Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6776314
-
Patent Number
6,776,314
-
Date Filed
Thursday, October 3, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, August 17, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 222 1532
- 222 15307
- 222 15314
- 222 5415
- 222 5416
- 222 5419
- 222 545
- 222 546
- 222 555
- 222 1
- 215 235
- 215 253
- 215 254
- 220 2571
- 220 2582
- 053 285
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The invention concerns a device comprising a pourer, adapted to be mounted on the container neck, and an assembly forming a cover adapted to be mounted on said neck and comprising a cap mobile between a first position where it isolates the neck and the pourer from outside and a second position providing access to the neck and the pourer. The assembly forming a cover comprises two catching string rims (411, 412) extending radially inwards from a ring (41), one first string rim (411) being adapted to be engaged with an external flange (26) of the neck (2) while a second string rim (412) is adapted to be engaged with an external flange (36) of the pourer (3), said string rims (411, 412) defining between them a volume (V) for receiving the flanges (26, 36).
Description
The invention relates to a closure device for a container and to a container equipped with such a device.
It is known to make containers for liquid, such as milk bottles made of plastics material, for example high density polyethylene. In order to avoid liquid dripping while being poured from the neck of the container, it is known to equip this neck with a pourer forming a surface for flow of the liquid. Such a pourer may be clipped on the neck. Now, taking into account the thickness of the neck and of the body of the container, the latter tend to be deformed when the pourer is clipped on. In addition, a container is generally equipped with a cap. When this cap is opened, the pourer is sometimes disconnected with respect to the neck, which imposes on the user tiresome manipulations for returning the pourer into position on a container already filled with liquid, hence considerable risks of the container tipping over and the liquid that it contains spilling.
It is a particular object of the invention to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a closure device equipped with a pourer, which comprises means for efficient catching of an assembly forming a cover and equipped with a cap, as well as with a pourer on the neck of the container, these means not involving too great a risk of deformation of the neck when the device is positioned, nor risk of disconnection of the device with respect to the neck in the course of use.
In this spirit, the invention relates to a device of the afore-mentioned type in which the assembly forming a cover comprises two catching string rims, extending radially inwards from a ring, a first rim being adapted to be engaged with an external flange of the neck, while a second rim is adapted to be engaged with an external flange of the pourer, these first and second rims defining between them a volume for receiving these flanges.
Thanks to the invention, the ring of the assembly forming cover makes it possible to immobilize the flange of the pourer and the flange of the neck in the volume defined between the catching rims, which guarantees a locking by cooperation of shapes of the assembly forming cover and of the pourer on the neck.
According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the afore-mentioned catching edges are adapted to exert on the afore-mentioned flanges a force opposing their relative spacing apart. This force, which may be elastic due to the nature of the materials constituting the neck and the assembly forming cover, allows the flanges to be pressed one towards the other.
According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the device incorporates one or more of the following characteristics:
The first rim forms an inclined surface with respect to a central axis of the device, this surface being flared in the direction of the body of the container. This surface which may be truncated in the case of a cylindrical neck and ring, facilitates clipping of the ring on the neck as it constitutes a ramp for radial expansion of the ring.
The rims each form a surface substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the device. These surfaces perpendicular to the central axis, which are annular in the case of a cylindrical ring, form means for efficient locking of the flanges against the ring. These surfaces may be provided to be opposite each other and the volume for receiving the flanges to be defined between them.
The flange of the pourer extends radially outwards from an edge of a skirt formed by this pourer and adapted to cover the neck. In that case, the skirt advantageously forms an inclined surface with respect to a central axis of the device, this surface being adapted to come into surface abutment against a corresponding inclined surface outside the neck.
The ring extends, opposite the cap, by a skirt adapted to come into abutment against an outer surface of a part of the container. This skirt makes it possible to mask the zone of transition between the assembly forming cover and the body of the container.
The pourer is arranged at least partially inside the neck, while the cap is provided with a skirt extending, in the afore-mentioned first position and from an inner surface of the cap, up to the level of an edge of the neck, the skirt being adapted to exert in the first position and against an inner radial surface of the pourer a force tending to apply this pourer against this edge. This skirt makes it possible to produce a tight assembly between the cap and the pourer by radial expansion of the pourer and compression against the edge of the neck.
