JP-7855654-B2 - Flip-top closure

Inventors

• ミガス，エレミヤ
• レナーツ，マリナ
• モーリン，ジェレミー

Assignees

• クロージャー・システムズ・インターナショナル・インコーポレーテッド

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20240918

Priority Date

20191007

Claims (9)

1. It is a flip-top closure, It comprises a first closure section and a second closure section, The first closure part is, Polymer upper wall section, A sealing mechanism extending downward from the polymer upper wall portion, A polymer annular skirt section, Includes, The second closure part is, Includes polymer tamper-evident bands, The first closure portion and the second closure portion are attached by a fragile wire, The first closure portion and the second closure portion are further attached via a hinge, the hinge assists in moving the flip-top closure between an open position and a closed position, the hinge includes a polymer locking tab, a polymer flexible tab, and a plurality of polymer connecting segments, the polymer locking tab extending outward from the center of the flip-top closure beyond the polymer flexible tab and the plurality of polymer connecting segments, the polymer flexible tab having a flat outer surface with a convex upper surface, When the flip-top closure is opened, the polymer locking tab moves and is configured to pass over the convex upper surface of the polymer flexible tab, thereby locking the flip-top closure in the fully open position, and the polymer locking tab is configured to contact the finish of the container in the fully open position. Flip-top closure.
2. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein when it moves to the fully open position, the surface of the polymer locking tab contacts the upper end of the polymer flexible tab, and the surface of the polymer locking tab causes the polymer flexible tab to bend outward.
3. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein, in the open position, the upper surface of the polymer locking tab contacts both the convex upper surface of the polymer flexible tab and the upper surface of the container.
4. The sealing mechanism is a continuous polymer plug seal having a first end and a second end, the second end being located further from the polymer upper wall than the first end, and the polymer continuous plug seal includes at least one engaging projection at the second end to assist in fitting the flip-top closure into the closed position, as described in claim 1.
5. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of polymer connecting segments are two connecting segments, and the polymer locking tab and the polymer flexible tab are positioned between the two connecting segments.
6. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the polymer flexible tab includes an inward projection configured to contact an outward projection of the container, thereby securing the flip-top closure to the container.
7. The flip-top closure according to claim 6, wherein the upper surface of the inward projection of the polymer flexible tab is configured to contact the bottom surface of the outward projection of the container.
8. The flip-top closure according to claim 6, wherein the inward projection of the polymer flexible tab is triangular in shape.
9. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is configured to flip at least 200 degrees.

Description

(Related applications) This application claims priority under U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/911,449, filed on 7 October 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This invention generally relates to polymer closures for packaging, and more particularly to hinged flip-top polymer closures with tamper-evident elements. Polymer closures have been used in containers for many years in a wide range of applications. One type of polymer closure used in containers is the tamper-evident polymer closure. Tamper-evident closures are used to prevent or deter tampering by providing a visible indicator to the user if the closure is opened. This visible indicator typically separates the closure into two parts if the tamper-evident element is broken. Tamper-evident elements have been used in polymer closures, specifically flip-top closures. Some flip-top closures have an upper tamper-evident element, including a lid, and a lower tamper-evident element located on the base. A potential drawback of these flip-top closures is that the upper tamper-evident element is separate from the rest of the closure and/or is highly susceptible to tampering. For example, the upper tamper-evident element may be a "pull-away" or "breakaway" type element that can be separated and discarded from the rest of the closure. These upper tamper-evident elements are external elements that are relatively prone to tampering. When the top tamper-evident element separates from the rest of the closure into two parts, the likelihood of that part of the flip-top closure being recycled along with the rest of the closure and the container is low. This raises environmental concerns, as a large number of containers have tamper-evident elements that can be separated into two or more parts. Another issue with flip-top closures is how to keep them open while the user accesses the contents of the container. Ideally, this should be achieved before the flip-top closure is divided into multiple parts. Figure 1A is a top-down perspective view of a flip-top closure in the closed position according to one embodiment. Figure 1B is a top view of the flip-top closure shown in Figure 1A. Figure 1C is a rear view of the flip-top closure shown in Figure 1A. Figure 1D is a front view of the flip-top closure shown in Figure 1A. Figure 1E is a cross-sectional view roughly along the line 1E-1E in Figure 1B. Figure 2A is a top-down perspective view of a package in the closed position according to one embodiment, which includes the flip-top closure and container shown in Figure 1A. Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view roughly along the line 2B-2B in Figure 2A. Figure 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view roughly along the line 2B-2B in Figure 2A, showing three different positions (positions A-C) (elements within the closure are omitted for clarity). Figure 3B is an enlarged view of region 3B in Figure 3A, showing the interaction between the locking tab, the flexible tab, and the mouth of the container at position A. Figure 3C is an enlarged view of region 3B in Figure 3A, showing the interaction between the locking tab, the flexible tab, and the mouth of the container at position B. Figure 3D is an enlarged view of region 3B in Figure 3A, showing the interaction between the locking tab, the flexible tab, and the mouth of the container at position C. Figure 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view roughly along the line 2B-2B in Figure 2A, showing four different positions (positions C-E and A) (elements within the closure are omitted for clarity). Figure 4B is an enlarged view of region 4B in Figure 4A, showing the interaction between the locking tab, the flexible tab, and the mouth of the container at position D. Figure 4C is an enlarged view of region 4B in Figure 4A, showing the interaction between the locking tab, the flexible tab, and the mouth of the container at position E. Figure 5A is an enlarged view showing the interaction between the locking tab, the flexible tab, and the mouth of the container in the open position, according to another embodiment. Figure 5B is an enlarged view showing the interaction between the locking tab, the flexible tab, and the mouth of the container in the open position, according to yet another embodiment. While the present invention can be modified and altered in various ways, specific embodiments are illustrated by the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed herein, but rather to include all modifications, equivalents, and alterations that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Figures 1A to 1E show a polymer flip-top closure 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The closure is configured to rest on a container or bottle containing a product. The product is typically a liquid, but may be a solid or a combination of liquid and so