Patent Grant
10464725
This application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT/EP2015/061102 filed on May 20, 2015, which claims priority to Swiss Patent Application 00761/14 filed on May 20, 2014, the entirety of each of which is incorporated by this reference.
The invention relates to a container closure.
Plastic closures for containers (bottles, tubes etc.) are usually screwed or plugged onto a spout portion, wherein a collar of the closure fits over the spout portion. DE-OS 101 60 362 is mentioned as an example for a plurality of such closures, which discloses a closing cap for a glass bottle. The closing cap has a collar, which fits over the mouthpiece of the glass bottle. To fix the closing cap, the internal surface of the coating of the collar has inwardly protruding locking projections, which can positively interact with undercuts being provided on the outside of the bottleneck. On the collar, a hinged lid is arranged, which is separated from the collar by a predetermined breaking point when the bottle is to be opened and the bottle contents are to be made available. Such closures can also be designed as a flip-top closure or as a screw cap, which can be screwed onto a spout portion of a bottle.
A disadvantage of the known closures that they are relatively bulky and heavy and their manufacture therefore requires a lot of material. Aesthetically, it would also often be desirable if the closure were to take up less space, so that it would be more visually appealing.
It is therefore advantageous to provide a container closure that can be fastened to an end portion of a container, which is inexpensive to produce, requires little space and is aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, the closure should ideally offset the production tolerances of the end portion of the container without loss of functionality.
The advantages are achieved by the subject matter according to the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, a container closure made of plastic with a lower closure part is proposed, which can be fastened to an opening of a container. The lower closure part comprises a collar which can be inserted into the opening of the container. The at least one locking projection can be moved in the direction of a center axis of the lower closure part in a reversible elastic manner in relation to the collar. The at least one locking projection is designed in such a way that, when the at least one locking projection and an undercut shaped in the opening engage with each other, the at least one locking projection and said undercut form a connection that cannot be detached in the direction of the center axis.
The proposed container closure can be produced using the injection molding process from the conventional thermoplastic plastics such as PET, PP, PE and their mixtures. The collar of the lower closure part is usually designed as a circular hollow cylinder. The term “reversible elastic” is to be understood such that the locking projection axis can be moved from its rest position under the influence of a predetermined radially effective force by a predetermined measure in the direction of the center axis into a deflected position and can substantially be automatically returned or rebounded from this deflected position into its rest position if the radially effective force is omitted. The locking projection can thereby substantially function as a leaf spring. The at least one locking projection can be formed on the lower closure part. However, particularly if more than one locking projection is used, the locking projections can be arranged on a rim, wherein the rim is a separate component, specifically a plastic injection molded component. The rim with the locking projections can be non-detachably connected with the lower closure part, for example, by projections formed on the rim, which lock with recesses formed supplementary to the projections in the lower closure part, or vice versa. It may thereby be possible to produce the lower closure part from a different plastic to the rim with the locking projections. For example, the locking projections can be produced from a viscoplastic material, whereas the lower closure part can be produced from a brittle hard plastic material. The lower closure part with the at least one locking projection can be integral. The container closure can be designed to be repeatedly inserted into the opening of the container, which can be made of any material such as plastic, glass or metal, and removed from the opening. The container closure can thus be used for repeatable closure of sealing of storage containers. The storage containers can store liquids, which may be viscous, pastes or pourable material. Here, the container closure can be designed to be impermeable to the media stored in the storage container. The container closure may also have a removal opening such as a nozzle, which can generally be closed using a lid. The lid can be securely attached to the lower closure part and form the container closure. Through a removal possibility of the container closure from the opening, the container, which is sealed with said container closure, can be refilled. To remove a container closure of the opening, the opening can comprise for example an undercut just in at least one portion, wherein the portion adjoining the undercut in the circumferential direction is designed to be free of undercuts, generally smooth. Further, the undercut and/or a portion of the locking projection being locked with the undercut in the circumferential direction can comprise a bevel, which enables or at least facilitates a separation of the lock through the relative radial movement of the container closure to the opening of the container. The container closure can be inserted into the opening until for example a band of the container closure adjacent to the collar, whose outer diameter can be larger than the collar, is applied at an edge adjoining the opening in the pouring direction. When a lock of the locking projection does not occur with the undercut by inserting the container closure along the center axis, i.e. through an axial movement, a locking together of the locking projection and the undercut can be effected through a radial movement, i.e. by turning the container closure around the center axis. A removal of the container closure may be effected by disengaging it with the undercut by means of a rotational movement of the locking projection over the bevel. To simplify