The invention also relates to a container for liquid, particularly a plastic bottle, equipped with a closure device as described previously. Such a container is easier to manufacture than those of the state of the art, without risk of deformation of the neck when the pourer is being positioned, while the pourer does not risk being disconnected from the neck when the container is being used.
The invention will be more readily understood and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the light of the following description of a form of embodiment of a closure device in accordance with its principle, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a view in perspective of an upper part of a milk bottle according to the invention, equipped with a closure device according to the invention of which the cap is in a first position.
FIG. 2
is a view similar to
FIG. 1
while the cap is in a second position.
FIG. 3
is an exploded section, along line III—III in
FIG. 1
, of the closure device.
FIG. 4
is a section of the device of
FIGS. 1
to
3
in the course of assembly on the neck of the bottle.
FIG. 5
is a half-section on a larger scale along line V—V in FIG.
1
and
FIG. 6
is a view on a larger scale of detail VI in FIG.
5
.
The bottle
1
shown in the Figures is a bottle intended to contain milk, made by blowing a parison of high density polyethylene. The cost price of such a bottle is attractive while it efficiently performs its function of container.
The neck
2
of this bottle is cylindrical and X
2
-X′
2
denotes its axis of symmetry. This neck has a curved generatrix and it forms a substantially annular surface
21
of which the inner end constitutes the edge
22
of the neck
2
, the surface
21
extending opposite the edge
22
by a cylindrical part
23
with rectilinear generatrix itself joined to a truncated part
24
by a transition zone
25
. Opposite the zone
25
, the part
24
forms a flange
26
extending radially outwards as the part
24
is convergent with respect to axis X
2
-X′
2
in the direction of the edge
22
and divergent in the direction of the body
11
of the bottle
1
. The neck
2
also comprises a part
27
recessed towards the inside of the neck
2
with respect to the flange
26
, the part
27
being joined by a substantially truncated part
28
to a bead
29
forming the base of the neck
2
.
24
a
denotes the outer surface of the part
24
.
26
a
denotes the substantially annular surface of the flange
26
turned towards the body
11
, this surface being substantially perpendicular to axis X
2
-X′
2
.
The device of the invention also comprises a pourer
3
and an assembly
4
forming cover made of plastics material. The pourer
3
is moulded from low density polyethylene while assembly
4
, which is in one piece, is moulded from high or medium density polyethylene. Other materials may be used for moulding the elements
2
,
3
and
4
, the material of the pourer
3
remaining less rigid than those of the neck
2
and of the assembly
4
.
The pourer
3
is cylindrical and symmetrical about an axis X
3
-X′
3
merged with axis X
2
-X′
2
when the pourer
3
is mounted on the neck
2
. The pourer
3
comprises a part
31
with substantially rectilinear generatrix whose edge
32
opposite the body
11
is curved outwards, with the result that it forms a surface
32
a
for flow of the milk without contact with the neck
2
. When the pourer
3
is mounted on the neck
2
, the part
31
is disposed partially inside the neck
2
.
From a median zone of the part
31
, a skirt
33
intended to cover the zone
21
extends radially outwards, the skirt being provided, at the level of its edge
34
distant from the part
31
with a flange
36
extending radially outwards from the edge
34
. The flange
36
comprises an upper surface
36
a
of annular shape and substantially perpendicular to axis X
3
-X′
3
.
In the present specification, the adjectives upper and lower correspond to the orientation of the Figures, the lower side of an element being oriented towards the body
11
while its upper side is oriented opposite the latter.
The edge
34
defines an inner truncated surface
34
a
converging towards axis X
3
-X′
3
in the direction of the upper edge
32
of the pourer, the surface
34
a
extending up to an inner circlip
33
a
of the skirt
33
.
The apex angle α of the surface
34
a
is substantially equal to the apex angle β of the surface
24
a.
