WO2015132428A1

WO2015132428A1 - Cap for non-refillable containers

Info

Publication number: WO2015132428A1
Application number: PCT/ES2015/000067
Authority: WO
Inventors: Josep Maria Janes Autonell
Original assignee: Josep Maria Janes Autonell
Priority date: 2014-05-29
Filing date: 2015-05-28
Publication date: 2015-09-11
Also published as: ES1116305Y; ES1116305U

Abstract

The invention relates to a cap for non-refillable containers, designed to operate using pressure, of the container or the cap itself, and formed by an upper cover (2) and a lower base (3) made of flexible plastic, said cover having a spout (5) serving as an outlet channel arranged on a plug (6) housed in a through-hole (7) of the lower base (3). The spout (5) has a bottom platform (8) inside and in the lower portion of same, said bottom platform being joined along the entire length thereof, apart from a lateral opening (9), for the passage of liquid, and said platform being located at a very small distance above the upper edge of the through-hole (7). The plug (6) includes flexible elements (12) to which an upper base (13) is joined, remaining in contact with the bottom platform (8) of the spout (5), and which determine an intermediate passage (14) that increases and reduces in size according to the operating positions of the container and the flow of liquid.

Description

DESCRIPTION

PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGES OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention, as expressed in the statement of the present specification, refers to a stopper for non-refillable containers, which provides advantages and novelty features, which will be described in detail below, which represent a remarkable improvement of the current state of the art. .

More particularly, the object of the invention is centered on a cap which, being of the type intended to allow the pouring of the liquid contained in a container, bottle or container but preventing it from being refilled, avoiding inappropriate or fraudulent product manipulations, It is distinguished by presenting an innovative structural configuration that makes it especially suitable for oil containers, although without being limited to it, since it allows to obtain a regular flow in the discharge of said type of thicker product, effectively ensuring the impossibility of container refilling. FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The field of application of the present invention is part of the industry sector dedicated to the manufacture of caps for packaging, particularly focusing on the field of safety caps equipped with anti-filling systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, various types of caps are known in the market that prevent refilling of the containers or bottles to which it is incorporated. In general, said type of caps are intended for liquor bottles, so their configuration is usually focused on guaranteeing the impossibility of refilling the bottle with another liquid that is not originally incorporated by the producer, but without usually taking into account the attainment of a regular and constant fluidity in the discharge of the liquid, since this, in the case of the liquors, does not have major importance. In fact it is usually common in this type of i bottles the need to make several shakes of it, once placed face down, so that the liquid falls into the glass.

This circumstance, however, is a problem for another type of liquid, such as oil, since a shake of the bottle could cause an unwanted spreading of oil that could stain users.

On the other hand, given the importance that this precious liquid is acquiring as a recognized gastronomic element, and to guarantee the origin of the oil that is marketed and used in public establishments or consumed in private homes, the need for bottles is being created. that incorporate non-refillable plugs specially designed for oil, although they can also be used with other liquids. As a reference to the current state of the art, it should be noted that there is knowledge of the existence of multiple documents related to the subject, in the majority of cases referring to caps intended for liquor bottles, among which, however, they can be highlighted, as closer to what is proposed here structurally speaking: Utility Model ES0208718 U, referred to as an "non-refillable bottle stopper" whose occluder element is constituted by an inverted truncated conical body provided at its minor base with an appendix provided with radial fins by means of which it slides in a hole provided in the base of the body housed in the mouth of the bottle, whose hole is extended into said bottle by means of a tubular appendix, a conical seat for the hole having been provided in the outer mouth of the hole occluder element, which is provided with a skirt that surrounds the seat and an axial stop that is constituted by an appendage says emergent on the face opposite the occluder element seat. In addition the body housed in the mouth of the bottle sits a hood equipped with means of exit; Or the Utility Model ES0229104U, referred to another "Improved non-refillable cap", which in this case comprises a cover coupled on the neck of the bottle on which a capsule provided at its bottom with a plug of a tubular neck formed in a bowl fitted in a tubular body fitted in the neck of the bottle, whose bowl is provided with peripheral openings being arranged inside said body

2 tubular a ball and a button provided with radial guide fins in the tubular body and capable of moving between a sealing position, in which the bottle is in an upright position and said button is applied on a seat at the bottom of the tubular body and in the that refilling is prevented, and a position in which the exit of the liquid is possible between the guide fins of the button and the tubular body and through the openings of the bowl.

