CN113727914A - Closure for closing a container - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure (11) for closing a pouring opening of a container, comprising: a cylindrical screw (15) having an open edge (25) and an internal thread (27) capable of interacting with an external thread of a container neck of the container; a tamper-evident ring (17) designed to be retained at a protrusion shaped at the container neck; a plurality of tamper evident tabs (63) releasably connecting the tamper evident ring (17) to the open edge (25); and a first retaining strip (19 a) having a first end (39) and a second end (41), wherein the first end (39) is fixedly connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15) and the second end (41) is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring (17). The closure has a second retaining strip (19 b) having a third end (51) and a fourth end (53), wherein the third end (51) is fixedly connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15) and the fourth end (53) is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring (17).

Description

Closure for closing a container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a closure for closing a container according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a container having such a closure according to the preamble of claim 18.

Background

From the prior art in the field of plastic closures with tamper-evident bands, closures are known which are held on a container in an inseparable manner and close the pouring opening of the container. In this connection, the retaining function is also important, since it is expected that legislation will dictate that the cap of a beverage bottle be inseparably connected with the beverage bottle even in the opened state.

DE 2430775 a1 discloses such an inseparable closure. The cap is formed of a screwable upper part and a lower collar which snaps over the ridge of the container finish from behind. The upper screw of the cap is connected to the lower collar via a cylindrical tongue which can be easily torn. The tongues extend over the entire circumference and are connected to the upper part and the lower collar via an upper or lower connecting serration row. The cylindrical tongue is interrupted at a position of the circumference so that it obtains two ends, one of which is fixedly connected to the screwable cap and the other to the lower collar. The upper and lower rows of connecting serrations tear in an undefined manner when the lid is unscrewed. Thus, after unscrewing, the upper and lower rows of serrations are partly torn and partly remain connected to the cap member and the lower collar. A cap that is shaken on the container can prove to be disturbing when pouring the liquid, since the cap can protrude into the liquid flow and cause the liquid to spill.

Object of the Invention

The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks by creating an inseparable closure which is not inconvenient when the container to be closed is to be used at will.

Description

This object is successfully solved by a closure for closing a container as characterized in the characterizing part of patent claim 1. Further developments and/or advantageous variants are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

The invention is characterized in that the second retaining band has a third and a fourth end and a third and a fourth edge, wherein the third end is fixedly connected to the open edge of the screw element, the fourth end is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring, the third edge is releasably connected to the open edge of the screw element by means of at least one third predetermined breaking tab and the fourth edge is releasably connected to the tamper-evident ring by means of at least one fourth predetermined breaking tab, wherein the first and third end enclose a first opening angle of at least 110 degrees and at most 170 degrees and preferably at least 117 degrees and at most 135 degrees with respect to the center of the closure as an apex and the second and fourth end enclose a second opening angle of at least 110 degrees and at most 170 degrees and preferably at least 117 degrees and at most 135 degrees with respect to the center of the closure as an apex. The center of the closure is in a plane between the open edge and the tamper-evident ring. By selecting the first and third opening angles, the lengths of the first and second retention bands and their positions along the tamper-evident ring can be precisely determined, thereby performing the following functions, independent of what diameter the closure has: the first and second retaining bands have a length that simultaneously enables the screw member to be unscrewed from the container neck. The length of the connecting retaining band allows the screw to be translated away from the pouring spout and to be moved down the container neck to an open position. By providing two retaining strips, this translational movement is forcibly guided and forces the screw into the open position. In the open position, the screw is inseparably retained at the tamper-evident ring or container neck.

In the open position, the bottom of the screw has the same orientation as the position in which it is screwed onto the container neck, however, is translationally biased at the outer wall of the container neck. Furthermore, the first and second retaining strips prevent the screw from protruding into the pouring spout 33 when pouring the filling.

Suitably, the first and second end portions enclose a third opening angle of at least 40 degrees and at most 70 degrees and preferably at least 45 degrees and at most 63 degrees with respect to the centre of the closure as an apex. By selecting the third opening angle, the first retaining strip has a defined length, by means of which the above-described function is made possible in combination with the second retaining strip.

Suitably, the third and fourth end portions enclose a fourth opening angle of at least 40 degrees and at most 70 degrees and preferably at least 45 degrees and at most 63 degrees with respect to the centre of the closure as the apex. By selecting the fourth opening angle, the second retaining band has a defined length by means of which the above-described function is made possible in combination with the second retaining band.

Since the first, second, third and fourth opening angles have one center as a vertex, the sum of the angles must be 360 degrees.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the third and fourth opening angles are equally large, so that the first and second retaining strips are equally long. The same length of the first and second retaining strips makes possible a positively guided translational movement after the screw has been unscrewed from the container neck. The retaining band allows movement to the open position of the screw to occur in only one direction. Correspondingly, there is only one open position for the screw.

Preferably, the first and second retaining bands are symmetrically arranged on the tamper-evident ring with respect to a plane of symmetry extending through the axis of rotation of the screw. It is also preferred that the first, second, third and fourth end portions have the same standard spacing with respect to the plane of symmetry.

