EP0770503B1 - Stirring cover for paint containers mounted on paint mixing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

The lid has a supple peripheral seal (11) which is applied to the outer rim (13, 13') of the paint tin (5) when the agitator lid is closed. The seal comprises an annular member (17) which is fixed to the base of the lid and pressed against the paint tin rim, and an inner supple seal lip (19) which is fixed to the annular member (17) and applied to the inner rim (15, 15') of the paint tin opening when the lid is closed. The supple lip is made in one piece with the outer member of the seal, e.g. by moulding from a supple synthetic material which is resistant to paint solvents. It has a regular cross-section which tapers inwards, and slopes downwards from the outer member at an angle slightly greater than the maximum slope between the inner and outer rims, e.g. 30 degrees. The radial length of the supple lip (19) is slightly greater than the maximum radial length between the outer and inner rims, e.g. some 15 mm; it can also have an inner elastic reinforcing element.

Description

The present invention relates to agitator covers for color boxes fitted to stirring machines paint, and in particular, an agitator cover of the type comprising at its base a flexible peripheral seal of closure, intended to be applied tightly, with sealing, on the corresponding upper opening edge of the boxes of colors, which can be adapted to the various boxes of existing colors and perfecting the closure on their ledge.

We know that the color boxes are provided with a upper peripheral opening edge cooperating in closure with the closure lid of the box and the section profile of the rim is variable, in the form Classic U with an inverted V shape.

Known agitator covers, of the flexible seal type closure on the underlying box only allow the closing application, on the upper edge list crimping device for the opening edge of the box.

However, this application on the board list of crimping the opening flange of the box, cannot prevent paint should get inside the ledge cavity, for example when tilting the box during the paint pouring operation by the cover, and does not come to pollute by the formation of amalgams by drying the paint contained in the box.

The invention aims to remedy this drawback and offers an agitator cover for color boxes on stirring machines, of the type comprising at its base a peripheral flexible seal, intended to be applied, to the closing of the agitator cover on the box, on the edge external device for crimping the annular rim delimiting the opening of the box, said seal comprising a part of the annular anterior body fixed to said base of the cover and intended to be applied to the pressure and tight closure on said edge peripheral of the box, and an internal annular lip flexible secured to said anterior body part, coaxial with the body part, and intended to be applied when closing on the internal edge of the annular rim opening the box.

Thanks to this arrangement, the flexible lip comes apply, when closing the cover on the box, on the inner edge of the opening rim of the box conforming to its profile and thus constitutes a second zone sealing seal, in addition to the first sealing zone formed by the application of said body part on the peripheral edge of the box, which thus prevents the paint from being brought inside the rim cavity when operating the agitator cover with the box of shades.

According to advantageous features of the invention, the flexible lip is integrally formed with said front part of the seal body, for example from molding with the latter in flexible synthetic material solvent resistant to paints.

This flexible lip has a regular section profile tapering inward and pointing downward natural position according to a determined slope angle relatively to the plane of the joint, slightly higher than the maximum slope line between the peripheral edges and internal edge of boxes of existing colors. This angle can be around thirty degrees.

It is also angularly movable with reminder elastic to the natural position, thus adapting to various profiles of box edges to come to the maximum substantially horizontal, always being applied on the inner edge of the box opening edge. Moreover, this lip has a radial length slightly greater than the greatest radial length existing between the edge external device and the internal edge of the opening rim boxes, for example about 15 mm. Thanks to that arrangement, the cover according to the invention can be adapted as a closure to all existing paint cans on the market.

The front body part of the joint is preferably fixed with elastic engagement, by snap-fastening in a complementary housing formed at the base of the cover.

The latter has an external vertical skirt device projecting downward relative to the seal for closing the cover on the box. This arrangement facilitates rapid assembly of the seal and the assembly operation of the cover on the box shades.

