EP2989019B1 - Container closure - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a container closure, comprising a closure bottom part and a cap and a mouthpiece and means for piercing a closure film, wherein a guarantee strip is provided, which ensures that the closure film can be pierced by the means only when the guarantee band has been removed, according to Features of the preamble of claim 1.

Such container closures that are applied to containers, in particular screwed, are basically known. A medium is filled into the container and then the container closure is arranged on the container, wherein it is ensured with the container closure that the medium in the container is arranged closed relative to the outer environment of the container. For reasons of hygiene, in particular in the food sector, it is necessary to ensure that the container is sealed off from its external environment by means of a sealing film. This sealing film should only be pierced, broken through, cut through or the like, if a guarantee band of the container closure has been removed. With this guarantee strip, the supplier of the container can thus ensure that the medium in the container is safely accommodated in the container before piercing the sealing foil, whereby the medium can only be removed from the container after the closure foil has been pierced and then also from the outside environmental conditions the container is exposed.

Such a container closure is from the EP 0 214 095 A2 known. This prior art discloses a plastic closure for direct or indirect application to a container neck directly or indirectly closed by a pierceable membrane or film, the closure having a part with a spout opening and a part closing the spout opening, at least a part of the spout Closure is held by securing means with respect to the upper edge of the container neck in an upper guarantee position and only after removal or breaking away of the securing means in a deeper use position can be brought and wherein on one of the parts means for cutting or for medium or immediate piercing of the container neck closing membrane or foil are arranged.

In this case, it is assumed that the container, to be more precise its container neck, is closed with the closure film and only then the container closure is screwed on or placed on. This may be a disadvantage depending on the application, since it is not always possible to close the container neck after filling with the medium with the sealing film. The construction of the various container closures the EP 0 214 095 A2 However, it requires that the container neck must always be closed with the sealing film and must be moved to pierce the sealing film, the container closure axially or radially in the direction of the container, so that the sealing film can be pierced after the guarantee strip has been removed. In addition, it is still necessary for the user to move a cap of the container closure, in particular to pivot, to get to the access opening (mouthpiece).

US 2007/0280042 A1 discloses a container closure according to the preamble of claim 1.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide a container closure, which not only avoids the disadvantages described above, but is also easy to manufacture and in its usability. This object is solved by the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, it is provided that the guarantee strip is arranged between the closure bottom part and the cap.

This makes it possible, after filling the container with any medium, to place the container closure with its closure base on the container, the medium in the container being sealed against external influences by means of the closure film. In this case, the sealing film on the container neck, more precisely, the upper peripheral edge of the container neck, sealingly applied. A preferred case, however, is that the closure film is part of the container closure, in particular of the closure bottom part, and the opening of the container is closed by applying the container closure to the container neck.

Another advantage is the fact that with the removal of the guarantee strip at the same time a movement of the cap is made possible relative to the closure bottom. This relative movement can be seen in the fact that the cap can be completely removed from the closure bottom and also put back on this.

In order to ensure a relative movement of the cap with respect to the lower closure part, according to the invention, the peripheral lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral edge of the closure lower part is connected captively via at least one web. The at least one web ensures that the cap remains on the closure lower part, but is arranged relative to this movable on this. The relative mobility may be a pivoting, but also an axial movement of the cap with respect to the closure bottom.

By means of the at least one web, which is formed according to the invention as a film hinge, both an axial movement of the cap in the direction of the closure lower part and a pivoting of the cap away from the closure bottom part is realized. Especially with the axial movement of the cap in the direction of the closure lower part, the means for piercing the sealing film are advantageously actuated, so that overall the operability of the container closure is improved. Namely, this container closure makes it possible, by removing the guarantee strip, to actuate the means for piercing the sealing film by pressing the cap while ensuring that, after this operation, the cap remains on the closure base and releases the mouthpiece for removal of the medium or sealing closes.

Preferably, the embodiment that the peripheral lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral edge of the closure bottom are connected to each other via at least one web. However, alternative one-piece or multi-part designs are also conceivable. That is, "connected" does not mean one-piece. For example, the cap may also be fixed to the closure bottom via a ring or the like.

In a further development of the invention, the Verschifussfolie is attached to the lower peripheral edge of the closure bottom and closes a fillable with a medium space of the container closure.

On the one hand, it is generally conceivable that the sealing foil closes the opening of the container. Additionally or alternatively, it is conceivable that the closure film is part of the container closure, so that after attaching the container closure to the container with this closure film, the opening of the container is sealed against external influences. In this case, it is additionally advantageously considered that the container closure itself forms a space that can be filled with a medium. As a rule, the medium of the container will be another medium, which is located in the space of the container closure. Depending on the application or medium, it is not excluded that both media are the same. As a non-limiting example of such media, mention may be made of water which is in the container, wherein the medium in the fillable space of the container closure may be a dye, an active agent or the like.

