CN110267882B

CN110267882B - Closing unit

Info

Publication number: CN110267882B
Application number: CN201780073195.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 克尔斯蒂安·约翰内斯·凡古伦
Original assignee: SAVE-TY CAN CAP BV
Current assignee: SAVE-TY CAN CAP BV
Priority date: 2016-09-27
Filing date: 2017-09-27
Publication date: 2022-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2037-09-27
Also published as: BR112019006131B1; BR112019006131A2; EP3519309A1; US20200031529A1; CN110267882A; NL2019132B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure unit (3) for closing a through-flow opening provided in an end wall (2) of a container (1), comprising: an inner closure element configured to be mounted on an edge of the end wall that completely surrounds the through-flow opening provided therein, wherein the inner closure element is further configured to be connected against at least an inner side of the end wall in the mounted position, and the inner closure element is provided with a passage for the contents of the container; an outer closure element configured to be releasably coupled to the inner closure element for the purpose of closing a channel provided in the inner closure element; wherein both the inner and outer closure elements comprise a threaded coupling for screwing the outer closure element onto the lower closure element; wherein the outer closing element comprises a peripheral crimping edge which is embodied such that, upon screwing, the outer closing element is clamped to the outer side of the end wall of the container.

Description

Closing unit

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a closure unit for closing a through-flow opening provided in an end wall of a container, in particular a beverage container such as a can. The invention also relates to the end wall of such a container configured for mounting the closure unit and to the container itself.

Background

The container may be adapted to store any liquid or gaseous or solid substance. The container may be formed, for example, by a bottle, a flask, an automobile radiator, an oil reservoir of an engine, a gasoline tank, or the like.

Many different types of containers are known for the purpose of storing liquid substances, in particular optionally carbonated beverages, or solid substances containing particles which can be sprayed or poured. A common type of container is a beverage can. The can is a generally cylindrical metal (in particular tin) container in which a metal press-in tab is mounted in one of the end walls of the container which serves as a temporary closure for a drinking or pouring opening formed in the container.

Such closure of cans is generally known and applies to substantially all beverage cans. A disadvantage of the known closure is that once the press-in tab has opened the pouring or drinking opening, the opening can no longer be closed. Thus, once the can is opened, it must usually be completely emptied, and in practice it is not possible to safely store the contents of the opened can. To eliminate this drawback, the following configuration has been proposed: in this configuration, the closure element is embodied such that it can reclose the drinking or pouring opening.

However, these constructions in practice have the disadvantage that the closure is not always very effective and therefore leakage may occur. Furthermore, when a carbonated beverage is not contained in the container, the closure is generally only suitable for closing the container. If a container with a carbonated content is shaken, for example during transport (e.g. dispensing) of a beverage, a great pressure may be generated in the container, such that the closure tends to start leaking. The pressure in the container may also rise very high (e.g. up to 5atm or more) during the manufacturing and/or filling of such containers, e.g. during a possible pasteurisation step.

From patent publication WO 2015/041528a 1a closure unit is known in which a simple, good, easy-to-open and closed closure between the closure unit and the container can be achieved by means of a specific type of threaded coupling. However, such known closure units are still relatively expensive to manufacture in large numbers. Furthermore, known closure units are usually manufactured together with the end walls of the container by in-mold techniques (e.g. by an injection molding process in a single mold).

This can sometimes lead to defects in the logistics and/or to relatively thick closed cells. The choice of manufacturing the closing unit from two or more materials with different properties (e.g. soft/hard) is further limited due to the manufacturing process and/or the closing unit is relatively wide, requiring a relatively large amount of space between the edge of the through-flow opening and the edge of the end wall of the container (which results in the drinking opening having to take a relatively small form). Another disadvantage is that the edge completely surrounding the through-flow opening is exposed and contamination may accumulate in positions where the user tends to place his or her mouth. It is further very important that the closure of the container is resistant to high pressures in the container, for example when the container is used for the purpose of storing carbonated liquids.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved closure unit for (an end wall of) a container and/or an end wall of a container, wherein at least one of the above-mentioned and/or other drawbacks of the prior art is eliminated or at least partially reduced.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a closed cell having a simple and/or compact construction and/or to provide a closed cell capable of withstanding higher pressures, for example at least 2.1atm or higher.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a closure unit for closing a through-flow opening provided in an end wall of a container, in particular a beverage container such as a can, the closure unit comprising:

