ES2896754T3 - packaging item - Google Patents

Abstract

A packaging article (1) comprising a container (10) and a lid (20) arranged to be mounted on the container in order to seal the contents of the container, a. said container (10) defining a volume with an opening (12) and a first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14) arranged around the periphery of the opening, b. said lid (20) comprising a central portion (21) and a marginal portion (22) disposed on the periphery of the central portion, with an upper edge (22a) of the marginal portion raised above said central portion, said marginal portion comprising a first downwardly directed U-shaped circumferential groove (26) arranged to accommodate the first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14) of the container when the lid is mounted on the container, c. the container comprising a second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15), said second outwardly projecting circumferential flange being arranged around the periphery of the opening and within the first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14), and such that the edge upper edge (14c) of the first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14) is higher than the upper edge (15c) of the second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15), characterized in that d. the marginal part (22) of the lid comprises a second circumferential U-shaped groove oriented downwards (27) arranged to house the second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15) when the lid is mounted on the container, said second being arranged downwardly facing U-shaped circumferential groove (27) inside the first downwardly facing U-shaped circumferential groove (26) of the marginal portion of the cap, and why e. the marginal part (22) of the lid (20) comprises a flexible sealing material, for example a gasket (40), disposed in the circumferential downward-facing U-shaped groove (27).

Description

DESCRIPTION

packaging item

The invention relates to a packaging article comprising a container and a lid arranged to be mounted on the container in order to seal the contents of the container, said container defining a volume with an opening and a first outwardly projecting circumferential flange arranged around from the periphery of the opening, and said cover comprising a central portion and a marginal portion disposed on the periphery of the central portion, with an upper edge of the marginal portion rising above said central portion, said marginal portion comprising a first slot downwardly oriented U-shape arranged to receive the first outwardly protruding circumferential flange of the container when the lid is fitted to the container.

For the sake of this specification, it should be noted that terms implying an orientation, for example "up", "vertically", "straight", "down", "in", "out" and "out", they should be interpreted with reference to the orientation of the packaging item as shown in the figures.

In most cases, it should also be noted that the outwardly projecting circumferential flange of the container will be arranged so that the flange extends perpendicular to the plane of the container opening. In most cases, the opening of the container will be arranged in a single plane and will be oriented upwards, so that the outwardly projecting circumferential flange will extend vertically. However, configurations could be conceived in which the opening does not point upwards, but is arranged at an angle. In this case, the flange will not be arranged vertically. Similarly, the downwardly directed U-shaped slot will in most cases extend in a direction which is perpendicular to the plane of the central portion of the lid. If the central part is not flat, the U-shaped groove will in most cases extend vertically to the plane that forms the middle of the central part. If it is difficult to define the median plane of the central part, it can be said that the slot extends perpendicular to the plane defined by the outermost part of the central part of the lid. The term down is chosen to reflect the orientation of the cap as shown in the figures. However, it should be obvious to the person skilled in the art that if the opening of the container were arranged at such an angle, the lid would also be arranged at an angle when fitted to the container and the slot would not be arranged "downwards" when fitted. in the container, but if the lid is arranged horizontally the slot would be oriented downwards.

Description of related prior art

There are a variety of prior art containers of the type described above. For example, many liquid paint containers and food containers are of this type.

Typically, the first flange and the first slot are arranged so as to provide a press fit. If the first flange is inserted into the first slot a seal is provided between the lid and the container due to this press fit. However, due to imperfections in the flange and groove material and/or due to manufacturing tolerances and/or due to wear, the seal established by this press fit is not always sufficiently effective.

In cases where a more effective seal is desired, a soft gasket can then be placed in the first U-shaped groove. If the flange is pressed over the groove, the upper edge of the first flange contacts the gasket, which then establishes an effective seal between the first flange of the container and the first groove of the lid.

However, it has been found that even in this situation, there are situations where the established seal is not good enough and a better seal is desired. In EP 2392521 A1 a packaging article according to the introduction of claim 1 is disclosed.

Summary of the invention

Therefore, a first aspect of the present invention is to provide a packaging article with a seal between the container and the lid that is an improvement over the prior art seal.

A second aspect of the present invention is to provide a packaging article in which the connection between the container and the lid is better than in the state of the art.

These aspects are provided in part by a packaging article having the features of the characterized part of claim 1.

Other beneficial features for a packaging article with an improved seal are described in the dependent claims and in the description.

It should be noted that the term "comprising/comprising/comprised by", if used in this specification, is taken to specify the presence of manifested features, integers, steps, or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more features, integers, steps, components, or groups.

