Dispensing closure with hinged lid

Abstract

In an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a closure for attachment to a container. The closure includes a base having an orifice and a skirt depending from the base. A lid is provided and is joined to the base through an integral hinge. The lid has a plug depending from an underside section of the lid. The plug is preferably sized to fit within the orifice when the lid is closed. The closure further includes rails projecting upwardly from a top portion of the base and rails projecting downwardly from the underside section of the lid. The rails further include at least one bead projecting (radially inwardly from each of the first rails) and (radially outwardly from each of the second rails). The beads are positioned to interfere with each other to form a snap fit when the lid is closed.

1 . A dispensing closure for attachment to a container having an opening for dispensing fluids contained within the container, the closure comprising:
 a base having a substantially circular skirt depending therefrom and said base having an oval orifice aligned with at least a portion of the opening defined in the container and positioned such that a semimajor axis of the oval has a substantially vertical orientation during pouring;   a lid member having a first section joined to a first section of the base through an integral hinge;   the lid member further having a plug depending from an underside section of the lid member, the plug being sized to frictionally fit against the internal perimeter of the orifice such that when the lid member is moved against the base, the plug engages the orifice to substantially seal the orifice;   a pair of first rails projecting upwardly from a top portion of the base, the first rails being oppositely positioned about the orifice;   a pair of second rails projecting from the underside section of the lid member, the second rails being oppositely positioned about the plug such that when the lid member is moved against the base, the pair of second rails are positioned within the pair of first rails, wherein the pair of first and second rails are further defined as each having one end nearly adjacent to the integral hinge and being linearly divergent to a mid point and having another end terminating at a section opposite said integral hinge and being linearly divergent to said mid point to define pairs of first and second linear divergent rails, whereby the pair of first linear divergent rails forms a boarder about the substantially vertical orientated oval orifice and the pair of second linear divergent rails forms a boarder about the plug; and   at least one first bead projecting radially inwardly from each of the first rails, and at least one second bead projecting radially outwardly from each of the second rails, the at least one second bead being positioned to interfere with the at least one first bead defined on the first rails such that when the lid member is moved towards the base, the at least one first bead and the interfering at least one second bead form a snap fit to more securely hold the lid member in a closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the first rails each include a single first bead projecting radially inwardly and wherein the second rails each include a single second bead projecting radially inwardly and positioned to interfere with the single first beads. 
     
     
         3 . The closure of  claim 2 , wherein the single first beads and interfering single second beads are positioned towards a front portion of the orifice, said front portion of the orifice defined as being diametrically opposed from the integral hinge. 
     
     
         4 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the first rails each include a pair of first beads projecting radially inwardly and wherein the second rails each include a pair of second beads projecting radially inwardly and positioned to interfere with the pair of first beads. 
     
     
         5 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the base has a diameter selected from at least one of the following sizes: 33 mm, 38 mm, 48 mm, 55 mm, or 63 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt includes container engaging structure such that the closure may be secured to the container. 
     
     
         7 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second rails are positioned to form truncated parallelograms. 
     
     
         8 . The closure of  claim 1  further comprising a pour lip extending outward and overhanging from an outside perimeter of the skirt and being positioned along a front portion of the orifice, the front portion of the orifice defined as being diametrically opposed from the integral hinge. 
     
     
         9 . The closure of  claim 8 , wherein an upper side of the pour lip has a slanted downwardly and inwardly profile. 
     
     
         10 . The closure of  claim 9 , wherein the first rails extend along an outer edge of the pour lip to define a channel therebetween on the pour lip. 
     
     
         11 . The closure of  claim 8 , wherein the lid member includes a latch extending from the underside of the lid member and positioned about the periphery of the lid member, the latch has an internal surface for engagement with an external surface of the pour lip when the lid member is moved towards the base. 
     
     
         12 . The closure of  claim 1  further comprising reinforcement ribbing on the underside of the lid member positioned within the plug. 
     
     
         13 . The closure of  claim 12 , wherein the reinforcement ribbing includes a plurality of rib segments forming a grid pattern. 
     
