GB2112761A

GB2112761A - Closure with transversely movable nozzle

Info

Publication number: GB2112761A
Application number: GB08236163A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dusan Sava Lajovic
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-01-08
Filing date: 1982-12-20
Publication date: 1983-07-27
Also published as: SE8207529D0; DE3300198A1; IT1197539B; FI830044A0; SE8207529L; FR2519609A1; IT8347517A0; NZ202863A; AR229548A1; BR8300072A; CH650989A5; FI830044L; GB2112761B; CA1197817A

Abstract

A container closure comprises a body 1 for attachment to a container mouth and includes an inlet passage 9 for communication with the mouth, a cap 5 attached to the body for rotation about an axis, the cap having a top wall 19 and a side wall 21, the side wall including an aperture 20 therein, and a closure element 7 including an inlet port 11, a dispensing nozzle 13 and a dispensing passage 12, the element being restrained by the body so as to be slidable with respect thereto along a path between a dispensing and a closed position, thereby to bring the inlet port 11 into or out of dispensing register with the inlet passage 9. Sliding movement of the closure element is effected via finger-grip portion which cooperates with camming aperture 17 in cap top wall 19 to bring aperture 20 and nozzle 13 into register with each other. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Closure with transversely movable nozzle The present invention relates to closures and has been developed primarily for use with collapsible dispensing tubes or other containers. Although the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to dispensing tubes, it will be appreciated that it is not limited to this particular field of use. it may, for example, also be applied to other forms of containers such as cans or drums.

With known tube closures, difficulties are encountered in resealing the tube after use. The tube contents frequently adhere to the container neck and closure causing an unsightly build-up of deposits which interfere with the closure and often result in contamination of the product.

Hinged, snap-locking closures have been used but these also leave deposits adjacent the tube or container neck. Furthermore, the hinged closure interefereswith dispensing, is difficult to construct and relies on the flexing of a plastics hinge which is then subject to fatigue failure. These closures are often difficult to assemble onto the container during automatic processing.

Pressure activated, automatic resealing closures have also been proposed but these have been found to be expensive to construct and unsatisfactory in service.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a closure which does not require a removable cap and where the dispensing nozzle is concealed when not in use.

According to the invention there is provided a container closure comprising a body adapted for attachment to a container mouth and including an inlet passage for communication with said mouth, a cap attached to said body for rotation about an axis, said cap having a top wall and a side wall, said side wall including a gate aperture therein, a closure element including an inlet port, a dispensing nozzle and a dispensing passage extending from said inlet port to said dispensing nozzle, said element being restrained by said body so as to be slidable with respect thereto along a path between a dispensing and a closed position, thereby to bring said inlet port into dispensing register with said inlet passage when in said dispensing position and to move said inlet port away from said inlet passage, thereby to close said inlet passage when in said closed position, said cap being rotatable between a first position wherein said gate aperture is in dispensing register with said nozzle and a second position wherein said gate aperture is out of dispensing register with said nozzle, said cap and element being mutually en gaged to permit only simultaneous movement such that said first position of said cap corresponds with said dispensing position of said element and said second position of said cap corresponds with said closed position of said element.

Three preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa plan view of the first embodiment of the closure according to the invention, shown in the closed position.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the first closure taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the first closure, similar to Figure 1 but illustrating the closure in the open or dispensing position.

Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation of the first closure taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of the first closure taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the second embodiment of the closure according to the invention, shown in the closed position.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the second closure, similar to Figure 6 but illustrating the closure in the open or dispensing position.

Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation of the second closure, taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional side elevation of a closure similar to Figure 8 but illustrating a different means of connecting the closure to the container.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the third embodiment of the closure according to the invention, shown in the closed position.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the third embodiment of the closure, similar to Figure 10 but illustrating the closure in the open or dispensing position.

Figure 12 is a sectional side elevation of the third closure, taken on line 12-12 of Figure 11.

The operation of the three embodiments is basically similar and, wherever possible, corresponding reference numerals have been used for ease of description.

Referring to the drawings, the closure in all three cases includes a body 1 adapted for attachment to a container such as a plastics or extruded aluminium dispensing tube or can (not shown). The body can be attached to the container by any suitable means such as by an internally screw-threaded sleeve 2 (see Figures 8 and 9) arranged to screw onto an external lythreaded tube neck piece, or the body may include a peripheral flange or other attachment device for securing the closure to a laminated tube. Again, the body may include a snap-locking feature which locks the body onto complimentary formations on the container.

