US20230042976A1 - Container closure - Google Patents
Container closure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20230042976A1 US20230042976A1 US17/778,592 US202017778592A US2023042976A1 US 20230042976 A1 US20230042976 A1 US 20230042976A1 US 202017778592 A US202017778592 A US 202017778592A US 2023042976 A1 US2023042976 A1 US 2023042976A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- tongue
- container
- screw cap
- security ring
- ring
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 210000002105 tongue Anatomy 0.000 claims description 93
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000007704 transition Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 210000003739 neck Anatomy 0.000 description 53
- 230000035622 drinking Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 3
- 229920001903 high density polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 239000004700 high-density polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000011324 bead Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000013361 beverage Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011161 development Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000018109 developmental process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001746 injection moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- -1 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001155 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
- B65D41/32—Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings
- B65D41/34—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt
- B65D41/3404—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with ratchet-and-pawl mechanism between the container and the closure skirt or the tamper element
- B65D41/3409—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with ratchet-and-pawl mechanism between the container and the closure skirt or the tamper element the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D55/00—Accessories for container closures not otherwise provided for
- B65D55/16—Devices preventing loss of removable closure members
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
- B65D1/0223—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by shape
- B65D1/023—Neck construction
- B65D1/0246—Closure retaining means, e.g. beads, screw-threads
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
- B65D41/32—Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings
- B65D41/325—Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings with integral internal sealing means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
- B65D2251/10—Details of hinged closures
- B65D2251/1008—Means for locking the closure in open position
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
- B65D2401/15—Tearable part of the closure
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
- B65D2401/15—Tearable part of the closure
- B65D2401/30—Tamper-ring remaining connected to closure after initial removal
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
- B65D41/32—Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings
- B65D41/34—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt
- B65D41/3423—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with flexible tabs, or elements rotated from a non-engaging to an engaging position, formed on the tamper element or in the closure skirt
- B65D41/3428—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with flexible tabs, or elements rotated from a non-engaging to an engaging position, formed on the tamper element or in the closure skirt the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
Definitions
- the invention relates to a container closure for closing a container, and to a container with such a container closure.
- Closure caps which are captively held on the container and close the pour opening thereof are known from the prior art in the field of plastic closure caps with a security ring. Closure caps which have two holding strips, which connect a threaded part of the closure cap to a security ring of the closure cap, are also known. The two holding strips can act as a hinge about which the threaded part can be folded away from the security ring or from the container to be closed.
- Such a closure cap is known from EP 2 308 772 A1.
- the holding strips are C-shaped and each have, at their center of curvature, a weakened portion at which the holding strip can be bent. As a result, the holding strips act together as a hinge for the threaded part.
- On the open edge of the threaded part a projecting piece is formed which projects downward. When the threaded part is in the unfolded position, the projecting piece comes into contact with the holding ring of the container neck, which holding ring holds the security ring on the container neck. The projecting piece holds the threaded part in the unfolded position and prevents the threaded part from being a hindrance when a product contained in the container is poured out. However, when drinking from the bottle onto which the closure cap is placed, the threaded part is a hindrance since it is in the way of the user.
- US 2018/0370701 A1 discloses a closure cap which likewise has two holding strips. However, the ends of the holding strips are alternately connected to the security ring and the open edge of the threaded part, i.e., the ends of the holding strips which are connected to the open edge of the threaded part and to the security ring alternate.
- the threaded part has a certain stability when it is held on the bottle neck in the open position. With its upper side or its cylindrical side wall, the threaded part can rest against the bottle neck. In this solution of a captive closure cap, however, the threaded part in the open position is still closer to the container neck than in the above solution and therefore proves to be very inconvenient when drinking from the bottle.
- the invention provides that the first, second, third and fourth ends are arranged one after the other in the circumferential direction on the free edge and on the security ring, and that the first tongue and a second tongue that has a second tongue end and is adjacent to the first tongue are arranged between the second and the third end, wherein the second tongue is part of the security ring and in the open position, the first tongue end comes into contact with the second tongue end.
- the first and second tongues interact with the specially arranged holding strips.
- the successive arrangement of the first, second, third and fourth ends and the precisely matched length of the holding strips allow the first and second tongues to be brought into alignment when the screw cap is unscrewed. Because the first and second tongues are arranged directly next to one another, only a small pivoting of the tongues relative to one another is necessary for them to overlap. Since the tongues overlap, they can latch to one another in the open position and fix the screw cap in the open position.
- the second tongue end is formed as an extension on the edge of the security ring facing the screw cap.
- the first tongue end can latch on the second tongue end in the open position of the screw cap.
- the extension is a radially outward protruding step.
- the first tongue end can latch stably in the open position at the transition from the extension to the second tongue.
- the extension is also conceivable for the extension to be oriented obliquely downward in the direction of the container in order to reinforce the holding effect of the screw cap.
- the extension has a height of between 1 and 4 mm, or between 2 and 3 mm. This height is sufficient to hold the screw cap stably in the open position and to thus prevent the first tongue end from skipping over the extension. On the other hand, the height is not so high that the first and second holding strips would have to be stretched in order to pull the first tongue end over the extension. When the first tongue is pulled over the extension, it can advantageously be bent and then snaps in under the step on the second tongue.
- the first tongue is adjacent to the second end or the third end
- the second tongue is adjacent to the second or third end depending on the position of the first tongue.
- the two tongues directly adjoin the second and third ends.
- a rotation of the first tongue in the circumferential direction is made possible when the screw cap is unscrewed, whereby the two tongues are brought into alignment.
- the first tongue is received in the closed position in a first recess provided on the security ring.
- the first tongue can be made as long as possible without having to increase the height of the security ring.
- the long first tongue makes it possible to arrange the screw cap in the open position as far away as possible from the container neck. As a result, the screw cap is not in the way of the user when drinking from the container.
- a reinforcement section is expediently formed below the first recess on the security ring. Since the first recess inevitably forms a weakened portion for the security ring, the region of the security ring is reinforced below the first recess. For example, the security ring can have an enlarged outward thickness at this point. The reinforcement ensures that the security ring is sufficiently stable despite the first recess, in particular when the container closure is pressed onto the container neck and when the screw cap is unscrewed for the first time from the container neck.
- Thee length of the first tongue may be between 70 and 90% of the height of the security ring or between 75 and 85% of the height of the security ring. This dimensioning results in the first tongue being as long as possible without the height of the security ring deviating from the standard height of a conventional security ring.
- the length of the first and second holding strips is dimensioned in such a way that the first and the second tongues are brought into alignment when the screw cap is transferred into the open position.
- the precisely dimensioned length of the holding strips in combination with the particular arrangement of the tongues and the holding strips relative to one another leads to the alignment of the two tongues. This is particularly advantageous since the rotation of the tongues relative to one another takes place automatically when the screw cap is unscrewed, which in turn leads to particularly simple handling of the container closure.
