EP1581436A1

EP1581436A1 - Tamper-proof hinged closure for film-sealed bottles and containers filled with pourable contents

Info

Publication number: EP1581436A1
Application number: EP03757620A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fritz Seelhofer
Original assignee: SIG Technology AG
Current assignee: SIG Services AG
Priority date: 2002-11-11
Filing date: 2003-11-04
Publication date: 2005-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2023-11-04
Also published as: DE50304255D1; CA2504728A1; PL375367A1; AU2003273709B2; RU2326034C2; BR0316172B1; RU2005113708A; CA2504728C; BR0316172A; KR101015705B1; KR20050074563A; ATE332853T1; US20060049204A1; HK1081932A1; MXPA05005016A; CN1732117A; ES2270091T3; CN100335379C; JP2006505462A; JP4451786B2

Abstract

The guarantee hinge closure is envisaged for film-sealed bottles and containers of flowable contents. It comprises a cap-like lower part ( 1 ) with an inner thread ( 16 ) which is closed on its cap lid ( 5 ) with the exception of a pour-out spout ( 4 ) of less than half the diameter of the inner thread ( 16 ) of the cap lid ( 5 ). A lid cap ( 2 ) is integrally formed on this lower part ( 1 ) via a hinge ( 3 ), with a muff ( 7 ) formed on this lid cap which in the closure position embraces the pour-out spout ( 4 ). The cap lid ( 5 ) of the lower part ( 1 ) outside the pour-out spout ( 4 ) includes a piercing means ( 6 ) with a piercing pin ( 24 ). The piercing means ( 6 ) may be pushed from an upper initial position amid springing deformation into a lower end position. The lid cap ( 2 ) contains a push button ( 8 ) for actuating the piercing means ( 6 ). The push button ( 8 ) is connected to the lid cap ( 2 ) via material bridges ( 9 ) which act as break-off locations. On opening the closure for the first time the push button ( 8 ) remains clinging on the lower part ( 1 ) and with it therefore the piecing means ( 6 ) may be pressed downwards, whereupon the piercing spike ( 24 ) opens the sealing film.

Description

Guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers of flowable contents

This invention relates to a guarantee hinge closure, namely for bottles and containers that contain flowable media and the pouring spout is closed with a film that is welded or glued to the edge of the pouring spout. Widespread and known to everyone are ketchup bottles that have such pouring spouts sealed with a film. However, the flowable content does not necessarily have to be food. Such hinge closures can be used just as well on bottles for paints, chemicals, lubricants etc., especially for relatively viscous media that need to be poured out in doses. The bottle neck of such a bottle, in particular a ketchup bottle, is provided with an external thread, onto which a plastic closure with a hinged lid cap is screwed. The plastic closure consists of a lower part, which has an internal thread and the top of the bottle opening except for a relatively small pouring spout, which is only about a fifth of the diameter of the bottle opening. measurement measures, closes. At the edge of this lower part a film hinge is arranged, over which a cover cap is integrally formed. The inner height of the lid cap is dimensioned so that when it is pivoted onto the lower part, it completely absorbs the pouring spout and thus closes all around. A vertically protruding sleeve is formed on its inside, which, when swiveled, encloses the pouring spout. The pouring spout on its upper edge can form a slightly projecting bead on the outside, which then fits into a corresponding recess on the inside of the sleeve on the cover cap. As a result, the pouring spout is sealed and the lid cap snaps onto the lower part of the closure when it is closed, that is to say when it is swiveled closed.

