EP0640167B1 - Snap-on, plastic hinged closure in a single piece - Google Patents

Snap-on, plastic hinged closure in a single piece Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0640167B1
EP0640167B1 EP94907476A EP94907476A EP0640167B1 EP 0640167 B1 EP0640167 B1 EP 0640167B1 EP 94907476 A EP94907476 A EP 94907476A EP 94907476 A EP94907476 A EP 94907476A EP 0640167 B1 EP0640167 B1 EP 0640167B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tilting element
snap
cover
hinge
closure
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Expired - Lifetime
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EP94907476A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP0640167A1 (en
Inventor
Werner Fritz Dubach
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Medisize Schweiz AG
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Alfatechnic Patent AG
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Publication of EP0640167A1 publication Critical patent/EP0640167A1/en
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    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05DHINGES OR SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS
    • E05D1/00Pinless hinges; Substitutes for hinges
    • E05D1/02Pinless hinges; Substitutes for hinges made of one piece

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a one-piece plastic snap hinge closure, consisting of a lower part and a cover, which are connected to one another via an integral joint in the region of the overlapping jacket walls of the lower part and cover, and of at least one intermediate element producing the snap action.
  • a closure according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from DE-A-1 808 875.
  • Plastic snap hinge locks of the type mentioned at the outset are known in large numbers and in a wide variety of designs. If you analyze the snap hinges on plastic locks, you can see that they are basically composed of two basic elements. On the one hand, they have a main joint, around which the pivoting movement of the cover takes place relative to the lower part, and, on the other hand, one or more intermediate elements which produce the snap action. Such intermediate elements can have the shape of bands, triangles or angular spiral springs or even length-adjustable tension spring elements.
  • the essence of the present invention relates only to the design of the joint connecting the two parts, lower part and cover.
  • This joint is usually designed as a film hinge in one-piece plastic snap hinge locks. When the closure is completely closed or completely open, this film hinge is free of forces. In all intermediate positions, pressure and displacement forces are exerted on this film hinge. A closer look reveals microscopic cracks and notches. Strains in the film hinge, as well as widespread white break points are clearly visible in the area of the film hinge. These conventional, single-axis hinges are subjected to the greatest stress in the area of unstable equilibrium with every opening and closing process.
  • a second problem with the design of the joint between the lower part and the cover is that it always protrudes from the jacket wall.
  • the fact that this joint must protrude from the jacket walls has to do with the geometry of the snap hinge locks on the one hand and this is due to manufacturing reasons.
  • the more the joint protrudes from the jacket walls the stronger the snap action of the closure and vice versa, the less the snap action protrudes from the jacket walls.
  • the snap hinges are usually injection molded in the fully open state, a vertical material wall W remains in the injection mold below the joint. If the joint is designed to be as close as possible to the jacket walls, this material wall in the injection mold becomes so thin that the service life of the injection mold is considerably reduced and is extremely susceptible to defects.
  • the present invention therefore has for its object to provide a one-piece plastic snap hinge closure according to the preamble of the claim, the joint of which is designed so that the disadvantages described above are largely eliminated.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing which represent a joint of a snap hinge according to the prior art, are not discussed again here.
  • FIG. 3 shows a snap hinge closure designed according to the invention in the closed, assembled state.
  • the lower part 1 of the closure is placed on an undetectable neck of a container 4.
  • the essentially cylindrical lower part 1 is closed by a cover 2.
  • Lower part 1 and cover 2 are integrally connected on the one hand by the two triangular intermediate elements 3 and on the other hand by the two pivot axes 6 with the pressure-resistant tilting element 7 located therebetween.
  • the two intermediate elements 3 serve to generate the snap action.
  • the entire snap hinge is barely visible from the outside when closed.
  • the two pivot axes 6 are shown here in dash-dot lines and running parallel to one another. With a flattening 13, the jacket walls of the lower part and the cover are flat in the region of the pivot axes.
  • a pusher 5 is arranged on the cover 2 in order to facilitate the opening of the closure. This can be clearly seen in FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 5 shows a diagonal section through the plastic snap hinge closure along the line X-X according to FIG.
  • an annular wall 9 sealingly encompassing the spout 8.
  • the pressure-resistant tilting element 7 can be seen and it can also clearly be seen that the pivot axes 6 run symmetrically with respect to the parting plane T represented by a dotted line. It can also be seen that the pivot axes are arranged within the jacket walls, as a result of which, for the first time, a non-protruding hinge is realized in this type of snap hinge.
  • the outer wall of the lower part 1 is designated 10, the outer wall of the cover 2 11.
  • the tilting element 7 has the shape in section of an isosceles triangle.
  • the example shown here is a right-angled isosceles triangle.
  • the tilting element 7 is consequently delimited on both sides by the thin points 12 which define the pivot axes.
  • This roof-shaped, pressure-resistant tilting element 7 thus forms a support surface 15 on both sides.
  • one support surface 15 comes to rest on an inclined counter surface 16 on the lower part 10 and the other support surface 15 on an also inclined counter surface 17 on the cover 2.
  • the opening angle between the support surface 15 and the counter surface 16 or between the opposite support surface 15 and the counter surface 17 on the cover is 90 ° in each case. This allows the pivoting movement of the cover 2 to the lower part 1 to be divided into two pivoting movements of 90 ° each.
  • the angle between the two support surfaces 15 is less than 90 °, but this requires that the counter surfaces 16 and 17 must be made somewhat flatter.
  • the gable of the roof-shaped tilting element 7 can be cut off, as shown in FIG. This results in a tilting element which has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid in cross section having.
  • FIG. 7 also shows the right angle that is to be maintained between the support surfaces 15 and the counter surfaces 16 or 17.
  • the cover 2 When the closure according to the invention is closed, the cover 2, together with the tilting element 7, is first pivoted about the pivot axis between the support surface 15 and the counter surface 16 on the lower part 1 until these two surfaces come to a stop, whereupon the pivoting movement by a further 90.degree the second pivot axis takes place between the support surface 15 and the counter surface 17 on the cover 2.
  • these two swiveling movements take place in reverse order.
  • FIG. 8 shows the conventional snap hinge lock with a joint which has only one pivot axis and recognizes that in the Dead center area a maximum shape change of L occurs, while the snap hinge closure according to the invention with two pivot axes significantly reduces the maximum shape change. This results in a relatively large pivoting force over the entire pivoting movement of the cover, without however causing such a large deformation as in the case of a uniaxial design of the joint. This also ensures a complete opening of the cover by 180 °. So far, this was only a wish, but it was never realized.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Rigid Containers With Two Or More Constituent Elements (AREA)
  • Hinges (AREA)
  • Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)
  • Supports For Pipes And Cables (AREA)
  • Hinge Accessories (AREA)