- the break-off webs may be arranged at regular intervals along the open edge.
- the security ring is therefore held sufficiently stably on the screw cap for the container closure to be pressed onto the container neck.
- the screw cap can also be unscrewed with uniform force due to the regular intervals between the break-off webs.
- a second and a third recess for receiving the first and second holding strips are expediently provided on the edge of the security ring facing the first and second holding strips.
- the first and second holding strips can be molded from the security ring in a space-saving manner and without additional material expenditure.
- the first and second holding strips can be cut out of the security ring or molded during the production process of the closure cap.
- the height of the security ring is not enlarged by the provision of the holding strips, and no additional material expenditure is necessary.
- the second and fourth ends enclose an opening angle of at least 60 degrees and at most 90 degrees, or of at least 70 and at most 80 degrees, with respect to the center point of the screw cap as the apex.
- the first and second holding strips have exactly the length which leads to the functions described above, in particular to the alignment of the first and second tongues during unscrewing.
- an inward projecting inner cone e.g., in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring
- the closure cap can therefore act as a so-called cone sealer and reliably seals the bottle neck.
- the first and the second holding strip have a width between 3 mm and 7 mm, or a width between 4 mm and 5 mm. This dimensioning has the effect that the holding strips are not unintentionally torn off, in particular when the break-off webs are torn off. Moreover, the security ring does not become too high and can be joined in a sealing manner to standardized container necks with an outer thread.
- the invention is also characterized in that the closure cap is designed to interact with a standardized container neck with an outer thread and a holding ring.
- the closure cap can therefore be placed on standardized container necks, in particular PET beverage bottles.
- Containers that are joined to the closure cap according to the invention therefore do not have to be specifically adapted to the closure cap.
- the closure cap is expediently made of a plastic material, such as HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene).
- the closure cap can therefore be produced with standard plastic materials from which known closure caps with a security ring are also produced.
- the screw cap, the security ring, the holding strips, the break-off webs, and the first and second tongues are produced in one piece.
- the container closure can be produced in an injection mold, without the need for further processing steps to form the first and second holding strips and the first and second tongues.
- the inner cone is also produced in one piece together with the other parts of the container closure.
- the security ring has slots which are distributed over the circumference and have an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the upper edge is formed by a circular-arc-shaped section of the security ring, and the lower edge is formed by a wall section inclined inward in the radial direction, and the lower edge of each slot forms the protrusions, whereby engagement means for form-fitting engagement with the holding ring are formed. Since the engagement means in the form of the inward inclined wall sections are not on the entire circumference of the security ring, and since slots are also present, by the molding of which the amount of material used is even further reduced, the material requirement of plastic can be significantly reduced by up to 5%.
- the wall section is immovable inward in the radial direction, whereby the security ring is held on the holding ring and cannot be pulled over it until the security ring is stretched along its circumference.
- the security ring is fixedly held on the holding ring by the wall sections such that the break-off webs safely tear before the holding of the wall sections is overcome.
- the wall sections are flexible or movable outward in the radial direction. As a result, the wall sections can be demolded from the injection mold or the injection-molding tool with little exertion of force. For the same reason, the application force for pressing the container closure on is significantly reduced in comparison to the prior art. Expansion of the security ring, which can lead to permanent damage to the container closure, is largely prevented during demolding and pressing on.
- a protrusion is in each case formed on the security ring below the first and second recesses.
- a further aspect of the invention relates to a container having a container body, a container neck adjoining the container body, an outer thread formed on the container neck, and a container closure in accordance with the above description.
- a support ring is formed at the transition from the container neck to the container body, and in the open position, the screw cap is in contact with the second tongue and the support ring. Due to the additional contact on the support ring in the open position, the holder becomes more stable since two support points are present. In addition, the screw cap is unfolded to the maximum extent.
- FIG. 1 a side view of a container closure which is in a closed position
- FIG. 2 an axonometric bottom view of the container closure of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 an axonometric view of the container closure of FIG. 1 placed on the neck of a container;
- FIG. 4 a side view of the container closure, in which the closure cap is unscrewed from the container neck;
- FIG. 5 an axonometric view of the container closure of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 6 a side view of the container closure with the screw cap in an open position
- FIG. 7 an axonometric view of the container closure with the screw cap in the open position
- FIG. 8 an axonometric view of the container closure placed on the container neck with the screw cap in the open position;
- FIG. 9 a detail view of the security ring.
- FIG. 10 a sectional view of the security ring of FIG. 9 with visualized inclination angles.
- FIGS. 1 to 8 show a container closure which is denoted as a whole by reference sign 11 .
- the closure cap 11 is captively held on a container 13 , in particular on a bottle 13 .
- the container 13 is indicated in FIGS. 3 to 6 and 8 .
- the closure cap 11 comprises a screw cap 15 , a security ring 17 , and a first and a second holding strip 19 a, 19 b.
- the screw cap 15 comprises a cover disk 21 and a first cylindrical casing 23 with a free edge 25 .
- An inner thread 27 is molded on the inside of the casing 23 .
- the container 13 comprises a container body 28 and a container neck 29 adjoining the container body 28 .
- the container neck 29 is designed as a second cylindrical casing.
- An outer thread 31 is molded on the container neck 29 and interacts with the inner thread 27 .
- the closure cap 11 closes the pour opening 33 which is provided within the container neck 29 .
- the closure cap 11 is designed to interact with a standardized container neck 29 with an outer thread 31 and a holding ring 35 .
- the security ring 17 is held in a form fit on the container neck 13 .
- a holding ring 35 is molded on the outside of the container neck 29 , under which holding ring protrusions 37 formed on the inside of the security ring 17 can engage ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ).
- the security ring 17 is rotatable relative to the container neck 29 .
- the first arm 19 a has a first end 39 and a second end 41 .
- the first end 39 is fixedly connected to the free edge 25 .
- the second end 41 is fixedly connected to the security ring 17 .
- the container closure 11 is captively held on the container 13 .
- the second arm 19 b has a third end 51 and a fourth end 53 .
- the third end 51 is fixedly connected to the free edge 25 .
- the fourth end 53 is fixedly connected to the security ring 17 .
- the closure cap 11 is additionally captively held on the container 13 .
- the security ring 17 is held on the free edge 25 with a plurality of break-off webs 63 , which break when the screw cap 15 is unscrewed from the container neck 29 .
- the break-off webs 63 may be arranged at regular intervals on the security ring 17 as shown.
- the first and second arms 19 a, 19 b have a width between 4 mm and 5 mm or have a width which corresponds to at least 15% of the height of the security ring, so that they are sufficiently stable.
- the screw cap 15 is in a closed position in which it is pressed or screwed onto the container neck 29 .
- the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are pulled upward in the axial direction.
- the holding strips are also elastically extendable so that the screw cap 15 can be unscrewed from the container neck 29 and folded away.
