Self-closing closure and closure membrane relating to same

• US 6,367,668 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Obrist Closures Switzerland GmbH (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation (Crown Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schwanenberg, Sigurd
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/269,677
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 222/185.1, 222/490-496
• 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

Closure membrane for a packaging container which comprises a closure head (5) wherein at least one head plate ring (61) is formed on the closure head, preferably around its border, which extends essentially perpendicular with respect to the plane of the closure head (5).

Claims

1. A closure membrane for a packaging container comprising a closure head including:

an internal surface facing towards an interior of the packaging container and an external surface facing outwardly therefrom,

at least one slit formed in the closure head and capable of automatically and flexibly opening to dispense product in response to internal pressure in the container and capable of re-closing against escape of product when the internal pressure is later released and,

at least one continuously projecting head plate ring integrally formed on the external surface of the closure head around the slit, the head plate ring extending generally perpendicularly to the plane of the closure head,

whereby the head plate ring stiffens the closure head to promote termination of product flow when the slit recloses.

2. The closure membrane according to claim 1, wherein the head plate ring is formed around a border of the closure head.

3. The closure membrane according to claim 1, wherein the head plate ring is dimensioned to produce specific restoring forces when the closure head with the head plate ring is deformed.

4. The closure membrane according to claim 3, wherein the restoring forces produced by the head plate ring are determined by one or more of the shape and the size of the head plate ring and the diameter of the head plate ring.

5. A closure membrane according to claim 1, wherein the head plate ring comprises an abutment surface which may be brought into contact with a closure surface when the closure membrane is arranged in a corresponding closure.

6. The closure membrane according to claim 5, wherein the closure surface is one of a bottom surface of a hinged lid and a tamperproof label and a bottom surface of a rotary slide.

7. The closure membrane according to claim 1 further comprising a retaining border and a connecting wall connecting the closure head and the retaining border, wherein the connecting wall comprises a first part forming a tubular member and a second part forming an annular member, wherein upon pressure to the inner surface of the closure membrane the tubular member and the annular member are deformed such that the closure head is moved outwardly with respect to the retaining border.

8. The closure membrane according to claim 7, wherein the second part of the connecting wall forms a hinge spring which is formed by a frustoconical washer.

9. The closure membrane according to claim 7, wherein the first part is connected at one end to the closure head and an other end to the second part, wherein the first part extends essentially perpendicular to the plane of the closure head and wherein the second part extends laterally outwardly from the first part.

10. The closure membrane according to claim 9, wherein the closure membrane defines a rest position and an operating position, in the rest position of the closure membrane the second part of the connecting wall extends from the first part laterally outwardly and upwardly and in the operating position the second part of the connecting wall extends from the first part laterally outwardly and preferably downwardly thereof.

11. The closure membrane according to claim 7, wherein the connecting wall further comprises a third part comprising a tubular outer ring arranged between one end of the second part and the retaining border.

12. The closure membrane according claim 7, wherein the second part comprises a reinforcement ring being provided at an end thereof, the end being connected to the first part.

13. The closure membrane according to claim 12 wherein the connecting wall comprises a fastening ring attached to the reinforcement ring.

14. The closure membrane according to claim 13 wherein the fastening ring is connected to the reinforcement ring via an attachment wall which, in cross-section, extends at an angle to the connecting wall.

15. The closure membrane according to claim 7, wherein the closure membrane is via a connecting wall of essentially cup-shaped design and the closure head is of a thickness which increases outwards from a center thereof, the connecting wall being attached to the closure head via a connecting web which is of a lesser thickness than a border region of the closure head and which in a rest position of the membrane projects radially inwards from the connecting wall.

16. The closure membrane according to claim 15, wherein the connecting web adjoins the closure head approximately centrally, as seen in the vertical direction.

17. The closure membrane according to claim 15, wherein the connecting web adjoins the closure head eccentrically, as seen in the vertical direction.

18. The closure membrane according to claim 15, wherein the connecting wall extends beyond the connecting web such that a peripheral grove is formed with a border edge of the closure head.

19. The closure membrane according to claim 15, wherein the connecting wall and the connecting web are connected to the closure head so as to produce, in cross-section, two mutually opposite, peripheral grooves which are separated by the connecting web.

20. The closure membrane according to claim 15 further comprising a flange, wherein the flange preferably extends beyond the connecting web.

21. The closure membrane according to claim 15, wherein the thickness of the connecting web is in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.35 mm.

22. The closure membrane according to claim 15 wherein the connecting wall is at least 50% thicker than the connecting web, wherein the thickness range of the connecting wall is 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm.

