CN113748071A

CN113748071A - Automatic opening device for aseptic paper box package

Info

Publication number: CN113748071A
Application number: CN202080029964.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 伊凡·费雷拉·达科斯塔
Original assignee: Mario Luis Novais Avila; Yi FanFeileilaDakesita; Andre Luciana Martins
Current assignee: Mario Luis Novais Avila; Yi FanFeileilaDakesita; Andre Luciana Martins
Priority date: 2019-02-19
Filing date: 2020-02-11
Publication date: 2021-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2040-02-11
Also published as: CN113748071B; WO2020168399A1; BR102019003364A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packaging, comprising a box mouth provided with an external thread having at least one inlet opening, the external thread comprising a first root and an oppositely oriented second root, and a box lid having at least one section of an internal thread, the internal thread engaging with the external thread of the box mouth. The automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages is provided with means which ensure that each section of internal thread of the lid, after first unscrewing from the mouth, can only be screwed again onto the first root of the mouth or onto an additional root parallel to the first root of the thread of the mouth.

Description

Automatic opening device for aseptic paper box package

Technical Field

The invention relates to an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packaging, comprising a box mouth provided with an external thread, said external thread (11) having at least one inlet, said external thread comprising a first root and an oppositely oriented second root, and a box lid having at least one section of an internal thread screwed into the external thread of the box mouth. The automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages is provided with means which ensure that each section of internal thread of the lid, after being unscrewed from the mouth for the first time, can only be screwed onto the first root of the mouth or onto an additional root parallel to the first root of the thread of the mouth.

Background

It is well known to use disposable packages for packaging different types of liquids, especially in the dairy and juice industries, etc. A well-known type for this purpose comprises a generally parallelepiped-shaped package made of a thin, fibrous laminate (usually paper) to which at least a second thin, high-strength laminate, usually aluminium, is fixed.

An impermeable layer of thermoplastic material, usually polyethylene, is also usually added, which may be applied to the composite laminate and forms an intermediate layer between the paperboard and aluminum layers of the laminate. This material is very inexpensive to manufacture and can be easily formed into a variety of shapes. This greatly facilitates the process of making packages from such materials. This type of package is called a carton package.

Carton packages made from the above-described laminates must be maintained in aseptic conditions for hygiene and food safety reasons, and to avoid microbial contamination of the product. Therefore, the package must be sealed during industrial processing and this condition must be maintained until it is desired to pour the contents. This type of packaging is known as "aseptic carton packaging".

Carton packages are usually provided with a screw-threaded mouth and a lid to facilitate removal of the product from the interior of the package. It is necessary to provide some means so that the package can be cut in the area where the spout and lid assembly are produced to allow the product contained in the package to flow through the spout.

The use of a mouth and cap kit in aseptic carton packaging allows the package to be closed again with only a portion of the contents being poured. For this purpose, it is sufficient to screw the lid onto the mouth of the cartridge again, the remaining contents remaining sealed inside the package.

Various types of mouth and lid arrangements for aseptic carton packaging are known. This mouth and lid device, of known type, comprises the use of a third component, namely a rotary cutting assembly mounted inside the mouth and driven by the lid when it is first unscrewed from the mouth. Thus, the rotary cutting assembly cuts the aluminum layer of the package, opening a channel so that the contents of the package can be poured through the mouth of the cartridge. Such a device comprising a mouth, a lid and a cutting assembly is called an "automatic opening device".

In order for such an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages to function properly, it is necessary to open holes in the paperboard layer in the manufacturing step of the raw material for the subsequent manufacture of aseptic carton packages. This is done before the lamination process of the layers laminated on the paperboard layer. The aperture must be located exactly in the area where the automatic opening device will be applied in order to open the package.

In the present description, the expression "opening the package" is understood to mean the operation of cutting the aluminium layer of the package located below the cardboard layer hole. The bottom or flange (flange) of the mouthpiece of the automatic opening device is applied to the package such that the centre line of the mouthpiece is aligned with the centre of the aperture.

