EP1725470B1 - Closure provided with a film hinge - Google Patents

Abstract

A closure for a container, which specifically may contain cosmetic product, the closure having a hinged lid which is connected in one piece to a base part via a film hinge, the film hinge having a pivot axis, there being a latching mechanism which keeps the hinged lid in a first stable position, and a springy element acting on the hinged lid. The springy element is tensioned in the first stable position and, after the release of the latching mechanism, automatically displaces the hinged lid by means of a driving spring force and with a pivoting movement into a second stable position. There is a separate control element which, at least during part of the pivoting movement, controls the spring force acting on the hinged lid. The control causes a delay in comparison to an uninfluenced pivoting movement caused by the spring

Description

The present invention relates to a closure for a container, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such hinged caps are known in a wide variety especially for cosmetic products, which are bottled in particular as more or less liquid lotions. Most of the hinged latches engage in the closed position, for example, by a mounted on the inside of the hinged lid pin engages positively in the outlet opening in the base part. As a result, a permanently tight closure can be ensured.

For the consumer apparent differences of the various caps are on the one hand in their optical and haptlschen design. On the other hand, the known closure caps differ in the characteristic of the pivoting movement. Thus, caps are known in which the user first solves the latched closure, pivoted the hinged lid against an opposing force about half of the pivoting path before he snaps after overcoming an upper vertex by himself in an open position and remains there in a stable position. The characteristic of the pivoting movement is determined by the shape and the arrangement of the film hinges or by additionally provided bands that stretch or compress during pivoting of the flap lid. By the Combination of hinges and hinges allows the characteristic to be adjusted accordingly.

In the case of the aforementioned closure caps, which use a spring element, the advantage lies in the simple operation, since the hinged lid opens "automatically" after the release mechanism has been released. This operation can be carried out easily with one hand by the user - usually with his thumb - presses under the flap-like protruding front hinged lid until it dissolves from the locked position. Thereupon, the hinged lid jumps to a position which completely releases the outlet opening, so that the contents can be readily removed. As spring elements bands of rubber-elastic plastic are used in combination with the hinge.

The problem with these self-snapping closures, however, is that the opening is done with a quick movement. This can cause the composition, which is inevitably still on the closure of the last use, to splash uncontrollably. It can easily happen that the user gets a splash of the composition in the eye or on the clothes. Another drawback is that such a snap hinged lid may sometimes cause an uncontrollable impact on the user's fingers, causing vocal pain that is especially unacceptable to children. This type of snapping caps are therefore only limited consumer friendly and reduce the attractiveness of the product.

document US 5,762,216 discloses a closure for a container according to the preamble of claim 1.

Object of the present invention, it is now to provide a closure for a container that ensures consumer-friendly and safe handling with simple and inexpensive adjustability, which can be easily opened with one hand and doing a slower opening movement.

This object is achieved by a closure with the characterizing features of claims 1 and 7, respectively.

Particular embodiments of the closure are described in the subclaims.

The main idea lies in the separate controls that caused by the spring element fast snap movement of the hinged lid insofar as it specifically causes a certain delay at least during a part of the pivoting movement compared to a caused only by the spring force pivoting movement. Here, the separate control, as explained below, advantageously designed either as an actuator or as a damping element.

The control element is to be provided in such a way that the hinged lid performs a harmonious and user-friendly pivoting movement. It is advantageous in the design of the control and structurally predetermined parameters, such as, to take into account the inertia of the hinged lid. Ultimately, the key advantage of the control is that it gives the designer the opportunity to put special creativity into the "pivoting design" of the closure, as it is known, for example, from the automotive industry, especially doors and flaps. By the control, the automatic movement of the hinged lid is controlled and therefore causes neither painful blows through the hinged lid nor splashing of the composition.

