The invention relates to a closing cap arrangement for being disposed on an outlet opening of a vessel realised as a pot or a bottle, the closing cap arrangement having a multipart design, the closing cap arrangement comprising an enveloping cap and an inner cap provided with a connective element for detachably connecting the closing cap arrangement to the outlet opening and realised independently of the enveloping cap.
Closing cap arrangements of the type mentioned above are commonly realised as material hybrids, which means that the closing cap arrangements, which are made of a plurality of components, comprise components which consist of different materials. In most instances, the closing cap arrangements are mostly material hybrids or material mixes made of aluminium and plastic, meaning an effective recycling presumes separating the materials in particular in the case when the respective material portion exceeds a certain range. Separating the materials often proves time-consuming, in particular when separating the materials cannot be carried out economically means sacrificing the inferior or less valuable material to enable recycling the more valuable material portion. This can occur, for example, when closing cap arrangements, which have aluminium and plastic components, are molten for recycling purposes so that the material is separated in this case by burning or gasifying the plastic portion.
An extensive recycling of a closing cap arrangement made of several components becomes possible using two different approaches, for example, the closing cap arrangement of the first approach being designed such that the individual components can be separated from each other as easily as possible, while the second approach strives for a plastic portion as small as possible to limit the non-recyclable portion of the closing cap arrangement to a minimum when sacrificing plastic material.
The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a closing cap arrangement which enables a simplified recycling of the used materials and is distinguished by a particularly high portion of recyclable materials.
To attain this object, the closing cap arrangement according to the invention has the features of claim 1.
According to the invention, the inner cap and the enveloping cap are connected to each other via a detachable connection, which can be realised as a form-fit, substance-to-substance or force-fit connection, so that the closing cap arrangement according to the invention does not have to be supplied to the recycling process as a whole unit, but instead the components can be separated before recycling takes place owing to the material intersections for the subsequent supply of the components to different recycling methods or non-recyclable materials or materials which can only be recycled with great effort can be separated from the materials which are comparatively better suited for recycling.
The closing cap arrangement according to the invention also makes possible to reduce a plastic portion to a range as small possible, e.g., less than 10 percent, and to choose a uniform recycling method for the other components, in particular in the case when these materials consist of a uniform material, such as in particular aluminium.
In any case, the closing cap arrangement according to the invention consequently simplifies recycling.
It is particularly advantageous if the enveloping cap and the inner cap are connected to each other by their lower edges via concentric contact surfaces, so that on the one hand the material intersections are easily accessible when producing and dissolving the connection and on the other hand the connection takes place at a position which is commonly not visible when the closing cap arrangement is disposed on a pot, since the front face of the closing cap arrangement formed by the lower edges of the enveloping cap and the inner cap commonly limits a shadow groove formed towards the pot.
It is particularly advantageous if the inner cap comprises a sealing disk disposed on a cap bottom, the inner cap having a locking groove, which protrudes radially inward, adjacent to the cap bottom, for fixating the sealing disk so that when the sealing disk is made of a shape-elastic material, the sealing disk is automatically connected to the inner cap upon mounting of the sealing disk and can be easily separated.
Preferably, a cap insert, which is realised as a sleeve and forms a separate entity of mass, is disposed in a gap formed between the inner cap and the enveloping cap.
It is particularly preferable if the cap insert comprises a radial inner and a radial outer contact surface for forming a connection to a sleeve part of the inner part and a sleeve part of the enveloping cap so that it is possible to connect large areas of the inner cap and the enveloping cap, meaning in particular that the material of the inner cap and the enveloping cap can be as thin as possible.
Preferably, the cap insert has ribs, which extend parallel to the centre axis of the cap insert, on its inner and/or its outer contact surface so that sufficiently large holding forces can be produced in the area of the ribs, the holding forces enabling a consistently durable, exclusively force-fit connection between the cap insert and the inner cap and the enveloping cap when necessary.
