Closure with flap for retaining a lid hinge shaft
A closure system is provided for a container. The system has a body for extending from the container at the container opening. The body defines a dispensing orifice. A lid is provided for covering the orifice. The body has a bearing member with a laterally outer wall and a laterally inner wall which together define a channel for receiving a pivot shaft on the lid. At least one flap is hingedly attached to one of the body bearing member lateral walls and is initially positioned to expose the channel to permit mounting the lid pivot shaft in the channel. The flap can be subsequently folded over the channel and lid pivot shaft, and the distal end of the flap can be attached to the other lateral wall to form a bridge which prevents removal of the lid pivot shaft from the channel. Another form of the invention includes the fully completed closure system after the flap has been folded over and attached. Another form of the invention includes the method for making the closure system.
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIXNot applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis invention relates to closure system for a container. The invention is particularly suitable for incorporation in a dispensing closure for use with a squeezable container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ARTThere are a variety of types of conventional closures which function generally satisfactorily in applications for which they are designed. One type of prior art closure includes a body or base for being attached to the top of a container. The body defines a dispensing orifice. The system further includes a lid which is mounted on the base or body and which can be lifted up to open the dispensing orifice. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,487.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,487 discloses the use of a closure having a lid hinge system in which the closure base or body includes a channel for snap-fit retention of a hinge pivot shaft projecting from the rear of the lid. While such a design offers significant advantages, it would be desirable to provide a further improved closure system.
In particular, it would be desirable to provide an improved design in which the lid hinge shaft could be even more securely held on the closure body.
It would also be beneficial if a closure system could readily accommodate molding of the closure body from a thermoplastic material.
It would also be advantageous if such an improved closure system could accommodate bottles, containers, or packages which have a variety of shapes and which are constructed from a variety of materials.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved system could accommodate efficient, high-quality, high-speed, large volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate to produce products having consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention can be incorporated into a closure system that may include one or more of the above-discussed, desired features.
The present invention provides an improved closure system for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The system can be readily operated by the user to open and close the system. One form of the invention includes a completed closure system, and another form of the invention comprises unassembled components that include an intermediate manufactured preform which can be subsequently deformed to create the completed closure system. The present invention also provides a method for making the closure system.
According to a first aspect of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, unassembled closure system components are provided, and these components include a lid and a preform body as an intermediate article of manufacture. The body is either a separate structure for attaching to, and extending from, the container at the container opening or is a unitary extension of the container at the opening. The body has
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- (1) at least one orifice for communicating with the container opening,
- (2) a bearing member comprising a laterally outer wall spaced from a laterally inner wall which together define between them a channel, and
- (3) at least one flap hingedly attached to, and extending from, one of the laterally inner and outer walls to expose the channel which can be covered by folding the flap over the channel and against the other of the laterally inner and outer walls.
The lid is adapted to be disposed on the body for accommodating lifting of the lid relative to the at least one orifice between (1) a closed position over the at least one orifice, and (2) an open position away from the at least one orifice. The lid includes a pivot shaft for being received in the channel prior to the flap being folded over the channel and attached to the other of the laterally inner and outer walls to prevent removal of the shaft from the channel.
According to another aspect of the invention, a completed closure system is provided for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The closure system includes a body that is either a separate structure for attaching to, and extending from, the container at the opening or is a unitary extension of the container at the opening. The body has
-
- (1) at least one orifice for communicating with the container opening,
- (2) a bearing member comprising a laterally outer wall spaced from a laterally inner wall which together define between them a channel, and
- (3) at least one flap that (a) extends from one of the laterally inner and outer walls, (b) has been folded over the channel and against the other of the laterally inner and outer walls, and (c) has been attached to the other of the laterally inner and outer walls.
