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EP-4416071-B1 - DISPENSING CLOSURE

EP4416071B1EP 4416071 B1EP4416071 B1EP 4416071B1EP-4416071-B1

Inventors

  • MAZURKIEWICZ, Timothy, Michael
  • BRANCA, Christopher, Ryan
  • WISNIEWSKI, JOHN
  • BEILKE, STACY, L.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20221018

Claims (9)

  1. A dispensing closure (40) for use in dispensing a substance that may be stored within an interior of a container (44), said dispensing closure (40) comprising: a first body (54) for being located at an opening of a container (44), said first body (54) having a first peripheral wall (56) and a membrane (60) that is integrally molded with said first peripheral wall (56) to initially occlude access to the interior of the container (44); a second body (55) for surrounding at least a portion of said first body (54) and defining a dispensing orifice (88); and wherein said second body (55) includes means for accommodating engagement by a user to breach only a portion of said membrane (60) in a direction toward the interior of the container (44) to permit access to the interior of the container (44); characterized in that said means includes a push portion (94) rotatably connected to said second body (55), said push portion (94) defining a cantilevered end (97) located above said membrane (60) proximate to said first peripheral wall (56).
  2. The dispensing closure (40) according to claim 1 wherein said dispensing closure (40) defines a central axis (A) extending outwardly away from an interior of the container (44) and extending inwardly toward an interior of the container (44), said second body (55) includes a pour lip (89) extending laterally and axially outwardly around said dispensing orifice (88), and said push portion (94) is located axially inwardly of said pour lip (89).
  3. The dispensing closure (40) according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said push portion (94) is located within said dispensing orifice (88) of said second body (55).
  4. The dispensing closure (40) according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said dispensing closure (40) defines a central axis (A) extending outwardly away from an interior of the container (44) and extending inwardly toward an interior of the container (44), said push portion (94) is connected to a transverse wall (96) of the second body (55) by a hinge (95), and said push portion (94) extends axially outwardly of said transverse wall (96).
  5. The dispensing closure (40) according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said push portion (94) includes at least one rib (114) facing said membrane (60) and located laterally between said cantilevered end (97) and said hinge (95); and/or wherein said dispensing closure (40) defines a central axis (A) extending outwardly away from an interior of the container (44) and extending inwardly toward an interior of the container (44), and wherein said membrane (60) includes an annular peripheral portion 68 which slopes axially outwardly along said central axis (A) and said membrane (60) includes a concave central portion (70) that slopes axially inwardly from said annular peripheral portion (68) toward said central axis (A).
  6. The dispensing closure (40) according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said first body (54) further includes a second peripheral wall (58) connected to, and surrounding, said first peripheral wall (56), said first and second peripheral walls (56, 58) for receiving a portion of the container (44) to secure said first body (54) at the opening of the container (44).
  7. The dispensing closure (40) according to any of claims 1 to 6 wherein said second body (55) includes a top deck (92), a skirt (93) extending downwardly from said top deck (92) for surrounding a portion of the container (44), and a lid (100) being hingedly connected to said top deck (92).
  8. The dispensing closure (40) according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein said second body (55) includes means (98) for being non-removably secured with said first body (54) at an opening of the container (44).
  9. The dispensing closure (40) according to any of claims 1 to 8 in combination with container (44) of a fluent substance, said dispensing closure (40), container (44), and fluent substance together defining a package.

Description

PRIORITY This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/270,374, filed October 21, 2021. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to a dispensing closure for use with a container of a fluent substance. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART Closures are employed to selectively prevent or permit communication of a substance between the interior and the exterior of a container (e.g., flexible pouch, rigid bottle, machine, dispensing equipment, containment system, etc.) through an opening in the container. Various fluent and non-fluent substances (including lotions, creams, food items, granules, liquids, powders, small articles, etc.) may be packaged in a container. A typical closure includes a (1) body (e.g., screw or snap-fit base, pouch fitment, structure, etc.) located at an opening to the container interior, and (2) a closing element (e.g., a lid, cover, overcap, etc.). The closure body can typically be either (1) a separate structure that (a) can be attached at such a container opening, and (b) defines at least one access passage through the body for communicating through such a container opening with the interior of such a container, or (2) an integral structure that is a unitary portion of such a container and that defines at least one access passage through the integral structure such that the access passage functions as the opening, per se, to the container. The closing element typically accommodates movement relative to the body access passage between (1) a closed position occluding the access passage, and (2) an open position at least partially exposing the access passage. Some closures may include additional elements (e.g., tamper-evident features, silicone valves, locking elements, seals, etc.). A closure specifically designed for dispensing a fluent substance may be described as a dispensing closure. Various fluent materials or substances (including oils, lotions, creams, gels, liquids, food items, granules, powders, etc.) may be packaged in a rigid, flexible, or collapsible container having a dispensing closure that can be opened and closed. A flexible container may be pressurized by a user to force the fluent substance from the container and through the closure body to dispense the fluent substance at a target region or onto a target surface area. The container with the closure mounted thereon, and the contents stored therein, may be characterized as a "package." A dispensing closure may provide an initial hermetic seal and/or may provide an initial tamper-evidency for indicating to a user that the closure integrity has been compromised. One such type of closure includes a body having a discharge end defining at least part of the access passage (which could be, for example, a discharge flow passage) that is initially sealed closed with a separable membrane. The discharge end of the body may further be covered with a closing element that is a cap or lid that can be removed, or moved away, from the discharge end so as to "open" the discharge end and allow access to the separable membrane. Typically, a separation member, such as a pull tab or pull ring, extends from the membrane. The pull tab or ring projects above the membrane. The user initially grasps the pull tab or ring to pull the membrane so as to separate the membrane from the body discharge end at the access passage to establish communication between the exterior ambient environment and the interior of the container or other system to which the closure is mounted. A frangible connection or tear path defines the line of separation between the membrane and the remaining portion of the closure body. However, such a separable membrane may create additional waste that must be discarded by a user. Alternatively, some non-separable membranes are typically formed from a foil or metal liner that is sealed between a closure and a container, which need not be separately discarded, but which may render the closure and/or the container unsuitable for many recycling streams. The inventors of the present invention have determined that it would be desirable to provide, at least for some applications, an improved dispensing closure that includes a frangible, but non-separable membrane located within a relatively smaller dispensing orifice that exhibits an improved visual appearance to a user. The inventors of the present invention have also determined that it would be desirable to provide an improved dispensing closure with a frangible, but non-separable membrane exhibiting improved performance in breaking from the remainder of the closure body and/or exhibiting a decreased force required by a user to initiate the tear or separation of the membrane from the remainder of the closure body. Preferably, the non-separable membrane would be unitarily molded out of the same thermoplastic material as the remainder of the closure for improved recyclability. The inventors of the pres