EP0961732B1 - Spout with stopper for containers, particularly for liquid packaging boxes - Google Patents

Abstract

Spout with stopper for containers, particularly for liquid packaging boxes, comprising a spout body (1) intended to be secured to the top wall (25) of the container and a stopper element (2) made of one piece with the spout body and hinged to the latter by a hinge (3), characterized in that the spout body (1) has a spout orifice (6) closed till the first opening of the container by a lid (8) connected to the spout orifice (6) by means of a low resistance tearable film (9), and in that the stopper element (2) has a skirt (17) which cooperates by nesting with said orifice, said lid (8) being permanently secured to said skirt (17). Application particularly to boxes of the brick type made of laminate cardboard-aluminium-plastic material for drinks such as milk, fruit juice, wine.

Description

The present invention relates to a stopper pourer for containers, especially for packaging boxes of liquids, including a pouring body fixed to the top wall of the container and a closure element made in one piece with the pouring body and articulated on the latter by a hinge (see EP-A-658480).

Parallelepipedic boxes commonly laminated called "bricks" in composite materials, including usually a thickness of cardboard, aluminum foil and plastic sheet, are commonly used for the packaging of liquids, especially food drinks such as milk, fruit juice, wine, etc.

Generally, the opening of these boxes is done by tearing off or cutting of the end of a welded fold, and by deformation from this open end to obtain a spout.

The lack of reclosure means that any handling and especially any overturning of the box results in a risk of accidental spillage, overflow or projection of the packaged product, which represents discomfort in use major.

In addition, certain fragile products such as milk or juices fruit that spoil very quickly due to their exposure to air ambient can then be contaminated making them unsuitable for consumption. Under these conditions, these products must be consumed very quickly after opening the box, even if this the latter is kept in the refrigerator.

Corking pourer systems for boxes of this type type have been proposed recently. These pourers include a body pourer in the shape of a rectangular frame fixed by gluing on the face outside of the top wall of the box, around a pouring orifice made in the top wall of the box, and a shutter element made in one piece with the pouring body and connected to the latter by a hinge. Before first use, the pouring opening is externally covered by a film-shaped shutter element aluminum bonded to the top wall of the box, inside the frame defined by the pouring body, this shutter element being torn off before first use.

This well-known stopper eliminates the risk of accidental spillage of the contents in the event of the box overturning, but does not respond or respond only imperfectly to others requirements imposed to fully satisfy the consumer, namely tight sealing before first opening, but also after filling, indication of break-in (witness inviolability), easy opening, easy and regular payment.

The aluminum film bonded to the outside of the wall from above the box, around the pouring orifice, requires effort relatively high tear, which creates discomfort in use. In addition, due to this significant effort, the uprooting of the element shutter often causes more or less projections contents of the container. It also happens that the element shutter tears and is therefore partially torn off, which does not not favor the payment. The filling of the box which is done by fitting of the obturator element in the pouring body in the form of rectangular frame located outside the top wall of the box does not always guarantee a good reclosure and in particular a good sealing, especially due to the shallow depth Nesting. Finally, the edge of the pouring orifice is not protected and is thus in direct contact with the contents of the box, which gives rise, in particular in the case of fruit juice and wine, to seepage into the cardboard layer of the box material, by the edge of the pouring orifice.

The present invention relates to a stopper pourer for containers, in particular for boxes for packaging liquids, guaranteeing a watertight closure as well until the first opening only after filling. The invention also relates to a pourer with closure allowing easy opening, without risk of projection the contents of the container. The invention further relates to a pourer capping guaranteeing a regular payment, without risk splash. Finally, the invention relates to a stopper pourer which prevents infiltration of the contents into the carton with certainty the material of the container.

The stopper pourer object of the invention, intended for containers, in particular boxes for packaging liquids, includes a pouring body intended to be fixed to the top wall of the container and a closure element made in one piece with the pouring body and articulated on the latter by a hinge. The body pourer includes a closed pouring opening, up to the first opening, by a cover connected to the pouring orifice by a veil tearable with low resistance. The closure element includes a skirt capable of cooperating by fitting with said orifice. The cover is permanently connected to the skirt of the closure element.

