Gasket for press-on twist-off closure

• US 7,854,106 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crown Packaging Technology Incorporated (Crown Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Crown Packaging Technology Incorporated (Crown Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: German, Galen G, Hamrick, C. Roger, Hottle, Larry A., Martin, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand; Paul R
• Application Number:
  US12/605,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20100058574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 534/85, 534/87, 534/88, 215/318, 215/321, 215/324, 215/327, 215/328, 215/331, 220/289
• US Class Current: 53/485
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/0457 the sealing element covering or co-operating with the screw-thread or the like of a container neck
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/17 push-on and twist-off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49945 by driven force fit

Abstract

A press-on, twist-off container assembly of the type that is used, for example, and baby food containers includes a container that has, as conventional, a finish portion with at least one external thread and a closure that is mounted on the container. The closure is of the press-on, twist-off type and includes a panel portion and a skirt portion that together define a generally cylindrical interior recess. As is conventional, a deformable gasket is mounted within the interior recess that has a thread engaging portion that is deformed so as to at least partially conform to the external threads of said finish portion of said container. The thread engaging portion advantageously has a plurality of inwardly extending raised flutes that are circumferentially spaced irregularly about the thread engaging portion. At least some of the flutes are in contact with at least one of the external threads at respective points of contact, and each external thread has a total distance spanned by such points of contact. As a result of the irregular spacing of the flutes, the container assembly will have an aggregate distance spanned that is a sum of the total distance spanned for all of the external threads that is less than it would be were the flutes spaced regularly. Accordingly, the amount of torque that is necessary to remove the closure is comparatively reduced.

Claims

1. A method of making a press-on, twist-off container assembly, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a container having a finish portion with at least one external thread defined thereon;

(b) providing a press-on, twist-off type closure including a panel portion and a skirt portion that together define a generally cylindrical interior recess and a deformable gasket mounted within said interior recess that has a thread engaging portion having a plurality of inwardly extending raised flutes, said flutes being spaced circumferentially variably about said thread engaging portion; and

(c) pressing the closure onto the container so that at least some of said flutes are in contact with at least one of said external threads at a first and a second contact point on said threads, each external thread having a total distance spanned by and between the first and second contact points, and wherein an aggregate distance spanned that is a sum of said total distance spanned for all of said external threads is less than an internal circumference of said thread engaging portion.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed with a closure that is constructed so that said flutes are arranged in a plurality of groups, each of said groups containing more than one flute.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed with a closure that is constructed so that a circumferential distance between any two adjacent groups is greater than a circumferential distance between any two adjacent flutes within a group.

4. A method of making a press-on, twist-off container assembly, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a container having a finish portion with at least one external thread defined thereon;

(b) providing a press-on, twist-off type closure that includes a panel portion and a skirt portion that together define a generally cylindrical interior recess and a deformable gasket mounted within said interior recess that has a plurality of inwardly extending raised flutes, said flutes being circumferentially spaced variably about said thread engaging portion; and

(c) pressing the closure onto the container so that at least some of said flutes are in contact with at least one of said external threads at a first and a second contact point on said threads, each external thread having a total distance spanned by and between the first and second contact points, whereby said variable spacing of said flutes will cause said container assembly to have an aggregate distance spanned that is a sum of said total distance spanned for all of said external threads, wherein the aggregate distance is less than it would be were the flutes not spaced variably about said thread engaging portion, whereby the amount of torque that is necessary to remove the closure is comparatively reduced.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed with a closure that is constructed so that said flutes are arranged in a plurality of groups, each of said groups containing more than one flute.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed with a closure that is constructed so that a circumferential distance between any two adjacent groups is greater than a circumferential distance between any two adjacent flutes within a group.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed with a closure that is constructed so that at least a plurality of said groups contain at least three flutes.