EP2091832B1 - Dispensing head with hinged cap - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a dispensing head according to the preamble of the claim for sealing a container, in particular a tube or a bottle, provided with an outlet orifice and a hinged cap for closing the orifice of the dispensing head, the dispensing head and the hinged cap forming a piece in one piece, the hinged cap being overmolded on the dispensing head.

Such dispensing heads are commonly used in the field of cosmetics and parapharmacy. It is thus possible to open the tube with the hand holding the tube or the bottle by rotating the cap, without the need to unscrew a part that can be easily misplaced.

Such dispensing heads are known in one piece of documents EP 1 162 154 A1 , US 5,036,889 A and FR 2 731 983 A1 . The dispensing head and the hinge cap are injected together in the same mold. The set is made in the same material and with the same color. However, it may sometimes be useful to make the hinge cap of another color or in a material other than the dispensing head.

Of the document US 6,305,563 B1 a dispensing head is known whose main body consists of a core encapsulated in a film made of a different material. The cap and the hinge are formed posteriorly on the dispensing head by biinjection on the body of the dispensing head. They are made of the same material as the film forming the outer layer of the body of the dispensing head. This solution requires that the material retained for the cap and the hinge is compatible with that of the outer layer of the body of the dispensing head. In the present example, this is the case since it is the same material. However, this solution could not be used for different incompatible materials.

In the document WO 01/78958 A , a cap is overmolded on a dispensing head. For this, we foresee in the mold a lock whose forehead has a non-uniform height. This results in an inclined junction between the hinge and the cap. The contact between the cap and the distribution head is only at the level of the plane formed by the side face of the lock. This process is not usable with materials incompatible with each other.

The document FR 2 752 818 A discloses a dispensing head provided with a hinge cap made in one piece and in the same material, namely a rigid or semi-rigid material. It is intended to overmold on the lid / capsule body assembly a connecting element made of elastomeric material. The fastening of the strip on the lid and the capsule body is obtained by thermofusion of the materials. To further strengthen the strength of the strip, it is possible to provide anchoring means. These anchoring means therefore do not have the function of fixing the band on the dispensing head and the cap, but only that of reinforcing an already existing connection.

The object of the invention is to make it possible to manufacture a dispensing head provided with a hinge cap, these two elements forming a single piece, which makes it possible to use different and incompatible materials between them for the dispensing head and for the hinge cap.

This object is achieved according to the invention with the features of claim 1, in particular because anchoring means are provided for securing the hinge cap to the dispensing head, the hinge cap and the dispensing head being made of different materials incompatible with each other, that is to say materials that do not fuse together and therefore do not adhere to each other. It is thus possible to make the dispensing head in a first material by providing first anchoring means and overmolding the hinge cap in a material incompatible with that of the dispensing head, the second material being engaged in the first means of anchoring to form together the anchoring means.

It is preferable that the dispensing head carries first anchoring means, preferably a groove, and the hinge cap of the second anchoring means, preferably a tongue penetrating the groove, or vice versa. To ensure an even stronger anchoring, it is possible to design the anchoring means in the form of hooks.

The dispensing head may be welded to the receptacle it is to seal, for example a flexible tube, or may be fixed on it by means of fastening means such as threads or snap-fastening means, for example to close a bottle .

As mentioned above, the hinge cap and the dispenser head can be made of different materials having the same color or different colors.

In order to prevent the odors of the contents of the tube from being perceptible when it is closed, it is advantageous to integrate a barrier in the distributor head and / or in the hinged cap, for example in the form of an insert. odor and / or gas tight.

It is preferable to provide the dispensing head with a removable or perforable lid to close its orifice.

In order to avoid any leakage of the contents, it is advantageous to provide sealing means on the dispensing head and / or on the hinge cap to ensure the tightness of the container when the hinge cap is closed.

To allow easy opening of the hinge cap, it is preferable to provide means to facilitate the opening of the cap with a finger, in particular in the form of a cap.

To prevent the hinge cap from interfering with the sampling and to facilitate its opening, it is advisable to provide means for moving the hinge cap in a large opening position and / or in the closed position, or in a position close to those when the hinged cap is not subjected to any external force.

In order to facilitate the exit of the product, especially when the container is almost empty, the dispensing head has radial shoulders inclined with respect to a radial plane at an angle of between 5 ° and 45 °, preferably at an angle of 15 °. °. In particular, its top wall is slightly inclined to avoid the appearance of right angles or acute can hold the product.

It is preferable to make the dispensing head and / or the hinged cap in EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol), Orgalloy® (blend of polyamide and polypropylene), PP (polypropylene), HDPE (polyethylene high density) or LDPE (low density polyethylene).

