CH677473A5 - Container with resealable cover - has edge with weakened zones forming cone parting surface widening towards top - Google Patents

Abstract

The container is particularly for material spoiled or dried out by contact with air. It has an outer peripheral edge (16) with weakend zones along it at intervals to allow part (26) to be broken off. Sealed or glued to the edge is a tear-open cover (14) which can be resealed, and with a holding lug. The edge forms an inherent cone or pyramid parting surface (20), widening towards the top. This is fully interrupted diagonally opposite the lug, where the resealable cover is firmly secured to the edge. ADVANTAGE - Simplicity, requiring little additional material.

Description

1

CH677473 A5

2nd

description

The invention relates to a container, in particular for fillings which perish or dry out in the air, which has an outer circumferential edge with a weakening zone running at a distance along the outer edge for breaking off or tearing off the outer edge part and a largely sealed or glued to the edge tight reclosure of the container includes suitable tear-open cover with a retaining tab.

Containers with an easy-to-open lid that can be pulled off a holding tab are generally not resealable. The lids can be peeled off from the edge of the container (peel lid) and / or at least along a tear line (tear-open lid). These containers have the advantage that they can be opened partially or completely without any tools and with little force.

If the contents of an opened container spoil, dry out and / or are otherwise not stable in air, pull-open lids of the conventional type have the disadvantage that they are no longer suitable for reclosing the container. Depending on the design of the upper edge of the container, plug-in and slip-on lids have therefore been created, with which the container can be largely resealed after the tear-open lid has been removed if the contents of the container are not used up immediately and completely. However, the use of such an additional cover for reclosing is associated with additional material costs and is expensive. Furthermore, a plug or slip lid of the required dimensions is not always available if it should be used.

EP-A2 0 241 002 describes a process for producing an easy-to-open container of the type mentioned. The container has a sealing rim designed as a flange with an attached tear-open cover. The outer, peripheral edge of the flange is pulled off together with the lid when the container is opened. This is possible because complete cuts and notches alternate along the tear line in the flange. However, the container has the disadvantage that neither the partially nor the fully opened tear-open lid can be closed again. The container is therefore - if no slip or plug-in lids are used - only suitable for containers of filling goods which are completely used up immediately after opening or which are not perishable in air.

CH-A5 665 401 discloses a container with a reclosable tear-open lid. A membrane cover is sealed or glued to this container, which is connected in the region of the container opening to a clamping piece in the form of a cardboard box stiffening the membrane cover or a plastic plate. A predetermined breaking point runs along the edge of the container, a little from the clamping piece, along which the membrane cover can be torn off. If the container has to be closed again, the central part of the membrane cover can be pressed into the container body with the clamping piece until it rests on a shoulder. This eliminates the need for a separate plug or slip lid. In contrast, the uppermost part of the container body has to be designed in a special way, and the membrane cover has to be made more complicated with additional material expenditure.

The inventors have set themselves the task of creating a reclosable container of the type mentioned, which can be produced easily, without special container shapes and without any appreciable additional material, and is easily reclosable after opening.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the edge has inherent means for forming a separating surface which widens from the bottom upwards in the shape of a cone or pyramid, which inherently means in a region approximately diagonally opposite the retaining tab, where the reclosable tear-open cover provides a fixed closure Edge, are completely interrupted.

With the edge-inherent means, without the use of further means and without the need for the special design of the container body and / or lid, it is achieved that a separating surface is created which ensures a largely tight, secure reclosing of the tear-open lid.

The fixed closure, which is located approximately diagonally opposite the retaining tab, together with the complete interruption of the means for forming the separating surface, prevents the cover from being able to be removed completely. To reclose the tear-open cover, it is sufficient to slide the cover over with a flat hand or press on it. The outer edge, which is broken off or pulled off in the form of a clamping ring, is guided over the edge connected to the container body and the oblique separating surfaces snap into place.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, a notch further away from the outer edge is recessed on the lower side of the edge, and a notch located closer to the outer edge of the edge is recessed on the upper side of the edge, with both notches being interrupted in the area approximately diagonally opposite from the retaining tab. The notches are cut out during the manufacture of the container body, for example during injection molding or thermoforming of plastic containers, or are subsequently created with punching knives.

