The present disclosure relates to a closure device which comprises a frame that defines an opening, a lid that covers the opening and is coupled to the frame so as to pivot about a pivot axis, and a first locking feature and at least one second locking feature, which each have a latching hook and an undercut and are used to hold the lid in a closed position. In addition, the present disclosure relates to a container comprising a closure device of this kind.
Nowadays, it is customary to use active substances, for example from the group of laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents, pharmaceuticals, body care agents, agricultural auxiliaries, building materials, dyes, adhesives or food, in a flowable or pourable form or also in premetered amounts, which are stored in a container as premetered units, for example. In the field of storing commercially available amounts of these active substances, plastics containers, which inter alia may be transparent, are known.
These containers comprise said closure device, the frame of the closure device being fastened to the container or possibly also being integrally molded on said container. The container can then be correspondingly closed using the lid of the closure device.
The locking features are intended to hold the lid on the frame in the closed position, even when external, unintentional forces are acting on the frame or on the lid. These forces can elastically deform the closure device and, in the worst-case scenario, open the closure device when this is not desired. Forces of this kind can occur, for example, during transport or when incorrectly handled, for example when a child attempts to open the lid in an unintended manner. In this respect there is a requirement to securely engineer the closed position of the closure device and to not unnecessarily complicate the opening of the closure device as intended. For this purpose, the locking features need to be easy to use in order to be able to open the lid in an intended manner.
WO 2014/111284 A1 discloses a closure device comprising a lid and a frame, the lid being held in a closed position by two locking means arranged on one side of the closure device, which locking means each have a lid portion and a frame portion. The first closing means can be opened by lateral pressure on the associated frame portion, while the second closing means can likewise be opened by lateral pressure on the associated lid portion. Although the locking means are at a certain distance from one another, in the worst-case scenario it cannot be ruled out that lateral pressure on the entire side of the closure device may cause the closure device to open in an unintended manner.
Closure devices and containers including the closure devices are provided herein. In an embodiment, a closure device includes a frame, a lid, a first locking feature, and at least one second locking feature. The frame defines an opening. The lid covers the opening and is coupled to the frame so as to pivot about a pivot axis. The first locking feature and the at least one second locking feature each have a latching hook and an undercut and are used to hold the lid in a closed position. In the closed position of the lid, the latching hook and the undercut of the first locking feature are arranged between a first outer edge of the closure device and the opening. An upper rim of the first outer edge is located above an upper end of the latching hook. The first outer edge is designed to protect the latching hook from being operated in an unintended manner owing to lateral pressure on the closure device from the outside.
In another embodiment, a container includes a closure device. The closure device includes a frame, a lid, a first locking feature, and at least one second locking feature. The frame defines an opening. The lid covers the opening and is coupled to the frame so as to pivot about a pivot axis. The first locking feature and the at least one second locking feature each have a latching hook and an undercut and are used to hold the lid in a closed position. In the closed position of the lid, the latching hook and the undercut of the first locking feature are arranged between a first outer edge of the closure device and the opening. An upper rim of the first outer edge is located above an upper end of the latching hook. The first outer edge is designed to protect the latching hook from being operated in an unintended manner owing to lateral pressure on the closure device from the outside.
In another embodiment, a container includes a closure device. The closure device includes a frame, a lid, a first locking feature, at least one second locking feature, and a third locking feature. The frame defines an opening. The lid covers the opening and is coupled to the frame so as to pivot about a pivot axis. The first locking feature, the at least one second locking feature, and the third locking feature each have a latching hook and an undercut and are used to hold the lid in a closed position. The first locking feature includes a recessed handle for a finger. The latching hook and the undercut of the second locking feature are arranged on a second outer edge which abuts a first outer edge. The latching hook and the undercut of the third locking feature is arranged on a third outer edge which abuts the first outer edge. In the closed position of the lid, the latching hook and the undercut of the first locking feature are arranged between the first outer edge of the closure device and the opening with the first outer edge arranged on a side of the opening opposite the pivot axis. An upper rim of the first outer edge is located above an upper end of the latching hook. The first outer edge is designed to protect the latching hook from being operated in an unintended manner owing to lateral pressure on the closure device from the outside.
