The invention pertains to a dispensing closure of plastic for fluid containers with a closure body that can be fixed in a sealed fashion on a neck featuring the dispensing opening of the container, and with a cap that is coupled to the closure body by means of a hinge and the top plate of which is provided with a sealing cone on its underside that is designed for engaging into the neck opening of the container in a sealing fashion.
Dispensing closures of the above-mentioned type are usually injection-molded in such a way that the cap is in the open position, wherein the cap of the open dispensing closure is frequently closed after the injection-mauling process within the plastic injection-mauling machine by utilizing special tools.
The present invention is based on the objective of manufacturing a dispensing closure of the initially cited type in a less complex fashion such that its manufacture can be realized in a simpler and more economical fashion.
According to the invention, this objective is attained in that the dispensing closure is integrally injection-molded in the closed state, wherein the cap is at least partially connected to the closure body by at least one predetermined breaking point between an annular cover of the closure body and a cap shell.
Practical characteristics for additionally developing the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the at least one predetermined breaking point extends in a horizontal plane that is arranged perpendicular to the main axis of the dispensing closure and ends to both sides of the hinge that connects the inner edge of the annular cover of the closure body to the outer side of the cap shell.
A second embodiment of the inventive dispensing closure features at least one predetermined breaking point that extends over 360°, as well as a band-shaped hinge on the outer side of the dispensing closure, wherein the ends of this band-shaped hinge are respectively coupled to the closure body and to the cap.
In all embodiments of the present invention, the web and/or the webs of the predetermined breaking point between the annular cover of the closure body and the bottom region of the cap shell may be arranged at the height of the upper side of the annular cover of the closure body. However, if the dispensing closure according to the invention is used for closing a container or a bottle that contains a beverage and the dispensing closure simultaneously serves as a drinking closure, through which the user can directly withdraw the beverage, it is preferred to utilize an embodiment of the predetermined breaking point, in which the single web or the webs of the predetermined breaking point between the annular cover of the closure body and the lower end region of the cap shell is arranged at the height of the underside of the annular cover. Due to this measure, the mouth of the user essentially comes in contact with smooth surfaces of the dispensing closure only.
In an additional development of the aforementioned embodiment of the invention, the cap has a contour in the shape of a truncated cone with a top plate, from the outer edge of which the cap shell extends to the annular cover of the closure body, wherein the cap can be fixed in its open position by means of a locking device. A cap that is shaped in the form of a truncated cone makes it possible to provide the closure body with a beak-shaped drinking spout, wherein the locking device locks the cap in its open position such that the user can withdraw the beverage situated in the container or the bottle from the dispensing closure in an unobstructed fashion. The locking device may be advantageously realized in the form of a tongue-and-groove connection between the rear side of the cap and the annular cover of the closure body. The locking groove may extend over a larger angle of the circumference and be slightly bent toward the upper side of the cap. The locking groove preferably has a rectangular cross section that approximately corresponds to the cross section of the locking web such that the cap is held in the open position and can be released manually.
In order to fix the dispensing closure on a container neck, the closure body may be provided with a round circumferential shell, e.g., a cylindrical shell that is provided with an internal thread for screwing the closure body on an external thread of the container neck in a sealed fashion. However, the inner side of the closure body shell may also be provided with at least one locking bead for snapping the closure body on the container neck, wherein the at least one locking bead of the closure body engages underneath at least one outer bead of the container neck.
The lower edge of the closure body shell may also be provided with a tamperproofing band that is arranged over a circumferential predetermined breaking line, wherein the tamperproofing band inseparably engages underneath an annular bead on the outer side of the container neck. It is particularly preferred to provide at least one supporting element that extends radially outward from the bottom region of the cap shell, namely a certain distance above the annular cover of the closure body. Due to this measure, containers or bottles equipped with the inventive dispensing closure can be stacked on top of one another without risking damages to the dispensing closures. The supporting element may be advantageously realized in a plate-shaped fashion. The radial length of the at least one plate-shaped supporting and closing element may approximately correspond to half the width of the annular cover of the closure body. The at least one supporting element preferably has an arc-shaped outer edge, the radius of which is smaller than the radius of the lower end region of the cap.
In a second embodiment of the dispensing closure according to the present invention, the at least one predetermined breaking point may extend around the entire closure, i.e., over 360°, wherein the cap is connected to the annular cover of the closure body by a band-shaped hinge, the ends of which are coupled to the rear side of the cap shell and to the upper side of the annular cover of the closure body, i.e., outside. In this case, the circumferential cap shell that is arranged parallel to the main axis of the dispensing closure may be provided with at least one closing element a certain distance above the annular cover of the closure body, wherein said closing element is preferably formed by the at least one supporting element and protrudes radially outward from two diametrically opposite sides of the cap. If the cap is in its closed position after the initial use of the dispensing closure and the destruction of the at least one predetermined breaking point, the at least one supporting and closing element lies on the annular cover of the closure body and thus limits the closing movement of the cap.
