EP0632977A1 - Closable container for delivering viscous products - Google Patents

Abstract

The pneumatic control of the container consists of an elastic, dome-shaped protuberance (19) on the inner lid (12) and thinner than the lid base (14). A self-closing non-return valve (18) has a valve seating (20) cooperating with a valve body (21) kept closed by a spring arrangement (26) joined to the inner lid. The valve body has a head (23) and tappet (24) connected by a click-stop arrangement (33) to the spring arrangement incorporated in the inner lid. The spring arrangement consists of two transverse extensions (27,28) pointing down from the lid-base, and a spring element (25) joined at one end by a film hinge (29) to one transverse extension, and by the other end by a click-stop connection to the other extension.

Description

The invention relates to a closable container for dispensing viscous substances, such as creams, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

A container of this type is known from DE 39 28 524 A1. This container is provided with two hollow pistons which can be moved coaxially with respect to one another, one of which is seated on the pump base and the other on an actuating button which runs out into a mouthpiece. Furthermore, the container is equipped with a bellows through which the actuation button can be axially reset and which extends from a pump device to the upper region of the first-mentioned hollow piston. The bellows is provided with a piston ring which bears against the inside of the first hollow piston mentioned above. In the space between the dispensing valve and an outlet opening, the contents of the container can settle and come into contact with air, which is contained in a mouthpiece and in a protective cap. As a result, the contents of the container left therein can harden or otherwise experience a deterioration in quality, which makes further use of the container and its contents questionable, e.g. B. unsanitary. The container is therefore unsuitable for dispensing substances that meet the highest requirements for quality stability, e.g. B. sterility.

The German utility model 90 05 014.2 describes a cream dispenser that can only be closed airtight by a lid, because an inner lid has a dispensing opening that can only be closed by the lid separated from the container. Here too, a secure closure of the opening in the inner lid by the lid that can be placed on the container is not guaranteed, because the cream that has escaped through the opening on the top of the inner lid experiences a quality impairment in the space remaining between the lid and the inner lid due to the air contained therein. that does not meet all requirements for the quality of a cream and leads to losses of usable cream. In addition, depending on the type of cream, the delivery opening may be blocked by the cream curing.

The invention is based on the object to provide a container of the aforementioned type which, despite frequent removal of the substances contained therein, free of preservatives, maintains the shelf life of these substances over a satisfactorily long period of time and, at the same time, as simple as possible, metered removal of the substance contained in the container is ensured.

This object is achieved by a container with the features of claim 1.

The container according to the invention has an inner lid which closes an upper opening of the container in an airtight manner and, by means of an actuating device integrated in the inner lid and a cooperating, self-closing check valve, permits removal of a substance contained in the container without the container having to be opened. This is achieved in that an excess pressure is generated in the container by means of the pneumatically acting actuating device, which leads to the opening of the self-closing check valve and at the same time ensures that the substance contained in the container exits through the valve opening. This prevents air from entering the container. Thus, for example, germs or bacteria from the surroundings of the container cannot enter it and do not have a negative effect on the shelf life of the substance contained therein. By coupling the pneumatic actuation device and the self-closing check valve, the contents of the container can be dispensed at the touch of a finger without the container having to be opened and the contents of which have to be damaged by air access.

According to the invention, the pneumatic actuating device consists of an outwardly convex or dome-like, form-elastic elevation of the inner cover with a reduced wall thickness compared to a cover base of the inner cover. This advantageous embodiment of the pneumatic actuation device enables it to be formed in one piece with the inner cover. Due to the shape-elastic design, the actuating device can be actuated practically as often as desired by finger pressure.

Furthermore, the self-closing check valve has a valve seat formed in the cover base and a valve body movable against the valve seat, the Valve body is held in the closed position by a spring device connected to the inner cover. The spring device acting on the valve body ensures that after the overpressure generated by the pneumatic actuating device in the container has been released, the check valve is reliably returned to its closed position in a sealing manner. The check valve thus remains open only as long as substance is released from the container through the check valve to the outside. This prevents harmful substances from the environment from entering the container through a check valve which is still in the open position after the substance has been released, for example due to a suction effect of the resetting pneumatic actuating device.

