EP2903906B1 - Composite lid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a composite lid for the closure of wide-mouth containers.

More specifically, the composite cover comprises a cork element associated with an insulation element.

Cork corks are used, especially for the corking of wine bottles. However, the relative sealing of the closure is obtained by forcing a cork, through the bottle neck so as to keep it compressed. With regard to containers with a wider neck than that of bottles, corking by means of a cork cover raises some difficulties, especially when they are made of a deformable material compared to glass.

Indeed, the cap, or the lid, can not be put in compression through the neck of the container. Also, the cover having a closing part and a gripping part making it possible to engage the closure part inside the neck, it has been imagined to cover the closing portion of an insulating element in plastic material so as to seal it. Thus, the contents of the container is completely airtight with respect to the outside when the lid is installed through the opening of the container.

However, it turns out that cork allows gaseous exchanges between the inside of the container and the outside, even if it is compressed in a neck of bottles, and that these gas exchanges are necessary for conservation and evolution contained liquids. It is the same for all foodstuffs contained in a container. Also, the implementation of a plastic insulating element inhibits any gas exchange.

In addition, the combination of a cork element and a plastic insulating element bonded to each other subsequently poses recycling problems, given the different nature of the materials of these materials. elements.

FR 2 882 034 A mentions wooden bungs that can be surrounded by a piece of cloth or paper to close barrel holes.

FR 2 221 354 A discloses a hollow shutter which can be made, inter alia, cardboard.

FR 1 038 953 A discloses a cap for wide-necked boxes, which consists of two shells, metal, plastic or other, forming a hollow body which can be filled with an insulating material such as cork, glass wool or others.

Finally, FR 2 866 634 A describes the features of the preamble of claim 1. Starting from the latter prior art, a problem that arises and that aims to solve the present invention is to provide a composite cover that is not only easier to recycle but also, which can allow gas exchange between the inside of the container and the outside.

For this purpose, and according to a first object, the present invention provides a composite lid for the closure of containers having an opening, said composite lid comprising on the one hand a cork element having a closure portion and a gripping portion allowing engaging said sealing portion through said opening and secondly an insulating insert member covering said sealing portion. According to the invention, said insulated insulation element is made of an artificial material based on cellulosic fibers.

Thus, a feature of the invention lies in the implementation of an insulating element of artificial material based on cellulosic fibers on the closing part of the cork element. In this way, although the closing part of the cork element is not compressed when it is engaged through the opening of the container, the insulating element of artificial material gives it some relative insulation. Indeed, this insulation material allows gas exchange between the inside of the container and the outside, because it is by nature microporous. Moreover, given its nature based on cellulosic fibers, it is easily recyclable with the cork with which it is associated.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said closure portion has a closure face and a cylindrical edge bordering said closure face, while said isolation element has, on the one hand, a bottom coming to apply against said sealing face and secondly an extended edge protruding from said bottom coming to bear against said cylindrical edge. Thus, the insulation element has a bottom and a flange edge that extends substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the bottom. In this way, when the closing portion is engaged through the opening of the container, the edge of the insulating member is compressed between the cylindrical edge of the sealing portion and the inner edge of the opening of the container. container. In this way, the bottom of the insulating member and the inner wall of the container together form a single sealed continuous surface vis-à-vis the container of the container. The insulation member is preferably secured to the cork member as will be explained in more detail below.

In addition, said bottom has, advantageously, a groove along said edge so as to stiffen said insulating member. In this way, the edge formed between the edge and the bottom of the insulating member is more rigid and the frequency of openings and closures of the container does not damage the cover. Indeed, the sealing portion and the insulating member which covers it are subjected in their peripheral edge to friction against the inner wall of the opening of the container. It is therefore necessary that their rigidity be increased.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said artificial material based on cellulosic fibers has a thickness greater than 150 μm, and preferably greater than 175 μm. In this way, the artificial material is relatively rigid. According to an alternative embodiment, said artificial material based on cellulosic fibers has a basis weight, or grammage, greater than 200 g / m ² , preferably greater than 225 g / m ² , and for example of the order of 420 g. / m ² . For example, said artificial cellulosic fiber material is uncoated paperboard.

In addition, said cork member has a shoulder between said sealing portion and said gripping portion. In this way, when the closing portion is engaged through the opening of the container, the shoulder bears against the edge of the opening and thus stops the depression of the lid.

According to a second object, the invention proposes a method of producing a composite lid intended for the closure of containers having an opening, said method comprising the following steps: a cork element having a closure part and a part of gripping, said shutter portion having a sealing face and a cylindrical edge bordering said closure face; according to an embodiment, an insulation element having a bottom and an extended edge projecting from said bottom, and said bottom is applied against said sealing face and said edge against said cylindrical edge so as to cover said portion. shutter. According to the invention, said production step comprises the following sub-steps: a sheet of a material is provided artificial based on cellulosic fibers; and, forming said sheet to make said insulation member.

Thus, it is easy to produce the insulation element in situ, for example from the artificial material based on cellulosic fibers in sheets or even in strips. In addition, and preferably, said sheet of said artificial material is hot formed. In this way, the insulation element formed, more easily retains its shape, and in particular, the folding of the edge relative to the bottom.