the removal and/or insertion of the container closure, stops and/or guides may be provided. The undercut of the opening can be formed as a radial projection extending in the circumferential direction, such as a bead, or as a radial recess extending in the circumferential direction, such as a groove or channel. The undercut can also extend over the entire circumference of the opening. The container closure can thus possibly be rotatable configured, but can be non-detachably connected after the locking together of the locking projection and the undercut. Since the locking projection can be moved in a reversible elastic manner in the radial direction, the locking projection can offset production tolerances of the opening and the container closure such that the snap lock creates a reliable connection being non-detachable in the axial direction when engaging with the undercut. In general, the connection being non-detachable in the axial direction is substantially achieved by positive locking and only becomes a negligible part through the pretension of the locking projection. In order to position the container closure in a predetermined position in the circumferential direction, a first fixing element may be formed, for example, on the container closure, which engages with a second fixing element corresponding with the first fixing element and being formed in the opening. Further, the proposed container closure may have the advantage that it can be constructed very compactly, and that less material is needed for its production than for container closures, which overlap the container opening.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the collar comprises at least one through-hole, wherein the at least one locking projection can be displaced by the at least one through-hole. Thereby, the displacement path of the locking projection cannot be restricted by the collar in the radial direction towards the center axis or away from the center axis. The at least one locking projection can be arranged on an outer wall of the collar facing away from the central axis or on an internal wall facing towards the center axis and opposite the external wall or on a wall of the collar adjacent to the through-hole. Furthermore, more than one locking projection can be arranged in a through-hole. The locking projection can also have in its reversibly displaceable or resilient portion a wall thickness that is different to the collar. The through-hole is normally formed as a rectangle. The locking projections can also be arranged diametrically opposite one another or substantially be distributed regularly over the area. This may have the advantage that the lower closure part, once inserted into an opening, is reliably maintained.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, a geometric configuration of a side facing the center axis of a reversibly elastic portion of the at least one locking projection and a geometric configuration of an internal wall of the collar facing the center axis correspond substantially to one another. For example, the side facing the center axis of the portion can be substantially flush with the internal wall facing the center axis of the collar. This may mean that in the present embodiment, the side facing the center axis of the portion is flush with the internal wall of the collar both in the extension direction of the center axis and transverse to the extension direction of the center axis. If the internal wall of the collar is formed for example as a circular cylinder, said side can be formed as a portion of the circular cylinder with the same radius as the inner side. Further, the geometric configuration of said side and the geometric configuration of the internal wall facing the center axis can jointly include a predetermined angle. Thus, the reversibly elastic portion can already radially overlap the collar. Of course, the geometrical configuration of a side facing away from the center axis of a reversibly elastic portion of the at least one locking projection and a geometrical configuration of an internal wall facing the center axis of the collar, namely the outer wall, can correspond substantially with each other.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the collar of the container closure comprises a base. The base is located opposite a band, which overlaps the opening if the lower closure part is inserted into the opening. The at least one locking projection is integrally formed on the base and extends in the direction of the band. Of course, if a rectangular through-hole is based on the following view, the locking projection could also be non-detachably connected to a side opposite the base or to a side adjoining the base. It has however been shown that tensile forces acting on the container closure mounted in the opening are highest if the locking projection is connected to the base.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the collar is formed on a larger-diameter band, wherein an annular step is formed between the band and the collar. The band and the opening may be flush with one another on their external sides for aesthetic reasons, if the container closure is mounted in the opening. The annular step can for example be formed as a cone, which tapers in the direction of the collar from the band. The cone can act in a sealing manner in an interplay with the opening, such that a discharge of a substance stored in the container can be prevented between the opening and the container closure.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the annular step is formed as an annular surface substantially extending transverse to the center axis. This annular surface can serve as a stop when fitting the container closure in the opening. The annular surface can also be formed as a sealing surface being arranged between the edge adjoining the opening and the flat seal positioned on the annual surface.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the at least one locking projection is substantially L-shaped.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the at least one L-shaped locking projection comprises a first axial leg, whose first end is non-detachably connected with the collar, and a second leg, wherein the first leg and the second leg include a predefined angle and the second leg is non-detachably connected to a second end being opposite the first end of the first leg. In this case, the axial leg can be the reversibly elastic portion, which acts similarly to a leaf spring. The second leg, which is generally shorter than the first leg, interacts with the undercut in the opening such that the container closure, if locked in the opening, cannot be non-destructively removed in the axial direction of the opening. The predetermined angle is generally about 90°. However, the predetermined angle can vary depending on the configuration of opening.