Flip-top closure cap
A flip-top cap is provided in which an upper portion is secured to a lower portion by means of a living hinge. An outer skirt forms a lever with an integral radial connecting wall on a side of the cap opposite the living hinge. The outer skirt and the radial connecting wall may be elastically deformed to permit a detent on the upper portion of the cap to escape a recess on the outer skirt for opening the cap. The radial connecting wall is lowered and thinned with respect to heretofore known designs, facilitating opening of the cap. Integral ribs are provided on the base and flip-top portions to prevent twisting and/or lateral movement of the upper portion that could allow for inadvertent opening of the cap.
The present invention relates generally to the field of caps and closures for containers. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in a flip-top cap that aid in preventing unwanted opening of the cap, while ensuring that the cap can be more easily opened when desired.
A very wide range of injection molded container caps and closures have been proposed and are currently in use. Many of these are multi-piece closures that close and seal an internal volume by snapping, threading, or otherwise mechanically engaging a separate base element. Other closures are available that incorporate a thinned section of material, commonly referred to as a “living hinge”, that allows the cap to be opened, while maintaining the upper or opening portion of the cap attached to a lower portion. The lower portion on these caps is generally secured to a mouth of the container, such as by snapping engagement, threading, and so forth.
Improvements in single-piece flip-type caps have been made such that certain designs can be opened and closed quite easily by one hand. In one known design, for example, a user depresses an area of an outer skirt on the base portion of the cap to open the upper portion. The base portion flexes by deformation of the outer skirt, allowing a catch on the upper portion of the cap to escape, thereby freeing the upper portion to open by flexure of a living hinge. A cap generally of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,543 commonly assigned with the present invention. Such caps provide great utility in allowing users to simply, quickly and easily open the cap, by squeezing the outer skirt. Such caps can also be closed very easily by reengagement of the snap closure opposite the living hinge.
However, caps of this type have proven to have certain drawbacks related to their relative ease of opening. That is, because of the geometry of the outer skirt, the caps may be inadvertently opened by dropping the container and thereby contacting the region that is depressed by the user for opening. Conversely, if the geometry is altered, the cap can prove difficult to open, requiring significant deformation of the outer skirt before the latch mechanism is freed. Further, thicknesses of component portions of the cap may affect the ability or ease of use. It has been found, for example, that the thickness of a rib or extension that serves as a fulcrum for the trigger mechanism on the outer skirt of the type described above may make deformation of the outer skirt difficult. Finally, in such caps incorporating living hinges, movement of the upper or opening portion of the cap with respect to the base, including twisting, front-to-back and side-to-side movement, can occur about the living hinge, permitting the cap to snap open in an undesirable manner.
There is a need, therefore, for improved cap designs that avoid such drawbacks. The art would benefit from a design generally similar to those of previous designs such as that described above, but that effectively permit the cap to be opened when desired, while precluding or reducing the chances of accidental opening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThe present invention provides an improved cap designed to respond to these needs. The cap may be used in any range of settings, but is particularly well-suited for use with containers designed for dispensing liquids and particulate materials. In a current design, for example, the cap itself can form a container by receipt of an insert or plug that closes a bottom portion of the cap (such as for holding and dispensing pharmaceuticals). In such arrangements, the cap itself may partially form the container. The cap includes an inner skirt that is designed to be affixed to a container. An outer skirt surrounds the inner skirt and includes a region that forms a deformable lever. The outer and inner skirt are part of a base of the cap. An upper or opening portion of the cap is secured to the base by a living hinge. The upper portion includes a latch or detent that is engaged with the base when the cap is closed. The geometry, placement and thickness of molded sections of the cap facilitate escape of the detent from the latching portion of the lever when the cap is desired to be opened.
The cap is further improved by the provision of one or more ribs or abutment elements that prevent twisting of the upper portion of the cap about the living hinge, as well as and lateral movement of the upper portion on the base. Once closed, then, the upper portion is prevented from moving and thereby opening. The cap may also include integral bumpers that protect the living hinge from damage in the event the cap or container is dropped.
DRAWINGSThese and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
Turning now to the drawings, and referring first to
The cap 10 generally includes an upper flip-top portion 12 that closes an opening in the cap when placed in the closed position illustrated in
As is also visible in
Referring to
The outer skirt 16 extending above the radial connecting wall 32 is provided with a latch surface 40 below which a recess 42 is formed. As described more fully below, the latch surface 40 and the recess 42 serve to maintain the upper portion 12 of the cap in a closed position when latched, but permits flip-type movement of the upper portion about the living hinge 22 for opening.