For this purpose, it is preferable to use non-coated stamping boards, which have soaped faces.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, a groove is printed along said border when said sheet is formed. Preferably, the groove is printed during forming or stamping of the sheet. In this way, it comes to stiffen the insulation element along the folded edge. As will be explained below in more detail, this allows a better adjustment of the cork element and the insulation element.

• la Figure 1 est une vue schématique en coupe axiale d'un élément du couvercle composite selon l'invention ;
• la Figure 2 est une vue schématique de dessous selon la flèche Il montrant l'élément représenté sur la figure 1 ;
• la Figure 3 est une vue schématique en coupe axiale illustrant le couvercle composite conforme à l'invention ; et,
• la Figure 4 et une vue schématique en coupe axiale du couvercle composite associé à un récipient.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• the Figure 1 is a schematic view in axial section of an element of the composite cover according to the invention;
• the Figure 2 is a schematic view from below according to the arrow II showing the element represented on the figure 1 ;
• the Figure 3 is a schematic view in axial section illustrating the composite lid according to the invention; and,
• the Figure 4 and a schematic axial sectional view of the composite lid associated with a container.

The Figure 3 illustrates a composite lid 10 according to the invention comprising a cork element 12 and an insulating element 14. The cork element 12 consists of a circular part whose diameter is greater than the thickness, for example between four times and ten times more, and it has a sealing portion 16 surmounted by a gripping portion 18. Both parts 16, 18 are of cylindrical symmetry and they are coaxial. In addition, the closure portion 16 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the gripping portion 18 so as to form a shoulder 20 on the gripping portion 18 around the sealing portion 16. The latter defines a face of shutter 22 substantially flat and circular, and a cylindrical edge 24 whose generator is substantially perpendicular to the sealing face 22.

The sealing portion 16 is further covered with an insulating member 26 made of an artificial material based on cellulosic fibers and which will be described in more detail with reference to the Figures 1 and 2 .

The figure 1 illustrates in axial section the insulation element 26 while the figure 2 illustrates it in view from below. It has a substantially flat and circular bottom 28 having an inner face 29 opposite to an outer face 31, and a border 30 substantially perpendicular to the bottom 28, and forming a cylindrical symmetrical rim ending in a free edge 33. From Preferably, the height of the border 30 is between four and ten percent of the diameter of the insulation member 26, for example, it is six percent.

In addition, the insulating element 26 has, on the inner face 29, a circular peripheral depression 32 forming a groove along the edge 30. On the contrary, this peripheral depression 32 forms, on the outer face 31, a circular rib 34. In this way, the insulation member 26 is stiffened at the edge 30. The advantages of this stiffening will be explained below.

The present invention also relates to a method for producing the composite lid 10. According to said method, the cork element 12 is produced by supplying cork plates and stamping them with a punch to recover cork discs at the same time. inside the punch. Then the cork discs are machined so as to protect the sealing part 16 and, at the same time, to disengage the gripping part 12 by forming the shoulder 20. For example, the cork disc has a thickness of 13 mm and a thickness of 13 mm. 75 mm diameter, and the closed shutter portion has a diameter of 70 mm and a thickness of 6 mm. Also, the recess between the sealing portion 16 and the gripping portion 12 is about 2.5 mm. Thus, the cork element 12 is provided.

In addition, the insulation element is made from a cardboard material made of cellulosic fibers. This carton has, for example, a thickness of 400 microns and a basis weight of 420 g / m ² . Preferably, this material is a soaped stamping carton. It is commonly used to make boxes of food products. It is observed that the cellulosic artificial material is here intended, not to contain products, but to cover and isolate the closure portion 16 of the cork element 12.

The cardboard material is then precut into substantially circular sheets, which are then hot stamped in a press to be formed. The press has a heated matrix having a circular recess corresponding to the dimensions and external shapes of the insulation element 26, and a punch adapted to stamp the sheets inside the matrix, and whose envelope corresponds to the Also, the die has a bottom wall and a cylindrical wall extending perpendicularly to the bottom wall. In addition, a circular groove is formed in the bottom wall along the cylindrical wall. In contrast, the punch has a projecting circular edge that extends axially and is adapted to engage inside the circular groove of the die.

The sheets of cardboard, engaged between the punch and the die, deform when the punch comes to engage inside the die, so as, firstly to fold the edges concentrically and secondly to form the circular rib 34 when the punch is at the end of the race inside the matrix. The cellulosic fibers of the cardboard are then broken at the folds.

The thus stamped cardboard is then kept inside the heated matrix for a duration of the order of ten seconds, for example 20 seconds. In this way, the insulation element 26 as shown in FIGS. Figures 1 and 2 .

Furthermore, according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, grooves are made in the rim 30 to form vents whose function will be explained in the following description. These grooves are not shown in the figures.