an inner closure element configured to be mounted on an edge of the end wall completely surrounding the through-flow opening provided therein, wherein the inner closure element is further configured to be connected in a mounted position against at least an inner side of the end wall, and the inner closure element is provided with a passage for the contents of the container;

an outer closure element configured to be releasably coupled to the inner closure element for the purpose of closing a passage provided in the inner closure element;

wherein both the inner and outer closure elements comprise a threaded coupling for screwing the outer closure element onto the lower closure element;

wherein the outer closing element comprises a peripheral crimping edge which is embodied such that, upon screwing, the outer closing element is clamped to the outer side of the end wall of the container.

The closing unit may be configured to improve the closing of the through-flow opening provided by the closing unit. This is achieved not only by coupling the outer closure element substantially liquid-tightly to the inner closure element and the first closure element to the container, but also by pressing the peripheral crimping edge onto the container. Due to the threaded connection, the axial distance between the lid of the outer closure element on the one hand and the upper side of the end wall of the container on the other hand is reduced, so that the lower side of the crimping edge presses against the upper side of the end wall of the container and is clamped fixedly against this. The end wall may also take a somewhat flexible form (e.g. in the case of a "can" or similar container) to further improve the grip and, thereby, the closure between the closure unit and the container end wall.

Due to the presence of such an additional closure (i.e. in addition to the closure by the cylindrical part with the threaded coupling, there is also an additional closure provided by the crimping edge), the closure unit produces an improved closure of the container. Thereby, the area within the space enclosed by the peripheral crimping edge, which area also comprises the edge of the drinking opening, can be kept clean even more effectively (e.g. during transport of the container), so that the user has less risk when placing his or her mouth on a soiled part of the container.

By screwing the outer closure element hard, the crimping edge is pressed firmly against the upper side of the end wall, so that the crimping edge ensures an additional closure. The peripheral crimping edge is preferably embodied such that it projects radially with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the cylindrical portion of the outer closure element. By projecting radially at a distance from the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion, the crimping edge can be pushed directly onto the material of the container end wall, so that the outer circumferential crimping edge can serve as an additional closure of the through-flow opening of the container. The crimping edges can stop the liquid even if it seeps out through the connection of the first and second closure elements to the container end wall, for example in the case of extremely high pressures. The crimping edge further ensures that the area surrounding the through-flow opening, i.e. the area where the user's mouth contacts the container, can generally be kept clean more effectively, which can contribute to an improvement in hygiene.

In view of the latter, in another embodiment, wherein the outer closure element comprises a cylindrical outer part having a thread and the inner closure element comprises a cylindrical inner part having a thread and wherein the outer part is screwable into the inner part for forming a first closure purpose of the container, the outer closure element comprises a cap provided with a peripheral crimping edge for forming a second closure purpose of the container. Here, the lid can be embodied such that it is clamped fixedly in the screwed position on the upper side of the end wall of the container and forms a covering of the inner and outer closure elements. For example, the cover can be embodied to cover the outer circumferential edge of the end wall completely surrounding the through-flow opening in the screwed position.

As mentioned above, in certain embodiments, both the outer and inner closure elements can comprise a cylindrical (more specifically, annular) portion having threads. The two parts may be coupled to each other by screwing the parts fixedly to each other, so that the cylindrical part of the outer closure element will move in the axial direction (towards the end wall of the container during use), thereby moving the crimping edge of the outer closure element towards the end wall.

The threaded coupling is preferably a tapered threaded coupling (preferably multi-start threaded), and the threaded coupling is still more preferably a threaded coupling as described in patent publication WO 2015/041528a1, the contents of which must be considered incorporated herein.

In an embodiment, the closing unit is embodied to be fixedly snapped onto the peripheral edge of the through-flow opening of the end wall of the container. The peripheral edge may be embodied as an upstanding peripheral edge which completely surrounds the through-flow opening, wherein the upstanding peripheral edge preferably extends at least partially obliquely with respect to the rest of the end wall and/or the cross section of the upstanding peripheral edge is in the form of a partial bulge. This form achieves a reliable snap connection, wherein the risk of the closing unit being released is minimal.

