CLOSURE WITH THREADING

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/627,233 filed Jan. 31, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a polymeric closure for a package. More specifically, the present invention relates to a polymeric closure with threading and a tamper-evident band.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Polymeric closures have been used in many applications over the years in conjunction with containers to form a package. Some polymeric closures include a tamper-evident band that assists a user in determining whether the closure has been previously opened. Threading is often used with closures having tamper-evident bands for opening and closing the closure with respect to the container. Threading may be formed in a helical formation. Typically, to gain access to the contents of a container, the closure is rotated and twisted off from the container via the helical threading. One of the disadvantages of threading is when a fair amount of initial rotation does not result in directly supporting vertical travel of the closure, which is not beneficial to the functional of a tamper-evident band because the tamper-evident band must break with less vertical travel.

It would be desirable to provide a polymeric closure with a tamper-evident band that supports quicker vertical travel that is beneficial to the functional of a tamper-evident band.

SUMMARY

The term embodiment and like terms are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this disclosure and the claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the present disclosure covered herein are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the disclosure and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. This summary is also not intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this disclosure, any or all drawings and each claim.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a closure comprises a first closure portion and a second closure portion. The first closure portion includes a top wall portion and an annular skirt portion. The annular skirt portion depends from the top wall portion. The annular skirt portion includes an internal thread formation for mating engagement with an external thread formation of a container. The thread formation is a helical formation with a plurality of alternating bumps and valleys. Each of the plurality of bumps has a greater width than the plurality of valleys. The width of the plurality of bumps and the plurality of valleys is measured in a direction perpendicular to the top wall portion. The second closure portion includes a tamper-evident band depending from and being partially detachably connected to the annular skirt portion by a frangible connection.

According to a further configuration of the above implementation, closure is a one-piece.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.03 to about 0.11 inch and the width of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch. In another embodiment, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.05 to about 0.11 inch and the width of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.02 to about 0.04 inch.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 1.5 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

In yet a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 2 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

According to a further configuration of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 2 to about 3 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 3 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a closure comprises a first closure portion and a second closure portion. The first closure portion includes a top wall portion and an annular skirt portion. The annular skirt portion depends from the top wall portion. The annular skirt portion includes an internal thread formation for mating engagement with an external thread formation of a container. The thread formation is a helical formation that is discontinuous and forms a plurality of individual segments. Each of the individual segments includes a plurality of alternating bumps and valleys. Each of the plurality of bumps has a greater width than the plurality of valleys. The width of the plurality of bumps and the plurality of valleys is measured in a direction perpendicular to the top wall portion. The second closure portion includes a tamper-evident band depending from and being partially detachably connected to the annular skirt portion by a frangible connection.

According to a further configuration of the above implementation, each of the individual segments includes at least three bumps.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.03 to about 0.11 inch and the width of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch. In another embodiment, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.05 to about 0.11 inch and the width of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.02 to about 0.04 inch.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 1.5 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 2 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 3 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a package comprises a container and a closure. The container has a neck portion defining an opening. The container has an external thread formation on the neck portion. The closure is configured for fitment to the neck portion of the container for closing the opening. The closure includes a first closure portion and a second closure portion. The first closure portion includes a top wall portion and an annular skirt portion. The annular skirt portion depends from the top wall portion. The annular skirt portion includes an internal thread formation for mating engagement with an external thread formation of a container. The thread formation is a helical formation with a plurality of alternating bumps and valleys. Each of the plurality of bumps has a greater width than the plurality of valleys. The width of the plurality of bumps and the plurality of valleys is measured in a direction perpendicular to the top wall portion. The second closure portion includes a tamper-evident band depending from and being partially detachably connected to the annular skirt portion by a frangible connection.

According to a further configuration of the above implementation, the thread formation is discontinuous and forms a plurality of individual segments. Each of the individual segments includes the plurality of alternating bumps and valleys.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 1.5 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 2 to about 3 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

In a further aspect of the above implementation, the width of the plurality of bumps is from about 3 to about 4 times greater than the width of the plurality of valleys.

The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the present invention. Additional features and benefits of the present invention are apparent from the detailed description and figures set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a bottom perspective view of a polymeric closure in a molded position according to one embodiment.

FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of area FIG. 1B in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the polymeric closure of FIG. 1A with the tamper-evident band being in a functional orientation.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a package with the closure of FIG. 1A according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the package of FIG. 2A taken through a bump.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of area FIG. 3B in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of the package of FIG. 2A taken through a valley.