Various types of automatic opening devices for aseptic carton packages are known. Some models of these devices are described in patent documents US7036683, WO2004/000667, WO2006/050624, WO2007/113216, WO2007/113216 and WO2007/115978, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in the present application.

In all of the automatic opening devices for aseptic carton packages mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, the lid is provided with a drive means to move the rotary cutter assembly. They have the disadvantage that the lid is moved away from the rotary cutting assembly when unscrewed from the mouth of the cartridge, thereby causing difficulties in the actuation of the rotary cutting assembly.

A solution to this problem is to elongate the drive assembly of the lid towards the inside of the mouth of the cartridge to compensate for the mentioned removal movement between the lid and the rotary cutting assembly. This elongation of the drive assembly results in a significant increase in the weight of the lid due to increased material usage. Depending on the design of the closure, this may also lead to an increase in the height dimension of the automatic opening device, which in turn leads to an increase in the extension due to the larger dimensions of the device, thereby causing difficulties in the stacking of the packages.

In WO2016/082008, owned by the applicant, the contents of which are incorporated in the present specification by reference, an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages is described, which device employs a screw thread having oppositely directed roots (roots). Due to the use of this type of thread, the automatic opening device disclosed in document WO2016/082008 comprises only two parts, a box mouth and a lid, inside which a rotary cutting assembly is fixed.

The automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages disclosed in WO2016/082008 comprises the use of a box mouth, the outer region of which is provided with an external thread comprising a first root and an oppositely directed second root, and a lid provided with a plurality of segments of an internal thread engaging with the external thread of the box mouth.

The operation of an automatic opening device for opening aseptic carton packages of packages is described in detail in document WO 2016/082008. By reading the description of this document, attention is paid to the simplicity and efficiency of the means of opening the package, due to the use of threads with roots of opposite direction.

Like other devices for automatically opening aseptic carton packages, the device disclosed in WO2016/082008 is capable of reclosing the package after opening. To do this, the user simply screws the lid back onto the mouth of the cartridge.

Patent document BR 1020190032430, common to the applicant of the present application, the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety into the present specification by reference, describes an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages, similar to that described in document WO2016/082008, characterised by a removable cutting device.

The automatic opening devices for aseptic carton packages disclosed in WO2016/082008 and BR 1020190032430 are each provided with a threaded mouth having oppositely directed roots, a first root being in the right-hand direction and then a second root being in the left-hand direction. Thus, when the internal thread segment of the cap enters the second root, the cap will move upwards due to the second root of the box-mouth thread going to the left.

This may give the consumer some sense of strangeness which they are accustomed to using only a spout with a right-hand thread, wherein the lid is only moved downwards when screwed onto the spout to close the package. Thus, it may be the case that the consumer does not fully engage the cap onto the threads, which have a root in the opposite direction to the spout. This means that the package will not be completely closed in these situations. This can lead to leakage of the product in the package if the product in the package is placed in a side supported position, which often occurs when stored in a refrigerator.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention discloses an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages provided with means to avoid this and to ensure that each internal thread segment of the lid, after first unscrewing from the mouth, can only re-engage in another root, parallel to the first root of the thread, having a right-hand orientation. This prevents the user from inadvertently opening the package portion because they are not accustomed to using a mouth with threads with roots of opposite direction. At the end of this screwing operation, the package will be completely closed.

These and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

figures 1A and 1B show a cross-sectional front view and a perspective view, respectively, of a first embodiment of the automatic opening device for aseptic carton packaging of the present invention depicting the mouth and lid of the box before assembly to form the device;

fig. 2 to 5 illustrate the operation of first unscrewing the lid from the mouth of the automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages shown in fig. 1A and 1B;

figures 6 and 7 depict the operational steps of rotating the lid back again to the mouth of the automatic opening device of the aseptic carton package shown in figures 1A and 1B;

figures 8A and 8B show a front view and a cross-sectional perspective view, respectively, of a second embodiment of the automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages of the present invention, depicting the mouth and lid of the carton before assembly to form the device;

figures 9 to 12 depict the operating steps of first unscrewing the lid from the mouth of the automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages depicted in figures 8A and 8B; and

figures 13 and 14 depict the operating steps of screwing the lid back to the mouth of the automatic opening device of the aseptic carton package shown in figures 8A and 8B.

