EP2247507A1 - System for replenishing flowable or pourable washing or cleaning agents - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for replenishing flowable or pourable washing or cleaning agents, comprising a spout (1) that can be placed on the opening of a bottle (15) and has a collar (8) with a fastening means (5) for fastening the spout (1) to a bottle (15) in a fluid-tight manner, a collar (7) with a fastening means (6) for fastening a closure and/or metering cap (16) on the spout (1) in a fluid-tight and/or gas-tight manner, a wall (10) extending from the collar (8) or collar (7) in the direction of the bottle interior, a funnel (9) extending from the shoulder (17) of the wall (10) beyond the collar (6) out of the side of the spout (1) facing away from the bottle interior, wherein the funnel (9) has a funnel opening (11), and an adapter element (3) that can be coupled to the pouring opening of a replenishing container (2) and that comprises a cylinder element (21) and a peripheral collar (22), which is connected to the cylinder element (21) and on which a fastening element (24) is disposed for the fluid-tight fastening of the adapter element (3), a membrane (26), which in the mounted state of the adapter element (3) with the replenishing container (2) closes the replenishing container (2) and prevents leakage of flowable or pourable washing or cleaning agents out of the replenishing container (2), in particular also in the inverted position of the replenishing container (2), wherein the cylinder element (21) of the adapter element (3) has a guide groove (21), which is configured such that the cylinder element (21) can be detachably placed over the funnel (9) and the web (19) of the spout (1) protruding from the funnel plane, whereby the positioning of the adapter element (3) relative to the spout (1) is determined.

Description

 System for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaners

The invention relates to a system for refilling flowable or pourable washing or cleaning agents from a refill into a provided with a spout bottle.

State of the art

From the prior art are a variety of systems for refilling products from a

Transport in a storage container known.

Such systems have the advantage that the transport packaging is usually manufactured with less material and processing costs, so that it brings significant savings in raw materials and resulting cost and environmental advantages over the storage containers.

Decisive for the acceptance of such systems at the consumer, however, is the cost, the simple, safe and convenient handling when refilling the storage container by means of transport packaging.

With storage containers today spouts are often placed on the discharge opening, which allow a convenient and accurate pouring and dosing of the contents of the container. Such spouts are becoming increasingly popular, especially for liquid detergents.

From US4614437, for example, a refill system is known that consists of a bottle can be placed on a spout to which a refill can be coupled in such a way that the spout when placing the refill on the spout pierces the sealing film which closes the opening of the refill container, and as the contents of the refill container flows into the bottle.

A major disadvantage of this solution is that the sealing film for closing the refill container must be so thin that it can still be pierced with a reasonable force when placing the refill on the spout. As a result, there is a risk that such a film is accidentally damaged during transport and so the contents of the refill container unintentionally pours. This can happen, in particular, when a consumer places such a refill container in a shopping trolley or grocery bag with other products, wherein in particular the corners of a product package or slim-shaped products such as pins can destroy the sealing film of the refill container with unavoidable relative movements between the goods transported in this way. Although an additional closure cap for protecting the film against mechanical influences is conceivable in principle, such an additional component makes a refill container, which is as cost-effective as possible, appreciably more expensive. Furthermore, an additional cap in addition to the production of the component also requires - by the necessary screwing or bouncing - an additional assembly step in the packaging of a corresponding refill container.

Furthermore, it is not desirable that any refill container can be coupled with a specific storage container, for example, when non-storage-stable products are inadvertently mixed together by a refilling process.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a system for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaners from a refill container sealed with a membrane into a bottle provided with a spout, in which the film of the refill container is protected in a cost-effective manner against mechanical effects, can be penetrated in a conventional manner with a reasonable force through the spout and prevents inadvertent refilling of non-intermingled products.

This object is achieved by a refill system having the features of claim 1.

