Closure

Abstract

A screw-on closure, and a dispensing fitment for a container neck have co-operating orientation means defining a predetermined relative rotating orientation of the closure with respect to the fitment when it is screwed onto a container neck.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a closure and particularly to a screw-on closure for use in conjunction with a container neck.

There are a variety of situations in which it is desirable to be able to orientate a closure with respect to a container, for example if the closure and/or container are asymmetric or carry information or include directional dispensing components.

The present invention seeks to provide improvements in relation to orientatable closures.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided in combination, a screw-on closure and a dispensing fitment for a container neck, the closure and fitment having cooperating orientation means defining a predetermined relative rotational orientation of the closure with respect to the fitment when if is screwed on to a neck.

This aspect of the present invention therefore provides a mechanism for achieving a required orientation of a fitment relative to a container neck by using a closure to orientate the fitment.

According to an alternative aspect of the present invention there is provided in combination, a screw-on closure and a dispensing fitment for a container neck, the closure and fitment having cooperating orientation means defining a predetermined relative rotational orientation of the closure with respect to the fitment when it is screwed on to a neck, the fitment including a rim orientated towards the closure and the fitment orientation means being provided on or by the top of the rim.

This aspect of the present invention therefore provides orientation means in a particular location, specifically on fop of a fitment rim so that it can engage cooperating orientation means on a closure and thereafter be orientated by the closure, for example by causing co-rotation.

The fitment may comprise a nozzle. For example, the fitment may comprise a dispensing nozzle or spout arrangement intended to fit into or onto a container neck and thereafter dispense product when the closure is subsequently removed. In some embodiments the fitment comprises one or more directional orifices which necessitate a specific orientation of the fitment with respect to a container.

The fitment may plug into the container neck. The fitment and closure may be applied together to a container neck, with the closure driving the fitment down onto or into the container neck; thereafter the fitment may be plugged into and securely retained into the neck so that removal of the closure leaves the fitment firmly secured into the neck and does not remove it.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided in combination, a screw-on closure and a container with a neck defining an opening, the closure and the neck having cooperating screw thread formations and cooperating orientation means for defining a predetermined relative rotational orientation of the closure with respect to the container, in which the neck orientation means are provided on or by the top of the neck rim.

This aspect of the present invention therefore provides orientation means in a specific location and in particular the neck orientation means are provided by or on the top face of the neck rim.

The orientation means of aspects of the present invention may comprise ratchet means, such as one or a plurality of ratchet teeth. In other embodiments other analogous rotationally orientating features such as drive dogs, driving faces and other projections may be used.

The closure may comprise an inner skirt and an outer skirt. The screw thread formations and/or orientating means of a closure may be provided on or by a or the inner skirt and/or the outer skirt. Multiple inner skirts, plugs and the like may be provided, with the formations and orientation means provided on or by the same or different parts.

The closure orientation means may be provided at a free end of the inner skirt. For example, the inner skirt may depend from a closure top plate, roof or the like and the orientation means are provided at the opposite, free end.

The closure may be provided with child-resistant anti-rotation means. The anti-rotation means can allow the closure and optional fitment to be screwed onto a container neck but thereafter prevent unscrewing. In some embodiments the closure may be formed as a squeeze-and-turn closure in which squeezing part of the closure, for example an outer skirt, results in ovalisation and allows ratchet teeth on the closure to move clear of ratchet teeth on the container neck so that unscrewing can occur.

The present invention also provides a closure and/or a fitment and/or a container neck for use in any of the combinations described herein either together or separately.

The orientation means and screw thread formations of the closure may be provided on the same or a different skirt. For example, the screw thread formations may be provided on an outer or intermediate skirt and the orientation means may be provided radially inward of that skirt on a further skirt.

The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional view of a closure formed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a further sectional perspective view of the closure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a dispensing fitment formed according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the fitment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an underplan view of the fitment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an alternative side view of the fitment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the fitment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a partial section of the closure of FIG. 1 shown fitted with the fitment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a further partial section of the closure and fitment of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a partial section of the closure and fitment of FIGS. 8 and 9 in association with a container neck.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a child resistant-orientating closure generally indicated 10. The closure 10 comprises a body 12 having a generally cylindrical side wall 14 closed at one end by a frusto-conical cap 16 comprising an inclined side wall 18 and a frustrum 20,

The inner surface of the wall 14 carries internal screw thread formations 30.

Radially outward of the free end of the side wall 14 an outer skirt 28 is attached. The inner surface of the the skirt 28 carries a pair (only one is shown) of ratchet teeth 22 comprising an inclined face 24 and a flat abutment face 26.