To achieve these grooves, it is provided axial grooves in the cylindrical wall of the matrix, while the opposite, the punch has him, axial ribs adapted to engage inside the axial grooves, when the punch penetrates inside the matrix. In this way, axial ribs protruding from the rim 30 forming a flange, oriented radially outwards and substantially perpendicular to the bottom 28 of the insulation element 26 are obtained. A plurality of ribs uniformly distributed at the periphery of the insulation member 26, for example, between four and thirty-two ribs.

After the cork element 12 and the insulation element 26 have been made, they are assembled by gluing.

Also, a tape of glue is first applied inside the insulating element 26 against the border 30 and near the free edge 33. Then, the closing portion 16 of the cork element 12 is engaged inside the insulating element 26, the cylindrical edge 24 rubbing against the inside of the edge 30. In this way, the glue of the adhesive tape is driven axially between the edge 30 and the edge cylindrical 24, and so is distributed evenly between these two walls, without outward burr. The free edge 33 of the edge 30 then bears against the shoulder 20, as shown in FIG. figure 3 on which we find the composite cover, and to which we will refer again.

Thus, the edge 30 is made integral with the cylindrical edge 24 of the closing portion 16 of the cork element 12, while the bottom 28 bears against the closing face 22 of the closure portion 16, while remaining free in relation to this face. The insulation element 26 is then secured to the sealing portion 16 that it covers.

We will refer to the figure 4 illustrating the implementation of the composite lid 10 on a container 36. The latter is of cylindrical shape and it has a container bottom 38 opposite a circular opening 40, which is bordered by a circular inner edge 42, terminated by a free edge 44. This circular opening 40 is then closed by means of the composite cover 10. The cylindrical edge 24 of the sealing portion 16 and the edge 30 of the insulating member 26 which covers it, then marries the internal rim. circular 42 of the opening 40 and exert on it a radial force on the entire periphery. In addition, the shoulder 20 abuts against the free edge 44. In this way, there is obtained a certain tightness of the interior of the container 36 vis-à-vis the outside.

It will be observed that the implementation of splines forming vents, allows to close the container 36 by avoiding putting it in overpressure. Indeed, thanks to the vents, when the sealing portion 16 is engaged through the opening 40, the excess air of the container 36 escapes through the vents.

In addition, thanks to the circular rib 34, the insulation element 26 is more rigid, especially at the junction between the edge 30 and the bottom 28. Also, when the sealing portion 16 covered with the element insulation 26 is engaged through the opening 40, its resistance to deformation is greater.

Furthermore, thanks to the very nature of the artificial material based on cellulosic fibers, which is microporous, gaseous exchanges between the interior of the container 36 and the outside allow precisely the renewal of the air of the container. This is particularly advantageous when the container 36 contains foodstuffs, for example salt. In addition, the insulating member 26 is liquid-tight, which makes it possible to prevent inadvertent entry of liquids into the container 36 when the latter is closed.

In addition, the cellulosic fiber-based artificial material 26 is recyclable with the cork element 12, whereas this is not the case with a plastic insulating element.

Claims (10)

1. Composite lid (10) intended for sealing containers (36) having an opening (40), said composite lid comprising a cork element (12) having a sealing portion (16) and a gripping portion (18) that makes it possible to insert said sealing portion through said opening (40), and comprising an inserted insulation element (26) that is made of a synthetic material and covers said sealing portion (16); characterised in that said synthetic material is based on cellulose fibres.
2. Composite lid according to claim 1, characterised in that said sealing portion (16) comprises a sealing face (22) and a cylindrical edge (24) which borders said sealing face, while said insulation element (26) comprises a base (28) that comes into contact with said sealing face (22), and an extended rim (30) that projects from said base (28) and comes into contact with said cylindrical edge (24).
3. Composite lid according to claim 2, characterised in that said base (28) comprises a groove (32) that extends along said rim (30) so as to make said insulation element (26) rigid.
4. Composite lid according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said cellulose fibre-based synthetic material has a thickness of more than 150 µm.
5. Composite lid according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said cellulose fibre-based synthetic material has a basis weight of more than 200 g/m².
6. Composite lid according to either claim 4 or claim 5, characterised in that said cellulose fibre-based synthetic material is an uncoated paperboard.
7. Composite lid according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that said cork element comprises a shoulder (20) between said sealing portion (16) and said gripping portion (18).
8. Method for producing a composite lid (26) intended for sealing containers (36) having an opening (40), said method comprising the steps of:

   - providing a cork element (12) comprising a sealing portion (16) and a gripping portion (18), said sealing portion comprising a sealing face (22) and a cylindrical edge (24) which borders said sealing face;

   - producing, in a production step, an insulation element (26) comprising a base (28) and an extended rim (30) that projects from said base;

   - bringing said base (28) into contact with said sealing face (22), and said rim (30) into contact with said cylindrical edge (24) so as to cover said sealing portion (16);

   characterised in that said production step comprises the sub-steps of:

   - providing a sheet of a cellulose fibre-based synthetic material; and

   - shaping said sheet in order to produce said insulation element (26).
9. Method for producing a composite lid according to claim 8, characterised in that said sheet of said synthetic material is hot-formed.
10. Method for producing a composite lid according to either claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that a groove (32) is impressed along said rim (30) when said sheet is shaped.

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