If the cap insert is partially realised as a plastic part at least in the area of its contact surfaces, a thermal connection can be produced between the inner cap and the enveloping cap without the use of additional material upon having chosen the suitable plastic.
It is particularly advantageous if the cap insert is realised as a cap weight in order to increase the quality of the closing cap arrangement for the user via the corresponding effect on how the closing cap arrangement feels.
If the enveloping cap comprises a cap bottom formed independently of a jacket envelope and the inner cap forms a connective element for connecting the jacket envelop to the cap bottom, it becomes possible to produce a complex closing cap arrangement of the same or different materials, which can be separated at defined connecting positions if required.
It is particularly advantageous if the inner cap comprises a cap base, which forms the connective element for a connection to the outlet opening, and a connective sleeve for connecting the enveloping sleeve to the cap base, the connective sleeve being disposed concentrically to a sleeve part of the cap base and being received in the enveloping sleeve in order to form a gap. Because of the differentiation made between a cap base, which serves for a connection to the outlet opening, and a connective sleeve, which enables the connection between the cap base and the jacket envelope, the respective components of the closing cap arrangement can be optimised with respect to their differing functions. At the same time, the percentage by mass of the inner cap formed by the connective sleeve can be minimised in comparison to the overall mass of the inner cap, so that the percentage by mass, which remains between the cap bottom and the jacket envelope of the enveloping cap, can be potentially sacrificed in particular when the cap base is separated from the closing cap arrangement. This applies in particular when, for example, the jacket envelope and the cap bottom of the enveloping cap are made of the same material, such as in particular aluminium, and the inner cap is made of a plastic material.
If both the connection between the cap bottom and the connective sleeve and the connection between the jacket envelope and the connective sleeve are realised as locking connections, the individual components making up the closing cap arrangement can be separated particularly easily.
Preferably, the inner cap has a screw thread for realising the connective element of the connection to the outlet opening comprises.
If the inner cap is made up of multiple parts and has a collar realised as a sleeve and serves for being disposed on the outlet opening or a dispense element disposed in the outlet opening and has a push-on cap for a preferably force-fit position on the collar, the closing cap arrangement can also be used for vessels which do not have their own connective element. If required, it is also possible to provide a substance-to-substance connection between the push-on cap and the outlet opening or the outlet element.
It proves to be particularly advantageous if the push-on cap comprises a sleeve part having at least one spring cam, which comprises two slots, which are disposed opposite each other in a wall of the sleeve part for forming a cam base, and a cam, which is directed radially inward on the cam base. In a particularly easy manner, the cam can be produced during production of the push-on cap by the cam being produced by an indentation in a sleeve wall. Preferably, several cams distributed across the circumference can be provided.
Preferably, the slots each comprise a horizontal section extending in the circumferential direction of the sleeve part and two vertical sections extending from the ends of the horizontal section towards each other, the slots alternatively being able to extend vertically.
If the push-on cap comprises multiple spring cams preferably distributed across the circumference, a holding force evenly distributed across the circumference is possible.
If the collar is provided with a locking groove, which extends circumferentially and is directed radially inward and which serves for locking with the spring cam disposed in the sleeve part of the push-on cap, a secure locking connection between the collar and the push-on cap is possible independently of the rotational position of the push-on cap to the collar, as long as the spring cam and the locking groove are located in a shared horizontal plane.
Preferably, the spring cam is disposed between two spacing elements, which are preferably formed by vertical grooves protruding radially outward, so that a free space is formed by the spacing elements for the swerving movement of the spring cam when disposed on the collar and the swerving movement of the cam is not prevented by an enveloping cap disposed on the push-on cap.
If the spacing element simultaneously serves for connecting the push-on cap to the enveloping cap, the spacing element takes up an advantageous double function.
Preferably, a sleeve-shaped cap insert is received in a gap formed between the push-on cap and the enveloping cap. It is particularly advantageous, if the cap insert serves for connecting the enveloping cap to the push-on cap.