FIG. 3D is an enlarged view of area FIG. 3D in FIG. 3C.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments are described with reference to the attached figures, where like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not drawn to scale and are provided merely to illustrate the instant invention. Several aspects of the invention are described below with reference to example applications for illustration. It should be understood that numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of the invention. One having ordinary skill in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the invention. The various embodiments are not limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are required to implement a methodology in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate a polymeric closure 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The closures are configured to be placed on a container or bottle that contain product. The product is typically a liquid product, but also may be a solid product or a combination of a liquid and solid product. The polymeric closure 10 of FIGS. 1A, 1B is a one-piece closure assembly. It is contemplated that the polymeric closure may be a two-piece assembly. The polymeric closure 10 is generally cylindrically shaped. FIGS. 2-3D show a package 200 with the polymeric closure 10 and a container 100.

Referring back to FIGS. 1A-1C, the polymeric closure 10 includes a polymeric top wall portion 12, a polymeric annular skirt portion 14 that depends from the polymeric top wall portion 12, a polymeric continuous plug seal 16, and a tamper-evident band 18. The top wall portion 12 extends across the entire top of the polymeric closure 10 without any openings.

The polymeric continuous plug seal 16 depends from the polymeric top wall portion 12 as shown best in FIG. 1C. The continuous plug seal 16 works in conjunction with the finish of the container to form a seal. The continuous plug seal 16 is spaced from and is not directly connected to the polymeric annular skirt portion 14. By being disconnected from the annular skirt portion 14, any impact to an exterior surface 14a of the polymeric annular skirt portion 14 will have less risk of being transferred to the finish of the container, which can potentially disturb the seal between the continuous plug seal 16 and the finish. Such a disturbance can cause a loss in product integrity.

It is contemplated that other sealing mechanisms may be used instead or in addition to the continuous plug seal. For example, sealing mechanisms such as an outer seal or a top seal may be used. The top seal assists in providing a positive stop when the finish of the container and the closure are being threaded with each other. Thus, the top seal assists in positioning the finish of the container when the closure is being threaded onto the finish.

The polymeric annular skirt portion 14 includes the exterior surface 14a and an interior surface 14b. The interior surface 14b of the polymeric annular skirt portion 14 includes an internal thread formation 30. The internal thread formation 30 is configured for mating engagement with a corresponding external thread formation of a neck portion of a container.

The internal thread formation 30 depicted in FIGS. 1A-1C is a single closure lead that extends around at least a periphery of the interior surface 14b of the polymeric annular skirt portion 14. As shown in FIG. 1A, portions of the internal thread formation 30 overlap with each other. The internal thread formation is a helical thread formation. The internal thread formation 30 is shown as being discontinuous in FIGS. 1A-1C in that there are spaces 40 located between individual segments of the internal thread formation 30.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1B, the internal thread formation 30 includes a plurality of alternating bumps 32 and a plurality of valleys 34. The plurality of bumps 32 assists in providing quicker vertical travel as will be discussed below. The plurality of valleys 34 assists in supporting the plurality of bumps 32, especially during the threading and unthreading operations.

Referring to FIGS. 3B, 3D each of the plurality of bumps has a width W1 (FIG. 3B) and each of the plurality of valleys has a width W2 (FIG. 3D). The W1 of the plurality of bumps 32 is greater than the width W2 of the plurality of valleys 34. The widths W1, W2 are measured in a direction perpendicular to the polymeric top wall portion 12. The plurality of bumps has a height H1 (FIG. 3B) and the plurality of valleys has a height H2 (FIG. 3D). The heights H1, H2 of the plurality of bumps and the plurality of valleys, respectively, are measured from the interior surface 14b of the polymeric annular skirt portion 14 in a direction inwardly toward a center of the polymeric closure 10. The plurality of bumps has a length L1 (FIG. 1B) and the plurality of valleys has a length L2 (FIG. 1B). The lengths L1, L2 of the plurality of bumps and the plurality of valleys, respectively, are shown best in FIG. 1B and are generally parallel with the polymeric top wall portion 12.

The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.03 to about 0.11 inch in one embodiment. The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.05 to about 0.11 inch in another embodiment. The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.08 to about 0.11 inch in a further embodiment. The width W2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch in one embodiment. The width W2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.02 to about 0.04 inch in another embodiment. The width W2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.03 to about 0.04 inch in a further embodiment.

The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 1.5 to about 4 times greater than the width W2 of the plurality of valleys in one embodiment. The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 1.5 to about 3 times greater than the width W2 of the plurality of valleys in another embodiment. The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 2 to about 3 times greater than the width W2 of the plurality of valleys in another embodiment. The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 2 to about 2.5 times greater than the width W2 of the plurality of valleys in a further embodiment. The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 2 to about 4 times greater than the width W2 of the plurality of valleys in another embodiment. The width W1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 3 to about 4 times greater than the width W2 of the plurality of valleys in another embodiment.

