EP0665169B1 - Child-resistant screw closure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container closure with a threaded connector and a screw-on screw-on cover, the threaded connector being made of a deformable Plastic material and there are toothed elements in the area of the threaded connector and are provided in the course of the screw thread of the screw cap, which at screw cap fully screwed to the threaded connector stand and allow unscrewing the screw cap only if either the Threaded connector and / or the screw cover deformed in the comparison of the toothing elements to disengage the gear elements.

Such a closure is known from US Patent No. US-A-5 096 083.

EP-0 569.897-A1 discloses a screw closure for containers with threaded connections, in which the lower edge of a screw cap is toothed and below of the thread on the outside of the threaded connector corresponding toothing elements for the engagement are provided with the toothed edge of the screw cap.

The above-mentioned US-A-5 096 083 shows a barrel, the upper edge of which is a threaded connector is formed, which has the full barrel diameter. In the course of the upper end of the Thread on the barrel and at a corresponding position in the course of the thread of the lid gearing elements are provided, when the cover is fully screwed on engage with each other and thus prevent the cover from being unscrewed. The ton consists of polyethylene or a similar plastic material. To the engaged To bring gears out of engagement again, it is provided that an inward radial pressure is applied to the wall of the container below the screw thread, e.g. B. in the region of a handle arranged clearly below the thread. There one Ton has a relatively large radius, on the other hand, the material of such a ton has and must have a certain rigidity, such a radial pressure leads below the Thread to a relatively large area deformation, which also covers the entire thread area up to the top of the barrel, so that the barrel is in the area of the gear teeth is dented over a large area. As a result, the toothing elements can disengage.

On a relatively small screw cap like the one you can get with the fingers of one hand is known from many other plastic containers for daily use, this can be Design not transferred. Would you like the material of the threaded connector make stiff that deformations in an area below the thread up to the top Extend thread edge in order to disengage the teeth there, so the threaded connector would have to be made of an extremely soft material, because of the comparatively small radius of the threaded connector, the screw caps of which to hold the finger of one hand, the spigot is a much higher structure Dimensional stability is considered the wall of a relatively large plastic barrel, with the relative Deformations in the threaded connector for a screw cap, the fingers of one Grasping is much stronger to disengage the teeth bring that have a depth of engagement, which corresponds approximately to the thread depth. One from With such a configuration, the diameter of the relatively small threaded connector would have to be very be soft and would then not be able to cope with those that occur even during normal use Absorb forces, e.g. B. when trying to open the screw cap.

The closure according to EP-0.569.897-A1 shows gear elements at the lower end of the screw cap and at an appropriate position of the threaded connector, however this configuration that the threaded connector below the screw cap with the Fingers of one hand can be gripped and compressed in the area of the procedure. In addition, the teeth and their engagement is visible, so that children in one somewhat advanced age, which in itself does not have free access to the container contents should be able to open such a closure by opening it recognize the toothing as an obstacle and the closure piece accordingly squeeze.

Other closures with child locks have other disadvantages. So there are z. B. Closures with a double screw cap, in which an outer screw cap can be rotated loosely but is not removably placed on an inner screw cap, which has a container neck or closes a threaded connector and the outer screw cap in turn only can be brought into sufficient engagement with the inner cap by radial or axial pressure, to unscrew the inner cap together with the outer one when this pressure is during unscrewing is maintained.

The aforementioned solutions for such child safety devices have various others Disadvantage. So it is clear that the last mentioned closures with a double screw cap are relatively expensive and in particular can not be used if the Available space is limited, so you only have a double cap can use poorly or disadvantageously. The solutions previously discussed are again disadvantageous with regard to the required material costs due to a customary larger axial length of the cap and the corresponding threaded connector, in order to accommodate to be able to provide the gear elements. The pouring diameter is also often used of the threaded connector compared to the toothing area reduced by the Do not disturb thread engagement by the gear elements. In particular, prepare the additional toothing to be provided in the area of a threaded connector and on the Screw cap Manufacturing problems with regard to demolding. The plastic parts, of which such closures generally consist are usually in one Injection molding process is produced, a corresponding shape defining a cavity, the corresponds to the impression of the part to be manufactured, and the plastic is then in this Cavity injected, whereupon the molds from which the cavity is formed be moved apart to take out the injection molded plastic part. This so-called demolding process requires that in the direction of movement Form no undercuts, at least no noteworthy undercuts available. With correspondingly complex shaped plastic parts, therefore Shapes can be assembled from a larger number of tools so that the The above-mentioned condition can be met, that is, the finished molded plastic part can easily detach from the mold.