The stopper pourer according to the invention in its set is made in one piece by molding in material plastic, in the open state, i.e. the pouring body and the capping being arranged flat, in the same plane. After this molding in the open state, the stopper pourer is brought to the closed position, that is to say the plugging element is brought about by pivoting around the hinge on the pouring body, the skirt of the plugging element being fitted into the pouring orifice of the pouring body. In this position, the seal which seals the pouring orifice of the pouring body is connected by welding, gluing or by any other means to the skirt of the plugging element, and remains permanently attached to this skirt. Therefore, when you open the element for the first time plugging, the veil connecting the cover to the pouring opening tears and the cover which then no longer has a function remains integral with the element of clogging.

Preferably, the pouring orifice can be defined in the element. pourer by a nesting chimney for the skirt of the element plugging, chimney, the upper part of which conforms to the edge pourer and which has the lid at its lower part.

This ensures, after recapping, a good seal thanks to the nesting depth of the skirt of the plugging element in the chimney defining the pouring orifice. This fireplace which can protrude inside the packaging container, allows to obtain, on a stopper pourer not exceeding upwards only on a very low height the top wall of the container, a deep significant interlocking for the skirt of the plugging element, therefore a good seal after filling.

Preferably, the skirt of the plugging element is closed by a bottom, which gives the closure member a bucket shape, and the cover is fixed to said bottom of the skirt.

The pouring body can advantageously comprise also a ventilation opening located between the pouring opening and the hinge and the plugging element may include, between the skirt cooperating with the pouring orifice and the hinge, a skirt additional cooperating by fitting with the orifice ventilation.

This ensures a smooth smooth payment, the orifice of ventilation allowing pressure balancing between the interior and the outside of the container.

For a good seal, before the first opening, the ventilation orifice which is advantageously also defined by a chimney can also be closed by a cover connected by a thin, tear-away veil at the ventilation hole and fixed to remains at the additional skirt of the closure element.

Thus, the cover of the ventilation hole is also automatically torn off when opening the first the plugging element.

The pouring body preferably has on its face inside a collar or skirt which surrounds the pouring orifice, which enters the pouring hole of the top wall of the container and which used to fix the pouring body to the container by crimping and welding of this flange on the internal face of the top wall of the container, around the pouring hole.

Advantageously, this skirt or collar has a inner diameter greater than the diameter of the pouring orifice, which facilitates crimping and welding.

The pouring body can also advantageously include on its underside a skirt or collar which surrounds the orifice of ventilation, which is fitted into a ventilation hole drilled in the top wall of the container and which is fixed to this wall by crimping and welding on the internal face of the wall.

As a witness to openness or inviolability, the person paying closure according to the invention may advantageously include less one lug secured to the closure element and welded to the pouring body, this leg being broken at the time of the first opening of the plugging element.

Preferably, these legs are two in number and are arranged laterally in opposite position.

La figure 1 est une coupe d'un verseur à bouchage après moulage, avant fixation de l'opercule obturant l'orifice verseur à la jupe de l'élément de bouchage;

la figure 2 est une coupe du verseur après emboítement de la jupe de l'élément de bouchage dans l'orifice verseur et fixation de l'opercule à la jupe;

la figure 3 est une vue de dessus du verseur suivant la figure 2;

la figure 4 est une coupe du verseur fixé au récipient, après la première ouverture;

la figure 5 est une coupe analogue à celle de la figure 2, montrant un autre mode de réalisation du verseur.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, there will be described below in more detail two illustrative and non-limiting embodiments of a stopper pourer according to the invention; in the drawings.

Figure 1 is a section of a stopper pourer after molding, before fixing the cover sealing the pouring orifice to the skirt of the stopper element;

Figure 2 is a section of the pourer after fitting the skirt of the closure element into the pouring orifice and fixing the cover to the skirt;

Figure 3 is a top view of the pourer according to Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section of the pourer attached to the container, after the first opening;

Figure 5 is a section similar to that of Figure 2, showing another embodiment of the pourer.

The stopper pourer as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 is a pourer made of a single piece of plastic, this pourer being intended for containers for liquids, more particularly cardboard-aluminum-plastic composite boxes for packaging of food drinks such as milk, wine, juice fruit, etc. The pourer comprises a pouring element 1 intended to be attached to the container, and a closure element 2 articulated on the element pourer 1 by a zone 3 of small thickness forming a hinge.