This means that the first and second retaining bands are arranged 180 degrees offset at the tamper evident ring. The first and second retaining bands can thus slide and stretch along the way unhindered at the neck of the container when the screw is unscrewed.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the cross section of the first and second holding belts is constant over the length of the first or second holding belt. The retaining band therefore has constant elastic properties over its length, so that a defined length of the retaining band can be determined over which the screw can be held stably and without play at the container in its open position. In the open position, the first and second retaining straps are pre-tensioned. The elastic pretensioning of the retaining band makes it possible to repeatedly unscrew and unscrew the screw from the container neck and to reliably hold the screw several times in the open position. The constant cross-section of the retention strap over its length prevents the retention strap from being overstretched in the open position.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a first or second taper of the cross section of the first or second holding strap is provided at the second or fourth end, so that the second or fourth end can function as a joint. The movement of the first and second retaining bands as the screw transitions from the closed position to the open position is eased or limited to one rotational direction due to the joint function. It is also conceivable for the first and third end portions to have an articulation function, whereby the first and second holding straps can be moved like a lever with two fulcrums during the movement of the screw. For example, the first and third ends can be bendably secured to the open edge.

Preferably, the tamper evident tabs are arranged at uniform intervals along the open edge. The tamper-evident ring is thus held sufficiently stably at the screw, whereby the closure can be pressed onto the container neck. Because the distance between the anti-uncovering lugs is uniform, the screw thread piece can be screwed off by uniform force.

Suitably, the first, second, third and fourth set breaking tabs are arranged at uniform intervals along the first and second or third and fourth edges. The closure is thus also sufficiently stable in the region of the first and second retaining bands to be pressed onto the neck of the container. Furthermore, the predetermined breaking tab and tamper evident tab of the break indicate that the screw has been twisted relative to the container neck and is no longer in the original closed state.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the position of the tamper-evident ring relative to the preferably annular projection of the container neck in the axial and circumferential directions is variable. Since the tamper-evident ring is movable upwards in the axial direction, it is pulled upwards when the screw is unscrewed, so that the first and second retaining strips can be made shorter and can be better adapted to the open position. Since the tamper-evident ring follows the rotation when the screw is rotated, the first and second retaining bands are subjected to only axial forces and are pulled upward when the screw is unscrewed.

Suitably, first and second recesses are provided in the edge of the tamper-evident ring facing the retaining band for receiving the first and second retaining bands. Thus, the first and second retaining bands are space-saving and can be formed from the tamper-evident ring without additional material costs. For example, the first and second retaining strips may be cut from the tamper-evident ring or shaped during the production of the closure.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and/or second end portion of the first retaining strap and the third and/or fourth end portion of the second retaining strap may be bent along a predefined bending line. Thus, the first and second retaining bands may each function like a lever having two fulcrums. The bend line also causes the first and second retaining straps to not bend or buckle at random locations in the open position, but just at the bend line. The threaded part is thus held in the open position particularly precisely by the two holding straps and is guided precisely into the open position by the two holding straps.

It has proven useful for an inwardly projecting inner cone to be formed at the bottom of the screw member, for example in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring, which inner cone is designed to interact in a sealing manner with the inner wall of the container neck in the closed state. The closure can thus function as a so-called "cone-sealer" and reliably seal the neck of the bottle.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the holding strap has a width of between 3mm and 7mm and preferably between 4mm and 5 mm. Such dimensions result in the retention strap not being torn accidentally, especially when tearing the set breaking tab. Furthermore, the closure does not become too tall and can be sealingly engaged with a standardized container neck using external threads.

The invention is also characterised in that the closure is designed to interact with a standardised container neck by means of an external thread and an annular projection. The closure can thus be placed on a standardized container neck, in particular the neck of a PET beverage bottle. Thus, a container engaged with a closure according to the present invention need not be specifically adapted to the closure.