It is important to note at this point that before removing the tamper-evident tape and actuating the means for piercing the sealing film, the two media from a single sealing film (either attached to the container or attached to the container closure) or two closure films (the one attached to the container and the other attached to the container closure) are separated from each other.

After filling the container with the one medium and filling the space of the container closure with the other medium, the container closure is mounted on the container, so that the two media do not come into contact with each other and are also sealingly arranged with respect to the external environment. In addition, it is ensured that the means for piercing the at least one sealing film can not be actuated until the guarantee strip has been removed. Only after the removal of the guarantee strip, it is possible to actuate the means for piercing the at least one sealing film, so that the two previously separate media can mix with each other.

Another particular application is the fact that a container can be carried by a user empty and unlocked and is filled by the user with any medium (for example, water). Only then is the container closure filled with the further medium applied to the filled container, the guarantee strip removed and the means for puncturing the closure foil of the container closure released by actuation of the cap. As a result, the water filled in containers can be mixed with the medium in the container closure, for example active ingredients, and then removed (drunk) via the mouthpiece of the container closure. In this case, the container closure is characterized by the advantage that a user can carry only one container, but several container closures with the same or different media. As a result, it is not always necessary to carry a filled container with it, but it can also be filled on the way with a readily available medium (in particular water) and this
Water are mixed with the appropriate medium in the container closure, so that there is a significant weight savings for the user. In addition, not only a weight saving is given, but the operability is increased because only the guarantee strip must be removed and it is then possible to actuate the means for piercing the sealing film by an axial movement of the cap and at the same time by a movement, this time a pivoting To access or close the cap, the discharge opening (in particular of the mouthpiece).

In a further development of the invention, the means for piercing the sealing film are formed as a punch nail, which is mounted axially displaceably in the mouthpiece. This embodiment as a cutting nail has the advantage that it is designed according to its one end to quickly, easily and reliably pierce the sealing film after the axial displacement. In addition, the axial displaceable arrangement of the ball nail in the mouthpiece has the advantage that the removal opening in the mouthpiece is released or closed by the cutting nail. Thus, can be released by the axial displacement of the nail nail in the mouthpiece in one direction, the opening in the mouthpiece and the medium are removed. An actuation of the claw nail in the other direction causes the closing of the removal opening. Thereafter, the cap can be sealingly fixed on the closure bottom, for example by jamming or latching. As a result, the mouthpiece is hygienically sealed from external influences. In another variant, the cutting nail is no longer pushed back.

In a further development of the invention, the distance between the circumferential lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral cap of the closure lower part is at least half as large or larger than the path of movement of the means, in particular of the cutting nail, for piercing the sealing film. This has the advantage that prior to removal of the guarantee strip, the means, in particular the cutting nail, are mounted in the container closure such that a puncture of the sealing film when pressure is exerted on the cap is not yet possible. Only when that
Guarantee tape has been removed, the cap by applying pressure on the means, in particular the piercing nail act, so that thereby the sealing film is pierced securely to such an extent that the in the space of the container closure located medium with the medium in the container located ( or vice versa) can mix. To ensure this, the distance is at least half as large. This means at the same time that the axial movement path of the cap in the direction of the closure lower part is likewise at least half as large, preferably just as large as the height of the guarantee strip. However, the axial movement path of the cap in the direction of the closure lower part can also be greater. In this case, it is ensured that the cap can be fixed to the closure bottom. This can be achieved for example by a clamping overlap of the circumferential lower edge of the cap and the upper peripheral edge of the closure bottom. It may also be considered that these two facing edges have latching means which are releasable to pivot the cap relative to the closure bottom.

In a further development of the invention, the closure base and the cap and the guarantee strip and the at least one web are formed integrally. These parts are manufactured in one piece, for example in a plastic injection molding process. This has the advantage that hygiene regulations can be maintained, in particular when the container closure has the fillable space in which a medium is filled and sealed with the closure film. Because then the medium in the room is only accessible when the guarantee strip has been removed.

Alternatively, on the one hand, the closure lower part and the mouthpiece or on the other hand, the cap and the guarantee strip and the at least one web are integrally formed in particular for the sake of simplifying their preparation.

An embodiment of a container closure according to the invention is described below and is explained with reference to the figures.

The Figures 1 and 2 show the basic structure of the container closure, the application of which is based on the FIGS. 3 to 8 is explained.

It should be noted that the container closure described below can be regarded as an independent element, which can be applied, in particular screwed onto any container which is empty or filled or provided with a sealing film or not provided.

The Figures 1 and 2 show, as far as shown in detail, a container closure 1, which has a cap 2 and a mouthpiece 3 with a removal opening for the medium. In the mouthpiece 3, the means for piercing a sealing film, designed here as a piercing nail 4, are arranged. Furthermore, the container closure 1 has a closure bottom part 5, with which the container closure 1 is applied to the corresponding part of the container. Furthermore, a guarantee strip 6 is present, which can be removed and is in accordance with the invention between the closure bottom 5 and the cap 2. That is, in this state, the peripheral lower edge of the cap 2 is held by the guarantee band 6 at a distance from the upper peripheral edge of the closure lower part 5.