Detailed Description

The present invention provides an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages incorporating a screw thread having a root with opposite direction as disclosed in WO 2016/082008. In the description of the invention that will be made hereinafter, consideration will be given, for the purpose of description only, to an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packaging, which incorporates the features disclosed in document BR 1020190032430. It should be mentioned that the invention can be used with other types of devices for automatically opening aseptic carton packages, and therefore is not limited to the device disclosed in document BR 1020190032430.

From now on, "automatic opening device for aseptic carton packaging" and "automatic opening device" will be used interchangeably in this description. Similarly, the use of the singular or plural forms "package" or "carton package" should always be understood as the singular or plural of "sterile carton package", respectively.

Also, the use of "open package" or "opening the package" or the like in this specification is to be understood as meaning a package in which the aluminium layer has been cut by an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packaging. The expression "aluminium layer" is understood to mean the portion of aluminium foil exposed in the package as a result of making a hole in the layer of paperboard used to make the package, said hole being made before the lamination of another layer of paperboard used to make the package. Automatic opening devices for aseptic carton packaging must be applied to the paperboard layer by gluing or similar processes, and the axis of symmetry of the mouth of the box substantially coincides with the axis of symmetry of the hole formed in the paperboard layer.

In the description that follows, like parts will be referenced throughout and identified by the same reference numerals in the drawings. Terms such as "top," "bottom," "vertical," and "horizontal" as used in this specification refer to the position of an object, component, part, region, etc. as depicted in the figures. Note that these figures are not drawn to the same scale, as some of them must be enlarged for easy viewing. The terms "front" and "rear", etc., if used in reference to objects, components, assemblies, etc., depicted in the figures, are to be understood in the order of viewing from left to right of the figures, or from top to bottom of the figures, the term "front" is associated with more left and/or upper and the term "rear" is associated with more right and/or lower, and combinations of such orientations are possible.

Fig. 1A and 1B show a front view and a perspective view, respectively, of a first embodiment of an automatic opening device 1 for aseptic carton packages of the present invention, comprising a mouth 10, a lid 20 and a rotary cutting assembly 30, wherein the mouth 10, the lid 20 before assembly is depicted in fig. 1A and 1B to form the device.

It can be seen that the automatic opening device 1 comprises a mouth 10 having an external thread 11, the external thread 11 comprising a first root 11b connected to a second root 11a of opposite direction. The thread 11 must have at least one starting point, although it is shown in fig. 1A and 1B with three starting points, which provides more stability to the lid.

The lower region of the mouth 10, which is connected to a base assembly or flange 12, is designed to be connected to the cardboard layer of the aseptic carton package by gluing or similar, the axis of symmetry of the mouth substantially coinciding with the axis of symmetry of the hole made in the cardboard layer. As mentioned above, the layer of aluminium to be torn by the automatic opening device 1 is located just below the layer of cardboard.

The automatic opening device 1 further comprises a lid 20 provided with an internal thread section 21, said internal thread section 21 being designed to be screwed onto the thread 11 of the mouth 10. The cap 20 must be provided with at least one section of internal thread 21. In the figures, three segments of internal threads 21 are shown, since a thread 11 with three starts on the cartridge mouth 10 is used.

As mentioned previously, the present description considers, for descriptive purposes only, an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages which incorporates the features disclosed in document BR 1020190032430, and therefore, lid 30 also incorporates drive assembly 26, the function of which is described in said document BR 1020190032430 and will not be described here again, since it is not part of the inventive concept of the present invention. Accordingly, and reiterating what has been mentioned above, the construction of the cassette lid 20 is not limited to that shown in fig. 1A and 1B.