The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and:
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure or the application and uses of the present disclosure. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description.
The problem addressed by the present disclosure is that of providing a closure device comprising a lid, a frame and at least two locking features that provide good protection against unintended opening of the lid but at the same time is easy to handle and easy to open as intended.
The problem addressed by the present disclosure is solved by the combination of features according to claim 1. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be found in the dependent claims.
For the closure device as contemplated herein, in the closed position of the lid, the latching hook and the undercut of the first locking feature is arranged between a first outer edge of the closure device and the opening, an upper rim of the first outer edge being located above the upper end of the latching hook and the first outer edge being designed to protect the latching hook from being operated in an unintended manner owing to lateral pressure on the closure device from the outside. It is therefore not possible to open the first locking feature by applying lateral pressure on the outer edge from the outside. This reduces the risk of the closure device being opened unintentionally.
Since the upper end does not protrude beyond the first outer edge, there is also no contact surface at which lateral pressure (parallel to the plane of the opening) can be applied to the latching hook. If the force vector of lateral pressure lies in a plane which is located above the upper rim of the first outer edge, the latching hook remains unaffected thereby. If the force vector lies beneath the upper rim of the first outer edge, the first outer edge provides protection for the latching hook.
In an embodiment, the first locking feature comprises a recessed handle for a finger, which recessed handle is open at the top. The recessed handle thus makes it possible to operate the upper end of the latching hook from above using a finger. The force required to operate the latching hook (to release the latching hook from the position in which it engages under the undercut) is provided by the finger placed from above into the recessed handle. In this case, the finger does not exert any force that acts laterally on the first outer edge from the outside.
The recessed handle can have a recessed depth of from about 5 to about 15 mm (the distance between an upper rim of the recessed handle and the lowest point of a recess base can be regarded as the recessed depth). In this case, the recessed handle provides sufficient space even for a finger having a longer finger nail to be able to easily operate the latching hook.
The recessed handle is also suitably only large enough to make it possible for the fingertip, but not larger objects, to be able to grip or operate the latching hook. When viewed from above, the recessed handle is therefore intended to have a planar surface area of less than 3 cm2. The volume of the recessed handle is preferably less than 2 cm3. The recessed handle preferably comprises rounded boundary walls.
The first outer edge can be arranged on a side of the opening opposite the pivot axis. The latching hook of the first locking feature can preferably be moved out of a locked position with the undercut by a movement towards the pivot axis. In this case, the force which operates the latching hook can also have a component by way of which the lid, which is then no longer locked by the first locking feature, can be opened so as to pivot about the pivot axis. In this case, the upper end of the latching hook is designed such that a force can be introduced into the latching hook in order to pivot the lid out of the closed position.
The latching hook and the undercut of the second locking feature can be arranged on a second outer edge which abuts the first outer edge. If the closure device is substantially rectangular, the first outer edge and the second outer edge have an angle of about 90 degrees. The first outer edge and the second outer edge form a shared corner of the closure device.
In addition, a third locking feature can be provided with a latching hook and an undercut, which are arranged on a third outer edge that also abuts the first outer edge. If a rectangular closure device is again assumed, the third outer edge extends in parallel with the second outer edge and perpendicularly to the first outer edge. The third outer edge and the first outer edge form another corner of the closure device.
In one embodiment, the second locking feature and/or the third locking feature can be opened by applying lateral pressure on the closure device from the outside. This means that the second locking feature and the third locking feature differ from the first locking feature, which as contemplated herein cannot be opened by applying lateral pressure on the closure device from the outside. Only when all of the locking features are opened at the same time can the lid pivot out of the closed position in order to thus uncover the opening of the closure device. Preferably, the first locking feature, the second locking feature and the third locking feature are arranged such that they can be operated at the same time by just one adult human hand. For example, lateral pressure can be applied to the second locking feature by the thumb of a left hand, lateral pressure being applied to the third locking feature in the opposite direction at the same time by the middle finger on the left hand. In this case, the index finger between the thumb and the middle finger on the left hand can operate the latching hook of the first locking feature, and therefore all three locking features can be opened at the same time by one hand by applying the lateral pressure from the thumb and the middle finger from outside and by the operation by the index finger. Meanwhile, the right hand can secure the container connected to the frame.
