Unilever has filed a patent for an improved snap-on/twist off closure that is highly durable. The invention also includes a package comprising the closure and a bottle. The closure features a snap-on pipe with threads that mate with external threads on the bottle’s neck. The closure allows for easy unscrewing and includes resistance and guidance recesses to accommodate a forcing element on the bottle’s shoulder. GlobalData’s report on Unilever gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Unilever, nanoemulsion cosmetics was a key innovation area identified from patents. Unilever's grant share as of September 2023 was 58%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Improved snap-on/twist off closure for bottles
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230312184A1) describes a closure for containers that includes a snap-on pipe with resistance recesses and threads. The closure is designed to be easily opened and closed while maintaining the axial position of the threads.
The closure consists of an upper wall with an opening and a snap-on pipe that extends axially from the upper wall to a bottom end. The snap-on pipe includes at least one resistance recess and at least one thread on its wall. The bottom end of the snap-on pipe is shaped to include a guidance recess that allows for the lowering and raising of the snap-on pipe thread relative to a container neck.
When the closure is rotated in the opening direction, the first guidance recess wall permits the snap-on pipe to be lowered towards the container neck, while the second guidance recess wall allows the snap-on pipe to be raised. The thread on the snap-on pipe maintains its axial position relative to the thread on the bottle neck, even when a forcing element contacts a resistance recess wall.
The closure also includes a closing cover that is hingedly attached to the closure base.
The patent also describes a container that includes the combined closure and bottle. The closure and bottle have matching threads, and the closure includes resistance recesses and threads on the snap-on pipe. The container also includes at least one forcing element that can be received within the resistance recess of the closure snap-on pipe.
The guidance recess in the closure allows for the axial movement of the snap-on pipe thread relative to the forcing element and the closing element. The snap-on pipe thread and the bottle neck thread maintain their relative axial positions when the forcing element contacts a resistance recess wall.
The patent further specifies the distance between the resistance recess and the guidance recess in the unscrewing direction, as well as the gradients of the first and second guidance recess walls.
In another embodiment, the closure is made of a flexible material.
Overall, this patent describes a closure and container design that allows for easy opening and closing while maintaining the axial position of the threads. The inclusion of resistance recesses and guidance recesses ensures a secure and reliable closure mechanism.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
