EP2989019A1

EP2989019A1 - Container closure

Info

Publication number: EP2989019A1
Application number: EP14719728.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Roger Franz Wilfinger; Martin Schmid; Hannes KESSLER
Original assignee: MONTFORT Kunststofftechnik GmbH
Current assignee: Montfort Solutions GmbH; WILFINGER, ROGER FRANZ
Priority date: 2013-04-23
Filing date: 2014-04-23
Publication date: 2016-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 2034-04-23
Also published as: HRP20170952T1; EP2989019B1; DK2989019T3; HUE036217T2; RS56245B1; PT2989019T; ES2629386T3; HRP20170952T8; PL2989019T3; DE102014207652A1; WO2014173952A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a container closure (1), comprising a closure bottom part (5), a cap (2), a mouthpiece (3), and means for penetrating a sealing film, a tamper-proof strip (6) being provided, which ensures that the sealing film cannot be penetrated by the means until the tamper-proof strip (6) has been removed, characterized in that the tamper-proof strip (6) is arranged between the closure bottom part (5) and the cap (2).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Container handling

The invention relates to a container closure, comprising a closure bottom and a cap and a mouthpiece and means for piercing a closure film, wherein a guarantee strip is provided, which ensures that the closure film can be pierced by the means only when the guarantee strip has been removed, according to Features of the preamble of claim 1.

Such container closures that are applied to containers, in particular screwed, are basically known. A medium is filled into the container and then the container closure is arranged on the container, wherein it is ensured with the container closure that the medium in the container is arranged closed relative to the outer environment of the container. For reasons of hygiene, in particular in the food sector, it is necessary to ensure that the container is sealed off from its external environment by means of a sealing film. This sealing film should only be pierced, broken through, cut through or the like, if a guarantee band of the container closure has been removed. With this guarantee strip, the supplier of the container can thus ensure that the medium in the container is safely accommodated in the container before piercing the sealing foil, whereby the medium can only be removed from the container after the closure foil has been pierced and then also from the outside environmental conditions the container is exposed. Such a container closure is known from EP 0 214 095 A2. This prior art discloses a plastic closure for direct or indirect application to a container neck directly or indirectly closed by a pierceable membrane or film, the closure having a part with a spout opening and a part closing the spout opening, at least a part of the spout Closure is held by securing means with respect to the upper edge of the container neck in an upper guarantee position and only after removal or breaking away of the securing means in a deeper use position can be brought and wherein on one of the parts means for cutting or for medium or immediate piercing of the container neck closing membrane or foil are arranged.

In this case, it is assumed that the container, to be more precise its container neck, is closed with the closure film and only then the container closure is screwed on or placed on. This may be a disadvantage depending on the application, since it is not always possible to close the container neck after filling with the medium with the Verschiussfolie. The construction of the various container closures of EP 0 214 095 A2, however, require that the container neck must always be closed with the closure film and must be moved axially or radially in the direction of the container for piercing the sealing film of the container closure, so that the closure film can be pierced, after the warranty strip has been removed. In addition, it is still necessary for the user to move a cap of the container closure, in particular to pivot, to get to the access opening (mouthpiece).

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a container closure, which not only avoids the disadvantages described above, but is also easy to manufacture and in its usability.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1. According to the invention, it is provided that the guarantee strip is arranged between the closure bottom part and the cap.

This makes it possible, after filling the container with any medium, to place the container closure with its closure base on the container, the medium in the container being sealed against external influences by means of the closure film. In this case, the sealing film on the container neck, more precisely, the upper peripheral edge of the container neck, sealingly applied. A preferred case, however, is that the closure film is part of the container closure, in particular of the closure bottom part, and the opening of the container is closed by applying the container closure to the container neck.

Another advantage is the fact that with the removal of the guarantee strip at the same time a movement of the cap is made possible relative to the closure bottom. This relative movement can be seen in the fact that the cap can be completely removed from the closure bottom and also put back on this.

In order to ensure a relative movement of the cap with respect to the closure lower part, the peripheral lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral edge of the closure lower part is connected captively over at least one web in a further development of the invention. The at least one web ensures that the cap remains on the closure lower part, but is arranged relative to this movable on this. The relative mobility may be a pivoting, but also an axial movement of the cap with respect to the closure bottom. In a particularly advantageous manner, by means of the at least one web, which is formed in a further embodiment of the invention in an advantageous manner as a film hinge, realized both an axial movement of the cap in the direction of the closure bottom and a pivoting of the cap away from the closure bottom. Especially with the axial movement of the cap in the direction of the closure bottom, the means for piercing the closure film are operated in an advantageous manner, so that overall the operability of Behälterverschuusses is improved. Namely, this container closure makes it possible, by removing the guarantee strip, to actuate the means for piercing the sealing film by pressing the cap while ensuring that, after this operation, the cap remains on the closure base and releases the mouthpiece for removal of the medium or sealing closes.