In another embodiment, the outer and/or inner closure element is manufactured from two or more parts, wherein the first part is a relatively less elastic plastic and the second part is a relatively elastic plastic. The elastic member is preferably applied precisely where direct contact with the container occurs and where a good closure is required on the material of the container.

In another embodiment, the outer closure element includes a support portion and a pull element, such as a torsion tab. The tension and torsion element may here be pivotally connected to the support portion via a linear hinge element. The hinge element preferably extends through the point of rotation of the support portion, so that the pull element can serve well as a grip with which the outer closure element can be screwed onto (or unscrewed from) the rest of the closure unit.

The tension and torsion element may here take the form of a pivot for pivoting between a lying starting position, in which the tension and torsion element extends substantially parallel to the upper surface of the support portion, and an upright operating position, in which the tension and torsion element extends at an angle relative to the upper surface. A compact size can thus be achieved during transport, while the tension element can still exert a maximum torque to open the closure unit during use.

In other embodiments, the thread is in the form of a multiple thread, so as to couple or decouple the closing elements over substantially the whole circumference by rotation of the closing elements at an angle of less than 180 degrees, preferably less than 90 degrees, more preferably less than 50 degrees, with respect to each other.

The threaded coupling preferably takes the form of a self-braking. The threaded coupling is preferably also embodied in such a way that the closing element does not unscrew itself substantially irrespective of the magnitude of the axial force exerted on the closing element.

According to another aspect, an end wall for a container, in particular a beverage container such as a can, is provided, wherein the end wall has a through-flow opening and the end wall is further embodied for mounting a closure unit as described herein.

According to a further aspect, a container, in particular a beverage container such as a can, is provided, wherein the container has an end wall with a through-flow opening for beverage and the container is further embodied for mounting a closure unit as described herein.

Drawings

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of the following description of several embodiments thereof. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container, the through-flow opening of which is provided with a first embodiment of a closing unit;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are top perspective views of an outer closure element of a first embodiment of the closure unit with the toggle elements in a folded down position and a folded open position, respectively;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the outer closure element of the first embodiment of the closure unit;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an inner closure element of the first embodiment of the closure unit;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an end wall of the container;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the end wall of FIG. 6 and the inner closure element of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the end wall of FIG. 6 and the inner closure element of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a side view of an outer closure element according to a first embodiment of the closure unit;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the end wall;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the first outer closure element and end wall of the first embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a cross-section of an outer closure element according to a first embodiment;

figures 13 to 21 are views and cross-sections of a second embodiment of a closure unit;

fig. 22 to 26 are views, optionally partly in section, of another embodiment of a closure unit and a container.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a view of a container 1, for example a cylindrical beverage can for containing a beverage, wherein an upper end wall 2 is provided with a closing unit 3 according to an embodiment of the invention. The closing unit 3 comprises an inner closing element 4 (shown in fig. 5 to 8, 11, 12) and an outer closing element 5 (shown in fig. 2 to 4, 9, 11, 12). The inner closure element 4 comprises a lower ring 14, the lower ring 14 being embodied such that it can be mounted on the end wall 2 of the container, while the outer closure element 5 comprises a lid 15, the lid 15 being embodied such that it can be mounted on the inner closure element 4 in a releasable manner.

The cover 15 includes: an upper ring 13; a double-layered support portion 16, the double-layered support portion 16 extending parallel to the end wall 2 of the container 1; a single-layer pull element 18 (also referred to herein as a torque tongue), the single-layer pull element 18 being embodied to pivot relative to the support portion via a hinge 17; and a single-layer support section 32 (preferably integrally formed with the lower layer of the double-layer support section 16), as shown in more detail in fig. 2 and 3. The bearing part 16 and the bearing part 32 close the lid on the upper side, while the tension element 18 serves to enable the lid to be twisted open and closed. In fig. 2, the closing unit 3 is shown in a flat position of the pull stud element 18, and in fig. 3, the closing unit is shown in an upright position (i.e. operating position), in which the pull stud element 18 is pivoted upwards.

In the embodiment shown, the tension element 18 is substantially semi-circular in shape, wherein the flat edge of the semi-circle is formed by the (linear) hinge 17. The hinge is positioned such that it extends through the rotation point of the lid 15. The pull/twist element 18 can be easily pivoted upward by a user from a flat position shown in fig. 2 to an upright position shown in fig. 3 (wherein the grip portion 21 is conveniently engaged by the user). The user, having gripped the upright pull-twist element 18, can now easily twist the lid 15 to the left or to the right (direction 9, rotation in axial direction about the imaginary axis 8) due to the position of the hinge, in order to twist the lid of the closure unit open or closed.