Before such a hinge closure is screwed onto a threaded connector, the bottle and the container are filled. Then the bottle or container is first sealed with a sealing film. This foil is an aluminum foil or a plastic foil that is glued or welded onto the upper end of the threaded connector. Then the hinge closure is screwed on and the bottle or container reaches the customer in this form. So that the contents of the bottle or container can be poured out, this film must first be cut open, pierced, torn open, pierced or cut through, or else it is removed entirely. In many cases, the lid cap on the hinge closure is first opened and then the film is pierced through the pouring spout with a pointed object, for example a needle, a pair of scissors, a pointed knife, a toothpick or a similar tool, and pushed down. In most cases, however, this does not result in a clean pouring hole. Rather, film fringes protrude downwards. For example, if ketchup is poured out through the pouring spout, due to the consistency of this liquid, some ketchup will inevitably stick to these fringes. The same effect can be observed for other liquids with a similar consistency or viscosity. If the bottle is then placed in the upright position, it dries this ketchup on the fringes and forms a crust there, which grows a little with each pouring out until the pouring nozzle clogs in the worst case. The correct opening of a hinge closure on a ketchup bottle or on another container with a hinge closure that is sealed in this way should therefore be done by first unscrewing the plastic hinge closure from the bottle or container protector and completely removing it. Then the film should be torn off completely from the top of the pouring spout. For this purpose, the films often have a pull tab. If you open such a hinge closure exactly in this way, its function is not impaired and the contents can be poured out in a targeted and clean manner. But even if such a closure is operated in the correct way, it cannot satisfy all points.

At the closed closure, for example, you can not see whether it has already been opened or not, that is, whether its lid has already been swung open or not. This would require a separate guarantee band, which would have to be removed before the cover cap is swung open. However, such a hinge lock is missing. One helps by sticking a strip of paper over the whole stopper, both ends of which extend down onto the bottle neck. What is needed, however, is a hinge closure, which would itself form a guarantee closure, and from which one could also immediately see from the outside whether its lid had already been raised or not, without the need for separate paper sealing strips.

A second, even more serious disadvantage of the hinge closures described is that the exposure of the flow of the pouring spout is not satisfactorily solved. Either you need a pointed object, as mentioned, which does not lead to a clean opening of the flow anyway, or you have to unscrew the entire cap completely from the bottle neck, then tear off the film and then screw the hinge cap back onto the bottle. This is an operation whose need is not immediately clear to a first-time user of such a closure. It may be the reason that the film is often only opened temporarily through the pouring spout with a pointed object. Correct opening by temporarily completely removing the hinge lock and then removing the film and screwing the lock back on is an effort that must be eliminated in order to make the lock more user-friendly.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers of flowable contents, which eliminates the disadvantages indicated above. First of all, this hinge closure should be a guarantee closure in the sense that the fact that it opened for the first time can be easily recognized by the closed closure. Secondly, the hinge closure should make it possible to open the film arranged beneath it on the bottle or container neck perfectly, so that undisturbed pouring out of the contents is ensured by the pouring neck. The film should be opened without removing the closure. The hinge lock should therefore be much more user-friendly than conventional solutions. At the same time, however, it should be able to be produced in one piece and at low cost, so that despite its improved technical properties it is not or only insignificantly more expensive to produce than conventional hinge locks of this type.

This object is achieved by a guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers of flowable contents, with a cap-shaped lower part with an internal thread, which is closed on its cap lid except for a pouring spout of less than half the diameter of the internal thread from the cap lid, and a hinged lid cap formed on this lower part with a sleeve integrally formed on its inside for enclosing the pouring spout in the closed position, the closure being characterized in that the cap lid of the lower part outside the pouring spout includes a piercing device with a piercing mandrel arranged centrally to it, from an upper starting position can be pressed into a lower end position while jumping, and the lid cap, which hinges to this lower part, includes a push button for actuating the lancing device, which is connected to the latter via material bridges which are intended to act as predetermined breaking points.

In the drawings, an advantageous embodiment of this guarantee hinge closure is shown in different views. Based on these illustrations, the closure is described in detail below and its function is explained.

