Grippable lid

Abstract

A closure includes a cap having a top and a skirt and an outer layer of material softer than the skirt is adhered to the outer surface of the skirt. The outer layer may have a thickness of at least 20 mils and may be molecularly bonded to the skirt. Advantageously, the outer layer covers substantially the entire surface of the skirt. The closure may be formed using a two-shot injection molding process in which the cap is formed in a first step and the outer layer of a softer material is formed on the skirt of the cap during the second step of the two-shot injection molding process.

1 . A closure comprising: 
 a cap having a top and a skirt;    an outer layer of a material softer than the skirt and adhered to the outer surface of the skirt, the outer layer having a thickness of greater than 38 mils.    
     
     
         2 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said outer layer has a thickness of 40-60 mils.  
     
     
         3 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said outer layer covers substantially the entire surface of the skirt.  
     
     
         4 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said outer layer is intermolecularly bonded to the skirt.  
     
     
         5 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said outer layer comprises a rubberized elastomer.  
     
     
         6 . A closure comprising: 
 a cap having a top and a skirt;    an outer layer of a material softer than the skirt, said outer layer adhered to and covering substantially the entire surface of the skirt, the outer layer having a thickness of greater than 38 mils.    
     
     
         7 . The closure of  claim 6 , wherein said outer layer is molecularly bonded to the skirt.  
     
     
         8 . A closure comprising: 
 a cap having a top and a skirt;    an outer layer of a material softer than the skirt which is intermolecularly bonded to the outer surface of the skirt.    
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing a closure, said method comprising; 
 forming a cap having a skirt using a first step of a two shot injection molding process;    forming an outer layer of a material softer than the skirt on the skirt using a second step of the two shot injection molding process to intermolecularly bond the outer layer to the skirt.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , including forming the outer layer with a thickness of at least 20 mils.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , including forming the outer layer with a thickness of 40-60 mils.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , including forming the outer layer such that it covers substantially the entire surface of the shirt.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , including forming the outer layer with a rubberized elastomer.