Suitably, the closure is made of a plastics material, preferably HDPE (High Density polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene). Thus, the closure can be produced from standard plastics materials, as can known closures with tamper-evident rings.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the screw element, the tamper-evident ring, the retaining band and the first and second predetermined breaking elements is produced in one piece. The cover can thus be produced in a diecasting mould without further processing steps for shaping the first and second retaining strips. Preferably, the inner cone is also produced in one piece with the other parts of the closure.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the tamper-evident ring has split openings distributed over the entire circumference with an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the upper edge is formed by a segment of the tamper-evident ring extending in the shape of a circular arc and the lower edge is formed by a wall segment inclined inward in the axial direction and the lower edge of each split opening forms a projection, so that an engagement device is formed for interlocking engagement with the annular projection. The material requirement for the plastic can be significantly reduced by up to 5% because of the presence of the engagement means in the form of inwardly inclined wall sections, which do not surround one revolution at the tamper-evident ring, and furthermore the presence of the split, the shaping of which further reduces the material usage. Furthermore, the inward wall sections cannot be displaced in the radial direction, so that the tamper-evident ring remains at the annular projection and can only be pulled past this projection if the tamper-evident ring is stretched along its circumference. The tamper-evident ring is held by the wall section on the annular projection in such a way that the predetermined breaking element tears safely before the holding of the wall section is eliminated. However, the wall sections are flexible or movable in the radial outward direction. The wall section can thus be released from the injection mold or the injection mold with little force. For the same reason, the application force for pressing the container lid is significantly reduced compared to the prior art. Elongation of the tamper-evident ring during demolding and pressing is largely avoided, which elongation may lead to permanent damage of the retaining element.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a container having a container body, a container neck connected to the container body, an external thread formed at the container neck, and a closure according to the preceding description.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, a shoulder is formed at the container neck, which shoulder is formed below or by the tamper-evident ring, and the length of the first and second retaining strips is set such that the screw element can be lifted up from the closed position after unscrewing from the container neck and can be positioned below the shoulder in the open position, wherein the screw element is held at the first and second retaining strips in the open position so that the opening edge lies at least partially at the container body and abuts against the shoulder. The thread is pulled in the direction of the container neck in the transition between the shoulder and the container body by means of the retaining band, creating a retention of the thread at the transition. By lying flat on the shoulder and on the container body, the screw no longer has play and is therefore held particularly stable and free of play in this open position. Suitably, the shoulder is a support ring formed at the transition from the container neck to the container body. From a production-technical point of view, such support rings are inherently present in plastic bottles, in particular bottles made of PET. It is therefore particularly practical to use this support ring as a stop for the screw. If there is no support ring at the container, it is also possible to form a shoulder at the container neck with a length in the circumferential direction which enables the first cylindrical housing of the screw member to be supported at the shoulder. It is also conceivable to use a tamper-evident ring as a shoulder on which the first cylindrical housing can be supported.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one first notch is provided in the radial direction at the support ring, so that a first holding side with a first corner and a second holding side with a second corner are formed at the support ring, wherein the first and second corners are present at the transition from the first and second holding sides to the open edge of the support ring. By providing the slot, the housing of the screw can abut at two points at the support ring when it is pulled or clamped by the first and second retaining strips at the support ring in the open position. The housing abuts at a first point at a first corner of the first holding side and the edge of the support ring. The housing abuts with a second point at a second corner of the second holding side and the edge of the support ring. The screw is thus held stably and without play in the open position at the container. If a plurality of first notches is provided, they can be used to guide the retaining band or to hold the retaining band in a defined position in the open position of the screw. Thereby further improving the stability of the screw in the open position.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least one first notch is V-shaped or U-shaped. Such a V-shape or U-shape can be produced without difficulty and ensures that the open edge of the screw lies stably at two points, namely the first and second corners. The angular size of the first and second corners is particularly advantageous for a V-shaped or U-shaped notch in order to reliably hold the screw. The first notch may have a depth up to the shoulder of the support ring at the neck of the container.

In a further preferred embodiment, a plurality of second slots are provided at the support ring and are arranged symmetrically with the first and second holding straps with respect to a plane of symmetry, wherein the plane of symmetry extends through the rotational axis of the screw. Preferably, the second notch is hook-shaped. The second notch is particularly suitable for fixing the retaining strap by means of its hook-shaped embodiment when the screw is in the open position. The retention strap may hook into the second notch. Due to the symmetrical arrangement with respect to the plane of symmetry, the position of the possible opening positions is unambiguously predetermined.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the length of the first and second retaining strips is dimensioned such that the screw can be lifted from the closed position after being unscrewed from the container neck and can be positioned next to the container neck in the open position and can be retained in the open position at the first and second retaining strips. As already mentioned, the first and second retaining bands enable a joint function or a lever function by way of their defined length and their defined position at the tamper-evident ring and the screw, so that the screw can be translationally transferred into a defined open position and is retained in this open position at the container neck.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second retaining straps are elastically tensioned in the open position of the screw element, so that the screw element is pulled in the open position onto the container neck or shoulder. As already mentioned, the threaded part is held in a play-free and stable manner on the container neck or on the shoulder by the elastic pretensioning of the retaining band. By elastic stretching of the retaining band in the open position, the screw can also be transferred to the open position several times and can thus be screwed onto the container neck several times.

Suitably, the axis of rotation of the screw and the axis of rotation of the container neck are substantially parallel in the open position of the screw. Thus, the screw member is in a position in the open position in which the screw member does not protrude from the neck of the container and does not protrude into the pouring opening. Thus, the screw does not interfere with the use of the container, although it is held on the container inseparably.

It has proven to be advantageous if the lengths of the first and second retaining bands are set such that the axial orientation of the screw is substantially identical in the open position and in the closed position. The screw can thus be transferred to the open position by a translatory, positively guided movement after unscrewing from the container neck.

It has proven advantageous if the closure can be pressed onto the bottle neck. The container can thus be closed with the closure cap fully automatically and correspondingly quickly and reliably after filling the container.

Further advantages and features emerge from the following description of various embodiments of the invention with reference to the schematic drawings. The figures are not shown to scale.

FIG. 1 shows a lower oblique isometric view of a closure according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the closure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the closure in a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the closure, wherein the closure has been unscrewed from the container neck;

fig. 5 shows a side view of the closure in an open position and arranged beside the container neck and the closure is implemented according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the closure of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of the closure of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 shows a side view of the closure in an open position and disposed beneath the container neck and in accordance with a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the closure of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 shows an isometric view of the closure of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 shows an isometric view of a closure and container in another embodiment;

FIG. 12 shows a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 illustrates an isometric view of a closure and container in another embodiment;

fig. 14 shows a top view of the embodiment in fig. 13.