The body 1 is provided with a peripheral groove 3 for snap-locking engagement with a complimentary peripheral rib 4 on a rotatable cap 5, thereby permitting the cap to rotate about an axis 6.

A separate closure element 7 is transversely slideable with respect to the body 1 along a path 8 between a closed configuration as illustrated in Figures 1,2,5,6 and 10 and an open configuration as shown in Figures 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12.

The body 1 includes an inlet passage 9 which communicates with the contents of the container. In the closed configuration, this inlet passage is sealed by the lower wall 10 of the closure element 7. In the open configuration, a downwardly opening inlet port 11 in the closure element is brought into dispensing register with the inlet passage 9 so that the material to be dispensed can flow out of the container through the inlet passage 9, then through the inlet port 11 into a dispensing passage 12 in the closure element, terminating in a dispensing nozzle 13. The passages 9, 11 and 12 may, of course, have any desired cross-sectional shape.

In the case of the first embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, the direction 14 of the path 8 is inclined with respect to the axis 6. It is also identical to the direction 15 of the dispensing passage 12. With the second and third embodiments of Figures 6 to 9 and 10 to 12 respectively, the direction 15 of the dispensing passage is inclined with respect to the direction 14 of the path 8.

In the case of the first and second embodiments, sliding movement of the closure element 7 is effected by a finger-grip portion 16 which projects upwardly from the closure element, through a camming aperture 17 formed in the top wall 19 of the cap 5.

In the first embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, itwill be noted that the camming aperture 17 is substantially L-shaped in form, whereas in the second embodiment of Figures 6 to 9, the camming aperture is linear. In both cases, as finger pressure against the finger-grip portion 16 moves the closure element from the closed position of Figures 1 and 6 towards the open position of Figures 4 and 7, the camming action ofthefinger-grip portion against the side walls of the camming aperture 17 causes the cap 5 to rotate such that a gate aperture 20 formed in the side wall 21 of the cap 5 is brought into dispensing register with the nozzle 13. This enables the dispensing nozzle 13 to project through the gate aperture 20 and slightly beyond the cap in the open configuration shown in Figures 3 and 7.It will be observed that the opening direction of cap rotation is clockwise in the case of the first embodiment and anti-clockwise with the second.

To seal the closure, the finger grip portion is pushed in the opposite direction, causing the closure element to retract and, in so doing, to rotate the cap in the reverse direction such that the dispensing nozzle 13 is concealed by the cap. It will be observed that the geometry of the illustrated arrangement is such that the gate aperture 20 is brought into its operative dispensing position ahead of the arrival of the closure element such that minimal clearance is required to permit the dispensing nozzle to protrude through the gate aperture.

As best shown in Figure 2, the closed configuration is defined when the rearmost wall 22 of the closure element 7 comes into contact with the adjacent inner surface 23 of the cap side wall 21. The open position is defined when the leading face 24 of the finger grip portion 16 comes into contact with an opposing face 25 on the body. In the closed configuration, the gate aperture 20 is sealed against an adjacent wall 26 on the body 2.

The operation of the second embodiment is essentially similar to that of the first embodiment except that it will be observed that movement of the closure element from the closed to the open position causes the cap 4 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. As in the case of the first embodiment, the closed configuration as shown in Figure 6 is defined when the rearmost wall 22 of the closure element comes into contact with the adjacent inner wall 23 of the cap. The open position of Figure 7 is defined when the forward face 27 of the closure element comes into contact with the inner wall 28 of the body.

It will be observed from Figure 8 that the closure element 7 includes an enlarged head portion 29 closely adjacent the undersurface 30 of the cap top wall 19. The enlarged head portion 29 serves to seal the camming aperture 17.

The sliding path 8 of the closure element in the second and third embodiments is defined by a pair of outwardly directed parallel rail flanges 31 formed on the body 1 and engaged by a corresponding pair of inwardly directed grooves 32 on the closure element.