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the second leg is formed as a wedge. The thicker part of the wedge here can be facing the first leg and the thinner part of the wedge faces away from the first leg. This configuration of the wedge can have the advantage that the container closure can be as such easily released, as there are no undercuts. The wedge has a first wedge surface facing away from the first leg and a second wedge surface facing towards the first leg. The first wedge surface and the first leg can include an angle between 75° and 90°, between 80° and 89° or between 82° and 88°. Furthermore, the wedge-shaped configuration of the second leg can prevent the second leg avoiding the container closure at tensile load, as could happen if the second leg were to only comprise the wall thickness of the first leg.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, a continuous bottom is circumferentially formed on an internal wall of the collar. This bottom can also be designed such that it confines the band on its external edge, which is opposite to the annular step. If the bottom is formed opposite the external edge, it will generally comprise a pouring opening, which can be closed by a separate lid. The external edge here can serve as a stop for the lid. Corresponding solutions are adequately known from the prior art. Through the container closure inserted into the opening, the content of the container can be included or removed through the pouring opening.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the collar comprises a first collar portion adjacent to the annular step with a first external diameter, and a second collar portion adjoining the first collar portion with a second external diameter, wherein the second external diameter is smaller than the first external diameter. In this way, it can be effected that the container closure can be inserted without noteworthy resistance up to a predetermined first position in the opening of the container and only upon reaching a second position downstream of the first position are the container closure and the opening centered in relation to one another in a predefined partial area of the opening. A higher force requirement can be needed here to reach the second position. The collar can also be designed such that when the first or second collar portion or a partial area of this is formed as a first sealing surface, this first sealing surface only makes contact with the opening when the second sealing surface of the opening corresponding with this first sealing surface is reached. A scraping and any associated damage of the first sealing surface formed on the collar to a partial area of the opening not belonging to the second sealing surface of the opening can be prevented. A damaged sealing surface can lead to a leakiness of the combination of container and container closure.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, a sealing surface is formed on the first collar portion. A bottom is circumferentially formed on an internal wall of the collar. The bottom is located above the at least one through-hole. The term “above” means that when the container is on its bottom and the container closure is inserted into the opening opposite the bottom, the bottom between the through-hole and the band is rooted to the internal wall of the collar. The bottom can be a level, curved or stepped design. The bottom can be also be designed in a funnel shape such that the small opening of the funnel is the inlet opening of the pouring spout. Through a relevant embodiment of the bottom, a complete emptying of the stored content can be supported. The bottom as per this embodiment example can, if the container closure is mounted in the opening, prevent an access to the at least one locking projection. The container closure can thus be tamperproof with regards the at least one locking projection connected with the bottom. The first collar portion can be formed overall as a sealing surface or also just a circumferential partial area of the first collar portion. The sealing surface can interact with a partial area of the opening corresponding with the sealing surface such that a discharge of the contents stored in the container is avoided between the container closure and the mouth. In an embodiment variation, the at least one through-hole can be arranged with the in this case at least one locking projection in the second collar portion. The first collar portion and therefore the sealing surface can thus also be formed above the at least one through-hole. Consequently upon removal of a content stored in the container through a pouring spout of the container closure mounted in the opening, this content can contact the at least one locking projection.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the second collar portion is formed as a sealing surface. A bottom is circumferentially formed on an internal wall of the collar. The bottom is arranged below the at least one through-hole. The term “below” means that when the container is on its bottom and the container closure is inserted into the opening opposite the bottom, the bottom in the area of the base is rooted to the internal wall of the collar. The bottom here can also be a level, curved or stepped design. Likewise, the bottom can be designed in a funnel shape such that the small opening of the funnel is the inlet opening of the pouring spout. Through a relevant embodiment of the bottom, a complete emptying of the stored content through the pouring spout can be supported. The bottom as per this embodiment example can, if the container closure is mounted in the opening, not prevent an access to the at least one locking projection, but an access can be made more difficult through a relevant embodiment of the bottom. In this embodiment example, the floor can be of a stepped design and can comprise an external, annular edge area and an internal bottom surface raised in the direction of the band, which adjoins the edge area via a step. As a rule, a height of the step in the direction of the band will be about