• La figure unique est une vue en coupe partielle d'un couvercle selon l'invention appliqué en fermeture sur une boíte de teintes, représenté uniquement au niveau de sa base ou bord sur le rebord de la boíte en raison de la symétrie circulaire, respectivement sur deux rebords d'ouverture en trait plein et en trait mixte, délimitant les deux formes extrêmes de rebord d'ouverture des boítes de teintes.

The invention is illustrated below with the aid of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the appended drawing, in which:

• The single figure is a partial sectional view of a cover according to the invention applied as a closure to a box of colors, represented only at its base or edge on the edge of the box due to the circular symmetry, respectively on two opening edges in solid line and in broken line, delimiting the two extreme forms of opening edge of the boxes of shades.

The figure shows a partial radial section of the cover 1 according to the invention, taken at its edge closure 3, applied respectively to a box of paint 5 with a U-shaped opening edge 7 in solid line and in the shape of an inverted V 7 'in a mixed line. The assembly has rotational symmetry with respect to the center line of the cover (or of the box). Lid agitator is conventional comprising a shaped body 9 general of cap open downwards, provided with a beak incorporated pourer and an axial passage sheath of an axis agitator (not shown). It has a short distance from its circular peripheral edge 3 and on its base a annular seal 11 by which it can be mounted closed with sealing on the opening of the box underlying painting 5. The latter has at its opening as above an internal annular rim 7 of variable shape depending on the manufacturer, which can be classic U shape (solid line) or develop in inverted V shape (in phantom). This metallic ledge is secured to the wall of the box 5 by an edge of annular upper peripheral crimp 13 and comprises further an internal extreme edge 15 rounded upwards and whose fold edge is facing down in the vertical direction.

The seal is made of resistant elastomer synthetic material with thermoplastic type solvents injected under pressure. Polysulfone composites are suitable for this purpose. he has a thick anterior body part in section 17 and a tapered rear lip 19 and directed downwards, the assembly being formed in an annular manner with symmetry by relative to the median axis. The anterior body part 17a a generally square section and the lip 19 is triangular with an external pointed part 21. This lip is integral with body part 17 by its face rear 23 with slight surface drop at the level lower and a shoulder 25 at the upper level. Gasket is fixed to the base of the cover by its body part which is resiliently engaged by snap-fastening in a housing complementary 27 formed therein. Seal 11 introduced pushing into its housing 27 engages automatically by the effect of the inner retaining teeth 29 formed on the inner wall of the vertical skirt peripheral 31 of the edge of the cover and by the support, opposite of the retaining teeth, an annular rib 33 formed inside the cover and abutted against the shoulder 25. The teeth 29 are triangular in shape. point directed upwards and inwards, allowing the insertion of the body part 17, which by a annular groove 35 of complementary section of the teeth receives these and is then held in gear. We note, moreover, that the molding of the material cover plastic requires the provision of upper ejector parts for the release of the cover-making mold from cause of the internal teeth (for demolding), these parts, once removed, revealing an empty part 37 closed by the body part 17 of the joint.

These teeth 29 of small width, 3 to 4 mm, are arranged regularly on the periphery of the cover, for example at an angle of about 30-40 °, and engage substantially in the middle of the front 39 of the part body 17.

It is not necessary for the underside 41 of the body part has a large width because the position of the crimping edge 13 of the opening rim of the boxes existing on the market varies little in size. This appears in the drawing where the edges, respectively in solid line 13 and in dashed line 13 ′, representing the extreme limits of sizing of these edges, are closely spaced one of the other. The positioning of this body part 17 will be advantageously provided on the base of the cover so that that the crimping edge 13 comes to wear when the cover on the box, substantially in the middle of the underside 41 of this body part, and therefore in a position far from the corners.

The peripheral vertical skirt 31 of the cover making downward projection of the body part 17 promotes the centering application of the seal, both on the part of body 17 and on the lip 19 which carries pressure towards the bottom, when closing, on the internal edge 15 of the rim.