     
         14 . A dispensing closure for attachment to a container having an opening for dispensing fluids contained within the container, the closure comprising:
 a base having a substantially circular skirt depending therefrom and said base having an oval orifice aligned with at least a portion of the opening defined in the container and positioned such that a semimajor axis of the oval has a substantially vertical orientation during pouring;   a lid member having a first section joined to a first section of the base through an integral hinge;   the lid member further having a plug depending from an underside section of the lid member, the plug being sized to frictionally fit against the internal perimeter of the orifice such that when the lid member is moved against the base, the plug engages the orifice to substantially seal the orifice;   a pair of first rails projecting upwardly from a top portion of the base, the first rails being oppositely positioned about the orifice;   a pair of second rails projecting from the underside section of the lid member, the second rails being oppositely positioned about the plug such that when the lid member is moved against the base, the pair of second rails are positioned within the pair of first rails, wherein the pair of first and second rails are further defined as each having one end nearly adjacent to the integral hinge and being linearly divergent to a mid point and having another end terminating at a section opposite said integral hinge and being linearly divergent to said mid point to define pairs of first and second linear divergent rails, whereby the pair of first linear divergent rails forms a boarder about the substantially vertical orientated oval orifice and the pair of second linear divergent rails forms a boarder about the plug;   at least one first bead projecting radially inwardly from each of the first rails, and at least one second bead projecting radially outwardly from each of the second rails, the at least one second bead being positioned to interfere with the at least one first bead defined on the first rails such that when the lid member is moved towards the base, the at least one first bead and the interfering at least one second bead form a snap fit to more securely hold the lid member in a closed position;   a pour lip extending outward and overhanging from an outside perimeter of the skirt and being positioned along a front portion of the orifice, the front portion of the orifice defined as being diametrically opposed from the integral hinge, and   wherein the lid member includes a latch extending from the underside of the lid member and positioned about the periphery of the lid member, the latch has an internal surface for engagement with an external surface of the pour lip when the lid member is moved towards the base.   
     
     
         15 . The closure of  claim 14 , wherein the first rails extend along an outer edge of the pour lip to define a channel therebetween on the pour lip. 
     
     
         16 . The closure of  claim 15 , wherein an upper side of the pour lip has a slanted downwardly and inwardly profile. 
     
     
         17 . The closure of  claim 15 , wherein the first rails each include a single first bead projecting radially inwardly and wherein the second rails each include a single second bead projecting radially inwardly and positioned to interfere with the single first beads and wherein the single first beads and interfering single second beads are positioned towards the front portion of the orifice. 
     
     
         18 . The closure of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second rails are positioned to form truncated parallelograms. 
     
     
         19 . A dispensing closure for attachment to a container having an opening for dispensing fluids contained within the container, the closure comprising:
 a base having a substantially circular skirt depending therefrom and said base having an oval orifice aligned with at least a portion of the opening defined in the container and positioned such that a semimajor axis of the oval has a substantially vertical orientation during pouring;   a lid member having a first section joined to a first section of the base through an integral hinge;   the lid member further having a plug depending from an underside section of the lid member, the plug being sized to frictionally fit against the internal perimeter of the orifice such that when the lid member is moved against the base, the plug engages the orifice to substantially seal the orifice;   a pair of first rails projecting upwardly from a top portion of the base, the first rails being oppositely positioned about the orifice;   a pair of second rails projecting from the underside section of the lid member, the second rails being oppositely positioned about the plug such that when the lid member is moved against the base, the pair of second rails are positioned within the pair of first rails, wherein the pair of first and second rails are further defined as each having one end nearly adjacent to the integral hinge and being linearly divergent to a mid point and having another end terminating at a section opposite said integral hinge and being linearly divergent to said mid point to define pairs of first and second linear divergent rails, whereby the pair of first linear divergent rails forms a boarder about the substantially vertical orientated oval orifice and the pair of second linear divergent rails forms a boarder about the plug;   at least one first bead projecting radially inwardly from each of the first rails, and at least one second bead projecting radially outwardly from each of the second rails, the at least one second bead being positioned to interfere with the at least one first bead defined on the first rails such that when the lid member is moved towards the base, the at least one first bead and the interfering at least one second bead form a snap fit to more securely hold the lid member in a closed position;   a pour lip extending outward and overhanging from an outside perimeter of the skirt and being positioned along a front portion of the orifice, the front portion of the orifice defined as being diametrically opposed from the integral hinge, and wherein an upper side of the pour lip has a slanted downwardly and inwardly profile, and   wherein the lid member includes a latch extending from the underside of the lid member and positioned about the periphery of the lid member, the latch has an internal surface for engagement with an external surface of the pour lip when the lid member is moved towards the base.   
     
     
         20 . The closure of  claim 14 , wherein the first rails extend along an outer edge of the pour lip to define a channel therebetween on the pour lip. 
     
     
         21 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein the semimajor axis of the oval orifice is at least 50% of the diameter of the substantially circular skirt. 
     
     
         22 . The closure of  claim 14 , wherein the semimajor axis of the oval orifice is at least 50% of the diameter of the substantially circular skirt. 
     
     
         23 . The closure of  claim 19 , wherein the semimajor axis of the oval orifice is at least 50% of the diameter of the substantially circular skirt.