Beverage closure with open/close spout and protected seal surfaces

• US 7,143,911 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Creative Packaging Corp.
• Inventors: Kubitz, Terry E., Tortorella, Dennis J., Stoneberg, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cartagena, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US10/941,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 222/519, 222/520, 222/522, 222/523, 222/525, 222/546, 222/548, 222/549, 222/552, 222/554, 222/563
• US Class Current: 222/520
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/25 Non-metallic tear-off strips
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/3447 the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/242 moving helically
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/243 moving linearly, i.e. without rotational motion
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/18 Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures B65D51/247 takes precedence

Abstract

A closure for a liquid container comprising a base including a conduit extending therethrough, the base further including a substantially tubular spout guide and a plug positioned radially within the tubular spout guide, and a substantially annular spout mounted to the tubular spout guide for reciprocation between an open and a closed position, the spout including an annular wall and an annular deck extending radially inwardly from an upper end of the annular wall forming a central orifice, where the plug includes a leading end and an annular, outer seal surface that is received within, and blocks the central orifice when the spout is in the closed position and that is removed from the central orifice when the spout is in the open position, and where at least a substantial portion of the outer circumferential seal surface of the plug is axially recessed with respect to the tubular spout guide.

Claims

1. A closure for a container adapted to contain a liquid comprising:

a base adapted to be attached to an opening of a liquid container, the base including a conduit extending therethrough that is adapted to be in fluid communication with liquid contents of the liquid container when attached to the opening of the liquid container, and the base further including a substantially tubular spout guide defining at least a portion of the conduit and a plug positioned radially within the tubular spout guide; and

a substantially annular spout mounted to the tubular spout guide for reciprocation at least between an open position and a closed position, the spout including an annular wall and an annular deck extending radially inwardly from an upper end of the annular wall forming a central orifice;

the plug having a leading end and an annular, outer circumferential seal surface that is received within, and plugs the central orifice of the deck when the spout is in the closed position and that is removed from the central orifice deck when the spout is in the open position;

at least a portion of the outer circumferential seal surface of the plug being axially recessed or flush with respect to the tubular spout guide, whereby the tubular spout guide protects the substantial portion of the seal surface from damage during the molding and assembly operations;

wherein at least a portion of the annular deck is received within the tubular spout guide when the spout is in the closed position.

2. The closure of claim 1, wherein the outer circumferential seal surface has a shape taken from a group consisting of:

(i) a smooth cylindrical shape having a substantially constant diameter, and (ii) a smooth frustoconical shape having a diameter that widens with the distance from the leading end, whereby the plug is less susceptible to damage when the base is axially ejected from a mold after a molding operation.

3. The closure of claim 1, wherein the spout is threaded to the tubular spout guide so that the spout is twisted with respect to the base to reciprocate the spout between the open and closed positions.

4. The closure of claim 1, wherein the base includes:

an internally threaded, substantially cylindrical wall for threading onto a throat of a correspondingly threaded container; and

an annular top surface extending radially inwardly from the internally threaded, substantially cylindrical wall;

wherein the tubular spout guide extends coaxially upwardly from the annular top surface; and

wherein the plug extends coaxially within the tubular spout guide from at least one bridge extending from the tubular spout guide.

5. The closure of claim 1, wherein the deck includes an annular lip extending axially downward from the central orifice providing additional inner circumferential surface area for sealing about the plug when the spout is in the closed position.

6. The closure of claim 5, wherein the deck is flexible and substantially resilient.

7. A closure for a container adapted to provide selective fluid communication to a fluid within the container, the closure comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted to a fluid container to provide a fluidic seal between the base and the fluid container, the base including a conduit extending therethrough that is adapted to direct fluid contents from an interior of the fluid container to an opening of the conduit;

a spout being repositionable with respect to the base between at least an open position and a closed position;

a plug suspended at least partially within the conduit and mounted to the base; and

a deck mounted to the spout, and operative to interface with a sealing surface of the plug to inhibit fluid flow through the opening while the spout is in the closed position and operative to discontinue interfacing with the sealing surface of the plug to allow fluid flow through the opening while the spout is in the open position;

wherein at least a portion of the sealing surface of the plug is recessed with respect to the base, and wherein a portion of the deck is received within the conduit of the base when the spout is in the closed position.

8. The closure of claim 7, wherein:

the base includes repositioning features that interact with the spout to vertically reposition the spout responsive to a torsion force applied to the spout.

9. The closure of claim 7, wherein the deck is at least partially resilient and responsive to interaction with the plug to provide a compression seal.

10. The closure of claim 9, wherein the compression seal is strengthened by an increased pressure differential between the fluid contents within the interior of the fluid container and an external environment, where an internal pressure within the interior of the fluid container is greater than an external pressure of the external environment.

11. The closure of claim 9, wherein the compression seal is strengthened by an increased pressure differential between the fluid contents within the interior of the fluid container and an external environment, where an internal pressure within the interior of the fluid container is less than an external pressure of the external environment.

12. A closure for a container adapted to provide selective fluid communication to a fluid within the container, the closure comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted to a fluid container to provide a fluidic seal between the base and the fluid container, the base including a conduit extending therethrough that is adapted to direct fluid contents from an interior of the fluid container to an opening of the conduit;

a spout being repositionable with respect to the base between at least an open position and a closed position;

a plug suspended at least partially within the conduit and mounted to the base; and

a deck mounted to the spout, and operative to interface with a sealing surface of the plug to inhibit fluid flow through the opening while the spout is in the closed position and operative to discontinue interfacing with the sealing surface of the plug to allow fluid flow through the opening while the spout is in the open position;

wherein at least a substantial portion of the sealing surface of the plug that forms a seal against the deck is recessed with respect to the base, and wherein at least a substantial portion of the deck, that interfaces with the sealing surface of the plug, is recessed with respect to the spout;

wherein the deck is at least partially resilient and responsive to interaction with the plug to provide a compression seal; and

wherein the compression seal is strengthened by an increased pressure differential between the fluid contents within the interior of the fluid container and an external environment, where an internal pressure within the interior of the fluid container is less than an external pressure of the external environment.