- a second and a third recess 65 , 67 are provided on the security ring 17 .
- the first and the second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are received in the first and the second recesses 65 , 67 , respectively. This makes it possible to produce the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b directly from the security ring 17 , for example by cutting out of the security ring 17 .
- the first, second, third and fourth ends 39 , 41 , 51 , 53 are arranged one after the other in the circumferential direction on the free edge 25 and on the security ring 17 .
- a first tongue 43 with a first tongue end 45 and a second tongue 47 with a second tongue end 49 are arranged between the second end 41 of the first holding strip 19 a and the third end 51 of the second holding strip 19 b.
- the first tongue 43 is formed on the free edge 25 in continuation of the casing 23 .
- the second tongue 47 is part of the security ring 17 .
- the first and second tongues 43 , 47 may be directly adjacent to one another. Furthermore, the first and second tongues 43 , 47 may be directly adjacent to the second end 41 and the third end 51 , respectively.
- the second tongue end is designed as an extension, in particular as a radially outward protruding step 55 .
- the step has a height of 2 to 3 mm.
- a first recess 57 in which the first tongue 43 is received in the closed position is provided on the security ring 17 .
- the first tongue 43 can be made as long as possible. This in turn has the advantage that in the open position, the screw cap 15 is far away from the container neck 29 and does not hinder the user when drinking from the container.
- the first tongue 43 has a length of 75 to 85% of the height of the security ring 17 .
- the reinforcement section 59 is realized in that the wall thickness of the security ring 17 is enlarged below the first recess 57 .
- the wall thickness of the reinforcement section 59 is between 2 and 3 mm.
- the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b act as a hinge about which the screw cap 15 can be unfolded into the open position.
- the length of the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b is dimensioned in such a way that the first tongue end 45 in the open position is pulled to the step 55 and is pulled into the step corner.
- the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are tensioned or elastically extended.
- the casing 23 can also have contact with the support ring 72 of the container 13 , which is formed at the transition between the container neck 29 and the container body 28 .
- the arrangement of the ends of the holding strips 19 a, 19 b, that is to say that the first end 39 is followed by the second end 41 , the third end 51 and the fourth end 53 in the circumferential direction, and a certain length of the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b have the advantage that the first tongue 43 and the second tongue 47 or the tongue ends 45 , 49 thereof are brought into alignment when the screw cap 15 is unscrewed from the container neck 29 .
- the tongues 43 , 47 can therefore be automatically transferred, by rotation of the screw cap 15 , from an arrangement in which they are arranged next to one another into an arrangement in which the tongue ends 45 , 49 overlap.
- the closure cap 11 Since the closure cap 11 is rotationally symmetrical, it has a center point 73 .
- the center point 73 lies in the imaginary plane between the free edge 25 and the security ring 17 .
- the second end 41 and the fourth end 53 enclose an opening angle 75 of at least 60 degrees and at most 90 degrees, or at least 70 and at most 80 degrees, with respect to the center point 73 as the apex.
- closure cap 11 If the closure cap 11 is pressed onto the container neck 29 , the pour opening 33 is closed by the closure cap 11 , and the closure cap 11 is in the closed position.
- the break-off webs 63 break.
- the security ring 17 rotates along with the screw cap 15 .
- the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b can stand up, and the first and second tongues 43 , 47 are displaced relative to one another.
- the screw cap 15 is folded into the open position after unscrewing from the container neck 29 by latching the first tongue end 45 to the step 55 .
- the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b have a length which allows the screw cap 15 to be unscrewed from the container neck 29 and the tongues 43 , 47 to be rotated relative to one another.
- the length of the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b must be adapted precisely. If the length of the holding strips is too long, the first tongue end 45 is not held sufficiently fixedly on the step 55 . If the length of the holding strips is too short, the screw cap 15 snaps back out of the open position and impedes the pouring out of filling material from the pour opening 33 .
- the screw cap 15 In the open position, the screw cap 15 is captively held on the container 13 and is fixed to the container neck 29 in such a way that it does not protrude into the pour opening 33 when liquid is poured out of the container 13 .
- the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b enable the screw cap 15 to be transferred into the open position in a positively guided folding movement after it has been unscrewed from the container neck 29 .
- the length and cross-section of the first and the second holding strip 19 a, 19 b are dimensioned in such a way that the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are elastically tensioned in the open position of the screw cap 15 .
- the screw cap 15 in the open position is pulled onto the container neck 29 and the step 55 and is held thereon in a wobble-free manner.
- the elastic pretensioning of the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b also makes it possible for the screw cap to be transferred multiple times from the open position into the closed position and vice versa.
- the container neck 29 can be opened and closed multiple times, and after opening, the screw cap 15 is held in the open position in a stable and wobble-free manner each time.
- the protrusions 37 can be designed in accordance with the following description of FIGS. 9 and 10 .
- This embodiment of the protrusions 37 is the content of the Swiss patent applications with application numbers 01467/19 and 01695/19, the priorities of which were claimed, and the disclosure contents of which are hereby incorporated into the present patent application.
- Slots 97 are provided in the security ring in a manner distributed over the circumference of the security ring 17 .
- the slots 97 each have an upper edge 99 and a lower edge 101 .
- the upper edge 99 is formed by a circular-arc-shaped section of the security ring 17 .
- the lower edge 101 corresponds to the free edge of a wall section 103 inclined inward in the radial direction.
- the lower edge 101 Due to the inward inclination of the wall section 103 , the lower edge 101 has a smaller radius than the security ring 17 and as a result can lie against an abutment (holding ring 35 ) of the container neck 29 when the screw cap 15 is unscrewed from the container neck 29 .
- the abutment is realized by the holding ring 35 , which is formed below the outer thread 31 on the container neck 29 .
- the lower edge 99 engages form-fittingly in the holding ring 35 , as a result of which the security ring 17 is reliably held on the holding ring 35 even under high axial forces.
- Each wall section 101 has a first subsection 105 and two second subsections 107 .
- the first subsection 105 represents an inward folded casing section and designed to be flat.
- the second subsections 107 adjoin the inward facing sides of the first subsection 105 and connect it to the security ring 17 .
- the second subsections 107 can be curved or flat and face one another obliquely inward.
- the lower edge 101 of the slot 97 corresponds to the free edges of the first subsection 105 and of the second subsections 107 and lies in a plane 109 , which is shown in FIG. 10 .
- the plane 109 is oriented perpendicularly to the axis of rotation 110 of the container neck 29 .
- the inclined wall sections 103 have a lesser wall thickness than the remaining security ring 17 .
- FIG. 10 shows that the region of the lower edge 101 has the smallest wall thickness. The above-described flexibility of the wall section 103 radially outward is thereby further improved. The wall thickness of the wall section 103 increases linearly downward starting from the lower edge 101 .
- FIGS. 9 and 10 show the security ring 17 without the screw cap 15 .