The first locking feature, the second locking feature and the third locking feature can each comprise one lid portion, it being possible to open the relevant locking feature by a force applied to the lid portion. The design in which the second and third locking features can be opened by the thumb and middle finger and the first locking feature can be opened by the index finger has the advantage that a force can be exerted on the lid by the thumb, middle finger and index finger, by which force not only can the locking features be opened or held in an unlocked position, but rather the lid can also be pivoted out of the closed position.
The second locking feature and the third locking feature can be the same distance from the first outer edge. This leads to a symmetrical construction of the closure device. Lateral forces, which act from the outside, can thus also be exerted on the second locking feature and the third locking feature without lateral offset. The lateral forces on the second and third locking features can thus be applied in a torque-free manner.
The frame and the container are preferably formed by a plurality of parts, but can also be integrally formed. The lid and the frame may be designed as a single component. In this case, the frame and the lid can be interconnected by at least one film hinge so as to be able to pivot about the pivot axis. The closure device can thus be produced in an injection mold in the form of a cost-efficient plastics component. However, the lid and the frame can also be made of the same or different plastics material in a multi-part design.
Any suitable plastics material can be used as the plastics material; plastics materials are preferably selected from the group of polyolefins. The following plastics materials from the class of polypropylenes are particularly preferred: polyethylenes; blends including polypropylene; blends including polyethylene; copolymers and/or random copolymers including polypropylene; copolymers including polyethylene.
The first outer edge, which protects the first locking feature from unintentional opening due to lateral external pressure, can only be formed by the frame. This means that the first outer edge only comprises a frame portion and does not comprise a lid portion. In contrast, the second and/or the third outer edge can comprise a frame portion and a lid portion. In this case, the second outer edge, for example, is formed partly by the frame and partly by the lid.
The frame can comprise inner walls which delimit the opening and on which, in the closed position of the lid, outer walls of a more or less recessed inner part of the lid rest. In this case, the inner walls may be formed so as to be substantially perpendicular to or slightly inclined relative to the plane of the opening. In this case, the alignment/inclination of the outer walls can correspond to the alignment/inclination of the inner walls. A small amount of clearance (for example 0.3 mm) can be provided in the structure of the inner walls that delimit the opening and of the outer walls of the inner part of the lid. In other words, in the closed position of the lid, there is a distance between the inner wall of the frame and the outer wall of the inner part of said 0.3 mm.
The closure device is preferably used for a container for washing and cleaning agent. A container is thus disclosed that has a washing and cleaning agent and a closure device, it being possible for the closure device to be designed according to the embodiments described in this document. The washing and/or cleaning agent may be pre-portioned washing and/or cleaning agents which, in at least one lateral dimension, are greater than or equal to about 31.7 mm in size and preferably do not fit in a cylinder according to the ISO 8124-1, 5.2 standard (second edition, dated 2009 Mar. 15) and thus pass the “small parts test”.
The frame 30 is fastened to a cuboid container 4 that is open at the top. The lid 30 can only then pivot about the pivot axis 3 out of its closed position when all three locking features 50, 70, 90 are opened or held in an unlocked position at the same time. The second locking feature 70, which is only shown here in a simplified manner, can be opened by applying lateral pressure 71. In this case, the corresponding force 71 acts on the closure device from the outside. The same applies analogously to the third locking feature 90. Said third locking feature can also be opened or held in an unlocked position by applying lateral pressure which acts on the closure device 1 from the outside. The lateral pressure 71 and the lateral pressure 91 are designed to lie on the same axis and act in opposite directions.