A lid is disposed on the body for accommodating lifting of the lid relative to the at least one orifice between (1) a closed position over the at least one orifice, and (2) an open position away from the at least one orifice. The lid includes a pivot shaft received in the channel under the folded over flap that is attached to the other of the laterally inner and outer walls to prevent removal of the shaft from the channel.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for making a closure system for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The method comprises the steps of:
(A) molding from thermoplastic material a body that
-
- (1) is either a separate structure for attaching to, and extending from, the container at the opening or is a unitary extension of the container at the opening,
- (2) has at least one orifice for communicating with the container opening, and
- (3) has a bearing member comprising a laterally outer wall spaced from a laterally inner wall which together define between them a channel, and
- (4) has at least one flap hingedly attached to, and extending from, one of the laterally inner and outer walls to expose the channel which can be covered by folding the flap over the channel and against the other of the laterally inner and outer walls;
(B) molding from thermoplastic material a lid which (1) has a pivot shaft, and (2) is adapted to be disposed on the body for accommodating lifting of the lid relative to the at least one orifice between (a) a closed position over the at least one orifice, and (b) an open position away from the at least one orifice;
(C) mounting the lid on the body in the closed position with the pivot shaft disposed in the channel; and
(D) folding the flap over the channel and attaching it to the other of the laterally inner and outer walls to prevent removal of the shaft from the channel.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSIn the accompanying drawings that form part of the specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, this specification and the accompanying drawings disclose only some specific forms as examples of the invention. The invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments so described, however. The scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.
For ease of description, most of the figures illustrating the invention show a closure system in the typical orientation that it would have at the top of a container when the container is stored upright on its base, and terms such as upper, lower, horizontal, etc., are used with reference to this position. It will be understood, however, that the dispensing closure system of this invention may be manufactured, stored, transported, used, and sold in an orientation other than the position described.
The closure system of this invention is suitable for use with a variety of conventional or special containers having various designs, the details of which, although not illustrated or described, would be apparent to those having skill in the art and an understanding of such containers. The container, per se, described herein forms no part of, and therefore is not intended to limit, the present invention. It will also be understood by those of ordinary skill that novel and non-obvious inventive aspects are embodied in the described exemplary closure systems alone.
A presently preferred embodiment of a closure system of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 et seq. and is designated generally therein by reference number 20 in
The body 24 of the container 22 may have any suitable configuration, and the upwardly projecting neck 26 may have a different cross-sectional size and/or shape than the container body 24. Alternatively, the container 22 need not have a neck 26, per se. Instead, the container 22 may consist of just a body with an opening. The container 22 may have a rigid wall or walls, or may have a somewhat flexible wall or walls.
Although the container, per se, does not necessarily form a part of the broadest aspects of the present invention, per se, it will be appreciated that at least a body portion of the closure system 20 of the present invention optionally may be provided as a unitary portion, or extension, of the top of the container. However, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the closure system 20 is a separate assembly (e.g., a closure) of two pieces, and is adapted to be removably or non-removably installed on a previously manufactured container 22 that has an opening 28 to the container interior. Hereinafter, the closure system 20 will be more simply referred to as the closure 20.
The closure 20 is adapted to be used with a container 22 having an opening 28 to provide access to the container interior and to a product contained therein. The closure 20 can be used with many materials, including, but not limited to, relatively low or high viscosity liquids, creams, gels, suspensions, mixtures, lotions, pastes, particulates, granular materials, small pieces or items, etc. as constituting a food product, a personal care product, an industrial or household cleaning product, or other compositions of matter (e.g., compositions for use in activities involving manufacturing, commercial or household maintenance, construction, agriculture, etc.).
The container 22 with which the closure 20 may be used would typically be a squeezable container having a flexible wall or walls which can be grasped by the user and squeezed or compressed to increase the internal pressure within the container so as to force the product out of the container and through the opened closure. Such a flexible container wall typically has sufficient, inherent resiliency so that when the squeezing forces are removed, the container wall returns to its normal, unstressed shape. Such a squeezable wall container is preferred in many applications but may not be necessary or preferred in other applications. For example, in some applications it may be desirable to employ a generally rigid container, and to pressurize the container interior at selected times with a piston or other pressurizing system. Also, the interior of the container need not be pressurized at all. Instead, if the closure is large enough, the product could be accessed by reaching through the open closure with a hand, spoon or straw, or the package could be inverted to let the product discharge through the opened closure solely under the influence of gravity.
In other designs, a flexible, slit valve could be included in the closure for dispensing product when the lid is opened. Such a valve could open to accommodate dispensing of a fluid under the influence of a differential pressure acting across the valve (as may be created, for example, if suction (i.e., reduced pressure) is applied to the exterior of the valve, and/or if the pressure inside the container is increased).