Due to the advantageous embodiment according to claim 2, the entire self-closing check valve consists of only two parts, the connection of which via the latching connection is very simple, i. H. without tools. This results in considerable advantages for the manufacture of the container according to the invention or its inner lid.

Through the embodiment according to claim 3, a simple design of the spring device is achieved, which is particularly useful when actuation of the self-closing check valve transverse to the container axis is desired.

The embodiment according to claim 4 is particularly suitable if an opening of the self-closing check valve transverse to the plane of the inner cover is desired.

In the embodiment of the spring device mentioned above, the spring element can have one end via a film joint with one transverse extension and the other Be connected at the end via a snap connection to the other transverse extension, so that the spring device can be manufactured in one piece.

The embodiment according to claim 6 makes it possible in a particularly advantageous manner to design the pneumatic actuating device and the self-closing check valve to have the same effect on the outside, as well as shaping corresponding to particular aesthetic requirements.

Through the design according to claim 7, a removal space is created on the outer surface of the inner lid, from which the container contents can be removed in a metered form.

Regardless of how the self-closing check valve is designed in detail, the embodiment according to claim 8 proves to be advantageous in any case. Such a gap narrows during a closing movement of the check valve, so that a wedge effect occurs, through which a substance that may have accumulated in the gap when the container contents were released is squeezed out and the gap thus remains free of material residues.

A further embodiment of the container according to the invention which has significant advantages is specified in claim 9. As a result, the inner lid covers the surface of the material contained in the container in an airtight and floating manner. As a result of the negative pressure forces caused by the resetting of the elastic, pneumatic actuating device in the container, it is achieved that the inner lid is always adjusted to the fill level of the substance. The relative position of the inner lid with respect to the container thus provides the user with information at any time about how much of the ingredient is still contained in the container.

• Fig. 1 eine erste Ausführungsform des Behälters mit einer ersten Variante eines Innendeckels und einer zusätzlich oberhalb des Innendeckels angeordneten Verschlußkappe in einem Mittellängsschnitt;
• Fig. 2 eine Draufsicht auf den in Fig. 1 dargestellten Behälter und dessen Innendeckel bei abgenommener Verschlußkappe;
• Fig. 3 eine vergrößerte Darstellung der Einzelheit X in Fig. 1 mit einem geschlossenen, selbstschließenden Rückschlagventil im Innendeckel;
• Fig. 4 das in Fig. 3 dargestellte selbstschließende Rückschlagventil in Öffnungsstellung;
• Fig. 5 eine vergrößerte Darstellung der Einzelheit Y in Fig. 1 mit einem peripheren Dichtrand des in Fig. 1 dargestellten Innendeckels;
• Fig. 6 einen Querschnitt des Behälters gemäß Fig. 1 mit dem Innendeckel in Unteransicht;
• Fig. 7 eine weitere Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Behälters mit Innendeckel;
• Fig. 8 eine weitere Ausführungsform des Behälters mit Innendeckel; und
• Fig. 9 eine Draufsicht des in Fig. 8 dargestellten Innendeckels.

Preferred embodiments of the container according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Show it:

• Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the container with a first variant of an inner lid and an additional cap arranged above the inner lid in a central longitudinal section.
• Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 1 and its inner lid with the cap removed;
• Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the detail X in Figure 1 with a closed, self-closing check valve in the inner cover.
• 4 shows the self-closing check valve shown in FIG. 3 in the open position;
• FIG. 5 shows an enlarged illustration of the detail Y in FIG. 1 with a peripheral sealing edge of the inner cover shown in FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 6 shows a cross section of the container according to FIG. 1 with the inner lid in a bottom view;
• 7 shows a further embodiment of the container according to the invention with an inner lid;
• 8 shows a further embodiment of the container with an inner lid; and
• Fig. 9 is a plan view of the inner cover shown in Fig. 8 .