Brief description of the drawings

Hereinafter, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to configurations shown in the accompanying figures. It should be noted that the configurations shown are used as examples only and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a partial cross-section of a container and lid according to the present invention, the lid being mounted on the container.

Figure 2 shows a partial cross section of a lid according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a partial cross section of a container according to the present invention. Figure 4 shows a schematic partial cross-section of a prior art container.

Figure 5 shows a partial schematic cross-section of a container according to the present invention.

Figure 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a container and lid according to the present invention, including some dimensions.

Figure 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of two lids according to the present invention, stacked one on top of the other.

Figures 8 and 9 show schematic representations of a prior art lid and container when exposed to internal pressure.

Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a second configuration of a container according to the present invention.

Detailed description of settings

The packaging item 1 shown in Figures 1-3 and 5-7 comprises a container 10 and a lid 20. The figures show only partial cross-sectional views of the packaging item showing details of the interaction between the lid and the container, as the person skilled in the art will understand the remaining parts of the packaging article.

It should be noted that while most packaging articles according to the present invention will have a circular shape, other shapes are also conceivable. For example, rectangular and oval shaped containers could also make use of the teachings of the present invention.

The container and lid of the present configuration are made from a polypropylene plastic material, but other materials are also possible, as is known to those skilled in the art. Polyethylene is a non-limiting example of another material that is suitable.

As can be seen especially in Figure 2, the lid 20 comprises a central part 21 and a marginal part 22. The central part in the present configuration is flat, however it could also have other shapes, for example domed. The marginal portion is provided to give rigidity to the lid and to allow stacking of one container on top of another while preventing the stacked containers from sliding past each other as is known to those skilled in the art. On the other side of the rim a skirt 23 is provided. On the inner side of the skirt 24 an inwardly facing rim 25 is provided. The inwardly facing rim 25 is arranged to engage with an outwardly facing flange (described below). on the container to lock the lid on the container.

The rim of the lid also comprises a first downwardly directed U-shaped circumferential groove 26 around the circumference of the lid. Slot 26 comprises an inward facing surface 26a, an outward facing surface 26b and a downward facing surface 26c.

The marginal part also comprises a second downwardly oriented circumferential groove 27 also around the periphery of the lid. The second slot 27 is arranged inside the first slot. In other words, the diameter of the second slot is smaller than the first slot. On the other hand, the first groove and the second groove are concentric. The second groove 27 comprises an inwardly facing surface 27a, an outwardly facing surface 27b and a downwardly facing surface 27c.

On the other hand, the second slot 27 is arranged below the first slot 26 (according to the orientation of the lid, as shown in the figures). In other words, the downward facing surface 26c of the first slot is located above the downward facing surface 27c of the second slot. In the configuration shown in the figures, the downward facing surface 26c of the first slot is located about 5 mm above the downward facing surface 27c of the second slot 27.

On the other hand, the downward facing surface 27c of the second groove 27 is located close to the plane defined by the upper surface of the flat central part 21 of the lid. In the figures, the downward facing surface 27c of the second slot is located 1 mm above the plane defined by the upper surface of the flat central part 21 of the lid. In general, it can be described that the second groove should be located in the transition area between the flat central part of the cap and the marginal part of the cap.

In the present configuration it can also be seen that the lower surface of the flat central portion 21 of the cap has a smooth transition to the outwardly facing surface 27b of the second slot 27. This is beneficial in the event that a filler must be applied. barrier label on the inner surface of the lid. It could be said that the lower and inner edge of the second slot is located at or above the lower and outer edge of the flat central part of the lid. In another situation it could be said that there is no protruding edge between the lower flat central part of the lid and the outwardly facing surface of the second slot. This is advantageous in various configurations where a barrier sheet is desired. The marginal portion of the present configuration also comprises a number of ribs 28 spaced around the inner periphery of the marginal portion. The ribs provide additional rigidity and strength to the lid. The ribs end in a vertically straight flange 29.