FIG. 15 shows a detail view of a tamper-evident ring in another embodiment, an

FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the tamper-evident ring of FIG. 15 with a visual angle of inclination.

In figures 1 to 10 there is shown a closure, generally indicated by reference numeral 11. The closure 11 is held in a non-detachable manner on the container 13, in particular on the bottle 13. The container 13 is shown in figures 4 to 10. The closure 11 comprises a cylindrical screw member 15, a tamper-evident ring 17 and first and second retaining bands 19a,19 b.

The screw 15 comprises a bottom 21 and a first cylindrical housing 23 having an open edge 25. An internal thread 27 is formed at the inner side of the housing 23. The container 13 includes a container body 28 and a container neck 29 connected to the container body 28. The container neck 29 is designed as a second cylindrical shell. An external thread 31 is formed at the container neck 29, which external thread interacts with the internal thread 27. Thus, the screw 15 can be screwed onto and off the container neck 29. The closure 11 closes a pouring spout 33 which is disposed within the container neck 29. The tamper-evident ring 17 is held in a form-fitting manner on the container neck 13. For this purpose, an annular projection 35 is formed at the outside of the container neck 29, which can be snapped back by a projection 37 formed at the inside of the tamper-evident ring 17. The tamper evident ring 17 may be twisted relative to the container neck 29.

The first retaining band 19a has a first end 39 and a second end 41. The first end 39 is fixedly attached to the open edge 25. The second end portion 41 is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring 17. The closure 11 is thus held inseparably on the container 13. In addition, the first retention strip 19 has a first edge 43 and a second edge 45. The first edge 43 is connected to the open edge 25 by means of at least one first predetermined breaking tab 47 and the second edge 45 is releasably connected to the tamper-evident ring 17 by means of at least one second predetermined breaking tab 49.

The second holding strap 19b has a third end 51 and a fourth end 53. The third end 51 is fixedly connected to the open edge 25. The fourth end 53 is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring 17. The closure 11 is therefore additionally held in a non-detachable manner on the container 13. In addition, the second retaining strap 19b has a third edge 55 and a fourth edge 57. The third edge 55 is connected to the open edge 25 by means of at least one third predetermined breaking tab 59 and the second edge 45 is releasably connected to the tamper-evident ring 17 by means of at least one fourth predetermined breaking tab 61.

In addition, the tamper evident ring 17 is held at the open edge 25 by a plurality of tamper evident tabs 63. The tamper evident tabs are preferably arranged at uniform intervals at the tamper evident ring 17. It will be appreciated that the first and second retaining bands 19a,19b occupy the area at the tamper-evident ring 17 without the tamper-evident tabs 63.

Preferably, the first and second retaining strips 19a,19b have a width of between 4mm and 5mm, and are thus sufficiently stable.

Since the closure 11 is axisymmetric, it has a center 65. The center 65 lies in an imaginary plane between the open edge 25 and the tamper-evident ring 17. The first end portion 39 and the third end portion 51 enclose a first opening angle 67 of at least 110 degrees and at most 170 degrees and preferably at least 117 degrees and at most 135 degrees with respect to the center 65 as an apex. The second and fourth end portions 41, 53 enclose a second opening angle 69 of at least 110 degrees and at most 170 degrees and preferably at least 117 degrees and at most 135 degrees with respect to the center 65 as a vertex.

The first end portion 39 and the second end portion 43 enclose a third opening angle 71 of at least 40 degrees and at most 70 degrees and preferably at least 45 degrees and at most 63 degrees with respect to the center of the cover as an apex. The third end 51 and the fourth end 53 enclose a fourth opening angle 73 of at least 40 degrees and at most 70 degrees and preferably at least 45 degrees and at most 63 degrees with respect to the center 65 as a vertex. It should be understood that the sum of the first opening angle 67, the second opening angle 69, the third opening angle 71 and the fourth opening angle 73 must be 360 degrees. By selecting the first, second, third and fourth opening angles, it is possible to give the first and second retaining bands 19a,19b a length which makes possible the following function of the closure.

Expediently, the third and fourth opening angles 71, 73 are equally large, in the same sense that the first and second retaining bands 19a,19b are equally long. The first and second retaining bands 19a,19b are preferably offset 180 degrees from the tamper evident ring 17.

According to the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2, a first or second taper 75, 77 of the cross section of the first or second holding strap 19a,19b is provided at the second or fourth end 41, 53. Due to the first and second tapers 75, 77, the second or fourth end 41, 53 may function as a joint.

In the embodiment according to fig. 3 and 5 to 7, the cross section of the first and second holding straps (19a,19b) is constant along the length of the first or second holding strap (19a,19 b). Therefore, the first and second holding belts 19a,19b can be stably stretched.

First and second recesses 79, 81 are provided at the tamper evident ring 17. In the first or second recess 79, 81, the first and second holding straps 19a,19b are accommodated. Thus, the first and second retaining bands 19a,19b can be machined directly from the tamper-evident ring 17, for example by cutting out from the tamper-evident ring.