as large as the height of the locking projection or even higher. Further, the step in connection with the annular edge area will be formed such that upon meeting the maximum tolerances of the opening and of the container closure, the locking projection can be deflected so far that the locking projection does not contact the step until reaching its end position when the container closure is mounted in the opening. The radial deflection of the locking projection can prevent contact being made. The locking projection can hereby possibly be damaged. Furthermore, the step will generally be formed as close as possible to the locking projection to impede access to the locking projection as far as possible and thus to protect as far as possible from manipulations. The second collar portion can be formed overall as a sealing surface or also just a circumferential partial area of the second collar portion. The sealing surface can interact with a partial area of the opening corresponding with the sealing surface such that a discharge of the contents stored in the container is avoided between the container closure and the mouth. In an embodiment variation, the at least one through-hole can be arranged with the in this case at least one locking projection in the second collar portion. Thus, the sealing surface will generally be formed on the second collar portion below the at least one through-hole. Consequently upon removal of a content stored in the container through a pouring spout of the container closure mounted in the opening, this content cannot reach the at least one locking projection. Such an embodiment can be more suitable specifically for pourable material than the embodiment described in the previous paragraph, specifically if the container closure is designed to be removable from the opening.
According to another embodiment of the invention, sealing surfaces are formed conically on the collar portions, wherein diameters of the sealing surfaces enlarge in the direction towards the band of the container closure. The collar portions could also be cylindrically formed. However, this would require a production of both the opening and the container closure with tight tolerances. Tight tolerances however increase the cost of production. Here, the cone-shaped embodiment of the sealing surfaces can create the advantage that even larger production tolerances can thereby be compensated without content from the container being able to pass between the sealing surface of the collar portions and the corresponding sealing surfaces of the opening.
The subject of the present invention is also a container for receiving a container closure as described above, wherein the container comprises an opening, on which an undercut is formed such that the undercut and the at least one locking projection of the container closure, when engaged with each other, form a non-detachable lock in the direction of the center axis of the container closure.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the opening is formed to cooperate sealingly with the sealing surface of the first collar portion or the sealing surface of the second collar portion of the collar of the container closure. In this way, the sealing surface arranged on the collar can be attached to a corresponding sealing surface in the opening, such that the cooperation of these sealing surfaces effectively prevents any escape between these sealing surfaces of the content stored in the container.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the container is a bottle or a tube, the openings of which can be locked by the container closure described above.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the opening comprises a front annular section with a first internal diameter and a rear annular section with a second internal diameter, wherein the front annular section extends from an edge limiting the opening in the direction of a container base positioned opposite the opening and the rear annular section adjoins the front annular section, wherein the second internal diameter is smaller than the first internal diameter. The internal diameter of the annular sections can be dimensioned such that they correspond to the external diameters of the collar portions. A stabilization of the container closure in the opening is thereby achieved transversely to the center axis of the container closure. This stabilization of the container closure relative to the container can suggest to an end consumer a good feeling in terms of the quality of the container with mounted container closure.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the undercut in the opening is formed as a cavity or elevation. The cavity can be a groove or a channel. The elevation will generally be formed as a bead, which is arranged as material accumulation at the opening. The bead can also be produced such that the opening is constricted at its outer side at a corresponding position.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, a combination of a container such as described in the previous and a container closure also as described in the previous is proposed.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, a sealing ring is arranged between a front wall of the opening and the annular step of the container closure. In this context, the front wall is the edge adjoining the opening. This front wall is generally designed to be level. In general, a predetermined axial force acting in the direction of the center axis of the container closure is applied to achieve a reliable seal between the sealing ring, which can be formed as a flat seal, and the front wall, or annular step respectively. This axial force may be applied by the interaction of the at least one locking projection and the undercut. For this purpose, a distance between the front wall of the opening and the annular step at the band, if the at least one locking projection and the undercut are engaged, can be smaller than the thickness of the sealing ring. When a seal is effected by means of the sealing ring, a seal between the opening and the sealing surfaces being formed on the collar can possibly be omitted. The sealing ring can also for example be integrated undetachably to the lower closure part. Further, the sealing ring can be replaced by a second component which is injection-molded onto the lower closure part, as is possible for example by means of a co-injection molding process. The sealing ring can for example be made of TPE.
