This application is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2021/068345, filed on Jul. 2, 2021 and which claims benefit to German Patent Application No. 10 2020 119 965.1, filed on Jul. 29, 2020. The International Application was published in German on Feb. 3, 2022 as WO 2022/022946 A1 under PCT Article 21(2).
The present invention relates to a closure cap composed of plastic, having wings which protrude in particular radially from the lateral outer surface of the cap and which are fastened to the cap on diametrically opposite sides, wherein each wing transitions from the fastening region, which is situated close to the cap, into an actuation region, which adjoins further to the outside and which serves for manual actuation.
WO 2007/002292 A2 describes a screw-on closure cap on which, as grip surfaces, two wings protrude radially outward on diametrically opposite sides of the cap. In the case of a stiff thread or in the event of jamming, or in order to break a tamper-evident seal, it is often necessary to manually impart such a high rotational force to the closure cap that the grip surfaces can bend or break.
An aspect of the present invention is to improve a closure cap of the type mentioned in the introduction so that it exhibits high strength and rigidity while having a simple construction. The closure cap should provide a good grip and a pleasant grip feel.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a closure cap which is made of a plastic. The closure cap includes a cylindrical shell which comprises a lateral outer surface and a vertical axis of rotation, and wings which are arranged to protrude from the lateral outer surface and which are fastened on diametrically opposite sides of the cylindrical shell. Each of the wings transitions from a wing fastening region, which is arranged close to the cylindrical shell, into an actuation region, which adjoins the wing fastening region and which is arranged radially further distant from the cylindrical shell. The actuation region is configured to serve for a manual actuation of the closure cap. The wing fastening regions are arranged, with respect to both sides of a central plane which runs through the cap axis of rotation, rotationally symmetrical with respect to the cap axis of rotation.
The present invention is described in greater detail below on the basis of embodiments and of the drawings in which:
The present invention provides that the fastening regions of both wings are arranged, rotationally symmetrically with respect to the cap axis of rotation, to both sides of a central plane running through the cap axis of rotation.
A high strength of the wings on the closure cap is provided via a lateral arrangement of the fastening regions with respect to the central plane so that high rotational forces can be manually imparted to the closure cap via the wings without the wings significantly deforming or breaking. A pleasant handling is thereby also achieved.
These advantages are further improved if, in a view directed onto the lateral outer surface of the cap perpendicular with respect to the cap axis of rotation, the fastening region of each wing transitions from a concave bend region that is relatively far remote from the cap into a convex bend region that is relatively close to the cap, wherein the convex bend region lies closely against the convex lateral outer surface of the cap and/or transitions in a continuous fashion into the convex lateral outer surface of the cap.
The strength of the wings on the closure cap is further increased if at least one strut or tongue protrudes from the lateral outer surface of the cap, the outer end of which strut or tongue is formed integrally on a wing outer surface. It is here proposed that the strut or tongue is formed as a hollow shape, the cavity of which opens to the rear side of the wing. Such a hollow shape reduces weight and the expenditure of material for the closure cap, and offers a pleasant grip as a finger recess. It is furthermore proposed that rib, strut or tongue are restricted in terms of their embodiment to the concave wing fastening region, or extend beyond this into the vertical actuation region.
With regard to the two actuation regions of the wings, it is proposed, as possible embodiments:
It is furthermore proposed that the closure cap be fastened to a pouring spout of a container via a thread, and that the closure cap be connected to the pouring spout of a container via a tamper-evident seal.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in greater detail below.
The closure cap 1 according to the present invention is produced from plastic by injection molding. The closure cap 1 has a cylindrical shell which surrounds an interior space which is closed at its top side so that the closure cap 1 can be screwed via its internal thread onto the external thread of a pouring spout of a container. Between the lower end of the closure cap 1 and the closure cap seat of the pouring spout is a tamper-evident seal 11 which breaks when the closure cap 1 is unscrewed for the first time and which thereby indicates whether the closure has already been opened.
In the embodiment as per
Two integrally formed wings 2 protrude radially from the lateral outer surface 10 of the closure cap 1 on diametrically opposite sides of the cap, which wings 2, in the embodiment as per
Each of the two wings 2 is, by way of a wing fastening region 3, formed integrally on the convex lateral outer surface 10 of the cap, wherein, in a view directed onto the lateral outer surface 10 of the cap perpendicularly with respect to the vertical axis of rotation 6 of the closure cap 1, the wing fastening region 3 of each wing 2 transitions from a concave bend region a that is relatively far remote from the cap into a convex bend region b that is relatively close to the cap, wherein the convex bend region b lies closely against the convex lateral outer surface 10 of the closure cap 1 and/or transitions in a continuous fashion into the convex lateral outer surface 10 of the cap. The wing fastening region 3 can thus, with its two bend regions a and b, be referred to as being S-shaped in a view from above.
In the case of both wings 2, the wing fastening region 3 is adjoined to the outside by an in particular radial, laminar, vertical actuation region 4, which in the embodiment as per
Rib, strut or tongue 7 may be restricted in terms of their embodiment to the concave wing fastening region 3, or may extend beyond this into the vertical actuation region 4. Rib, strut or tongue 7 may also be combined in their embodiments.
In order to increase the strength and rigidity of the fastening of the two wings 2 to the closure cap 1, at least one rib, strut or tongue 7 protrudes from the outer lateral surface 10 of the closure cap 1, which rib, strut or tongue 7 extends outward, and the outer end 8 of which rib, strut or tongue 8 is formed integrally on the outer surface of a wing 2. The rib, strut or tongue 7 bridges a gap or interstice 13 that exists between the wing fastening region 3 and the lateral outer surface 10.
In the embodiment as per
The present invention is not limited to embodiments described herein; reference should be had to the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2020 119 965.1 | Jul 2020 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/068345 | 7/2/2021 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2022/022946 | 2/3/2022 | WO | A |
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10647490 | Van Der Molen | May 2020 | B2 |
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Number | Date | Country |
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3 025 982 | Jun 2016 | EP |
WO 2007002292 | Jan 2007 | WO |
WO 2012012097 | Jan 2012 | WO |
WO 2015114084 | Aug 2015 | WO |
WO 2016140668 | Sep 2016 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20230278757 A1 | Sep 2023 | US |