Patents by Inventor Gary Berge

Gary Berge has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240059464
    Abstract: A closure includes a pivoting closure cap and a closure base configured to more easily align and securely pivot open without uncoupling. In various embodiments, the pivoting closure cap includes a pair of hinge assemblies including hinge pins pivotable between a closed position and an open position where the pivoting closure cap is opened for pouring. The closure base includes a pair of hinge pin receivers with a hinge pin sockets. The hinge pins located and rotatable within the sockets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: 11840382
    Abstract: A closure includes a pivoting closure cap and a closure base configured to more easily align and securely pivot open without uncoupling. In various embodiments, the pivoting closure cap includes a pair of hinge assemblies including hinge pins pivotable between a closed position and an open position where the pivoting closure cap is opened for pouring. The closure base includes a pair of hinge pin receivers with a hinge pin sockets. The hinge pins located and rotatable within the sockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Publication number: 20230068104
    Abstract: A closure includes a pivoting closure cap and a closure base configured to more easily align and securely pivot open without uncoupling. In various embodiments, the pivoting closure cap includes a pair of hinge assemblies including hinge pins pivotable between a closed position and an open position where the pivoting closure cap is opened for pouring. The closure base includes a pair of hinge pin receivers with a hinge pin sockets. The hinge pins located and rotatable within the sockets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Publication number: 20220144499
    Abstract: A closure includes a cap having a top wall and a skirt perpendicular to the top wall and extending downwardly from the top wall to a lower edge. The skirt includes an inner surface having a sealing formation. A band is concentric with and attached to the lower edge of the skirt by a plurality of frangible members. A tab is pivotally connected to an upper portion of the closure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Gary Berge, John D. Guio
  • Publication number: 20220041350
    Abstract: Described herein are one or more embodiments of closures with a child-resistant safety structure. A cap couples to a container neck, such as via threads. An overcap extends around the cap. A biasing element in the overcap biases the sidewalls of the overcap above the cap so that rotating the overcap does not transfer sufficient torque to the cap to also rotate the cap. When the overcap is pressed towards the container body, the sidewalls of the overcap interface with the cap, thereby providing a sufficient interface with sufficient friction to permit rotation of the overcap to translate into rotation of the cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: 10676261
    Abstract: A closure including a base, a cutter and a cap is described which is configured to be attached to a container. Upon initial removal of the cap from the base, the cutter is configured to move downwards relative to the base so as to create an opening through the container. The portion of the container through which the cutter creates an opening may be formed of a film that is configured to be easily pierceable by the cutter. Methods of molding the closure components may include co-molding the cutter and base an in integral unit so as to facilitate and expedite assembly of the base, cutter and cap components to form the closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Publication number: 20200087039
    Abstract: A spout includes a mounting portion to which a pouch of a container assembly is sealed. The exterior of the mounting portion is defined by a smooth, non-angled surface free of edges or sharp transition portions, and is defined along its height by a generally sinusoidal, wave-like pattern formed by alternating peaks and troughs. The exterior of the mounting portion is structured such that the ratio of the length of the portion of the mounting portion exterior surface extending between adjacent peaks to the height between adjacent peaks is minimized to no more than 10%, and more preferably no more than 5%. By minimizing this ratio, the amount that a pouch will stretch if it is pushed into the cavities formed between adjacent peaks of the mounting portion (e.g. during an HPP process) is minimized, thereby preventing damage to the pouch and/or attachment between the pouch and spout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: 10501241
    Abstract: A spout includes a mounting portion to which a pouch of a container assembly is sealed. The exterior of the mounting portion is defined by a smooth, non-angled surface free of edges or sharp transition portions, and is defined along its height by a generally sinusoidal, wave-like pattern formed by alternating peaks and troughs. The exterior of the mounting portion is structured such that the ratio of the length of the portion of the mounting portion exterior surface extending between adjacent peaks to the height between adjacent peaks is minimized to no more than 10%, and more preferably no more than 5%. By minimizing this ratio, the amount that a pouch will stretch if it is pushed into the cavities formed between adjacent peaks of the mounting portion (e.g. during an HPP process) is minimized, thereby preventing damage to the pouch and/or attachment between the pouch and spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: 10351315