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/CH94/00049 Sec. 371 Date Jun. 26, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Jun. 26, 1995 PCT Filed Mar. 8, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO94/20713 PCT Pub. Date Sep. 15, 1994A snap-on, plastic hinged closure in a single piece having a bottom part and a lid interconnected by an integral hinge in an area of superimposed outer walls of the bottom part and lid, as well as by at least one intermediate element that ensures the snap-on effect. The hinge includes at least two non-intersecting pivot axes. A pressure-resistant tilting element is arranged between two adjacent pivot axes, so that during opening or closing, the first bottom part and the tilting element, then the tilting element and the lid partially pivot around the corresponding pivot axis.

Description

Die vorliegende Erfindung betrifft einen einteiligen Kunststoffschnappscharnierverschluss, bestehend aus einem Unterteil und einem Deckel, die über ein intergrales Gelenk im Bereich der übereinanderstehenden Mantelwände von Unterteil und Deckel miteinander verbunden sind, sowie aus mindestens einem die Schnappwirkung erzeugenden Zwischenelement. Ein solcher Verschluss gemäss Oberbegriff des Patentanspruches 1 ist aus der DE-A-1 808 875 bekannt.The present invention relates to a one-piece plastic snap hinge closure, consisting of a lower part and a cover, which are connected to one another via an integral joint in the region of the overlapping jacket walls of the lower part and cover, and of at least one intermediate element producing the snap action. Such a closure according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from DE-A-1 808 875.

