Closure membrane and closure employing same

• US 6,213,355 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1996
• 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): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US09/194,547
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 222/494, 222/212, 222/541.4, 222/541.3, 222/481.5, 222/490
• US Class Current: 222/494
• 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 closure membrane (2) with a closure head (5) and a retaining border (3), the closure head being connected to the retaining border via a connecting wall adjoining the outer border, with the entire arrangement being of essentially cup-shaped design, the closure head preferably being of a thickness which increases outwards from the center. The connecting wall is attached to the closure head via a connecting web (51) which is of lesser thickness than the border region of the closure head and which in the rest position of the membrane projects radially inwards from the connecting wall.

Claims

1. Closure membrane (2) with a closure head (5) and a retaining border (3), the closure head (5) being connected to the retaining border (3) via a connecting wall (4), the entire arrangement being of essentially cup-shaped design and the closure head (5) preferably being of a thickness which increases outwards from the centre, characterised in that the connecting wall (4) is attached to the closure head (5) via a connecting web (51) which is of a lesser thickness than the connecting wall and the border region of the closure head (5), the connecting web having a thickness within the range 0.2 mm to 0.35 mm and in the rest position of the membrane projecting radially inwards from the connecting wall (4).

2. Closure membrane according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting web (51) adjoins the closure head (5) approximately centrally, as seen in the vertical direction.

3. Closure membrane according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting web (51) adjoins the closure head (5) eccentrically, as seen in the vertical direction.

4. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting wall (4) extends beyond the connecting web (51) such that the peripheral groove (54) is formed with a border edge of the closure head (5).

5. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting wall (4) and the connecting web (51) are connected to the closure head (5) so as to produce, in cross-section, two mutually opposite, peripheral grooves (54, 56) which are separated by the connecting web (51).

6. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that a free outer end of the closure membrane comprises a bead (10) the material of which can expand radially outwards in response to pressure being applied onto the inner surface of the closure membrane so as to stretch the closure head (5) open.

7. Closure according to claim 1 characterized in that a border bead (10) which preferably projects beyond the closure head (5) is formed in an outer region of the closure head (5).

8. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the closure head (5) comprises a thinned section (5′

) which is preferably provided in the centre of the closure head (5).

9. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized by a flange (55) being provided at an inner surface of the connecting wall (4), wherein the flange preferably extends beyond the connecting web (51).

10. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized by a formation (24) being arranged on an outer surface of the connecting wall (4), which preferably projects from a lower part of the connecting wall.

11. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the thickness of the connecting web (51) is 0.25 mm.

12. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting wall (4) is at least 50% thicker than the connecting web (51).

13. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting wall has a thickness within the range 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm.

14. Closure membrane according to claim 13, characterized in that the connecting wall has a thickness of 0.4 mm.

15. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the thickness of the closure head is 2 to 4 times greater than the thickness of the connecting wall.

16. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the closure head (5) comprises at least one slit (6, 7, 34), which preferably extends radially from the centre and/or at least one hole (20), which is preferably provided in the centre of the closure head (5).

17. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that a retaining border (3) is supported radially by the connecting wall (4).

18. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that in the non-actuated installed state, the closure head (5) has an essentially concave form as seen from the outside wherein preferably a radius (R1) of the outer surface is smaller than a radius (R2) of the inner surface.

19. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the installed state is achieved by turning the closure membrane inside out after it has been produced by injection moulding.

20. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that, starting from a border-side attachment to the closure head, the connecting wall (4) continues into a constriction beneath the projection area of the closure head.

21. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting wall (4) adjoins the bottom of the closure head (5) in an essentially cylindrically extending manner.

22. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the border side of the closure head (5) is of a greater thickness than the boundary wall, in that the boundary wall is attached to a top region of a border edge, as seen in cross-section, of the closure head, and in that the boundary wall grips over a bottom, free boundary region of the boundary edge of closure head.

23. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that, in the injection-moulded state, the connecting wall (4) runs essentially cylindrically.

24. Closure membrane according to claim 1 characterized in that the connecting wall (4) comprises a fastening ring (26) which is preferably attached to the reinforcement ring (24).

25. Closure membrane according to claim 24 characterized in that the fastening ring (26) is connected to the reinforcement ring (24) via an attachment wall (27) which, in cross-section, extends at an angle to the connecting wall (4).

26. Self-closing closure comprising a closure cap (1) with a closure opening (8, 9, 35, 43) and further comprising a closure membrane according to claim 1, wherein the closure membrane is arranged relatively to the closure opening in such a way that the closure head (5) is located within the closure opening and preferably the closure head (5) projects beyond the closure cap (1).

27. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized in that the closure cap (1) comprises a cover (15, 46), which preferably has a circular closure bead (16) formed on the inner side, wherein the bead (10) of the closure membrane can be engaged by said cover (15).

28. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized in that the closure cap (1) comprises a mating surface (35), wherein during the dispensing operation the reinforcement ring (25) of the closure membrane comes into engagement with the mating surface (35).

29. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized by a through-passage opening (8) and a widened region (9) adjoining the through-passage opening (8) towards the outside, wherein the closure head (5) is arranged in the widened region (9), and the connecting wall (4) extends into the widened region (9), passing through the through-passage opening in the process.

30. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized by a through-passage opening (8) and a cylindrical wall (45) adjoining the through-passage opening (8) towards the outside, an internal diameter of the cylindrical wall (45) corresponding approximately to an external diameter of the closure head (5), and the closure head (5), during a dispensing operation, being displaced vertically into the region of the cylindrical wall (45).

31. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized in that the border bead (10) of the closure membrane is arranged in the area of the widened region (9).

32. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized in that a widened region (9′

) directly adjoins the through-passage opening (8), beneath the latter.

33. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized in that a widened region (9, 9′

) is of conical design.

34. Self-closing closure according to claim 26 characterized in that a groove-like depression which reaches as far as the through-passage opening (8) is formed in the widened region (9,9′

).