Patent Application
20240308739
This application claims priority to French Application No. 2302311, filed Mar. 13, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The invention relates to a capsule for a tube having a main axis and comprising a cap pivotally attached to a base by means of a hinge, the capsule being equipped with a tamper-evident device comprising:
Such closing capsules are generally referred to as “hinged capsules” or “service capsules”. They are designed to be attached to containers such as flexible tubes, flasks or tube flasks.
The hinged capsules are equipped with a pivoting cap attached to a base by means of a hinge. Hinged capsules like these ensure that the plug cannot be lost, unlike conventional dispensing heads where the plug, once detached, can be dropped and unintentionally abandoned anywhere.
The hinged capsules also allow the consumers to handle the container with just one hand. All the user has to do is give a simple push with his thumb to open or close the cap.
However, as it is easy to open, it may be necessary to equip these service capsules with tamper-evident devices to show if the cap has been opened accidentally before the first use. Such a tamper-evident device allows consumers to determine by simple visual examination whether the product has already been opened at least once.
Some tamper-evident devices require during the first opening the removal of an element appropriately placed on the capsule to prevent the container from being opened.
However, the removed element, often made of plastic, must be disposed of by the user. Moreover, this type of element is generally very small, which means that it is not always easy to recycle.
Tamper-evident devices in which a frangible element is mounted on the cap are also known. The frangible element is nested into a complementary housing on the base, in which it remains trapped during the first opening. As a result, this frangible element no longer needs to be discarded and can be recycled along with the rest of the capsule.
However, such a tamper-evident device does not allow a user to easily and quickly locate a first opening, as the frangible element is hidden in its housing.
There are also frangible elements, one end of which remains attached to the capsule when broken and which pivot radially outwards from the capsule. Such frangible elements have the advantage of being perfectly visible.
However, such frangible elements protrude outwards and may obstruct the user when gripping the tube.
There is therefore a need for a service capsule comprising a tamper-evident device that at least partially compensates for the above-mentioned disadvantages.
The present invention proposes a capsule, for a tube, having a main axis and comprising a cap pivotally attached to a base by means of a hinge, the capsule being equipped with a tamper-evident device comprising:
According to another characteristic of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the retention face for retaining the lug is inclined so as to face the flexible bridge when the cap is closed, to promote the pivoting of the tongue when the cap is opened.
According to another characteristic of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the tongue is connected to the second element by a stretchable tab which is oriented generally parallel to the main axis.
According to another characteristics of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the stretchable tab is interposed in the orifice between the flexible bridge and the lug in the closed position of the cap.
According to another characteristic of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the stretchable tab is designed to be stretched plastically under the effect of a tensile force produced by the pivoting of the tongue when the cap is first opened, so as to prevent the tongue from returning to its original position.
According to another characteristic of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the stretchable tab is capable of breaking after being stretched during the pivoting of the tongue.
According to another characteristic of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the stretchable tab still connects the tongue to the second element when the cap is fully open.
Another characteristic of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention is that the capsule is made in one-part from a plastic material.
According to another characteristic of the capsule produced according to the teachings of the invention, the capsule is made of high-density polyethylene.
According to another characteristic of the capsule produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the first element is formed by an external skirt of the base, while the second element is formed by a peripheral wall of the cap.
Further characteristics, purposes and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which should be read in conjunction with the appended drawings briefly described below.
For the remainder of the description, elements with an identical structure or similar functions will be designated by a same reference.
For the remainder of the description, we will adopt an axial direction which corresponds in the figures to that of the main axis “A” of the capsule 14. The axial direction is directed from the bottom, close to the base 16, towards the top, close to the cap 18.
In the following, radial directions directed orthogonally to the axial direction will also be adopted, radiating from the main axis. Finally, we adopt tangential directions that are directed orthogonally to the axial and radial directions.
In
The capsule 14 comprises a base 16 and a cap 18 attached to this base 16 by means of a hinge 20.
The cap 18 is thus pivotally mounted on the base 16 by means of the hinge 20 about an axis “B” extending in a tangential direction. The hinge 20 is arranged around the periphery of the base 16 and of the cap 18. More particularly, the cap 18 is pivotally mounted between an extreme closed position in which it closes the base 16, as shown in
As shown in
The base 16 also comprises fastening elements (not shown) designed to cooperate with corresponding means (not shown) located on the head 10 of the tube. For example, they can be fastening means by screwing or by elastic nesting.
The cap 18 generally is equipped with a plate 28 which covers the upper plate 22 of the base 16 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 30. In the closed position, the peripheral wall 30 is in the axial extension of the external skirt 26 of the base 16.
The peripheral wall 30 comprises an overhanging bearing face 34 diametrically opposite the hinge 20 with respect to the main axis “A”. This bearing face 34 allows a user to press his finger axially upwards to pivot the cap 18 towards its extreme open position.
In this case, the peripheral wall 30 has a cavity 32 located directly below the bearing face 34, making it easier to position the user's finger.
Alternatively, the cavity can be made in the external skirt of the base.