Radially inward of the side wall 14 an inner skirt 32 depends from the inclined side wall 18. The skirt 32 is comprised of a pair of mirror image arcuate inclined ramps 34, 36 which define at each end a driving face 38, 40. The ramps 34, 36 are semi-circular and continuous with each other, in other words the faces 38, 40 terminate at the start of the ramps.

Radially inwardly of the skirt 32 a generally cylindrical plug 42 depends from the periphery of the frustrum 20.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 7 there is shown a dispensing fitment generally indicated 50.

The fitment 50 comprises a generally cylindrical plug body 62 which carries a dispensing nozzle 54. The nozzle 54 is generally frusto conical and includes a slot 56 defining an orifice 58.

The body 62 tapers inwardly towards the free, non-nozzle end and carries an annular sealing bead 64. The body 62 terminates at its end closest to the orifice 58 with a rim 66. The rim 66 comprises a pair of semi-circular inclined ramps 68, 70 each terminating with a respective flat, driving face 72, 74 and thus being complimentary with the ramps 34, 36 of the closure 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9 the closure 10 and fitment 50 are shown fitted together. The nozzle 54 fits up into the plug skirt 42 and into the cap 44, with the skirt 42 fitting between the nozzle body and the plug rim. The plug rim engages the skirt 32 and when the closure 10 is rotated relative to the fitment the complimentary ramps 34, 36, 68, 70 engage with their respective driving faces 38, 40, 72, 74 engaged against each other so that in this position the closure and fitment will rotate together in a define relative rotational orientation.

This means that when the closure 10 and fitment 50 are presented to a container neck, when the closure 10 is rotated onto the neck it will always engage the fitment and drive it into the neck bore as it co-rotates. This means that when the closure is fully screwed on to the container neck the fitment will be in a predetermined relative rotational orientation both with respect to the closure and the container neck.

As shown best in FIG. 10, the plug body 62 of the fitment 50 is securely fitted into the bore of a container neck 80 so that when the closure 10 is unscrewed the fitment 50 is retained in the neck 80.

In this embodiment the container neck 80 is provided with external screw thread formations 82 for engaging the formations 30 on the skirt 14. Additionally, the neck 80 is provided with a pair of ratchet teeth 84 which cooperate with the teeth 22 on the skirt 28 to prevent counter rotation of the closure. In order to remove the closure 10 from the neck 80 the skirt 28 must be ovalised to move the teeth 22 away from the corresponding teeth 84 on the neck as is well known in squeeze-and-turn child-resistant closures.

The closure 10 and fitment 50 can be pre-fitted together and applied together to a container neck 80. Alternatively the fitment 50 can be loosely fitted into the container neck 80 and the closure 10 can be applied. In either case the closure is rotated so that its driving faces engage those of the fitment rim so that rotation of the closure 10 with respect to the neck 80 causes co-rotation of the closure and fitment in the predetermined relative rotational orientation.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. In combination, a screw-on closure and a fitment for a container neck, the closure engaging the fitment so that the closure and fitment co-rotate as the closure is screwed on to a container neck to a fully screwed on position, whereby when the closure is in the fully screwed on position the fitment is in a predetermined relative orientation with respect to the closure and the container neck.

18. The closure claimed in claim 17, in which the fitment includes a rim oriented towards the closure and the closure engages the top of the rim to cause said co-rotation.

19. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the fitment comprises a dispensing fitment.

20. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the fitment comprises a nozzle.

21. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the fitment comprises one or more directional orifices.

22. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the fitment plugs into the container neck.

23. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the closure is a child-resistant closure.

24. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the closure is a squeeze-and-turn closure.

25. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the closure and fitment co-rotate via co-operating orientation means.

26. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the closure and/or fitment have one or more ratchets.

27. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the closure and/or fitment have one or more ratchet teeth.

28. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the closure and/or fitment have one or more rotationally orientating features selected from one or a plurality of: ratchets; drive dogs;

driving faces; and projections.

29. The combination claimed in claim 17, in which the closure comprises an inner skirt and an outer skirt.

30. The combination claimed in claim 29, in which closure orientation means are provided on the inner skirt.

31. The combination claimed in claim 29, in which closure orientation means are provided at a free end of the inner skirt.

32. A method of applying a fitment to a container neck comprising the steps of:

providing a fitment;

providing a screw-on closure with a fully screwed on position of the closure having a predetermined relative rotational orientation with respect to the container neck; and rotationally engaging the fitment in a predetermined relative orientation via the closure, such that the closure and fitment co-rotate as the closure is applied to the container neck, such that in the fully screwed on position the fitment is in a predetermined relative orientation with respect to the closure and the container neck.

33. In combination, a screw-on closure and a container with a neck defining an opening, the closure having screw thread formations and the neck having co-operating screw thread formations and a rim, where a top of the rim of the neck engages the closure to define a predetermined relative rotational orientation between the closure and the neck.