In the second groove 27 a gasket 40 is arranged. The gasket is made of a material that is elastically deformable and provides good sealing properties. Two non-limiting examples of such a material are polyurethane and a hot melt adhesive. Depending on the properties desired and the manufacturing facilities available, the gasket could be a preformed gasket, which is inserted into the second groove, or it could be indirectly injected in a fluid form into the groove and subsequently solidify. The cap of the present configuration is also provided with a barrier film 30 disposed on the inner surface of the cap. The barrier film is shown with a thick dotted line for visual identification. However, the barrier film is a solid material that is intended to prevent the passage of oxygen through the lid. As is known to those skilled in the art, different forms of barrier film are available. In a non-limiting example, the barrier film is provided on an in-mold label made of EVOH. The label is placed in the mold before the plastic cap material is injected into the mold. To achieve the best barrier effect with the current configuration, the barrier film is located on the inner surface of the lid (as described in greater detail below), however, in other configurations, the barrier film may also be located on the inside surface of the lid. outer surface of the cap and be combined with brand/product information. While the present specification focuses on the second downward-facing U-shaped slot 27, one could also say that there is a downward-facing flange 31 disposed within the first U-shaped slot. provides an alternative scope of protection for what is defined in the present claims, as will be described later.

The container 10, as shown in detail in Figure 3, comprises a side wall 11 and a bottom (not shown). The side wall and the bottom define a volume with an open top. The upper edge of the side wall defines an opening 12 for the container. Around the upper edge of the side wall and around the opening the container also has a marginal portion 13. In the present configuration, the marginal portion comprises a first outwardly projecting circumferential flange 14. In the present configuration it can be said that the flange it is protruding outwards and the flange can also be said to be vertically straight. The flange 14 in the present configuration is provided with an inward facing surface 14a and an outward facing surface 14b and an upward facing surface 14c. In the present configuration, the inward and outward facing surfaces are parallel. However, in general it can be said that the first flange 14 is arranged to engage with the first slot 26 of the cover in the form of a fitting relationship, at least at the upper end of the first flange. In the present configuration, the first flange runs circumferentially around the entire periphery of the marginal part of the container.

In the present configuration, a second vertically straight circumferential flange 15 is disposed inside the first flange. It can also be said that the first flange and the second flange are concentric and that the diameter of the first flange is larger than the second flange. The second flange 15 comprises an inward facing surface 15a, an outward facing surface 15c and an upward facing surface 15c. In the present configuration, the upwardly facing surface 15c is curved so as to provide a smooth transition between the outwardly and inwardly facing surfaces of the second flange. In the present configuration it can also be seen that the inwardly facing surface 15c of the second flange is an extension of the inwardly facing sidewall of the container. In particular, in this configuration, the transition between the inward facing surface 15c of the second flange and the inward facing surface of the side wall is smooth. This geometry has benefits in applying a barrier film to the interior of the container, as discussed later.

In the present configuration it can also be seen that the upper edge of the first flange is higher than the upper edge of the second flange. The first flange is used to provide support for the edge of the lid so as to provide stability for a stack of containers. On the other hand, the second flange is used to provide an effective seal in cooperation with the first flange.

While the present specification focuses on the second vertically straight flange 15, an alternative scope of protection focuses on the upwardly facing U-shaped slot 16 on the inside of the first vertically straight flange 14, as described later.

As with the lid, the container of the present configuration also comprises a barrier film 17. As with the lid, the barrier film is shown with a thick dashed line for visual identification, however, in reality, Barrier film is a solid film that prevents oxygen from entering the container. The barrier film can also be provided to prevent chemical reaction of chemicals in the container contents with the container itself. In the present configuration, the barrier film is in the form of an in-mold label made of EVOH. Other forms of barrier film are known to those skilled in the art.

In the present configuration, the barrier film is disposed on the inner surface of the sidewall, as this is the best location for the present configuration, as described later, although in other configurations the barrier film can also be located on the inside. external side of the container and/or combined with brand/product information. Likewise, it could be conceived that the lid and/or the container comprise an IML on both the internal and/or external sides.

The outer part of the marginal part of the container is also provided with a skirt 18. The skirt also has an outwardly facing circumferential flange 19. This flange is arranged to engage with the inwardly facing rim 25 of the lid in order to lock the lid on the container. Closing the lid the rim clamps onto the flange 19. Opening the container requires pulling the skirt of the lid outwards to remove the rim 25 of the lid from the flange 19 of the container. This is known from the state of the art and many different configurations of such locking mechanisms are available to the person skilled in the art.

Looking at Figure 1 you can see the lid mounted on the container. As can be seen, the first flange 14 is inserted into the first slot 26 in the form of a fitting relationship. The figure shows the “unstretched” dimensions of the lid and container, and therefore it can be seen that the lid is smaller than the container, so the skirt of the lid must be “stretched” to reach the rim. 25 of the lid beyond the flange 19 of the container. This stretch also provides the locking effect.