The plate 28 of the cover 18 also comprises sealing means configured to ensure, in association with the dispensing hole 24 in the base 16, a sufficient sealing when the cap 18 is in the extreme closed position. Here, the sealing means is a projecting collar 36, the height and diameter of which are adapted to fit around the dispensing hole 24 and provide a seal.
The capsule 14 is made in a one-part from plastic material. The capsule 14 is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), for example. It is preferably produced in a single moulding operation.
The capsule 14 is also equipped with a tamper-evident device 38 allowing a user to visually check whether the cap 18 has already been opened once.
The tamper-evident device 38 is located on one side of the capsule 14. In the non-limiting example shown in
The tamper-evident device 38 comprises a lug 40 projecting radially with respect to the main axis “A”. The lug 40 is carried by a first associated element among the base 16 or the cap 18.
In the embodiment shown in
In the example shown in
The lug 40 has a radial end face 44 which has at least one upwardly and inwardly directed slope, as shown in
In addition, the lug 40 has a radially extending retention face 46, in this case upper. This means that in axial cross-section, the retention face 46 extends perpendicular to the main axis “A”, as shown in
The tamper-evident device 38 also comprises an orifice 48 made in a second associated element among the base 16 or the cap 18. This orifice 48 is designed to house the lug 40 carried by the first element.
The second element is formed here by the cap 18. The orifice 48 is formed in the peripheral wall 30 of the cap 18.
The contour of the orifice 18 is closed in an axial direction by a tongue 50. The tongue 50 extends in a generally circumferential direction. A first end of the tongue 50, in the tangential direction, is connected to the second associated element by a frangible bridge 52 of material. A second end of the tongue 50, opposite said first end, is connected to the associated second element by a flexible bridge 54 of material. In this first embodiment, the tongue 50 is connected to the cap 18 only by the frangible bridge 52 and by the flexible bridge 54. This position, in which the tongue 50 closes the orifice 48, will hereafter be referred to as the “original position”.
The orifice 48 is carried by the cap 18. In the example shown in
The tongue 50 is made in one-part with the cap 18.
When the cap 18 is first closed on the base 16, the tongue 50 is arranged in register with the lug 40 so that the tongue 50 is moved away radially by elastic deformation by contact with the slope of the radial end face 44 of the lug 40. The amplitude of this movement is small enough not to cause the breakage of the frangible bridge 52 bridge. When the tongue 50 has passed over the lug 40, it is returned elastically behind the lug 40, axially opposite the abutment face 46 of the lug 40.
When the cap 18 is opened for the first time, a user applies an axially upward opening force to the cap 18 with its finger. A contact section of the tongue 50, located tangentially between the frangible bridge 52 and the flexible bridge 54, comes into contact with the retention face 46. The radially extending retention face 46 axially retains the tongue 50 while the cap 18 is pushed axially upwards to pivot towards its extreme open position. The tongue 50 is thus hooked by the lug 40.
The cross-section of the frangible bridge 52 is much smaller than the cross-section of the flexible bridge 54, so that the opening force exerted with a finger is sufficient to cause it to break, while the flexible bridge 54 is thick enough not to break.
The frangible bridge 52 is designed to break as soon as the cap 18 begins to pivot, without being significantly stretched.
The frangible bridge 52 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the movement of the cap 18 at the start of pivoting out, and is broken by shearing of the material.
Because of its inclination, the retention face 46 is turned slightly towards the flexible bridge 54. This causes the tongue 50 to pivot about a radial axis “C” by deforming the flexible bridge 54 relative to the cap 18. The flexible bridge 54 takes the form, for example, of a pinch, in the axial orientation, of a segment of the tongue 50 located at its second end.
The pivoting of the tongue 50 continues until the lug 40 can escape from the orifice 48 through the passage created by the gap between the first end, which has become free, of the tongue 50 and the cap 18 when the tongue 50 is pivoted.
Advantageously, the flexible bridge 48 is at least partially plastically deformed so that the tongue 50 is not elastically returned to its original position after the first opening. This leaves an interval between the first end of the tongue 50 and the cap 18.
When the cap 18 is closed, the tongue 50 thus opened slides again on the slope of the radial end face 44 of the lug 40 before resuming its position elastically behind the lug 40.
The pivoted tongue 50 makes it easy for a user to see that the capsule 14 has been opened at least once.
In addition, the pivoting of the tongue 50 about a radially oriented axis “C” allows to prevent the tongue 50 from hindering the user by protruding radially from the capsule 14.
In a second embodiment shown in
Although the tamper-evident device 38 produced according to the first embodiment generally functions satisfactorily, the plastic deformation of the flexible bridge 54 is sometimes insufficient to prevent the tongue 50 from returning substantially to its original position. It is also possible to voluntarily reposition the tongue 50 in its original position by applying a stress to the flexible bridge 54 in an orientation opposite to its pivoting when the cap 18 is opened. A user cannot therefore easily see that the capsule 14 has already been opened without manipulating the tongue 50.
The tamper-evident device 38 is similar to that described in the first embodiment.
The tamper-evident device 38 is located on one side of the capsule 14. In the non-limiting example shown in
As in the first embodiment, the tamper-evident device 38 comprises a lug 40 projecting radially with respect to the main axis “A”. The lug 40 is carried by a first associated element among the base 16 or the cap 18.
