of said discharge port being spaced from said peripheral flange;

a closure cap overlying said base panel upper face and being substantially coextensive therewith, said cap including a closure lid overlying said dispensing port and being selectively movable between a closed position sealing said dispensing port and an open position remote from said dispensing port for permitting discharge therethrough, said lid, when in said closed positions, being coplanar with said closure cap and presenting a recessed upper surface relative to said peripheral flange of said base, said lid having a sealing flange thereon engageable within and sealing said dispensing port when in said closed position, said sealing flange sealing both to said flange inner wall surface at said pouring point, and to said base panel at the remainder of said periphery of said dispensing port.

2. A seal assembly as in claim 1, wherein said dispensing port comprises two of said dispensing ports, each at spaced locations on said base panel, and wherein said lid comprises two of said lids, each of said lids being associated with one of said dispensing ports.

3. A seal assembly as in claim 2, wherein said lids have substantially parallel, spaced hinges, said hinges being spaced by a mounting plate which is removable secured to said base panel.

4. A seal assembly as in claim 3, further including at least one positioning ear associated and integral with each said lid, each said positioning ear extending coplanar from said associated lid beyond said hinge toward said mounting plate, each of said ears retaining said associated lid in both the open and closed position thereof, while allowing physical movement between said positions.

5. A seal assembly as in claim 3, further including mounting apertures defined through said base panel, and mounting studs integral with and depending from said mounting panel of said cap and snap-locked within said apertures wherein said cap is secured to said base panel.

6. A seal assembly as in claim 1, further including a pair of spaced, parallel retaining projections extending from a lower surface of one of said lids, each said retaining projection including an edge tab extending toward the other said retaining projection, and an implement having a handle removably mounted between said retaining projections and intermediate said one of said lids and said edge tabs.