It can also be seen that the second flange 15 of the container is arranged in the second slot 27 of the lid. Due to the gasket arranged in the second groove, the second flange 15 is pressed inwards and "embeds" in the gasket. This provides a large surface area between the gasket and the second flange and also produces a very good seal. In certain configurations it may be considered beneficial for the second flange not to have direct contact with the second groove, but for the second flange to embed in the gasket instead. In this way, the second flange is completely surrounded by the gasket, thus ensuring a good seal around the entire surface of the second flange.

It can also be said that, in the present configuration, the second flange is arranged so that it extends beyond the plane containing the lower and outer edge of the inner surface of the lid.

In this way, the lower plane of the cap and the plane of the second flange intersect. This can also be advantageous in other configurations.

In addition, due to the location of the second groove/seam, the second flange and second groove/seam provide the effect that the "corner" of the lid is held in place and movement towards the center of the container is prevented. apply pressure from inside the container. In many circumstances pressure may be applied, for example when the container is placed in sunlight, or when the container is moved and the contents of the container move within the container. By ensuring that the "corner" of the lid does not move inwards, the seal provided between the container and the lid is much better than that provided by prior art containers. It can also be said that the lid and the container are arranged so that the gasket itself provides the lowest point of connection between the lid and the container.

In contrast, Figures 8-9 show prior art containers and what happens when pressure is applied from inside the container. As can be seen, the outward facing surface of the first slot in the cap "peels" off the inward facing surface of the first flange. This completely eliminates the sealing effect provided between these two surfaces. Also, when the lid is detached from the flange, the contents of the container can contact and contaminate the lid and container surfaces. There will be a great risk that the contents of the container will leave residues on the surface, so that it will no longer be possible to return to the previous effective sealing. In Figure 1 it can also be seen that the outwardly facing surface 15b of the second flange is disposed adjacent to the inwardly facing surface 27a of the second slot. In this way an even more rigid connection between the container and the lid is provided. An alternative to this configuration is shown in Figure 10, in which the second flange 15' is arranged at a distance from the inward facing surface of the second slot. While the configuration of Figure 10 allows slightly more movement than the configuration of Figure 1 due to the elasticity of gasket 40, an effective seal is still provided.

In the present configuration, the second slot is wider than the second flange. In this way, the gasket material can be arranged to completely surround the second flange when the lid is mounted on the container. By making the groove wider than the flange, the percent compression of the gasket can be reduced, making the gasket last longer and allowing a softer, more flexible gasket to be used. In Figure 1 it can also be seen that the barrier film 17 of the container and the barrier film 30 of the lid meet at the joint. Therefore, the gasket forms a direct connection between the barrier film of the lid and the barrier film of the container. If the gasket material is also a barrier material that prevents the passage of oxygen through the gasket, a very effective barrier seal is provided. Also, since the gasket is arranged just at the corner between the lid and the container, the barrier film of the lid and the container does not have to cover the entire marginal part of the lid and the container respectively. It is necessary to provide less barrier film as such and a simple barrier film can be provided. In particular it is possible to form the barrier film of the lid so that it does not extend beyond the second slot. In the present configuration, it does not extend even beyond the downward facing surface of the second slot. In this way, the barrier film does not have to fit or cover the entire surface of the second slot. The same is considered for the barrier film on the container where the barrier film on the container does not extend beyond the second flange. Again, the barrier film on the container does not have to extend beyond the upward facing surface of the second flange.

If the configuration of the present invention is compared to the configuration of the prior art shown in Figures 8-9, it would be necessary for the barrier film to cover almost the entire internal surface of the rim of the lid and the container to provide an adequate barrier. . However, in the case of the prior art solution, although the barrier film has to cover almost the entire inner surface of the lid and container rim, a poorer barrier is provided compared to the present invention.

To provide realistic dimensions of a packaging article in accordance with the present invention, Figure 6 is provided, in which dimensions are marked in millimeters. These dimensions are not to be used to limit the scope of protection and are merely provided as a single exemplary configuration of a packaging item according to the invention.

It should also be noted that, compared to prior art containers, only minor changes need to be made to the container and lid to benefit from the present invention. Figure 4 shows a prior art container and Figure 5 shows a container according to the present invention. As you can see, the only area that needs to be changed is the area marked with circle A.

Also, it should be noted that the present claims focus on a second flange on the container arranged in a second slot on the lid. Another way to define a packaging item with an improved seal is to focus on a lid having a downwardly projecting flange 31 disposed in an upwardly disposed U-shaped slot 16 in the container. While the configuration discussed in this specification has only had a gasket in the second groove, it would also be possible to provide a gasket in the first groove if desired.

