Dispensing closure with flap retention

Claim 1

A dispensing cap for containers comprising an injection-molded plastic one-piece body providing a circular end wall and a cylindrical skirt extending from one side of said end wall, said end wall providing at least one opening through which contents from an associated container can be removed without removing said cap from said associated container, said body providing a flap connected to said end wall by hinge means, said flap being pivotable from an open position in which said opening provides access to said associated container and a closed position closing said opening, said end wall providing an inwardly extending lip bordering said opening along portions thereof spaced from said hinge means and providing an inwardly facing inner first surface, said lip being interrupted along a recessed central portion to provide a central radially extending recess, said flap providing an outwardly facing second surface positioned in close face-to-face adjacency with said first surface when said flap is in said closed position and cooperating therewith to provide a seal preventing passage of contents of said associated container, and a radially extending latch adjacent said second surface which extends under said lip to releasably lock said flap in said closed position, said latch extending uninterrupted past said recessed central portion, whereby said latch is substantially unaffected by shrinkage of the plastic forming said cap and variations in tightness of said cap on a container.