A closure

Abstract

A self-piercing closure ( 15 ) for a container of the type having a laminar closing member, the closure ( 15 ) comprising a closure body and having a piercing member ( 35 ) for piercing a closing member in use, in which the piercing member ( 35 ) comprises a depending skirt ( 36 ), and in which the closure further comprising a self-closing valve sub-assembly ( 50 ) having a retaining member which retains a self-closing valve, the sub-assembly being located within the piercing member, whereby flowable media can be dispensed from a container through the self-closing valve following piercing of the closing member in use.

1 . A self-piercing closure for a container of the type having a laminar closing member, the closure comprising a closure body and having a piercing member for piercing a closing member in use, in which the piercing member is a depending piercing skirt, and in which the closure further comprising a self-closing valve sub-assembly having a retaining member which retains a self-closing valve, the sub-assembly retaining member being located within and retained by the depending piercing skirt, whereby flowable media can be dispensed from a container through the self-closing valve following piercing of the closing member in use. 
     
     
         2 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the closure body is movable from a first position to a second position to activate the piercing member in use. 
     
     
         3 . A closure as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the body includes a spout movable from a raised, unactivated position to a depressed, activated position to move the closure from the first to the second position. 
     
     
         4 . A closure as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the closure body comprises a deformable region for allowing it to move from the first to the second position. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the closure comprises a base and a lid. 
     
     
         7 . A closure as claimed in  claim 6 , in which the base and lid are connected together by a hinge. 
     
     
         8 . A closure as claimed in  claim 6 , in hick the piercing member is provided on or by the base. 
     
     
         9 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the retaining member comprises a body for receiving a self-closing valve, the body being receivable into the piercing member with the valve retained. 
     
     
         10 . A closure as claimed in  claim 9 , in which the retaining member body has a crimping flange capable of being bent from an uncrimped position to a crimped position to retain the valve in the device. 
     
     
         11 . A closure as claimed in  claim 10 , in which the crimping flange comprises an upstanding wall. 
     
     
         12 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the retaining member comprises a bead for snap-fitting the retaining member into the piercing skirt. 
     
     
         13 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the retaining member is formed as a retaining ring. 
     
     
         14 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the retaining member is formed as a single-piece article. 
     
     
         15 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the body comprises an outer skirt and an inner skirt. 
     
     
         16 . A closure as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the piercing member is a generally annular piercing skirt the free end of which is inclined to form a cutting blade. 
     
     
         17 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A self-piercing closure in combination with a container of the type having a laminar closing member, the closure comprising a closure body and having a piercing member for piercing a closing member in use, in which the piercing member comprises a depending skirt, said skirt extending into the interior of the closure body, and in which the closure further comprising a self-closing valve sub-assembly having a retaining member which retains a self-closing valve, the sub-assembly being housed inside and retained by the depending skirt, the sub-assembly retaining the valve independently of the depending skirt, whereby flowable media can be dispensed from a container through the self-closing valve following piercing of the laminar closing member in use. 
     
     
         23 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method of forming a self-piercing closure as claimed in  claim 2 , the method comprising the steps of:
 forming the closure body in the second position or in a position intermediate the first and second positions; and   moving the closure body to the first position.   
     
     
         26 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , further comprising the step of fitting a self-closing valve sub-assembly into the body. 
     
     
         27 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , in which the body is moulded from a thermoplastics material. 
     
     
         28 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , which the body is moulded in the second position and then moved to the first position before it has cooled.