It is presently contemplated that many applications employing the closure 20 will conveniently be realized by molding some or all of the components of the closure 20 from suitable thermoplastic material or materials. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the components of the closure could each be molded from a suitable thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The closure components may be separately molded from the same material or from different materials. The materials may have the same or different colors and textures.
As can be seen in
The lid 40 is pivotable between a closed position over the body 30 as shown in
After the closure body 30 is initially molded, the lid 40 is assembled (as described in detail hereinafter), and a rear portion of the body 30 is deformed in order to establish a secure retention of the lid 40 to the body 30 in a way that accommodates the pivoting movement of the lid 40 while preventing removal of the lid 40 from the body 30. The structure of the closure body 30, prior to mounting of the lid 40 thereon and deforming of a rear portion of the body 30 to secure the lid 40 to the body 30, will next be described in detail.
As can be seen in
As shown in
As can be seen in
As can be seen in
A flap 88 extends laterally from the top end of the laterally outer wall 80A. A hinge 89 connects the flap 88 with the laterally outer wall 80A. The hinge 89 is defined by a reduced thickness of material and permits the flap 88 to be pivoted or folded over the channel 82 after the closure lid 40 has been mounted to the closure body 30 as described in detail hereinafter.
As used herein, the phrases “laterally inner wall” and “laterally outer wall” (e.g., walls 80A and 80B) refer to portions of material on either side of, and defining, the channel 82. Each wall 80A and 80B may actually be very thick, and merge into, or be part of, a larger surrounding structure of the closure body. The term “lateral” as employed herein is a relative term used with respect to the channel 82. Each wall 80A and 80B may actually also be in an upper portion of the closure body 30 as in the preferred embodiment illustrated in
In an alternate embodiment (not illustrated), the flap 88 could be hinged to the inner wall 80B, and the outer wall 80A could be provided with an energy director 87.
As can be seen in
Alternatively, the closure skirt 90 could be provided with some other container connecting means, such as a snap-fit bead or groove (not illustrated) in place of the thread 92 for engaging a container neck groove or bead (not illustrated), respectively. The closure body 30 could also be permanently attached to the container 22 by means of induction melting, ultrasonic melting, gluing, or the like, depending on materials used for the closure body 30 and container 22. The closure body 30 could also be formed as a unitary part, or extension, of the container 22.
The closure body skirt 90 may have any suitable configuration for accommodating an upwardly projecting neck 26 or other portion of the container 22 received within the particular configuration of the closure body 30, and the main part of the container 22 may have a different cross-sectional shape than the container neck 26 and closure body 30.
An optional seal or liner (not illustrated) may be sealed across the top of the container neck 26 or, alternatively, may be sealed across an interior region or underside of the upper portion of the closure body 30. However, if the function of a tamper-evident seal or freshness seal as provided by such a liner is not needed or desired in a particular application, then the liner may, of course, be omitted.
Also, if desired, the closure body 30 may be provided with an interior, annular seal 96 (
In the preferred form of the closure illustrated, the closure body skirt 90 has a generally annular configuration. However, the closure body skirt 90 may have other configurations. For example, the closure body skirt 90 might have a prism or polygon configuration adapted to be mounted to the top of a container neck having a polygon configuration. Such prism or polygon configurations would not accommodate the use of a threaded attachment, but other means of attachment could be provided, such as a snap-fit bead and groove arrangement, or the like. However, if the closure body included a double wall defining a polygon outer skirt and a cylindrical inner attachment wall, then the cylindrical inner attachment wall could be provided with a thread for engagement with a threaded container.
In one preferred form of the closure as shown in
The use of a tamper-evident ring or band 100 is an entirely optional feature of the illustrated embodiment, and it does not form a necessary part of the present invention. Indeed, if the closure body 30 is non-releasably attached to the container neck 26 (as with adhesive, thermal bonding, irreversible snap-fit configurations, etc.), then the tamper-evident ring 100 would provide no additional benefit. Similarly, a tamper-evident ring 100 would provide no additional benefit if the closure body 30 is formed as a unitary molded extension of the container neck 26.