Fig. 1 shows a container 10 for receiving a substance, not shown here, such as a cream, with an inner lid 12 which is inserted into the container as a separate part. The container 10 is provided with a cap 13. However, the closure cap 13 can be omitted without adversely affecting the advantageous effects described below, which characterize the container 10.

The inner cover 12 shown in FIG. 1 has a cover base 14 which is provided with a peripheral sealing edge 15. The peripheral sealing edge 15 lies sealingly against an inner wall 16 of the cup-shaped container 10 in a manner which is described in more detail below.

A pneumatic actuation device 17 and a self-closing check valve 18 are integrated in the cover base 14 of the inner cover 12. In the embodiment of the container 10 shown in FIG. 1 , the actuating device 17 consists of an outwardly convex, dome-like elevation 19 which is formed in one piece with the lid base 14 and has a smaller wall thickness than this. The wall thickness is preferably in the center of the elevation 19 least. If necessary, the elevation on the underside can be provided with a plurality of ribs radial to its center, by means of which the restoring effect of the elevation is supported after it has been actuated.

The check valve 18 has a valve seat 20 and a valve body 21 cooperating therewith. The valve seat 20 has the shape of a trough 22 which is closed by a valve head 23 of the valve body 21. The valve head 23 has on its underside a valve tappet 24, the free end of which is designed as a spherical locking pin 34 which firmly but releasably engages in a locking opening 35 of a spring element 25 of a spring device 26 and forms a locking connection 33. As part of the spring device 26 shown in FIG. 1, the spring element 25 exerts a closing force 37 which forces the valve head 23 into the closed position shown in FIG. 3.

According to FIG. 1, the spring device 26 consists of two transverse extensions 27, 28, which project downward from the cover base 14, and of the spring element 25, which at its left end in FIG. 1 is integral with a film joint 29 of the inner cover, which is made of plastic 12 is connected to the transverse extension 27. At its right end in FIG. 1, the spring element 25 has a locking pin 30 which engages in a locking opening 32 of the transverse extension 28 shown in FIG. 6 and forms a locking connection 31. To form the spring device 26, the spring element 29, which is connected in one piece to the transverse extension 27 via the film joint 29, can be pivoted with its free end against the transverse extension 28 until a firm, if necessary, snap-in of the locking pin 30 into the locking opening 32 (FIG. 6) releasable locking connection 31 is given.

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the inner cover 12, the actuating device 17 and the valve seat 20 in a circular configuration, the trough 22 of the valve seat 20 being closed centrally by the valve head 23 of the valve body 21, so that the valve head 23 is a bottom part of the Trough 22 forms.

Furthermore, it can be seen from FIG. 2 that the container 10 has a circular cross section in the embodiment shown here. Likewise, however, it is also possible to provide the container with a cross-section that deviates therefrom, for example delimited by a polygon, in which case the inner cover 12 and in particular its peripheral sealing edge 15 then have a correspondingly designed circumference.

3 and 4 , the area of the check valve 18 circled in FIG. 1 and designated by X is shown enlarged. 3 shows the check valve 18 in a closed position and FIG. 4 shows the check valve 18 in an open position.

As can be clearly seen from FIG. 3 , the valve head 23 of the valve body 21 is frustoconical and seals with its peripheral edge the valve seat 20 which has a valve opening 36 which is adapted to the circumference of the valve head 23.

The open position of the check valve 18 shown in FIG. 4 is achieved in that an operator exerts a pressure on the pneumatic actuating device 17 shown in FIG. 1 from the outside, which pressure in the container 10 closed by the inner lid 12 (FIG. 1) leads to overpressure. The overpressure acts, as is shown schematically in FIG. 4 by the arrows 38, on the underside of the valve head 23. This generates an opening force which counteracts the closing force 37 of the spring element 25 and which forces the valve body 21 to discharge the contents of the container into the one shown in FIG. 4 brings open position shown. In the open position, an opening gap 39 is present between the valve head 23 and the valve seat 20, through which the excess pressure can escape, so that the valve body 21 is brought back into the closed position shown in FIG. 3 as a result of the closing force 37 formed by the elastic restoring force of the spring element 25 becomes.