In contrast to the locking features 70, 90, the first locking feature 50 cannot be opened by applying lateral pressure that acts on the closure device 1 from the outside. The first locking feature 50 comprises a recessed handle or finger recess 51 which is open at the top and into which a finger of a human hand can be inserted. The finger can move a latching hook 52 towards the pivot axis 3, and therefore the locking effect of the first locking feature 50 is removed. The force acting on the latching hook 52 is shown by the arrow 53.
In this case, a first outer edge 4 of the closure device 1 is designed such that lateral pressure or a lateral force on the closure device 1 from the outside cannot cause the first locking feature 50 to unlock. The outer edge 4 is formed by the frame 10. It therefore comprises only a frame portion 11 (and not a lid portion). The frame portion 11 forms an upper edge 12 of the first outer edge 4.
In this case, the upper edge 12 lies in a plane that is above the latching hook 52. In other words, the latching hook 52 does not protrude in the vertical direction beyond the first outer edge.
The distance between the locking features 70, 90 (for example from about 7 to about 10 cm) is dimensioned such that the thumb for example of a user's left hand and a middle finger of the same hand can press on the locking features 70, 90 in the manner shown in
The lid 30 is held securely by the lateral pressure 71 and the lateral pressure 91, which acts in the opposite direction, owing to the fact that the thumb is applied to a lid portion 72 of the second locking feature 70 and the middle finger is applied to a lid portion 92 of the third locking feature 90. The latching hook 52 also forms part of the lid portion 54 of the first locking feature 50, such that when the locking features 50, 70, 90 are operated, the lid 30 is fixed at three points (lid portion 72, lid portion 92 and lid portion 54). Therefore, not only can the locking features 50, 70, 90 be unlocked by the user's left hand, but after it has been unlocked the lid 30 can also pivot upwards about the pivot axis 3. The user's right hand can hold the container 4 in order to secure the container and the frame 10 when the lid is opened.
A second outer edge 5 of the closure device 1 comprises a lid portion 31 and a frame portion 13. In this case, the lid portion 31 defines an upper edge 32 of the second outer edge 5. The second outer edge 5 and the first outer edge 4 extend perpendicularly to one another and form a shared corner 6. A third outer edge 7 extends in parallel with the second outer edge 5, which third outer edge also comprises a lid portion 33 and a frame portion 14 that cannot be seen in the view in
In the following figures, features or components which are similar or identical to the features or components of
The lid 30 comprises a more deeply recessed inner portion 35, the outer walls 36 of which are provided with zero or little clearance and face the inner walls 16 of the opening 15 when the lid is the closed position.
In addition,
An upper end 59 of the latching hook 52 is formed as an operating tab. If the upper end or the operating tab 59 in the view in
However, opening the container 4 or the lid 30 is only possible when the two other locking features 70, 90 are unlocked in addition to the unlocked locking feature 50.
When the second locking feature 70, which can be unlocked in the same way as the third locking feature 90, is operated in addition to the first locking feature 50 and the third locking feature 90, the lid 30 can be folded upwards so as to pivot about the pivot axis 3, in order to open the container 4. The container 4 can thus only be opened by operating all three locking features 50, 70, 90 equally. In this case, the locking features 50, 70, 90 are arranged and mutually spaced such that they can be operated by using an adults hand or by using the fingers of such a hand. Since the first locking feature 50 cannot be opened from the outside or by a force acting on the outer edges 4, 5, 7 of the closure device 1, but rather can only be opened by a finger or similar delicate object positioned in the recessed handle 51, unintentional opening of the container 4 is virtually excluded.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the various embodiments in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment as contemplated herein. It being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the various embodiments as set forth in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2014 223 029.2 | Nov 2014 | DE | national |
This application is a U.S. National-Stage entry under 35 U.S.C. §371 based on International Application No. PCT/EP2015/075841, filed Nov. 5, 2015, which was published under PCT Article 21(2) and which claims priority to German Application No. 10 2014 223 029.2, filed Nov. 12, 2014, which are all hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2015/075841 | 11/5/2015 | WO | 00 |