The upper portion 12 of the cap includes a sealing ring 44 that extends from its upper panel toward the inside of the cap. When closed, sealing ring 44 contacts the sealing surface of the upper extension 36 of the cap to form a tight seal. Other sealing structures may, of course, be envisaged, including compressible structures, tempered-proof arrangements, and so forth, which may be temporarily or permanently installed in either the lower portion or the upper portion of the cap. Finally, the upper portion 12 of the cap is provided with a detent 46 which corresponds in location to the recess 42 of the outer skirt of the base portion. When the living hinge 22 is flexed to allow the upper portion to swing over the lower portion and close the cap, this detent 46 slightly deforms or toggles the outer skirt by contacting the latch surface 40. When compressed slightly more over the lower portion, the detent 46 then enters into the recess 42 to latch the upper portion over the lower portion by relaxation of the deformation in the outer skirt.
It should be noted that, as visible in the view shown in
By way of example, in a presently contemplated embodiment for a cap of the type illustrated in the figures having a mouth opening of 1.622 inches (at the smallest diameter of the upper extension 36), the radial connecting wall 32 at the front side of the cap has a height difference 48 of approximately 0.140 inches. In the same cap design, the outer skirt 16 has a height of approximately 0.835 inches, such that the distance from the upper surface of the radial connecting wall 32 to the bottom of the outer skirt is approximately 0.561 inches. Moreover, in the same design, the radial connecting wall 32 at the same location on the front side between the inner skirt and outer skirt (as well as at all other locations around the periphery of the inner skirt) has a thickness of approximately 0.030 inches.
As best illustrated in
By way of example, for a commercially available cap of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,543, mentioned above, the distance 52 indicated in
The particular design of the cap illustrated in the figures has been found both to facilitate opening of the cap and to resist unwanted opening. As noted above, the unwanted opening of heretofore known caps of similar designs has been attributed, at least in part, to twisting of the upper portion of the cap with respect to the base or by lateral (side-to-side and/or front-and-back) movement of the upper portion, in such a way as to allow the detent 46 (see
Also shown in
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A flip-top cap comprising:
- a base portion;
- the flip-top portion joined to the base by a living hinge, the flip top portion comprising a detent opposite the living hinge for maintaining the flip-top portion closed over the base portion;
- the base portion comprising an inner skirt and an outer skirt surrounding the inner skirt and spaced from the inner skirt by a radial connecting wall, the outer skirt forming a latch lever on a side thereof opposite the living hinge, the latch lever being pivotal by elastic deformation of the radial connecting wall and the outer skirt when a force is exerted on the latch lever and an opposite side of the cap, the latch lever including a recess for capturing the detent of the flip-top portion;
- wherein the radial connecting wall is disposed at a lower elevation on the outer skirt at a location adjacent to the latch lever than at a location adjacent to the living hinge.
2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the outer skirt is substantially continuous around a circumference of the base portion.
3. The cap of claim 1, wherein the base portion includes a plurality of ribs configured to contact the flip-top portion when closed over the base portion to prevent twisting and/or lateral movement of the flip-top portion on the base portion.
4. The cap of claim 3, wherein the flip-top portion includes a plurality of ribs configured to contact the base portion to prevent movement of the flip-top portion with respect to the base portion when closed over the base portion.
5. The cap of claim 1, wherein the latch lever includes a latch surface that contacts the detent of the flip-top portion to elastically deform the outer skirt and thereby to permit the detent to enter into the recess upon closing the flip-top portion over the base portion.
6. The cap of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bumpers extending from the base portion for protecting the hinge from damage.
7. The cap of claim 1, wherein the outer skirt has a non-uniform circumferential thickness, whereby the latch lever elastically deforms a different amount than other portions of the outer skirt.
8. The cap of claim 7, wherein the outer skirt is thicker in regions adjacent to the latch lever and to the living hinge than at other locations around its circumference.
