EP2074038B1 - Container closure comprising a sound producer - Google Patents

Abstract

A sound-producing container closure for closing a container is provided. The closure is made at least partially of a brittle material. Furthermore, the closure is configured to be deformed upon opening the container such that the brittle material is deformed and thus produces a sound.

Description

The invention relates to a container closure with means for generating noise.

Commercially customary bottles are on the one hand with bottle caps and on the other hand bottles with buckles, the latter being popular with consumers because of the conspicuous rich noise ("plop") that occurs when they are opened. A significant opening noise, which is caused by a pressure equalization between the bottle contents and the environment, also has the advantage that it indicates the integrity of the bottle cap and so in the absence of an indication of possibly corrupted bottle contents or manipulation of the bottle contents.

Ironing closures are more expensive to manufacture and moreover have the disadvantage that the bottles equipped with them are difficult to integrate into a deposit cycle or a disposal system.

Numerous bottle closures are known from the patent literature, which are intended to produce a clear opening noise even without the use of clip closures. So crown caps have been proposed in which an opening sound is generated by means of additional elastic beads which are formed on the inside of the crown cork that they stich while the bottle is closed, press against the upper inner wall of the bottle neck and abruptly when opening the bottle from the bottleneck causing a noise ( JP 01-139 350A . JP 04-018 255A . JP 07-257 628 A . JP 07-277358A and WO 2004/067 402 A1 ). But these closures have several disadvantages: So not the usual bottle caps can be used, but it must be made of special corks (which said on the inside Have beads). In addition, the production is complicated because the noise-generating parts are directly connected to the sealing parts of the cork and must comply with their dimensional tolerances. Finally, the type of noise that can be generated with such a closure is limited to a "plop".

Furthermore, a bottle cap is known from the patent literature, which generates a whistling noise in that after opening the actual cork, the escaping gas flows through a pipe attached in the bottle opening to the outside. ( NL 8001976 and JP 2000085779 A ). However, such a noise generator could be produced only comparatively expensive and would also have the disadvantage that it would remain after removal of the closure in the bottle, which would be distracting in most bottles of beverage consumers, because the arranged in the bottle neck pipe, for example, the introduction of Drinking straws or lemon slices in the bottleneck made difficult as well as the flow of the drink.

Means for generating whistling noises have also been proposed for beverage cans ( US 5,387,818 A and JP 2000 006 968 A ). As the above-mentioned pipes in bottle necks, however, these noise generators have the disadvantage that the container must be made before filling and closing in a modified form, so that can not attach the means for generating noise subsequently.

All the aforementioned possibilities also have the disadvantage that the material used for generating noise comes into contact with the liquid in the bottle - it must therefore be food safe, which makes the production more expensive.

Finally, from the patent literature, a noise generator is known in which the material of the bottle cap is shaped in the manner of the toy "Knackfrosch" and is in the closed state of the bottle in the semi-stable state, so that it opens when the bottle is opened due to the pressure equalization in the stable state and thereby causes a noise ( JP 2004 196 318 A ). However, such a noise generator is only suitable for screw caps, not for crown caps, because the latter are deformed when opening and thereby prevented in its function from the existence of its outer shape dependent sound generator on its function or at least disturbed therein. In addition, this noise generator has the disadvantage that closure parts must be made, which are relatively critical and therefore more expensive than the usual crown caps.

The publication DE 2 144 628 discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a method of manufacturing a closure cap for closing bottles or similar vessels with a retaining ring provided at its lower edge. The lower edge of the retaining ring engages behind a constriction of the neck of the vessel.

WO 2004/080837 A1 shows a crown cap, which is firmly connected to a cap. The cap has a cylindrical shell, but no characteristic noise takes place.

The invention has for its object to provide a container closure, with the various opening noise can be generated or these are more noticeable and it is inexpensive to produce.

According to the invention, the object is achieved by a container closure solved with the features of claim 1.

A significant advantage results from the fact that the noise-generating agent (brittle material) is mounted outside of the container interior or at least by the usual sealing means (when using crown corks by there arranged inside sealing washers) is separated from the beverage content. In the design of the noise generator must therefore be taken in shape and material hardly consideration for the needs of the seal or the purity of the container contents. The variety of usable substances and shapes thus made possible different designs for producing different tones.

In the embodiment of the invention, a crown cap of known type with a disc of a stuck brittle fabric. This not only allows to produce noise-generating closures in a particularly cost-effective manner. Rather, even bottles that have already been sealed in a conventional manner, can be subsequently equipped in a further step with the noise generator. It does not have to be decided already at the bottling, which bottles should receive a noise generator. Rather, the bottles can be filled, transported and stored to be provided, if necessary, only then with the noise generator. This facilitates the production of small series, eg for temporary promotions.

Preferably, the brittle material is a cured coating which has previously been applied in liquid form to the closure made of another substance and has undergone an adhesive bond with the closure during curing.

The brittle material is preferably a synthetic resin and / or sealing wax and / or shellac and / or a metal.

Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment suitable for crown cap closures.

However, it is alternatively outside the scope of the present Invention conceivable to attach the noise generator on the closure of a beverage can or make a bottle cap completely from the brittle material (eg in the manner of a crown cork from brittle plastic).

Fig. 1

den Verschluß im verschlossenen Zustand im Schnitt,

Fig. 2

den Verschluß im Offnungsvorgang im Schnitt.

Show it:

Fig. 1

the closure in the closed state in section,

Fig. 2

the closure in the opening process on average.

The closure 1 is a commercial crown cork 1 made of sheet metal, which covers the neck of the bottle 2 with a form-fitting with its umgebörtelten edge. On the upper side of a glass plate 3 is glued same or smaller diameter, wherein a smaller diameter washer must be mounted substantially concentrically.

When opening ( Fig. 2 ) the bottle cap 1 bends and the brittle glass breaks - here in Fig. 2 shown in the spatial area 4 -, where it produces a crunching sound, as it arises, for example, when crushing ice cubes.

Claims (9)

1. A container closure having means for producing a sound, the closure (1) being made at least partially of a brittle material, and the closure (1) having to be deformed upon opening the container (2) such that this brittle material is deformed and thereby produces a sound, the brittle material being applied to the outside of the closure (1) and the closure (1) itself being made of a different material, and the container being a bottle (2), characterised in that the closure (1) is a conventional crown cap (1) and that the brittle material is applied in the form of a disc (3) to the top surface of the crown cap (1).
2. The container closure according to Claim 1, characterised in that the brittle material breaks as a result of the deformation and thus produces the sound.
3. The container closure according to any of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the brittle material is a hardened coating which has previously been applied in liquid form to the closure (1) made of a different material, and upon hardening has formed an adhesive connection to the closure (1).
4. The container closure according to any of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the brittle material is glass.
5. The container closure according to any of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the brittle material is a synthetic resin.
6. The container closure according to any of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the brittle material is sealing wax.
7. The container closure according to any of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the brittle material is Schellac.
8. The container closure according to any of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the brittle material is a metal.
9. The container closure according to Claim 4, characterised in that the brittle material is deformed upon opening the container such that a crunching sound is produced which substantially corresponds to the sound produced by crushing ice cubes.

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