The inventive system for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaning agents achieves the result described above with a structurally very simple and easy to handle solution, in particular by the formation of a "key lock" principle and an exact guidance and relative positioning in the Coupling of adapter element and spout, which will be explained in more detail below.

adapter element

The inventive system for refilling a pourable or flowable washing or

Detergent comprises, in addition to the bottle provided with a spout, which is described in more detail below, a refill container at the spout opening of which an adapter element is arranged.

The adapter element has the task to couple the refill container with the spout so that the contents of the refill container safely from the refill container, passes through the spout into the bottle.

Characterized in that the adapter element is provided with a fastening means for liquid-tight attachment to a refill, that adapter element can be connected to any shaped refill containers. The attachment between the refill and the Adapter element can be detachable or non-detachable material, form or force fit. It is particularly preferred that the fastening element is configured as a screw connection, bounce connection, snap-lock connection, adhesive connection or a combination thereof.

The adapter is preferably made of a plastic material, in particular by an injection molding process.

The adapter further comprises a cylindrical element and a circumferential collar connected to the cylinder element.

The projection of the cylinder element preferably results in a circular or oval contour. However, there are also other shapes of the cylinder element conceivable as long as they correspond with the shape of the funnel design such that the adapter for the purpose of refilling with the spout can be coupled. The cylinder element is therefore not limited to a circular or oval projection contour.

The cylinder element further has a guide groove which is configured in such a way that the cylinder element can be detachably placed over the funnel and a protruding from the funnel plane web of the spout, whereby the positioning of the adapter element is fixed relative to the spout.

As a result, the adapter element is slipped over the funnel of the spout after a key lock Prinip. The formation of such a key-lock principle has a number of advantages. On the one hand, it is ensured that only refill containers provided with a corresponding adapter can be coupled to the spout. This can be prevented from causing unwanted mixing of e.g. detergent compositions which are not storable with one another if, for example, there is still a residual amount of a first detergent composition in the bottle, but this is to be filled with a second detergent composition before complete emptying.

Furthermore, as already stated above, the positioning of the adapter element relative to the spout is determined by the guide groove and the web when the adapter is coupled to the spout. For example, turning the adapter in the coupled state is prevented. This ensures that the funnel of the spout always pierces the membrane of the adapter element during coupling at one or more defined points, so that this piercing point or puncture points of the membrane can be specially designed. For a simple and for the user not too power consuming, convenient dome operation can therefore be provided at such a defined and predetermined penetration one or more thin spots in the membrane. The structural weakening of - A -

As a result, the membrane can be localized and kept to a minimum, whereby the membrane thickness and the amount of material required for this purpose can be reduced to the necessary minimum.

Furthermore, it is prevented by the web of the spout and the corresponding groove on the adapter element, that a refill container without corresponding groove can be placed on the infuser, so that accidental refilling with a non-refillable product is largely prevented.

The spout acts in addition to its generic function as pouring at the same time as an opening aid for the membrane of the adapter, so that can be dispensed with an additional opening aid.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one ramp-shaped guide rib is arranged on the inside of the cylinder element from the pouring opening of the cylinder element towards the membrane. As a result, during the dome process, the funnel of the spout, wherein between the funnel and the cylinder element of the adapter usually a certain amount of play is present, controlled at the intended location for piercing the membrane. This ensures that despite the clearance between the funnel and cylinder element, which is also necessary for a simple slipping over of the adapter via the funnel, the exact positioning of the funnel is given with respect to the thinning intended for puncture.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to design the adapter elements in such a way that the guide groove terminates at a distance from the pouring edge of the cylinder element and a substantially V-shaped opening extends from the guide groove to the pouring edge of the cylinder element. As a result, the slipping over of the adapter element is simplified via the funnel, since the web is automatically guided by the V-shaped opening during the coupling process in the guide groove. Thus, it is not necessary to position the guide exactly over the web, since the V-shaped opening compensates for a certain misalignment in the positioning of guide groove to web during the coupling process.

refill

The refill container can be designed both as a dimensionally stable container, in particular as a bottle, can, carton or the like, and as a flexible container, such as something as a bag or tube.