The operation of the third embodiment illustrated in Figures 10 to 12 is basically similar to that of the first two except that in this instance, instead of movement of the closure element causing rotation of the cap, the reverse is true. In this embodiment, the closure is operated by rotating the cap which then causes the closure element to slide between the closed and dispensing positions.

Sliding movement of the closure element 7 is effected by a cam follower pin 33 which projects upwardly from the closure element into engagement with a camming recess 17 defined by flanges 34 extending downwardly from beneath the top wall 19 of the cap 5.

In order to move the closure from the closed to the open configuration, the cap is rotated in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 10 until the dispensing position of Figure 11 is reached. Clockwise rotation of the cap will then return the closure element to the closed position of Figure 10. Apart from this modification, the structure of the third embodiment is virtually identical with the second.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in manyotherforms.

Claims

1. A container closure comprising a body adapted for attachment to a container mouth and including an inlet passage for communication with said mouth, a cap attached to said body for rotation about an axis, said cap having a top wall and a side wall, said side wall including a gate aperture therein, a closure element including an inlet port, a dispensing nozzle and a dispensing passage extending from said inlet port to said dispensing nozzle, said element being restrained by said body so as to be slidablewith respect thereto along a path between a dispensing and a closed position, thereby to bring said inlet port into dispensing register with said inlet passage when in said dispensing position and to move said inlet port away from said inlet passage, thereby to close said inlet passage when in said closed position, said cap being rotatable between a first position wherein said gate aperture is in dispensing register with said nozzle and a second position wherein said gate aperture is out of dispensing register with said nozzle, said cap and element being mutually engaged to permit only simultaneous movement such that said first position of said cap corresponds with said dispensing position of said element and said second position of said cap corresponds with said closed position of said element.

2. A container closure according to claim 1 wherein movement of said element from said dispensing position to said closed position causes said cap to rotate from said first to said second position.

3. A container closure according to claim 2 wherein said element includes a finger-grip portion extending at least partially through a camming aperture formed in said cap top wall, thereby mutually engaging said cap and said element, said rotation being caused bycamming action of said portion against said camming aperture.

4. A container closure according to claim 3 wherein said camming aperture is substantially L-shaped when viewed in the direction of said axis.

5. A container closure according to claim 1 wherein said path is inclined with respect to said axis.

6. A container closure according to claim 3 wherein said path is inclined with respect to said axis.

7. A container closure according to claim 2 wherein said path is normal to said axis.

8. A container closure according to claim 2 wherein said dispensing passage extends in a direction inclined with respect to that of said path when viewed in the direction of said axis.

9. A container closure according to claim 8 wherein said element includes a finger-grip portion extending at least partially through a camming aperture formed in said cap top wall, thereby mutually engaging said cap and said element, said rotation being caused by camming action of said portion against said camming aperture.

10. A container closure according to claim 9 wherein said camming aperture is substantially linear.

11. A container closure according to claim 8 wherein said path is defined by a pair of outwardly directed parallel rail fanges on said body, engaged by a corresponding pair of inwardly directed grooves on said element.

12. A container closure according to claim 1 wherein said cap snap-lockingly engages said body by means of an inter-engaging rib and groove formation.

13. A container closure according to claim 1 wherein said body is provided with internal screw threads for engagement with the externally threaded neck of a dispensing tube.

14. A container closure according to claim 1 wherein movement of said cap from said first to said second position causes said closure element to move from said dispensing position to said closed position.

15. A container closure according to claim 14 wherein said cap and said closure element are mutually engaged by means of a cam follower pin projecting from said closure element into engagement with a camming recess in said cap top wall.

16. A container closure according to claim 15 wherein said camming recess is defined by flanges extending downwardly towards said closure element from beneath said cap top wall.

17. A container closure according to claim 14 wherein said dispensing passage extends in a direction inclined with respect to that of said path when viewed in the direction of said axis.

18. A closure element according to claim 17 wherein said path is defined by a pair of outwardly directed parallel rail flanges on said body, engaged by a corresponding pair of inwardly directed grooves on said element.

19. A container closure according to claim 7 wherein said closure element includes an enlarged head portion closely adjacent the undersurface of said cap top wall, thereby to seal said camming aperture.

20. A container closure according to claim 1 wherein said dispensing nozzle projects beyond said cap side wall when in said dispensing position.

21. A container closure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying draw ings.