- FIGS. 9 and 10 clearly show that an annular bead 111 on which the upper edges 99 rest is formed above the slots 97 on the security ring 17 .
- FIG. 10 shows a first and second inclination angle 113 , 115 .
- the first inclination angle 113 indicates the inclination of the first subsection 105 with respect to the plane of the lower edge 101 .
- the first inclination angle 113 has a magnitude between 60 and 80 degrees, or between 65 and 75 degrees. The greater the first inclination angle 113 , the better the stability of the wall sections 103 with respect to vertical force effects or axial tensile forces caused by the unscrewing of the screw cap 15 . However, the first inclination angle 113 must not be too large since the holding ring 35 cannot otherwise be sufficiently engaged.
- the second inclination angle 115 indicates the inclination of the slot 97 with respect to the plane of the lower edge 111 .
- the connecting line 117 which represents the inclination of the slot 97 , is a connection of the upper edge 99 to the lower edge 101 in a plane spanned by the axis of rotation 110 and the connecting line 117 .
- the second inclination angle 115 is enclosed by the connecting line 117 and the plane 109 .
- the second inclination angle 115 has a magnitude between 30 and 50 degrees, or between 35 and 45 degrees. The greater the second inclination angle 115 , the easier it is to demold the security ring 17 .
- An inward projecting inner cone 87 ( FIG. 4 ), e.g., in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring, or may be molded on the bottom 21 of the screw cap 15 .
- the inner cone 87 is designed to interact in a sealed manner with the inner wall 89 of the container neck 29 in the closed position.
- the closure cap 11 can therefore act as a so-called cone sealer and reliably seals the container neck 29 .
- the closure cap 11 is made of a plastic.
- Preferred plastics include inter alia PP and HDPE.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Abstract
A container closure for a pour opening of a container has a first holding strip with a first and a The first end is connected to a free edge of the screw cap and a second end is connected to a security ring. A second holding strip has a third end connected to the free edge of the screw cap and a fourth end connected to the security ring. The first, second, third and fourth ends are arranged one after the other in the-acircumferential direction on the free edge and on the security ring. A first tongue has a first end and a second tongue has a second tongue end and adjoining the first tongue and is arranged between the second and the third ends. The second tongue is part of the security ring and, in an open position, the first tongue end comes into contact with the second tongue end.
Description
- This application is a national phase entry under 37 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT/EP2020/082486 filed Nov. 18, 2020, which claims priority to Swiss Patent Application No. 01467/19 filed Nov. 20, 2019, and Swiss Patent Application No. 01695/19 filed Dec. 23, 2019, and Swiss Patent Application No. 00672/20 filed Jun. 5, 2020, the entirety of each of which is incorporated by this reference.
- The invention relates to a container closure for closing a container, and to a container with such a container closure.
- Closure caps which are captively held on the container and close the pour opening thereof are known from the prior art in the field of plastic closure caps with a security ring. Closure caps which have two holding strips, which connect a threaded part of the closure cap to a security ring of the closure cap, are also known. The two holding strips can act as a hinge about which the threaded part can be folded away from the security ring or from the container to be closed.
- Such a closure cap is known from EP 2 308 772 A1. The holding strips are C-shaped and each have, at their center of curvature, a weakened portion at which the holding strip can be bent. As a result, the holding strips act together as a hinge for the threaded part. On the open edge of the threaded part, a projecting piece is formed which projects downward. When the threaded part is in the unfolded position, the projecting piece comes into contact with the holding ring of the container neck, which holding ring holds the security ring on the container neck. The projecting piece holds the threaded part in the unfolded position and prevents the threaded part from being a hindrance when a product contained in the container is poured out. However, when drinking from the bottle onto which the closure cap is placed, the threaded part is a hindrance since it is in the way of the user.
- US 2018/0370701 A1 discloses a closure cap which likewise has two holding strips. However, the ends of the holding strips are alternately connected to the security ring and the open edge of the threaded part, i.e., the ends of the holding strips which are connected to the open edge of the threaded part and to the security ring alternate. As a result, the threaded part has a certain stability when it is held on the bottle neck in the open position. With its upper side or its cylindrical side wall, the threaded part can rest against the bottle neck. In this solution of a captive closure cap, however, the threaded part in the open position is still closer to the container neck than in the above solution and therefore proves to be very inconvenient when drinking from the bottle.
- It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a container closure which does not have the above disadvantages and thus allows the user to drink from the container or bottle with as little hindrance as possible.
- The stated advantage is achieved in a container closure for closing a container by the features listed in the independent claims. Developments and/or advantageous alternative embodiments are the subject matters of the dependent claims.
- The invention provides that the first, second, third and fourth ends are arranged one after the other in the circumferential direction on the free edge and on the security ring, and that the first tongue and a second tongue that has a second tongue end and is adjacent to the first tongue are arranged between the second and the third end, wherein the second tongue is part of the security ring and in the open position, the first tongue end comes into contact with the second tongue end. Surprisingly, the first and second tongues interact with the specially arranged holding strips. The successive arrangement of the first, second, third and fourth ends and the precisely matched length of the holding strips allow the first and second tongues to be brought into alignment when the screw cap is unscrewed. Because the first and second tongues are arranged directly next to one another, only a small pivoting of the tongues relative to one another is necessary for them to overlap. Since the tongues overlap, they can latch to one another in the open position and fix the screw cap in the open position.
- In one embodiment of the invention, the second tongue end is formed as an extension on the edge of the security ring facing the screw cap. As a result, the first tongue end can latch on the second tongue end in the open position of the screw cap.
- It has proven to be expedient if the extension is a radially outward protruding step. As a result, the first tongue end can latch stably in the open position at the transition from the extension to the second tongue. It is also conceivable for the extension to be oriented obliquely downward in the direction of the container in order to reinforce the holding effect of the screw cap.
- It has proven to be advantageous if the extension has a height of between 1 and 4 mm, or between 2 and 3 mm. This height is sufficient to hold the screw cap stably in the open position and to thus prevent the first tongue end from skipping over the extension. On the other hand, the height is not so high that the first and second holding strips would have to be stretched in order to pull the first tongue end over the extension. When the first tongue is pulled over the extension, it can advantageously be bent and then snaps in under the step on the second tongue.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the first tongue is adjacent to the second end or the third end, and the second tongue is adjacent to the second or third end depending on the position of the first tongue. As a result, the two tongues directly adjoin the second and third ends. In combination with the direct arrangement of the first and second tongues next to one another, a rotation of the first tongue in the circumferential direction is made possible when the screw cap is unscrewed, whereby the two tongues are brought into alignment.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the first tongue is received in the closed position in a first recess provided on the security ring. As a result, the first tongue can be made as long as possible without having to increase the height of the security ring. The long first tongue makes it possible to arrange the screw cap in the open position as far away as possible from the container neck. As a result, the screw cap is not in the way of the user when drinking from the container.