If the closure 11 is pressed onto the container neck 29, the pouring spout 33 is closed by the closure 11 and the closure 11 is in the closed position. The first, second, third and fourth set breaking tabs 47, 49, 59, 61 and the tamper evident tab 63 break when the screw 15 is unscrewed from the container neck 29. The tamper-evident ring 17 rotates with the screw 15. During unscrewing, the first and second retaining straps 19a,19b can be erected. The second and fourth end sections 41, 53 act here as joints via the first and second tapers 75, 77. Preferably, the first and third end 39, 51 can also be bent, for example outwards, since the translational movement of the screw 15 is thereby simplified and can be performed in a defined manner.

By selecting the third and fourth opening angles 71, 73, the first and second retaining bands 19a,19b have a length that enables continued movement of the screw 15 after unscrewing from the container neck 29. When the container 13 is upright, then the screw 15 can first be moved linearly in the horizontal direction in the direction of the first and third end 41, 53. When pouring spout 33 is fully exposed by screw member 15, screw member 15 is linearly movable along container neck 29 parallel to rotational axis 83 of container neck 29. The length of the first and second retaining straps 19a,19b and the optional joint function of the first and third end 41, 53 are adjusted here in such a way that the screw 15 is held in the open position at the container neck 29 (fig. 5 to 7). The axis of rotation 83 of the container neck and the axis of rotation 85 of the screw 15 are oriented substantially parallel in the open position. In the open position, the screw 15 is held in a non-detachable manner on the container 13 and is secured on the container neck 29 in such a way that it does not project into the pouring opening 33 when pouring liquid from the container 13. The first and second retaining strips 19a,19b make it possible, after unscrewing the screw 15 from the container neck 29, to transfer it in a forced guided translational movement to the open position. Because of the forced guidance, there is only one, rather than multiple, open positions. The length and cross section of the first or second retaining strap 19a,19b are preferably set such that the length of the first and second retaining strap 19a,19b is elastically tensioned in the open position of the threaded element 15. The screw 15 is therefore pulled into the container neck 29 in the open position and is held there without play. The elastic pretensioning of the first and second retaining bands 19a,19b also allows the threaded element to be repeatedly transferred from the open position into the closed position and vice versa. Thus, the container neck 29 can be opened and closed repeatedly and the screw 15 is held in the open position stably and without shaking each time after opening.

In fig. 8 to 10, a further embodiment is shown, how the screw 15 can be arranged in the open position at the container body 28. A shoulder 91 is formed at the container neck 29, which is formed below the tamper-evident ring 17 or by the tamper-evident ring 17 itself. Preferably, the shoulder is formed by a support ring 91 at the transition from the container neck 29 to the container body 28. The screw 15 is held at the first and second holding straps 19a,19b in the open position. The container body 28 with the container shoulder 93 is shown in fig. 8-10. The container shoulder 93 is the transition from the container neck 29 to the cylindrical portion of the container body 28. The holding straps 19a,19b are dimensioned such that the opening edge 25 can be pulled over the support ring 91 into the open position. In the open position, the screw 15 lies with the open edge 25 on the surface of the container shoulder 93. The first cylindrical housing 23 abuts at the support ring 91. Preferably, the holding straps 19a,19b are slightly tensioned in the open position. The screw 15 is thus pulled to the support ring 91 and the screw is clamped under the support ring 91. The support ring 91 prevents the screw 15 from tipping upwards as a result of the pulling of the retaining strips 19a,19 b. Conversely, the support ring 91 acts to urge the open edge 25 against the container shoulder 93. Thus, according to fig. 8 to 10, the screw 15 is held particularly stably in the open position. It is also conceivable that the first cylindrical shell 23 abuts at the tamper-evident ring 17 if no support ring is present. In this case, the tamper-evident ring 17 acts as a shoulder for the threaded element 15.

As shown in fig. 8, the axis of rotation 83 of the container neck and the axis of rotation 85 of the screw member enclose a sharp angle due to the shoulder 93 of the container. The greater the angle between the two axes of rotation 83, 85, which may be 90 degrees high, the greater the pulling force on the container shoulder 93. The smaller the angle between the two axes of rotation 83, 85, the greater the tension on the support ring 91.

Fig. 11 and 12 show a support ring 91 with a plurality of first slots 95, which are arranged next to one another. The first notch 95 is preferably V-shaped or U-shaped. Thus, there are first and second retention sides 97, 99 at the edges of the slot. A first corner 101 is formed at the transition from the first holding side 97 to the open edge 105 of the support ring 91. A second corner 103 is formed at the transition from the second holding side 99 to the open edge 105 of the support ring 91.

The notches 95 make it possible, in the embodiment shown in fig. 8 to 10, for the screw 15 to be held particularly stably at the support ring 91. Instead of the housing 23 of the screw 15 abutting at only one point at the support ring 91 (see fig. 8), it is pulled to a respective one point at the first and second holding sides 97, 99 by means of the holding straps 19a,19 b. These points are formed by the first and second corners 101, 103. This "two-point bracket" additionally stabilizes the screw 15 in the open position. Additionally, the first notch 95 may be used to receive the first and second retaining bands 19a,19b therein when the threaded member 15 is in the open position. Thus, the holding belts 19a,19b hold or are guided. The first notch 95 helps to keep the retaining strips 19a,19b in a well-defined position in the open position and cannot slide out. This results in a more stable holding of the screw 15 in its open position.