Kunststoffschnappscharnierverschlüsse der eingangs genannten Art sind in grosser Zahl und in vielfältigen Gestaltungsformen bekannt. Analysiert man die Schnappscharniere an Kunststoffverschlüssen, stellt man fest, dass diese prinzipiell aus zwei Grundelementen zusammengesetzt sind. Zum einen haben sie ein Hauptgelenk, um welches die Schwenkbewegung des Deckels relativ zum Unterteil erfolgt und andererseits ein oder mehrere Zwischenelemente, die die Schnappwirkung erzeugen. Solche Zwischenelemente können die Gestalt von Bändern, Dreiecken oder winkelförmigen Biegefedern oder gar längenveränderbaren Zugfederelementen haben.Plastic snap hinge locks of the type mentioned at the outset are known in large numbers and in a wide variety of designs. If you analyze the snap hinges on plastic locks, you can see that they are basically composed of two basic elements. On the one hand, they have a main joint, around which the pivoting movement of the cover takes place relative to the lower part, and, on the other hand, one or more intermediate elements which produce the snap action. Such intermediate elements can have the shape of bands, triangles or angular spiral springs or even length-adjustable tension spring elements.

Aus der CH-A-400 820 und DE-A-40 31 665 sind Scharniere für Türe, Möbel oder Kisten bekannt mit zwei parallelen Schwenkachsen, zwischen denen ein Distanzelement angeordnet ist, welches zur Verstärkung verdickt ist. Ferner zeigt die US-A-5 128 829 ein Scharnier für ein Computer-Handgerätgehäuse, bei dem Gehäuse und Deckel einstückig über einen versteiften Streifen mit beidseitigen Filmscharnier miteinander verbunden sind, wobei der Streifen zur geneigten Halterung des Gehäuses zum Deckel im vollstanding geoffneten Zustand dient.From CH-A-400 820 and DE-A-40 31 665 hinges for doors, furniture or boxes are known with two parallel pivot axes, between which a spacer element is arranged, which is thickened for reinforcement. Furthermore, US-A-5 128 829 shows a hinge for a computer handheld device housing, in which the housing and cover are integrally connected to one another via a stiffened strip with double-sided film hinge, the strip being used for inclined mounting of the housing to the cover in the fully open state .

Das Wesentliche der hier vorliegenden Erfindung, betrifft nur die Gestaltung des die beiden Teile, Unterteil und Deckel, verbindenden Gelenkes. Dieses Gelenk wird bei einteiligen Kunststoffschnappscharnierverschlüssen meist als Filmscharnier gestaltet. Im vollkommen geschlossenen, beziehungsweise vollkommen geöffneten Zustand des Verschlusses ist dieses Filmscharnier kräftefrei. In allen dazwischenliegenden Positionen werden auf dieses Filmscharnier Druck- und Verschiebungskräfte ausgeübt. Bei genauerer Betrachtung stellt man mikroskopische Riss- und Kerbbildungen fest. Dehnungen im Filmscharnier, sowie sich stark ausbreitende Weissbruchstellen sind im Bereich des Filmscharniers deutlich erkennbar. Diese herkömmlichen, einachsigen Scharniere werden im Bereich des labilen Gleichgewichts bei jedem Oeffnungs- beziehungsweise Schliessvorgang am stärksten belastet. Die durch die Zwischenelemente erzeugten Kräfte ziehen die beiden Verschlussteile zwar zueinander, da diese aber in allen von der vollkommen geschlossenen Lage abweichenden Zwischenlagen nicht vertikal übereinanderliegen, ergibt sich eine Reaktionskraft, die vom Filmscharnier aufgenommen werden muss. Verringert man die Zugkräfte generell, so wird die Haltbarkeit des Filmscharniers verlängert, jedoch verliert man gleichzeitig und zwar in starkem Masse die Schnappwirkung des Verschlusses.The essence of the present invention relates only to the design of the joint connecting the two parts, lower part and cover. This joint is usually designed as a film hinge in one-piece plastic snap hinge locks. When the closure is completely closed or completely open, this film hinge is free of forces. In all intermediate positions, pressure and displacement forces are exerted on this film hinge. A closer look reveals microscopic cracks and notches. Strains in the film hinge, as well as widespread white break points are clearly visible in the area of the film hinge. These conventional, single-axis hinges are subjected to the greatest stress in the area of unstable equilibrium with every opening and closing process. The forces generated by the intermediate elements pull the two closure parts towards one another, but since they do not lie vertically one above the other in all intermediate layers deviating from the completely closed position, a reaction force results which must be absorbed by the film hinge. If you generally reduce the tensile forces, the durability of the film hinge is extended, but at the same time you lose a lot of the snap action of the closure.