It is particularly advantageous that the refill container has a lower average wall thickness than the bottle into which the content of the refill container is to be filled.

Preferably, the refill container is made of a plastic material. membrane

Under membrane in the sense of this application is a flat closure element understood that mounted in the refill container state of the adapter element, the adapter element closes the refill and leakage of flowable or pourable detergents or cleaners from the refill, especially in the over-head Position of the refill container, prevented and pierceable when coupling the adapter element with the spout by a user from the funnel of the spout.

The membrane may be formed integrally with the adapter element or be arranged as a separate part on the adapter element, preferably cohesively.

The membrane is advantageously formed from a plastic, such as PE, PP, PET or a metal, such as aluminum.

The thickness of the membrane is between 0.3 μm and 1.5 μm, preferably between 0.5 μm and 1 μm.

thin places

Thin sites in the sense of these applications are material weakenings of the membrane, which are formed in particular by a reduction of the material thickness.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the membrane has one or more thin locations that at least partially correspond to the projection of the funnel shape of the spout.

In particular, it is advantageous that the projection of the funnel molding is a round or oval contour and at least one thin spot is linear and follows this contour at least partially in such a way that when coupling adapter element with the spout of the funnel abuts the thin point.

A further, particularly preferred embodiment of the invention has the thin spot a substantially T-shaped portion which is configured in such a way that it comes to the top of the funnel when coupling adapter element with the spout.

Ausqießer

The spout is a liquid-tight attachable to the pouring opening of a bottle device for the controlled and convenient dispensing of flowable or pourable detergents or cleaning agents from the bottle, in particular by tilting the bottle from a stand to a dispensing position. Such spouts are also known as "spouts". The spout is fixed in a liquid-tight manner to the spout opening of the bottle by a suitable fastening means. In particular, the fastening means may form a detachable or non-detachable, material, positive or non-positive connection between the bottle opening and the spout. It is particularly preferred that the fastening element is configured as a screw connection, bounce connection, snap-lock connection, adhesive connection or a combination thereof.

Preferably, the spout is made of a plastic material, in particular by an injection molding process.

The spout may further comprise a collar with a fastening means for liquid and / or gas-tight attachment of a closure and / or dosing to the spout, whereby the bottle can be sealed liquid-tight for the purpose of transport.

Furthermore, the spout has a wall which extends in the direction of the bottle interior and from which a funnel extends beyond the collar out of the side of the spout facing away from the bottle interior, the funnel having a funnel opening.

In a preferred development of the invention, a tip is arranged at the furthest point of the funnel opening from the interior of the bottle, which protrudes beyond the edge of the funnel opening. Through this tip, the piercing of the membrane can be significantly facilitated.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the funnel opening is formed as an obliquely cut-off tube, so that the user has a sufficiently good view of the outflowing product when pouring out and can recognize when product is present at the discharge opening of the funnel.

bottle

The bottle, at the pouring spout of which the spout is arranged, is designed as a dimensionally stable container, in particular as a bottle, can, carton or the like.

Preferably, the bottle is made of a plastic material and in particular has a handle. Further embodiments of the invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1 bottle with spout and refill container opening in uncoupled

Status

Fig. 2 bottle with spout and refill with container opening in the coupled state

Fig. 3 adapter element with a perspective view of the refill container side membrane surface

Fig. 4 adapter element with a perspective view of the spreader-side membrane surface

Fig. 5 spout in perspective view

Fig. 6 spout and adapter element in the uncoupled state in a perspective view

Fig. 7 spout and adapter element in the engaged state in a perspective view with a partial section through the spout

Fig. 8 spout and adapter element in the engaged state in a perspective cross-sectional view

Fig. 9 funnel and membrane in the engaged state in a perspective cross-sectional view

Fig. 10 funnel and membrane in the pierced state of the membrane in a perspective plan view