A membrane
37
is joined to the part
31
by a zone
37
a
of privileged rupture, this membrane making it possible to isolate the inner volume of the body
11
of the bottle
1
as long as it remains in place. The membrane
37
is fast with a grip ring
38
in which a user can pass a finger to exert a force F
1
directed opposite the body
11
in order to remove this membrane when the milk contained in the bottle is to be used.
The assembly
4
comprises a ring
41
intended to be disposed around the neck
2
, this ring being provided with two catching string rims
411
and
412
which extend radially inwards from the latter, The ring
41
is substantially cylindrical and the rim
411
is formed in the vicinity of the lower edge
413
of the ring
41
. The rim
411
forms a substantially truncated surface
411
a
divergent in the direction of the edge
413
. The rim
411
also forms an annular upper surface
411
b
substantially perpendicular to a central axis X
4
-X′
4
of the assembly
4
.
As for the rim
412
, it forms a truncated surface
412
a
centred on the axis X
4
-X′
4
and converging in the direction of the edge
413
and an annular surface
412
b
substantially perpendicular to the axis X
4
-X′
4
. In this way, a concave volume V is defined, on the lower periphery of the ring
41
, between the surfaces
411
b
and
412
b
of the rims
411
and
412
.
The ring
41
is joined by a hinge
42
, formed by an elastically deformable thinned zone, to a substantially cylindrical cap
43
. Before the first use of the bottle, the cap is joined by a band
44
to the ring
41
over virtually the whole of the circumference of this ring. The band
44
is respectively joined by two frangible zones
44
a
and
44
k
to the ring
41
and to the stopper
43
. A tongue
44
c
makes it possible to remove the band
44
by rupture of the zones
44
a
and
44
b
, which allows a movement of pivoting of the cap about axis X
12
-X′
2
of the hinge
42
, between the positions of
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
The hinge
43
may be associated with bistable tongues of which only one appears in
FIG. 3
with reference
42
a
, which makes it possible to conserve the orientation of the cap
43
in each of the positions shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
The cap
43
is equipped with a tongue or “peaked cap”
431
making it possible to lift it by a force F
2
shown in FIG.
2
.
The pourer
3
and the assembly
4
are pre-assembled by introduction of the pourer in the inner volume of the assembly
4
, in a translation parallel to axes X
3
-X′
3
and X
4
-X′
4
as represented by arrows F
3
in FIG.
3
. The structure formed by elements
3
and
4
is then displaced in translation, parallel to axes X
2
-X′
2
, X
3
-X′
3
and X
4
-X′
4
, in the direction of the neck
2
, as represented by arrows F
4
in FIG.
4
.
At the end of this translation, the skirt
33
covers the upper part of the jack
2
, i.e. parts
21
to
23
, the surfaces
34
a
and
24
a
in that case being in surface abutment, which is possible due to the equality of the angles α and β. The positioning of the pourer
3
on the neck
2
does not necessitate deforming this neck or this pourer.
In the course of the translation in the direction of arrows F
4
, the surface
411
a
of the rim
411
comes into abutment against the flange
36
and the flared nature of the surface
411
a
allows a progressive radial expansion of the edge
413
of the ring
41
. The ring
41
progresses in the direction of the body
11
until the rim
11
projects beyond the flange
26
, with the result that the surface
411
b
comes opposite the surface
26
a
. The ring
41
is in that case locked on the neck
2
as shown in FIG.
5
. It cannot be torn away by a force in a direction opposite to arrows F
4
in
FIG. 4
, as the surfaces
411
b
and
26
a
contribute to an efficient locking of the rim
411
at the level of part
27
of the neck
2
.
The geometry of the volume V, i.e. in particular the distance d between the surfaces
411
b
and
412
b
, is chosen so that, when the rim
411
is in place at the level of the surface
27
, the surface
412
b
comes opposite the surface
36
a
, so that the edge
34
of the skirt
33
is maintained in abutment on or at a short distance from the truncated part
24
of the neck
2
. The pourer
3
is thus locked in position on the neck
2
by the cooperation of the rims
411
and
412
.