With the control can thus achieve a relatively uniform and "serios" restrained movement of the hinged lid. As is known, such a movement gives a noble, noble and dignified character. The closure according to the invention therefore increases in the same way the value perception of the user of the product contained in the container, which will thereby enjoy a special elegance. Thus, with the invention, the attractiveness of the products can be significantly increased. Now noble compositions can also be offered in correspondingly noble containers. The "easy open" closure according to the invention is suitable for any container containing a liquid, semi-viscous, viscous, powdery, granulated or solid product.

As already mentioned, however, the closure according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously in disposable containers for liquid cosmetic compositions, such as hair shampoos. Even if the containers themselves are sometimes made of glass or ceramic, the closure parts are usually made of plastic. In this respect, it is advantageous if the base part and thus connected via the film hinge hinged lid is sprayed in a conventional manner as a one-piece plastic part. In this sense, it is also particularly advantageous if the spring element and / or the control element are also fixedly attached, in particular molded or glued, to the closure, ie to the base part and / or the hinged lid,

In this case, the spring element is advantageously formed by a film hinge cross-elastic band of deformable plastic, for example, TPE or PE. The attachment of the elastic band can be performed with the same tool immediately after spraying and hardening of the base part and hinged lid in a further step ("Coinjection"). Thus, the production of the closure according to the invention is relatively simple and inexpensive to perform, which is to be regarded as a further advantage.

Overall, the invention can be used for any closures in which a hinged lid is integrally connected via a film hinge with a base part. Thus, the base part itself form a lower part of a container. In this case, the hinged lid, such as in a powder or cream can, directly connected to the container. In a variety of containers, especially bottles for a liquid or viscous cosmetic products, a cap body, which consists of base and hinged lid, sealingly placed on the container form-fitting or non-positive, for example screwed. In this case, the closure part of the cap body forms the base part.

Thus, it is on the one hand possible to form the control as a separate damping element, which sets the accelerating snap movement of the hinged lid, which is caused by the spring element, a compensating damping force. This is "targeted" inasmuch as it is deliberately used to provide cushioning which goes beyond the "normal" attenuation caused by the other sluggish elements of the shutter. It is initially irrelevant whether the hinged lid performs an accelerated by the spring element opening or closing movement. However, it is advantageous to provide the damping for an opening movement. In this case, the first stable position is the position in which the hinged lid sealingly closes a closure opening, while the second stable position is the position in which the hinged lid completely releases the closure opening. The invention thus enables a damped opening movement, which is initiated by simply releasing the locking mechanism in particular by finger pressure on or against the hinged lid, wherein the hinged lid forms the closure top. This opens after release with no additional effort with a slow and continuous motion until it reaches its final position. An intention of the invention is also to adjust the manner of the opening movement on the damping element.

In order to ensure such a slow and continuous movement, it is advantageous if the damping force acts at least over a substantial portion of the pivotal movement and approximately compensates for the accelerating component of the spring force. Thus, the damping force should have a compensating characteristic in relation to the accelerating spring force insofar as it initially starts from a high value and then strives towards a low value during the movement. The size of the damping force should be slightly less than the force acting at the respective waypoint opening spring force. Although it is structurally not easy to realize this ideal characteristic, it can nevertheless be approximated comparatively simply by a damping force which is almost constant on the section

According to the invention, the damping element comprises a body filled with air or to be filled with air, which compresses or stretches the pivoting of the hinged lid, wherein air escapes from the body via a defined opening or is sucked into it. As known for example from air pumps, the leads Damping by such an element, regardless of the applied force to a relatively linear movement. During the manually caused countermovement, in particular when closing the lid, the damping element loads or discharges accordingly again. In this case, a number of embodiments are conceivable for such a damping element: For example, such elements can be realized by hoses, which are used instead of said bands and have the corresponding nozzles. Certainly, it is particularly easy to make the body of an elastic foam, which - like a sponge - bends or stretched when applied force. The attachment of such an element could be provided during manufacture or immediately thereafter.

The separate control element according to the invention can also be designed in accordance with the variant shown below.

