EP2437982B1 - Tamper-proof closure for a plastic container for accommodating food - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a plastic container for receiving food.

Such a plastic container is out of the WO 2008/119521 known. In the case of the known plastic container, a tamper-evident ring provided on a cover engages with a circumferential detent device provided on the outer wall of a container. The tamper-evident ring and latch are designed to tear off the tamper evident ring the first time the lid is opened. The consumer can thus recognize whether the goods received in the plastic container are still in their original state.

For the production of the plastic container usually a flexible plastic material is used. It can not be completely ruled out that by bending the latching connection forming elements of the lid together with tamper evident ring by unauthorized persons removed from the container and subsequently replaced. So there remains a residual risk in terms of tampering. Apart from that, the production of the tool for the container is complicated because of the latching device provided thereon.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, it is intended to specify a plastic container that is as simple and inexpensive to produce as possible, which offers improved tamper-evident protection.

The object is solved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the features of claims 2 to 9.

By welding the first and second webs together by means of ultrasonic welding, it is impossible to lift the lid off the container without destroying the first and / or second perforations. Any residual risk with regard to a lack of originality assurance is eliminated. The proposed plastic container can be produced particularly cost-effectively because of a considerably simplified design of the container.

From the first web extends over a substantial part of its outer periphery, a first outer leg, so that the container, a second U-profile is formed. In a lid latched to the container, the second web is radially covered by the first outer leg. This can be counteracted undesirable damage to the second web or the predetermined breaking line / n. Nevertheless, the second, upwardly open U-profile allows the engagement of an anvil or one or more sonotrodes for the production of ultrasonic welding.

According to one embodiment, a first latching means is provided on an inner leg of the second U-profile facing the container interior. At a second outer leg of the first U-profile, a second locking means may be provided, so that by engaging the first with the second locking means of the lid with the container can be latched. This allows repeated tight closure of the container. It is therefore not only suitable as a packaging material, but after the fulfillment of the packaging purpose also for the storage of food, ingredients or other things.

In this case, the first latching means may be a circumferential first projection or bead projecting outwardly from an outer wall of the inner leg. The second latching means may be a second projection or bead radially inwardly projecting from an inner wall of the second outer leg of the first U-profile.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the plastic container has a further tamper-evident. For this purpose, a first section of the first outer leg may have a third predetermined breaking line, so that a first recess can be produced in the first outer leg. By tearing off the first portion, a lower edge of the lid can be made accessible for opening it.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least one of the webs in the region of the first portion has a second recess. Ie. The first and / or the second web can be interrupted in this embodiment in the region of the first section. This makes it possible to set for opening the lid directly at the bottom of the second outer leg.

In order to further secure the first section, this predetermined breaking webs spanning the second recess may be connected to the first web and / or the inner leg.

The first and / or second predetermined breaking line is formed as a perforation. The first and / or second bridge has / have one Plurality of radial recesses. The radial recesses are V-shaped and open towards the outer periphery of the respective web. This allows a section-wise bending of the respective web without destroying the respective predetermined breaking line. Such a sectionwise bending may occur, for example, when the cover is placed on the container for the first time when the first outer limb of the second U-profile is slightly deformed.

According to a further embodiment, the third predetermined breaking line is formed as a continuous film bridge. Such a predetermined breaking line can be produced with a relatively simple designed tool.

According to an alternative embodiment of the plastic container, the first web extends from an upper edge of the second outer leg and the second web extends from a further upper edge of the first outer leg. In this case, the first and the second web are mounted so that they overlap with a latched lid to form a narrow gap. If in this case both the first and the second web are connected via a predetermined breaking line, a tamper evident ring formed by the welded webs can be completely removed from the cover and from the container.

Instead of the detachable via the third predetermined breaking line from the first outer leg portion may be provided to facilitate a first-time opening of the lid on the second outer leg and a tab which engages over the first outer leg when latched with the container lid. Thus, by attaching to the tab of the lid while destroying the first and / or second predetermined breaking line be lifted off the container. It will be complementary to the Fig. 7 to 10 of the WO 2008/119521 and the description of these figures referenced. The disclosure of this document is incorporated herein by reference.