The cutting assembly 30 shown in fig. 1A and 1B, fixed to the inner upper region of the mouth 10, is only one of several known options for the configuration of this component, said configuration being chosen for descriptive purposes only and referring to one of the embodiments of the automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages disclosed in said document BR 1020190032430 and will not be described in this description, since it is not part of the inventive concept of the present invention. Accordingly, and to reiterate what has been mentioned above, the configuration of the cutting assembly 30 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

According to various embodiments of the invention of said document BR 1020190032430, the cutting assembly 30 may be attached to the drive assembly 26 of the mouth 10 or lid 20 by means of a plurality of rupturing assemblies. Depending on which part the cutting assembly 30 is fixed to, whether it is the drive assembly 26 of the mouth 10 or the lid 20, the cutting assembly 30 will be separated from either of these two parts, whether during assembly of the automatic opening device 1 for assembling the package, during operation in the factory or during operation when the lid 20 is unscrewed from the mouth 10 for the first time.

Such a characteristic does not interfere with the operation of the automatic opening device 1 of the package of the present invention, regardless of the configuration adopted to fix the cutting assembly 30 to the other component of the automatic opening device 1 of the package, regardless of the driving assembly 26 fixed to the mouth 10 or to the lid 20.

Fig. 2 to 5 depict steps in the first unscrewing operation of the lid 30 from the mouth 10 of the automatic opening device 1 for aseptic carton packages depicted in fig. 1A and 1B. For ease of understanding, only the internal thread section 21 of the cap 20 is depicted in fig. 2 to 5. Since the internal thread segments 21 are integral with the cap 20, any movement of the segments will, of course, be coordinated with the movement of the cap 20.

In fig. 2 the automatic opening device 1 of a sterile carton package is shown in a situation where its parts have been assembled correctly, this being the operation performed at the factory. In fig. 2 it can be seen how the internal thread segments 21 of lid 30 are located in the rear region of the second root 11a of thread 11 of spout 10, which is the position they take after factory assembly of lid 20 and spout 10 to form automatic opening device 1 for aseptic carton packages. Of course, only a part of the internal thread 21 of the lid 20 is shown in fig. 2, since the rest is the lid 20 covered by the mouthpiece 10.

In fig. 3, the automatic opening device 1 for aseptic carton packages is shown in a case where the cap 20 has been unscrewed from the mouth 10 for the first time by applying a counterclockwise rotation to the cap 20. Thus, the internally threaded section 21 of the cap 30 traverses almost the entire length of the second root 11a of the thread 11 of the mouth 10. Since the second thread bottom 11a is left-handed, the cap 20 is axially moved downward during the movement of the internal thread segment 21 onto the second thread bottom 11a of the thread 11 of the mouth 10.

The combination of the rotation and the axial downward movement performed by the cap 20 causes the activation of the cutting assembly 30, so that the latter also performs a combination of a counter-clockwise rotation and a downward axial movement. In this combination of movements, therefore, the cutting assembly 30 cuts the aluminium layer of the packaging, as known in the art, for example as described in detail in documents WO2016/082008 and BR 1020190032430. As can be seen in fig. 3, the cutting assembly 30 has been at the end of its axial downward movement.

In fig. 3, the restriction 11c on the second root 11a of the thread 11 can be seen, immediately adjacent to the junction of the second root 11a and the first root 11b of the thread 11. The restriction 11c is designed to allow the internal thread section 21 of the cap 20 to pass over the restriction 11 only when the restriction 30 is unscrewed from the mouth 10. In other words, each internal thread 21 of the cap 20 can only pass through its respective limiting member 11 c: this occurs only once when the lid 20 is first unscrewed from the mouth 10, when it has previously passed the second bottom of thread 11a of the thread 11.

In the present embodiment, by way of example only and not by way of limitation, the limiting member comprises an extension of the upper thread of the first root 11b, the face of which facing the second root 11a of the thread 11 is wedge-shaped, rising from the last zone of the second root 11a until it meets the top of the thread extension, which must have a small height to allow the passage of the internally threaded section 21 over them when the lid 20 is unscrewed from the mouth 10 for the first time, without causing difficulty in unscrewing the lid 20.

The other face of the restriction 11c, formed by extending the upper thread of the first root 11b, facing the first root 11b, has a form similar to a flat surface of a wall, which will prevent the internal thread section 21 from passing over the restriction 11c when the cap 20 is screwed back onto the mouth 10. Other configurations may be used for the restricting pieces 11c as long as they operate in the above-described manner.

