Plastic closure for containers
A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container includes a plastic fitment having a skirt adapted to be received by snap fit over an external bead on the container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on the skirt for receipt in recesses on the finish bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the finish, and at least one external thread segment. A plastic closure has a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for engagement with the at least one external thread segment on the fitment. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the external thread segment may be disposed on an outer surface of the fitment skirt or on the external surface of a tubular spout on the fitment. The fitment skirt preferably has an internal retention element received by snap fit over the external bead on the container finish.
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The present disclosure relates to securement of plastic closures to containers, particularly glass containers.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREA general object of the present disclosure is to provide a plastic closure assembly for securement over an external bead on a container neck finish, particularly a glass container neck finish, and/or to provide a package that includes a plastic closure assembly received by snap fit over an external bead on a container finish.
The present disclosure involves a number of aspects or inventions, which may be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container neck finish, in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, includes a plastic fitment having a skirt adapted to be received by snap fit over an external bead on the container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on the skirt for receipt in recesses on the finish bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the neck finish, and at least one external thread segment. A plastic closure has a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for engagement with the at least one external thread segment on the fitment. In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, the external thread segment may be disposed on an outer surface of the fitment skirt or on the external surface of a tubular spout on the fitment. The fitment skirt preferably has an internal flange or bead received by snap fit over the external bead on the container finish.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will best be understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:
Closure assembly 22 includes a fitment 36 for securement to container finish 24 and a closure 38 for securement to fitment 36. Fitment 36 has a deck 40, a skirt 42 that extends from the outer peripheral edge of deck 40, and an annular wall 44 that extends from deck 40 within skirt 42. Deck 40 preferably is substantially flat. In the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
Closure assembly 22 may be provided as a complete assembly to a packager separately from container 26. The packager may fill container 26 with product and then assemble closure assembly 22 to container neck finish 24, using suitable automated or manual assembly equipment, to snap fitment retention element 46 over container finish bead 30. As an alternative, fitment 36 could be assembled to container 26 prior to filling the container with product, after which disk 62 is sealed to fitment spout 50 and closure 38 is threaded onto fitment 36. To dispense product from the package, closure 38 is unthreaded from fitment spout 50 and seal disk 62 is manually removed, thereby providing indication that the package has been opened. Sealing engagement between annular wall 44 on fitment 36 and the inside surface of the container mouth prevents leakage of product between the fitment and the container finish during dispensing. As previously noted, fitment lugs 48 and finish recesses 32 prevent rotation of fitment 36 with respect to container neck finish 24 during threading and unthreading of closure 38.
Closure 77 includes a base wall 56 and a peripheral skirt 58 with internal thread segments 60 for removable engagement with external thread segments 52 on spout 78. An annular wall 84 on the undersurface of base wall 56 is provided for plug-sealing engagement with dispensing opening 82 when closure 77 is assembled to fitment 76 as illustrated in
Closure 38 or 77 and fitment 36, 70 or 76 may be of any suitable plastic construction, such as polypropylene. The closure and fitment are each of one-piece construction and may be made by any suitable technique, such as compression or injection molding.
There thus have been disclosed a plastic closure assembly for containers and a plastic-closure/container package that full satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The neck finish of the container has a reduced overall height as compared with constructions having external threads or the like for mounting the closure on the container and/or having tamper-indicating means on the container neck finish beneath the thread or crown for mounting the closure. The package of the present disclosure increases achievable container fill rate because the container can be filled through the relatively large opening in the container finish rather than smaller openings in the fitment. The closure assembly and package of the present disclosure eliminate any need for a shrink sleeve or the like to be applied over the closure assembly to provide tamper indication, and increase closure application speeds while reducing closure application issues. The closure assembly and package also improve removal torque due to plastic-to-plastic contact between the closure and the fitment as opposed to plastic-to-glass contact if the closure were to be applied directly to a glass container neck finish. The closure assembly and package have another advantage in connection with glass containers specifically in that the closure fitment prevents chipping of the container neck finish, improving the likelihood that the glass container can be reused. The disclosure has been presented in conjunction with three presently preferred but exemplary embodiments, and a number of additional modifications and variations have been described. Other modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing discussion. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead, said closure assembly including:
- a plastic fitment having a skirt adapted to be received by snap fit over the finish bead, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt for receipt in the recesses on the finish bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the neck finish, and at least one external thread segment, and a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for engagement with said at least one external thread segment on said fitment.