However, it is not observed that none of the inventions known or the aforementioned utility models, taken separately or in combination, describe the present invention, as claimed.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the stopper for non-refillable containers that the invention proposes is thus configured as an advantageous alternative within its scope, the characterizing details making it possible and distinguishing it from what is already known, conveniently included in the final claims that accompany this description.

Specifically, what the invention advocates is a non-refillable cap, in particular a plastic cap for containers containing liquid or fluid products, such as oil, said containers being preferably also of the same or another type of flexible plastic, since the structure of the cap is designed to ensure the discharge of the fluid by pressure of the container itself. It is not ruled out, however, that, optionally, the container may also be made of glass or other non-flexible material, in which case the cap will have larger dimensions that allow such pressure to be exerted directly on it.

In any case, the cap is essentially constituted from two parts coupled to each other, one outer as a top cover and another inside as a bottom base, the top cover comprising a spout for the liquid outlet and at the base bottom a tack-shaped shutter, said spout and said shutter being placed one above the other so that, by inverting the container and pressing, they allow fluid outflow from the inside of the container to the outside passing through the shutter and through the pitorro, but if you try to force the penetration of fluid through the pitorro to introduce it into the container,

3 They prevent its passage.

For this, and in a characterizing way, the pitorro presents, in its lower part, a bottom platform that joins its walls in all its extension except for a small side hole, through which the passage is made possible of the liquid, this bottom platform being located directly in contact on the shutter and a very short distance from the hole in which said shutter is housed and supported, whereby, an eventual introduction of liquid through the spout to attempt to refill the container will cause the pressure of the bottom platform of said pitorro on the upper base of the shutter and, consequently, its conventional closure on the area of the hole in which it rests and, at the same time causes the closure on the edge of the hole in which it is incorporated said shutter, so that security to prevent refilling is more effective.

In addition, the shutter, which, as stated above, is shaped like a tack, that is to say, which is formed by a lower shank and a wider conical head, is disposed in the through hole which is of complementary configuration and is provided for that purpose in the part of the cap that forms the aforementioned lower base, there being a certain intermediate space that allows its vertical displacement to be blocked or not and allow the passage of the fluid from the inside of the container to the inside of the cap and, hence, outwards to through the pitorro. However, it is important to note that, unlike how other known shutters act, in this case the shutter only presents vertical displacement within the recess in which it is housed when it is in the operating position, that is, when pressure is exerted on it, while when there is no pressure on it, it does not show movement since it is held between the hollow in which it is housed, when its conical head is supported on the complementary configuration of said hollow, and the bottom platform of the pitorro with which it remains in contact with its upper base.

For this, the shutter is also distinguished by having, on its upper part, on the taper head of the tack that determines its shape, with a flexible element that joins it to its upper base, which, as noted above is attached by under the bottom platform of the pitorro. Thus, said upper base has the flexibility that determines the capacity of movement of the shutter within the recess in which it is housed and, thereby, greater efficiency thereof to prevent the passage of the fluid as well as to allow said passage of the fluid to through

4 It is worth mentioning that said flexible element may consist of any type of spring, spring, flexo or tongue capable of presenting elasticity and, at the same time, allowing the passage of fluid through it.

It should also be noted that, preferably, the floor of the base piece of the cap, has a certain inclination, at whose highest point is the through hole in which the shutter is incorporated, so that, when inverting the container to pour product , this runs towards said hole.

And, in addition, at the bottom of the plug stem, a perimeter spoiler is provided whose purpose is to provide a wider surface to help the fluid pressure, in the operational position of the container for pouring liquid, be greater, improving and increasing the outflow. Logically, this spoiler will be located at an appropriate point of the shutter rod sufficiently far from the lower edge of the recess in which it is housed so that, in said operative position, it does not make contact with said recess and block the passage of the liquid.

Optionally, the cap may incorporate an air passage system that favors the regular and continuous flow of the liquid when it is poured, through the existence of two small holes made for this purpose in both parts of the cap, although this is not necessary since, As mentioned, the package is intended to be of the type that pours its contents by pressing it. Finally, it should be mentioned that, preferably, the base piece and the cap part of the cap are joined together by means of studs that snap together on orifices provided in a complementary manner. And both pieces are attached to the neck or neck of the container inserted under pressure in a perimeter groove provided for this purpose at the edge thereof. In short, the main advantage and difference of the proposed plug compared to other existing systems, lies in the configuration and arrangement of its shutter which, in an innovative way, does not present free movement, since it is caught between the support of its conical head in the hollow in which it is housed and the bottom platform of the pitorro where its upper base is attached, and its movement to allow or prevent the passage of fluid is due to its flexible configuration determined by the flexible element it incorporates. This peculiarity prevents that you can try to refill the container by forcing the lifting of the shutter, as could happen with ball shutters or the like that have free movement inside their housing and only act by gravity. In the case of the shutter of the present invention, it only moves if there is pressure and, therefore, if the pressure comes from the inner fluid, it comes out and can be easily poured, but if the pressure comes from the outside, because it is intended to be refilled, the shutter closes.