Ein zweites Problem bei der Gestaltung des Gelenkes zwischen Unterteil und Deckel besteht darin, dass dieses immer gegenüber der Mantelwand vorsteht. Dass dieses Gelenk gegenüber den Mantelwänden vorstehen muss, hat einerseits mit der Geometrie der Schnappscharnierverschlüsse zu tun und andererseits ist dies aus fertigungstechnischen Gründen bedingt. Je stärker das Gelenk gegenüber den Mantelwänden vorsteht, um so stärker wird die Schnappwirkung des Verschlusses und umgekehrt nimmt diese Schnappwirkung ab, je weniger weit das Gelenk gegenüber den Mantelwänden vorsteht. Da die Schnappscharniere üblicherweise im vollkommmen geöffneten Zustand gespritzt werden, bleibt in der Spritzform unterhalb dem Gelenk eine vertikale Materialwand W stehen. Gestaltet man das Gelenk möglichst nah an den Mantelwänden anliegend, so wird diese Materialwand in der Spritzform derart dünn, dass die Standzeit der Spritzform erheblich reduziert wird und äusserst defektanfällig wird.A second problem with the design of the joint between the lower part and the cover is that it always protrudes from the jacket wall. The fact that this joint must protrude from the jacket walls has to do with the geometry of the snap hinge locks on the one hand and this is due to manufacturing reasons. The more the joint protrudes from the jacket walls, the stronger the snap action of the closure and vice versa, the less the snap action protrudes from the jacket walls. Since the snap hinges are usually injection molded in the fully open state, a vertical material wall W remains in the injection mold below the joint. If the joint is designed to be as close as possible to the jacket walls, this material wall in the injection mold becomes so thin that the service life of the injection mold is considerably reduced and is extremely susceptible to defects.

Die vorliegende Erfindung hat sich daher die Aufgabe gestellt, einen einteiligen Kunststoffschnappscharnierverschluss gemäss Oberbegriff des Patentanspruches zu schaffen, dessen Gelenk so gestaltet ist, dass die vorher beschriebenen Nachteile weitgehend behoben sind.The present invention therefore has for its object to provide a one-piece plastic snap hinge closure according to the preamble of the claim, the joint of which is designed so that the disadvantages described above are largely eliminated.

Diese Aufgabe löst ein einteiliger Kunststoffschnappscharnierverschluss mit den Merkmalen des Patentanspruches 1. Weitere vorteilhafte Ausgestaltungsformen gehen aus den abhängigen Ansprüchen hervor. Ihre Bedeutung ist in der nachfolgenden Beschreibung erläutert. In der Zeichnung ist ein Ausführungsbeispiel des Erfindungsgegenstandes, sowie Details der Ausgestaltung des Gelenkes dargestellt und in der nachfolgenden Beschreibung erklärt. Es zeigt:

Figur 1
einen Teilschnitt durch ein Filmscharniergelenk eines herkömmlichen Schnappscharnierverschlusses im geschlossen und
Figur 2
im vollkommen geöffenten Zustand;
Figur 3
ein auf einen Behälter montierter, erfindungsgemässer Schnappscharnierverschluss mit Blick auf das Gelenk und
Figur 4
denselben Verschluss in der Seitenansicht.
Figur 5
zeigt einen Diagonalschnitt durch den Verschluss gemäss den Figuren 3 und 4 senkrecht zur Schwenkachsrichtung. In
Figur 6
ist das Gelenk in grösserem Massstab im Schnitt dargestellt und in
Figur 7
ist dasselbe Gelenk mit einer etwas anders gestalteten Querschnittsform des Kippelementes offenbart. Schliesslich zeigt
Figur 8
die Federcharakteristik eines Schnappscharnierverschlusses mit dem bekannten Gelenk gemäss den Figuren 1 und 2 und
Figur 9
die Federcharakteristik eines erfindungsgemässen Schnappscharnieres, welches mit dem neuen Gelenk ausgestattet ist.
This object is achieved by a one-piece plastic snap hinge closure with the features of patent claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments emerge from the dependent claims. Their meaning is in the following Description explained. In the drawing, an embodiment of the subject of the invention, as well as details of the design of the joint is shown and explained in the following description. It shows:
Figure 1
a partial section through a film hinge joint of a conventional snap hinge closure in the closed and
Figure 2
in the fully opened state;
Figure 3
a snap hinge closure according to the invention mounted on a container with a view of the joint and
Figure 4
the same closure in the side view.
Figure 5
shows a diagonal section through the closure according to Figures 3 and 4 perpendicular to the swivel axis direction. In
Figure 6
the joint is shown on a larger scale in section and in
Figure 7
the same joint is disclosed with a slightly different cross-sectional shape of the tilting element. Finally shows
Figure 8
the spring characteristic of a snap hinge closure with the known joint according to Figures 1 and 2 and
Figure 9
the spring characteristic of a snap hinge according to the invention, which is equipped with the new joint.

