Patents Assigned to Phoenix Closures, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11718454
    Abstract: A flow control closure is provided. The closure having a body member with a base wall, a body skirt, and a spout extending from the base wall away from the body skirt; a lid member with a top wall and a lid skirt, the lid member being movable between an open position and a closed position, the top wall having a seal positioned to engage the spout when the lid member is in the closed position; and a hinge member that joins the lid member with the body member. The spout can include an orifice with an outer profile having a first diameter and an inner profile having a second diameter, the orifice can include one or more uvulas that partially obstructs the first diameter. The flow control closure can be molded as one unitary piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Stoneberg, Ryan Joseph Magee
  • Patent number: 11612902
    Abstract: The invention relates to nozzle tips including a nozzle body and a tip portion, configured to minimize the accumulation of a resin on the nozzle tip as it is dispensed through the nozzle tip. The nozzle tip can contain a central flow channel and an internal portion that branches and guides the resin into multiple exiting flow channels that define tangential pathways to the outer surface of the nozzle tip. The nozzle tip can include grooves that define extended, sharply angled flow paths for the resin. Nozzle tips can have a neck portion separating a nozzle body and a tip end of the nozzle tip; here, a doughnut-shaped space located around the neck portion can be defined by the base of the nozzle, the crown of the nozzle, and the neck portion, for encouraging turbulent flow of the resin to scour the nozzle tip during dispensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 11377267
    Abstract: A closure includes: a cap member for engaging a fitment; a handling member wall encircling the cap member; and septa connecting the cap and handling members and providing an interior space between them. The handling member can include an upper rim smaller than its lower rim, and multiple openings, providing structures for allowing air flow into or out of the interior space. The openings and rims are aligned to provide multiple ventilation passageways traveling in: straight, vertical directions; straight, horizontal directions; indirect horizontal directions; or indirect transverse pathways that include vertical and horizontal orientations. The closure can include a tamper-evident band for indicating the closure has disengaged from the fitment. The band can comprise indentations defining segments that the tamper-evident band can separate into when the closure disengages, and connecting elements that keep the intact tamper-evident band, and its separated segments, connected to the closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 11305513
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laminate liner for sealingly engaging a container in an associated container and closure assembly. The liner can include at least first, second, third, and fourth layers, respectively, and have a thickness between 0.0060-0.0120 inches. The first and bottom layer, can comprise a plastic polymeric material, and have a thickness between 0.0005-0.0015 inches. The second layer can comprise a metallic material and have a thickness between 0.0005-0.0010 inches. The third layer can comprise a chip board material, and have a thickness between 0.0045-0.0055 inches. The third layer can prevent the liner from curling or deforming from its preferably flat shape. The fourth and top layer can comprise a plastic polymeric material and have a thickness between 0.0005-0.0015 inches. An adhesive bonding layer, having a thickness between 0.0003-0.0005 inches, can be located between first, second, third, and fourth layers, to bond adjacent layers together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey John Roddy
  • Patent number: 11242182
    Abstract: A container including a base and a cap is provided. The base can include a pull down ramp and first threads on an exterior of the base and the cap can include one or more engagement lugs and second threads on an interior of the cap. The one or more engagement lugs are configured to engage with the pull down ramp to couple the cap to the base and form a hollow section between the cap and the base below the one or more engagement lugs and the pull down ramp and the one or more engagement lugs are configured to disengage from the pull down ramp to decouple the cap from the base when the cap is compressed into the hollow section. The second threads are configured to engage with the first threads to tighten a top of the cap against an upper lip of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 11185874
    Abstract: The invention relates to nozzle tips including a nozzle body and a tip portion, configured to minimize the accumulation of a resin on the nozzle tip as it is dispensed through the nozzle tip. The nozzle tip can contain a central flow channel and an internal portion that branches and guides the resin into multiple exiting flow channels that define tangential pathways to the outer surface of the nozzle tip. The nozzle tip can include grooves that define extended, sharply angled flow paths for the resin. Nozzle tips can have a neck portion separating a nozzle body and a tip end of the nozzle tip; here, a doughnut-shaped space located around the neck portion can be defined by the base of the nozzle, the crown of the nozzle, and the neck portion, for encouraging turbulent flow of the resin to scour the nozzle tip during dispensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 10676268
    Abstract: The present invention relates to provides a dispensing closure assembly for connection to a container, the assembly including a closure member attachment to a container and a flow control member for controlling the flow of material from the container in response to increased pressure inside the container, where the flow control member having one or more slits, so that upon an increase of pressure inside the container, the flow control member deforms to create at least one opening adjacent to the slits thereby allowing a flowable material to be dispensed from the container. The invention further relates to a flow control member that can return to its undeformed configuration to provide a resealing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 10457475
    Abstract: The invention provides an assembly for dispensing portioned amounts of materials from a container, while keeping the undispensed portions stored within the container, and displaying the dispensed portions for consumption. The cap assembly includes a body member which can reversibly engage the container, and a cap member that transfers predetermined volumes of articles from the interior of a container to a serving vessel that is accessible by an individual consumer, while leaving the remainder of the articles within the container and unavailable to a consumer. The relative position of the body and cap members block or unblock a passageway for dispensing articles through a mouth of the container. The cap member can be used multiple times to dispense additional volumes of articles from the container as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventors: Darren Nickerson, Thomas Stoneberg
  • Patent number: 10457453