To explain the invention, exemplary embodiments of container closures are described with reference to the figures.
The plastic container closure 11 shown in
In the area of the step 27, a bottom 45 is formed on an internal wall 43 of the lower closure part 13, which closes a container interior defined by the container against the environment with a lower closure part 13 inserted into the opening 51 of a container. The bottom 45 has a pouring opening 47 (see
The lower closure part 13 is formed to be inserted into an opening 51 of a container and to seal the container together with the cap 17. For this purpose, a circumferential undercut 53 is formed at the opening 51, on which the locking projections 31 can engage with the second leg 35 protruding over an outer wall of the collar 19.
The container mouth 51 has a front annular section 55 having a first inner diameter and a rear annular section 57 having a second inner diameter. The two internal diameters of the annular sections 55,57 correspond to a respective outer diameter of the first 23 and second collar portion 25. In the depicted first embodiment, the first collar portion 23 seals the container interior against the environment, since the bottom 45 attaches above the penetrations 29. The cap 17 for closing the pouring spout 49 has a front wall 59 with a peripheral edge 61 projecting downwards, which corresponds to the opening 63 of the lower part 13.
The cap 17 is designed as a rocker, which is supported with two support elements 65 being integrally formed on the lower side of the cap 17, semi-circular and opposite one another on two supports 67 being positioned at an interval from one another and corresponding with the support elements 65. Also on the underside of the cap 17, a protruding annular section 69 is provided, which protrudes in the closing position of the cap 17 into an opening of the pouring spout 49 and closes this. For the pivotable fixing in the lower closure part 13, the cap 17 has integrally formed two protruding noses on opposite sides of the rim 61 shown in the figures), which can engage into diagonally opposite cavities 71 of an internal wall 73. To open the closure, the cap 17 is pushing downwards on one side (on the right in
The embodiment according to
The embodiment according to the
The embodiment according to
The proposed container closure can be produced using the injection molding process from the conventional thermoplastic plastics such as PET, PP, PE and their mixtures. It may be placed onto openings of any materials such as plastic, glass or metal.
The invention relates to a container closure 11 made of plastic, comprising a lower closure part 13, which can be fastened to an opening 51 of a container. According to the invention, the lower closure part 13 has a collar 19, which can be inserted into the opening 51 of the container. The at least one locking projection 31 can be moved in the direction of a center axis I-I of the lower closure part 13 in a reversible elastic manner in relation to the collar 19. The at least one locking projection 31 is designed in such a way that, when the at least one locking projection 31 and an undercut 53 shaped in the opening 51 engage with each other, the at least one locking projection and said undercut form a lock that cannot be detached in the direction of the center axis I-I.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0761/14 | May 2014 | CH | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/061102 | 5/20/2015 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2015/177205 | 11/26/2015 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999113 | Shapiro | Apr 1935 | A |
| 4260067 | Andruchiw | Apr 1981 | A |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 10160362 | Jun 2003 | DE |
| 1086903 | Mar 2001 | EP |
| 2008080053 | Jul 2008 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170158392 A1 | Jun 2017 | US |