The cover 15 also comprises two upstanding edges 22 of slightly conical shape, the upstanding edges 22 ensuring that the peripheral edge 24 of the pull element 18 "snaps" under these edges when the pull element 18 is pressed back into the initial closed position so that the pull element tends to remain in a flat position. With reference to fig. 2 and 3, the closing unit 3 also comprises anti-tamper means. In the embodiment shown, the anti-tamper means comprise an anti-tamper pin 23, which anti-tamper pin 23 is formed on the upper ring 13 and can be slid into the anti-tamper opening 28. The length of the pin 23 is such that the pin 23 still protrudes slightly above the upper surface of the tension member 18 when the tension member 18 is in the lie flat position. The pin 23 is also preferably made of plastic so that the upper plastic outer end can be fused (e.g., by spot welding) with the plastic of the remainder of the tension and torsion element 18. The melting pin forms a sealed whole together with the pull element 18, wherein the seal is visible and clearly breaks during opening, i.e. during upward pivoting of the pull element 18, so that the lid can be unscrewed.

The lid 15 also comprises a blocking element in the form of a pin 26, the pin 26 having the function of preventing the lid 15 from being unscrewed without destroying the above-mentioned anti-tamper means (seal). When the pull element 18 is folded down, the pin 26 passes through a corresponding opening 27 in the upper ring 13 and then falls into a crescent-shaped recess 28 in the lower ring 14 (fig. 5) provided for this purpose. This prevents the cover 15 from rotating relative to the lower ring 14 in the flat position of the pull element 18.

As shown in more detail in fig. 4, the cover 15 of the outer closure element 5 comprises a mounting portion 19 arranged on the lower side. In the embodiment shown, the mounting portion 19 comprises a substantially cylindrical wall provided with an external thread 20 on an outwardly directed radial side surface. In a similar manner, and as shown in more detail in fig. 5, the lower ring 14 of the inner closure element 4 comprises a mounting portion having a substantially cylindrical wall 39. The cylindrical wall 39 is provided with an internal thread 25 on the radially inwardly directed side surface. The threads 25 may engage the threads 20 of the mounting portion 19 of the cap 15.

As shown in fig. 4, the lower annular outer end 30 of the mounting portion 19 comprises an outer surface which is smooth-shaped and which in the closed position of the cover 15 abuts against a sealing surface 44 on the underside of the lower ring 14, so that a good seal is obtained between the two

closure elements

4 and 5. The sealing surface 44 may be provided with an annular sealing element (seal) 45 (fig. 8). The sealing element may comprise a relatively soft material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a material with similar properties. The sealing element ensures an excellent sealing against the smooth lower annular outer end 30 of the mounting element 19 of the cover 15.

Such a good seal between the lid 15 and the lower ring 14 is particularly important when the container is used for storing carbonated liquid and the pressure can be raised within the container. For good sealing purposes, reinforcing ribs 33 are also arranged on the radially inwardly directed side surface of the cylindrical portion 19. These stiffening ribs ensure that the shape of the lid is maintained when the pressure in the container 1 rises. These stiffening ribs also ensure the correct stability of the cylindrical wall in the following cases: the situation is that the pressure in the hollow space partly enclosed by the cylindrical wall, which in the closed position is related to the content of the container, increases and the cylindrical wall (made of an elastic material) has a tendency to move radially outwards under the effect of the pressure in the container, to thereby increase the clamping force between the outer and inner closure elements and thereby improve the measure of closure.

On the underside of the upper ring 13 of the cover 15, a peripheral crimping edge 31 is provided. In the embodiment shown, the crimping edge 31 is formed by an axially extending cylindrical flange. The flange is concentric with respect to the cylindrical wall of the mounting portion 19. The crimping edge 31 is embodied such that: the crimping edge 31 surrounds the mounting portion 19 when the closure unit is closed during use and can be pressed against the upper side of the end wall 2 by the lower side 34 and can thus provide protection against external influences (i.e. influences from the outside, such as dust, and/or influences from the inside, such as from the contents of a container leaking past the seal of the closure unit).