It shows:

Figure 1: The guarantee hinge closure in the state after its spraying, with the lid cap swung open in a view from obliquely above, seen across the underside of the lid cap onto the top of the lower part;

Figure 2: The guarantee hinge closure in the state after its spraying, with the lid cap swung open in a view from obliquely below, over the top of the lid cap into the underside of the lower part;

Figure 3: The guarantee hinge closure as shown in Figure 2, but shown in a longitudinal section through its center;

Figure 4: The guarantee hinge closure in the state after the first pivoting and closing its lid, as it is screwed onto a bottle or a container;

Figure 5: The guarantee hinge closure in the state as shown in Figure 4, but shown in a longitudinal section through its center;

Figure 6: The guarantee hinge lock with swiveled and closed lid cap seen obliquely from below;

FIG. 7: The guarantee hinge closure after the first opening of its lid cap in an oblique view from above, seen over the top of the lower part into the underside of the lid cap, with the lancing device still unused;

Figure 8: The guarantee hinge closure in the state as shown in Figure 7, but shown in a longitudinal section through its center;

Figure 9: The guarantee hinge closure with the cover cap swung open in an oblique view from above, looking over the top of the lower part into the underside of the cover cap, but after the lancing device has been actuated.

Figure 1 shows the guarantee closure made of plastic in the open position, as it presents itself immediately after its spraying. It consists of a lower part 1 and an associated cover cap 2, which is integrally connected to the lower part 1 via a hinge 3. The lower part 1 forms a threaded cap with an internal thread and is intended to be screwed onto the threaded connector of a bottle or a container. Except for the pouring spout 4, this cap is closed at the top by the cap lid 5. As a special feature, this lower closure part 1 has a puncturing device 6 for piercing a sealing film welded onto the neck of the bottle or container. The structure and function of this lancing device 6 will become clear in the course of the description. Suffice it to say here that this lancing device 6 forms a dome-like elevation or a vault-like shape on the outer side visible here, and that this shape is designed or is deformable in such a way that it can be pressed down from the position shown here and jumps into the depressed position, in which it then projects downwards as a dome-like depression or arch-like shape. The deformation from the initial state shown here to the depressed state takes place irreversibly, that is, the depressed state of the arch-like shape remains stationary. The lid cap 2 has on its inside a sleeve 7, which is arranged and dimensioned such that when the lid cap 2 is pivoted onto the lower part 1 it is just put onto the pouring spout 4 and therefore surrounds it in a sealing manner. Furthermore, the cover cap 2 has a push button 8, which is connected to the cover cap 2 via a number of material bridges 9. In the example shown there are four material bridges 9 distributed around the circumference of the push button 8. The push button 8 is seen here from its underside. So it is operated from the other side. On the underside shown here, it has a cam 10 projecting perpendicularly from this underside, which is enclosed at its end by a projecting bead 11. On the top of the lancing device 6, two semicircular clamping pieces 12 are formed as counterparts to this cam 10. At their inner upper edge they form an inwardly projecting bead 13. When the lid cap 2 is pivoted toward the lower part 1 around the hinge 3, the cam 10 is pressed between the two clamping pieces 12, as a result of which the bead 11 on the cam 10 finally behind the Bumps 13 snaps onto the clamping pieces 12. Of course, the clamping pieces 12 could just as well sit on the push button and the cam 10 on the arch-like shape. The only essential thing is that these two complementary elements can snap into one another with traction. The reason for this will become clear in the course of the description of the function of the closure.