- A reinforcement section is expediently formed below the first recess on the security ring. Since the first recess inevitably forms a weakened portion for the security ring, the region of the security ring is reinforced below the first recess. For example, the security ring can have an enlarged outward thickness at this point. The reinforcement ensures that the security ring is sufficiently stable despite the first recess, in particular when the container closure is pressed onto the container neck and when the screw cap is unscrewed for the first time from the container neck.
- Thee length of the first tongue may be between 70 and 90% of the height of the security ring or between 75 and 85% of the height of the security ring. This dimensioning results in the first tongue being as long as possible without the height of the security ring deviating from the standard height of a conventional security ring.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the length of the first and second holding strips is dimensioned in such a way that the first and the second tongues are brought into alignment when the screw cap is transferred into the open position. As already stated above, the precisely dimensioned length of the holding strips in combination with the particular arrangement of the tongues and the holding strips relative to one another leads to the alignment of the two tongues. This is particularly advantageous since the rotation of the tongues relative to one another takes place automatically when the screw cap is unscrewed, which in turn leads to particularly simple handling of the container closure.
- The break-off webs may be arranged at regular intervals along the open edge. The security ring is therefore held sufficiently stably on the screw cap for the container closure to be pressed onto the container neck. The screw cap can also be unscrewed with uniform force due to the regular intervals between the break-off webs.
- A second and a third recess for receiving the first and second holding strips are expediently provided on the edge of the security ring facing the first and second holding strips. As a result, the first and second holding strips can be molded from the security ring in a space-saving manner and without additional material expenditure. For example, the first and second holding strips can be cut out of the security ring or molded during the production process of the closure cap. Furthermore, the height of the security ring is not enlarged by the provision of the holding strips, and no additional material expenditure is necessary.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the second and fourth ends enclose an opening angle of at least 60 degrees and at most 90 degrees, or of at least 70 and at most 80 degrees, with respect to the center point of the screw cap as the apex. As a result, the first and second holding strips have exactly the length which leads to the functions described above, in particular to the alignment of the first and second tongues during unscrewing.
- It has proven to be expedient if an inward projecting inner cone, e.g., in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring, is molded on the cover disk and is designed to interact in a sealing manner with the inner wall of the container neck in the closed position. The closure cap can therefore act as a so-called cone sealer and reliably seals the bottle neck.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the first and the second holding strip have a width between 3 mm and 7 mm, or a width between 4 mm and 5 mm. This dimensioning has the effect that the holding strips are not unintentionally torn off, in particular when the break-off webs are torn off. Moreover, the security ring does not become too high and can be joined in a sealing manner to standardized container necks with an outer thread.
- The invention is also characterized in that the closure cap is designed to interact with a standardized container neck with an outer thread and a holding ring. The closure cap can therefore be placed on standardized container necks, in particular PET beverage bottles. Containers that are joined to the closure cap according to the invention therefore do not have to be specifically adapted to the closure cap.
- The closure cap is expediently made of a plastic material, such as HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene). The closure cap can therefore be produced with standard plastic materials from which known closure caps with a security ring are also produced.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the screw cap, the security ring, the holding strips, the break-off webs, and the first and second tongues are produced in one piece. As a result, the container closure can be produced in an injection mold, without the need for further processing steps to form the first and second holding strips and the first and second tongues. Preferably, the inner cone is also produced in one piece together with the other parts of the container closure.
- In another embodiment of the invention, the security ring has slots which are distributed over the circumference and have an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the upper edge is formed by a circular-arc-shaped section of the security ring, and the lower edge is formed by a wall section inclined inward in the radial direction, and the lower edge of each slot forms the protrusions, whereby engagement means for form-fitting engagement with the holding ring are formed. Since the engagement means in the form of the inward inclined wall sections are not on the entire circumference of the security ring, and since slots are also present, by the molding of which the amount of material used is even further reduced, the material requirement of plastic can be significantly reduced by up to 5%. In addition, the wall section is immovable inward in the radial direction, whereby the security ring is held on the holding ring and cannot be pulled over it until the security ring is stretched along its circumference. The security ring is fixedly held on the holding ring by the wall sections such that the break-off webs safely tear before the holding of the wall sections is overcome. However, the wall sections are flexible or movable outward in the radial direction. As a result, the wall sections can be demolded from the injection mold or the injection-molding tool with little exertion of force. For the same reason, the application force for pressing the container closure on is significantly reduced in comparison to the prior art. Expansion of the security ring, which can lead to permanent damage to the container closure, is largely prevented during demolding and pressing on.
- In another embodiment, a protrusion is in each case formed on the security ring below the first and second recesses. As a result, the security ring is held reliably on the holding ring in the region of the holding strips and tongues. This is in particular important when the screw cap is unscrewed and pivoted into the open position.
- A further aspect of the invention relates to a container having a container body, a container neck adjoining the container body, an outer thread formed on the container neck, and a container closure in accordance with the above description.
- In another embodiment of the invention, a support ring is formed at the transition from the container neck to the container body, and in the open position, the screw cap is in contact with the second tongue and the support ring. Due to the additional contact on the support ring in the open position, the holder becomes more stable since two support points are present. In addition, the screw cap is unfolded to the maximum extent.
- Further advantages and features become apparent from the following description of three exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the schematic representations. Shown, in a representation not true to scale, are:
-
FIG. 1 : a side view of a container closure which is in a closed position; -
FIG. 2 : an axonometric bottom view of the container closure ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 : an axonometric view of the container closure ofFIG. 1 placed on the neck of a container; -
FIG. 4 : a side view of the container closure, in which the closure cap is unscrewed from the container neck; -
FIG. 5 : an axonometric view of the container closure ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 : a side view of the container closure with the screw cap in an open position; -
FIG. 7 : an axonometric view of the container closure with the screw cap in the open position; -
FIG. 8 : an axonometric view of the container closure placed on the container neck with the screw cap in the open position; -
FIG. 9 : a detail view of the security ring; and -
FIG. 10 : a sectional view of the security ring ofFIG. 9 with visualized inclination angles. -
FIGS. 1 to 8 show a container closure which is denoted as a whole byreference sign 11. Theclosure cap 11 is captively held on acontainer 13, in particular on abottle 13. Thecontainer 13 is indicated inFIGS. 3 to 6 and 8 . Theclosure cap 11 comprises ascrew cap 15, asecurity ring 17, and a first and a second holding strip 19 a, 19 b. - The
screw cap 15 comprises acover disk 21 and a firstcylindrical casing 23 with afree edge 25. Aninner thread 27 is molded on the inside of thecasing 23. Thecontainer 13 comprises acontainer body 28 and acontainer neck 29 adjoining thecontainer body 28. Thecontainer neck 29 is designed as a second cylindrical casing. Anouter thread 31 is molded on thecontainer neck 29 and interacts with theinner thread 27. As a result, thescrew cap 15 can be screwed onto and unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29. Theclosure cap 11 closes the pour opening 33 which is provided within thecontainer neck 29. Theclosure cap 11 is designed to interact with astandardized container neck 29 with anouter thread 31 and a holdingring 35. - The
security ring 17 is held in a form fit on thecontainer neck 13. For this purpose, a holdingring 35 is molded on the outside of thecontainer neck 29, under which holdingring protrusions 37 formed on the inside of thesecurity ring 17 can engage (FIGS. 9 and 10 ). Thesecurity ring 17 is rotatable relative to thecontainer neck 29. - The first arm 19 a has a first end 39 and a
second end 41. The first end 39 is fixedly connected to thefree edge 25. Thesecond end 41 is fixedly connected to thesecurity ring 17. As a result, thecontainer closure 11 is captively held on thecontainer 13. - The second arm 19 b has a
third end 51 and afourth end 53. Thethird end 51 is fixedly connected to thefree edge 25. Thefourth end 53 is fixedly connected to thesecurity ring 17. As a result, theclosure cap 11 is additionally captively held on thecontainer 13. - The
security ring 17 is held on thefree edge 25 with a plurality of break-offwebs 63, which break when thescrew cap 15 is unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29. The break-offwebs 63 may be arranged at regular intervals on thesecurity ring 17 as shown. - The first and second arms 19 a, 19 b have a width between 4 mm and 5 mm or have a width which corresponds to at least 15% of the height of the security ring, so that they are sufficiently stable.