As shown in
After the closure body 30 has been made (as by molding it from thermoplastic material) with the laterally extending flap 88, the closure body 30 may be characterized as an intermediate article of manufacture or preform. Subsequently, the lid 40 can be mounted to the closure body 30 in a way that accommodates the pivoting movement of the lid 40 between the open and closed positions. With reference to
The shaft 132 has a width dimension or diameter that is greater than the opening 84 between the upper, distal ends of the walls 80 which define the sides of the channel 82. This provides a snap-fit engagement that holds the lid shaft 132 on a fixed axis relative to the closure body 30 so as to accommodate pivoting movement of the lid 40 relative to the closure body 30 between the full closed position (
Although the above-described snap-fit engagement of the lid shaft 132 within the channel 82 functions well in many applications, in some applications it would be desirable to have a structure that even more strongly retains the lid hinge shaft 132 on the closure body 30, and that prevents removal of the lid hinge shaft 132 from the body channel 82. To this end, the bridge 135 (
The flap 88 preferably is pivoted from the as-molded, horizontal orientation (
The preferred material of the closure body 30, including the flap 88, is a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, and such a material accommodates ultrasonic welding of the flap 88 to the wall 80B to form the desired, final shape of the bridge 135 that bridges the lid shaft 132 in the channel 82. Other materials could be used.
Conventional or special tools or equipment may be employed for effecting ultrasonic welding of the flap 88 to the wall 80B. The details of the particular process, and the details of tools or equipment used, form no part of the present invention. Equipment operating energy, time, force, etc., depend, of course, on the size and mass of the particular flap 88 as designed, as well as upon the type of thermoplastic material.
The flap 88 could be attached to the wall 80B by means other than ultrasonic welding. For example, the distal end portion of the folded over flap 88 could be bonded to the top surface 85 of the wall 80B with adhesive or by forming a weld from melting one or both of the confronting surfaces with a hot knife or plate. Also, a mechanical snap-fit attachment structure could be provided (e.g., a snap-fit groove in the flap 88 or wall top surface 85, and a mating snap-fit projection in the wall top surface 85 or flap 88, respectively).
As can be seen in
Although not part of the present invention per se, an optional tamper-evident feature may be provided for indicating that the lid 40 has been initially moved away from the fully closed configuration (
There are two anchor members 152—one provided on each side of the lid 40 along the bottom edge of the lid 40, but spaced a distance Y (
In the illustrated preferred embodiment, each anchor member 152 includes a generally vertically inner surface 153 (
In the presently contemplated, preferred form of the optional tamper-evident feature, the manufacturer can readily mold the lid 40, webs 160, and anchor members 152 (with the protuberances 164) together as a single, unitary component (i.e., the “top structure”), and the manufacturer can separately mold the closure body 30 as another, separate component. The top structure and body 30 may be molded from the same thermoplastic material or from different thermoplastic materials. The lid 40, webs 160, anchor members 152, and body 30 may have the same color and texture or may have different colors and/or textures.
After separately molding the closure body 30 and the top structure (i.e., the lid 40, webs 160, and anchor members 152 with protuberances 164), the two components are assembled by mounting the lid 40 on the closure body 30 so that the lid hinge shaft 132 is received in a snap-fit engagement within the closure body receiving channel 82. The lid 40 is initially closed on the closure body 30 as shown in
A presently preferred method for welding the optional tamper-evident anchor members 152 to the closure body lower deck 54 employs thermoplastic welding, and preferably thermoplastic welding as effected with ultrasonic energy. The triangular cross section protuberance 164 on the attachment portion 162 at the bottom of each anchor member 152 functions as an energy director for the ultrasonic energy. The ultrasonic, energy can be applied with commercial ultrasonic welding equipment which may be of any suitable conventional or special design. Such ultrasonic welding equipment typically includes a suitable horn or engaging member for engaging the outwardly facing, exterior portions of the anchor members 152 and for applying a force against the anchor members 152 in a direction tending to urge the anchor members 152 downwardly toward the closure body lower deck attachment surface 54 at the same time that the ultrasonic equipment transfers ultrasonic energy into and through the anchor members 152. The same equipment could also include, but need not include, suitable engaging members for ultrasonically welding the flap 88 (
In one presently preferred embodiment of the optional tamper-evident feature, the ultrasonic welding of the anchor members 152 to the closure body lower deck 54 is facilitated by providing the deck 54 with a textured surface. One such suitable textured surface can be provided by conventional etching of the relevant region of the mold steel through a conventional texture mask or plaque. In a preferred embodiment of the closure molded from polypropylene, the surface of the mold at the attachment surface 54 is AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute) type 420 stainless steel with a hardness of 54-64 Rockwell c that has been (1) ferric chloride acid attached to a depth of 0.052 mm. through a plaque or mask designated MT 11050 as sold by Mold Tech (having an office at 279 East Lies Road, Carol Stream, Ill. 60188, U.S.A.), and (2) bead blasted to remove ash residue.
