EP1606190A2

EP1606190A2 - Closure device for a fluid product reservoir

Info

Publication number: EP1606190A2
Application number: EP04719489A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frédéric Berthelin; Luc Uytterhaeghe; Jean-Marc Philbois
Original assignee: Seaquist General Plastics SAS
Current assignee: Seaquist Closures France SAS
Priority date: 2003-03-14
Filing date: 2004-03-11
Publication date: 2005-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-11
Also published as: WO2004083044A3; ES2290683T3; ATE362452T1; EP1606190B1; DE602004006502T2; BRPI0408364A; FR2852295B1; FR2852295A1; DE602004006502D1; US20070012644A1; CN1777548A; US7762414B2; WO2004083044A2

Abstract

The device has a fixation unit (210) cooperating with an opening of a tank. A distribution conduit (220) forms an outlet passage (221) for a fluid product contained in the tank and an orifice (222) for distribution. A closing unit tightly seals the conduit. The closing unit is connected to the conduit by a strapping material (232) intended to be broken at time of withdrawal of the closing unit.

Description

Device for closing a fluid reservoir

The present invention relates to a closure device for mounting on an opening of a fluid reservoir. The closure device serves to plug the opening of the tank, but must also allow a distribution of the fluid contained in the tank. This type of closure device is frequently used in the field of fluid or powder product packaging.

The closure device may be in the form of a nozzle having a fixable portion on the opening of the reservoir and a removable or movable portion for clearing an outlet passage to allow the distribution of the fluid contained in the reservoir. The closure device therefore also has the function of allowing selective dispensing of the fluid product.

Tanks in the form of a bottle have long been known for containing water, beverages or, more generally, fluid products. The body of the bottle can be made of plastic or from a complex film forming a flexible pouch or a semi-rigid brick. The bottle also includes a tip attached to the body of the bottle. This tip comprises a conduit or collar possibly threaded externally. The tip further comprises a plug to be screwed or force-fitted on the neck of the tip.

On the other hand, there are closing devices equipped with guarantee or first-use security systems. When the closure device is in the form of a nozzle comprising a distribution duct and a plug attached to this duct, the guarantee system may be in the form of a ring integral with the duct and connected to the cap by means of Bridges of brittle material. During the first removal of the plug, the bridges of material are broken leaving the crown integral with the conduit. Another form of warranty system is in the form of an envelope, generally heat-shrinkable, which surrounds at least a portion of the cap and a portion of the leads. Before the first use, the user must remove the envelope by tearing it.

The filling of tanks equipped with such closure devices can be carried out in two different ways. A first way is to fill the tank through the conduit formed by the closure device.

Then, the plug is put in place on the conduit. The plug is then in the form of a separate part of the conduit. The second way is to fill the tank with its bottom which is initially open. Then the bottom of the tank is sealed. In this case, the plug is initially put in place on the conduit. The closure device may include a first-use guarantee system. This is not the case with the first filling method since the cap must be put in place once the filling is finished. An additional guarantee system can still be implemented, but this requires an additional operation. EP-0 763 482 A1 discloses a closure device comprising a cap and a cover. The plug has a base to be sealingly attached at the opening of a package. The cap is connected to the cap by a breakable thin wall to separate said cap from said cap. According to this document, the cap, the cap and the breakable wall can be one-piece. The breakable wall extends circumferentially around the plug thus forming a seal junction sealing device. In addition, latching means are provided, also ensuring a sealing of said closure device. The closure device of this document is made by a plastic injection / molding technique, in which fluid plastic material is injected under pressure into a mold. The preamble of the main claim is based on this prior art.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a closure device allowing indifferently filling by the closure device or by the tank bottom. Another purpose of the closure device of the invention is to be realized in a minimum number of rooms. Another object is that the closure device comprises a first-use guarantee or safety system, which is advantageously integrally integrated with the closure device.

To achieve these aims, the present invention provides a closure device having the features of the main claim.