As a result of the opening gap 39 which is shown in FIG Closing process of this gap continuously, so that a "wedge effect" occurs and residues remaining in the opening gap 39 of the material dispensed when the check valve 18 is open are squeezed out of the opening gap 39.

As can also be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 , in the case of a check valve 18 configured in this way, it is actuated transversely to the plane of the inner cover 12.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged illustration of the cross-sectional area of the peripheral sealing edge 15 encircled in FIG. 1 and designated Y. The sealing edge 15 consequently has two circumferential sealing lips 40, 41 which, together with the inner wall 16 of the container 10, form an annular sealing space 42 . Between the upper and lower sealing lip 40, 41, a locking element 43 is arranged at the level of the main plane of the inner cover 12, which protrudes radially outward into the sealing space 42 and is directed obliquely upwards and rests against the inner wall 16 of the container 10 with elastic prestress. This preload exerted by the locking element 43 is so large that the locking element 43 prevents an upward movement of the inner lid 12 in the direction of the container opening, but enables a sliding movement downward towards the bottom of the container. In this way, tilting of the inner cover 12 is also counteracted. Instead of the circumferential, annular locking element 43, if necessary, can be used as a locking element. also several cramps can be arranged, which, similar to the annular locking element 43, lie obliquely upwards against the inner wall 16 of the container 10 with prestress, but are otherwise distributed at angular intervals over the circumference of the inner cover 12.

The sealing lips 40, 41 serve primarily to secure the inner cover 12 in the event of a relative displacement, indicated by the arrow 44, with respect to the inner wall 16 of the container 10 seal securely and prevent tilting of the inner cover 12.

5, the inner lid 12 is in its uppermost position, the upper sealing lip 40 being arranged at the level of a parting line 45 which separates the closure cap 13 from the container 10.

Fig. 6, which has already been referred to in connection with the explanation of Fig. 1, shows in a bottom view of the inner cover 12, the spring device 26 with the spring element 25, which receives the locking pin 34 of the valve body 21 and in turn with the right end arranged locking pin 30 is received in the transverse extension 28.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, those parts or elements of an inner cover 46 which correspond to parts or elements of the inner cover 12 are provided with identical reference numerals. In a departure from the inner cover 12, the inner cover 46 has a self-closing check valve 47 which has an upwardly convex valve seat 48. A valve body 49 interacts with the valve seat 48, the valve head 50 of which has a convex surface corresponding to the valve seat 48. The valve body 49 is designed as a valve tappet 51 and is provided at its free end with a spherical locking pin 52 which is part of a locking connection which corresponds to the locking connection 33 described above with reference to FIG. 1.

In the embodiment in FIGS. 8 and 9, parts or elements which correspond to parts or elements of the inner cover 12 are again provided with the same reference symbols as in FIG. 1. In contrast to the inner cover 12 shown in FIG. 1, an inner cover 57 is designed as a scoop-shaped depression 58, with a valve body 60 The low point of the trough 58 is adjacent and is arranged in a wall region 62 which is steeper than a trough outlet 61. The valve body 60 is provided with a plate-shaped valve head 71 which seals a valve seat 63.

8 and 9 , a spring device 64 can be seen, which has a transverse extension 72 which projects from a cover base 65 of the inner cover 57. The connection of the spring device 64 to a valve tappet 66 again takes place via a latching connection 67 between a pin 68 of the valve tappet 66 and a latching opening 69 of the spring device 64. In deviation from the exemplary embodiments described above, the valve seat 63 becomes radially outward in the direction of opening approximately transversely to the container axis 70 moved relative to the valve head 71 and returns to the closed position after the actuation device 17 has been released.