Auf die beiden Figuren 1 und 2 der Zeichnung, die ein Gelenk eines Schnappscharnieres gemäss Stand der Technik darstellen, wird hier nicht nochmals eingegangen.The two FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, which represent a joint of a snap hinge according to the prior art, are not discussed again here.

In der Figur 3 ist ein erfindungsgemäss gestalteter Schnappscharnierverschluss in geschlossenem montierten Zustand dargestellt. Der Unterteil 1 des Verschlusses ist auf einen nicht erkennbaren Hals eines Behälters 4 aufgesetzt. Der im wesentlichen zylindrische Unterteil 1 wird von einem Deckel 2 verschlossen. Unterteil 1 und Deckel 2 sind einerseits durch die beiden dreieckigen Zwischenelemente 3 und andererseits durch die beiden Schwenkachsen 6 mit dem dazwischenliegenden, druckfesten Kippelement 7 intergral miteinander verbunden. Die beiden Zwischenelemente 3 dienen der Erzeugung der Schnappwirkung. Das gesamte Schnappscharnier ist im geschlossenen Zustand von aussen kaum erkennbar. Lediglich zur Verdeutlichung sind die beiden Schwenkachsen 6 hier strichpunktiert gerade und parallel zueinander verlaufend eingezeichnet. Durch eine Abplattung 13 sind die Mantelwände des Unterteils und des Deckels im Bereich der Schwenkachsen flach. An der dem Scharnier gegenüberliegenden Seite des Verschlusses ist am Deckel 2 ein Drücker 5 angeordnet, um die Oeffnung des Verschlusses zu erleichtern. Dies ist in der Figur 4 deutlich erkennbar.FIG. 3 shows a snap hinge closure designed according to the invention in the closed, assembled state. The lower part 1 of the closure is placed on an undetectable neck of a container 4. The essentially cylindrical lower part 1 is closed by a cover 2. Lower part 1 and cover 2 are integrally connected on the one hand by the two triangular intermediate elements 3 and on the other hand by the two pivot axes 6 with the pressure-resistant tilting element 7 located therebetween. The two intermediate elements 3 serve to generate the snap action. The entire snap hinge is barely visible from the outside when closed. For clarification purposes only, the two pivot axes 6 are shown here in dash-dot lines and running parallel to one another. With a flattening 13, the jacket walls of the lower part and the cover are flat in the region of the pivot axes. On the side of the closure opposite the hinge, a pusher 5 is arranged on the cover 2 in order to facilitate the opening of the closure. This can be clearly seen in FIG. 4.

Figur 5 zeigt einen Diagonalschnitt durch den Kunststoffschnappscharnierverschluss entlang der Linie X-X gemäss der Figur 3. In der Figur 5 erkennt man auch die im Unterteil 1 angeordnete Ausgusstülle 8, die von einer konzentrischen Ringwand 14 umgeben ist, welche auf einen Behälterhals aufgeklemmt wird. Auf der Innenfläche des Deckels 2 ist eine die Tülle 8 dichtend umgreifende Ringwand 9 angeordnet. In dieser Darstellung erkennt man das druckfeste Kippelement 7 und sieht auch deutlich, dass die Schwenkachsen 6 symmetrisch, bezüglich der durch eine punktierte Linie dargestellte Trennebene T verlaufen. Ferner sieht man, dass die Schwenkachsen innerhalb der Mantelwände angeordnet sind, wodurch erstmals ein nicht vorstehendes Scharnier bei dieser Art von Schnappscharnieren realisiert ist. Die Mantelwand des Unterteiles 1 ist mit 10 bezeichnet, die Mantelwand des Deckels 2 mit 11.FIG. 5 shows a diagonal section through the plastic snap hinge closure along the line X-X according to FIG. On the inner surface of the cover 2 there is arranged an annular wall 9 sealingly encompassing the spout 8. In this illustration, the pressure-resistant tilting element 7 can be seen and it can also clearly be seen that the pivot axes 6 run symmetrically with respect to the parting plane T represented by a dotted line. It can also be seen that the pivot axes are arranged within the jacket walls, as a result of which, for the first time, a non-protruding hinge is realized in this type of snap hinge. The outer wall of the lower part 1 is designated 10, the outer wall of the cover 2 11.