9. A flip-top cap comprising:
- a base portion;
- the flip-top portion joined to the base portion by a living hinge, the flip-top portion comprising a detent opposite the living hinge for maintaining the flip-top portion closed over the base portion;
- the base portion comprising an inner skirt and an outer skirt surrounding the inner skirt and spaced from the inner skirt by a radial connecting wall, the outer skirt forming a latch lever on a side thereof opposite the living hinge, the latch lever being pivotal by elastic deformation of the radial connecting wall and the outer skirt when a force is exerted on the latch lever and an opposite side of the cap, the latch lever including a recess for capturing the detent of the flip-top portion;
- wherein the radial connecting wall is disposed at a lower elevation on the outer skirt at a location adjacent to the latch lever than at a location adjacent to the living hinge; and
- wherein the base portion includes a plurality of ribs configured to contact the flip-top portion when closed over the base portion to prevent twisting and/or lateral movement of the flip-top portion on the base portion.
10. The cap of claim 9, further comprising a pair of bumpers disposed immediately adjacent to and on either side of the living hinge.
11. The cap of claim 9, wherein the latch lever includes a latch surface that contacts the detent of the flip-top portion to elastically deform the outer skirt and thereby to permit the detent to enter into the recess upon closing the flip-top portion over the base portion.
12. The cap of claim 9, wherein the outer skirt is substantially continuous around a circumference of the base portion.
13. The cap of claim 9, wherein the flip-top portion includes a plurality of ribs configured to contact the base portion to prevent movement of the flip-top portion with respect to the base portion when closed over the base portion.
14. The cap of claim 9, wherein the outer skirt has a non-uniform circumferential thickness, whereby the latch lever elastically deforms a different amount than other portions of the outer skirt.
15. The cap of claim 9, wherein the outer skirt is thicker in regions adjacent to the latch lever and to the living hinge than at other locations around its circumference.
16. A flip-top cap comprising:
- a base portion;
- the flip-top portion joined to the base portion by a living hinge, the flip-top portion comprising a detent opposite the living hinge for maintaining the flip-top portion closed over the base portion;
- the base portion comprising an inner skirt and an outer skirt surrounding the inner skirt and spaced from the inner skirt by a radial connecting wall, the outer skirt forming a latch lever on a side thereof opposite the living hinge, the latch lever being pivotal by elastic deformation of the radial connecting wall and the outer skirt when a force is exerted on the latch lever and an opposite side of the cap, the latch lever including a recess for capturing the detent of the flip-top portion;
- wherein the radial connecting wall is disposed at lower elevation on the outer skirt at a location adjacent to the latch lever than at a location adjacent to the living hinge; and
- wherein the base portion includes a pair of bumpers configured to contact the flip-top portion when closed over the base portion to prevent twisting and/or lateral movement of the flip-top portion on the base portion.
17. The cap of claim 16, wherein the bumpers are disposed immediately adjacent to and on either side of the living hinge.
18. The cap of claim 16, wherein the latch lever includes a latch surface that contacts the detent of the flip-top portion to elastically deform the outer skirt and thereby to permit the detent to enter into the recess upon closing the flip-top portion over the base portion.
19. The cap of claim 16, wherein the outer skirt has a non-uniform circumferential thickness, whereby the latch lever elastically deforms a different amount than other portions of the outer skirt.
20. The cap of claim 16, wherein the outer skirt is thicker in regions adjacent to the latch lever and to the living hinge than at other locations around its circumference.
21. A flip-top cap comprising:
- a base portion;
- the flip-top portion joined to the base portion by a living hinge, the flip-top portion comprising a pair of latches disposed at opposite locations with respect to one another around its periphery for maintaining the flip-top portion closed over the base portion;
- the base portion comprising an inner skirt and an outer skirt surrounding the inner skirt and spaced from the inner skirt by a radial connecting wall, the outer skirt forming a pair of latch levers at locations of the latches of the flip-top portion, the latch levers being pivotal by elastic deformation of the radial connecting wall and the outer skirt when a force is exerted on the latch levers to release the latches of the flip-top portion for opening the cap;
- wherein the base portion includes a plurality of ribs configured to contact the flip-top portion when closed over the base portion to prevent twisting and/or lateral movement of the flip-top portion on the base portion.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 27, 2006
Publication Date: Nov 1, 2007
Inventors: Gilles Decelles (Brome Lake), Lisa Decelles (Shefford), Annie Messier (Bromont), Phillippe Rousseau (Rock Forest), Norman Taylor (Shefford)
Application Number: 11/412,484
International Classification: B65D 55/02 (20060101); B65D 39/00 (20060101); B65D 51/18 (20060101);