Figure 7 is also provided to show how two caps are stacked on top of each other and how the downward projecting flange 31, disposed between the first and second slots, is arranged to contact the upper surface of the marginal portion. of the lid, so that the top lid gasket 40 is not in contact with any part of the top lid in the stack. This is important as caps can be stored for long periods of time in a stacked configuration and there is a risk of the gasket being damaged over time if the gasket materials were to compress during storage. In the present configuration, it could be said that the downward projecting flange 31, which extends from the cover between the first and second grooves, extends downwards beyond the lower surface of the gasket 40 arranged in the second groove, or one could say that the downward projecting flange 31 of a top cover is arranged so that a portion of the downward projecting flange 31 of the top cover is disposed between the bottom surface of the top cover gasket and the top surface of the bottom cover in the stack.

It should be noted that the figures and the description above have shown the exemplary configurations in a simple and schematic manner. Many of the details have not been shown, as these details will be familiar to those skilled in the art and these would simply unnecessarily complicate this description. For example, only the marginal part of the container and the lid have been shown. The complete sidewalls and bottom have not been shown, as the person skilled in the art will be able to provide a number of alternatives.

Claims (12)

1. A packaging article (1) comprising a container (10) and a lid (20) arranged to be mounted on the container in order to seal the contents of the container, to. said container (10) defining a volume with an opening (12) and a first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14) arranged around the periphery of the opening, b. said lid (20) comprising a central portion (21) and a marginal portion (22) disposed on the periphery of the central portion, with an upper edge (22a) of the marginal portion raised above said central portion, said marginal portion comprising a first downwardly directed U-shaped circumferential groove (26) arranged to accommodate the first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14) of the container when the lid is mounted on the container, c. the container comprising a second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15), said second outwardly projecting circumferential flange being arranged around the periphery of the opening and within the first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14), and such that the edge upper edge (14c) of the first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14) is higher than the upper edge (15c) of the second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15), characterized in that d. the marginal part (22) of the lid comprises a second circumferential U-shaped groove oriented downwards (27) arranged to receive the second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15) when the lid is mounted on the container, said second being arranged downwardly facing U-shaped circumferential groove (27) inside the first downwardly facing U-shaped circumferential groove (26) of the marginal portion of the cap, and why e. the marginal part (22) of the lid (20) comprises a flexible sealing material, for example a gasket (40), disposed in the circumferential downward-facing U-shaped groove (27). A packaging article (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first downwardly directed U-shaped circumferential groove (26) of the lid (20) has essentially the same thickness as the first outwardly projecting circumferential flange (14) of the container (10), so as to provide a press fit between said first flange and said first slot. 3. A packaging item (1) according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the second circumferential U-shaped groove oriented downwards (27) of the lid (20) is wider than the second protruding circumferential flange out (15) of the container (10). 4. A packaging item (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second downwardly oriented circumferential groove (27) of the lid (20) and the second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15) of the container (10) are arranged such that said second flange (15) is not in direct contact with said second slot (27) when the lid is mounted on the container. 5. A packaging article (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the flexible sealing material, for example a gasket (40) fills more than 50% of the volume of the second circumferential U-shaped groove facing upwards. down (27). 6. A packaging item (1) according to any of claims 3-5, characterized in that the flexible sealing material, for example of a gasket (40), is of the elastically deformable type, so that the second protruding circumferential flange out (15) is pressed into the sealing material when the lid (20) is mounted on the container (10). 7. A packaging item (1) according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that the upper edge (15c) of the second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15) is located less than 5 mm above the plane defined by the upper surface of the central part (21) of the lid (20) when the lid is mounted on the container. 8. A packaging item (1) according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that the vertical distance between the upper edge (14c) of the first outwardly protruding circumferential flange (14) and the upper edge (15c) of the second outwardly protruding circumferential flange (15) is greater than 5 mm. 9. A packaging article (1) according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that the internal surface (30) of the lid (20) and the internal surface (17) of the container (10) comprise a barrier layer ( 30, 17). A packaging article (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the barrier layer (17) of the container (10) does not extend beyond the second outwardly projecting circumferential flange (15) and/or the barrier layer (30) of the lid (20) does not extend beyond the second downwardly facing U-shaped circumferential groove (27). A packaging article (1) according to any of claims 1-10, characterized in that the inward facing surface (15c) of the second flange is an extension of the inward facing side wall of the container. 12. A packaging article (1) according to any of claims 1-11, characterized in that the inner and lower edge of the second slot is located at or above the level of the outer and lower edge of the central part of the lid.