The embodiment of the lower ring 14 shown in fig. 5 may be mounted on the end wall 2 of the container 1 shown in fig. 1 and in more detail in fig. 6, 7, 8 and 10. The figure shows that the lower ring 14 can be pressed from below against the edge around the drinking opening in the end wall 2 of the container 1 and can be snapped fixedly onto the container in this position. A sealing ring 40 of a soft (e.g. elastic) sealing material is arranged on top of the relatively hard plastic material of the radial flange 43 of the lower ring 14 (fig. 5). In the mounted position, this sealing material abuts against the lower side of the end wall 2 and contributes to a good (airtight) closure between the lower ring 14 and the end wall 2. The sealing material may be, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a material with similar properties. For mounting the lower ring 14 on the end wall, the lower ring is provided with an annular mounting edge 41, which annular mounting edge 41 is also referred to herein as a snap edge or click edge, since this edge enables the lower ring to be fixedly snapped onto the container. The end wall 2 of the container, which may be made of aluminum, for example, can be embodied for this purpose such that the ring-shaped conical edge 50 completely surrounds the through-flow opening 6, as shown in fig. 6 to 8 and 10. The tapered edge 50 is also provided with one or more upstanding projections 51. The special conical shape of the edge 50 enables the plastic lower ring 14 to be pressed into the through-flow opening 6 of the aluminum end wall 2 by means of a pressing mechanism, for example a press, in order thus to achieve a firm connection between the lower ring 14 and the container 1 which will no longer separate.

The lower ring 14 is also provided with a plurality of recesses 42 in which the above-mentioned upstanding projections 51 of the end wall 2 fit so as to counteract synchronous rotation of the lower ring 14 when the cover 15 is twisted open and closed. Fig. 5 also shows the above-mentioned recess 28 in the lower ring, the rotation-preventing pin 26 being locked in the recess 28 when the pulling element is folded down in order thus to prevent twisting open without breaking the seal.

Fig. 8 shows a side view of the (aluminium) end wall 2 and the (plastic) lower ring 14 of the container 1. The figure also shows the snap/click edge 41, the conical upright edge 50 of the end wall 2 falling into the snap/click edge 41. The figure also shows the position of the soft sealing ring 40 on the flange 43 for ensuring the seal at the surface of the container 1 and the position of the soft sealing ring 45 on the surface 44 for ensuring a good seal of the lid 15 when the lid is screwed into the lower ring.

Fig. 9 shows a side view of the cover 15, wherein the tension element 18 is in a flat position, i.e. flush with the upper side of the cover. The figure further shows a tamper-evident means in the form of a pin 23 which protrudes above the plastic surface of the pull element 18 and can be fused with the pull element and thus act as a seal.

Fig. 11 and 12 show the relative position of the first outer closing element and the position of all parts, while fig. 12 shows a cross section of the closing unit 3 and the end wall. The figure shows in particular the special (self-braking) thread 20, the sealing edge 30 and the reinforcing rib 33, wherein the sealing edge 30 ensures closure at the soft seal on the underside of the lower ring 14, the reinforcing rib 33 being located inside the lid and serving to retain the form of the lid in the event of high pressure, the edge 31 of the lid (in the closed position of the closing unit) fitting tightly with the end wall 2 and being connected to the end wall 2 against moisture that may accumulate during and after the pasteurization process that can be carried out on the container.

The closure unit according to embodiments of the present invention may be simplified with respect to closures as described in WO 2015/041528a1, for example by using fewer elements and applying less material, lower height and simpler production and assembly methods. The number of (plastic) closure elements can be reduced to two (i.e. the outer closure element 4 and the inner closure element 5). The closing unit may include a lower ring having a soft seal (e.g., TPE seal) at an upper side and a soft seal (e.g., TPE seal) at a lower side.

The closing unit is preferably provided with a conical threaded coupling as described in WO 2015/041528a1, the content of which must be considered as incorporated herein.

Referring to fig. 13-21, another embodiment of a closure unit is described. To the extent that it is not specifically stated, another embodiment of the closure unit corresponds to the first embodiment described above, and therefore a detailed description of the other embodiment is omitted here.

