The invention refers to a capping device that is equipped with a cap and allows keeping the cap attached to the neck of a container, which prevents the cap from being lost forever.
Document ES1232089U reveals a capping device that includes a lower ring intended to be fixed axially to the neck of a container, a cap that includes a thread intended to fit a supplementary thread made in the neck of the container and an articulation that joins the cap to the lower ring. The lower ring is fitted with coupling means intended to retain the lower ring at the neck of the container. The section of the lower ring that is connected to the cap by the articulation device has no coupling means allowing that section to pivot between a lowered position and a raised position, in particular, to allow the cap to be unscrewed. On the other hand, the cap includes ratchet means intended to cooperate with complementary ratchet means made in the lower ring and thus allow the cap to be held in an open tilted position.
This capping device is not completely satisfactory. Indeed, despite the absence of any coupling means in the section of the lower ring that is connected to the cap by the articulation, handling of the cap to allow the section of the lower ring that is connected to the cap to pivot into a raised position when the cap must move from the open tilted position to the closed position, is not easy.
An underlying idea of the invention is to propose a capping device that allows keeping a cap attached to the neck of the container that may be reliable, easy to make and use.
According to one embodiment, the invention provides a capping device intended to be attached to the neck of a container that includes an orifice, a support collar and a coupling flange, wherein the capping device includes:
In this way, thanks to the presence of a recess made at the level of the upper edge of the front area of the lower ring that allows additional radial clearance between the lower ring and the neck, the passage of part of the second section to one side and the other of the coupling flange is facilitated. This makes it easier to use the capping device, particularly when the cap must be moved from the open tilted position to the closed position, since the pulling forces to be exerted on the lower ring to allow the second section to move between the lowered position and the raised position are less.
According to other advantageous embodiments, a capping device of this type may have one or more of the following features.
According to one embodiment, the second section lacks engaging elements.
According to one embodiment, the front area of the first section lacks engaging elements.
According to one embodiment, the engaging elements are arranged exclusively in the two engagement areas.
According to one embodiment, the engaging elements are protrusions that protrude radially toward the inside.
According to one embodiment, the front area of the first section extends over an angular range between 40 and 1500 and preferably between 90 and 150°.
According to one embodiment, the second section extends over an angular range between 90 and 180°.
According to one embodiment, each of the two engagement areas extends over an angular range between 10 and 90°.
According to one embodiment, the second section of the bottom ring includes an internal face that has at least one hole. A hole of this type therefore allows the thickness of the second section to be reduced locally to facilitate its passage to both sides of the coupling flange, while maintaining sufficient tear resistance.
According to one embodiment, the internal face of the second section includes two holes that extend respectively from a central area of the second section to one and the other of the two ends of the second section.
According to one embodiment, each hole extends over an angular range greater than 30, advantageously greater than 45° and, for example, in the order of 600.
According to one embodiment, the central area of the second section lacks holes. This allows the second section to retain sufficient rigidity in the area of the locking device to ensure reliable operation of the locking device.
According to one embodiment, at least one hole develops from a lower edge of the second section to an upper portion of the second section intended to be positioned in front of the coupling flange when the second section is in the lowered position.
According to one embodiment, the invention also provides an assembly that includes the capping device mentioned above and a container that includes a neck comprising a orifice, a support collar and a coupling flange arranged axially between the support collar and the coupling flange, the engaging elements of the two lower ring engagement areas are positioned below the coupling flange to retain the lower ring axially at the neck of the container.
According to one embodiment, the height of the front area of the first section is smaller than a gap between the support collar and the coupling flange.
According to one embodiment, the articulation device includes two sheets that connect the external peripheral skirt and the second section.
According to one embodiment, the capping device also includes a locking device configured to lock the cap when it is in the open tilted position, including such locking device a heel that protrudes axially, from the external peripheral skirt, between the two sheets of the articulation device and which includes a stop that protrudes radially to the outside and a protruding portion that protrudes axially from the second section of the lower ring, between the two sheets of the articulation device;
According to one embodiment, e1>L−e2, being:
According to on embodiment, e1>L−e2+e3+e4, being:
According to one embodiment, e1=L−e2+e3+e4+Δ, being Δ between 0.05 and 2 mm.
According to one embodiment, the protruding portion protrudes beyond a lower limit of the external peripheral skirt.