The first notches 95 may be formed around the support ring 91 at the same interval. As shown in fig. 12, the first notches 95 can also be provided in two symmetrically arranged sub-regions, which are separated from each other by two separating tabs 107. Thus, a first and a second region are predetermined in which the screw 15 can take up its open position.

Fig. 13 and 14 show an embodiment in which a second slot 109 is provided at the support ring 91. The second notches are preferably hook-shaped so that the first and second protective tapes 19a,19b can be hooked in both notches 109. The hook-shaped notches 109 make it possible to better guide the holding straps 19a,19b at the support ring 91. The second slots 109 may be arranged in two sub-areas on the support ring 91. As mentioned above, the two sub-regions can be separated from each other by a separating tab 107 in order to predetermine two distinct regions for the open position of the screw 15. The second notch 109 may be symmetrically arranged with respect to the symmetry plane 111. Suitably, the first and second retaining straps 19a,19b are also arranged symmetrically with respect to the plane of symmetry 111. The plane of symmetry 11 extends through the axis of symmetry 85 of the screw 15. Recesses 113 may also be provided at the support ring 91, which recesses serve to reduce weight.

The first notch 95 is not shown in fig. 13 and 14 and the first cylindrical shell 23 therefore lies flat at the open edge 105. Of course, the first notch 95 may be provided in addition to the second notch 109 to make the screw 15 more stable in the open position.

An inwardly projecting inner cone 87 is preferably formed at the bottom 21 of the threaded member 15 (fig. 6), for example in the form of a sealing cylinder or sealing ring. The inner cone 87 is designed to interact in a sealing manner with the inner wall 89 of the container neck 29 in the closed position. The closure cap 11 can thus function as a so-called "cone-sealer" and reliably seal the container neck 29.

In another embodiment, a projection 37 is formed according to the following description of the figures of fig. 15 and 16. Such an embodiment of the protrusion 37 is the content of the swiss patent application with application numbers 01467/19 and 01695/19, the priority of which is protected and the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated into the content of the present patent application. A slit 115 is provided at the tamper-evident ring 17 over the entire circumference thereof. The slits 115 each have an upper edge 117 and a lower edge 119. The upper edge 117 is formed by a circular arc-shaped section of the tamper-evident ring 17. The lower edge 119 corresponds to the open edge of the wall section 121 which is inclined inwardly in the radial direction. The lower edge 119 has a smaller radius than the tamper-evident ring 17 due to the inward inclination of the wall sections 121 and can therefore run into abutment with the base (annular projection 35) of the container neck 29 when the screw 15 is unscrewed from the container neck 29. This seating is achieved by an annular projection 35 which is formed below the external thread 31 at the container neck 29. When the screw 15 is screwed off, the lower edge 119 positively catches the projection 35, so that the tamper-evident ring 17 is held securely on the annular projection 35 even under high axial forces.

Each wall section 121 has a first subsection 123 and two second subsections 125. The first subsection 123 is an inwardly turned housing section and is preferably designed to be flat. The second subsection 125 is connected to the inwardly turned side of the first subsection 123 and connects it with the tamper evident ring 17. The second subsections 125 can be designed to be curved or flat and to be obliquely inwardly opposite one another. The lower edge 119 of the slit 115 corresponds to the open edges of the first and second subsections 123, 125 and lies in the plane 127 shown in fig. 16. The plane 127 is preferably oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation 85 of the container neck 29. The described design features of the wall section 121 have the advantage that: the wall section 121 can abut with its entire lower edge 119 against the annular projection 35 and cannot yield upward under the effect of an axial tensile force. The tamper-evident ring 17 is therefore not releasably held at the projection 35 or can be detached from the projection 35 only in the event of destruction. Movement of the first sub-section 123 axially inwardly is prevented by the provision of the second sub-section 125. However, an axially outward movement of the first subsection 123 is possible. This movement is flexible and, after pressing the wall segments 121 radially outwards, the wall segments return to their initial position of inward inclination. This has the further advantage that: the tamper-evident ring 17 can be easily removed from the mold and pressed with only a small force onto the container neck 29 together with the screw 15. By virtue of the flexibility of the wall section 121, it can be released from the injection mold and pressed onto the container neck 29 without the risk of damage to the wall section 121.

Preferably, the inclined wall section 121 has a reduced wall thickness relative to the remaining tamper-evident ring 17. In fig. 16, the region of the lower edge 119 is shown with a minimum wall thickness. The above-mentioned flexibility of the wall sections 121 radially outwards is thus further optimized. The wall thickness of the wall section 121 increases linearly downwards from the lower edge 119.

In fig. 15 and 16, the tamper-evident ring 17 is shown without the screw 15. As is apparent from fig. 15 and 16, an annular ridge 119 is formed above the slit 115 at the tamper-evident ring 17, on which the upper edge 117 rests.

The first and second angles of inclination 131, 133 are depicted in fig. 16. The first inclination angle 131 defines the inclination of the first subsection 123 with respect to the plane of the lower edge 119. The magnitude of the first inclination angle 131 is between 60 degrees and 80 degrees and preferably between 65 degrees and 75 degrees. The greater the first angle of inclination 131, the better the stability of the wall section 121 with respect to vertical forces, i.e. axial tensile forces resulting from unscrewing the screw 15. However, the first inclination angle 131 must not be too large because otherwise the protrusion 35 cannot be sufficiently caught from below.