The height H1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.015 to about 0.06 inch in one embodiment. The height Hl of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.015 to about 0.04 inch in another embodiment. The height H1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.02 to about 0.03 inch in a further embodiment. The height H2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.015 to about 0.06 inch in one embodiment. The height H2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.015 to about 0.04 in another embodiment. The height H2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.02 to about 0.03 inch in a further embodiment.

The length L1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.05 to about 0.5 inch in one embodiment. The length L1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.07 to about 0.3 inch in another embodiment. The length L1 of the plurality of bumps is from about 0.08 to about 0.12 inch in a further embodiment. The length L2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.05 to about 0.2 inch in one embodiment. The length L2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.07 to about 0.15 inch in another embodiment. The length L2 of the plurality of valleys is from about 0.08 to about 0.12 inch in a further embodiment.

The length L1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 1 to about 2.5 times greater than the length L2 of the plurality of valleys in one embodiment. The length L1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 1 to about 1.5 times greater than the length L2 of the plurality of valleys in another embodiment. The length L1 of the plurality of bumps is generally from about 1 to about 1.2 times greater than the length L2 of the plurality of valleys in a further embodiment.

The plurality of bumps and the plurality of valleys are generally polygonal in shape as viewed from an interior of the closure. More specifically, the plurality of bumps and the plurality of valleys are generally rectangular in shape. It is contemplated that the plurality of bumps and valleys may be of different shapes than rectangular including other polygonal shapes such as triangular or other non-polygonal shapes such as sinusoidal.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, the internal thread formation 30 is discontinuous by having segments (e.g., segments 38a-38d in FIG. 1B) that are formed with respective spaces 40 (e.g., spaces 40a, 40b in FIG. 1B) therebetween. By using spaces 40, the mass of the polymeric closure 10 is reduced, which saves material costs and may also assist in the manufacturing process by reducing the cooling time. Each of the plurality of segments in this embodiment alternate between bumps 32 and valleys 34. Specifically, each of the segments has exactly three bumps 32 and two valleys 34. It is contemplated that the segments may have a different number of bumps and valleys. Each of the segments 38a-38d are identical in this embodiment, but it is contemplated that the segments may vary from each other.

In this embodiment, the internal thread formation has starter thread segments for starting the opening and closing process. The starter thread segment assists in having a smoother start to the opening or closing process. Referring to FIG. 1A, starter thread segments 36a, 36b are shown. The starter thread segments 36a, 36b are shown in the general shape of an arrow tip. It is contemplated that a starter thread segment, if used, can be of different geometry shapes than that depicted in FIG. 1A.

A top portion (e.g., top portion 44) of each of the segments as shown in FIG. 1C is generally uniform or smooth, which assists a user in providing a generally consistent or constant uniform load when the package is in a closed position. The top portion 44 is the side of the segment that is closest to the polymeric top wall portion 12. Using segments instead of a continuous thread formation may be beneficial in providing a lower torque when a user is unthreading the closure from the container.

The internal thread formation of the polymeric closure is advantageous for several reasons. Specifically, one of the main advantages is when a polymeric closure is to be unthreaded from a container, the internal thread formation will contact the top of the external thread formation on the container with less rotation. This causes the polymeric closure to travel vertically after less rotation than if the threads were unmodified. This results in a more supported vertical travel, which is especially beneficial to the function of a tamper-evident band. By having a longer time for vertical travel, this also gives more time for the tamper-evident band to be separated from the remainder of the polymeric closure. By having more time to separate the tamper-evident band results in cleaner and more consistent breaks of the frangible connections. This also avoids having a thicker internal thread formation that not only uses additional material, but can be more prone to molding defects such as pulled threads and sink marks on an exterior surface of the polymeric closure. These molding defects can occur when large masses of hot polymeric material are being cooled quickly.

It is contemplated that the internal thread formation may be continuous in another embodiment instead of being discontinuous as shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. In such an embodiment, for example, the spaces 40 may be replaced with valleys, but the plurality of bumps and plurality of valleys would be included such as those shown in FIGS. 1A-1C.