In view of the foregoing, it is found that the described stopper for non-refillable containers represents a structure with structural and constitutive characteristics unknown until now for the purpose for which it is intended.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, this descriptive report is attached, as an integral part thereof, of a set of drawings, in those that with illustrative and non-limiting nature have represented the following: Figure number 1.- Shows an elevation view of an example of embodiment of the cap, object of the invention, coupled to a container, showing its general external configuration.

Figure number 2 - Shows a sectional view of the container with the cap, according to the invention, shown in Figure 1, showing in it the main parts and elements it comprises.

Figure number 3.- It shows an enlarged and sectional view of the cap of the invention, according to the same example shown in figure 2, the parts and elements it comprises being seen in greater detail.

Figures 4 and 5 show two views, in plan and section respectively, of the outer part or top cover comprising the cap of the invention.

6 Figures 6 and 7.- They show paths, in plan and elevation respectively, of the plug that incorporates the plug.

And figures number 8 and 9.-. They show two views, in plan and section respectively, of the inner part or lower base comprising the cap of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned figures, and according to the numbering adopted, an example of a preferred, but not limited, embodiment of the recommended non-refillable container cap can be seen, which comprises the parts and elements indicated and described. in detail below.

Thus, as seen in said figures, the plug (1) in question is configured from two pieces of flexible plastic material (for example PP, PET or others) coupled together, consisting of an upper cover (2) and a lower base (3) that are coupled together to the neck of the container (4), comprising in the upper cover (2) a spout (5), which determines a liquid outlet duct, and under it, a plug (6) housed in a complementary through hole (7) provided for this purpose in the lower base (3).

As can be seen more clearly in Figures 4 and 5, the spout (5) is cylindrical and has, in its lower part, a bottom platform (8) that joins the walls of the same in all its extension except for a side hole (9), through which the passage of the liquid becomes possible. In addition, this bottom platform (8) protrudes slightly from the bottom of the upper wall (2a) of the cover (2), thus being located a very short distance above the upper edge of the through hole (7) of the lower base (3) in which the shutter (6) is incorporated as seen in Figure 3.

For its part, the shutter (6), as seen in Figures 6 and 7, is shaped like a tack, that is, it is formed by a lower rod (10) and a conical head (11) and wider, which in the rest position of the shutter it rests on the complementary conical portion of the through hole (7). Furthermore, on said conical head (11) the shutter (6) incorporates flexible elements (12), for example by way of tabs, but without this implying a limitation, to which an upper base (13) is attached,

7 determining an intermediate passage (14) whose size increases or decreases according to the extent of said flexible elements (12) caused by the pressure exerted on them by the operating position of the container and the flow of the liquid, said upper base (13) being in contact with the bottom platform (8) of the spout (5), when the cap is mounted. With this, it is determined that the shutter (6) is partially flexible and, in the rest position, remains immobile coupled under the bottom platform (8) of the spout (5) with which it is in contact and the area of the through hole ( 7) on which it rests.

In addition, at the bottom of the stem (10) of the plug (6), a perimeter spoiler (15) provided at a certain distance from the conical head (11) is provided to be separated from the bottom edge of the through hole (7) in that the shutter (6) is housed.

It should be mentioned that, preferably, the spout (5) and the through hole (7) where the shutter (6) is housed are located one above the other with a slight lateral displacement of their respective axial axes to favor the passage of the liquid through the side hole (9) of the bottom platform (8), logically, notwithstanding that, where appropriate, said bottom platform (8) when pressed by the attempt to introduce liquid into the container through the spout (5) completely block the through hole (7) when making contact with the upper edge of the walls thereof.

According to figures 8 and 9, it can be seen how the piece that forms the lower base (3) of the cap has a sloping floor (3a), in the example shown formed by two slopes (16), whose highest point is the point where the through hole (7) in which the shutter (6) is incorporated, facilitating the sliding of the liquid towards it when it is poured upside down. It is also observed how said through hole (7) has a complementary configuration to that of the shutter (6), in which it has a step (17) where the conical head (11) of the shutter (6) is supported, existing between both elements in the straight zone of the rod (10) a certain space to give way to the fluid in its operative position.