Figure 2 shows the guarantee hinge closure in the same state as shown in Figure 1, that is after its spraying, but vice versa or overturned, that is, from obliquely below, over the top of the cap 2 in the bottom of the lower part 1st seen inside. In the cap 2 you can see the push button 8, which is held in the cover 2 via four material bridges 9. On the side of the cover cap 2 opposite the hinge 3, this has a recess 14, so that a cantilevered edge 15 is formed above it, on which the cover cap 2 can be gripped for pivoting open. The lower part 1 is on the other side of the hinge 3 formed. The internal thread 16 can be seen on the inside of the threaded cap formed by this lower part 1. At the lower edge of the lower part 1, which can be seen in the figure shown above, a band 17 is formed over a number of material bridges 18. On the front side of the closure, that is to say opposite the hinge, this band 17 is interrupted and the two ends are only connected to one another via two small material bridges 18. Retaining elements 19 are arranged on the inside of this band 17 and irreversibly engage when the guarantee hinge closure is screwed on for the first time on a corresponding projection on the threaded connector of the bottle or the container. As a result, the guarantee hinge lock can now only be screwed away from the threaded connector while the material bridges 18 are broken. On the inside of the cap cover 5, the opening 20 of the pouring spout 4 arranged on the other side can be seen. Around this opening 20, a recess 21 is excluded from the cap cover 5. This extends to the underside of the lancing device 6 and there has some guide ribs 30, the function of which will become clear later. The lancing device 6 consists of the dome-like, that is to say arch-like, shape 22, which is curved downward in the view shown here. In the center of this arch-like shape, a piercing mandrel 24 is arranged so as to protrude vertically from the inside of the arch of this shape. To stabilize this piercing mandrel 24, radial reinforcing ribs 25 are arranged, which extend over the entire central region 23. However, these reinforcing ribs 25 not only have the function of reinforcing the piercing mandrel 24 for piercing the sealing film, but also also from now on to keep the hole formed by piercing the sealing film open. Outside the central area 23 of the arch-like formation 22, this has spirally pointing outward stabilizing ribs 29 which reinforce the formation 22 on the one hand and on the other hand ensure that it can be pressed in from the outward-facing state shown here under a jumping deformation, that is to say in the direction against the inside of the lower part 1 forming a threaded cap, so that it is finally arched against the inside of the lower part 1. When the deformation 22 is pressed in, the piercing mandrel 24 is pressed into the interior of the lower part 1 and the formation 22 jumps from the concave shape shown here seen from here in a convex shape and maintains this. Furthermore, the stabilizing ribs 29 act as flow aids in the injection molding of this part.

In Figure 3, the guarantee hinge closure as shown in Figure 2 just described, but in a longitudinal section through its center. In this representation, one can see in particular the shape of the cut elements. The retention elements 19, which each form a barb, should first be mentioned. The recess 21 on the inside of the cap cover 5 of the lower part 1 extends around the inlet mouth 20 of the pouring spout 4 and opens into the arched shape 22, which here is curved outwards in relation to the threaded cap, which is formed by the lower part 1 of the closure is. On the inside of this formation 22 it is equipped with stabilizing ribs 29 arranged in a spiral shape. These help the formation 22 to jump from the outwardly curved position shown here to a position in which it is curved inwards. On the outside of the arched shape 22, the clamping pieces 12 sit, of which only one can be seen here because of the cut. On the inside, however, that is, opposite the clamping pieces 12, the piercing mandrel 24 projects into the interior of the threaded cap or the lower closure part 1. It is secured in this vertically protruding position by a number of radial reinforcing ribs 25. The cover cap 2 pivoted here from its closed position by 180 ° is visible in this view from above or from the outside. In its cover level, a push button 8 is formed, which is held in the cover level only by a few material bridges 9. At the bottom, a cam 10 with a cantilevered outer edge 11 projects downward perpendicular to the cover plane. The cam 10 is hollow for injection molding reasons. A little further away from the hinge 3 is the sleeve 7, which projects downward on the underside of the cover plane and which forms a bulge 26 on its inside along its edge. When pivoting the cover cap 2 onto the lower part 1 of the closure, the sleeve 7 is placed sealingly over the pouring spout 4 and the cam 10 comes to rest between the clamping pieces 12, its bead 11 engaging behind the beads 13 on the clamping pieces 12 and thus firmly in this is held. The guarantee hinge closure in the state after the first pivoting and closing its lid 2 is shown in Figure 4. In this state, it is screwed onto a bottle or a container. In contrast to the conventional hinge locks, a push button 8 can be seen in the cover plane, which is only held in it via four material bridges 9.