The pouring element 1 comprises a base 4 of form general flat fitted, opposite the hinge 3, with a chimney 5 cylindrical through delimiting a pouring orifice 6. The end upper chimney 5, located above the base 4, is conformed to pouring edge 7, while the lower end of the chimney 5, located below the base 4, is closed by a cover 8 connected to the lower end of the chimney 5 by a veil annular 9 tearable, thin. On its underside, the base 4 comprises, around the chimney 5, a skirt or collar 10 cylindrical. Between the chimney 5 and the hinge 3, the base 4 further includes a second cylindrical chimney 11 making projecting upwards and defining a ventilation orifice 12, thus that a second skirt or collar 13 projecting downward. The diameter of the ventilation opening 12 is significantly less than the diameter of the pouring opening 6.

The plugging element 2 comprises a base 15 in the form general flat on which protrude down a first part closure 16 in the form of a cup, formed by a skirt 17 and a bottom 18 flat, and, between the first plugging part 16 and the hinge 3, a second closure part 19 in the form of a cup, also formed of a skirt 20 and a flat bottom 21. At its end opposite to the hinge 3, the plugging element 2 comprises a tab grip 22.

The entire stopper is molded from a single plastic part, in the open position, the pouring body 1 and the plugging element 2 being in the same plane. After demoulding, the plugging element 2 is folded around the hinge 3 on the pouring body 1, the part 16 being fitted into the chimney 5 and part 19 in the chimney 11. In this position which is shown in Figure 2, the cover 8 is fixed by welding, gluing or in a manner analogous to the bottom 18 of part 16.

Furthermore, as it appears in Figure 3, two legs 23 tamper evident are molded in one piece with the plugging element 2 and welded to the base 4 of the pouring body 1, these tabs being connected to the plugging element 2 by zones 24 tearable, thin.

The stopper is fixed to the container by its body pourer 1. For this purpose, as indicated in FIG. 4, the wall of top 25 of the container is provided with a first hole 26 of large section and a second hole 27 of small section. The closed pourer is placed on the upper face of the top wall 25 of the container so that the skirt 10 of the pouring body 1 enters the hole 26 and that the skirt 13 of the pouring body 1 enters the hole 27. Next, we crimp the skirts 10 and 13 outwards and weld them, as also indicated in thin lines, against the inside of the wall of top 25, i.e. the side of the wall 25 covered with material plastic. This ensures perfect attachment of the pouring body 1 to the wall 25, the crimping and welding of the skirts 10 and 13 preventing any liquid infiltration in the cardboard layer of the wall 25 to the location of the edges of holes 26 and 27.

For the first opening of the pourer, the element is lifted plug 2 by acting on tab 22, to rotate the element 2 up around the hinge 3. This pivoting movement causes a rupture of the web 9 of the cover 8 fixed to the bottom 18 of the part 16 in the form of a cup, while this part 16 emerges from the skirt 5 thus freeing the pouring orifice 6, and that the part 19 in the form bucket emerges from the skirt 11, thereby freeing the ventilation opening 12 (see Figure 4).

This first opening also causes the rupture of the connecting zones 24 of the tabs 23 on the closure element 2, this rupture being clearly visible and thus indicating irreversibly that the pourer has been opened.

After pouring part of the contents of the container by orifice 6, it is possible to recap the pourer by pivoting the sealing element 2 around the hinge 3 on the pouring body 1, the part 16 fitting into the chimney 5 and the part 19 in the chimney 11. The two orifices 6 and 12 are thus closed so perfectly sealed by the two parts 16 and 19, thanks to the deep interlocking of these parts 16 and 19 in the chimneys 5 and 11.

The variant according to FIG. 5 differs from the following variant Figures 1 to 4 by the fact that the ventilation orifice 12 defined by the chimney 11 is also closed, before the first opening of the pourer, by a cover 28 which is fixed by welding, gluing or analogously to the bottom 21 of the cup-shaped part 19 and is connected to the skirt 11 by a thin veil 29 which breaks at the first opening, analogously to what has been described for the cover 18 closing the pouring orifice 6 until the first opening.

