Cross-Reference to Related Applications The present application claims priority from Australian Application No

2009903331 the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Field The field relates to closures for fluid containers, particularly, but not necessarily exclusively, closures for containers for oil, for example, edible oil, the closures having an orifice sealable by a frangible member and a cap for resealing the orifice after the frangible member is removed. Background

Closures can include a container section for locating over a container opening, e.g., the mouth of a bottle neck, which has a frangible member sealing an orifice, the orifice providing a path for fluid to exit the container controllably. The frangible member ensures that the orifice can be sealed tightly, prior to an initial dispense operation, preventing fluid egress during storage or transport of the container. When fluid dispense is desired, the frangible member can be removed. However, to enable subsequent releasable sealing of the orifice, a cap can be provided, the cap being positionable over the orifice in a sealing manner. Commonly, the cap is connected to the container section of the closure via a hinge.

A spout may be included in the closure to channel the fluid at the point of dispense. A problem is that, during the dispense operation, or upon ceasing dispense, fluid may run down the outside of the spout and over the container, causing undesirable mess and fluid wastage.

Closures may be manufactured in bulk using relatively low cost material. Due to manufacturing tolerances, and the flexibility of the material used, accurate positioning of the cap over the orifice in a sealing manner can be difficult to achieve reliably. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

Summary Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as

"comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. In one aspect, there is a closure comprising:

a top portion having an orifice sealable by a frangible member;

a skirt portion depending from the top portion, the skirt portion being engageable with a container;

a spout surrounding the sealable orifice in the top portion and comprising a wall extending upwardly from the top portion to a distal edge; and

a fluid collection channel at least partially surrounding the spout;

wherein the wall of the spout defines at least one fluid flow path, the fluid collection channel being in fluid communication with said at least one fluid flow path. In one embodiment, the closure can comprise a cap. The cap can be engageable with the top portion of the closure. The cap can serve to seal the closure. The cap can be joined to the closure through one or more hinge members.

The fluid collection channel can be defined by an outer surface of the wall of the spout and a channel wall positioned outwardly of the spout. The cap can have a sealing member that is adapted to relatively enter the fluid collection channel when the cap is joined to the closure. The cap can comprise an external wall and the sealing member can be a sealing wall spaced from, and positioned inwardly of, the external wall. When the sealing member enters the fluid collection channel, the cap may serve to seal the closure. The fluid collection channel may therefore function as both a means for collecting fluid and means for receiving the sealing member of the cap to effect sealing of the closure. The cap and top portion can comprise cooperating snap fittings to achieve a snap fit between the cap and top portion upon sealing of the closure.

In one embodiment, the frangible member that seals the orifice in the top portion and the closure can have a pull member. Force applied to the pull member can serve to remove the frangible member from the orifice. The frangible member can be defined be pre-formed lines of weakness in the top portion of the closure.

The closure can be constructed so that preferentially any fluid collected in the fluid collection channel can flow through the at least one fluid flow path and then through the orifice in the top portion. The fluid collection channel may serve to collect fluid that runs down the outer surface of the wall of the spout, channelling the fluid back to the container, avoiding mess and fluid wastage. The closure may be used with oil, e.g., edible or mechanical oil, although use with alternative types of fluid is also envisaged.

Brief Description of the Drawings By way of example only, embodiments are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an oblique top view of closure accordingly to an embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration;

Figs. 2 and 3 show oblique side views of the closure of Fig. 1 from opposite angles;

Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the closure of Fig. 1 along line A— A of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the closure of Fig. 1 along line B— B of Fig. 2.

Exemplary Embodiment

A closure according to a first embodiment is shown in Figs. 1 to 5. The closure comprises a container section 1 for locating on a container (not shown), the container section 1 including a substantially circular top portion 1 1 having an orifice sealed by a frangible panel 12, a cylindrical skirt portion 13 that depends from the peripheral edge of the top portion 11 for engaging the container, e.g., the neck of a bottle, and a spout surrounding the orifice, the spout having of a spout wall 14 extending upwardly from the top portion to a distal end. At the distal end of the spout wall 14, a lip 141 is provided. The lip 141 can be larger than that depicted. The wall 14 extends circumferentially around the orifice, at a position radially inward from the peripheral edge of the top portion and is highest at the front of the closure, but also having a tapering portion where the height tapers lower as it extends toward the rear of the closure.

The closure further comprises a substantially cylindrical channel wall 15 extending upwardly from the top portion 11 and positioned radially outwards of the spout 14 and radially inwards from the peripheral edge of the top portion 11 (see Fig. 4 in particular). A fluid collection channel 16 is defined by an outer surface 142 of the spout wall 14, the top surface 111 of the top portion 11, and an inner surface 151 of the channel wall 15. The height of the channel wall 15 in this embodiment is substantially the same around its entire periphery, and the width of the fluid collection channel 16 is substantially the same along its entire path. The fluid collection channel 16 is arranged to collect any fluid that runs down the outer surface of the wall 14 of the spout, which is liable to occur during or after dispensing of fluid from the container, for example. The fluid collection channel 16 forms part of a drainage system, channelling fluid back to the container via a fluid flow path to the rear of the closure and then via the orifice in the top portion 11. The fluid flow path is provided in this embodiment by an opening or 'gate' 17 defined between opposite lateral edges 143, 144 of the wall 14 of the spout, the edges 143, 144 being spaced apart at the rear of the closure.