The distance d′ between the surfaces
26
a
and
63
a
, when the device is in mounted configuration as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6
, is chosen to be shorter than or equal to the distance d.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, the beads
411
and
412
are adapted to exert on the flanges
26
and
36
a force F
5
tending to oppose a moving apart of the flanges
26
and
36
. In this direction, the force F
5
is a force of clamping of the flanges
26
and
36
one in the direction of the other.
At the level of its lower edge, the ring
41
extends in a supple skirt
45
provided to come into abutment against the body
11
. The skirt
45
is deformed during positioning of the assembly
4
, to follow the geometry of the part
28
as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6
. The skirt
45
limits the access to the rim
411
, which avoids fraudulent manipulations of the closure device.
On its inner surface
432
, the cap
42
is equipped with a skirt
433
of which the height H is such that it extends to this side of the edge
22
when the cap is bent down on the pourer
3
, the skirt
433
being equipped with an outer bead
434
making it possible to exert on the inner radial surface
31
a
of the part
31
, a centrifugal force F
6
tending to apply the pourer
3
on the edge
22
, which guarantees tightness between the neck
2
and the pourer
3
, on the one hand, and between the pourer
3
and the cap
43
, on the other hand.
The pourer
3
, on the one hand, and the assembly forming cap, on the other hand, are each made in one piece by moulding, with the result that it is easy to manipulate them and position them on the neck.
The invention has been described with an assembly forming hinged cap. However, it is applicable with a screwed cap, belonging to an assembly forming cover equipped with a ring for retaining on the neck of a container.
The invention has been shown with catching rims
411
and
412
extending over the whole inner circumference of the ring
41
. However, such rims might be interrupted or extend over only a part of this circumference.
Claims
- 1. Device for closing a container (1) provided with a neck (2), said device comprising a pourer (3), adapted to be mounted on said neck, and an assembly (4) forming cover adapted to be mounted on said neck and comprising a cap (43) mobile between a first position where it isolates said neck and said pourer from the outside and a second position where it allows access to said neck and to said pourer, characterized in that said assembly forming a cover comprises two catching string rims (411, 412), extending radially inwards from a ring (41), a first rim (411) being adapted to be engaged with an external flange (26) of said neck, while a second rim (412) is adapted to be engaged with an external flange (36) of said pourer, said first and second rims defining between them a volume (V) for receiving said flanges.
- 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said catching rims (411, 412) are adapted to exert on said flanges (26, 36) a force (F5) opposing their relative spacing apart.
- 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first rim (411) forms a surface (411a) inclined with respect to a central axis (X4-X′4) of said device, said surface being flared in the direction of the body (11) of said container (1).
- 4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first and second rims each form a surface (411b, 412b) substantially perpendicular to said central axis (X4-X′4) of said device.
- 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said surfaces (411b, 412b) substantially perpendicular to said central axis (X4-X′4) are opposite one another and said receiving volume (V) is defined between them.
- 6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said flange (36) of said pourer (3) extends radially outwards from an edge (34) of a skirt (33) formed by said pourer and adapted to cover said neck (2).
- 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said skirt (33) forms a surface (34a) inclined with respect to a central axis (X3-X′3) of the device, said surface being adapted to come into surface abutment against an outer inclined surface (24a) of said neck (2).
- 8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring (41) extends, opposite said cap (43), by a skirt (45) adapted to come into abutment against the outer surface of a part (28) of said container (1).
- 9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said pourer (3) is disposed at least partially inside said neck (2) and in that said cap (43) is provided with a skirt (433) extending, in said first position and from an inner surface (432) of said cap, up to the level of an edge (22) of said neck, the skirt being adapted to exert, in said first position and against an inner radial surface (31a) of the pourer, a force (F6) tending to apply said pourer against said edge.
- 10. Container for liquid (1), particularly bottle made of plastics material, equipped with a closure device (2-4) according to claim 1.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
00 01610 |
Feb 2000 |
FR |
|
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/FR01/00339 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO01/58774 |
8/16/2001 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0320808 |
Jun 1989 |
EP |
1399102 |
Sep 1965 |
FR |
2113896 |
Jun 1972 |
FR |
2777542 |
Oct 1999 |
FR |