The lower ring 54 (fig. 13, 14) may be attached to the end wall 2 in one way, for example by snapping/pressing the lower ring into the end wall in a cavity arranged for this purpose. Once the lower ring has been snapped fixedly into place, the lower ring can no longer be pressed back out of the cover (i.e. the end wall of the container) in principle due to the conical shape of the upstanding edge (which has a yielding ability but can spring back), which is pressed into the peripheral area completely surrounding the through-flow opening 6 in the end wall 2 of the container 1. Two upstanding aluminium projections 51 on the tapered edge 50 fall into arranged openings 60 in the lower ring 54 and ensure that the lower ring cannot rotate synchronously in the aluminium cover.

The recess 61 of the upper side of the lower ring is arranged as a tamper-proof "blocking member" (seal). The seal on the upper side of the lower ring ensures a liquid seal between the lower ring and the end wall. The wall thickness and thus the amount (weight) of material may have been reduced.

The lid 80 for opening and closing the through-flow opening (i.e. the drinking hole) has on one side a double plastic layer which can be moved/pushed upwards in a simple manner by means of a "grip" portion, since the pivot point is arranged in the center of the lid 80. This push-up "tongue" thus forms a firm grip for unscrewing the cap with a short stroke (45 degrees). Thus, the cover may have the option of hiding, for example, a promotional code under a pull button element (button tongue) that has been placed in a flat position.

On the lower surface of the cover 80, two lips 81 are arranged, which lips 81 fix the flat position of the pull-torsion element (torsion tongue) by means of a snap connection. The cover is provided with an additional peripheral edge on the underside which has two functions. The edge ensures an additional sealing of the contents of the container against the outside world and ensures that the edge of the end wall which completely surrounds the through-flow opening remains clean. This peripheral edge furthermore ensures an additional pulling force when screwing the lid (screw/nut principle), so that the inner closure element is additionally pressed against the aluminum cover and thus improves the seal between the inner closure element and the container.

The cap 80 is provided with a unique tapered thread complementary to the lower ring and the tamper evident means is also positioned inside the upstanding edge. The small pawl, positioned at a determined angle, is "dragged" in the direction of rotation as the cap is screwed on. When the twist is opened, the pawl will fall into the arranged blocking member of the lower ring and thus be blocked, and when the twist is continued, the pawl will be pressed outwards and thus visibly break the thin injection-molded plastic seal in this way. This occurs only once and only in cans that have not been opened previously. On the inside of the cover "ribs" are arranged for reinforcement and for counteracting the deformation in the case of high pressures. On the underside of the conical thread there is located a smooth portion which presses into the soft seal when the cap is screwed and thus forms a seal.

The closure unit can be easily modified in terms of the size of the drinking opening (drinking hole) if desired. The position of the drinking hole is also flexible, although it can be assumed that the drinking hole must be positioned as close as possible to the folded edge of the cover in order to maximize drinking comfort.

In order to provide the consumer with instructions for use, i.e. opening and closing the lid, the aluminium piece is embossed with an "arrow" indicating the direction of rotation for opening the lid, this form of embossing also being applied to impart strength to the aluminium surface. The text reading "lifting" is additionally applied to the upper side of the plastic lid, clearly indicating that the tongue should first be pulled upwards-this is in fact the same movement in the case of the current can. Text indicating the direction of twisting for opening the lid has also been applied to the second plastic layer as long as the pull/twist tongue is in the upright position.

Since the closure unit has a separate lid 80, which lid 80 is not connected to other plastic elements, this provides the advantage of waste separation, since the lid can be disposed of separately from the can, for example in a plastic waste bin.

These figures show that the (aluminium) cover can be provided with a tapered upstanding edge with two "tabs" for placing in cavities in the lower ring to counteract synchronous rotation of the plastic elements when the cover is screwed. The tapered upstanding edge acts as a "spring" for "snapping" the lower ring into the aluminium cover which cannot be pressed back because of the form. The plastic lower ring is provided with a special recess in which the lower ring snaps, the lower ring being provided on the upper side with a soft seal (seal) that ensures abutment against the closure on the underside of the aluminium can. The lower side of the lower ring is also provided with a soft seal ensuring the sealing of the lid. Both the lid and the lower ring are provided with special conical threads which ensure a firm connection. The lid is provided with an additional edge which has the function of generating an additional pulling force, so that the cover is firmly clamped between the two plastic elements. The rim also has the function of screening the entire drinking portion from dirt etc.