Fig. 11 Bottle, spout and cap in an exploded view

LIST OF REFERENCES

1. Pourer

2. refill container

3. Adapter element

5. Thread

6. Thread

7. collar

8. Collar

9. Funnels

10th wall

11. funnel opening

12. wreath

13th wall

14th floor

15th bottle

16. Cap

17th shoulder

18th neck

19th bridge

20. Guide groove

21st cylinder

22. collar

23rd peak

24. Thread

25. Opening

26. membrane

27th thin spot

28. Guide ribs

29. Guide ribs

30. opening 1 shows a bottle 15 with spout 1 as a storage container and a refill container 2 with the adapter element 3 in the uncoupled state of refill container 2 and bottle 15. The adapter element 3 is designed in such a way that it is in the over-head position of the refill container 2 - as indicated in Fig. 2 - can be coupled to the spout 1 of the bottle 15, so that the stored in the refill 2 contents can be gravity fed from the refill 2 through the spout 1 in the bottle 15 can flow.

In Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the adapter element 3 will be explained in more detail below.

First of all, reference is made to FIG. 3, which shows the adapter element 3 with a perspective view of the refill-container-side membrane surface 26.

The preferably made of a plastic material, in particular by an injection molding process, produced adapter element 3 has a circumferential, cylindrical collar 22, on the inside of an internal thread 24 is provided as a fastening means for liquid-tight attachment to a refill container 2.

The adapter 3 further comprises a cylinder element 21, which extends from the circumferential collar 22, starting in the direction away from the interior of the refill container direction. The cylinder element 21 and the collar 22 are arranged concentrically with each other, wherein the collar 22 has a larger diameter than the cylinder 21st

Between collar 22 and cylinder element 21, the membrane 26 is arranged, which completely separates the collar 22 from the cylinder element 21. The membrane 26 may be formed integrally with the adapter 3 or be fitted as a separate element in the adapter 3, wherein the membrane 26 is then preferably fixed material fit in the adapter 3.

The cylinder element 21 further has a guide groove 20 which is configured in such a way that the cylinder element 21 - as can be seen, for example, from FIG. 7 - can be detachably slipped over the funnel 9 and a web 19 of the spout 1 projecting out of the funnel plane. As a result, the positioning of the adapter element 3 is set relative to the spout 1 in a kind key-lock principle.

In the following, reference is made to FIG. 4, which shows the adapter element 3 with a perspective view of the spout-side membrane surface 26.

First, the U-shaped design of the guide groove 20 on the cylinder element 21. The membrane 26 has on the spreader-side membrane surface line-shaped thin spots 27 which at least partially correspond to the projection of the funnel 9 of the spout 1, so that when coupling of adapter element 3 with the spout 1 of the funnel 9 at least partially abuts the thin point 27.

The thin body 27 shown in Fig. 4 has a T-shaped, directed to the edge of the cylinder 21 and a Y-shaped portion, approximately at the center of the membrane 26. The T-shaped portion is configured and positioned to abut the tip 23 of the funnel 9 when the adapter element 3 is coupled to the spout 1, as shown in FIG. 9, for example.

This configuration of the T- and Y-shaped sections, when piercing the membrane 26 with the spout 1, causes the membrane 26 to divide into two wings along the T and Y sections, thereby preventing inadvertent clogging of the spout opening of the adapter opening and a defined tearing and opening of the pouring opening is ensured.

On the inside of the cylinder element 21, guide ribs 29 which extend in the region of the T-shaped thin point 27 from the pouring opening of the cylinder element 21 to the membrane 26 are arranged, which guide the tip 23 of the hopper 9 in a controlled manner during the coupling process, as shown in FIG lead the intended piercing site of the membrane 26.

The guide groove 20 terminates at a distance from the pouring edge of the cylinder element 21 with a substantially V-shaped opening 30 extending from the guide groove 20 to the pouring edge of the cylinder element 21. As a result, the slipping over of the adapter element 3 via the funnel 9 is simplified, since the web 19 is automatically guided by the V-shaped opening 30 during the coupling process into the guide groove 20.