Advantageously, the closure member, said distribution duct and said at least one material bridge are made integrally. The deck (s) material allow to give a direct visual indication to the user on the early use of the closure device. Advantageously, the sealable portion is deformable and weldable on itself.

According to a first embodiment, the sealable part can be pinched or crushed and then welded. According to another embodiment, the sealable part comprises a fixed element connected to the duct by said at least one material bridge and a sealing cover intended to be releasably fixed to the fixed element, said hood sealingly sealing the l dispensing orifice. Advantageously, the cover is hingedly connected to the fixed element. The articulation between the cover and the fixed element forms a deformable part. Preferably, the cover and the fixed element are made integrally. Although a definitive sealing advantageously sealed cover on the fixed element can be obtained by a simple mechanical engagement, it is advantageous to weld the cover on the fixed element.

According to another feature, the cover forms a sealing sleeve intended to come into sealed contact with the conduit in order to seal it tightly. This sealing sleeve serves to seal before and / or after the first withdrawal of the closure member.

In another aspect, the material bridge extends continuously around a conduit, also forming a seal between the conduit and the closure member. In this case, a sealing bushing is not necessary. According to a practical embodiment, the closure member comprises a peripheral sleeve connected at one end to the outside of the conduit by said at least one material bridge, said sleeve including an opposite peripheral end forming the sealable portion. The sleeve can form or be constituted by the fixed element.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the conduit and the closure member are provided with latching means intended to cooperate after breaking said at least one material bridge. Thus, the closure member can be fixedly held on the conduit after its first withdrawal.

Advantageously, the detent means form sealing means closing the conduit. In another aspect, the fixing member comprises an attachment appendix on which the opening of a flexible bag is intended to be fixed, advantageously by welding. Indeed, the closure device of the invention finds a preferred application when associated with a flexible bag which advantageously has a free deformation characteristic. However, other tanks such as bricks can also be used. Rigid tanks are not excluded.

Preferably, the closure device is made integrally by injection / molding plastic material.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings giving by way of non-limiting example, three embodiments of the invention.

In the figures: FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a closure device according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1b is a vertical cross-sectional view through the closure device of FIG. FIG. 1c is an enlarged view of detail D1 of FIG. 1b, FIG. 1d is a vertical cross-sectional view through the device of the preceding figures associated with a flexible pouch after the first use, FIG. detail D2 of Figure ld, FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d are partially cut-away perspective views of a closure device according to a second embodiment of the invention respectively in the mold exit state, sealed, opened, and closed, the FIG. 3a is a perspective view of a closure device according to a third embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3b is a vertical cross-sectional view through the device of FIG. 3a, FIG. perspective of the device of FIG. 3a before sealing, FIG. 3d is a top view of the dispenser of FIG. 3c, FIG. 3e is a vertical cross sectional view through the dispenser 3c, FIG. 3f is a side view of the dispenser. of Figure 3c.

In the three embodiments of the invention, the parts, elements, organs, zones or places fulfilling identical functions have been designated with numerical references comprising the same radical of ten but differing by their hundred. Thus, the first embodiment comprises numerals of the first one hundred, the second embodiment includes numerals of the second hundred, and the third embodiment includes numerals of the third hundred. The closure device according to the first embodiment is designated by the reference numeral 100, the second embodiment by the reference numeral 200 and the third mode of réahsation by the reference numeral

300. We first refer to Figs. 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d and 1c to describe the first embodiment. The closure system 100 shown in its entirety in Figs. 1a, 1b and 1d is preferably made by injecting plastic into a mold. Preferably, the plastic is relatively rigid. However, it may have deformability characteristics with reduced thicknesses. According to the invention, the device closure 100 is made integrally. This means that it is made in one and the same mold.