- According to
FIGS. 1 to 3 , thescrew cap 15 is in a closed position in which it is pressed or screwed onto thecontainer neck 29. When unscrewing from thecontainer neck 29, the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are pulled upward in the axial direction. The holding strips are also elastically extendable so that thescrew cap 15 can be unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29 and folded away. - A second and a
third recess security ring 17. The first and the second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are received in the first and the second recesses 65, 67, respectively. This makes it possible to produce the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b directly from thesecurity ring 17, for example by cutting out of thesecurity ring 17. - The first, second, third and fourth ends 39, 41, 51, 53 are arranged one after the other in the circumferential direction on the
free edge 25 and on thesecurity ring 17. Afirst tongue 43 with afirst tongue end 45 and asecond tongue 47 with asecond tongue end 49 are arranged between thesecond end 41 of the first holding strip 19 a and thethird end 51 of the second holding strip 19 b. Thefirst tongue 43 is formed on thefree edge 25 in continuation of thecasing 23. Thesecond tongue 47 is part of thesecurity ring 17. The first andsecond tongues second tongues second end 41 and thethird end 51, respectively. The second tongue end is designed as an extension, in particular as a radially outward protrudingstep 55. The step has a height of 2 to 3 mm. Afirst recess 57 in which thefirst tongue 43 is received in the closed position is provided on thesecurity ring 17. As a result, thefirst tongue 43 can be made as long as possible. This in turn has the advantage that in the open position, thescrew cap 15 is far away from thecontainer neck 29 and does not hinder the user when drinking from the container. Thefirst tongue 43 has a length of 75 to 85% of the height of thesecurity ring 17. - Since the
first recess 57 forms a weakened portion for thesecurity ring 17, the latter is reinforced below thefirst recess 57. The reinforcement section 59 is realized in that the wall thickness of thesecurity ring 17 is enlarged below thefirst recess 57. The wall thickness of the reinforcement section 59 is between 2 and 3 mm. As a result of the provision of the reinforcement section, thesecurity ring 17 is sufficiently stable to be able to be pressed onto thecontainer neck 29. - When the
screw cap 15 is transferred from its unscrewed position into its open position, the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b act as a hinge about which thescrew cap 15 can be unfolded into the open position. The length of the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b is dimensioned in such a way that thefirst tongue end 45 in the open position is pulled to thestep 55 and is pulled into the step corner. In the open position, the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are tensioned or elastically extended. In the open position, thecasing 23 can also have contact with thesupport ring 72 of thecontainer 13, which is formed at the transition between thecontainer neck 29 and thecontainer body 28. - The arrangement of the ends of the holding strips 19 a, 19 b, that is to say that the first end 39 is followed by the
second end 41, thethird end 51 and thefourth end 53 in the circumferential direction, and a certain length of the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b have the advantage that thefirst tongue 43 and thesecond tongue 47 or the tongue ends 45, 49 thereof are brought into alignment when thescrew cap 15 is unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29. Thetongues screw cap 15, from an arrangement in which they are arranged next to one another into an arrangement in which the tongue ends 45, 49 overlap. - Since the
closure cap 11 is rotationally symmetrical, it has acenter point 73. Thecenter point 73 lies in the imaginary plane between thefree edge 25 and thesecurity ring 17. Thesecond end 41 and thefourth end 53 enclose anopening angle 75 of at least 60 degrees and at most 90 degrees, or at least 70 and at most 80 degrees, with respect to thecenter point 73 as the apex. - If the
closure cap 11 is pressed onto thecontainer neck 29, the pouropening 33 is closed by theclosure cap 11, and theclosure cap 11 is in the closed position. When thescrew cap 15 is unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29, the break-offwebs 63 break. Thesecurity ring 17 rotates along with thescrew cap 15. During unscrewing, the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b can stand up, and the first andsecond tongues - As already described further above, the
screw cap 15 is folded into the open position after unscrewing from thecontainer neck 29 by latching thefirst tongue end 45 to thestep 55. As a result of the choice of theopening angle 75, the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b have a length which allows thescrew cap 15 to be unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29 and thetongues first tongue end 45 is not held sufficiently fixedly on thestep 55. If the length of the holding strips is too short, thescrew cap 15 snaps back out of the open position and impedes the pouring out of filling material from the pouropening 33. - In the open position, the
screw cap 15 is captively held on thecontainer 13 and is fixed to thecontainer neck 29 in such a way that it does not protrude into the pouropening 33 when liquid is poured out of thecontainer 13. The first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b enable thescrew cap 15 to be transferred into the open position in a positively guided folding movement after it has been unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29. As a result of the positive guidance and thestep 55, there is only one open position and not a plurality thereof. The length and cross-section of the first and the second holding strip 19 a, 19 b are dimensioned in such a way that the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b are elastically tensioned in the open position of thescrew cap 15. As a result, thescrew cap 15 in the open position is pulled onto thecontainer neck 29 and thestep 55 and is held thereon in a wobble-free manner. The elastic pretensioning of the first and second holding strips 19 a, 19 b also makes it possible for the screw cap to be transferred multiple times from the open position into the closed position and vice versa. As a result, thecontainer neck 29 can be opened and closed multiple times, and after opening, thescrew cap 15 is held in the open position in a stable and wobble-free manner each time. - The
protrusions 37 can be designed in accordance with the following description ofFIGS. 9 and 10 . This embodiment of theprotrusions 37 is the content of the Swiss patent applications with application numbers 01467/19 and 01695/19, the priorities of which were claimed, and the disclosure contents of which are hereby incorporated into the present patent application.Slots 97 are provided in the security ring in a manner distributed over the circumference of thesecurity ring 17. Theslots 97 each have anupper edge 99 and alower edge 101. Theupper edge 99 is formed by a circular-arc-shaped section of thesecurity ring 17. Thelower edge 101 corresponds to the free edge of awall section 103 inclined inward in the radial direction. Due to the inward inclination of thewall section 103, thelower edge 101 has a smaller radius than thesecurity ring 17 and as a result can lie against an abutment (holding ring 35) of thecontainer neck 29 when thescrew cap 15 is unscrewed from thecontainer neck 29. The abutment is realized by the holdingring 35, which is formed below theouter thread 31 on thecontainer neck 29. When thescrew cap 15 is unscrewed, thelower edge 99 engages form-fittingly in the holdingring 35, as a result of which thesecurity ring 17 is reliably held on the holdingring 35 even under high axial forces. - Each