Das besonders wesentliche Gelenk ist in der Figur 6 in grösserem Massstab nochmals dargestellt. Hier ist jedoch die Situation des vollständig geöffneten Verschlusses gezeigt. Man sieht deutlich, dass das Kippelement 7 im Schnitt die Form eines gleichschenkligen Dreieckes aufweist. Im hier dargestellten Beispiel handelt es sich um ein rechtwinklig gleichschenkliges Dreieck. Das Kippelement 7 wird folglich beidseitig durch die Dünnstellen 12 begrenzt, welche die Schwenkachsen definieren. Dieses dachförmige, druckfeste Kippelement 7 bildet somit beidseitig eine Stützfläche 15. Im geschlossenen Zustand des Verschlusses kommt die eine Stützfläche 15 auf eine geneigte Gegenfläche 16 am Unterteil 10 und die andere Stützfläche 15 an einer ebenfalls geneigten Gegenfläche 17 am Deckel 2 zum Anliegen. Der Oeffnungswinkel zwischen der Stützfläche 15 und der Gegenfläche 16, beziehungsweise zwischen der gegenüberliegenden Stützfläche 15 und der Gegenfläche 17 am Deckel beträgt jeweils 90°. Dies erlaubt die Aufteilung der Schwenkbewegung des Deckels 2 zum Unterteil 1 in je zwei Schwenkbewegungen von je 90°.The particularly important joint is shown again on a larger scale in FIG. However, the situation of the fully opened closure is shown here. It can clearly be seen that the tilting element 7 has the shape in section of an isosceles triangle. The example shown here is a right-angled isosceles triangle. The tilting element 7 is consequently delimited on both sides by the thin points 12 which define the pivot axes. This roof-shaped, pressure-resistant tilting element 7 thus forms a support surface 15 on both sides. In the closed state of the closure, one support surface 15 comes to rest on an inclined counter surface 16 on the lower part 10 and the other support surface 15 on an also inclined counter surface 17 on the cover 2. The opening angle between the support surface 15 and the counter surface 16 or between the opposite support surface 15 and the counter surface 17 on the cover is 90 ° in each case. This allows the pivoting movement of the cover 2 to the lower part 1 to be divided into two pivoting movements of 90 ° each.

Prinzipiell ist es durchaus möglich, dass der Winkel zwischen den beiden Stützflächen 15 kleiner als 90° ist, dies verlangt jedoch, dass die Gegenflächen 16 und 17 entsprechend etwas flacher gestaltet sein müssen. Je kleiner der Winkel zwischen den beiden Stützflächen 15, um so mehr würde das Kippelement 7 in den Verschluss hineinragen. Da aber der über die Gegenfläche 16, beziehungsweise 17 hinausragende Teil der Stützflächen 15 wirkungslos ist, kann man den Giebel des dachförmigen Kippelementes 7 abschneiden, wie dies in Figur 7 dargestellt ist. Dadurch ergibt sich ein Kippelement, welches im Querschnitt die Form eines gleichschenkligen Trapezes aufweist. In der Figur 7 ist auch der rechte Winkel eingezeichnet, der zwischen den Stützflächen 15 und den Gegenflächen 16, beziehungsweise 17 eingehalten werden soll.In principle, it is entirely possible that the angle between the two support surfaces 15 is less than 90 °, but this requires that the counter surfaces 16 and 17 must be made somewhat flatter. The smaller the angle between the two support surfaces 15, the more the tilting element 7 would protrude into the closure. However, since the part of the support surfaces 15 projecting beyond the counter surface 16 or 17 is ineffective, the gable of the roof-shaped tilting element 7 can be cut off, as shown in FIG. This results in a tilting element which has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid in cross section having. FIG. 7 also shows the right angle that is to be maintained between the support surfaces 15 and the counter surfaces 16 or 17.

Prinzipiell wäre es möglich, statt der beiden rechten Winkel zwei unterschiedliche, zueinander auf 180° komplimentäre Winkel anzubringen. Dies führt jedoch zu einer Neigung des Kippelementes im vollständig geschlossenen Zustand des Verschlusses. Dies kann ausnahmsweise für ganz speziell gestaltete Verschlüsse erwünscht sein.In principle, it would be possible to install two different angles that are complementary to each other at 180 ° instead of the two right angles. However, this leads to an inclination of the tilting element in the fully closed state of the closure. This may exceptionally be desirable for very specially designed closures.