The closure device 100 comprises a fastener 110 which comprises an attachment appendix 112 in the form of an eye or a diamond. The attachment appendix 112, however, has a generally cylindrical outer shape. Internally, the fixing member defines an inlet passage 111. As can be seen in FIG. 1d, a container which is here in the form of a freely deformable flexible pouch 4 defines an interior volume 40 intended to be filled with fluid. The flexible pouch 4 comprises an opening 41 which is fixed, advantageously by welding, to the fixing appendage 112 of the fastening member 110. The flexible pouch 4 may for example be made from a complex film folded over it -and then welded on its lateral edges 42 and at the level of the opening 41. The use of such a flexible pouch 4 in association with the closure device according to the invention is particularly advantageous, but it must not be considered as limiting or unique. Indeed, other types of container may be used in combination with the closure device of the invention. The inlet passage 111 formed inside the fastener 110 communicates directly with the useful internal volume 40 of the flexible bag 4. Above the fastener 110, the closure device 100 comprises a conduit 120 which internally defines an outlet passage 121 which communicates upstream with the inlet passage 111 and downstream with the outside at a dispensing orifice 122. The conduit 120 is externally provided with an annular plate 140 which extends radially outwardly from the conduit 120. This plate 140 partially or entirely overhangs the fastener 110, as can be seen in the figures. The duct 120 also externally forms one or more ratchet peripheral bosses 123 that protrude radially outwards. In the case shown in the figures, there is only one continuous boss. This boss is located above the plate 140. The conduit 120 is integrally connected at its lower end to the fixing member 110 and comprises an upper end. opposite side which is connected to a sleeve 130 via a bridge of brittle material 132. This bridge of brittle material 132 extends continuously around the upper end of the duct 120 in the manner of a collar or a crown. The continuous bridge 132 connects the sleeve 130 at the inside of the sleeve. This is visible in FIG. 1b, and still more in FIG. 1a, which is an enlargement of the detail D1 of FIG. It may be noted in particular that the external diameter of the conduit 120 at its upper end is less than the internal diameter of the sleeve 130 at its lower end. The bridge 132 connects the outside of the conduit 120 inside the sleeve 130. The conduit 120 in its portion above the plate 40 preferably has a circular cylindrical section. It is the same for the sleeve 130 in its lower part. Shortly above its lower end, the sleeve 130 internally forms a ratchet bead 133 which protrudes radially inwardly. The cord is here continuous on the periphery of the sleeve. The internal diameter at the cord

133 is smaller than the external diameter of the duct 120 at the boss 123. The sleeve 130 also forms a flange 150 which serves here as gripping means of the sleeve 130. This gripping flange 150 is located above the cord 133. Preferably , the portion of the sleeve 130 located below the flange has a substantially circular cylindrical cross section. The sleeve 130 also extends above the grip flange 150. This upper portion of the sleeve 130 defines a sealable portion 131 located near its open upper open end. Indeed, the sleeve 130 defines an inner passage which communicates the outlet passage 121 of the conduit 120 with the outside. Thus, it is possible to fill a container on which the closure device 100 is mounted. The fluid product can pass through the sleeve 130, the conduit 120 and the fastener 110 to reach the inside of the tank. Once the tank is filled, seal the closure. For this, it is provided according to the invention that the sealable portion 131 of the sleeve 130 is deformably made so as to clamp the conduit 130 until its wall internal comes into contact with itself. This is done by crushing the conduit 130. When the inner wall of the conduit is in contact with each other, a welding technique, for example by ultrasound, is used to weld the sleeve 130. This is shown in FIG. 1d. It can be seen that the sealable portion 131 provides a tight seal. To give this deformability characteristic of the sleeve 130, it is advantageous for the upper part of the sleeve situated above the gripping flange 150 to be made with a reduced wall thickness relative to the lower part situated below the flange. Moreover, the gripping flange 150 promotes the dimensional stability and rigidity of the lower portion of the sleeve 130 located below it. When the upper end of the sleeve 130 at its area 131 is sealed, the contents of the tank are isolated from the outside. Indeed, the bridge of material which connects the sleeve to the duct extends continuously around the duct inside the sleeve. There is no exit passage at the material bridge.