    Abstract: A tamper evident closure and spout are provided. The closure includes a tamper-indicating band extending from a central wall. Formed about the tamper band are one or more spout engagement structures. Also provided about the tamper band may be one or more knuckles that assist in distorting the tamper band upon initial removal of the closure from a spout so as to increase the ease with which the tamper band can be identified as having been broken upon visual inspection by a user. The spout includes a wall portion and a central channel extending through the wall portion between an inlet opening and an outlet opening. Located about an outer portion of the spout are one or more tamper band engagement structures configured to engage a tamper band and which assist in breaking and distorting a tamper band upon initial removal of a closure from the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Publication number: 20190084735
    Abstract: A tamper evident closure and spout are provided. The closure includes a tamper-indicating band extending from a central wall. Formed about the tamper band are one or more spout engagement structures. Also provided about the tamper band may be one or more knuckles that assist in distorting the tamper band upon initial removal of the closure from a spout so as to increase the ease with which the tamper band can be identified as having been broken upon visual inspection by a user. The spout includes a wall portion and a central channel extending through the wall portion between an inlet opening and an outlet opening. Located about an outer portion of the spout are one or more tamper band engagement structures configured to engage a tamper band and which assist in breaking and distorting a tamper band upon initial removal of a closure from the spout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Publication number: 20190071224
    Abstract: A closure including a base, a cutter and a cap is described which is configured to be attached to a container. Upon initial removal of the cap from the base, the cutter is configured to move downwards relative to the base so as to create an opening through the container. The portion of the container through which the cutter creates an opening may be formed of a film that is configured to be easily pierceable by the cutter. Methods of molding the closure components may include co-molding the cutter and base an in integral unit so as to facilitate and expedite assembly of the base, cutter and cap components to form the closure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Publication number: 20180201415
    Abstract: A spout includes a mounting portion to which a pouch of a container assembly is sealed. The exterior of the mounting portion is defined by a smooth, non-angled surface free of edges or sharp transition portions, and is defined along its height by a generally sinusoidal, wave-like pattern formed by alternating peaks and troughs. The exterior of the mounting portion is structured such that the ratio of the length of the portion of the mounting portion exterior surface extending between adjacent peaks to the height between adjacent peaks is minimized to no more than 10%, and more preferably no more than 5%. By minimizing this ratio, the amount that a pouch will stretch if it is pushed into the cavities formed between adjacent peaks of the mounting portion (e.g. during an HPP process) is minimized, thereby preventing damage to the pouch and/or attachment between the pouch and spout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: 9981785
    Abstract: A tamper evident closure and spout are provided. The closure includes an outer wall and a central wall supported from the outer wall. The closure defines a passage extending between an upper edge and a lower edge of the closure and located between an inner surface of the outer wall and an outer surface of the central wall. The closure includes a tamper-indicating band extending from the central wall. The spout includes a wall portion and a central channel extending through the wall portion between an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The spout includes a structure located below the inlet opening the first and second exterior surfaces are both angled toward the central axis of the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Publication number: 20170073123
    Abstract: A tamper evident closure and spout are provided. The closure includes an outer wall and a central wall supported from the outer wall. The closure defines a passage extending between an upper edge and a lower edge of the closure and located between an inner surface of the outer wall and an outer surface of the central wall. The closure includes a tamper-indicating band extending from the central wall. The spout includes a wall portion and a central channel extending through the wall portion between an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The spout includes a structure located below the inlet opening the first and second exterior surfaces are both angled toward the central axis of the spout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: 9533802
    Abstract: A tamper evident closure and spout are provided. The closure includes an outer wall and a central wall supported from the outer wall. The closure defines a passage extending between an upper edge and a lower edge of the closure and located between an inner surface of the outer wall and an outer surface of the central wall. The closure includes a tamper-indicating band extending from the central wall. The spout includes a wall portion and a central channel extending through the wall portion between an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The spout includes a structure located below the inlet opening the first and second exterior surfaces are both angled toward the central axis of the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: D760081
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: D791591
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventor: Gary Berge
  • Patent number: D892616
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventors: Darren Neputy, Gary Berge
  • Patent number: D934682
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventors: Darren Neputy, Gary Berge
  • Patent number: D979406
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Silgan White Cap LLC
    Inventors: Darren Neputy, Gary Berge