In this case, an adjusting element is provided according to the invention, which acts with a force directly on the spring element and thus influences its characteristics. Thus, the pivoting movement of the closure can be "set" with the adjusting element. In particular, the linear change of the pure spring force via the pivoting movement can be modified so that the uncontrolled snapping on of the hinged lid becomes a balanced and at least almost uniform pivoting movement. For this purpose, the actuating element acts on the spring element, at least during part of the pivoting movement directly with the actuating force, the force setting the force acting on the hinged lid spring force in their strength and / or direction and thus affects the speed of the pivoting movement. Again, it is irrelevant whether the hinged lid is caused by the spring element to an opening or a closing movement. Advantageously, however, the actuator acts on the relaxing during opening spring element. The interaction of the forces used according to the invention leads to the desired controlled opening movement, which is initiated by the release of the latching mechanism. To ensure the desirable slow and continuous movement, it is advantageous if the actuating force acts not only over a small section, but over at least a substantial part of the pivoting movement.

In this case, the actuator can be designed in different ways. In a particularly simple and therefore preferable manner, it is designed as a knee-like projection which protrudes from the back of the closure cap to the rear and around which the elastic band spans when closing the hinged lid. The actuator presses so in the elastic band a bay, thus leading to an extension of the stretch. In this embodiment, the knee-like actuator has one or more abutment surface (s) against which the elastic band is tensioned when the flip cover is in the first stable position. The particular mode of action of this control element on the pivoting movement can be explained by the fact that the effective direction of the caused by the contraction of the stretched belt spring force is determined by the contact surfaces. Thus, the course of change of the force resulting on the hinged lid can be adjusted by the formation of the contact surfaces. In this case, the contraction takes place in a relatively simple case in several discrete movement stages along the angularly arranged contact surfaces, which differ in the direction of the acting spring force. The adjusting element can also be equipped with a contact surface describing a curve, along which the elastic band contracts.

While in the case of the known, spring-opening hinged lid, the force corresponding to that of a tensioned elastic continuously decreases and the direction of the force does not change or only continuously pivots about a point around, the force now acts in predeterminable directions, which are defined by the contact surfaces of the actuating element. In this way, the influence of force acting on the hinged lid, which causes the final, in particular, uniform movement, can be influenced via the effective direction,

In another embodiment, the elastic B and on its surfaces facing the contact surfaces in the manner of a toothed belt with one or more projections or indentations which engage behind corresponding edges formed by the contact surfaces and the release of the tape gradually trigger. By this measure, a portion of the tape is still held under train, while a first section already relaxed. Thus, the total acting spring force can be divided into several subsequent individual amounts.

Figur 1

einen Kappenkörper mit Feder- und Dämpfungselement,

Figur 2

einen Klappdeckel in verschiedenen Positionen, in Prinzipdarstellung,

Figur 3

einen Kappenkörper mit Stellelement und

Figur 4

einen Klappdeckel in drei Positionen.

The invention will be described with reference to the enclosed FIGS. 1 to 4 explained in more detail. Show it:

FIG. 1

a cap body with spring and damping element,

FIG. 2

a hinged lid in different positions, in schematic representation,

FIG. 3

a cap body with actuator and

FIG. 4

a hinged lid in three positions.

In the FIGS. 1 and 3 is in each case a one-piece molded plastic closure for a container, in particular a bottle, shown having a hinged lid 1 as a closure top. The hinged lid 1 is integrally connected via a film hinge 8 with a base part 2, wherein the base plate 2 forms a Verschlussuntertell. In the embodiment shown, the base part 2 and hinged lid 1 form a cap body which can be placed on the container. The film hinge 8 forms a pivot axis 9, about which pivots the hinged lid 1 around. The base part 2 is in this case from Lower part of a sealing on a container, in particular a bottle for a liquid or viscous cosmetic composition, attachable closure formed. However, the base part 2 could also be formed by the container itself.