Preferably, the embodiment that the peripheral lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral edge of the closure bottom are connected to each other via at least one web. However, alternative one-piece or multi-part designs are also conceivable. This means that "connected" does not mean one-piece, for example the cap can also be fixed to the closure bottom via a ring or the like.

In a further development of the invention, the closure film is attached to the lower circumferential edge of the closure bottom part and closes a space of the container closure which can be filled with a medium.

On the one hand, it is generally conceivable that the sealing foil closes the opening of the container. Additionally or alternatively, it is conceivable that the closure film is part of the container closure, so that after attaching the container closure to the container with this closure film, the opening of the container is sealed against external influences. In this case, it is additionally advantageously considered that the container closure itself forms a space that can be filled with a medium. As a rule, the medium of the container will be another medium, which is located in the space of the container closure. Depending on the application or medium, it is not excluded that both media are the same. As a non-limiting example of such media, mention may be made of water which is in the container, wherein the medium in the fillable space of the container closure may be a dye, an active agent or the like. It is important to note at this point that prior to removal of the guarantee strip and actuation of the means for piercing the closure film, the two media may be from a single closure film (either attached to the container or attached to the container closure) or two closure films (one attached to the container and the other attached to the container closure) are separated from each other.

After filling the container with the one medium and filling the space of the container closure with the other medium, the container closure is mounted on the container, so that the two media do not come into contact with each other and are also sealingly arranged with respect to the external environment. In addition, it is ensured that the means for piercing the at least one sealing film can not be actuated until the guarantee strip has been removed. Only after the removal of the guarantee strip, it is possible to actuate the means for piercing the at least one Verschlussfoiie, so that the two previously separate media can mix with each other.

Another particular application is the fact that a container can be carried by a user empty and unlocked and is filled by the user with any medium (for example, water). Only then is the container closure filled with the further medium applied to the filled container, the guarantee strip removed and the means for puncturing the closure foil of the container closure released by actuation of the cap. As a result, the water filled in containers can be mixed with the medium in the container closure, for example active ingredients, and then removed (drunk) via the mouthpiece of the container closure. The container closure is characterized by the advantage that a user can carry only one container, but several container closures with the same or different media. As a result, it is not always necessary to carry a filled container with it, but it can also be filled on the way with a readily available medium (in particular water) and this Water are mixed with the appropriate medium in the container closure, so that there is a significant weight savings for the user. In addition, not only a weight saving is given, but the operability is increased, since only the guarantee band must be removed and it is then possible to actuate the means for piercing the Verschlussfoüe by an axial movement of the cap and at the same time by a movement, this time a pivoting To access or close the cap, the discharge opening (in particular of the mouthpiece).

In a further development of the invention, the means for piercing the Verschiussfolie are formed as a piercing nail, which is mounted axially displaceable in the mouthpiece. This embodiment as a cutting nail has the advantage that it is designed according to its one end to quickly, easily and reliably pierce the sealing film after the axial displacement. In addition, the axial displaceable arrangement of the ball nail in the mouthpiece has the advantage that the removal opening in the mouthpiece is released or closed by the cutting nail. Thus, can be released by the axial displacement of the nail nail in the mouthpiece in one direction, the opening in the mouthpiece and the medium are removed. An actuation of the claw nail in the other direction causes the closing of the removal opening. Thereafter, the cap can be sealingly fixed on the closure bottom, for example by jamming or latching. As a result, the mouthpiece is hygienically sealed from external influences. In another variant, the cutting nail is no longer pushed back.

In a further development of the invention, the distance between the circumferential lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral cap of the closure lower part is at least half as large or larger than the path of movement of the means, in particular of the cutting nail, for piercing the sealing film. This has the advantage that prior to removal of the guarantee strip, the means, in particular the cutting nail, are mounted in the container closure such that a puncture of the sealing film when pressure is exerted on the cap is not yet possible. Only when that Guarantee tape has been removed, the cap by applying pressure on the means, in particular the piercing nail act, so that thereby the sealing film is pierced securely to such an extent that the in the space of the container closure located medium with the medium in the container located ( or vice versa) can mix. To ensure this, the distance is at least half as large. This means at the same time that the axial movement of the cap in the direction of Verschlussunterteiies is also at least half as large, preferably just as large as the height of the guarantee strip. However, the axial movement path of the cap in the direction of the closure lower part can also be greater. In this case, it is ensured that the cap can be fixed to the closure bottom. This can be achieved for example by a clamping overlap of the circumferential lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral edge of the closure bottom. It can also be thought that these two facing edges locking means which are releasable to pivot the cap relative to the lower Verschiebusserteil have.