In addition, 26 further ramp-like guide ribs 28 are arranged on the surface facing the spout toward the membrane. This guide ribs 28 effect when placing the spout 1 on the membrane 26, that the spout 1 is performed exactly on the thin section 27. For this purpose, the guide ribs 28 are sloping towards the cylinder 21, formed like a ramp, so that the spout is automatically guided when placing the correct position over the thin section 27, even if the spout 1 was not exactly placed by the user during the coupling process or the funnel. 9 of the spout 1 during the coupling process under the pressure load deformed. FIG. 5 shows a detail view of the spout in a perspective top view from which it can be clearly seen that a tip 23 which projects beyond the edge of the funnel 9 is arranged on the point of the funnel 9 which is farthest from the interior of the bottle 15. As the detail view of Fig. 5 is also apparent, the tip 23 is formed as a rib on the funnel inner wall. The tip 23 is the web 19 in a flight directly opposite.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. Further embodiments are possible without departing from the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

claims 1. system for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaning agents comprising ■ A spout (1) which can be placed on the opening of a bottle (15), comprising a collar (8) with a fastening means (5) for liquid - tight fastening of the spout Spout (1) on a bottle (15), o A collar (7) with a fastening means (6) for liquid- and / or gas-tight Fastening a closure and / or dosing cap (16) to the spout (1), o a wall (10) extending from the collar (8) or collar (7) towards the interior of the bottle, o a funnel (9), which extends from the shoulder (17) of the wall (10) beyond the collar (6) out of the side facing away from the bottle interior of the spout (1), wherein the funnel (9) has a funnel opening (11), and ■ An adapter element (3) which can be coupled to the pouring opening of a refill container (2), comprising a cylinder element (21) and o a circumferential collar (22) connected to the cylinder element (21), to which a fastening element (24) for liquid-tight fastening of the adapter element (24) 3) is arranged, o a membrane (26) in the assembled state of the adapter element (3) with the Refill container (2) the refill container (2) closes and leakage of flowable or pourable detergents or cleaning agents from the refill container (2), in particular in the overhead position of the refill container (2) prevented. characterized in that The cylindrical element (21) of the adapter element (3) has a guide groove (21) configured in such a way that the cylinder element (21) projects beyond the funnel (9) and the web (19) of the spout (1) protruding from the funnel plane ) can be detachably slipped, whereby thereby the positioning of the adapter element (3) is fixed relative to the spout (1). 2. System for refilling flowable or free-flowing detergents or cleaning agents according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the membrane (26) has one or more thin points (27) which at least partially correspond to the projection of the funnel molding. 3. System for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaning agents according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the membrane (26) one or more Thin points (27) which at least partially correspond to the projection of the funnel molding. 4. A system for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaners according to claim 3, characterized in that the projection of the funnel molding is a round or oval contour and at least one thin spot (27) is linear and this contour at least partially follows in such a way in that, when the adapter element (3) is coupled to the spout (1), the funnel (9) strikes the thin point (27). 5. A system for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaning agents according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at the far from the interior of the bottle (15) most point of the funnel opening (1 1) a tip (23) is arranged , which protrudes beyond the edge of the funnel opening (1 1). 6. System for refilling flowable or free-flowing detergents or cleaning agents according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the funnel opening (11) is formed as an obliquely cut tube. 7. System for refilling flowable or free-flowing detergents or cleaning agents according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thin point (27) has a substantially T-shaped portion which is configured in such a way that when coupling adapter element (3) with the spout (1) on the tip (23) of the funnel (9) abuts. 8. A system for refilling flowable or free-flowing detergents or cleaning agents according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the inside of the cylinder element (21) from the pouring opening of the cylinder element (21) to the membrane (26) out at least one ramp-shaped Guide rib (29) is arranged. 9. A system for refilling flowable or pourable detergents or cleaning agents according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide groove (20) at a distance to the pouring edge of the cylinder element (21) ends and a substantially V-shaped opening from the guide groove (20), starting from the pouring edge of the cylinder element (21).