When the user wants to use the dispenser equipped with the closing device according to the invention, he grasps the reservoir 4 with one hand and grasps with the other hand the gripping flange 150. It can exert a traction or a rotation on the collar 150, which has the effect of giving up the continuous bridge of material 132 which connects the sleeve 130 to the conduit 120. The sleeve 130 and its associated gripping flange 150 can then be removed from the remainder of the closure device constituted by the sleeve 120, the plate 140 and the fixing member 110. The dispensing orifice 122 is then released, so that fluid can be dispensed. The sleeve 130 with its flange 150 form a closure member 13 comparable to a removable cap.

The material bridge 132 fulfills a function of guarantee of safety or security of first use which gives the user a direct visual indication on the first use of the closing device. It should be noted that the closure device according to the invention is made integrally by injection molding plastic material, and it allows the filling and through the closing device and subsequent sealing of the closure device without removal or addition of additional piece. A simple weld after pinching the upper end of the sleeve 130 allows the sealing. According to the invention, the closure member 13 is repositionable on the conduit 120 once the material bridge 132 has been broken. Indeed, the lower part of the sleeve 130 can be engaged around the conduit 120 until the cord 133 of the sleeve 130 comes into contact with the boss 123 of the sleeve 120. An additional pressure exerted for example on the gripping flange 150 allows to pass the cord 133 below the boss

123 to achieve an attachment by enchquetage. This is visible in Figure ld, and even more clearly in Figure 1 which is an enlargement of the detail D2 of Figure ld. The final position is reached when the lower end of the sleeve 130 abuts the plate 140. Advantageously, this latching also provides a seal between the closure member 13 and the conduit 120. The closure member 13 can then be removed and repositioned at will. Thus, the closure member 13 which initially serves as a filling nozzle and first-use guarantee is then conventionally used as a repositionable closure member. Once in place as shown in Figure 1d, the gripping flange 150 and the plate 140 define between them a gripping space for receiving two fingers of the user, which allows to easily carry the dispenser consisting of the tank 4 and of the closure device 100.

In the second embodiment of réahsation shown in Figures 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d, the closure device 200 is also made integrally by plastic injection. It also comprises a fixing member 210 internally defining an inlet passage 211, a conduit 220 defining internally an outlet passage 221 opening at a dispensing orifice 222 and a closure member 23 which cooperates with the conduit 220. The closure member 23 is preferably made in one piece. The duct 220 is provided with two gripping fins 250 which extend transversely diametrically opposite from the duct 220. Above these two fins 250, the duct 220 externally forms an enamelling boss 223. At its end upper, the sleeve 220 internally forms a sealing lip 224. It can even be said that this lip 224 defines the dispensing orifice 222.

The closure member 23 comprises a sleeve 230 defining a lower end forming a ratchet cord 233 which will later cooperate with the detent boss 223 of the conduit 220. The sleeve 230 is connected to the conduit 220 at the cord 233 by via a material bridge 232. This bridge 232 may be continuous so as to extend over the entire periphery of the duct inside the sleeve. Alternatively, there may be several material bridges in the form of discrete junction points. The sleeve 230 extends concentrically around the upper part of the conduit 220. At its upper end, the sleeve 230 forms a sealable portion 231 which is here in the form of a ring 231 which extends radially outwards . The sleeve 230 forms a fixed element secured to the duct 220 via the ρont (s) of material 232. Just as in the previous embodiment, the bridge (s) of material have the function of breaking or to yield so as to disengage the sleeve 230 of the conduit 220.

The closure member 23 also comprises a cover 234 which is connected to the sleeve 230 via a hinge 235. This hinge 235 is formed at the level of the ring 231. The hinge 235 thus connects the cover 234 to the hinge 233. 231. The cover 234 forms a sealing disk 236 intended to come into contiguous contact over the entire periphery of the ring 231. This is possible, since the disk 236 is hinged relative to the ring 231 at the level of the ring 231. articulation 235. Therefore, the cover 234 can pivot relative to the sleeve 230 so as to come down on the disc 236 on the ring 231, this is shown in Figure 2b. The cover 234 preferably forms a skirt 237 intended to be housed inside the sleeve 230. The skirt 237 may, for example, be received in force inside the sleeve 230. It is also possible to provide definitive and releasable fixing means so that the cover 234 can no longer be removed from the sleeve 230 once the cover 234 has been folded over. the sleeve 230. The skirt 237 may for example be provided with a harpooning profile intended to bite into the inner wall of the sleeve