With continued unscrewing of the cap 20 from the mouth 10, the internal thread segment 21 of the cap 20 will move past the limiting member 11c and then through the first root 11b of the thread 11, as shown in fig. 4. Of course, each first root 11b of the thread 11 is provided with a restriction 11 c.

Since the first root 11b is right-handed, the cap 20 is then moved axially upward, along with a counterclockwise rotational unscrewing motion, until the internal thread segment 21 of the cap 20 has moved completely past the first root 11b of the thread 11, as shown in fig. 5. At the end of unscrewing lid 20, the package will be opened and its contents poured through mouth 10.

Therefore, in this first embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the internal thread section 21 of the bottle cap 20 passes through the second bottom 11b of the thread 11 of the spout 10 only once when the cap 20 is unscrewed from the mouth 10 for the first time.

To screw the cap 20 onto the mouth 10 again, it must be engaged with the mouth and then applied with a clockwise rotational movement so that the internal thread section 21 of the cap 20 can start to screw on the first root 11b, as shown in fig. 5. The internal thread segment 21 then passes through the first root 11b of the thread 11 to the junction with the second root 11a, as shown in figure 7. The screwing motion of the cap 20 on the mouth 10 is completed because the restriction piece 11c will not allow the engagement of the internal thread section 21 into the second bottom thread 11 a.

As can be seen from the above description of the first embodiment of the invention, the second root 11a of the thread 11 is only used to drive the cutting assembly 30 so that it can cut the aluminium layer of the package, allowing the package to be opened, in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Thereafter, the second root 11a is no longer functional. Therefore, when screwing the cap 20 back onto the mouth 10, this screwing takes place only on the first root 11b of the right-oriented thread 11, so that the consumer does not notice any difference from their customary operation of screwing the cap onto a conventional mouth.

The fact that the screwing of the lid only takes place on the first root 11b of the thread 11 allows the lower part of the lid 20 to rest on the upper edge of the spout 10, as shown in fig. 7, which ensures that the package is completely sealed after screwing the lid 20 back onto the mouth 10.

Fig. 8A, 8B are a front view and a perspective view, respectively, of a second embodiment of an automatic opening device 51 for aseptic carton packages of the present invention, which basically comprises the same components as those of the aforementioned automatic opening device 1 for aseptic cartons, with only one difference between the components thereof being observed, as will be seen hereinafter.

Similar to the aforementioned automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages 1, the automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages 51 according to the second embodiment of the present invention comprises a mouth 10, a lid 20 and a cutting assembly 30, wherein the mouth 10 and the lid 20 are depicted in fig. 8A and 8B before being assembled to form the device.

The same comments made in the description of the first embodiment of the present invention regarding the various possibilities of fixing the cutting assembly 30 to the driving assembly 26 of the mouth 10 or lid 20 also apply to this second embodiment of the present invention, which does not cause problems to the operation of the automatic opening device 51 of the package of the present embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in fig. 8A and 8B, the automatic opening device 51 comprises a cartridge mouth 10 having an external thread 11, the external thread 11 comprising a first root 11B connected to a second root 11a of opposite direction. The thread 11 must have at least one starting point, although it is shown in fig. 8A and 8B with three starting points, to provide greater stability to the screw cap.

The lower region of the mouth 10, which is designed to be attached by gluing or the like to the cardboard layer of the aseptic carton package, is attached to a base member or flange 12, the axis of symmetry of the mouth substantially coinciding with the axis of symmetry of said hole made in the cardboard layer. As mentioned before, the layer of aluminium to be torn by the automatic opening device 51 is located just below the layer of cardboard.

The automatic opening device 51 further comprises a lid 20 provided with an internal thread section 21 designed to be screwed onto the thread 11 of the mouth 10. The cap 20 must be provided with at least one section of internal thread 21. In the figures, three segments of internal threads 21 are shown, since a thread 11 with three starts is used in the cartridge mouth 10.