In a further development of the invention, the closure base and the cap and the guarantee strip and the at least one web are formed integrally. These parts are manufactured in one piece, for example in a plastic injection molding process. This has the advantage that hygiene regulations can be maintained, in particular when the container closure has the fillable space in which a medium is filled and sealed with the closure film. Because then the medium in the room is only accessible when the guarantee strip has been removed.

Alternatively, on the one hand, the closure lower part and the mouthpiece or on the other hand, the cap and the guarantee strip and the at least one web are integrally formed in particular for the sake of simplifying their manufacture.

An embodiment of a container closure according to the invention is described below and is explained with reference to the figures. Figures 1 and 2 show the basic structure of the container closure, the application of which will be explained with reference to Figures 3 to 8.

It should be noted that the container closure described below can be regarded as an independent element, which can be applied, in particular screwed onto any container which is empty or filled or provided with a sealing film or not provided.

Figures 1 and 2 show, as far as shown in detail, a container closure 1, which has a cap 2 and a mouthpiece 3 with a removal opening for the medium. In the mouthpiece 3, the means for piercing a sealing film, designed here as a piercing nail 4, are arranged. Furthermore, the container closure 1 has a closure bottom part 5, with which the container closure 1 is applied to the corresponding part of the container. Furthermore, a guarantee strip 6 is present, which can be removed and is in accordance with the invention between the closure bottom 5 and the cap 2. That is, in this state, the peripheral lower edge of the cap 2 is held by the guarantee band 6 at a distance from the upper peripheral edge of the closure lower part 5.

The closure bottom 5 forms either alone or together with the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 a fillable space into which a medium can be filled. After this is done, this space is sealed by a sealing foil against the outside environment. It is also conceivable that this fillable space is not formed by the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 together with the closure lower part 5, but that only the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 forms this space which can be filled with the medium, in which case the direction in the direction the container-facing part of the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 is sealed by the sealing film. In this case, the piercing nail 4 is in a position closing the mouthpiece 3 opening. This ensures that the space filled with the medium is sealingly closed both by the piercing nail 4 and by the Verschiussfolie against the outside environment. The construction and the function of the container closure 1 according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8.

FIG. 3 shows the starting position of a finished container closure 1 before the guarantee band 6 is removed. Here it can be seen that the piercing nail 4 stands a certain amount beyond the upper end region of the mouthpiece 3 addition. Since the guarantee band 6 has not yet been removed, it is not possible to move the cap 2 axially in the direction of the closure lower part 5. As a result, due to its construction, the piercing nail 4 remains in such a position in the mouthpiece 3 that its opening is closed by the piercing nail 4. In addition, in the lower region of the closure bottom part 5, which is applied to an upper part of a container 7 shown in principle, the fillable space is closed with a sealing film, not shown.

FIG. 4 shows the state of the container closure 1 after the guarantee band 6 has been removed. The guarantee strip 6 is designed in such a way that it is either separated ("torn off") completely as an integral part from the cap 2 and / or the closure part 5. It is important that after removal of the guarantee strip 6 a ridge 8 remains, which remains the one Closure lower part 5 connects with the cap 2, so that the cap 2 remains captive part of the container closure 1. The web 8 may be an independent part of the container closure 1 or even a part of the guarantee strip 6, and after removal of the guarantee strip 6 as before Cap 2 connects with the closure part 5.

FIG. 5 shows that pressure can now be exerted on the cap 2 in the pressure direction 9. By exerting the pressure in the printing direction 9, the cap 2 axiai can be moved in the direction of the closure part 5 by a maximum of the path X. This is possible because by removing the guarantee strip 6, a distance Y between the lower edge of the cap 2 and the upper edge of the Verschlussunterteiies 5 has been cleared. However, it is necessary that the web 8 is designed so that it upon exertion of pressure on the Cap 2 in the printing direction 9 in turn allows a deformation that allows the movement of the cap 2 in the axial direction.

In this case, an important embodiment and function of the at least one web 8 should be pointed out. This web 8, in particular formed as a film hinge, must on the one hand ensure that the cap 2 captive on the Verschlussuntertei! 5 is arranged. At the same time it must be ensured by him that with exercise of a pressure in the printing direction 9, the cap 2 axiai (or possibly also slightly different from the axial direction of movement), the cap 2 can be moved in the direction of the closure part 5. In addition, what is still to be explained, the cap 2 is set with its lower edge on the upper edge of the closure part 5. Therefore, the at least one web 8 and advantageously the lower edge of the cap 2 and / or the upper edge of the closure lower part 5 are matched to one another so that the cap 2 can not only be fixed, for example by clamping or latching, on the closure base 5, but rather that the Cap 2 is also centered in the direction of the closure lower part 5 is guided or centered in the direction of the closure lower part 5 is continued, when the lower edge of the cap 2 has already reached the upper edge of the closure part 5. As a result, it is advantageously possible initially to allow an off-center axial movement of the cap 2 relative to the closure bottom part 5. Only when the cap 2 has reached the closure bottom part 5 and a further pressure is exerted, the cap 2 can be releasably permanently fixed, for example, by jamming or latching on the closure bottom part 5.