The inner cover 57 of the container 10 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is particularly suitable for one-handed operation. For example, it is possible to actuate the pneumatic actuation device 17 with the thumb and to take up the substance exiting into the trough-shaped valve seat 59, for example a cream, with the index finger from the valve seat, the index finger rising above the trough outlet 61 which rises steadily towards the actuation device 17 the thumb can be moved as it corresponds to a natural hand movement. Although the container can be made from different materials, it is preferred to make it from plastic.

Claims (14)

Lockable container (10) for dispensing viscous substances, such as creams, with an inner lid (12, 46, 57) which is designed to be airtight against an inner wall (16) of the container (10) and has a pneumatic actuating device (17), such that an overpressure generated by actuating the actuating device (17) in the container leads to an opening of a self-closing check valve (18, 47, 58) in the sense of dispensing the substance contained in the container and the subsequent release of the actuating device (17) to generate a negative pressure guide in the container through which the inner cover (12; 46; 57) in the container (10) is lowered until the vacuum is released;
characterized in that
the pneumatic actuating device (17) consists of a dome-like, form-elastic elevation (19) of the inner cover (12) with a reduced wall thickness compared to a cover base (14, 65) and the self-closing check valve (18, 47, 58) one in the cover base (14 , 65) formed valve seat (20, 48, 59) and a valve body (21, 49, 60) interacting with the valve seat (20, 48, 59), the valve body (21, 49, 60) being connected to the inner cover (12, 46, 57) connected spring device (26, 64) is held in the closed position. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve body (21, 49, 60) has a valve head (23, 50, 71) and a valve tappet (24, 51, 66), the valve tappet (24, 51, 66) over a snap connection (33, 67) is connected to the spring device (26, 64) which is formed in one piece with the inner cover (12, 46, 57). Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spring device (64) is formed from a transverse extension (72) which is directed downwards from the lid base (65) and serves as a spring element. Container according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the spring device (26) consists of two transverse extensions (27, 28) directed downwards from the lid base and a spring element (25) connected at the end to the transverse extensions. Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the spring element (25) is connected at one end via a film hinge (29) to the one transverse extension (27) and at the other end via a latching connection (31) to the other transverse extension (28) . Container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve seat (48) consists of an outwardly convex elevation of the inner cover (46) and the valve head (50) is provided with a corresponding, convex surface which is in the closed position of the check valve (47) complements the convex shape of the survey. Container according to one or more of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the valve seat (20, 59) is designed as a trough-shaped depression of the inner cover (12, 57) and the valve head (23, 71) forms a bottom part of the trough in the closed position . Container according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that in the open position the self-closing check valve (18, 47, 58) between the valve head (23, 50, 71) and the valve seat (20, 48, 59) as a cone-shaped segment-like opening gap (39) is trained. Container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner lid (12, 46, 57) is piston-like and has a peripheral sealing edge (15) on the inner wall (16) of the container (10) for dispensing the substance in the container (10) in the container (10) slidably and bears in the direction of the container opening. Container according to claim 9, characterized in that the peripheral sealing edge (15) is formed in one piece with the inner lid (12, 46, 57). Container according to claim 10, characterized in that the peripheral sealing edge (15) has two axially spaced sealing lips (40, 41), between which a blocking element (43) is arranged at the main plane of the inner lid (12; 46; 57) is directed radially obliquely outwards and upwards and with its outer edge on the inner wall (16) of the container (10) slides downwards with elastic prestress, but is in a blocking manner in the direction of the opening of the container (10). Container according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the locking element (43) extends continuously and annularly around the entire circumference of the inner lid (12; 46; 57). Container according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the blocking element (43) consists of individual staples which are separated from one another by the same circumferential angles. Container according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the underside of the round-cap-shaped actuating device (17) is provided with ribs which extend radially outward from the center of the cap to the outer edge of the round cap.

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