Compared to this prior art, the object of the present invention is to create a closure with the features mentioned above, which is also relative small closure dimensions work safely and none directly from the outside visible locking mechanism.

This object is achieved in that the screw cap as with the fingers of one hand gripping screw cap is formed that at least the threaded connector from a there is deformable plastic material by finger pressure, and that the toothing elements the screw cap at the bottom of the screw cap thread near the bottom of the Screw cap are provided.

This avoids on the one hand that the screw cap teeth with the normal Threaded section of the threaded connector comes into conflict, whereby, axial excess lengths of the screw cap and / or the Threaded connector largely outside the absolutely necessary thread area can be avoided, which would otherwise be necessary to there any gearing elements to record. The toothing elements are therefore at least on the screw cap in the course of the thread, i.e. as part of the thread itself or in its imaginary continuation is arranged, provided that the toothing having threaded area in the screwed state of the two parts with the teeth of the threaded connector are engaged. A local is also sufficient Deformation of either the lower edge of the screw cap, e.g. B. by ovalizing them, or of the threaded connector, immediately below the edge of the screw cap disengaging the teeth. It is not necessary that the local applied pressure leads to extensive deformation of the threaded connector.

There are less restrictive conditions on the teeth of the threaded connector to deliver. The teeth of the threaded connector can still be in the threaded area of the Threaded connector or outside this thread range, i.e. under and preferably be arranged directly under the thread of the threaded connector. This Gears do not necessarily have to be the thread course or the Thread profile follow and above all can be wider than a thread bridge.

The particular advantage of adapting the toothing of the screw cap to the course of the thread and the thread profile is that now the teeth of the screw cap, without interfering with the thread, with the teeth of the threaded connector can be engaged by the teeth of the screw cap as part of the Thread is simply screwed through the thread of the threaded connector until towards the end of the screwing process, the gear elements on the threaded connector can be achieved with which the teeth of the screw cap engage, wherein in The gears are usually moved slightly over one another in the closing direction can be, while the gear engagement in the opposite direction unscrewing the Blocked cap. Expediently have the teeth of the screw cap exactly the profile of a thread or thread web, with which the inwardly projecting Part of the screw cap thread is meant. To the gear mesh to make it sufficiently safe, the toothing elements should be correspondingly wide, which in the case of the screw tip means that the thread webs are also corresponding should be broad. The subclaims therefore deal with, among other things according to appropriate configurations of the thread profile.

It is understood that the exact adjustment of the toothing elements of the screw cap to the tooth profile is the preferred embodiment of the invention, but but also gears that have a lower profile cross-section remain within the profile specified by the thread, also in the sense of present invention are functional.

An embodiment of the invention in which the closure is particularly preferred is designed as a bellows closure, because in particular for this type of closure no satisfactory solutions to the problem of child protection are known, even if the publications mentioned at the beginning deal with bellows closures. The invention Closure does not take up much more space than a conventional one Closure without childproof lock, which is particularly important for bellows closures Significance is given, as otherwise, with such bellows closures at a given Container opening often had to reduce the spout diameter to match To accommodate child safety elements and still with the closure part in question to be able to demold reasonable effort.

The arrangement of the toothing in the Thread area no particular problems.

It is also useful if the thread of the screw cap to the bottom Edge or at least up to close to the lower edge of the screw cap.

The terms "above" and "below" as used in the context of the present description Designation of the location on a closure described refer to the normal installation position, in which the locking axis extends vertically and a Screw cap placed on top of a threaded connector and screwed to it becomes.

In the embodiment just mentioned, the toothings are expediently on the cap just in the end area reaching the lower edge of the cap the thread or the threads arranged. At the threaded connector, and in in this case not necessarily in the area of the thread of the threaded connector itself, but if necessary also below this area, namely if the cap thread screwed down over the threaded area of the threaded connector protrudes, the matching counterparts of the toothing are at the same axial height arranged like the gear elements on the screw cap, based on the complete state of the cap screwed onto the socket.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the teeth or the toothing elements formed in that the projecting thread web of either the threaded connector, but preferably the screw cap has asymmetrical notches, so that teeth are formed between these notches, which are steeper and one have flatter flank, which are arranged so that when screwing the cap flat flank of the teeth thus formed on corresponding counterparts on the other part slides on and jumps over them while trying to unscrew or Unscrew the cap from the steep flanks of the asymmetrical notches formed teeth come into engagement with the corresponding counterparts and that Prevent the cap from loosening.