According to one embodiment, the sheets and the locking device are configured in such a way that, during the pivoting movement of the cap between the released position and the open tilted position, the sheets are subjected to a tensile force that increases to an intermediate unstable position and then decreases from that intermediate unstable position to the open tilted position.
According to one embodiment, the capping device is molded into one piece.
According to one embodiment, the lower ring is connected to the external peripheral skirt by frangible bridges.
According to one embodiment, when the cap is in the open tilted position and the second section of the bottom ring is in the lowered position, the opening angle of the cap is greater than 120°.
According to one embodiment, the external peripheral skirt includes a recess portion and the elastic sheets are attached to the external peripheral skirt in that recess portion. A configuration of this type allows elastic sheets of sufficient length to be made while limiting the sizes of the interstices made between the cap and the lower ring and capable of allowing the passage of dust.
The invention will be better understood and other purposes, details, features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly appreciated in the course of the following description of various particular embodiments of the invention, provided solely as an illustration and not as a limitation, with reference to the attached drawings.
In the description and in the figures, the X-axis corresponds to the rotation axis of the cap 1 of the capping device when it is screwed into the neck 2 of the container. By convention, the “radial” orientation is directed orthogonally to the X-axis and the axial orientation is directed parallel to the X-axis. The terms “external” and “internal” are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another, with reference to the X-axis, thus, an element close to the X-axis is described as internal as opposed to an external element located radially on the periphery.
The terms “upper” and “lower” are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another, with reference to a position in which the orifice 3 of the neck 2 is directed upwards and the cap 1 is in the closing position on the neck 2 of the container, an element intended to be placed lower being named lower and an element intended to be placed higher being named, upper. The terms “front” and “back” are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another along a diameter perpendicular to the X-axis.
In relation to
As illustrated in particular in
According to one embodiment, the helical thread 6 made on the neck 2, as well as the helical thread 7 made on the cap 1 are interrupted. In other words, the adjacent helical ribs are separated by a space that forms a vent and allows, in particular, evacuating the gas present inside the container while the cap 1 is still attached at the neck 2.
The capping device includes a lower ring 9 which is retained in the neck 2 of the container, a cap 1 which is intended to cover the orifice 3 of the container for sealing and an articulation device 10, represented in particular in
As shown in particular in
As represented in particular in
Advantageously, the lower ring 9 is, before the container is opened for the first time, connected to the cap 1 by frangible bridges 30, visible, for example, in
The lower ring 9 is held axially at the neck 2 of the container while it can rotate relative to the container around X-axis. As depicted in
As shown in
The lower ring 9 is held axially in the neck 2 of the container by means of the coupling flange 5. As shown in
As shown in
The first section 16 of the lower ring 9 includes a front area 19 which is diametrically opposite to the second section 17 of the lower ring 9 and two engagement areas 20, represented in
Advantageously, the second section 17 extends over an angular range between 90 and 150° and, for example, in the order of 120°, the front area of the second section 16 extends over an angular range between 90 and 150°, for example, in the order of 120°, while each of the two engagement areas 20, 21 extends over an angular range between 30 and 90°, for example, in the order of 600.
As represented in particular in
An arrangement of this type is also advantageous because it makes it easier to ascertain whether the frangible bridges 30 have already broken when the cap 1 is opened for the first time, since as soon as the frangible bridges 30 have broken and, consequently, the lower ring 9 is no longer connected to the stop 9 except by means of the articulation device 10, the lower ring 9 leans forwards, thus facilitating the verification of the opening violation status. In addition, the lower ring 9 may thus have, outside the front area, a height higher than the gap between the support collar 4 and the coupling flange 5, allowing the sizes of the interstices to be limited, made between the cap 1 and the lower ring 9 and susceptible to dust passage.
Moreover, as an alternative or in addition to the recess 31 described above, the second section 17 of the lower ring 9 also has particular features that allow the passage of a part of the second section 17 to one side and the other of the coupling flange 5 during the movement of the second section 17 between the lowered position and the raised position. As shown in
In addition, holes 31 develop from the lower edge of the lower ring to a top portion of the second section 17 of the lower ring 9 which is intended to face the coupling flange 5 when the second section 17 is in the lowered position. These holes 31 are intended to locally reduce the thickness of the second section 17 in order to facilitate its passage to both sides of the coupling flange 5 while retaining sufficient tear resistance.