The container and the lid are produced according to a further embodiment of a flexible plastic, preferably polypropylene. In particular, the lid and the container may be made of the same material. This ensures a particularly intimate ultrasonic welding connection.

According to a further embodiment it is provided that the lid is made in a different color from the container. Thus, the torn from the cover first ridge or tamper evident ring can be easily detected. It can thus be ascertained at a glance whether a first web or tamper-evident ring has ever been attached to the cover.

The proposed plastic container may have a cylindrical and / or or upwardly conically widening shape. In the elevation, the container may be a round container, a rectangular, an oval or otherwise shaped container.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Behälters sowie eines Deckels,

Fig. 2

eine teilweise aufgebrochene Ansicht des Behälters gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine Detailansicht gemäß Fig. 2,

Fig. 4

eine Draufsicht auf den ersten Behälter gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 5

eine Detailansicht gemäß Fig. 4,

Fig. 6

eine Draufsicht auf den Deckel gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 7

eine Detailansicht gemäß Fig. 6,

Fig. 8

eine Schnittansicht durch den Behälter gemäß Fig. 4 entlang der Schnittlinie B-B und

Fig. 9

eine Detailansicht gemäß Fig. 8.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a container and a lid,

Fig. 2

a partially broken view of the container according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

a detailed view according Fig. 2 .

Fig. 4

a plan view of the first container according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 5

a detailed view according Fig. 4 .

Fig. 6

a plan view of the lid according to Fig. 1 .

Fig. 7

a detailed view according Fig. 6 .

Fig. 8

a sectional view through the container according to Fig. 4 along the section line BB and

Fig. 9

a detailed view according Fig. 8 ,

The container generally designated by the reference numeral 1 in the figures has a radially projecting circumferential first web 2 in the vicinity of its opening edge. A first outer leg 3 extends from the outer circumference of the first web 2. The reference numeral 4 designates an inner leg made in one piece with a container wall, which extends from an inner circumference of the first web 2 and extends approximately parallel to the first outer leg 3. A generally designated by the reference numeral 5 first cover has at its peripheral edge on a first U-profile U1. A second outer limb of the first U-profile U1 is designated by the reference numeral 6. - The inner leg 4, the first web 2 and the first outer leg 3 form a second U-profile U2.

On the second outer leg 6 of the first U-profile U1, a radially projecting circumferential second web 7 is attached via a second perforation S2. As in particular from the Fig. 3 and 9 As can be seen, the second web 7 overlaps the first web 2 when the first lid 5 is in a latched state with the container 1. The first 2 and the second web 7 are arranged substantially parallel. In this case, the second web 7, which here forms a tamper-evident ring, rest on the first web 2. But it may also be that in this state, the second web 7 overlaps the first web 2 with a gap having a width or a gap in the range of about 0.05 to about 0.30 mm.

For producing a latching connection between the lid 5 and the container 1, the inner leg 4 in the region of its peripheral edge a radially outwardly projecting first bead 8 and the second outer leg 6 on its inner wall a second bead 9, which in the latched state, the first Bead 8 engages behind.

As in particular from the 4 and 5 can be seen, the first outer leg 3 has a portion A, which is connected via two third predetermined breaking lines S3 to the first outer leg 3. The section A can be torn off so that a first recess (not shown here) forms in the first outer leg 3.

As in particular from the 4 and 5 It can also be seen that the first 2 and the second web 7 have a second recess 10 in the region of the section A. By the reference numeral 11 are designated breaking ridges, which the first Bridge 2 and the inner leg 4 with the section A connect.

The 6 and 7 show in detail the formation of the second web 7. The second web 7 has V-shaped to the peripheral edge opening recesses 12.

To produce the tamper-evident, the cover 5 is placed on the filled container 1 in such a way that it engages with the container 1. In this case, the second bead 9 engages behind the first bead 8. The second web 7 overlaps the first web, forming a gap with a width of, for example, 0.15 mm.