Finally, it is observed how the upper base (2) has on the inner face of its upper wall (2a) some lugs (18) that emerge at points coinciding with orificed projections (19) provided complementary to the upper part of the floor ( 3a) of the lower base, intended to ensure the union of both pieces by snap fit of said parts

8 stubs (18) in said orificed projections (19).

Likewise, the lower base (3) has a perimeter partition (3b) that fits internally to the side wall (2b) of the upper cover (2), presenting both pieces of skirts (3c, 2c) that fit in a slot (4a) of the edge of the container (4).

On the other hand, when the container is not made of flexible plastic, and for example made of glass or other rigid material, the perimeter partition (3b) of the lower base (3) and the side wall (2b) of the upper cover (2 ) their height will be increased to the extent sufficient to allow the necessary pressure to be exerted on the cap and to achieve its operability to pour the liquid, since the cap (1) described is designed to operate and pour the product by turning it by exerting pressure on the container, provided that it is made of flexible plastic, and may be of the same plastic material as the cap or a different one. Describing sufficiently the nature of the present invention, as well as the way of putting it into practice, it is noted that, within its essentiality, it may be implemented in other embodiments that differ in detail from that indicated by way of example. , and which will also achieve the protection that is sought as long as it does not alter, change or modify its fundamental principle.

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Claims

1.- PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKS that, designed to operate and pour the product by means of flipping and pressure, of the container, if this is made of flexible plastic, or of the cap itself, and that, configured from an upper cover (2) and a lower base (3) that are coupled together to the neck of the container (4), the upper cover (2) comprising a liquid outlet duct, and the lower base (3) a plug (6) housed in a through hole (7) complementary to that effect, it is characterized in that the upper cover (2) and the lower base (3) are two pieces of flexible plastic material coupled together, the upper cover (2) comprising a spout (5), which determines the liquid outlet duct, which is placed on the plug (6) housed in a through hole (7) of the lower base (3); and because said pitorro (5) internally presents, in its lower part, a bottom platform (8) that joins its walls in all its extension except for a lateral hole (9), by which it becomes possible the passage of the liquid, which is located a very short distance above the upper edge of the through hole (7) in which the plug (6) is incorporated; and because the shutter (6) is partially flexible and, in the rest position, remains immobile coupled under the bottom platform (8) of the spout (5), with which it is in contact, and an area of the through hole (7) on which it rests.

2. PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGING, according to claim 1, characterized in that the shutter (6) is partially flexible thanks to the incorporation of flexible elements (12) to which an upper base (13) is attached, which remains in contact with the bottom platform (8) of the spout (5), and which determine an intermediate passage (14) that increases or decreases in size according to the operating position of the container and the flow of the liquid.

3. - PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGING, according to claim 2, characterized in that the plug (6) is shaped like a tack and is formed by a lower rod (10) and a wider head (11) on which it incorporates the flexible elements ( 12), and because the through hole (7) has a complementary configuration to that of the shutter (6), in which it has a step (17) where the head (11) of the shutter (6) is supported.

4. - PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGING, according to claim 3, characterized in that a spoiler 10 is provided in the lower part of the stem (10) of the plug (6). perimeter (15).

5. - PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGING, according to any of claims 1-

4, characterized in that the part that forms the bottom base (3) of the cap has a sloping configuration floor (3a), whose highest point is the point where the through hole (7) is located in which the shutter (6) is incorporated .

6. - PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGING, according to any of claims 1-

5, characterized in that the upper base (2) has on the inner face of its upper wall (2a) some lugs (18) that emerge at points coinciding with orifices raised

(19) provided in addition to the upper part of the floor (3a) of the lower base, intended to ensure the union of both pieces by snap fit of said lugs (18) on said orifices (19).

7.- PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGING, according to any of claims 1-

6, characterized in that the lower base (3) has a perimeter partition (3b) that fits internally to the side wall (2b) of the upper cover (2), presenting both pieces of two skirts (3c, 2c) that fit in a groove (4a) of the edge of the container (4).

8.- PLUG FOR IRRELLENABLE PACKAGING, according to claim 7, characterized in that, when the package (4) is not flexible, the perimeter partition (3b) of the lower base (3) and the side wall (2b) of the upper cover (2) They have a sufficient height that allows to exert pressure on the cap to achieve its operability to pour the liquid.

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