230. It is also possible to provide latching means at this level. Fixing the cover 234 on the sleeve 230 advantageously provides a peripheral seal so that the product can not leak between the ring 231 and the disc 236. According to a preferred embodiment, the cover 234 is welded to the sleeve 230 at the of the ring gear 231 and the disk 236. It is easily understood, with reference to FIG. 2b, that a peripheral weld can be reshaped at the contiguous edges of the ring gear 231 and the disk 236. However, the watertightness can only be achieved 234. The cover 234 also forms a closure sleeve 238 intended to be housed in a sealed manner inside the conduit 220 at the sealing lip 224. More specifically, the sealing lip 224 is deformed slightly against the outer wall of the sleeve 238 as can be seen in Figure 2b. Thus, the fluid product can not leak out of the outlet passage 221, closed by the sleeve 238. Just as in the previous réahsation mode, the closure member forms a sealable portion which is here constituted by the ring 231 and the 234. In the position shown in Figure 2a, the outlet passage 221 is open to the outside and it is thus possible to fill a tank connected to the fastener 210. After filling, the cover can be folded down. the way previously described. It can even be soldered. We are then in the position shown in Figure 2b. When the user wants to use the dispenser equipped with the closure device 200, he can enter the reservoir, the conduit 220 or the fins 250 with one hand and the closure member 23 with the other hand. Rotation or traction makes it possible to break the ρont (s) of material 232. The closure member can then be withdrawn from the conduit 220. A distribution of fluid product is then possible through the conduit 220. closure 23 is also repositionable: indeed, it is possible to engage the sleeve 230 around the conduit 220 until the cord 233 engages below the boss 223. This is shown in Figure 2d. The closure sleeve 238 is then fully engaged in the lip 224. In this mode of réahsation, the closure member performs a sealable filling tip function, a first-use guarantee function and a conventional function of repositionable cap, while being made in one piece. The welding is even optional.

The closure device 300 in this third embodiment of the invention has a structure and operation comparable to that of the second embodiment of réahsation 200. The closure device 300 also comprises a fixing member 310 forming an attachment appendix 312 to the interior of which extends an inlet passage 311. A distribution duct 320 extends above the fixing member 310. The duct 320 forms an outlet passage 321 in the extension of the inlet passage 311 At its downstream end, the outlet passage 321 forms a dispensing orifice 322. The external wall of the duct 320 also forms a continuous peripheral boss 323. However, this boss 323 can also be in the form of a plurality of bosses distributed in a manner. around the periphery of the duct 320. The closing device 300 also comprises a closure member 33 which, although of a different shape from that of the second embodiment, integrates functionally identical elements. Indeed, the closure member 33 comprises a sleeve 330 which extends substantially concentrically around the conduit 320. The lower end of the sleeve 330 forms a ratchet cord 333 at which the sleeve 330 is connected to the conduit 320 through four discrete material bridges 332. At its opposite upper end, the sleeve 330 forms a sealing ring 331. The sleeve 330 is connected to a cover 334 via a hinge 335 hinge The cover 334 forms a sealing edge 336 intended to come into contiguous contact with the sealing ring 331 of the sleeve 330. The cover 334 also forms a closure sleeve 338 intended to come into contact sealed with the outside of the upper end of the sleeve 320, as visible in Figure 3b. When the closure device is in the state shown in FIG. 3e, the dispensing orifice 322 is completely disengaged so that it is possible to fill a reservoir connected to the fastener 310 through the duct 320. When the reservoir is filled, the cover 334 can be folded down on the sleeve 330 by pivoting around the articulation hinge 335. The edge 336 then comes into contiguous contact with the ring 331. To achieve a guaranteed seal, a peripheral weld can be carried out at the joined contact between the ring 331 and the edge 336. The sleeve 330 and the cover 334 then form more than one unitary element unbreakable monobloc. The closing member 33 is also provided with two gripping wings 350 which extend diametrically opposite. By grasping the closing member 33 by its fins 350 and applying traction or preferably a rotation, the four material bridges 332 break so that the closure member 33 is detached from the conduit 320. Thus the body The closure can be removed to disengage the dispensing orifice 322 to allow dispensing of fluid.