Figure 5 shows the guarantee hinge closure in the state as shown in Figure 4, but it is shown here in a longitudinal section through its center. In this illustration it can be seen very nicely how the sleeve 7 is placed on the inside of the lid cap 2 over the pouring spout 4 and how the cam 10 is snapped between the clamping pieces 12. Because the lancing device 6 overall forms an arch-like shape upwards, this arch can apply the reaction force, so that the clamping pieces 12 resist the pressing force of the cam 10 and are only slightly spread, so that the cam 10 engages with its edge bead 11 behind its beads 13 and thus is held on train. In the illustration shown here it can also be seen that the tip of the piercing mandrel 24 only extends to the underside of the cover plane of the threaded cap 1, but does not fall below this. A sealing film 27, which is welded or glued to the neck of a bottle or a container, is shown here in broken lines and runs exactly below this lid level and therefore initially remains intact by the piercing cutter 24.

FIG. 6 shows the guarantee hinge closure with the cover cap 2 swiveled closed and closed, seen obliquely from below. One recognizes the piercing mandrel 24 arranged centrally on the piercing device with its reinforcing ribs 25 on the underside of the arch-like shape 22 with its stabilizing ribs 29, which together form the piercing device 6.

As shown in FIG. 7, the guarantee hinge closure presents itself after the first opening of its cover cap 2. Because the push button 8 when the cover cap is closed for the first time, existing cam snaps into the clamping pieces, it is firmly held on the lower part 1 of the closure. The renewed pivoting open of the lid cap 2 is only possible by breaking the material bridges 9 with which the push button 8 is held on the lid cap 2 in the initial state. The push button 8 therefore hangs on the lower part 1 and then a gap 28 in the swung-open cover cap 2, which the push button 8 previously arranged therein leaves. The push button 8 now sits on top of the arch-like shape 22 of the lancing device 6. The material bridges 9 therefore act as guarantee elements to ensure a first opening guarantee. As soon as the lid cap 2 is opened for the first time, these material bridges 9 are destroyed and the closure can be seen immediately that it is no longer intact.

Figure 8 shows exactly this situation after the first pivoting open the cap 2, but shown in a longitudinal section through the center of the guarantee hinge closure. The sealing film 27, which must be cut through or broken through for pouring out content, is indicated below the piercing mandrel 24. This is now done by pressing the push button 8 with the finger in the open position of the cover cap 2 shown here. As a result, the mandrel-like or arch-like shape 22 is deformed and the piercing pin 24 is pressed downward and pierces the sealing film 27 stretched beneath it. The shape 22 finally jumps onto the lower side of the cap cover 5 of the threaded cap 1, which forms the lower closure part 1. Correspondingly, a downwardly curved formation 22 is then formed and the piercing mandrel 24 opens the sealing film 27. The flow opening that is created is larger than the flow cross-section of the pouring spout 4 and is then kept open by the reinforcing ribs 25.

In Figure 9 it can be seen how the lower closure part 1 looks after pressing the push button 8 seen from above. The entire push button 8 is at a level a few mm lower and the arched shape 22 has jumped into a position in which it is funnel-shaped when viewed from above. The piercing mandrel is inserted into the sealing film and he presses it down together with his reinforcing ribs and the reinforcing ribs keep a flow opening in the sealing film open.

The guarantee hinge closure is now ready for pouring out content. The bottle or container is brought into the pouring position and the content then flows through the pierced and torn flow opening within the recess 21, which is approximately visible in FIG. 6, and within the same between the guide ribs 30 to the pouring spout 4 and through it to the outside. For the outflowing liquid, a clearly defined channel is formed through the guide ribs 30, through which, after it has passed through the opening in the sealing film 27, it is guided to the pouring spout 4 and finally flows through this to the outside. After use, the lid cap 2 is swung back onto the lower part 1, after which it closes the pouring spout 4 in a sealing manner with its sleeve 7. In this closed position, the liquid inside and below the pouring spout 4 is sealed off from the air and therefore cannot crust over.

