EP0011292B1 - Cup-shaped packing container - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A cup-shaped packing container (1) injection moulded out of plastics material and tapering upwards, which has a bottom (2) which can be put on after the filling operation but which otherwise is constructed in one piece with a resealable cover (3), which is connected to the upper area of the container by means of an annular narrow region (4, 5, 6) which can be detached, wherein the detached cover can be inserted into the container opening formed by the detachment, characterised in that below the narrow region the container has an inner annular face (21) which is joined to the upper area of the container (1) and which is at least approximately cylindrical, and above the narrow region on the resealable cover there is provided an outer annular face (22) which is at least approximately cylindrical, wherein the two annular faces have essentially equal diameters and, in resealing so that the underside of the cover remains facing towards the inside of the container, interlock in a push-fit manner, and in that below a neck (18) on which is provided the annular face (21) the container (1) comprises a conical tapering portion (24) which forms a junction with the slightly conical main part (23) of the container (1).

Description

The invention relates to a cup-shaped, plastic injection molded and tapered upward packaging container, which has a bottom that can be attached after the filling process, but which is designed in one piece in the remaining parts, with a reclosable cover which means with the upper region of the container a severable, annular constriction is connected, wherein the separated lid can be inserted into the vessel opening formed thereby.

Packaging containers of the type described above have become known from FR-A 1 295 521. The resealable lid of this vessel is, however, designed in such a way that it can only be inserted upside down into the vessel opening. This is considered to be disadvantageous.

Such packaging containers are used, for example, for packaging dairy products, and in particular also for protecting these products from external influences. It cannot be ruled out that the outer surfaces of the vessels are dirty. The need to insert the lid upside down does not meet the hygiene requirements.

In the cited publication, a packaging container of another construction is also described, in which the reclosable lid is placed or screwed onto the neck-like container mouth after the separation. Such a container better meets the hygienic regulations. However, the vessel is difficult to manufacture. The fitting or screwing on of the lid makes it necessary for the cover elements to have a larger diameter than the parts of the neck-like upper part of the vessel which cooperate therewith. Such a vessel is difficult to produce by spraying and can be produced with very complex tools. The design is poorly suited for packaging containers to be used only once.

In US-A 3,083,858, i.a. describes a packaging container which has a reclosable lid which, after being separated from the parts holding it, can be pressed into the opening formed or can also be pressed onto a neck part. It is provided that when the cover is removed at the separation point on the cover, a circumferential bead remains which acts as a sealing lip and which, in one embodiment of this document, interacts with a band formed on the neck part. In another embodiment, the packaging vessel described in this document, in which the lid is pressed into the opening formed, the bead on the lid cooperates with a circumferential groove in the reclosure, in which the bead engages. It is provided that the cover and the parts holding it are carried by an annular flange, which in turn is fastened by means of a flange at the upper end of the cylindrical wall part. The sealing and holding effect of the bead and the parts interacting therewith is unsatisfactory because the sealing and holding surfaces are very narrow and, in substantial parts, only arise when the cover is removed. This, and the insufficient stability, as well as the sometimes complex construction, is not suitable for a packaging container that is only intended for one-time use.

The invention has for its object to provide a cup-shaped, disposable after single use disposable packaging cups of sufficient rigidity and strength, which can be separated from a container and a cover comprising an injection molded part and can be both for safe closing and for easy opening can be used again in such a way that the contents of the vessel remain protected against external contamination.

To achieve this object, the invention is based on the packaging cup of the type described in the introduction and suggests that the vessel below the constriction has an inner, at least approximately cylindrical, ring surface adjoining the upper region of the vessel and an outer, at least approximately, above the constriction on the reclosure cover Has cylindrical ring surface, the two ring surfaces have substantially the same diameter, and when reclosing, in which the underside of the lid remains facing the interior of the vessel, adhere to one another and that the vessel below a neck, which has the annular surface, has a conical narrowing, which Connects with the weakly conical main part of the vessel.

The packaging vessel according to the invention, apart from the base to be attached after the filling process, is designed in one piece, which is a crucial prerequisite for the cheap manufacture. The invention has succeeded in inserting the resealable lid into the vessel opening formed and holding it securely, excluding the possibility of external surfaces exposed to contamination coming into contact with the contents. The dimensions of the reclosable cover are also such that the tools required for producing the packaging cup only cause a moderate outlay.

It has proven to be particularly advantageous in the invention that a conical narrowing is arranged between the weakly conical main part and the neck. This conical narrowing results in considerable stiffening of the upper region of the cup, which has the reclosable lid. It has been shown that this stiffening is necessary on the one hand to ensure easy opening, and on the other hand also to ensure that the reclosure cover can be inserted into the opening when reclosing. In the prior art, in accordance with the aforementioned US-A 3083858, this stiffening is sought by means of a complex flange construction. In the proposal according to FR-A 1 295 521, at the bottom of the The main part of the vessel reveals axially tapering ribs which, however, do not result in stiffening of the part of the vessel adjacent to the neck.