The function of the cap insert for connecting the enveloping cap to the push-on cap becomes advantageously enabled if the cap insert comprises vertical ribs on both its inner surface and its outer surface, the ribs providing an effective clamp between the components in the event of a force-fit connection and, if applicable, enabling realising defined adhesive surfaces when the connection is realised as an adhesive connection.
Preferably, the enveloping cap comprises at least one horizontal circumferential groove, which protrudes radially inward, on a sleeve part in such a manner that cross sections, which enable the definition of contact points or connective points limited in particular locally, are formed between the circumferential groove and the ribs via the cap insert being disposed in the gap.
It is particularly preferable if the cap inner part is formed as a clamping sleeve in an upper sleeve section, the clamping sleeve having a clamping cross section deviating in contour from a circular cross section of a collar, on which the push-on cap is disposed.
If the clamping cross section comprises at least one flattening, which deviates from a circular cross section, such that the diameter of the clamping cross section is smaller in the area of the flattening than the outer diameter of the collar, producing the required clamping force can be enabled using particularly simple means.
It is particularly advantageous if the clamping cross section has a plurality of flattenings distributed across the circumference, such that a clamping force correspondingly distributed across the circumference is the result.
To attain a clamping force, which acts evenly across the height of the sleeve section formed as a clamping sleeve, it is advantageous if a cross over section is formed for realising a cross-section cross over from an opening edge of the cap inner par to the sleeve section formed as a clamping sleeve, the cross over section forming the cross-section cross over from the circular cross section in the area of the opening edge to the clamping cross section of the clamping sleeve. Consequently, it can be ensured that the clamping force is formed essentially constant across the height of sleeve section realised as a clamping sleeve.
In the following, preferred embodiments of the closing cap arrangement are described in more detail using the drawings.
As
For realising a connection 93 between a radial connective edge 94 of a connective collar 96 formed on an opening edge 95 of inner cap 82 and a lower edge 97 of enveloping cap 91, a crimping connection, an adhesive connection or a welded connection can be provided.
For fixating sealing disk 85 on cap bottom 84 of inner cap 82, a locking connection is intended in such a manner that the diameter of sealing disk 85 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of inner cap 82 defined by a locking groove formed adjacent to cap bottom 84 in inner cap 82.
In the case of the same material being chosen for enveloping cap 81, inner cap 82 and cap insert 83, the material preferably being aluminium, plastic sealing disk 85 only has to be taken out of the locking connection to inner cap 82 so that the other cap components can be recycled together.
Closing cap arrangement 100 shown in
Closing cap arrangement 110 shown in
For closing cap arrangement 110, plastic inner cap 114 takes over the function of a connective element for connecting jacket envelope 111 to cap bottom 112 besides providing a cap thread 126, jacket envelope 111 and cap bottom 112 together forming enveloping cap 113. For realising this connective function, a connective sleeve 117 is formed on the peripheral edge of a cap base 116 provided with cap thread 126, connective sleeve 117 extending concentrically to a jacket envelope 118 of cap bottom 116 and being connected to cap base 116 only via a radial web 119 formed on the lower edge of cap base 116. On the free end of connective sleeve 117, connective sleeve 117 is provided with a circumferential locking groove 122 and/or a locking protrusion 123 on both an inner side 120 and an outer side 121 in such a manner that a locking groove 125 formed on an edge web 124 of cap bottom 112 locks with locking groove 122 if edge web 124 of cap bottom 112 is inserted into a gap formed between jacket sleeve 118 of cap base 116 and connective sleeve 117.
Jacket envelope 111 and inner cap 114 are connected in such a manner that jacket envelope 111 is pushed onto connective sleeve 117 of inner cap 114 until an edge seam 126, which is formed on jacket envelope 111, locks behind locking protrusion 123.