Man erkennt auch in den Figuren 6 und 7, dass die die Schwenkachsen bildenden Dünnstellen 12 innerhalb der Mantelwände 10, beziehungsweise 11 des Unterteiles 1, beziehungsweise der Kappe 2 zu liegen kommen.It can also be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 that the thin points 12 forming the pivot axes come to lie within the jacket walls 10 or 11 of the lower part 1 or the cap 2.

Beim Schliessen des erfindungsgemässen Verschlusses wird der Deckel 2 gemeinsam mit dem Kippelement 7 erst um die Schwenkachse zwischen der Stützfläche 15 und der Gegenfläche 16 am Unterteil 1 geschwenkt, bis diese beiden Flächen zum Anschlag kommen, worauf bei der Schwenkung um weitere 90° die Schwenkbewegung um die zweite Schwenkachse zwischen der Stützfläche 15 und der Gegenfläche 17 am Deckel 2 erfolgt. Beim Oeffnen erfolgen diese beiden Schwenkbewegungen in umgekehrter Reihenfolge.When the closure according to the invention is closed, the cover 2, together with the tilting element 7, is first pivoted about the pivot axis between the support surface 15 and the counter surface 16 on the lower part 1 until these two surfaces come to a stop, whereupon the pivoting movement by a further 90.degree the second pivot axis takes place between the support surface 15 and the counter surface 17 on the cover 2. When opening, these two swiveling movements take place in reverse order.

Vergleicht man nun die Federcharakteristiken einerseits der herkömmlichen Schnappscharnierverschlüsse und andererseits der erfindungsgemässen Schnappscharnierverschlüsse, so kommt man zu den entsprechenden Kennlinien gemäss den Figuren 8 und 9. Die Figur 8 zeigt den herkömmlichen Schnappscharnierverschluss mit einem Gelenk, welches nur eine Schwenkachse aufweist und erkennt, dass im Totpunktbereich eine maximale Formveränderung von L auftritt, während der Schnappscharnierverschluss gemäss der Erfindung mit zwei Schwenkachsen die maximale Formveränderung erheblich vermindert. Hierdurch ergibt sich über die gesamte Schwenkbewegung des Deckels länger eine relativ grosse Schwenkkraft, ohne dass jedoch eine derart grosse Verformung bewirkt wird, wie bei einer einachsigen Gestaltung des Gelenkes. Hierdurch ist auch eine vollständige Oeffnung des Deckels um 180° gewährleistet. Dies war bisher lediglich eine Wunschvorstellung, die jedoch nie realisiert wurde. Ferner ist es auch aus diesem Graphiken erklärbar, dass auf das Gelenk, beziehungsweise auf die beiden Schwenkachsen eine erheblich geringere Spitzenbelastung auftritt, was zu einer Reduzierung der Riss- und Kerbbildung führt. Dehnungen oder Weissbrüche, die bei Scharnieren an Schnappscharnierverschlüssen des Standes der Technik deutlich von Auge erkennbar sind, lassen sich bei den erfindungsgemässen Verschlüssen kaum noch wahrnehmen.If one compares the spring characteristics of the conventional snap hinge locks on the one hand and the snap hinge locks according to the invention on the other hand, the corresponding characteristic curves according to FIGS. 8 and 9 are obtained. FIG. 8 shows the conventional snap hinge lock with a joint which has only one pivot axis and recognizes that in the Dead center area a maximum shape change of L occurs, while the snap hinge closure according to the invention with two pivot axes significantly reduces the maximum shape change. This results in a relatively large pivoting force over the entire pivoting movement of the cover, without however causing such a large deformation as in the case of a uniaxial design of the joint. This also ensures a complete opening of the cover by 180 °. So far, this was only a wish, but it was never realized. Furthermore, it can also be explained from this graph that a considerably lower peak load occurs on the joint or on the two pivot axes, which leads to a reduction in the formation of cracks and notches. Elongations or breaks in white, which are clearly visible to the eye in the case of hinges on snap hinge closures of the prior art, can hardly be perceived with the closures according to the invention.