It goes without saying that the embodiments shown and described have been given only as illustrative examples and not limiting and that many modifications and variations are possible within the framework of the invention.

Thus, it is possible to give the pouring orifice 6 not a circular shape, but an elongated shape in the leg direction of 22-hinge grip 3, and in this case remove the orifice ventilation 19, the part of the orifice 6 closer to the hinge 3 making this case a ventilation function. Of course, the part of plugging 16 must in this case have a shape adapted to that of the pouring opening 6.

The hinge 3, instead of being constituted simply by a thin connection part, could also for example be made at in the manner of a bistable hinge, of a type known per se.

The plugging part 16, instead of having a bottom 18, could also be summed up in skirt 17, which would be in this case closed at its lower end by the seal 8 welded or fixed with analogously. The same goes for the capping part 19 and the cover 28 of the pouring orifice 12 of fig 5.

Claims (8)

1. A stoppered pourer for receptacles, in particular for boxes for packaging liquids, comprising a pouring body (1) which is intended to be fixed to the top wall (25) of the receptacle, provided with a pouring hole (26) and which has a pouring orifice (6) defined by a shaft (5), the top end of which is shaped as a pouring edge (7), a stopper element (2) which is produced in a single piece with the pouring body (1), is articulated by a hinge (3) on the latter and has a skirt (17) able to close off the pouring orifice (6) by fitting in the shaft (5) of the pouring body (1), and a cap (8) which closes off the pourer as far as the first opening, characterised by the fact that the pouring body (1) has a base (4) through which the said shaft (5) delimiting the pouring orifice (6) passes, by the fact that the bottom end of the shaft (5), situated below the base (4), is closed off by the cap (8) formed in a single piece with the pouring body (1) whilst being connected to the shaft (5) by a tearable annular sheet, and by the fact that the cap (8) is fixed to the skirt (17) so that the said sheet (9) is torn on first opening, the cap (8) remaining attached to the skirt (17).
2. A stoppered pourer according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the skirt (17) is closed by a bottom (18) and by the fact that the cap (8) is fixed to the said bottom.
3. A stoppered pourer according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised by the fact that the pouring body (1) comprises, on the bottom face of the base (4), a skirt (10) which surrounds the pouring orifice (6), which passes through the pouring hole (26) of the top wall (25) of the receptacle and which is used for fixing the pouring body to the receptacle by crimping and welding to the internal face of the wall (25) of the receptacle.
4. A stoppered pourer according to Claim 3, characterised by the fact that the skirt (10) of the pouring body has an inside diameter greater than the diameter of the pouring orifice (6).
5. A stoppered pourer according to any one of the preceding claims, intended to be fixed to the top wall (25) of a receptacle, also provided with a ventilation hole (27), characterised by the fact that the pouring body (1) also comprises, in its base (4), a ventilation orifice (12) situated between the pouring orifice (6) and the hinge (3) and defined by a shaft (11) and by the fact that the stopper element (2) comprises, between the skirt (17) cooperating with the pouring orifice (6) and hinge (3), a skirt (20) cooperating by nesting with the shaft (11) defining the ventilation orifice (12).
6. A stoppered pourer according to Claim 5, characterised by the fact that the bottom end of the said ventilation shaft (11) is closed off by a cap (28) formed in a single piece with the pouring body (1) whilst being connected to the said shaft by a tearable annular sheet (29), and by the fact that the said cap (28) is fixed to the said skirt (20) so that the said sheet is torn on first opening, the cap (28) remaining attached to the said skirt (20).
7. A stoppered pourer according to Claim 6, characterised by the fact that the pouring body (1) comprises on its bottom face a skirt (13) which surrounds the ventilation orifice (12), which passes through the ventilation hole (27) in the top wall (25) of the receptacle and which is used for fixing the pouring body to the receptacle by crimping and welding to the internal face of the wall (25) of the receptacle.
8. A stoppered pourer according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that the stopper element (2) comprises at least one lug (23) connected by a low-strength tearable part (24) to the stopper element (2) and welded to the pouring body (1) so that the said lug breaks at its connecting part (24) when the pourer is first opened.

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