For forming an anti-rotation element between cap bottom 112 and inner cap 114, a locking web 128, which is formed parallel to the cap axis and locks with locking groove 129 formed in edge web 124 of cap bottom 112, is provided on inner side 120 of connective sleeve 117. Another anti-rotation element is formed between radial web 119 of inner cap 114 and a lower edge 131 of jacket envelope 111 in such a manner that a locking protrusion 130 formed on radial web 119 engages into a locking opening of jacket envelope 111. Moreover, locking protrusion 130 serves as an orientation abutment of the cap with respect to a pot not illustrated in this instance.
In
As a synopsis of
Slots 155, 156 are preferably realised such that they each comprise a horizontal section 160 extending in the circumferential direction of sleeve part 152 and two vertical sections extending from the ends of horizontal section 160, wherein vertical sections 161 of the horizontal sections 160 and are parallel to each other. The opposite slots 155 and 156 enable cam 159, which is formed on cam base 158, to be moved radially outward against a resilient recoil movement.
As in particular
As a synopsis of
Cap inner part 171 comprises a sleeve part 176, which is provided with a cap bottom 175 on an end and, as in particular
Sleeve part 176 comprises several spring cams 180 in a sleeve wall 179, the spring cams 180 being distributed across the circumference and each comprising a cam base 183, which is divided by two parallel slots 181, 182, which extend vertically in this instance, in sleeve wall 179 and on which a cam 184 is formed, which protrudes radially inward and is formed by an indentation in the present case.
Enveloping cap 172 is also sleeve-shaped and has a cap bottom 186 formed on the upper end of a sleeve part 185 and an opening edge 187 formed at the lower end.
Cap insert 174 disposed in gap 173 is also sleeve-shaped, ribs 191, 192, which extend in the longitudinal direction of cap insert 174, being formed on both an outer surface 189 and on an inner surface 190 in such a manner that cross sections, in which clamping forces become effective, are formed between horizontal grooves 188 and vertical ribs 191 when cap insert 174 is disposed in gap 173. Likewise, a clamping is carried out between vertical ribs 192 and sleeve wall 179 of cap inner part 171.
Cap inner part 171 and enveloping cap 172 are directly connected between opening edge 187 of enveloping cap 172 and edge web 178 formed on collar 177 of cap inner part 171, this connection selectively being able to be realised as a press-fit connection, an adhesive connection or a welding connection.
As in particular a synopsis of
Push-on cap 200 serves for the locked arrangement on a collar 202, which is shown in
Beyond this, a locking connection between push-on cap 200 and collar 202, which is provided with a horizontally circumferential locking groove 203 consistent with collar 193, is realised in such a manner that, as illustrated in
In
Cap inner part 221 comprises spacing elements 229, which protrude radially outward and are distributed across the circumference of a sleeve wall 231 and are formed, in this instance, from a plurality of ribs 230 extending parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of sleeve part 223. In wall areas of sleeve wall 231, which are each disposed between to spacing elements 229, a spring cam 232 is formed, which comprises a cam 235, which protrudes radially inward and is shown in particular in
To elucidate the function of spring cams 232, the contour of a collar 151 (
In
For fixedly disposing push-on cap 240 on a collar 253, sleeve-shaped collar 253 is equipped with a plurality of clamping webs 255, which are distributed across the circumference of a sleeve wall 254, on the outer side of sleeve wall 254, clamping webs 255 protruding radially outward from sleeve wall 254, as in particular
As in particular
In
As in particular a synopsis of
In the case at hand, clamping cross section 270 is formed beginning from a circular shape by flattenings 271 being deformed radially inwards starting from an inner diameter, which is larger than the outer diameter of collar 269, so that corresponding clamping forces act on collar 269 in the area of flattenings 271, the clamping forces enabling a clamping fixation of push-on cap 260 on collar 269.
As
For a better handling of push-on cap 260, which in particular enables pulling push-on cap 260 off of collar 269, an upper handle part 272 of enveloping cap 262 is equipped with a handle protrusion 273, which protrudes radially outward with respect to opening edge 266 and is realised in the present instance by forming a knob part.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2020 114 652.3 | Jun 2020 | DE | national |