For producing an ultrasonic welding connection (not shown in the figures) between the first 2 and the second web 7, the container 1 is placed with an underside of the first web 2 on an annular anvil of an ultrasonic welding device. Subsequently, the second web 7 is pressed by means of one or more sonotrodes against an underside of the upper side opposite the first web 2. The gap is closed. By the action of ultrasound then the first 2 and the second web 7 are welded together.

By providing the gap and pressing the second web 7 against the first web 2, the predetermined breaking line formed as perforated is stretched. It results in the stretched state, an elastic restoring force with which after the production of the ultrasonic welding the first U-profile U1 of the lid 5 is forced against an upper edge of the inner pivot 4 of the container 1. As a result, one becomes special achieved good seal between the lid 5 and container 1.

For the first opening of the lid 5, the consumer must destroy two tamper evidence.

A first tamper-evidence is that for opening the lid 5 first the section A must be removed from the first outer leg 3. Even in the missing section A, the consumer can recognize that possibly the originality of the goods received in the container is no longer given.

To release the second tamper-evident feature, after removal of the section A, it can be attached to the lower edge of the second outer leg 6 in the region of the second recess 10. By an upward pushing of the second outer leg 6, the second web 7 tears off the second outer leg 6 along the second perforation S2. Thus, the second tamper-evident is removed and the lid 5 is lifted from the container 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

container

2

first jetty

3

first outer thigh

4

inner thigh

5

cover

6

second outer thigh

7

second bridge

8th

first bead

9

second bead

10

second recess

11

Breaking bridge

12

recess

A

section

S2

second predetermined breaking line

S3

third predetermined breaking line

U1

first U-profile

U2

second U-profile

Claims (9)

1. A plastic container for receiving foodstuffs, comprising a container (1) and a latchable flexible lid (5) corresponding thereto,
   wherein the container (1) in the vicinity of its opening edge has a radially protruding first web (2), which runs around over a substantial part of its outer periphery,
   wherein a first outer limb (3) extends from the first web (2) over a substantial part of its outer periphery, with the result that a second U-shaped profile (U2) is formed on the container (1),
   wherein a first U-shaped profile (U1), which runs around on the edge of the lid (5) and is formed in a manner corresponding to the container wall, is provided,
   wherein a radially protruding second web (7) which runs around over a substantial part of its outer periphery is provided on a peripheral outer wall of the first U-shaped profile (U1), with the result that the second web (7) overlaps the first web (2) when the lid (5) is fitted onto the container (1),
   wherein the first web (2) is connected via a first perforation to the container (1) and/or the second web (7) is connected via a second perforation (S2) to the outer wall of the first U-shaped profile (U1),
   wherein the second web (7) comprises a plurality of recesses (12), which are arranged at regular distances, are V-shaped, and are open towards the outer periphery of the second web (7), and
   wherein the first web (2) and the second web (7) are welded together by means of an ultrasonic welding connection.
2. The plastic container according to Claim 1, wherein, when the lid (5) is latched to the container (1), the second web (7) is radially covered by the first outer limb (3).
3. The plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a portion (A) of the first outer limb (3) has a predetermined breaking line (S3), with the result that a first recess can be produced in the first outer limb (3).
4. The plastic container according to Claim 3, wherein the predetermined breaking point (S3) is formed as a continuous film bridge.
5. The plastic container according to one of Claims 3 or 4, wherein at least one of the webs (2, 7) has a second recess (10) in the region of the portion (A).
6. The plastic container according to one of Claims 3 to 5, wherein the portion (A) is connected by the predetermined breaking web (11) spanning the second recess (10) to the first web (2) and/or the inner limb (4).
7. The plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the container (1) and the lid (5) are produced from a flexible plastic, preferably polypropylene.
8. The plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lid (5) is produced in a colour different from the container (1).
9. The plastic container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the container (1) has a cylindrical and/or upwardly conically widening shape.

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