In another embodiment, an internal thread formation may be formed with a plurality of closure leads. For example, there may be two or three closure leads in an internal thread formation. In a two closure lead embodiment, a first closure lead begins near the polymeric top wall portion at a first position and extends in a helical fashion to a second position closer to the tamper-evident band. Similarly, the second closure lead begins near the polymeric top wall portion at a first position and extends in a helical fashion to a second position closer to the tamper-evident band. The first and second closure leads are referred collectively as a double lead closure thread. The first and second closure leads may be continuous or discontinuous. The first positions of the first and second closure leads are located roughly 180 degrees apart from each other and, thus, begin on generally opposing sides of the closure. In such an embodiment, for example, the plurality of bumps and plurality of valleys would be included such as those shown in FIGS. 1A-1C in forming the plurality of closure leads.

The polymeric tamper-evident band 18 is located at the bottom thereof (i.e., an end opposite of the polymeric top wall portion 12). The tamper-evident band 18 depends from and is at least partially detachably connected to the polymeric annular skirt portion 14 by a frangible connection 50. The tamper-evident band 18 works in conjunction with the container to indicate to a user that the contents of the container may have been accessed.

The polymeric tamper-evident band may be formed by molded-in-bridges in one embodiment. The molded-in-bridges are typically formed using a feature in the mold. In another embodiment, the polymeric tamper-evident band may be formed using scoring or scored lines, notches, leaders, or other lines of weaknesses.

The tamper-evident band 18 is in a reversed orientation (as molded condition) in FIG. 1A. This is a common orientation when the closure is removed from a mold and allows the closure to be ejected more easily from the closure-forming tooling. The tamper-evident band is later folded from the reversed orientation into a functional orientation, which is shown in FIG. 1C. It is contemplated that other tamper-evident bands may be used in the closure.

The polymeric closure 10 as shown in FIG. 1A includes a plurality of knurls 46 formed on the annular skirt portion 14. The plurality of knurls 46 assists the user in gripping the polymeric closure 10 during the opening and closing of the closure from the container. It is contemplated that the polymeric closure may not include knurls in other embodiments.

One non-limiting example of a polymeric closure and a container forming a package is shown and discussed in conjunction with FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B. Specifically, the polymeric closure 10 may be used with a container 100 to form a package 200 of FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B. A portion of the container 108 is shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and includes a neck portion 102 that defines an opening. The neck portion 102 of the container 108 includes an external thread formation 104 and a continuous outer ring 110. The external thread formation 104 engages with the corresponding internal thread formation 30 to seal the package 200. The container 104 includes a sidewall 112 and a bottom 114 in which the sidewall 112 encompasses and is integrally connected with the bottom 114.

The external thread formation in one embodiment includes a first finish lead and a second finish lead. The first finish lead begins near the open end of the container and extends in a helical fashion to a second position that is closer to the closed end of the container. Similarly, the second finish lead starts closer to the open end of the container and extends in a helical fashion to a second position that is closer to the closed end of the container. Each of the first and second finish leads is continuous. The first positions of the first and second finish leads are located roughly 180 degrees apart from each other and, thus, begin on opposing sides of the neck of the container. When opening the container, the first closure lead is desirably in contact with the first finish lead and the second closure lead is desirably in contact with the second finish lead. It is contemplated that the external thread formation of the container may have discontinuous leads.

It is contemplated that the external thread formation of the container may be different than that disclosed with respect to the container 108. The external thread formation of the container may include continuous or discontinuous thread segments, and may include single or multiple threads. One non-limiting example of an external thread formation of the container is a helical thread formation.

The continuous outer ring 110 assists in positioning the tamper-evident band 18 when the closure 10 is unthreaded from the neck 102 of the container 108 by the breaking of the frangible connection 50.

In addition to the polymeric closure 10 described above in connection with FIGS. 1A-1C, other types of polymeric closures may use the internal thread formation 30 discussed above. For example, the polymeric closure may be a tethered closure.

The tethered closure includes a polymeric top wall portion, a polymeric annular skirt portion that depends from the polymeric top wall portion, a polymeric continuous plug seal, and a tamper-evident band. The top wall portion extends across the entire top of the closure without any openings. The polymeric continuous plug seal to be used may be the same polymeric continuous plug seal 16 described above.

The polymeric annular skirt portion in the tethered closure includes a second frangible connection that partially detachably connects to a first section and a second section of the polymeric annular skirt portion. The polymeric annular skirt portion also includes the internal thread formation 30 described above.

The polymeric tamper-evident band of the tethered closure is located at the bottom thereof (i.e., an end opposite of the polymeric top wall portion). The tamper-evident band depends from and is partially detachably connected to the annular skirt portion by the first frangible connection. The first and second frangible connections may be formed by the same connections as discussed above with frangible connection 50.

