One-piece closure for a container

Abstract

A one-piece closure for a container has a closure body suitable for coupling to the container, a spout portion extending from the closure body and having a spout duct, a cap portion and a breakable membrane joining the spout portion and the cap portion. The cap portion has a plug portion suitable for again closing a dispensing opening of the spout portion, which is exposed as a result of the rupture of the breakable membrane. The cap portion has coupling means suitable for being coupled to the spout portion and/or to the closure body, after the breakable membrane has been ruptured and after the cap portion has been fully separated from the spout portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A one-piece closure for a container, comprising:
 a closure body suitable for coupling to the container;   a spout portion extending in one piece from the closure body and comprising a spout duct having extension along a spout axis (Z); and   a cap portion and a breakable membrane joining the spout portion and the cap portion in a single piece;   wherein said cap portion comprises a plug portion suitable for again closing a dispensing opening of the spout portion by a respective engagement, said dispensing opening being exposed as a result of a rupture of the breakable membrane;   wherein the cap portion further comprises coupling means suitable for being coupled to the spout portion and/or to the closure body, after the breakable membrane has been ruptured and after the cap portion has been fully separated from the spout portion, leaving the dispensing opening open.   
     
     
         2 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling means comprise shape-coupling means between the cap portion and the closure body. 
     
     
         3 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling means comprise screw-on coupling means between the cap portion and the spout portion. 
     
     
         4 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling means comprise screw-on coupling means between the cap portion and the spout portion and shape-coupling means between the cap portion and the spout portion. 
     
     
         5 . The one-piece closure of  claim 2 , wherein the shape-coupling means are interlocking or shape-interference couplings. 
     
     
         6 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1  wherein the plug portion is directly joined to the breakable membrane and is sealingly insertable into the spout duct. 
     
     
         7 . The one-piece closure of  claim 6 , wherein said plug portion comprises at least one sealing element, for example a pair of sealing elements protruding from an outer surface of the plug portion. 
     
     
         8 . The one-piece closure of  claim 6 , wherein the plug portion consists of an annular wall internally delimiting a plug compartment and has an external cylindrical or frusto-conical side surface. 
     
     
         9 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the cap portion further comprises a gripping portion intended to be manipulated by a user to remove the cap portion from the spout portion. 
     
     
         10 . The one-piece closure of  claim 9 , wherein the gripping portion comprises a blade element, a notch being obtained in said blade element, said notch comprising a pair of side walls facing each other and a base wall joining the pair of side walls, said notch being open on a side opposite the base wall and being suitable for coupling to a corresponding protuberance projecting from a side wall of the closure body, to store the cap portion while dispensing contents of the container from the dispensing opening. 
     
     
         11 . The one-piece closure of  claim 9 , wherein the gripping portion comprises a through-hole suitable for screwing onto a spout thread obtained on the spout portion. 
     
     
         12 . The one-piece closure of  claim 9 , wherein the gripping portion comprises a through-hole with a diameter such that an inner surface of the through-hole is intended to couple securely to an annular groove made on the spout portion. 
     
     
         13 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein said breakable membrane has a variable radial thickness (Sr). 
     
     
         14 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the breakable membrane is placed at an outer end of the spout portion, lies substantially on a plane orthogonal to the spout axis (Z) and has a circular crown shape. 
     
     
         15 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the breakable membrane extends radially internally with respect to a perimeter edge of the dispensing opening defined by an imaginary extension of a surface on which lies an end segment of a side surface of the spout duct. 
     
     
         16 . The one-piece closure of  claim 15 , wherein the perimeter edge of the dispensing opening and the breakable membrane are substantially flush, so as to define a surface substantially flat and perpendicular to the spout axis (Z), or wherein the breakable membrane lies on a surface inclined with respect to the surface on which lies the edge of the dispensing opening and protruding externally and on a side opposite the spout duct. 
     
     
         17 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the breakable membrane has a first circumferential segment having a first constant thickness (Sr 1 ) and a second circumferential segment having a second thickness (Sr 2 ), wherein the second thickness (Sr 2 ) is greater than the first constant thickness (Sr 1 ) (Sr 2 >Sr 1 ). 
     
     
         18 . The one-piece closure of  claim 17 , wherein a transition zone lying between the first circumferential segment and the second circumferential segment has an increasing thickness from the first constant thickness (Sr 1 ) to the second thickness (Sr 2 ). 
     
     
         19 . A container comprising the one-piece closure of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The one-piece closure of  claim 11 , wherein the through-hole is a threaded through-hole. 
     
     
         21 . The one-piece closure of  claim 1 , wherein the closure body is suitable for coupling to the container by a screw-on or bayonet coupling.