23. The closure membrane according to claim 15 wherein the connecting wall adjoins a bottom of the closure head in an essentially cylindrically extending manner.

24. The closure membrane according to claim 15 wherein, in an injection molded state, the connecting wall extends essentially cylindrically.

25. The closure membrane according to claim 15, wherein the thickness of the connecting web is 0.25 mm.

26. The closure membrane according to claim 15, wherein the connecting wall is at least 50% thicker than the connecting web and the thickness of the connecting wall is 0.4 mm.

27. The closure membrane according to claim 7, wherein the first part comprises a section having a reduced wall thickness and arranged at the end connecting to the second part.

28. The closure membrane according to claim 7, further comprising a head-plate attachment between the closure head and the connecting wall, the connecting wall comprising a S-shaped hinged strip.

29. The closure membrane according to claim 7 further comprising a formation arranged on an outer surface of the connecting wall, the formation projecting from a lower part of the connecting wall.

30. The closure membrane according to claim 7 wherein the retaining border is supported radially by the connecting wall.

31. The closure membrane according to claim 7 wherein the connecting wall extends continuously from a side of the closure head into a constriction beneath a projection area of the closure head.

32. The closure membrane according to claim 7 wherein a closure membrane includes a boundary wall disposed around a periphery thereof, the closure head being 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 connecting wall, and in that the boundary wall grips over a bottom, free boundary region of the boundary edge of connecting wall.

33. The closure membrane according to claim 1 wherein a free outer end of the closure membrane comprises a bead, the material of the bead capable of expanding radially outwards in response to pressure being applied onto an inner surface of the closure membrane so as to stretch the closure head open.

34. The closure membrane according to claim 1 further comprising a border head and being formed in an outer region of the closure head.

35. The closure membrane according to claim 1 wherein the closure head comprises a thinned section a center of the closure head.

36. The closure membrane according to claim 1 wherein the closure head comprises at least one slit extending radially from at least one of a center of the closure head.

37. The closure membrane according to claim 1 wherein the closure head defines a non-actuated installed state in which the closure head has an essentially concave form as seen from the outside and in which the closure defines an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein a radius (R1) of the outer surface is smaller than a radius (R2) of the inner surface.

38. The closure membrane according to claim 1 wherein the closure head defines a non-actuated installed state in which the closure head has an essentially concave form as seen from the outside, the installed state being achieved by turning the closure membrane inside out after it has been produced by injection molding.

39. A self-closing closure comprising:

a closure cap with a closure opening,

an internal surface facing towards an interior of the packaging container and an external surface facing outwardly therefrom,

at least one slit formed in the closure head and capable of automatically and flexibly opening to dispense product in response to internal pressure in the container and capable of re-closing against escape of product when the internal pressure is later released, and

at least one continuously projecting head plate ring integrally formed on the external surface of the closure head around the slit, the head plate ring extending generally perpendicularly to the plane of the closure head, the head plate ring stiffening the closure head to promote termination of the product flow when the slit recloses,

wherein the closure membrane is arranged relatively to the closure opening such that the closure head is located within the closure opening and the closure head projects beyond the closure cap.

40. The self-closing closure according to claim 39 wherein the closure cap comprises a cover including a circular closure bead formed on an inner side thereof, wherein the bead of the closure membrane is capable of being engaged by said cover.

41. The self-closing closure according to claim 39 wherein the closure cap comprises a mating surface such that during dispensing operation the reinforcement ring of the closure membrane comes into engagement with the mating surface.

42. The self-closing closure according to claim 39 further comprising a through-passage opening formed in the closure and a widened region adjoining the through-passage opening towards an outside portion thereof, wherein the closure head is disposed in the widened region, and the connecting wall extends into the widened region through the through-passage opening.

43. The self-closing closure according to claim 42 further comprising a border bead disposed at a periphery of the closure head of the closure membrane and extending upwardly therefrom, the border bead being disposed in the area of the widened region.

44. The self-closing closure according to claim 42 further comprising a through-passage opening formed in the closure and a widened region directly adjoining the through-passage opening, the widened region being disposed beneath the through-passage opening.

45. The self-closing closure according to claim 44 wherein the widened region is of conical design.

46. The self-closing closure according to claim 42 further comprising a groove-like depression is formed in the widened region, the depression extending to the through-passage opening.

47. The self-closing closure according to 39 further comprising a through-passage opening formed in the closure and a cylindrical wall adjoining the through-passage opening towards an outside portion thereof, an internal diameter of the cylindrical wall corresponding approximately to an external diameter of the closure head, and the closure head, during a dispensing operation, being displaced vertically into the region of the cylindrical wall.