As for the central area of the second section 17 it has no holes, which allows the second section 17 of the lower ring 9 to retain sufficient rigidity to allow reliable operation of the locking device described below.
In the embodiment shown, the articulation device 10 includes two sheets 11, 12, particularly visible in
Sheets 11, 12 are attached to the external peripheral skirt 14 in a recessed portion. Likewise, the sheets 11, 12 are advantageously joined to the second section 17 of the lower ring 2 in a low-cut portion. In other words, sheets 11, 12 extend substantially above the lower limit of the outer peripheral skirt 9 and extend substantially below the upper limit of the lower ring 3.
The locking device includes a heel 22, particularly visible in
The locking device also includes a protruding portion 24 which protrudes axially upwards, i.e. toward the external peripheral skirt 14 of the 1 cap from the second section 17 of the lower ring 9. The protruding portion 24 also protrudes between the two sheets 11, 12.
As shown in
As shown in
Size e1 is such that e1>L−e2, with L: the length of the sheets 11, 12, in the initial state, when the cap is in the closed position. This ensures that the stop 23 contacts the protruding portion 24 and that the sheets 11, 12 are tensioned by traction when the cap 1 is in the open tilted position.
Additionally, e1>L−e2+e3+e4, with e3 being: The radial clearance between the protruding portion 24 and the coupling flange 5 and e4: The radial clearance between the lower ring 9 and the neck 2 according to the front/back direction, that is, according to a radial direction to the X-axis and inscribed in the plane of symmetry P. Preferably, e1=L−e2+e3+e4+A, being Δ between 0.05 and 2 mm, and determined so that the protruding portion 24 contacts against the coupling flange 5 when the cap 1 is in the open tilted position.
Moreover, as shown in
The kinematics of cap 1 is as follows. During the first unscrewing, the cap 1 leaves the closed position and moves away from the lower ring 9 to the released position, illustrated in
The cap 1 can then pivot backwards in the direction of the open tilted position in which the external peripheral skirt 14 extends upwards from the upper wall 13. During the movement of the cap 1 backwards in the direction of its open tilted position, the stop 23 rests against the protruding portion 24 and therefore causes the second section 17 of the lower ring 9 to pivot from the raised position to the lowered position.
The possibilities of stretching of sheets 11, 10 together with the above mentioned features of the locking device, allow creating a hard point during the inclination of the cap 1 between the released position, represented in
As shown in
This way, the cap 1 remains in its open tilted position because, due to the arrangement mentioned above, cap 1 cannot be pivoted to the released position in which the cap 1 faces distribution orifice 3 while the second section 17 of lower ring 9 remains in the lowered position.
Advantageously, when the cap 1 is in its open tilted position and the second section 17 of the lower ring 9 is in the lowered position, the opening angle of the cap 1 is greater than 120° and, advantageously, greater than or equal to 145° and, for example, in the order of 180°. The opening angle corresponds to the protruding angular section that is formed at the intersection between a plane parallel to the top wall 13 of the cap 1 and a horizontal plane.
To close the cap 1 again the user tilts the cap 1 forward to the released position. During this tilt, contact between stop 23 and protruding portion 24 disappears, allowing the second section 17 of lower ring 9 to move into the raised position.
When the second section 17 is in the raised position and the cap 1 is in the released position, the cap 1 can then be screwed back into the neck 2 of the container. During threading, the lower ring 9 is dragged in rotation around the X-axis and the second section 17 of the lower ring 9 pivots toward the lowered position as the cap 1 approaches the coupling flange 5.
Advantageously, the capping device assembly is molded into a single piece of synthetic material, such as polyethylene and advantageously high density polyethylene. Advantageously, the capping device is molded in the configuration of
Although the invention has been described in relation to several particular embodiments, it is more than evident that it is not in any way limited to these and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the described means, as well as their combinations if they fall within the scope of invention.
The use of the verb “to consist of”, “to comprise” or “to include” and their conjugated forms do not exclude the presence of elements or stages other than those mentioned in a claim.
In the claims, any reference sign in parentheses is not to be interpreted as a limitation of the claim.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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21382010.3 | Jan 2021 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2022/050327 | 1/10/2022 | WO |