wall section 101 has afirst subsection 105 and twosecond subsections 107. Thefirst subsection 105 represents an inward folded casing section and designed to be flat. Thesecond subsections 107 adjoin the inward facing sides of thefirst subsection 105 and connect it to thesecurity ring 17. Thesecond subsections 107 can be curved or flat and face one another obliquely inward. Thelower edge 101 of theslot 97 corresponds to the free edges of thefirst subsection 105 and of thesecond subsections 107 and lies in aplane 109, which is shown inFIG. 10 . Theplane 109 is oriented perpendicularly to the axis ofrotation 110 of thecontainer neck 29. These described design features of thewall section 103 have the advantage that thewall section 103, with the entirelower edge 101, can rest against the holdingring 35 and, in the manner of a barb, does not yield in the event of an axial tensile force upward. As a result, thesecurity ring 17 is held non-releasably on the holdingring 35 and can be removed from the holdingring 35 only by being destroyed. A movement of thefirst subsection 105 inward in the radial direction is prevented by provision of thesecond subsections 107. However, a movement of thefirst subsection 105 outward in the radial direction is possible. This movement is flexible, and after being pressed radially outward, thewall section 103 returns to its inward inclined home position. This has the further advantage that thesecurity ring 17 can be easily demolded and can be pressed together with thescrew cap 15 onto thecontainer neck 29 with little force. As a result of the flexibility of thewall section 103, the demolding from an injection mold and the pressing onto thecontainer neck 29 can take place without the risk of damaging thewall section 103. - The
inclined wall sections 103 have a lesser wall thickness than the remainingsecurity ring 17.FIG. 10 shows that the region of thelower edge 101 has the smallest wall thickness. The above-described flexibility of thewall section 103 radially outward is thereby further improved. The wall thickness of thewall section 103 increases linearly downward starting from thelower edge 101. -
FIGS. 9 and 10 show thesecurity ring 17 without thescrew cap 15.FIGS. 9 and 10 clearly show that anannular bead 111 on which theupper edges 99 rest is formed above theslots 97 on thesecurity ring 17. -
FIG. 10 shows a first andsecond inclination angle first inclination angle 113 indicates the inclination of thefirst subsection 105 with respect to the plane of thelower edge 101. Thefirst inclination angle 113 has a magnitude between 60 and 80 degrees, or between 65 and 75 degrees. The greater thefirst inclination angle 113, the better the stability of thewall sections 103 with respect to vertical force effects or axial tensile forces caused by the unscrewing of thescrew cap 15. However, thefirst inclination angle 113 must not be too large since the holdingring 35 cannot otherwise be sufficiently engaged. - The
second inclination angle 115 indicates the inclination of theslot 97 with respect to the plane of thelower edge 111. The connectingline 117, which represents the inclination of theslot 97, is a connection of theupper edge 99 to thelower edge 101 in a plane spanned by the axis ofrotation 110 and the connectingline 117. Thesecond inclination angle 115 is enclosed by the connectingline 117 and theplane 109. Thesecond inclination angle 115 has a magnitude between 30 and 50 degrees, or between 35 and 45 degrees. The greater thesecond inclination angle 115, the easier it is to demold thesecurity ring 17. - An inward projecting inner cone 87 (
FIG. 4 ), e.g., in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring, or may be molded on the bottom 21 of thescrew cap 15. The inner cone 87 is designed to interact in a sealed manner with the inner wall 89 of thecontainer neck 29 in the closed position. Theclosure cap 11 can therefore act as a so-called cone sealer and reliably seals thecontainer neck 29. - The
closure cap 11 is made of a plastic. Preferred plastics include inter alia PP and HDPE.
Claims (20)
1. A container closure for closing a pour opening of a container, comprising:
a screw cap comprised of a cylindrical casing, a cover disk attached to a first end of the cylindrical casing having an inner thread formed on an inside surface of the first cylindrical casing configured to engage with an outer thread of a container neck of a container, the second end of the cylindrical casing defining a free edge of the screw cap, the screw cap configured to be folded from a closed position, in which the screw cap closes the pour opening, to an open position, in which the screw cap fully opens the pour opening, and vice versa;
a security ring configured to be held on a holding ring of a container neck;
a plurality of break-off webs configured to releasably connect the security ring to the free edge of the screw cap;
a first holding strip having a first and a second end, wherein the first end is fixedly connected to the free edge of the screw cap, and the second end is fixedly connected to the security ring;
a second holding strip having a third and a fourth end, wherein the third end is fixedly connected to the free edge of the screw cap, and the fourth end is fixedly connected to the security ring, the first, second, third and fourth ends are arranged one after the other in a circumferential direction on the free edge and on the security ring; and
a first tongue having a first tongue end formed between the first and second holding strips on the free edge and in continuation of the cylindrical casing;
a second tongue having a second tongue end and positioned adjacent to the first tongue, the first tongue and second tongue arranged between the second and the third end, wherein the second tongue is part of the security ring and in the open position, the first tongue end comes into contact with the second tongue end.
2. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein the second tongue end is formed as an extension of an edge of the security ring facing the screw cap.
3. The container closure according to claim 2 , wherein the extension comprises a radially outward protruding step.
4. The container closure according to claim 2 , wherein the extension has a height between 1 and 4 mm.
5. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein the first tongue is adjacent to the second end or the third end, and the second tongue is adjacent to the second or third end depending on a position of the first tongue.
6. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein, in the closed position, the first tongue is received in a first recess on the security ring.
7. The container closure according to claim 6 , further comprising a reinforcement section below the first recess on the security ring.
8. The container closure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a length of the first tongue is between 70 and 90% of the height of the security ring.
9. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the first and second holding strips is dimensioned in such a way that the first and the second tongues are brought into alignment when the screw cap is transferred into the open position.
10. The container closure according to further comprising second and third recesses on the edge of the security ring and facing the first and second holding strips for receiving the first and second holding strips.
11. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein the second and fourth ends enclose an opening angle of at least 60 degrees and at most 90 degrees with respect to a center point of the screw cap as an apex.
12. The container closure according to claim 1 , further comprising an inward projecting inner cone on the cover disk is configured to interact in a sealing manner with the inner wall of the container neck in the closed position.
13. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second holding strips have a width between 3 mm and 7 mm.
14. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein the closure cap is configured to interact with a standardized container neck having the outer thread and the holding ring.
15. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein the closure cap is made of a plastic material.
16. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein the screw cap, the security ring, the first and second holding strips, the plurality of break-off webs, and the first and second tongues are formed as one piece.
17. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the security ring has slots distributed over its circumference, with an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the upper edge is formed by a circular-arc-shaped section of the security ring, and the lower edge is formed by a wall section inclined inward in a radial direction, and the lower edge of each slot forms a protrusion to form a form-fitting engagement with the holding ring.
18. The container closure according to claim 1 , wherein a protrusion is in each case formed on the security ring below the second and third recesses.
19. A container, comprising:
a container body;
a container neck adjoining the container body;
an outer thread formed on the container neck;
a container closure configured for closing a pour opening provided within the container neck, the container closure comprising:
a screw cap comprised of a cylindrical casing, a cover disk and an inner thread which is formed on an inside of the cylindrical casing and is configured to engage with an outer thread of a threaded container neck of the container, the screw cap defining a free edge opposite the cylindrical casing, the screw cap configured to be folded from a closed position, in which it closes the pour opening, to an open position, in which it fully opens the pour opening, and vice versa;
a security ring configured to be held on a protrusion on the container neck,
a plurality of break-off webs releasably connecting the security ring to the free edge;
a first holding strip with a first and a second end, the first end fixedly connected to the free edge of the screw cap and the second end fixedly connected to the security ring;
a second holding strip with a third and a fourth end, the third end fixedly connected to the free edge of the screw cap, and the fourth end fixedly connected to the security ring;
a first tongue with a first tongue end between the first and second holding strips on the free edge in continuation of the cylindrical casing;
a second tongue having a second tongue end adjacent to the first tongue, the first tongue and the second tongue positioned between the second and the third end, wherein the second tongue is part of the security ring and in the open position, the first tongue end comes into contact with the second tongue end.
20. The container according to claim 19 , further comprising a support ring at a transition from the container neck to the container body, and in the open position, the screw cap is in contact with the second tongue and the support ring.
Applications Claiming Priority (7)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CH01467/19 | 2019-11-20 | ||
CH14672019 | 2019-11-20 | ||
CH01695/19A CH716870A2 (en) | 2019-11-20 | 2019-12-23 | Container closure. |
CH01695/19 | 2019-12-23 | ||
CH00672/20 | 2020-06-05 | ||
CH00672/20A CH716857A2 (en) | 2019-11-20 | 2020-06-05 | Container closure. |
PCT/EP2020/082486 WO2021099358A1 (en) | 2019-11-20 | 2020-11-18 | Container closure |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20230042976A1 true US20230042976A1 (en) | 2023-02-09 |
Family
ID=73344091
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US17/778,592 Pending US20230042976A1 (en) | 2019-11-20 | 2020-11-18 | Container closure |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20230042976A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP4061731A1 (en) |
CH (1) | CH716857A2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2021099358A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20220055804A1 (en) * | 2020-08-20 | 2022-02-24 | Novembal Usa Inc. | Hinged Closure |
US20220194673A1 (en) * | 2019-04-15 | 2022-06-23 | Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner Gmbh & Co. Kg | Container closure |
US20230010977A1 (en) * | 2021-07-07 | 2023-01-12 | Affaba & Ferrari S.R.L. | Compact fast-opening cap and cap and mouthpiece assembly for a container |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11312544B2 (en) * | 2020-03-30 | 2022-04-26 | ThisCap, Inc. | Cap for container |
MX2022003784A (en) | 2019-09-30 | 2022-04-25 | Berry Global Inc | Retainable closure. |
IT202200006725A1 (en) * | 2022-04-05 | 2023-10-05 | Acqua Minerale San Benedetto S P A | BOTTLE IN PLASTIC MATERIAL FOR DRINKS |
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US20110114593A1 (en) * | 2008-07-08 | 2011-05-19 | Japan Crown Cork Co., Ltd. | Synthetic resin container closure |
US9643762B2 (en) * | 2015-04-02 | 2017-05-09 | Michael Joseph MAGUIRE | Cap for container |
US20200399036A1 (en) * | 2019-06-19 | 2020-12-24 | Taiwan Hon Chuan Enterprise Co., Ltd. | Bottle cap with non-break plates |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP5574582B2 (en) * | 2008-07-08 | 2014-08-20 | 日本クロージャー株式会社 | Plastic container lid |
JP5600461B2 (en) * | 2010-03-31 | 2014-10-01 | 日本クロージャー株式会社 | Plastic container lid |
JP5520768B2 (en) * | 2010-09-30 | 2014-06-11 | 日本クロージャー株式会社 | Plastic container lid |
US10836549B2 (en) | 2015-04-02 | 2020-11-17 | Thiscap Inc. | Cap for container |
US11332290B2 (en) | 2015-04-02 | 2022-05-17 | ThisCap, Inc. | Cap for container |
-
2020
- 2020-06-05 CH CH00672/20A patent/CH716857A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2020-11-18 EP EP20804587.2A patent/EP4061731A1/en active Pending
- 2020-11-18 WO PCT/EP2020/082486 patent/WO2021099358A1/en unknown
- 2020-11-18 US US17/778,592 patent/US20230042976A1/en active Pending
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110114593A1 (en) * | 2008-07-08 | 2011-05-19 | Japan Crown Cork Co., Ltd. | Synthetic resin container closure |
US9643762B2 (en) * | 2015-04-02 | 2017-05-09 | Michael Joseph MAGUIRE | Cap for container |
US20200399036A1 (en) * | 2019-06-19 | 2020-12-24 | Taiwan Hon Chuan Enterprise Co., Ltd. | Bottle cap with non-break plates |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20220194673A1 (en) * | 2019-04-15 | 2022-06-23 | Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner Gmbh & Co. Kg | Container closure |
US11993436B2 (en) * | 2019-04-15 | 2024-05-28 | Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner Gmbh & Co. Kg | Container closure |
US20220055804A1 (en) * | 2020-08-20 | 2022-02-24 | Novembal Usa Inc. | Hinged Closure |
US20230010977A1 (en) * | 2021-07-07 | 2023-01-12 | Affaba & Ferrari S.R.L. | Compact fast-opening cap and cap and mouthpiece assembly for a container |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2021099358A1 (en) | 2021-05-27 |
EP4061731A1 (en) | 2022-09-28 |
CH716857A2 (en) | 2021-05-31 |
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