Furthermore, an embodiment of the invention is particularly preferred in which the Profile of at least one of the threads axially parallel sections of at least 0.5 mm, preferably of more than 1 mm in length. This means that the projecting Threaded webs can be correspondingly wide and e.g. in cross section a trapezoidal profile have, with the shorter of the parallel sides of the trapezoid the axis-parallel mentioned Section forms. This leads to the fact that the teeth formed in such a web a have the appropriate width and therefore a corresponding strength.

In addition, it is useful if the thread on the screw cap and threaded connector as two-start threads are formed. In this way it is possible for toothed sections on the screw cap or on the threaded connector by about 180 ° relative to each other can be arranged offset and at the same axial height, e.g. near the free end of the screw cap. The ovalization mentioned above either the screw cap or the threaded connector always leads to a similar one Deformation on diametrically opposite or offset by 180 ° to each other Sides of the screw cap and / or the threaded connector, so that the toothing elements expediently be arranged simultaneously on opposite sides.

Finally, a variant of the invention is preferred in which the radial dimension of the Toothings on the screw cap and / or on the threaded connector on the radial Height or the radial dimension of the respective thread is limited. This measure too contributes to the demolding of such closures, i.e. here separating from the Manufacturing forms can be ensured without additional effort.

Figur 1

einen Axialschnitt durch einen erfindungsgemäßen Balgverschluß,

Figur 2

einen Schnitt entlang der Ebene A-A senkrecht zur Ebene der Figur 1 und

Figur 3

einen Axialschnitt durch eine Schraubkappe mit einer Draufsicht auf das Innengewinde der Schraubkappe.

Further advantages, features and possible uses of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the associated figures. Show it:

Figure 1

an axial section through a bellows closure according to the invention,

Figure 2

a section along the plane AA perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1 and

Figure 3

an axial section through a screw cap with a plan view of the internal thread of the screw cap.

In Figure 1 you can see a narrow hatched closure part 6, which is a so-called Has locking foot 7, for example in the edge of a circular Opening of a sheet metal container is bouncing. The locking foot 7 is via a flexible bellows 4 connected to a bellows spout 3, which is a more or less cylindrical part, whose upper section is formed by a threaded connector 3a. The in use Free outflow opening of the bellows spout 3 is by an unspecified seal closed with tear-off ring.

In Figure 1, the screw cap 1 is somewhat wider and compared to the lower part of the closure hatched opposite slope. The screw cap 1 consists of the so-called Cap base 14, one or two fold-out pull-out brackets 15, a cylindrical Part 16 with an internal thread and a cylindrical sealing lug 17 which seals in the Threaded connector 3a engages while the cylindrical part 16 on the external thread of the Threaded connector 3a is screwed on.

In the lower part of FIG. 1, only the teeth 5 of the threaded connector 3a can be seen on the left or the bellows spout 3, while on the right also the teeth 2 of the Detects screw cap 1. The section plane A-A in Figure 1 runs exactly through the area of the toothing, so that the teeth or tooth elements 2, 5 in FIG. 2 are very clearly visible are. It can be seen that both the teeth 2 and the teeth 5 have an asymmetrical profile with a flat flank and a steep flank, the flat flanks of the Teeth 2, 5 slide easily on each other, so that due to the elasticity of the plastics which the parts 1, 6 consist of, the tooth elements 2, 5 jump over one another. In In the opposite direction, however, the steep flanks of the teeth 2, 5 engage with one another and thus prevent the cap 1 from being unscrewed from the lower closure part 6 or the Threaded connector 3a.

In Figure 2 are also the notches designated 12 in a threaded web 11, which define the teeth 2 in between and which in FIG. 3 can be seen even more clearly in a perspective view.

In Figure 3, the screw cap 1 is shown again in the same sectional view as in Figure 1, but the lower closure part 6 is omitted, so that the view of the Threaded inner wall of the screw cap 1 is released. As you can see have the inwardly projecting thread webs 11 a trapezoidal profile with a band-like circumferential, flat thread surface 13. The lower end portion of the thread web 11th has a series of notches 12, which are already in the radial sectional view in Connection with Figure 2 have been described and which the teeth 2 in the form of between the notches 12 define areas of the threaded web 11 that have remained. The axial length h of the thread web 11 and thus the minimum width of the teeth 2, which with corresponding teeth 5 of the lower closure part 1 engage, is at least 0.5 mm, but should preferably be more than 1 mm. As you can see, it has Screw cap 1 no bulge, extension or other additional space, because ultimately the teeth 2 only through recessed areas 12 in an already existing one Threaded web 11 can be defined. At the corresponding threaded connector 3a or on the cylindrical bellows spout 3, of which the threaded connector 3a has a section forms, the teeth 5 are provided on the axial height corresponding to the teeth 2, which engage with the teeth 2. This can cause the thread of the threaded connector 3a easily extend into the area of these teeth 5, i.e. teeth 5 could easily the lowest portion of the thread of the threaded connector 3a define.