In this embodiment, the width of the fluid collection channel 16 is about 1.5 mm and the width of the opening 17 can be between about 3mm and 10mm. The widths of the channel 16 and opening 17 may vary, however, depending on the size of the closure, and the type of fluid used. Nonetheless, preferably, the width of the opening

17 is at least 1.5x, or 2x, or 3x, or 4x the width of the channel 16, to ensure that fluid arriving at the opening 17 from both directions along the channel 16 (i.e., from both a clockwise and anticlockwise direction) can be accommodated. Preferably, the width of the opening 17 is no more than 3 x, or no more than 4x, or no more than 5x, the width of the fluid collection channel 16, to ensure that the functioning area of the spout is not significantly reduced in size by the provision of the opening 17 any more than necessary. In this embodiment, the opening 17 extends around approximately 5% of an imaginary circular line following the path of the spout wall 14, although a minimum percentage of 3 %, 2 % or smaller, and a maximum percentage of 10%, 20% or larger is conceivable. In this embodiment, the lateral edges 143, 144 extend substantially perpendicular to the top surface 111 of the top portion 11. These edges can be inclined, moving further apart as they project from the top surface 11 1. Nonetheless, it is conceived that inclined edges and/or irregular edges may used as alternatives. Where inclined edges and/or irregular edges are used, the aforementioned sizing of the opening may be calculated between the connection point of the edges and the top surface, i.e., across the bottom of opening, although an average spacing between the edges or measurement across the centre or top of the opening are conceivable alternatives.

In this embodiment, the top of the opening 17, between the top of the lateral wall edges 143, 144 is open; it is not bounded by any portion of the spout wall 14, for example. As an alternative to this configuration, the opening may be provided by a hole in the spout wall, the hole being bounded by the spout wall, or a combination of the spout wall and the top surface of the top portion, around its entire periphery.

The closure further comprises a cap 2 connected to the container section 1 via a hinge 21. The hinge 21 allows the cap to controllably pivot between an open position, as shown in the Figures, and a closed position in which it covers and seals the orifice of the container section 1.

The cap is substantially cylindrical, with a circular top wall 22, a cylindrical external wall 23 depending from the edge of the top wall 22, and a cylindrical sealing wall 24 depending from the top wall at a position spaced from, and inward of, the external wall 23. The sealing wall 24 has an integral sealing ring 241 projecting from its outer surface. When the cap 1 is moved into its closed position, the sealing wall 24 is configured to enter the fluid collection channel 16, whereupon the sealing ring 241 contacts the inner surface 151 of the fluid collection channel 16, so serving to provide a circumferential seal between the sealing wall 24 and fluid channel wall 15, preventing fluid egress through the closure. The fluid collection channel 16 therefore has a dual function. It serves as a means for collecting and channelling fluid and means for receiving a portion of the cap 2 in a sealing manner.

One or more support members (in this embodiment a plurality of ribs 271) are located in a receiving channel 27 between the external wall 23 and the sealing wall 24 of the cap 2 (see Figs. 1 and 4). When the sealing wall 24 enters the fluid collection channel 16, to effect sealing as described above, the channel wall 15 simultaneously enters the receiving channel 27. The ribs 271 maintain the relative positioning of the cap walls 23, 24 and ensure that the width of the receiving channel 27 is preserved, allowing the channel wall 15 to enter therein without obstruction. The ribs 271 are sufficiently recessed in the channel 27 so as not to obstruct the channel wall 15 when it enters the receiving channel 27. The ribs 271 also serve to reinforce the external wall

23 at its connection point with the hinge 21. The container section 1 and cap 2 comprise cooperating snap fittings 17, 25, enabling a snap fit to be achieved between the container section 1 and cap 2 upon sealing of the closure. To assist opening of the sealed closure, a recess 18 is provided at the transition between the skirt 13 and top portion 1 1, allowing a user to engage underneath a lip 26 at the distal end of the external wall 23 of the cap 2.

The frangible panel 12 that seals the orifice is defined by a pre-formed line of weakness 121 in the top surface 11 1 of the top portion 11 (see Fig. 5). A pull member, taking the form of a ring pull 19 in this embodiment, is connected to the front end of the panel 12. Force applied to the ring pull 19 can serve to remove the frangible panel 12 from the orifice, whereupon the orifice provides a route for fluid to exit the container and for fluid to drain back to the container as discussed above.

In the depicted embodiment, the ring pull 19 can be positioned adjacent the distal edge of the spout wall 14. In another embodiment, the ring pull 19 can be positioned higher than the upper edge of the spot wall 14. The ring pull can be teardrop shaped or substantially circular in form.

In this embodiment, the container section 1 , hinge 21 and cap 2 of the closure are integrally formed from a moulded plastics material, although it is envisaged that the container section, hinge and cap could be formed separately and from different materials. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.