In the area outside the upper notch, the reclosable tear-open cover is connected to the edge by a fixed closure. One speaks of a tight closure if the tear-open cover is sealed or glued to the edge so strongly that the film tears before the connection. Instead of the fixed closure that runs around the outer edge of the rim, a peel closure can be attached

5

10th

15

20th

25th

30th

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

2nd

3rd

CH677 473 A5

4th

be, in which case the inner part of the edge can be connected to the tear-open cover. With a peel closure, the tear resistance is preferably smaller than with a fixed closure. In contrast to a cover connected to the edge with a fixed closure, a tear-open cover connected to the edge with a peel closure can in principle be peeled off without the cover consisting of a film or a film laminate being damaged. In the present case, the tear-open cover must not come loose from the outer part of the rim, the clamping ring.

To open the container, pull on the retaining tab until a break surface from notch to notch is formed, which continues to the end of the notches.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the edge is penetrated by a continuous cut which widens in the shape of a cone-shell or pyramid-shell from below. According to this variant, the reclosable tear-open lid must have a peel closure with the edge outside and inside the cut, because otherwise the container would not be absolutely tightly closed before opening.

It would be possible to make a fixed connection outside the cut and a peel closure inside the cut, but this variant is hardly of importance for efficient production.

Of course, even according to this solution, the inherent means of the edge, the cut, in the area approximately diagonally opposite the holding tab, where the lid has a fixed closure with the edge, is completely interrupted.

In the case of a continuous cut, the outer part of the edge is preferably connected to the inner part of the edge via a few tearable connection points. Three to five tear-open connection points have proven to be particularly favorable.

So that the tear-open lid can be opened without any problems, the rim which is made in one piece with the container body must consist of a material with a certain brittleness. Plastic is primarily used, for example polypropylene, polystyrene or polyethylene. If the means for forming a separating surface which are inherent to the edge are two notches offset in the manner mentioned above, an oblique fracture surface is formed when the angled pull is drawn on the retaining tab, which is determined by the position and the depth of the notches.

All materials and embodiments known per se can also be used for the tear-open cover, but it must be able to be connected to the edge in a sealing manner. Composite laminates of metal with plastic are usually used, for example of aluminum or an aluminum alloy with a polyester, polyamide and / or polypropylene. In addition, however, pure plastic lids, composite laminates of plastic and / or metals with paper and lacquered metal foils are also used.

Sealing is carried out in a known manner

Use of foils made of hot or cold sealing materials. Adhesion, which is also known to the person skilled in the art, is less common, but is certainly applicable.

The separating surface in the edge, created or formed as a fracture or cut surface, extends in the shape of a cone or pyramid in the form of a cone, preferably at an angle of 30-75 °, in particular 45-60 °, with respect to the cover surface. The angle is e.g. determined by the material and the edge thickness.

A circumferential, integrally formed bead is preferably formed on the lower side of the edge, outside the lower notch or the cut. This thickening in the edge serves as a snap-in aid and increases the stability of the clamping ring.

Instead of a circumferential bead, the lower side of the edge, outside the lower notch or the cut, can have at least one molded nose, which - if available in sufficient numbers - serve essentially the same purpose as the bead.

The inner surface of the bead or the nose / n is preferably flush with the lower notch or the inner surface merges into the cut edge.

The reclosable tear-open lid of the container according to the invention cannot be completely removed because of the fixed closure produced in the region approximately diagonally opposite the holding tab. As mentioned, the means inherent in the opening, which serve to open the tear-open cover, are completely interrupted in this area. In principle, the length of the interruption is arbitrary. On the one hand, this area should be so small that the lid can be opened practically completely, on the other hand, the lid should remain sufficiently attached to the body of the container after being torn open. In practice, the area of the fixed closure is 0.5-5 cm long, preferably 1-3 cm. The length of this area also depends on the container size. It preferably extends over at most 25%, preferably 10% of the sealing edge. In the case of elliptical containers, this area lies preferably with the smaller apex radius, with lids designed in the form of a polygon at one corner and with an extremely long rectangular cover on the shorter side opposite the holding flap.

The container can also comprise a plurality of individual container hulls which form sub-containers. According to a first variant, the container comprises several partial containers that can be separated from one another thanks to pre-embossed lines, each with an edge and a reclosable tear-open lid. Before use, a partial container is separated and then treated like a conventional single container. According to a second variant, a plurality of partial containers which cannot be separated from one another are provided with a common outer edge which is connected to a common, reclosable tear-open lid. According to the latter variant, all partial containers are opened and closed again.

The invention relates to a container with an outer edge part that can be torn off along the edge

to

15

20th

25th

30th

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

3rd

5

CH677473A5

6

create, whereby a tear line forms with the tearing or there is a cut that allow reclosing. The means inherent in the edge, preferably offset notches or a cutting line, create a snap-in device integrated in the edge, which is easy to operate.