During the welding of the anchor members 152 to the closure body deck 54, the energy director protuberances 164 (which may have a projection of about 0.55 mm. in a presently preferred embodiment) become softened and/or melted along with adjacent portions of the closure body deck 54. The softened or melted protuberances 164 and the softened or melted portions of the closure body deck 54, along with any softened or melted portions of the anchor member 152 adjacent the protuberances 164) fuse and re-solidify after termination of the application of the ultrasonic energy. This effects a welding of the thermoplastic material (as schematically designated by reference number 168 in
With reference to
When the user wishes to open the closure 20, the user applies a generally upwardly directed force to the closure lid thumb lift 128 (
Before the lid 40 is lifted for the first time to break the frangible webs 160, the frangible webs 160 provide an indication that the lid 40 has not yet been opened. The user can readily see that the frangible web 160 are not ruptured because the frangible webs 160 span a relatively large gap having the height Y as shown in
It will be appreciated that the optional, lid tamper-evident feature (comprising, inter alia, the anchor members 152 and frangible webs 160) may be omitted altogether if tamper-evidency is not desired. Alternatively, a completely different tamper-evident system could be employed for the lid.
When the closure 20 is in the full open condition as shown in
It will also be appreciated that the closure system of the present invention need not be provided as a separate closure for a container. The closure body 30 could instead be molded as a unitary part of the container 22. A container could be molded to have (1) an initially open bottom end, (2) a peripheral wall forming an upper end that defines a container top end opening, and (3) a unitary closure body portion extending radially inwardly from the container peripheral wall over the container top end opening so as to form a unitary part of the container top end and so as to define a unitary, top end closure body, including the spout 42 (and optionally including a hinge and lid, if the body, hinge, and lid are to be part of a single, unitary structure). Then, the container could be filled with product through the open bottom end, and the open bottom end could be subsequently sealed closed by appropriate means, such as with thermally assisted deformation or with a separate bottom closure plug or bottom cap.
It will also be appreciated that the closure system of the present invention may include other components, elements, or features. For example, the closure body 30 (
It will also be appreciated that beyond the region of the lid hinge shaft 132 and shaft retention structure in the body 30, the lid 40 and body 30 may have configurations and features other than those illustrated herein for the preferred embodiment. It will also be appreciated that the shapes of lid hinge pivot shaft 132, receiving channel 82, and flap 88 need not be exactly as shown for the illustrated preferred embodiment.
The novel lid hinge shaft retention system of the present invention, which includes one or more flaps (e.g., flap 88 in
After pivoting the flap 88 and welding (or otherwise attaching) it to the top of the inner wall 80B to create the bridge 135 (
Of course, in an alternate embodiment (not illustrated), the flap 88 could be hinged to the inner wall 80B, and then folded over and attached to the top of the other wall 80A. Also, two or more separate flaps could be used, if desired.
It will be readily apparent from the foregoing detailed description of the invention and from the illustrations thereof that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts or principles of this invention.
Claims
1. A closure system for a container that has an opening to the container interior, said closure system consisting of unassembled components comprising:
- a body that is either a separate structure for attaching to, and extending from, said container at said opening or is a unitary extension of said container at said opening, said body having (1) at least one orifice for communicating with said container opening, (2) a bearing member comprising a laterally outer wall spaced from a laterally inner wall which together define between them a channel, and (3) at least one flap hingedly attached to, and extending from, one of said laterally inner and outer walls to expose said channel which can be covered by folding said flap over said channel and against the other of said laterally inner and outer walls; and
- a lid adapted to be disposed on said body for accommodating lifting of said lid relative to said at least one orifice between (1) a closed position over said at least one orifice, and (2) an open position away from said at least one orifice, said lid including a pivot shaft for being received in said channel prior to said flap being folded over said channel and attached to said other of said laterally inner and outer walls to prevent removal of said shaft from said channel.