The second angle of inclination 133 defines the inclination of the slit 115 relative to the plane of the lower edge 119. The straight connecting line 135, which represents the inclination of the slit 115, is the connection of the upper edge 117 and the lower edge 119 in a plane extending through the axis of rotation 85 and the straight connecting line 135. The second tilt angle 133 is enclosed by a connecting line 135 and a plane 127. The magnitude of the second inclination angle 133 is between 30 and 50 degrees and preferably between 35 and 45 degrees. The larger the second inclination angle 133, the easier the peeling prevention ring 17 is released from the mold.

The cover 11 is made of plastic. As preferred plastics, PP and HDPE are mainly considered.

Legend:

11 cover

13 container and bottle

15 screw member

17 anti-uncovering ring

19a first holding band

19b second holding strap

21 bottom of screw

23 first cylindrical housing

25 open edge

27 internal thread

28 Container body

29 container neck

31 external screw thread

33 pouring spout

35 annular projection

37 projection

39 first end of the first retaining strip

41 second end of the primary retention strap

43 first edge of first retaining strip

45 second edge of the primary retention strip

47 first set breaking tab

49 second predetermined breaking tab

51 third end of second holding strap

53 fourth end of second holding strap

55 third edge of second retaining strap

57 fourth edge of second retaining strap

59 third set breaking tab

61 fourth set breaking tab

63 anti-tearing-off lapping sheet

65 center of the closure

67 first opening angle

69 second opening angle

71 third opening angle

73 fourth opening angle

75 first taper

77 second taper

79 first recess

81 second recess

83 axis of rotation of neck of container

85 screw member

87 inner cone

89 inner wall

91 support ring, shoulder

93 container shoulder

95 first notch

97 first holding side

99 second holding side

101 first corner

103 second corner

105 open edge of support ring

107 separating strap

109 second notch

111 symmetrical layer

113 notch

115 break

117 upper edge

119 lower edge

121 wall section

123 first subsection

125 second subsection

127 plane

129 annular ridge

131 first angle of inclination

133 second angle of inclination

135 straight connecting line

Claims (28)

1. A closure (11) for closing a pouring opening (33) of a container (13) has

-a cylindrical screw (15) having an open edge (25) and an internal thread (27) capable of interacting with an external thread (31) of a container neck (29) of the container (13),

-a tamper-evident ring (17) designed to be retained at a protrusion (35) shaped at the container neck (29),

-a plurality of tamper-evident tabs (63) releasably connecting the tamper-evident ring (17) to the open edge (25), and

-a first retaining strip (19 a) having a first end (39) and a second end (41) and a first edge (43) and a second edge (45), wherein the first end (39) is fixedly connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15), the second end (41) is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring (17), the first edge (43) is releasably connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15) by means of at least one first set breaking tab (47) and the second edge (45) is releasably connected to the tamper-evident ring (17) by means of at least one second set breaking tab (49),

it is also characterized in that the method comprises the following steps,

a second retaining band (19 b) having a third end (51) and a fourth end (53) and a third edge (55) and a fourth edge (57), wherein the third end (51) is fixedly connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15), the fourth end (53) is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring (17), the third edge (55) is releasably connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15) by means of at least one third predetermined breaking tab (59) and the fourth edge (57) is releasably connected to the tamper-evident ring (17) by means of at least one fourth predetermined breaking tab (61), wherein the third end (51) and the fourth end (53) are releasably connected to the tamper-evident ring (17), wherein

The first end (39) and the third end (51) enclose a first opening angle (67) of at least 110 degrees and at most 140 degrees and preferably at least 117 degrees and at most 135 degrees with respect to a center (65) of the closure (11) as an apex, and

the second end (41) and the fourth end (53) enclose a second opening angle (69) of at least 110 degrees and at most 135 degrees and preferably at least 117 degrees and at most 135 degrees with respect to a center (65) of the closure cap (11) as an apex.

2. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the first end portion (39) and the second end portion (41) enclose a third opening angle (71) of at least 40 degrees and at most 70 degrees and preferably at least 45 degrees and at most 63 degrees with respect to a center (65) of the closure (11) as an apex.

3. The closure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the third end (51) and the fourth end (53) enclose a fourth opening angle (73) of at least 40 degrees and at most 70 degrees and preferably at least 45 degrees and at most 63 degrees with respect to the centre of the closure as vertex.

4. The closure according to claim 3, wherein the third opening angle (71) and the fourth opening angle (73) are as large, so that the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) are as long.

5. The closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cross section of the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) is constant along the length of the first retaining strip (19 a) or the second retaining strip (19 b).

6. The closure according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a first taper (75) or a second taper (77) of the cross section of the first retaining strip (19 a) or the second retaining strip (19 b) is provided at the second end (41) or the fourth end (53), so that the second end (41) or the fourth end (53) can function as a joint.

7. The closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the tamper evident tabs (63) are arranged at uniform intervals along the open edge (25).

8. The closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first set breaking tabs (47), the second set breaking tabs (49), the third set breaking tabs (59) and the fourth set breaking tabs (61) are arranged at uniform intervals along the first edge (43) and the second edge (45) or the third edge (55) and the fourth edge (57).

9. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the position of the tamper-evident ring (17) in the axial and circumferential direction relative to the preferably annular projection (35) of the container neck (29) is variable.

10. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a first recess (79) and a second recess (81) are provided at the edge of the tamper-evident ring (17) facing the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) for accommodating the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b).

11. The closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first end (39) and/or the second end (41) of the first retaining strip (19 a) and the third end (51) and/or the fourth end (53) of the second retaining strip (19 b) are bendable along a predefined bending line.

12. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an inwardly projecting inner cone is formed at the bottom (21) of the screw member (15), for example in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring, which inner cone is designed to interact in a sealing manner with the inner wall of the container neck (29) in the closed state.

13. The closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) have a width comprised between 3mm and 7mm and preferably between 4mm and 5 mm.

14. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure (11) is designed to interact with a standardized container neck (29) with an external thread (31) and an annular projection (35).

15. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure (11) is made of a plastic material, preferably PP or HDPE.

16. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the screw (15), the tamper-evident ring (17), the first retaining band (19 a) and the second retaining band (19 b), the tamper-evident tab (64) and the at least first (47), second (49), third (59) and fourth (61) set breaking tabs are produced in one piece.

17. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tamper-evident ring (17) has splits (115) arranged dispersedly over the entire circumference with an upper edge (117) and a lower edge (119), wherein the upper edge (117) is formed by a segment of the tamper-evident ring (17) extending in the shape of a circular arc and the lower edge (119) is formed by a wall segment (121) inclined inwards in the axial direction and the lower edge (119) of each split (115) forms a projection (37), so that engagement means are formed for positive engagement with the annular projection (35).

18. A container (13) having

-a container body (28),

a container neck (29) connected to the container body (28),

-an external thread (31) formed at the container neck (29), and

-a closure (11) for closing a pouring opening (32) arranged within the container neck (29),

the cover (11) has

-a cylindrical screw (15) having an open edge (25) and an internal thread (27) capable of interacting with an external thread (31) of a container neck (29) of the container (13),

-a tamper-evident ring (17) designed to be retained at a protrusion (35) shaped at the container neck (29),

-a plurality of tamper-evident tabs (64) releasably connecting the tamper-evident ring (17) to the open edge (25), and

-a first retaining strip (19 a) having a first end (39) and a second end (41) and a first edge (43) and a second edge (45), wherein the first end (39) is fixedly connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15), the second end (41) is fixedly connected to the tamper-evident ring (17), the first edge (43) is releasably connected to the open edge (25) of the screw (15) by means of at least one first set breaking tab (47) and the second edge (49) is releasably connected to the tamper-evident ring (17) by means of at least one second set breaking tab (49),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the closure cap is a closure cap (11) according to one of claims 1 to 16.

19. Container according to claim 18, characterized in that a shoulder (91) is formed at the container neck (29), which shoulder is formed below the tamper-evident ring (17) or by the tamper-evident ring (17), and that the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) are of such a length that the screw (15) can be lifted up from a closed position after unscrewing from the container neck (29) and can be positioned below the shoulder (91) in an open position, wherein the screw (15) is held at the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) in an open position, with the opening edge (25) lying at least partially at the container body (28) and abutting at the shoulder (91).

20. Container according to claim 19, characterized in that the shoulder is a support ring (91) which is formed at the transition from the container neck (29) to the container body (28).

21. Container according to claim 20, characterized in that at least one first notch (95) is provided in a radial direction at the support ring (91), so that a first holding side (97) with a first corner (101) and a second holding side (99) with a second corner (103) are formed at the support ring (91), wherein the first corner (101) and the second corner (103) are present at the transition from the first holding side (97) and the second holding side (99) to the open edge (105) of the support ring (91).

22. Container according to one of claims 20 or 21, characterized in that a plurality of second notches (109) are provided at the support ring (91) and that the second notches (109) are arranged symmetrically with the first retaining band (19 a) and the second retaining band (19 b) with respect to a plane of symmetry (111), wherein the plane of symmetry (111) extends through the rotational axis (85) of the screw (15).

23. The container of claim 22, wherein the second slot is hook-shaped.

24. Container according to one of claims 18 to 23, characterized in that the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) are of such a length that the screw (15) can be lifted from a closed position after unscrewing from the container neck (29) and can be positioned beside the container neck (29) in an open position and remain at the first retaining strip (19 a) and the second retaining strip (19 b) in an open position.

25. Container according to one of claims 18 to 24, characterized in that the first retaining band (19 a) and the second retaining band (19 b) are elastically tensioned in the open position of the screw (15), so that the screw (15) is pulled in the open position at the container neck (29) or at the shoulder (91).

26. Container according to one of claims 24 or 25, characterized in that the axis of rotation (85) of the screw (15) and the axis of rotation (83) of the container neck (29) are substantially parallel in the open position of the screw (15).

27. The container according to one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that the length of the first retaining band (19 a) and the second retaining band (19 b) is set such that the axial orientation of the screw (15) is substantially uniform in the open position and in the closed position.

28. Container according to one of claims 18 to 27, characterized in that the closure (11) can be pressed onto the bottle neck.

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