With reference to fig. 2 and 3, in certain embodiments, the lid may be provided with a double layer on the upper side, which double layer can be pushed upwards by means of a hinge and in this way forms a grip for screwing and screwing the lid. On the lower layer, two lips are arranged for fixedly snapping the downwardly folded pull button element (button tongue) in a flat position.

Referring to the drawings, for example fig. 15 and 17, a tamper evident device 72 (seal) may be positioned on the inside and edges of the lid. Arranged on the inside of the upstanding edge of the lid is a pawl 70 at an oblique angle, the pawl 70 having a "tugging" function when the lid is twisted closed and a "blocking" function when the lid is twisted open, once the pawl reaches the notch arranged for this purpose. Since the latches are placed at right angles, during continued twisting of the lid the latches will flex towards the outside and visibly break/tear the thinner plastic edge here. This will only occur the first time the lid is opened.

The form of the closed unit makes it possible to realize drinking hole openings of various sizes, such as small, medium and large sizes. Due to the application of the "snap-on" lower ring, the plastic lower ring element has a narrow edge which in turn has a positive effect on the position of the drinking opening, i.e. the drinking opening must be positioned as close as possible to the folded edge of the can lid for drinking comfort.

Fig. 22 to 26 show another embodiment of a closing unit. To the extent not otherwise stated, this embodiment corresponds to the embodiment described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof may be omitted. Another embodiment differs in the following alternatives: in this alternative, the lower ring is prevented from rotating synchronously when the cover 15 is twisted open and closed. Fig. 24 and 25 show a different lower ring 84, which lower ring 84 can be pressed from below against the edge surrounding the drinking opening in the end wall 82 (fig. 23) of the container and can be snapped fixedly onto the container in this position. The end wall 82 of the container, which may be made of aluminum, for example, is embodied with an annular conical edge 85 that completely surrounds the through-flow opening 86, as shown in fig. 26. The special conical shape of the edge 85 enables the plastic lower ring 84 to be pressed into the through-flow opening 86 of the aluminum end wall 82 by means of a pressing mechanism, in order thus to achieve a secure connection (in particular a snap-on connection) between the lower ring 84 and the container which is no longer separable.

In contrast to the tapered edge 50 described above, the tapered edge 85 is not provided with one or more upstanding preformed (aluminum) surfaces or protrusions 51. To ensure that the lower ring 84 does not rotate synchronously or does not rotate too much when the lid is opened or closed, a combination of a preformed engagement edge 90 in the cover 82 and one or more radial projections 91 on the outer peripheral edge 92 of the lower ring 84 is used. The engagement edge 90 is generally annular and includes a radially inwardly directed upstanding surface 96. The upstanding surface 96 is an engagement surface for the radial projection 91 of the lower ring 84. As clearly shown in the bottom view of fig. 22, the through-flow opening 86 (against which the closure unit is mounted) is provided outside the center of the engagement edge 90 of the cover of the container. This means that the lower ring 84 is also positioned outside of the center (i.e., the center of the lower ring does not coincide with the center of the engagement edge 90). If the lower ring 84 has a tendency to rotate during opening or closing of the lid 15, the radial projection is located on an upstanding surface 96 of the engagement edge 90 of the cover of the container. This prevents the lower ring 84 from rotating synchronously. In an alternative embodiment, the radial projections take a larger form, for example over the entire surface. In this embodiment, the synchronous rotation of the lower ring 84 is also counteracted.

An advantage of the further embodiment shown in fig. 22 to 26 is that the strength in the upright aluminium edge 85 can be ensured more effectively and/or that tearing of corners in the (aluminium) covering 82 can be counteracted.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the invention described herein. Numerous modifications, adaptations and additions are conceivable, all of which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A closing unit for closing a through-flow opening (6) provided in an end wall of a container (1), the closing unit comprising:

-an inner closure element (4), which inner closure element (4) is configured to be mounted on an edge of the end wall (2) completely surrounding the through-flow opening provided therein, wherein the inner closure element is further configured to be connected in a mounted position against at least an inner side of the end wall and is provided with a passage for the contents of the container;

-an outer closure element (5), the outer closure element (5) being configured to be releasably coupled to the inner closure element (4) for the purpose of closing a passage provided in the inner closure element (4);

wherein both the inner and outer closure elements comprise a threaded coupling for screwing the outer closure element onto a lower closure element;

wherein the outer closing element comprises a peripheral crimping edge (31), the peripheral crimping edge (31) being implemented so as to clamp the outer closing element to the outer side of the end wall (2) of the container (1) when screwed;

wherein the peripheral crimping edge (31) comprises an axially extending cylindrical flange which is embodied to be pressed in the screwed position by a lower edge against a flat upper side of the end wall of the container, and wherein the diameter of the axially extending cylindrical flange is larger than the diameter of the rest of the closure unit.