Figure 1 :

une vue en coupe d'un premier mode de réalisation d'une tête distributrice conforme à l'état de la technique, la coiffe étant en position fermée ;

Figure 2 :

une vue en coupe du tube de la figure 1, la coiffe étant en position ouverte ;

Figure 3 :

une vue agrandie du détail B des figures 1 et 2 ;

Figure 4 :

une vue agrandie du détail C de la figure 1 ;

Figure 5 :

une vue agrandie du détail D de la figure 1 ;

Figure 6 :

détail de la figure 2 montrant l'angle (α) ;

Figure 7 :

une vue en perspective en coupe d'un deuxième mode de réalisation de la tête de distribution conforme à l'invention ;

Figure 8 :

agrandissement de la figure 7 au niveau de la charnière.

The invention is described in more detail below with the aid of the figures which show:

Figure 1 :

a sectional view of a first embodiment of a dispensing head according to the state of the art, the cap being in the closed position;

Figure 2:

a sectional view of the tube of the figure 1 with the cap in the open position;

Figure 3:

an enlarged view of detail B of Figures 1 and 2 ;

Figure 4:

an enlarged view of detail C of the figure 1 ;

Figure 5:

an enlarged view of detail D of the figure 1 ;

Figure 6:

detail of the figure 2 showing the angle (α);

Figure 7:

a perspective view in section of a second embodiment of the dispensing head according to the invention;

Figure 8:

enlargement of figure 7 at the hinge.

The dispensing head (3, 103) of the invention is provided with a cap (4, 104) attached to the dispensing head by a hinge (41, 141).

In the first embodiment, the hinge is made in the form of two film hinges (41) while in the second embodiment, it is a butterfly hinge (141). In both cases, the hinges are dimensioned such that, without external constraints, the cap (4, 104) tends to be placed in a position close to the closed position of the figure 1 , either in the wide open position of the figure 2 as soon as it has passed a certain opening angle. We are sure that the cap (4, 104) will not interfere with the sampling by putting itself in an intermediate position, for example under the effect of its own weight. The cap (4, 104) is provided with a cap (42, 142) to facilitate its opening. It would also be possible to provide a withdrawal in the wall of the distribution chamber (32, 132) to give a grip on the cap (4, 104).

According to the invention, the cap (4, 104) is overmolded on the head (3, 103). Non-compatible materials are used for the head and the cap. The overmolding has the advantage of allowing the use of different materials and if necessary different colors for the dispensing head and for the cap. In all cases, the dispensing head (3, 103) and the cap (4, 104) together form a single piece.

When the materials used for the dispensing head (3) and the cap (4) are identical or compatible, overmolding is sufficient to ensure cohesion and adhesion of the two elements. The second material is welded on the first at the interface. This is the case of the state of the art shown in the first embodiment. One can choose the same material, but different colors for the two elements or two different materials with identical or different colors. PP and EVOH are, for example, compatible materials.

If on the other hand we use materials that are not compatible, that is to say that do not weld together and do not allow the cap to adhere to the head, it must provide means for anchoring the cap (104) on the head (103). This is the case second embodiment according to the invention. The anchoring means ensure the mechanical attachment of the cap on the head. In the embodiment shown, these anchoring means are constituted by first anchoring means (138) located on the head (103) and having the shape of a groove made in the head during its manufacture. This groove (138) in the form of a circular arc preferably extends over the entire length of the hinge (141). At the moment of overmolding, the material of the cap penetrates into this groove (138) forming a tongue (144) constituting the second anchoring means. After the cooling of the assembly, there is a material removal effect which results in a pinch effect of the tongue (144) in the groove (138). The cap is thus caught in vices in the throat (138) by its tongue (144) and can not get out.

It is also possible to make the anchoring means in the form of hooks. For example, the groove (138) / tongue (144) pair of the example of the figure 8 by radial holes in the outer wall of the groove (138). When overmolding the cap, the second material will penetrate not only into the groove (138) but also into these holes. The cylinders of the second material define hooks which penetrate the holes made in the first material.

On the Figures 7 and 8 , the hinge is placed on the side of the cap (104). It goes without saying that it is also possible to place it on the side of the dispensing head (103). Similarly, the groove (138) can be placed on the cap and the tongue (144) on the head.

Incompatible or at least insufficiently compatible materials include PP and PE. Now it is interesting to manufacture the PE head to allow for example its welding on the skirt of a flexible tube also in PE and to manufacture the PP cap to obtain a more rigid object. Although it is possible at current working temperatures to obtain a certain adhesion of the PP on the PE, it is generally not sufficient to ensure a sufficiently solid attachment of the PP cap on the PE head. The cap may be quickly torn off if anchoring means are not provided.

In practice, a mold is used corresponding to the shape of the dispenser head / hinge cap assembly. A core closes the passage between the two elements corresponding to the hinge. This core ensures the formation of the first means anchor on the head. Once the head made and already partially cooled, the core is removed and the cap is overmolded.