In the embodiment shown in
In the example shown in
The lug 40 has a radial end face 44 which has at least one upwardly and inwardly directed slope, as shown in
In addition, the lug 40 has a radially extending retention face 46, in this case upper. This means that in axial cross-section, the retention face 46 extends perpendicular to the main axis “A”, as shown in
The tamper-evident device 38 also comprises an orifice 48 made in a second associated element among the base 16 or the cap 18. This orifice 48 is designed to house the lug 40 carried by the first element.
The second element is formed here by the cap 18. The orifice 48 is formed in the peripheral wall 30 of the cap 18.
The contour of the orifice 18 is closed in an axial direction by a tongue 50. The tongue 50 extends in a generally circumferential direction. A first end of the tongue 50, in the tangential direction, is connected to the second associated element by a frangible bridge 52 of material. A second end of the tongue 50, opposite said first end, is connected to the associated second element by a flexible bridge 54 of material. This position, in which the tongue 50 closes the orifice 48, will hereafter be referred to as the “original position”.
The orifice 48 is made in the cap 18. The tongue 50 closes the orifice 48 axially downwards.
The lower edge of the peripheral wall 30 of the cap 18 has an indentation designed to receive the lug 40 in the closed position. The tongue 50 is arranged across the indentation to close the orifice 48 axially downwards.
The tongue 50 is made in one-part with the cap 18.
When the cap 18 is first closed on the base 16, the tongue 50 is arranged in register with the lug 40 so that the tongue 50 is moved away radially by elastic deformation by contact with the slope of the radial end face 44 of the lug 40. The amplitude of this movement is small enough not to cause the breakage of the frangible bridge 52 bridge. When the tongue 50 has passed over the lug 40, it is returned elastically behind the lug 40, axially opposite the abutment face 46 of the lug 40.
Unlike the first embodiment, the tongue 50 is also connected to the second element, in this case the cap 18, by a stretchable tab 56. The tab 56 is oriented generally parallel to the main axis “A”.
The stretchable tab 56 is interposed in the orifice 48 between the flexible bridge 54 and the lug 40 when the cap 18 is in its closed position.
Thus, when the frangible bridge 52 still connects the tongue 50 to the rest of the cap 18, the stretchable tab 56 divides the orifice 48 into a first portion 48A designed to receive the lug 40 and into a second portion 48B.
The stretchable tab 56 is designed to be plastically stretched under the effect of a tensile force produced by the pivoting of the tongue 50 when the cap 18 is first opened. The tensile force is exerted substantially axially so that the stretchable tab 56 is very substantially stretched when the cap 18 is opened. In this way, the stretchable tab 56, once stretched, prevents the tongue 50 from returning to its original position.
When the cover 18 is opened, the stretchable tab 56 is plastically stretched by a length of the order of a millimetre, for example between 1 and 10 mm.
In the example shown in
In a variant of the invention not shown, the stretchable tab 56 is designed not to break and to continue to connect the tongue 50 with the second element when the cap 18 is fully open. In this case, it is not possible to force the tongue 50 back towards its original position without visibly twisting the stretchable tab 56.
When the cap 18 is opened for the first time, a user applies an axially upward opening force to the cap 18 with its finger. A contact section of the tongue 50, located tangentially between the frangible bridge 52 and the stretchable tab 56, comes into contact with the retention face 46. As the retention face 46 extends radially without a slope, it axially retains the tongue 50 while the rest of the cap 18 is pushed axially upwards to pivot towards its extreme open position. The tongue 50 is thus hooked by the lug 40.
The cross-section of the frangible bridge 52 is very substantially smaller than the cross-sections of the flexible bridge 54 and of the stretchable tab 56, so that the opening force exerted with a finger is sufficient to cause it to break, while the flexible bridge 54 is thick enough not to break but only to flex. The stretchable tab 56 is also thick enough not to break at the start of the pivoting stroke of the cap 18.
The frangible bridge 52 is designed to break as soon as the cap 18 begins to pivot, without being significantly stretched.
The frangible bridge 52 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the movement of the cap 18 at the start of pivoting out, and is broken by shearing of the material.
Because of its inclination, the retention face 46 is turned slightly towards the flexible bridge 54. This causes the tongue 50 to pivot about a radial axis “C” by deforming the flexible bridge 54 relative to the rest of the cap 18. The flexible bridge 54 takes the form, for example, of a pinch, in the axial orientation, of a segment of the tongue 50 located at its second end.
During this movement, the stretchable tab 56 is subjected to an axial tensile force. The stretchable tab 56 then begins to be plastically stretched.
The pivoting of the tongue 50 continues until the lug 40 can escape from the orifice 48 through the passage created by the gap between the first end, which has become free, of the tongue 50 and the rest of the cap 18 when the tongue 50 is pivoted. If this happens, the stretchable tab 56 may break before the lug 40 escapes from the orifice 48.
When the cap 18 is closed, the tongue 50 thus opened slides again on the slope of the radial end face 44 of the lug 40 before resuming its position elastically behind the lug 40.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2302311 | Mar 2023 | FR | national |
