Patent Application
20160068316
The invention relates to a part made of plastic adapted to be welded between the flexible walls of a container, particularly a pouch, comprising a spout integrally formed on top of the weld-in part and forming an upper pour passage that connects an upper pour mouth of the spout to a lower pour passage of a lower weld-in base, a barrier layer in the upper pour passage being opened by a projection of a closure cap that can be screwed onto the spout.
DE 297 06 157 and DE 10 2005 011 700 [US 2006/0201967] describe boat-shaped a weld-in part whose pour spout has a barrier layer that forms a barrier between the container interior and the spout pour mouth. In order to open this barrier, a spike-like projection projects on the closure cap and penetrates the barrier or barrier layer as the cap is screwed on. Such a design requires that the closure cap, after having been screwed onto the spout in order to mount the closure cap, must be screwed on further in order to be able to penetrate the barrier. For this purpose, a stop must be created on the weld-in part below the closure cap that prevents the cap from being screwed on too far and needing to be removed as soon as the closure is to be opened, that is to say the barrier layer should be removed. Such a design is complex, complicated in terms of design, and difficult to operate.
The object of the invention is to provide a weld-in part that is simple in terms of design and that allows the barrier layer to be opened or removed without requiring additional screwing of the closure cap downward onto the weld-in part.
According to the invention, this problem is solved in that the projection of the closure cap extending into the upper pour passage is fastened to the barrier layer so that the barrier layer is completely or partially removed as the closure cap is unscrewed.
In such a design, the barrier layer is not opened by screwing the closure cap further downward, but rather by unscrewing the closure cap, that is to say screwing the closure cap upward, and therefore the user not only removes the closure cap from the weld-in part, or rather from the spout of the weld-in part, but also simultaneously opens the barrier layer only with the unscrewing motion of the closure cap. Furthermore, with a very simple design and operation, an ingress of oxygen into the container is reliably prevented, so long as the closure cap is not unscrewed, that is to say screwed upward.
Preferably, it is proposed that the barrier layer is fastened in the upper pour passage or in the lower pour passage or in the intermediate region between the upper pour passage and the pour passage.
The barrier layer always lies above the lower face of the weld-in base. The barrier layer:
is at a spacing from the lower face of the weld-in base that is at least one fourth of the height of the weld-in base, or
is above the upper face of the weld-in base, or
is above the lower face of the lower edge face of the closure cap, or
is above the bottom edge of a tamper-indicating ring that is fastened to the lower face of the lower edge face of the closure cap.
Furthermore, the barrier layer can be a film of plastic or metal.
Reliable tearing open of the barrier layer is ensured if the barrier layer, particularly a film, has at least one weakening zone, particularly a predetermined breaking point or predetermined tear line. It is also proposed that the projection of the closure cap is adhesively bonded or welded to the barrier layer at the lower face of the projection of the closure cap. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the lower end of the projection of the closure cap forms a surface fastened to the barrier layer. The weakened zone can also surround the fastening point between the projection and the barrier layer.
A mode that is particularly simple in terms of design and that facilitates production is achieved if the lower pour passage located in the weld-in part has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the upper pour passage in the spout that is coaxial with the lower pour passage so that the transition from the lower pour passage to the upper pour passage in the spout is formed by an annular constriction to which the outer periphery of the barrier layer is fastened, particularly welded or adhesively bonded, all around. The annular constriction can have the shape of a circular ring or the shape of a frustum of a cone.
An improvement in the sealing is achieved if the barrier layer (6) is expanded by means of a cylindrical tube (66) integrally formed at the bottom, which cylindrical tube lies against the inner wall of the lower pour passage (2a). In this case, the production is simplified if the barrier layer (a, 6b) expanded downward is produced in advance, particularly from a film composite, as a preformed part having the shape of a cup. The cup-shaped barrier layer (6, 6b) can be produced from a film composite by means of thermoshaping or deep drawing. The barrier layer (6), particularly having the shape of a cup, can also be introduced into the weld-in part (1) by means of a two-component injection-molding process.
Embodiments of the invention are shown in axial sections in the drawings and are described in more detail below.
The weld-in part 1 made of plastic has a lower boat-shaped weld-in base 2 that can be welded between flexible walls of an unillustrated container. An integrally formed cylindrical pour spout 3 projects centrally and vertically on the upper face of the weld-in base 2 and forms an upper passage 4 that transitions downward into a lower pour passage 3a [2a] in the weld-in base 2. The spout 3, of the upper pour passage 4, and of the lower pour passage 3a [2a] are centered on an axis A. A lower face 2b of the weld-in base 2 lies in a plane E extending perpendicular to the axis A.
A barrier layer 6 always lies above the lower face 2b of the weld-in base 2, preferably at a spacing AB above the lower face that is at least one- to three-fourths of a height H of the weld-in base 2. Alternatively, the barrier layer 6 lies above an upper face 2c of the weld-in base and below a lower edge face 7a [7b] of the closure cap 7.
A diameter D3a [D2a] of the lower pour passage 3a [2a] is larger than a diameter D4 of the upper pour passage 4 in the spout 3, and therefore there is between the weld-in base 2 and the spout 3 an annular, coaxial, and frustoconical constriction 5 in the transition region. A circular barrier layer [6] is fastened, particularly adhesively bonded or welded, to the annular surface of the constriction 5 at the outer periphery of the barrier layer so that this barrier layer 6 made of plastic or metal film forms between the lower pour passage 3a [2a] and the interior of the spout 3 a barrier that also is a barrier between the interior of the container and the interior of a closure cap that can be screwed on or the atmosphere, depending on how tightly a closure cap 7 that can be screwed onto the spout 3 produces a reliable seal.
The closure cap 7 is screwed onto an external screwthread 3a of the spout by an internal screwthread 7a of the closure cap and is formed with a projection 8 extending into the upper pour passage 4 and so far that a planar lower face of the projection bears downward on an upper face of the barrier layer 6. The lower face, or lower end, of the projection 8 is permanently fastened, particularly adhesively bonded or welded, to the barrier layer 6.
The barrier layer 6, that is to say the barrier film, has at least one weakened zone, particularly a predetermined breaking point or a predetermined tear line that surrounds the fastening point(s) between the lower end face of the projection 8 and the barrier layer 6, so that the barrier layer 6 is torn open as the closure cap 7 is unscrewed as the lower end of the projection 8 is rotated and pulled upward, thereby leaving the upper pour passage 4 and the lower pour passage 3a [2a] open after the closure cap 7 has been removed.
The weakened zone 6a of the barrier layer 6 is preferably formed by an annular predetermined tear line formed by a laser beam.
A tamper-indicating ring, which is not shown and which indicates whether the closure of the container has been opened before, is preferably fastened to the lower edge face 7b of the lower end of the closure cap 7. For this purpose, in an alternative embodiment, the barrier layer 6 is above the lower edge face of the tamper-indicating ring. In a further alternative, the barrier layer 6 is at least below the edge face 7a [7b] of the closure cap 7.
The weld-in part [barrier layer 6] can be made of a film composite of metal and plastic, preferably polyester, aluminum, polyethylene or polyester, aluminum, polypropylene, the PE or PP layer being replaceable with a sealing wax or adhesive.
In the embodiment according to
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102013008861.5 | May 2013 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2014/000945 | 4/9/2014 | WO | 00 |