2. The closure assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said fitment has a deck for overlying the end of the container finish, said skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck and a wall extending from said deck for receipt within the container finish.
3. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 wherein said skirt has an internal retention element for receipt by snap fit over the finish external bead on the container.
4. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
5. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
6. The closure assembly set forth in claim 5 wherein said fitment has a dispensing opening at an end of said spout remote from said deck, and said closure has a wall for plug-sealing engagement within said dispensing opening.
7. The closure assembly set forth in claim 2 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
8. A plastic closure assembly for receipt on a container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead, said closure assembly including:
- a plastic fitment having a deck for overlying the end of the container neck finish, a skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck having an internal retention element for receipt by snap fit over the external bead on the container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt for receipt in the recesses on the finish external bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on the neck finish, an annular wall extending from said deck for sealing receipt within the container finish, and at least one external thread segment, and
- a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment for threaded engagement with said at least one external thread segment on said fitment.
9. The closure assembly set forth in claim 8 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
10. The closure assembly set forth in claim 8 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
11. The closure assembly set forth in claim 8 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
12. A package that includes:
- a container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead,
- a plastic fitment having a skirt received by snap fit over said finish bead, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt received in said recesses on said container finish bead to prevent rotation of said fitment on said neck finish, and at least one external thread segment, and a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment engaged with said at least one external thread segment on said finish.
13. The package set forth in claim 12 wherein said fitment has a deck overlying the end of said container finish, said skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck and a wall extending from said deck within said container finish.
14. The package set forth in claim 13 wherein said skirt has an internal retention element received by snap fit over the finish external bead on said container.
15. The package set forth in claim 14 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
16. The package set forth in claim 14 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
17. The package set forth in claim 16 wherein said fitment has a dispensing opening at an end of said spout remote from said deck, and said closure has a wall for plug-sealing engagement within said dispensing opening.
18. The package set forth in claim 14 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
19. The package set forth in claim 12 including a seal disk induction or conduction secured to said fitment.
20. A package that includes:
- a glass container having a neck finish with an end surrounded by an external bead and a plurality of angularly spaced recesses in said bead,
- a plastic fitment having a deck overlying the end of said container finish, a skirt extending from an outer periphery of said deck having an internal retention element received by snap fit over the external bead on said container neck finish, a plurality of angularly spaced internal lugs on said skirt received in the recesses on said finish external bead to prevent rotation of the fitment on said neck finish, an annular wall extending from said deck sealingly received within said container neck finish, and at least one external thread segment, and
- a plastic closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread segment in threaded engagement with said at least one external thread segment on said fitment.
21. The package set forth in claim 20 wherein said at least one external thread segment is disposed on an outer surface of said fitment skirt.
22. The package set forth in claim 20 wherein said fitment includes a spout extending axially from said deck in a direction opposite from said fitment skirt, with said at least one external thread segment being disposed on said spout.
23. The package set forth in claim 20 including a tamper band frangibly connected to said closure skirt and an abutment on said fitment to fracture the frangible connection between said tamper band and said closure skirt when said closure is first removed from said fitment.
24. The package set forth in claim 20 including a seal disk induction or conduction secured to said fitment.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 10, 2005
Publication Date: Dec 14, 2006
Applicant:
Inventors: Darin Pugne (Perrysburg, OH), Edward Grant (Northwood, OH)
Application Number: 11/150,665
International Classification: B65D 51/18 (20060101); B65D 43/18 (20060101); B65D 53/00 (20060101); B65D 51/00 (20060101); B65D 41/04 (20060101);