As mentioned above, for illustrative purposes only, the present description considers an automatic opening device for aseptic carton packages, which incorporates the features disclosed in document BR 1020190032430, and therefore lid 30 also incorporates drive assembly 26, the function of which is described in said document BR 1020190032430 and is not described here, since it is not part of the inventive concept of the present invention. Accordingly, and reiterating what has been mentioned hereinafter, the construction of the cartridge cover 20 is not limited to that shown in fig. 8A and 8B.

The cutting assembly 30 shown in figures 8A and 8B, fixed to the inner upper region of the mouth 10, is only one of several options of its configuration, chosen for descriptive purposes only, which refers to one of the embodiments of automatic opening devices for aseptic carton packaging disclosed in said document BR 1020190032430 and which will not be described here since it is not part of the inventive concept of the present invention. Accordingly, and reiterating what has been mentioned above, the configuration of the cutting assembly 30 is not limited to its representation in fig. 8A and 8B.

Fig. 9 to 11 depict the first operation of unscrewing the lid 30 from the mouth 10 of the automatic opening device 51 for aseptic carton packages depicted in fig. 8A and 8B. For ease of understanding, only a portion of the internal thread 21 of the cap 20 is shown in fig. 9 to 11. Since the internal thread segments 21 are integral with the cap 20, of course, any movement they make will necessarily be the same as the movement made by the cap 20.

In fig. 9 is shown the automatic opening device 51 for aseptic carton packages after the components thereof have been correctly assembled, which is an operation carried out in the factory. In fig. 9 it can be seen how the internal thread segments 21 of lid 30 are located in the rear region of the second root 11a of thread 11 of spout 10, after they have been factory assembled with lid 20 and spout 10 to form an automatic opening device 51 for aseptic carton packaging. Of course, only a part of the internal thread 21 of the lid 20 is present in fig. 9, since the other part is the lid 20 covered by the mouthpiece 10.

In fig. 10, the automatic opening device 1 of a sterile carton package is shown in a case where the box cover 20 has been unscrewed from the mouth 10 for the first time by applying a counterclockwise rotation to the box cover 20. Thus, the internally threaded section 21 of the cap 30 has moved through the entire length of the second root 11a of the thread 11 of the mouth 10 and is located at the junction between the second root 11a and the first root 11b of the thread 11. Since the second root 11a is left-handed, the cap 20 moves axially downward along the path of the internal thread segment 21 on the second root 11a of the thread 11 of the mouth 10.

The combination of the rotary and descending axial movements performed by the cap 20 causes the activation of the cutting assembly 30, so that the latter also performs a combination of counterclockwise rotary and downward axial movements. Thus, during this combination of movements, the cutting assembly 30 cuts the aluminium layer of the packaging, as known in the art, for example as described in detail in documents WO2016/082008 and BR 1020190032430. In fig. 10, the cutting assembly 30 has been at the end of its axial downward movement.

With continued unscrewing of the cap 20 from the mouth 10_ the internal thread segment 21 then moves through the first root 11b of the thread 11. At the end of unscrewing lid 20 from mouth 10, internal thread segment 21 has moved completely past first root 11b of thread 11, as shown in fig. 11, so that the package will be opened and its contents can be poured through mouth 10.

According to the teachings of the present invention, with reference to the second embodiment thereof, the threading of the internal thread segment 21 of the cap 20 through the first and

second roots

11a and 11b of the thread 11 of the can mouth 10 occurs only once, when the cap 20 is unscrewed from the can mouth 10 for the first time, as previously described. In this embodiment, the first root 11b of the thread 11 is provided with a narrow channel 11b' formed to allow the female thread segment 21 of the cap 20 to be withdrawn when the cap 20 is unscrewed from the mouth 10 for the first time. As will be seen below, the narrow passage 11b' prevents the internal thread segment 21 of the cap 20 from re-entering the first root 11b of the thread 11. Thus, the cap 20 cannot be screwed back onto the thread 11.

In order to screw the cap 20 onto the mouth 10 again, the thread 11 of the mouth 10 is provided with an additional root 13 parallel to the first root, as shown in fig. 12, 13 and 14. The additional root 13 is formed by an additional flank 13a of the lower thread parallel to the first root 11b, the space between these two threads forming said additional root 13.