2. The closure unit of claim 1, wherein the container is a beverage container.

3. The closure unit of claim 2, wherein the beverage container is a can.

4. Closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the outer closure element (5) comprises a cover (15), the cover (15) comprising a mounting portion (19), the mounting portion (19) comprising a substantially cylindrical wall; and is

Wherein the axially extending cylindrical flange is concentric with respect to the cylindrical wall of the mounting portion (19), such that the axially extending cylindrical flange surrounds the mounting portion (19), and such that a lower side (34) of the axially extending cylindrical flange can be pressed against an upper side of the end wall (2) of the container.

5. Closure unit according to claim 1, wherein the outer closure element comprises a cylindrical outer part with threads and the inner closure element comprises a cylindrical inner part with threads, wherein the outer part can be screwed into the inner part for the purpose of forming a first closure of the container, and wherein the outer closure element comprises a cap provided with the peripheral crimping edge for the purpose of forming a second closure of the container.

6. A closure unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the lid is implemented to fixedly clamp onto an upper side of the end wall of the container in a screwed position and form a cover for the inner and outer closure elements.

7. A closure unit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the lid with the peripheral crimping edge is embodied to cover the peripheral edge of the end wall completely surrounding the through-flow opening in the screwed position.

8. A closure unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inner closure element is embodied to fixedly snap onto a peripheral edge of the through-flow opening of the end wall of the container.

9. The closure unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the outer closure element comprises a bearing portion (16) and a pull and twist element (18), wherein the pull and twist element is pivotally connected to the bearing portion via a linear hinge element, and wherein the hinge element extends through a rotation point of the bearing portion.

10. The closure unit of claim 9, wherein the pull button element is pivotable between a flat starting position in which the pull button element extends generally parallel to the upper surface of the support portion and an upright operating position in which the pull button element extends at an angle relative to the upper surface.

11. The closure unit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the thread is in the form of a multiple thread and is further embodied to couple or decouple the closure elements over substantially the entire circumference by rotation of the closure elements at an angle of less than 180 degrees with respect to each other.

12. The closure unit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the thread is in the form of a multiple thread and is further implemented to couple or decouple the closure elements over substantially the entire circumference by rotation of the closure elements at an angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to each other.

13. The closure unit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the thread is in the form of a multiple thread and is further implemented to couple or decouple the closure elements over substantially the entire circumference by rotation of the closure elements at an angle of less than 50 degrees with respect to each other.

14. The closure unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the threaded coupling is of self-arresting form and/or wherein the threaded coupling is implemented such that the closure element does not unscrew itself substantially irrespective of the magnitude of the axial force exerted on the closure element.

15. The closure unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the outer closure element is made of an elastic material and comprises a hollow space in relation to the contents of the container in a closed position.

16. A closure unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising tamper-evident means.

17. A closure unit according to claim 4, wherein, during use, the cylindrical flange entirely surrounds the mounting portion and/or surrounds an annular conical edge completely surrounding the through-flow opening.

18. End wall for a container, wherein the end wall has a through-flow opening and the end wall is further embodied for mounting a closure unit according to any of claims 1 to 17.

19. The end wall of claim 18, wherein the container is a beverage container.

20. The end wall of claim 19, wherein the beverage container is a can.

21. End wall according to any one of claims 18 to 20, comprising an upstanding peripheral edge (50) completely surrounding the through-flow opening, wherein the upstanding peripheral edge extends at least partially obliquely with respect to the rest of the end wall and/or has a partially convex form in cross section.

22. Container, wherein the container has an end wall with a through-flow opening for beverage and wherein the container is further embodied for mounting a closure unit according to any of claims 1-17.

23. The container of claim 22, wherein the container is a beverage container.

24. The container of claim 23, wherein the beverage container is a can.