The invention also allows the main part of the vessel to be only slightly conical, so that the vessel has a large internal volume compared to the external dimensions. The conical narrowing also stabilizes the weakly conical main part of the vessel.

• Fig. 1 eine Ansicht eines erfindungsgemässen Verpackungsgefässes nach der Füllung,
• Fig. 2 eine teilweise Schnittdarstellung des Gefässes nach der Fig. 1 in einem anderen Massstab,
• Fig. 3 eine Schnittdarstellung durch zwei Verpackungsgefässe in gestapelter Stellung vor dem Füllen,
• Fig. 4 den Schnitt durch einen Halsteil eines abgewandelten Ausführungsbeispiels gemäss der Erfindung,
• Fig. 5 eine der Fig. 4 entsprechende Darstellung nach der Öffnung und dem Wiederverschluss des Gefässes und
• Fig. 6 einen Schnitt durch die Darstellung der Fig. 4 entsprechend der Schnittlinie VI-VI.

In the drawing, some embodiments of the invention are shown schematically. Show it:

• 1 is a view of a packaging container according to the invention after filling,
• 2 is a partial sectional view of the vessel of FIG. 1 on a different scale,
• 3 shows a sectional view through two packaging containers in a stacked position before filling,
• 4 shows the section through a neck part of a modified exemplary embodiment according to the invention,
• FIG. 5 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 4 after the opening and reclosure of the vessel and
• Fig. 6 shows a section through the representation of Fig. 4 along the section line VI-VI.

The vessel 1, which is produced in one piece down to the bottom, essentially consists of the weakly conical main part 23, to which the constriction 24 adjoins the top, on which the neck 18 is placed. In the upper area, the neck 18 carries on the inside two mutually opposite ribs 25 which, as FIG. 3 makes clear, serve to improve the stackability.

1-3, the upper edge 26 of the neck 18 has a reinforcement. The inner ring surface of this reinforcement is designated 21. The resealable cover 3, which consists of the grip edge 27 and the cover surface 28, is attached over the constriction 4. An annular surface 22 is provided on a downwardly projecting cylindrical flange 29 and it is clear that after the cover 3 has been removed at the narrow point 4, the cover 3 can be pressed in again, the two annular surfaces 21 and 22 adhering to one another.

The lower edge 7 of the vessel 1 has a flat ring flange 10 with an adjoining cylindrical ring flange 11. The two flanges 10 and 11 have the inner surface 16 and 13 and the lower surface 17.

The inserted base 2 with the base surface 30 carries an annular flange 14 which plunges into the vessel, a flat flange 8 and a flange 9 which extends downwards. The flange 8 has the surface 15 and the flange 9 has the outer surface 12 an outwardly facing collar or flange is formed, which forms the annular surface 17.

The sealing welding is carried out in the surface 12, preferably by means of an ultrasonic welding device. In certain cases, however, it is also possible to use a conventional welding or sealing device.

The embodiment of FIGS. 4-6 shows a shape with two narrow points 5 and 6, which delimit the tear-off ring 19, which carries the tab 20, which facilitates the tear-off. The ring 19 can also have a constriction that connects the constrictions 5 and 6, so that it can be cut more easily if this is desired.

If the ring 19 is torn off, the resealable cover can be pressed into the neck 18, as is clear from FIG. 5.

The packaging vessel 18 according to the invention can not only be used for dairy products or food. It can also be used to package other products. In particular, the container is suitable as a bottle-like packaging for small dimensions, for example up to one liter, where previously the production of plastic packaging bottles, for example blown, appears to be too complex.

Claims (1)

1. A cup-shaped packing container (1) injection moulded out of plastics material and tapering upwards, which has a bottom (2) which can be put on after the filling operation but which otherwise is constructed in one piece with a resealable cover (3), which is connected to the upper area of the container by means of an annular narrow region (4, 5, 6) which can be detached, wherein the detached cover can be inserted into the container opening formed by the detachment, characterised in that below the narrow region the container has an inner annular face (21) which is joined to the upper area of the container (1) and which is at least approximately cylindrical, and above the narrow region on the resealable cover there is provided an outer annular face (22) which is at least approximately cylindrical, wherein the two annular faces have essentially equal diameters and, in resealing so that the underside of the cover remains facing towards the inside of the container, interlock in a push-fit manner, and in that below a neck (18) on which is provided the annular face (21) the container (1) comprises a conical tapering portion (24) which forms a junction with the slightly conical main part (23) of the container (1).

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