To screw back lid 20 onto spout 10, it must be engaged with the spout and then rotated clockwise so that internal thread segment 21 of lid 20 can begin to engage on spout 10. Since it is impossible for the internal thread segments 21 of the cap 20 to enter the first roots 11b of the threads 11, they can only be screwed onto the additional roots 13. Fig. 12, 13 and 14 depict the entire sequence of engagement of the threaded segments 21 into the additional roots 13, as shown in fig. 12, and their path through the additional roots 13, as shown in fig. 14.

It can be seen that in this second embodiment of the invention, the thread 11 is used only to drive the cutting assembly 30 so that it can cut the aluminium layer of the package, providing its opening. The thread 11 then has no function. Therefore, when the cap 20 is screwed to the mouth 10 again, such screwing occurs only on the additional roots 13 oriented to the right, and therefore the consumer does not notice any difference from the customary operation when screwing the cap to the conventional mouth.

Another advantage resulting from the mere screwing of the lid on the additional bottom 13 is that the lower part of the lid 20 is allowed to rest on the upper edge of the mouth 10, as shown in fig. 14, which ensures a complete sealing of the package after screwing the lid 20 back onto the mouth 10.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the

apparatus

1 and 51 for automatically opening aseptic carton packages of the present invention, in addition to the advantages resulting from the inventive concept adopted, has the additional advantage that it can be manufactured in a producible injection mould without technical difficulties and at a substantially reduced manufacturing cost.

The present invention has been described in terms of various embodiments thereof. However, modifications or substitutions may be introduced without changing the inventive concepts described and disclosed in the present specification. The invention is therefore not limited to the described embodiments, but only to the content of the claims that follow the description.

Claims

1. Automatic opening device (1) of aseptic carton packages, comprising:

a mouth (10) having an external thread (11), said external thread (11) having at least one starting point, said external thread (11) comprising a first root (1b) connected to a second root (1a) of opposite direction, a lower region of the mouth (10) being connected to a bottom assembly (12);

a cartridge lid (20) having a drive assembly (26) and an internal threaded section (21), the internal threaded section (21) being for screwing onto the thread (11) of the cartridge mouth (10); and

a cutting assembly (30), the cutting assembly (30) being connected to one of the drive assembly (26) of the mouthpiece (10) and the lid (20);

characterized by further comprising a limiting piece (11c) positioned on the second root (11a) of the thread (11) and connected with the first root (11b) of the thread (11), wherein the limiting piece (11c) is configured to allow the internal thread section (21) of the box cover (20) to pass through the limiting piece (11c) in the unscrewing direction of the box cover (30) relative to the box mouth (10) and prevent the internal thread section (21) of the box cover (20) from passing in the direction of screwing the box cover (30) on the box mouth (10).

2. Automatic opening device (1) of aseptic carton packages according to claim 1, characterized in that said restriction (11c) comprises an extension of the upper thread of the first root (11b) of the thread (11), the face of said restriction (11c) towards the second root (11a) of the thread (11) being wedge-shaped starting from the last zone of the second root (11a) and rising until meeting the top of said extension of the upper thread of said first root (11b), and the other face of said restriction (11c) facing the first root (11b) formed by extending the upper thread of the first root (11b) being in the form of a flat wall face.

3. Automatic opening device (1) of aseptic carton packages, comprising:

a mouth (10) having an external thread (11), said external thread (11) having at least one inlet, said external thread (11) comprising a first root (1b) connected to a second root (1a) located in the opposite direction, a lower region of the mouth (10) being connected to a bottom assembly (12);

a cap (20) having a drive assembly (26) and an internally threaded section (21), the internally threaded section (21) being adapted to be screwed onto the thread (11) of the spout (10); and

a cutting assembly (30) connected to one of the actuating assemblies (26) of the mouth (10) and lid (20);

characterized in that it further comprises an additional root (13), said additional root (13) being parallel to the first root (11b) of the thread (11), being formed between the lower thread of the first root (11b) and an additional thread (13a) parallel to the lower thread of the first root (11b), said additional root (13) being intended to receive the internal threaded section (21) of the lid (20) when the lid (20) is screwed back onto the mouth (10).