Self-closing seal with a sealing membrane

• US 6,095,381 A
• Filed: 04/16/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Obrist Closures Switzerland GmbH (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CROWN Zeller Deutschland GmbH (Crown Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schwanenberg, Sigurd
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/029,430
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 222/92, 222/212, 222/490, 222/491, 222/492, 222/493, 222/494, 222/541.6
• US Class Current: 222/490
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2031 the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure B65D47/2025 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-closing closure with a closure cap (1), with a through-passage opening (8) formed in the closure cap (1), and with a closure membrane (2), assigned to the through-passage opening (8), the closure membrane (2) having a bottom retaining border (3) and a top, essentially concave closure head (5), the closure head (5) and the retaining border (3), furthermore, being connected by a connecting wall (4), and, for the purpose of achieving a solution which is favorable in terms of both usage and production, proposes that a widened region (9) adjoins the through-passage opening (8) towards the outside, that the closure head (5) is arranged in the widened region (9), and that the connecting wall (4) extends into the widened region (9), passing through the through-passage opening in the process.

Claims

1. A self-closing closure for dispensing a product, said closure comprising:

a closure cap including a through-passage opening formed therein; and

a closure membrane coupled to the closure cap proximate the opening, said closure membrane including;

a bottom retaining border;

a self-closing top closure head that is essentially concave and, in response to product pressure, is capable of axial movement with respect to the retaining border between a lower rest position and an upper dispensing position; and

a connecting wall and an inclined portion, said closure head being circumferentially coupled at a top end of the connecting wall, said inclined portion being coupled between said connecting wall and said retaining border, whereby said connecting wall and said inclined portion coupling said retaining border and said closure head together, said inclined portion forming an acute angle with a closure axis, said inclined portion being inclined downwards and inwards toward the product when the closure head is in its lower position and being movable in response to product pressure to an upwards and inwards inclined position when the closure head rises to its dispensing position.

2. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure head is disposed in its rest position below an uppermost surface of the closure cap and the closure head is disposed in its dispensing position above the uppermost surface of the closure cap.

3. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure membrane has an outwardly facing surface which engages with a portion of the closure cap before the closure head is operated to dispense the product.

4. The self-closing closure according to claim 3, wherein said outwardly facing surface includes a border bead formed in an outer region of the closure head, said border bead projecting above the closure head.

5. The self-closing closure according to claim 4, wherein said closure head includes a widened region formed in an outer portion thereof, said border bead being disposed in the widened region.

6. The self-closing closure according to claim 5, wherein said widened region directly adjoins the through-passage opening.

7. The self-closing closure according to claim 5, wherein said widened region is substantially conical.

8. The self-closing closure according to claim 5, wherein said closure membrane includes a groove-like depression formed in said widened region in communication with the through-passage opening.

9. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein said retaining border is supported radially by the connecting wall.

10. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein said rest position of said closure head corresponds to an installed, non-actuated state of said closure membrane.

11. The self-closing closure according to claim 10, wherein the installed state is achieved by turning the closure membrane inside out after it has been produced by injection molding.

12. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting wall forms a circumferential constriction beneath the closure head.

13. The self-closing closure according to claim 12, wherein in an injection-molded state before the closure membrane is turned inside out, the connecting wall is substantially cylindrical.

14. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein the connecting wall adjoins the closure head and substantially cylindrically extends therefrom.

15. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein a border side of the closure head has a greater thickness than the connecting wall, a boundary portion of the connecting wall being attached to a top region of a border edge, as viewed in cross-section, of said closure head, the boundary portion gripping over a free bottom boundary region of the boundary edge of the closure head.

16. The self-closing closure according to claim 1 wherein the retaining border includes a circumferential fastening ring.

17. The self-closing closure according to claim 16, wherein the connecting wall includes a reinforcement ring that is coupled to the fastening ring.

18. The self-closing closure according to claim 16, wherein the retaining border is connected to the reinforcement ring via an attachment wall which, in cross-section, extends at an angle to the connecting wall.

19. The self-closing closure according to claim 18, wherein the attachment wall forms at least a portion of the inclined portion.

20. The self-closing closure according to claim 18, wherein a first end of the inclined portion is connected to the connecting wall and a second end of the inclined portion is circumferentially connected to the retaining border.

21. The self-closing closure according to claim 20, wherein at least a portion of the inclined portion is formed by an attachment wall.

22. The self-closing closure according to claim 1, wherein the top end of the connecting wall is peripherally connected to closure head, and an opposing end of the connecting wall is circumferentially connected to the inclined portion.

23. A self-closing closure comprising:

a closure cap having a through-passage opening formed therein; and

a closure membrane disposed proximate the through-passage opening, the closure membrane having a bottom retaining border, a top closure head, and a connecting wall, said closure head being substantially concave, the closure head and the retaining border being connected by said connecting wall, said closure head including a widened region having an outside portion that adjoins the through-passage opening, said connecting wall extending into said widened region and disposed through the through-passage opening;

said widened region being of conical design.

24. A self-closing closure comprising:

a closure cap having a through-passage opening formed therein and a groove formed in the closure cap being coextensive with a portion of the through-passage opening formed in a widened region

a closure membrane disposed proximate the through-passage opening, the closure membrane including bottom retaining border, a top closure head, and a connecting wall, said closure head being substantially concave, the closure head and the retaining border being connected by said connecting wall, said closure head including the widened region having an outside portion that adjoins the through-passage opening, said connecting wall extending into said widened region and disposed through the through-passage opening.