This guarantee hinge closure thus has the advantage that the sealing film can be opened with a simple finger pressure on a push button 8. The cap no longer has to be unscrewed from the bottle or container, after which the sealing film can be removed. The closure is therefore significantly user-friendly. It is also no longer necessary for the sealing film to be pierced or pressed through the pouring spout from above with the aid of a makeshift puncturing tool, which does not ensure a clean outflow anyway. The closure, with the push button arranged over material bridges in the lid cap, includes a tamper-evident device that does not require any additional adhesive lines or other seals. The closure is nevertheless sprayable in one piece as a one-piece part and is therefore hardly more expensive than a conventional hinge closure. 16

digits directory

1 closure base

2 lid cap

3 hinge

4 pouring spouts

5 cap lids on the lower part of the closure

6 lancing device

7 sleeve on the inside of the cover cap 2

8 push button

9 material bridges for push button

10 cams on the bottom of the push button

11 Cantilever bead on the cam

12 clamping pieces on the outside of a vaulted shape

13 inner bead on the clamping pieces 12

14 recess in the lid cap edge

15 edge above the recess 14

16 internal thread on the lower part 1

17 tape on the lower edge of the bottom part of the fastener

18 material bridges for volume 17

19 restraint means on belt 17

20 Opening / mouth of the pouring spout

21 recess in cap cover 5 of the lower part 1

22 dome-like, vault-like shape

23 central area of the formation

24 spike

25 reinforcing ribs for spike

26 bead on the inside of the sleeve 7

27 Sealing film on bottles or container mouth

28 hole in cover cap 2 due to the lack of its push button

29 spiral stabilizing ribs on the formation 22

30 guide ribs in recess

Claims

13Patentansprüche

1.Guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers of flowable contents, with a cap-shaped lower part (1) with internal thread (16), which on its cap lid (5) except for a pouring spout (4) of less than half the diameter of the internal thread ( 16) is closed by the cap lid (5), and a lid cap (2) hinged to this lower part (1) with a sleeve (7) integrally formed on its inside for enclosing the pouring spout (4) in the closed position, characterized in that the cap lid ( 5) of the lower part (1) outside the pouring spout (4) includes a lancing device (6) with a piercing mandrel (24) arranged centrally to it, which can be pressed from an upper starting position into a lower end position with springing deformation, and the cover cap (2) includes a push button (8) for actuating the lancing device (6), which is connected to the latter via material bridges (9), which act as predetermined breaking points are intended to work.

2. Guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid cap (2) includes a push button (8) with downwardly projecting cam (10) and projecting edge bead (11), the push button (8) is integrated in the cover cap (2) and is held there by a number of material bridges (9), and that the cam (10) on the lower part (1) of the closure behind beads (13) when the cover cap (2) is pivoted for the first time the clamping pieces (12) irreversibly latches onto the arched shape (22), and the lid cap (2), which is hinged to this lower part, can only be swung open afterwards by breaking the material bridges (9), so that they act as a guarantee of first opening.

3. Guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that 14

the lancing device (6) consists of a vault-like shape (22) in the cap cover (5) which projects outwards or upwards on the lower part (1) in the starting position and can be pressed into an inwardly or downwardly projecting position by jumping deformation, and which has a centrally arranged, downwardly projecting piercing spike (24) on its inside.

4. Guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the piercing mandrel (24) on the underside of the arched shape (22) for keeping open a hole pierced by the piercing mandrel (24) by means of radial ribs (25). is reinforced.

5. Guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arch-like shape (22) is equipped on its underside with spirally arranged stabilizing ribs (29) which determines to act as flow aids in the injection molding of the arch-like shape are.

6. Guarantee hinge closure for foil-sealed bottles and containers according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arch-like shape (22) in the cap lid (5) opens into a recess (21) which is recessed from the cap lid (5) and in the mouth (20) of the pouring spout (4) opens.