It is also preferred to arrange at least one snap-on or fixing bead on the outer side of the cap shell, wherein said bead engages underneath an inner edge of the annular cover of the closure body after the initial use of the dispensing closure and locks the cap in the closed position. Such a snap-on or fixing bead may be advantageously arranged a certain distance underneath the at least one supporting and closing element in such a way that the closing movement of the cap is limited by the contact of the at least one supporting and closing element with the annular cover of the closure body and the snap-on or fixing bead engages underneath the inner edge of the annular cover. In addition, the lower end of the closure body shell may be advantageously provided with an annular flange that can be connected in a sealed fashion to the edge of an opening in a cardboard beverage pack by means of welding.
It is also practical to provide a handling aid for opening the cap on the front of its upper side.
The present invention is described in greater detail below with reference to several embodiments that are schematically illustrated in the figures. The figures show:
Several embodiments of an inventive dispensing closure of plastic for fluid containers are illustrated in the figures and described below, wherein said dispensing closure consists of a closure body that can be fixed in a sealed fashion on a neck featuring the dispensing opening of the container and a cap that is coupled to the closure body by means of a hinge, wherein the top plate of said cap is provided with a sealing cone on its underside that is designed for engaging into the neck opening of the container in a sealing fashion, and wherein the dispensing closure is characterized in that it is integrally injection-molded in the closed state and the cap is at least partially connected to the closure body by at least one predetermined breaking point.
The closure body 32 features an annular cover 38, from the outer edge of which a circumferential shell 40 (
The cap 34 essentially has the shape of a truncated cone with a top plate 50 that extends about perpendicular to the main axis x-x of the dispensing closure 30, wherein horizontal gripping grooves are arranged on the upper front side of the cap 34 as a handling aid 52 in order to simplify the operation of the cap 34. According to
In this second embodiment of a dispensing closure 230 that is illustrated in
The significant differences in comparison with the above-described embodiments can be seen in that the cap 334 is connected to the closure body 332 by means of a predetermined breaking point 356 that extends over 360° (
A handling aid 352 protrudes forward from the cap shell 355, but could also consist of a depression in the cap shell 355 in this case.
At least one supporting element 372 realized similar to that of the first embodiment is also provided in this case in order to stack the bottles or containers on top of one another.
In addition, a tamperproofing band 348 is provided analogous to the first and second embodiments.
This fourth embodiment of the dispensing closure 430 is intended for cardboard packs, particularly cardboard beverage packs. To this end, the underside of a closure body 432 is provided with an annular flange 433 to be welded into an opening in the cardboard pack containing a fluid or beverage. The closure body 432 is once again integrally connected to the round cap 434 by a predetermined breaking point 456 that extends over 360° and consists of a single continuous predetermined breaking web or a plurality of predetermined breaking webs that are spaced apart from one another, as well as by an outer band-shaped hinge 436. The hinge 436 is coupled to the outer rear side of the cap shell 455 and to the annular cover 438 of the closure body 432 analogous to the third embodiment.
One significant difference in comparison with the above-described embodiments is a circumferential snap-on or fixing bead 435 arranged a short distance above the at least one 360° predetermined breaking point 456 on the cap shell 455. The remains of at least one predetermined breaking web that is arranged on the upper side of an inner edge 439 and destroyed when the cap 434 is opened are identified by the reference symbol 460 and illustrated on the inner edge 439 of the annular cover 438 as well as on the cap shell 455. The inner edge 439 features an inclined surface 447 that lies underneath the predetermined breaking point 456 and extends downward and outward, wherein this inclined surface forms the outer side of a circumferential predetermined breaking groove, the opposite groove wall of which is formed by the cap shell 455. According to
In
In addition, at least one snap-on bead 535 is arranged on the outer side of the cap shell 555 a certain distance underneath the at least one flange-shaped supporting and closing element 572, wherein said bead engages underneath the inner edge 539 of the annular cover 538 of the closure body 530 in the closed position of the cap 534 after the initial use of the dispensing closure 530 and thus locks the cap.
According to
The outer side of the cap shell 555 that extends between the supporting and closing element 572 and the annular cover 538 serves as a sealing surface 545 when the cap 534 is reclosed after the initial opening of the dispensing closure 530. In this case, the axial spacing between the circumferential fixing or snap-on bead 535 and the supporting element 572 is chosen such that the fixing bead 535 assumes the position shown in
As in the above-described embodiments, a sealing cone 562 also extends downward from the cap shell 555 in this case and serves as a seal if the dispensing closure 530 needs to be securely closed after the initial use or fluid withdrawal from the cardboard pack.
In addition, a handling aid 552 for opening the cap 534 is provided on the front upper side thereof.
It is obvious that the cap 534 can be additionally pressed into the opening of the closure body 532 after the destruction of the at least one predetermined breaking web 560 of the 360° predetermined breaking point 556, namely such that the snap-on or fixing bead 535 now engages underneath the inner edge 539 of the annular cover 538 that was previously connected to the cap shell 554 by the predetermined breaking point 556 and its at least one predetermined breaking web 560. A reliable seal of the cardboard pack therefore is also ensured after the dispensing closure 530 is reclosed due to the contact between the snap-on bead 535 and the inclined surface 547 underneath the inner edge 539 of the annular cover 538.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2005 038 929.5 | Aug 2005 | DE | national |