In Figure 2 it can be seen that the teeth 5 on two relatively short, diametrically opposite Circumferential portions of the bellows spout 3 are restricted, while the teeth 2 overlap extend a large part of the circumference of the screw cap. This means that a Do not normally squeeze and ovalize the screw cap except for the teeth This engages as not the entire toothed area of the screw cap Ovalizing can be moved radially outwards at the same time. In this embodiment So after pulling out the bellows, the bellows spout 3 or the bellows 4 even in the area where the bellows spout 3 attaches to the teeth 5 Press the areas radially inwards, for example by the two opposite sides gripped between thumb and forefinger and pressed together, so that the teeth 5, 2 come out of engagement and the screw cap 1 can be unscrewed. The closure must therefore be gripped with two hands at the same time, around the screw cap to be able to solve, the compression of the bellows 4 or the bellows spout 3rd immediately below the lower edge 10 of the screw cap 1 and at the correct, diametrical opposite positions must take place, which have the teeth 5 to the To be able to loosen screw cap 1. Children who are not yet able to do the possible The risk of liquids in such a container should be assessed in the general also will not be able to correctly open an appropriate operation to execute.

The configuration of a closure according to the invention has thus achieved that on the one hand, a closure with child protection is provided, on the other hand extremely is designed to save space and compared to conventional closures, especially in In the case of bellows closures, shows only minor changes.

Reference list

1

Screw cap

2nd

Gearing

3rd

Bellows pourer

3a

Threaded connector

4th

bellows

5

Gearing

6

Lower part of the closure

7

Locking foot

10th

edge

11

Thread bridge

12th

Notches

13

Thread surface

14

Cap bottom

15

Pull-out bracket

16

cylindrical part of the screw cap

17th

Sealing approach

H

length

Claims (9)

1. Container closure with a threaded neck (3) provided on a container and a screw cover which can be screwed onto it, wherein toothed elements (2, 5) are provided in the area of the threaded neck (3) and the screw cap (1), which engage with each other when the screw cap (1) is fully screwed on, and allow the screw cap (1) to be unscrewed only when either the threaded neck (3) and/or the screw cap (1) is deformed in the area of the toothed elements (2, 5) in order to disengage the toothed elements (2, 5), and wherein the toothed elements (2) of the screw cap (1) follow the course of the screw thread and do not extend beyond the profile thereof, characterised in that the screw cover comprises a screw cap (1) to be taken hold of by the fingers of one hand, that at least the threaded neck (3) is composed of plastics material which can be deformed by the pressure of the fingers, and that the toothed elements of the screw cap (1) are provided at the bottom end of the thread of the screw cap, near to the bottom edge of the screw cap.
2. Container closure according to claim 1, characterised in that it is provided with a bottom closure part (6) which is provided with a closure foot (7) which can be affixed onto a container opening and a flexible pull-out bellows (4) leading out therefrom, upon which is connected a bellows pourer (3) which has a threaded neck (3), and in that toothed elements (5) are arranged on the bottom end of the threaded section of the threaded neck (3) or directly below the thread of the threaded neck (3a)
3. Closure according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the toothed elements (2) of the screw cap form at least a part of a thread (8) of the screw cap.
4. Closure according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the thread (8) of the screw cap extends to near the bottom edge (10) of the screw cap.
5. Closure according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that asymmetrical notches (12) are provided in the projecting ridge of the thread (11) of the screw cap (1) or of the threaded neck (3a) as well as corresponding projections (5, 2) axially outside the thread (9, 8) or in the troughs of the thread (9, 8) of the respective other part (threaded neck (3a) or screw cap (1)) which engage with the notches (12).
6. Closure according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the thread profile of at least one of the threads (8, 9) is provided with sections (13) parallel to the axis of the thread, each at least 0.5 mm in axial length.
7. Closure according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the thread is double threaded.
8. Closure according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the teeth (2, 5) are provided on opposite sections, offset by 180°, of the screw cap and/or the threaded neck, preferably at the same axial height respectively.
9. Closure according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the radial measurement of the teeth (2, 5) on the screw cap (1) and/or on the threaded neck (3a) is limited to the radial height of the respective thread profile.

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