By a latching mechanism, the hinged lid 1 in the closed position, in the Figures 2 and 4 is denoted by A and which forms the first stable position in this case. The locking mechanism is realized by a located in the bottom of the hinged lid 1 pin 3, which engages in the closed state in the closure opening 4. The pin 3 has a bead 10, which engages behind a corresponding edge in the closure opening 4 like a barb. In this position A, the pin 3 closes the container sealingly, As soon as a slightly upward pressure is exerted on the hinged lid 1 at point 5, the pin 3 releases from the closure opening 4th

On hinged lid 1 engages as a spring element, a band 6, which is stretched in the closed position A of the hinged lid 1. The band 6 is made of elastic material, for example made of TPE or PE and on the other hand attached to the back of the base part 2 so that it acts outside the pivot axis 9, respectively engages over the pivot axis and causes the pivoting about the pivot axis 9 around. The elastic band 6 is molded on the one hand to the hinged lid 1 and on the other hand to the base plate. After the slightly upward pressure on the hinged lid 1 and the release of the locking mechanism of the hinged lid 1 is thus automatically transferred by means of the driving spring force of the belt 6 in its second stable position C, which represents a rest position. Hinged lid 1 and base part 2 thus form a snap closure, which has a dead center in the open position.

After the closure FIG. 1 a damping element 7 is provided, which opposes the accelerated by the spring force pivotal movement of the hinged lid 1 a targeted damping force. In this case, the damping element 7 is made of less elastic material, such as PP, and relaxed in the first stable position. The Damping element 7 is, so to speak, a "pressure band", which is realized from a less elastic material and the "Zugband" of elastic material opposite to a damping force. The relationship between the two forces is influenced in particular by the selection of the corresponding materials, by the geometry, by the length, by the thickness of the material and the further execution of the bands 6 and 7.

The damping force caused by the damping element 7 acts in this case over a substantial portion (distance 11) of the pivotal movement and compensates for the accelerating component of the spring force at least almost completely, so that the hinged lid 1 performs a movement with almost constant speed.

After releasing the locking mechanism, the voltage stored in the band 6 is released and acts on the hinged lid 1 a. Because of the mounting in the hinge 8, the spring force causes a swinging movement of the hinged lid 1 about the axis 9 (FIG. FIG. 2 , Position B). During the swinging motion, the belt 7 is brought out of its rest position and counteracts the swinging motion by counteracting its bending towards the rear. The manner of this movement is determined by the relationship between the tensile force exerted by the band 6 and the counterforce exerted by band 7. Towards the end of the movement, the hinged lid reaches its rest position C. The rest position is determined in turn by the arrangement of the axis 9 in the hinge 8 and the geometry, the length and the material thickness of the bands 6 and 7.

According to the invention, according to Figures 3 and 4 , a knee-shaped adjusting element 17 is provided, which is molded onto the base part 2 in the rear region. This actuator 17 acts on at least during a Tell the pivoting movement, the spring element 6 directly with a force, wherein the force exerted by the actuator 17 actuating force in this case, the force acting on the hinged lid spring force substantially in their direction. The adjusting element 17 has an end-face bearing surface 18 with upper 12 and lower curvature 13 (FIG. FIG. 4A , Detail), wherein the elastic band 6 is applied to the contact surface 18 and the bulges 12 and 13 under tension when the hinged lid 1 is in the closed position (position A). The actuator 17 acts on the elastic band 6 directly over the contact surfaces 18,12 and 13 with a force whose direction varies during the pivoting movement over an angular range. The merging abutment surfaces are inclined at an angle to each other. The actuator 17 "forces" the elastic band 6 when contraction to describe a curve.

After releasing the locking mechanism, the voltage stored in the elastic band 6 is released and acts on the hinged lid 1 a. The spring force of the elastic band 6 can according to the storage in the hinge 8 and the axis 9 causes a pivoting movement of the hinged lid 1 ( FIG. 4 , Position B). During the pivoting movement, the elastic band 6 detaches from the adjusting element 17. The actuating force caused by the adjusting element 17 acts in this case over a considerable portion of the pivoting movement and compensates the accelerating component of the spring force by modifying their direction and thus their resulting effect on the hinged lid. This creates a nearly uniform movement of the hinged lid 1. The change in the effect on the hinged lid, the spring force is thus caused by the arrangement of the contact surfaces.