The dispensing head (3, 103) can be fixed by welding on the skirt (2) of a flexible tube (1). It may be used for this induction welding means or ultrasound or any other suitable method known to those skilled in the art. The welding is performed between the upper edge of the skirt (2) and the flange (31, 131) of the dispensing head (3, 103). To facilitate the welding, the flange (31, 131) has a shoulder (37) whose height substantially corresponds to the thickness of the wall of the skirt (2).

It is also possible to provide for fixing the dispensing head on the container which it must close by mechanical fastening means, such as a thread or snap-fastening means.

The head (3, 103) comprises a flange (31, 131), a distribution chamber (32, 132), cylindrical or slightly frustoconical, possibly reinforced by ribs (33) and ends in its summit part by a wall ( 34, 134) having an orifice (35, 135) through which the contents of the container can exit. To improve the rate of restitution, it is preferable that this top wall (34, 134) is slightly inclined relative to the radial plane of an angle (α) comprised for example between 5 ° and 45 °, here 15 °.

In order to seal between the orifice (35, 135) and the cap (4, 14), it is preferable to provide sealing means. In the example presented at figure 5 , the seal is provided by an outer seal (43) placed in the bottom of the cap (4) and encircling from the outside the axial edge (36) of the orifice (35). This outer seal is particularly well suited for pasty products such as toothpastes. For more liquid products, such as creams or lotions, it is best to use internal seals as in the example of the figure 7 . In this case, the outer seal is replaced by a cylindrical wall (143) which penetrates virtually without play in the orifice (135).

In order to prevent the odor of the product contained in the tube from passing through it, a PBT or EVOH barrier may be provided. The head and the cap will then have at least one layer of this barrier material.

It may also provide a cap that can be removed or pierced during the first use. Likewise, it will be possible to provide tamperproof means which will ensure that the tube has not been opened before the first use.

List of references:

1 Tube 2 Skirt 3 103 Distributor head 31 131 Collar 32 132 Distribution chamber 33 ribs 34 134 Top wall 35 135 Orifice 36 136 Axial edge of the orifice 37 Shoulder in the collar 138 First means of anchorage (throat) 4 104 Hinged cap 41 141 Hinge film / butterfly 42 142 Cap 43 143 Outer / inner seal 144 Second anchoring means (tongue) α Angle formed by the top wall with respect to the radial plane of the distribution chamber

Claims (15)

1. Dispensing head (103) for closing a receptacle, in particular a tube (1) or bottle, provided with an outlet orifice (135) and a hinge cap (104) for closing the orifice (135) of the dispensing head, the dispensing head (103) and the hinge cap (104) forming a single piece, the hinge cap (104) being overmoulded onto the dispensing head (103), characterised in that anchoring means (138, 144) are provided for fixing the hinge cap (104) on the dispensing head (103), the hinge cap (104) and the dispensing head (103) being produced from different materials which are incompatible with each other, that is to say materials that do not fuse together and therefore do not adhere to each other.
2. Dispensing head (103) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the dispensing head (103) carries first anchoring means (138) and the hinge cap (104) second anchoring means.
3. Dispensing head (103) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the first anchoring means are a groove (138) and the second anchoring means are a tongue (144) entering the groove (138), or vice versa.
4. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the anchoring means are designed in the form of hooks.
5. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is welded to the receptacle (1) that it is to close.
6. Dispensing head (103) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that it is provided with fixing means for fixing it to the receptacle that it is to close, in particular a thread or snapping-on means.
7. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hinge cap (104) and the dispensing head (103) are produced from different materials having the same colour or different colours.
8. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a barrier impervious to odours and/or gases, for example in the form of an insert, is integrated in the dispensing head (103) and/or in the hinge cap (104).
9. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a lid that is removable or that can be perforated closes the orifice (135) in the dispensing head (103).
10. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that sealing means (136, 143) are provided on the dispensing head (103) and/or on the hinge cap (104) in order to seal the receptacle (1) when the hinge cap (104) is closed.
11. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that means are provided for facilitating the opening of the hinge cap (104) with a finger, in particular in the form of a bonnet (142).
12. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that means (141) are provided for moving the hinge cap into a wide- open position and/or into the closed position, or in a position close to these, when the hinge cap is not subjected to any external force.
13. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has radial shoulders inclined with a respect to a radial plane by an angle of between 5° and 45°, preferably by an angle of 15°.
14. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the dispensing head (103) is produced from ethylene vinyl acetate, a mixture of polyamide and polypropylene, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene or low-density polyethylene.
15. Dispensing head (103) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hinge cap (104) is produced from ethylene vinyl acetate, a mixture of polyamide and polypropylene, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene or low-density polyethylene.

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