As in the other two previous modes of réahsation, the closure member 33 is repositionable on the conduit 320. To ensure a fastening of the closure member on the conduit, simply engage the closure member on the led until the cord 333 of the sleeve 330 is housed below the boss 323 of the conduit 320. The seal is guaranteed at the top by the bushing 338 which comes into sealing contact with the upper end of the conduit 320 In the three modes of réahsation that have just been described, we find several common characteristics. A first characteristic which can be protected in itself, that is to say independently of the other characteristics, lies in the fact that the closure member 13, 23, 33 is initially connected to the outlet duct 120, 220, 320 by one or more bridge (s) of breakable material (s) 132, 232, 332. A second characteristic also protectable per se, lies in the fact that the closure member 13, 23, 33 comprises a sealable portion 131, 231, 331 which allows to close the communication between the conduit 320 and the outside. Another characteristic lies in the fact that the closure member comprises a deformable portion 131, 235, 335. Yet another characteristic lies in the fact that the closure member is repositionable and held in place by a snap.

Claims

claims

1.- Closing device (100; 200; 300) intended to be mounted on an opening (41) of a fluid reservoir (4), said device being made integrally by injection molding / plastic molding and comprising a fastening member (110; 210; 310) intended to cooperate with the opening of the reservoir to achieve a watertight fastening;

a distribution duct (120; 220; 320) forming an outlet passage (121; 221; 321) for the fluid product contained in the reservoir, said duct forming a dispensing orifice (122; 222; 322); closure member (13; 23; 33) for sealing said duct, said closing member being connected to the distribution duct (120; 220; 320) by at least one material bridge (132; 232; 332) for to be broken during the first withdrawal of the closure member, characterized in that said closure member (130; 23; 33) comprises a sealable portion (131; 231; 234; 331; 334), said sealable portion before sealing, leaving the dispensing orifice disengaged, and after sealing, sealingly closing the dispensing orifice (122; 222; 322).

2. Closure device according to claim 1, wherein the closure member (13; 23; 33), said distribution duct (120; 220; 320) and said at least one material bridge (132; 232; 332) are made integrally.

3.- closure device according to claim 1, wherein the sealable portion is deformable and weldable on itself.

4. A closure device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sealable portion comprises a fixed member (231; 331) connected to the conduit by said at least one material bridge and a sealing cap (234;

334) intended to be releasably fixed to the fixed element, said hood sealingly closing the dispensing orifice.

5.- closure device according to claim 4, wherein the cover is hingedly connected to the fixed member.

6. A closure device according to claim 5, wherein the cap and the fixed element are made integrally.

7. A closure device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the cap is welded to the fixed element.

8.- Closing device according to any one of the claims

4 to 7, wherein the cover forms a sealing bushing (238; 338) for sealingly engaging the conduit (220; 320) to seal it.

9. A closure device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the material bridge (332) extends continuously around a conduit (320), also forming a seal between the conduit (320). and the closure member (33).

10. Closure device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure member (130; 23; 33) comprises a peripheral sleeve connected at one end to the outside of the duct by said at least one bridge. said sleeve comprising an opposing peripheral end forming the sealable portion (131; 231; 331).

11. Closure device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conduit and the closure member are provided with means of enchquetage (123; 133; 223; 233; 323; 333) intended to cooperate after rupture. said at least one bridge of material.

12- closure device according to claim 12, wherein the means of enchquetage (123; 133) form sealing means closing the conduit.

13. Closure device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing member comprises a fixing appendix (110; 210; 310) on which the opening (41) of a flexible bag (4). is intended to be fixed, advantageously by welding.