In the end, the hinged lid 1 comes into its rest position ( FIG. 4 , Position C), in which the elastic band 6 is almost completely lifted off the adjusting element 17 and thereby relaxed.

Claims (11)

1. A closure for a container containing in particular a cosmetic composition, having a base part (2), with which a flip top (1) is connected in one piece via a film hinge (8) comprising a swivel axis (9), and having a catch mechanism, which holds the flip top (1) in a first stable position (A), a spring element (6) acting on the flip top (1), which spring element (6) is under tension in the first stable position (A) of the flip top (1) and which transfers the flip top (1) automatically with a swivel movement into a second stable position (C) by means of a driving spring force after release of the catch mechanism, characterised in that a separate actuator (17) is present with a bearing face (18), against which the spring element (6) rests under tension, when the flip top (1) is in the first stable position (A), in order to expose the spring element (6) directly to an actuating force at least during part of the swivel movement, the actuating force adjusting the spring force acting on the flip top (1) in strength and/or direction and thus causing a delay to the swivel movement.
2. A closure according to claim 1, characterised in that the first stable position (A) is the position in which the flip top (1) sealingly closes a closure opening (4) in the base part (2) and in that the second stable position (C) is the position in which the flip top (1) completely opens up the closure opening (4).
3. A closure according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the spring element is formed of a resilient strip (6) of deformable plastics, in particular of TPE or PE, which is under tension in the first stable position (A) of the flip top (1), the resilient strip (6) engaging over the swivel axis (9).
4. A closure according to claim 3, characterised in that a plurality of bearing faces (18, 12, 13) are present, which are in each case inclined at an angle to one another and/or in that the bearing face (18) comprises a curved surface arched towards the resilient strip (6).
5. A closure according to either one of preceding claims 3 or 4, characterised in that the resilient strip (6) is provided with one or more projections or indentations on its surface facing the bearing faces, which projections or indentations engage behind corresponding edges formed by the bearing faces (18, 12, 13) and which disengage little by little on relieving of the tension of the strip (6).
6. A closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the actuating force acts on the spring element (6) over a significant portion of the swivel movement, the flip top (1) carrying out an approximately linear swivel movement.
7. A closure for a container containing in particular a cosmetic composition, having a base part (2), with which a flip top (1) is connected in one piece via a film hinge (8) comprising a swivel axis (9), having a catch mechanism, which holds the flip top (1) in a first stable position (A), a spring element (6) acting on the flip top (1), which spring element (1) is under tension in the first stable position (A) of the flip top (1) and which transfers the flip top (1) automatically with a swivel movement into a second stable position (C) by means of a driving spring force after release of the catch mechanism, and having a separate control element (7) in the form of an independent damping element (7), which control element (7) controls the spring force acting on the flip top (1) at least during part of the swivel movement, said control causing a delay relative to the uninfluenced swivel movement brought about the spring force, characterised in that the damping element (7) comprises an air-filled body, which is compressed by the swivelling of the flip top, air escaping from the body via a defined opening.
8. A closure according to claim 7, characterised in that the independent damping element (7) counters the swivel movement of the flip top (1) accelerated by the spring force with a purposeful damping force.
9. A closure according to claim 8, characterised in that the damping force acts over a significant portion (11) of the swivel movement and at least virtually compensates the accelerating component of the spring force, the flip top (1) effecting a movement at a virtually constant speed.
10. A closure according to either one of claims 8 or 9, characterised in that the spring element (6) and/or the damping element (7) are attached to the closure and/or to the flip top by a firm connection, in particular are injection moulded thereon or adhesively bonded thereto.
11. A closure according to any one of preceding claims 7 to 10, characterised in that the damping element (7) is a strip of resiliently deformable plastics, which is in a rest position in the first stable position (A) and which deforms, in particular bends, on swivelling of the flip top (1).

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