When the first and second frangible connections are broken, a tether is exposed. The tether is attached to a portion of a second closure portion (including the tamper-evident band) and a portion of a first closure portion or main body (including the annular skirt portion and the polymeric top wall portion). The tether assists in maintaining the tethered closure as a one-piece assembly after the first and second frangible connections have been broken.

The tether includes attached portions and also includes an unattached portion that is located between the attached portions. When the internal thread formation of the first closure portion is not in mating engagement with the external thread formation of the container, the first closure portion is adapted to be spaced away from the second closure portion via the unattached tether portion. The tether is of a length that assists in spacing apart the first closure portion from the second closure portion. To assist in eliminating or reducing the chances of the first closure portion from interfering with a user while, for example, drinking the contents of a container, the unattached portion of the tether extends greater than about 300 degrees around the circumference of the closure in one embodiment.

In addition to the polymeric closure 10 described above in connection with FIGS. 1A-1C, other types of polymeric closures may be used with the internal thread formation 30 discussed above such as a threaded flip-top closure. The threaded lip-top closure is configured to assist in keeping it with the container so as to reduce environmental waste, while still providing a desirable tamper-evident feature and maintaining the closure in an open position when accessing the contents of the container.

The threaded flip-top closure includes a first closure portion or lid and a second closure portion or base. The threaded flip-top closure is a one-piece closure. The first closure portion and the second closure portion are connected via a hinge. In one embodiment, the threaded flip-top closure includes a first closure portion including a polymeric top wall portion, a polymeric continuous plug seal, a polymeric top stop, a polymeric outer seal, a polymeric annular skirt portion and a prying tab. The second closure portion includes a polymeric tamper-evident band. The flip-top closure includes the internal thread formation 30 discussed above.

The first closure portion and the second closure portion are attached by the hinge. The hinge assists in moving the threaded flip-top closure between an open position and a closed position. It is most desirable for the hinge to flip or rotate at least about 200 or about 215 degrees or even more desirably at least about 225 or about 235 degrees from a closed position to an open position.

The closures of the present invention comprise at least one polymeric material. The polymeric material is typically an olefin (e.g., polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP)), PET or blends thereof. Non-limiting examples of polyethylenes that may be used are high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and metallocene-catalyzed LLDPE (mLLDPE).

The closures of the present invention may include an oxygen-scavenger material. This oxygen-scavenger material may be distributed within the closure or may be a separate layer. The oxygen-scavenger material may be any material that assists in removing oxygen within the container, while having little or no effect on the contents within the container.

Alternatively, or in addition to, the closures may include an oxygen-barrier material. The oxygen-barrier material may be added as a separate layer or may be integrated within the closure itself. The oxygen-barrier materials assist in preventing or inhibiting oxygen from entering the container through the closure. These materials may include, but are not limited to, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH). It is contemplated that other oxygen-barrier materials may be used in the closure.

The closures are typically formed by processes such as injection or compression molding, extrusion or the combination thereof.

The containers described above are typically made of polymeric material. One non-limiting example of a material to be used in forming a polymeric container is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) or blends using the same. It is contemplated that the container may be formed of other polymeric or copolymer materials. It is also contemplated that the container may be formed of glass. The container typically has an encapsulated oxygen-barrier layer or oxygen barrier material incorporated therein.

To open the container and gain access to the product therein, the closure (e.g., closure 10) is unthreaded by turning the closure with respect to the container in one embodiment. To open the container and gain access to the product therein, the flip-top closure is unthreaded and then flipped and rotated via the hinge such that the first and second closure portions are opened with respect to each other.

The polymeric closures are desirable in both low-temperature and high-temperature applications. The polymeric closures may be used in low-temperature applications such as an ambient or a cold fill. These applications include water, sports drinks, aseptic applications such as dairy products, and pressurized products such as carbonated soft drinks. It is contemplated that other low-temperature applications may be used with the polymeric closures of the present invention.

The polymeric closures may be exposed to high-temperature applications such as hot-fill, pasteurization, and retort applications. A hot fill application is generally performed at temperatures around 185° F., while a hot-fill with pasteurization is generally performed at temperatures around 205° F. Retort applications are typically done at temperatures greater than 250° F. It is contemplated that the polymeric closures of the present invention can be used in other high-temperature applications.

The foregoing description of the embodiments, including illustrated embodiments, has been presented only for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the precise forms disclosed. Numerous modifications, adaptations, and uses thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Although the disclosed embodiments have been illustrated and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur or be known to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Numerous changes to the disclosed embodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described embodiments. Rather, the scope of the invention should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.