The length in radial section of this lip is relatively large, for example 1.5 cm for adapt to all box opening rim profiles existing. In particular the profile 7 in U, in solid line shown, has the greatest distance between the edges 13, 15 from the ledge.

The lip 19 may include an elastic metallic core internal (not shown) promoting pressure recall on the internal edge 15 and therefore the tightness of the closure at this level.

This lip is naturally mobile by elasticity angularly on the body part 17 to adapt in height at the internal edge of the rim. The maximum height is illustrated by the 7 'rim inverted in line mixed where the lip comes substantially in a horizontal position on the internal edge 15 '. In its natural position, the lip is directed inward and downward in a angle of about 30 ° relative to the plane of the joint.

The lid is closed in the conventional way by tight application of the cover on the rim opening the underlying shade box, using rotary cams 43 regularly arranged on the periphery of the cover and bearing under the rim 7 of the box.

The double seal obtained at closure, by the body part 17 of the seal on the crimping edge peripheral 13 and by the lip 19 on the internal edge 15 of the rim prevents the operation of the cover with its box that paint does not go in the ledge and comes to pollute, as mentioned above, by drying the paint contained in the box.

Claims (10)

1. A stirring lid for paint containers mounted on stirring machines, of the type comprising at its base a flexible peripheral seal (11) designed to be applied, upon fastening of the stirring lid on the container (5), to the headed outer peripheral edge (13, 13') of the annular flange (7, 7') defining the mouth of the container (5), said seal (11) comprising an annular front body portion (17) fixed to said lid base and designed to be applied, on closure, in pressurised and tight manner against said peripheral edge (13, 13') of the container, and a flexible inner annular lip (19) integral with said front body portion (17), coaxial to the body portion (17) and designed to be applied, upon closure, against the inner edge (15, 15') of the annular flange (7, 7') of the container mouth.
2. A stirring lid according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible lip (19) is formed in one piece with said front body portion (17) of the seal, having, for example, been moulded together with the latter from flexible synthetic material which is resistant to the solvents in paints.
3. A stirring lid according to either one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the flexible lip (19) has a profile of regular cross section tapered towards the inside and, in its natural position, is directed downwards at a predetermined angle of inclination relative to the plane of the seal (11) which is slightly greater than that of the line of maximum inclination between the peripheral edge (13, 13') and the inner edge (15, 15') of the flange (7, 7') of the existing paint containers, for example 30°.
4. A stirring lid according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lip (19) has a radial length which is slightly greater than the longest radial length existing between the peripheral outer edge (13) and the inner edge (15) of the flange of the container mouth, being approximately 15 mm for example.
5. A stirring lid according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lip (19) comprises a resilient inner core.
6. A stirring lid according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the front body portion (17) of the seal is fixed in resiliently engaged manner by catching in a complementary receptacle (27) formed in the base of the lid.
7. A stirring lid according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lid base comprises a vertical peripheral outer skirt (31) projecting downwards relative to the seal (11).
8. A stirring lid according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the front body portion (17) has a cross section which is generally square and the lip (19) is triangular with a pointed outer portion (21), the lip (19) being firmly integral with the body portion (17) at its rear face (23) with slight surface offset at the bottom and a shoulder (25) at the top.
9. A stirring lid according to claim 8, characterised in that the front body portion (17) of the seal is held fixed in its receptacle (27) at the level of the median part of its front face (39) by retaining teeth (29) formed on the lid and pointed upwards and inwards and on the opposite side by the shoulder (25) resting in abutment against a circular axial rib (33) formed inside the lid.
10. A stirring lid according to either one of claims 8 or 9, characterised in that the body portion (17) is positioned on the base of the lid in such a way that the beaded edge (13, 13') comes to bear substantially against the median part of the inner face (41) of this body portion when the lid is fastened on the container, and thus in a position remote from the corners.

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