The invention is suitable for containers of all geometrical shapes and sizes.

The invention is of essential importance in the field of human and animal foods, in which the air-perishable content of a container is often not completely consumed at once. Examples include dairy containers, yoghurt cups, coffee cream containers, nut bowls, soft cheese bowls and jam bowls. In the latter case, the container can consist, for example, of three partial containers, which are covered with a common tear-open cover. Furthermore, the invention can be used for paint containers, the reclosable tear-open lid prevents the paints from drying out prematurely.

The invention is explained in more detail using the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. They show schematically:

1 shows an axial section through a yoghurt cup,

2 the yoghurt cup of FIG. 1, viewed from below,

3 shows a partial section through a sealing edge of a container with two offset notches,

4 shows a strongly drawn section according to FIG. 3, with the clamping ring broken off,

5 shows a partial section through a sealing edge of a container, with a continuous section,

6 is an exploded section according to FIG. 5, with a snap ring,

7 is a bottom plan view of a container,

8 is a plan view of a container with nine individually separable partial containers, and

9 shows a plan view of a container with five partial containers, covered by a common tear-open cover.

The container 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 essentially comprises a truncated cone-shaped container body 12 with a longitudinal axis L and a tear-open cover 14 of a known type consisting of several layers, which is connected to the horizontally projecting edge 16. The lamella-like cover 14 has a projecting retaining tab 18 which is gripped with the fingers when the container 10 is opened.

The edge 16 comprises inherent means for producing a conical jacket-shaped separating surface 20 which extends at an angle a to the surface of the tear-open cover 14, with a being less than 90 °. According to the inherent means, this separating surface 20 runs at a distance from the outer edge 22, in the present case concentrically.

On the left side of FIG. 1, the tear-off cover 14 which is lifted off is indicated by dashed lines.

FIG. 2 clearly shows how the separating surface 20 is completely interrupted in the area 24 lying approximately diagonally opposite the holding tab 18. The area 24 is delimited by dashed lines 25, which at the same time form the invisible border of a fixed closure between the edge 16 and the tear-open cover 14.

When the tear-open cover 14 is opened, the edge 16, starting in the area of the holding tab 18, is separated along the separating surface 20, approximately in the middle, an outer part 26 and an inner part 27 being formed.

The outer part of the edge 16 which is lifted off when opening along the separating surface 20 forms a clamping ring 26. In the region 24 with the fixed closure, the clamping ring cannot be lifted further, because on the one hand the inherent means for forming the separating surface 20 stop and on the other hand over the entire width of the Edge 16 a fixed closure is formed.

3 shows an upper notch 28 adjacent to the outer edge 22 on the upper side 45 of the edge 16 and a lower notch 30 further away from the outer edge 22 on the lower side 44 of the edge 16. Due to the position and depth of the notches 28, 30 the separation surface 20 is determined at an angle a to the surface of the tear-open cover 14.

The outer boundary surface of the lower notch 30 merges flush into a molded bead 32 which, like the notches 28, 30, runs at a distance, preferably at a constant distance, from the outer edge 22 and stops with the lower notch 30.

In the area outside the upper notch 28, the tear-open cover 14 is connected to the edge 16 by means of a fixed closure 34.

4, the outer region of the edge 16 was broken off to form the clamping ring 26. The fracture surface 36a, 36b extending from the upper notch 28 to the lower notch 30 and extending at an angle a are rough. The inner boundary surface of the upper notch 28 and the outer boundary surface of the lower notch 30 are pressed over one another with little force during reclosure, whereupon the clamping ring 26 snaps with its fractured surface 36a at the fractured surface 36b of the container body 12. After snapping, the abutting fracture surfaces 36 form a largely tight seal, which is essentially represented by FIG. 3, and protect the contents of the container 10 from spoilage or drying out in the air.

The inner boundary surface 38 of the bead 32, which is flush with the former boundary surface of the lower notch, facilitates the snap-in movement and reinforces the clamping ring 26.