This last-mentioned state is shown in FIG. 6, in which, due to the design, the at least one web 8 is moved or deformed in such a way that it makes it possible for the cap 2 to come into abutment releasably but firmly on the closure bottom part 5. In addition, this has been moved relative to the closure bottom 5 of the piercing nail 4 from its Ausgangsiage in its operative position during the movement of the cap 2 from its position according to Figure 5 to its position according to FIG. That is, the piercing nail 4 has pierced with its one corresponding configured Endberetch the sealing film, which has closed the peripheral lower opening of the Verschlussunterteiies. This is very good in Figure 6 to recognize that the lower part of the claw nail 4 has been moved in the direction of the container 7 and now projects into this.

In this position, it is now possible that the medium in the container 7 and the medium in the container closure 1, in particular in the Verschußuntererteii 5, can mix with each other. This is made possible in a particularly advantageous manner by the geometry of the cutting nail 4 in its one end region (shown in FIG. 6). By means of this geometry, such an opening is introduced into the sealing film, which makes it possible, on the basis of the media used, for it to be able to mix in the desired manner.

In the state of the container closure 1 shown in FIG. 6, it is possible for the media to mix. However, it is not yet possible to remove the mixed medium via the container closure 1 from the container 7.

This is only possible by the pivoting of the cap 2 in the pivoting direction 10. That is, the facing edges of the cap 2 and closure bottom 5 and their overlapping areas stand out from each other, but at the same time it is ensured that the cap 2 captive on the at least one web 8 remains on the closure part 5. Thereby, the mouthpiece 3 is accessible, so that in the container 7 located medium can be removed (for example, poured or drunk) can be. The piercing nail 4 and the mouthpiece 3 are designed and coordinated with each other for this purpose, that an opening in the mouthpiece 3 for removing the medium is released by pressing the nail clip 4 from its position shown in Figure 5 in the position shown in the following figures ,

After removal, in particular after incomplete removal of the medium from the container 7, the container closure 1 according to FIG. 8 can be closed again by bringing the cap 2 back into its position according to FIG. 6, counter to the pivoting direction 10 according to FIG. Here, both in Figure 6 and in Figure 8, the inside of the upper end of the Cap 2 and the top of the mouthpiece 3 and the position of the cap 2 with respect to the lower closure part 5 so matched to one another that the top of the mouthpiece 3 sealingly comes to rest on the inside of the top of the cap 2. This effectively prevents the medium from being able to move into the interior space which is formed by the axial inner surfaces of the cap 2 and the axial surface of the mouthpiece 3. Here, in addition to the described vote of the cap 2 with respect to the mouthpiece 3 and the closure part 5 are also thought of an additional seal between the top of the mouthpiece 3 and the flat inner surface of the cap 2.

Due to the described configuration and operation of the container closure 1 in the sequence in Figures 3 to 8 whose advantageous embodiment, ease of use and opening and reclosing is very well visible.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1. container closure

2. cap

3. Mouthpiece

4th cutting nail

5. Closure lower part

6. Guarantee band

7. container

8th bridge

9. Pressure direction

10. pivoting direction

Claims

PATENT CHECK Container handling

A container closure (1) comprising a closure bottom (5) and a cap (2) and a mouthpiece (3) and means for piercing a closure film, wherein a guarantee strip (6) is provided to ensure that the closure film is removed from the means can only be pierced when the guarantee strip (6) has been removed, characterized in that the guarantee strip (6) between the closure bottom (5) and the cap (2) is arranged.

2. Container closure (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral lower edge of the cap (2) and the upper peripheral edge of the closure bottom part (5) via at least one web (8) are interconnected.

3. Container closure (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one web (8) is designed as a film hinge.

4. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure film is attached to the lower peripheral edge of the lower closure part (5) and closes a space of the container closure (1) which can be filled with a medium.

5. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for piercing the sealing film are formed as a piercing nail (4), which is mounted axially displaceably in the mouthpiece (3).

6. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance (Y) between the peripheral lower edge of the cap (2) and the upper peripheral edge of the closure bottom part (5) is at least half as large or larger than that Movement path (X) of the means, in particular the Stechnagels (4), for piercing the Verschlussfoiie.

7. Container closure (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the distance (X) is equal to the distance (Y).

8. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure bottom part (5) and the cap (2) and the guarantee strip (6) and the at least one web (8) are integrally formed.

9. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure bottom part (5) and the mouthpiece (3) are integrally formed.

10. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cap (2) and the guarantee strip (6) and the at least one web (8) are integrally formed.