    Abstract: The invention relates to child-resistant closure systems including a container, closure, and a resilient deformable liner positioned therebetween. The container and closure include mechanisms for engaging each other when the closure system adopts a closed configuration. In the closed configuration, the liner adopts a moderately non-flat profile and covers a mouth of the container. The closure can include a deflection rib and a highly curved top panel; when a pushing movement of sufficient force is applied to the closure, the closure system transitions from the locked configuration to an unlocked configuration. At this time, the deflection rib deforms a central portion of the liner, and the highly curved portion of the top panel engages the mouth of the container; this action can cause an outer portion of the liner to contact the highly curved portion and transition to a highly curved profile mimicking the profile of the top panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Stoneberg, David Anderson
  • Patent number: 10442582
    Abstract: A spout fitment has a spout for dispensing liquid into or out of a flexible container, the spout passing through a base portion that is connected to attachment ribs for sealing to the flexible container. The attachment ribs can contain a sharp edge to facilitate improved adhesion of the flexible container to the attachment ribs of the spout fitment. The attachment ribs can also contain a beveled edge that can provide mechanical support to the attachment sites between the spout fitment and the flexible container. Other embodiments can include a base portion having lateral attachment walls containing a series of elevated ridges that provide extended areas of focal contact between the spout fitment and the flexible container. The base portion can include one or more pockets for holding and manipulating the spout fitment while it is attached to the flexible container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 10336512
    Abstract: A closure system can include a body member, cap member, and flexible hinge member joining the body and cap members. The hinge member includes a pair of hinge portions with an opening between them. The hinge portions can include substantially planar segments of uniform thickness, providing hinge portions with uniform thickness along their lengths when the closure system is in open and closed configurations. When the closure system is fully opened, the hinge portions can extend axially between the body and cap members when viewed from above, the substantially planar segments can include end segments that are substantially coplanar to each other and a central segment that occupies another plane parallel to that occupied by the end portions, giving the central portion of the hinge portion an elevated orientation relative to its end portions, or the appearance of a hump when viewed from the side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Stoneberg
  • Patent number: 9815604
    Abstract: A two-piece tamper-evident band assembly for use with a container and closure combination, where the container has a peripheral collar and the closure has a skirt, is shown. The tamper-evident band assembly includes a breakaway band frangibly connected to a staying ring. The staying ring has decreased flexibility where it connects to the container and closure combination, which prevents the assembly from deforming in a manner that will cause the assembly to fail to indicate that the container has been opened. The tamper-evident band assembly also indicates whether the container has been compromised without requiring modification of the container or the closure and can be applied to existing container and closure combinations that lack a tamper-evident system, allowing the assembly to be used with a variety of container and closure combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 9211979
    Abstract: A tamper-evident closure is disclosed, having a skirt, threads on an interior of the skirt, and a tamper-evident band secured to the closure body by frangible bridges along a circumferential lower surface of the closure. The band and the closure have a plurality of equidistant vertical upper and lower teeth along an interior wall. Further the subject invention includes a mandrel for use in cutting slits in tamper-evident closures. The mandrel is supported for rotational movement within a closure, and comprises a disc with a circumferential surface with a plurality of equidistant slots for meshing with complementary teeth on the interior surface of the closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Publication number: 20150069007
    Abstract: A tamper-evident closure is disclosed, having a skirt, threads on an interior of the skirt, and a tamper-evident band secured to the closure body by frangible bridges along a circumferential lower surface of the closure. The band and the closure have a plurality of equidistant vertical upper and lower teeth along an interior wall. Further the subject invention includes a mandrel for use in cutting slits in tamper-evident closures. The mandrel is supported for rotational movement within a closure, and comprises a disc with a circumferential surface with a plurality of equidistant slots for meshing with complementary teeth on the interior surface of the closure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 8887936
    Abstract: An open top closure for use in conjunction with a liner. The closure has sidewalls and the upper portion of the closure is open, with at least one rib positioned a spaced distance above the plane of the liner. When in place on a container, the rib serves to limit the travel of the liner upward as it expands after the hot-fill of a product. The open upper portion of the closure permits any accumulated moisture to be blown off after the hot-fill is cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 8887937
    Abstract: A two-part closure for use in conjunction with a liner. An upper part of the closure is substantially plate like and clips or snaps onto the lower part of the closure. The lower part of the closure includes recessed vents which allow air and/or moisture to escape from beneath the closure. The lowest part of the closure has sidewalls with interior threads or a snap-on rib, as desired. The upper portion of the lower part is open, with crossing ribs positioned a spaced distance above the sealing lip for the lower part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 8881929
    Abstract: A two-part closure for use in conjunction with a liner. An upper part of the closure is substantially plate like and clips or snaps onto the lower part of the closure. The lowest part of the closure has sidewalls with interior threads or a snap-on rib, as desired. The upper portion of the lower part is open, with crossing ribs positioned a spaced distance above the sealing lip for the lower part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 8740012
    Abstract: A heat-sealable, plastic bottle with an internal scraper and an inner seal is described. More particularly, the present application relates to a heat-sealable, plastic bottle having an opening with an internal scraper chord that is less than or equal to the diameter of the circular opening, an inner seal, and a cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Publication number: 20130334225
    Abstract: A two-part closure for use in conjunction with a liner. An upper part of the closure is substantially plate like and clips or snaps onto the lower part of the closure. The lower part of the closure includes recessed vents which allow air and/or moisture to escape from beneath the closure. The lowest part of the closure has sidewalls with interior threads or a snap-on rib, as desired. The upper portion of the lower part is open, with crossing ribs positioned a spaced distance above the sealing lip for the lower part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: PHOENIX CLOSURE, INC.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: D869279
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: PHOENIX CLOSURES INC
    Inventor: Thomas Stoneberg