According to the embodiment according to FIGS. 5, 6, the edge 26 is completely separated by a cut 40 made in the shape of a het or pyramid shell, wherein “is less than 90 °. This cut 40 forms the separating surface 20. The lamellar tear-open cover 14

5

10th

15

20th

25th

30th

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

4th

Claims (10)

7 CH677 473 A5 8 is connected to the edge 16 by means of a peel closure 42 on both sides of the cut 40 having the cut surfaces 40a, 40b. On the underside 44 of the edge 16, a nose 46 is visible outside the cut 40. As can be seen from FIG. 6, this nose 46, which merges into the cutting edge 47, makes it easier to snap the opened tear-open cover 14 back in. In particular in the embodiment according to FIGS. 5, 6 with a peel closure, it is essential that the force required for opening is not is too large, because otherwise there is a risk that the clamping ring 26 is released from the tear-open cover 14. A continuous cut with a relatively large angle α of the separating surface 20 optimally fulfills this requirement. As shown in FIG. 7, the outer part of the edge 16, the clamping ring 26, can be held on the inner part of the edge 16 with a few connection points 48. These connection points 48 must be easy to tear open. The cut 40 completely penetrating the edge 16 is completely interrupted in a 1.5 cm long area 24 which is approximately diagonally opposite the retaining tab 18. Because of the fixed closure formed in this area 24, the tear-open cover 14 (FIG. 1) cannot be removed completely. The outer part of the edge 16, the clamping ring 26 has a plurality of lugs 46 which facilitate the reclosing of the tear-open cover 14, for example by moving it with the palm of the hand. The container 10 shown in FIG. 8 has nine partial containers 50 with a square opening, which can be separated along perforated lines 52. Each partial container 50 has a separate tear-open cover 14 fastened on an edge 16, the holding tab being arranged in one corner (not shown in FIG. 8) and the area without notches or cuts being arranged in the diagonally opposite corner. The container 10 according to FIG. 9 has five partial containers 54 with an elongated rectangular opening, which cannot be separated from one another. The tear-open cover 14 extends over all of the partial containers 54 and can be snapped back into the outer edge 16 along the separating surface 20, not shown. Paterit claims 1. Container, in particular for fillings which perish or dry out in the air, which has an outer peripheral edge (16) with a weakening zone running at a distance along the outer edge (22) for breaking off or tearing off the outer edge part (26) and one on the edge ( 16) sealed or glued, suitable for largely tight reclosing of the container (10) suitable tear-open lid (14) with a retaining tab (18), characterized in that the edge (16) inherent means for forming a cone-shaped or from bottom to top has a separating surface (20) which extends in the shape of a pyramid shell and which are completely interrupted by the inherent means in a region (24) which is approximately diagonally opposite the holding pocket (18), where the reclosable tear-open cover (14) has a fixed closure (34) to the edge (16). 2. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that on the lower side (44) of the edge (16) has a lower notch (30) further away from the outer edge (22), on the upper side (45) of the edge (16) an upper notch (28) closer to the outer edge (22) is left out, and the reclosable tear-open cover (14) has a fixed closure (34) or at least in the outside in the area of the edge (16) lying outside the upper notch (28) the upper notch (28) lying area of the edge (16) has a peel closure (42). 3. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge (16) is penetrated by a continuous, the separating surface (20) forming cut (40) at an angle (a), and the reclosable tear-open lid (14) outside and inside the Cut (40) has a peel closure (42) with the upper side (45) of the edge (16). 4. Container according to claim 3, characterized in that the outer part (26) of the edge (16) is connected to the inner part (27) via some, preferably 3-5, tearable connection points (48). 5. A container according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the separating surface (20) designed as a fracture (36a, 36b) or cut surface (40a, 40b) has an angle (a) of 30-75 with respect to the cover surface °, preferably from 45-60 °. 6. Container according to one of claims 2-5, characterized in that the lower side (44) of the edge (16) outside the lower notch (30) or the cut (40) has a circumferential bead (32). 7. Container according to one of claims 2-5, characterized in that the lower side (44) of the edge (16) outside the lower notch (30) or the cut (40) has at least one molded nose (46). 8. Container according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the inner surface (38) of the bead (32) with the lower notch (30) is flush or the nose (s) (46) in the cut edge (47) of the cut ( 40) passes. 9. Container according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the holding tab (18) approximately diagonally opposite region (24) of the edge (16) without notches (28, 30) or cut (40) 0.5- 5 cm, preferably 1-3 cm long and extends over at most 25%, preferably at most 10%, of the edge (16). 10. Container according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that it has several partial containers (50) which can be separated from one another thanks to pre-embossed lines (52), each with an edge (16) and a resealable tear-open lid (14) or multiple 5 10th 15 20th 25th 30th 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 5 9 CH677 473 A5 rè has separable partial containers (54) with a common outer edge (16) and a common reclosable tear-open lid (14) 5 10th 15 20th 25th 30th 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6