Claims (8)

  1. One-piece plastic snap-hinge closure comprising a base (1) and a cover (2), which are interconnected by means of an integral joint in the vicinity of the superimposed circumferential walls (10, 11) of the base and the cover, as well as at least one intermediate element (3) producing the snap action, characterized in that the joint comprises at least two non-intersecting pivot pins (6) and in addition to the intermediate element (3) between in each case two adjacent pivot pins (6) is provided a compression-resistant tilting element (7), so that during the closing or opening process there is successively in each case a partial pivoting about the pivot pins (6) between the base (1) and the tilting element (7) and a further partial pivoting about the pivot pins (6) between the tilting element (7) and the cover (2), the tilting element (7) having on both sides a support surface (15) and in the closed state of the closure, one support surface (15) engages on a mating surface (16) on the base (1) and the other support surface (15) on a mating surface (17) on the cover (2).
  2. One-piece plastic snap-hinge closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the two pivot pins (6) have at least one parallel section between which is positioned the compression-resistant tilting element (7) (fig. 3).
  3. One-piece snap-hinge closure according to claim 1, characterized in that in the closed state of the closure the two pivot pins (6) are mirror symmetrical to the separating plane (T).
  4. One-piece plastic snap-hinge closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the tilting element (7) has a cross-section in the form of an isosceles triangle.
  5. One-piece plastic snap-hinge closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the tilting element (7) has a cross-section in the form of an equal-sided trapezium.
  6. One-piece plastic snap-hinge closure according to claim 1, characterized in that, with respect to the periphery of the plastic snap-hinge closure, the tilting element (7) projects inwards.
  7. One-piece plastic snap-hinge closure according to claim 1, characterized in that in the completely opened state of the closure, the angle between one support surface (15) of the tilting element (7) and the mating surface (16) on the base (1), as well as the angle between the other support surface (15) and the mating surface (17) on the cover (2) is in each case 90°.
  8. One-piece plastic snap-hinge closure according to claim 7, characterized in that the angle between the two support surfaces (15) of the tilting element (7) is less than 90°.
EP94907476A 1993-03-09 1994-03-08 Snap-on, plastic hinged closure in a single piece Expired - Lifetime EP0640167B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH705/93 1993-03-09
CH00705/93A CH687019A5 (en) 1993-03-09 1993-03-09 Unitary plastic snap hinge closure.
PCT/CH1994/000049 WO1994020713A1 (en) 1993-03-09 1994-03-08 Snap-on, plastic hinged closure in a single piece

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0640167A1 EP0640167A1 (en) 1995-03-01
EP0640167B1 true EP0640167B1 (en) 1997-05-28

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94907476A Expired - Lifetime EP0640167B1 (en) 1993-03-09 1994-03-08 Snap-on, plastic hinged closure in a single piece

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US5558239A (en)
EP (1) EP0640167B1 (en)
JP (1) JP3016863B2 (en)
AT (1) ATE153730T1 (en)
CA (1) CA2135379C (en)
CH (1) CH687019A5 (en)
DE (1) DE59402892D1 (en)
DK (1) DK0640167T3 (en)
WO (1) WO1994020713A1 (en)

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US6050434A (en) * 1998-07-23 2000-04-18 Mcnab; Donald W. Container closure with double-axis resiliently-biasing web-hinge structure
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DE19849001C2 (en) * 1998-01-30 2000-10-12 Soplar Sa Integrally shaped plastic closure
US6439410B1 (en) 1998-01-30 2002-08-27 Soplar Sa Integrally shaped plastic closure
WO2001036286A1 (en) 1999-11-18 2001-05-25 Polarcup Gmbh Snap hinge and container lid
DE19955411A1 (en) * 1999-11-18 2001-06-07 Polarcup Gmbh Snap hinge and container lid
DE19955411C2 (en) * 1999-11-18 2001-09-13 Polarcup Gmbh Snap hinge and container lid

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US5558239A (en) 1996-09-24
EP0640167A1 (en) 1995-03-01
DK0640167T3 (en) 1997-09-29
JP3016863B2 (en) 2000-03-06
CA2135379A1 (en) 1994-09-15
CA2135379C (en) 2002-02-26
WO1994020713A1 (en) 1994-09-15
JPH07506645A (en) 1995-07-20
ATE153730T1 (en) 1997-06-15
DE59402892D1 (en) 1997-07-03
CH687019A5 (en) 1996-08-30

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