2. The closure system in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body is molded from thermoplastic material with said at least one flap extending laterally from said laterally outer wall.
3. The closure system in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure system is a closure for an end of said container wherein the container end defines said container opening; and
- said closure includes said body and said lid.
4. The closure system in accordance with claim 3 in which
- said closure is an article that is separate from said container; and
- said body is attachable to said container end over said container opening.
5. The closure system in accordance with claim 3 in which
- said closure body is adapted to be mounted to said container on a peripheral wall that defines said container opening, and
- said closure body has an upwardly projecting spout that extends above said container opening to define said at least one orifice.
6. The closure system in accordance with claim 1 in which
- said body includes a hinge that hingedly attaches said at least one flap to said one of said laterally inner and outer walls; and
- said hinge is defined by a reduced thickness of material between said at least one flap and said one of said laterally inner and outer walls.
7. The closure in accordance with claim 1 in which
- the other of said laterally inner and outer walls defines a top surface and an energy director projecting upwardly from said top surface; and
- said energy director has a tapering cross section that becomes narrower with increasing distance from said top surface.
8. A closure system for a container that has an opening to the container interior, said closure system consisting of unassembled components comprising:
- a body that is either a separate structure for attaching to, and extending from, said container at said opening or is a unitary extension of said container at said opening, said body having (1) at least one orifice for communicating with said container opening, (2) a bearing member comprising a laterally outer wall spaced from a laterally inner wall which together define between them a channel, and (3) at least one flap that (a) extends from one of said laterally inner and outer walls, (b) has been folded over said channel and against the other of said laterally inner and outer walls, and (c) has been attached to the other of said laterally inner and outer walls; and
- a lid disposed on said body for accommodating lifting of said lid relative to said at least one orifice between (1) a closed position over said at least one orifice, and (2) an open position away from said at least one orifice, said lid including a pivot shaft received in said channel under said folded over flap that is attached to said other of said laterally inner and outer walls to prevent removal of said shaft from said channel.
9. The closure system in accordance with claim 8 in which
- said closure system is a closure for an end of said container wherein the container end defines said container opening; and
- said closure includes said body and said lid.
10. The closure system in accordance with claim 9 in which
- said closure is an article that is separate from said container; and
- said body is attachable to said container end over said container opening.
11. The closure system in accordance with claim 9 in which
- said closure body is adapted to be mounted to said container on a peripheral wall that defines said container opening, and
- said closure body has an upwardly projecting spout that extends above said container opening to define said at least one orifice.
12. The closure system in accordance with claim 9 in which
- said flap is a unitary extension of said one of said laterally inner and outer walls.
13. A method for making a closure system for a container that has an opening to the container interior, said method comprising the steps of:
- (A) molding from thermoplastic material a body that (1) is that is either a separate structure for attaching to, and extending from, said container at said opening or is a unitary extension of said container at said opening, (2) has at least one orifice for communicating with said container opening, (3) has a bearing member comprising a laterally outer wall spaced from a laterally inner wall which together define between them a channel, and (4) has at least one flap hingedly attached to, and extending from, one of said laterally inner and outer walls to expose said channel which can be covered by folding said flap over said channel and against the other of said laterally inner and outer walls;
- (B) molding from thermoplastic material a lid which (1) has a pivot shaft, and (2) is adapted to be disposed on said body for accommodating lifting of said lid relative to said at least one orifice between (a) a closed position over said at least one orifice, and (b) an open position away from said at least one orifice;
- (C) mounting said lid on said body in said closed position with said pivot shaft disposed in said channel; and
- (D) folding said flap over said channel and attaching it to said other of said laterally inner and outer walls to prevent removal of said shaft from said channel.
14. The method in accordance with claim 13 in which
- step (A) includes molding said body to have one flap extending from said laterally outer wall in a generally horizontal configuration; and
- step (D) includes utrasonically welding an end of said flap to the top of said laterally inner wall to define a continuous bridge over said pivot shaft.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 8, 2005
Publication Date: May 10, 2007
Inventors: Travis Hoepner (Mukwonago, WI), James Hammond (North Prairie, WI), Cori Blomdahl (Muskego, WI)
Application Number: 11/268,916
International Classification: B65D 39/00 (20060101); B65D 43/18 (20060101); B65D 47/00 (20060101); B65D 43/14 (20060101);