The closure bottom 5 forms either alone or together with the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 a fillable space into which a medium can be filled. After this is done, this space is sealed by a sealing foil against the outside environment. It is also conceivable that this fillable space is not formed by the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 together with the closure lower part 5, but that only the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 forms this space which can be filled with the medium. In this case, the part of the lower part of the mouthpiece 3 pointing in the direction of the container is then sealed by the sealing film. In this case, the piercing nail 4 is in a position closing the mouthpiece 3 opening. This ensures that the space filled with the medium is sealingly closed both by the piercing nail 4 and by the sealing foil against the external environment.

Based on FIGS. 3 to 8 the structure and function of the container closure 1 according to the invention will be further explained.

FIG. 3 shows the starting position of a finished container closure 1 before the guarantee strip 6 is removed. Here it can be seen that the piercing nail 4 stands a certain amount beyond the upper end region of the mouthpiece 3 addition. Since the guarantee band 6 has not yet been removed, it is not possible to move the cap 2 axially in the direction of the closure lower part 5. As a result, due to its construction, the piercing nail 4 remains in such a position in the mouthpiece 3 that its opening is closed by the piercing nail 4. In addition, in the lower region of the closure bottom part 5, which is applied to an upper part of a container 7 shown in principle, the fillable space is closed with a sealing film, not shown.

FIG. 4 shows the state of the container closure 1 after the guarantee band 6 has been removed. The guarantee strip 6 is designed so that it is either as an integral part completely separated from the cap 2 and / or the closure part 5 ("demolished"). It is important that after removal of the guarantee strip 6, a web 8 remains, which connects the closure part 5 with the cap 2, so that the cap 2 captive part of the container closure 1 remains. The web 8 may be an independent part of the container closure 1 or also a part of the guarantee strip 6, wherein it still connects the cap 2 with the closure bottom part 5 after the removal of the guarantee strip 6.

In FIG. 5 It is shown that now in the pressure direction 9, a pressure on the cap 2 can be exercised. By exerting the pressure in the printing direction 9, the cap 2 can be moved axially in the direction of the closure lower part 5 by a maximum of the path X. This is possible because by removing the guarantee strip 6, a distance Y between the lower edge of the cap 2 and the upper edge of the closure lower part 5 has been cleared. However, it is necessary that the web 8 is designed so that it upon exertion of pressure on the Cap 2 in the printing direction 9 in turn allows a deformation that allows the movement of the cap 2 in the axial direction.

In this case, an important embodiment and function of the at least one web 8 should be pointed out. This web 8, designed as a film hinge, must on the one hand ensure that the cap 2 is arranged captively on the closure bottom part 5. At the same time it must be ensured by him that with exercise of a pressure in the printing direction 9, the cap 2 axially (or possibly also slightly different from the axial direction of movement), the cap 2 can be moved in the direction of the closure part 5. In addition, what is still to be explained, the cap 2 is set with its lower edge on the upper edge of the closure part 5. Therefore, the at least one web 8 and advantageously the lower edge of the cap 2 and / or the upper edge of the closure lower part 5 are matched to one another so that the cap 2 can not only be fixed, for example by clamping or latching on the closure base 5, but that the Cap 2 is also centered in the direction of the closure lower part 5 is guided or centered in the direction of the closure lower part 5 is continued, when the lower edge of the cap 2 has already reached the upper edge of the closure part 5. As a result, it is advantageously possible initially to allow an off-center axial movement of the cap 2 relative to the closure bottom part 5. Only when the cap 2 has reached the closure bottom part 5 and a further pressure is exerted, the cap 2 can be releasably permanently fixed, for example by jamming or latching on the closure bottom part 5.

This latter state shows the FIG. 6 in which, due to the configuration, the at least one web 8 has been moved or deformed in such a way that it makes it possible for the cap 2 to come to rest in a detachable but fixed manner on the closure bottom part 5. In addition, this is in accordance with the movement of the cap 2 of their position FIG. 5 according to their situation FIG. 6 relative to the closure bottom 5 of the cutting nail 4 has been moved from its initial position to its functional position. This means that the piercing nail 4 has pierced with its one suitably designed end region the sealing film which has closed the peripheral lower opening of the closure bottom part. This is very good in FIG. 6 to recognize that the lower part of the claw nail 4 has been moved in the direction of the container 7 and now projects into this.

In this position, it is now possible for the medium in the container 7 and the medium in the container closure 1, in particular in the closure bottom part 5, to be able to mix with one another. This is achieved in a particularly advantageous manner by the geometry of the cutting nail 4 in its one end region (in FIG FIG. 6 shown). By means of this geometry, such an opening is introduced into the sealing film, which makes it possible, on the basis of the media used, for it to be able to mix in the desired manner.

In the in FIG. 6 shown state of the container closure 1, it is possible that the media can mix. However, it is not yet possible to remove the mixed medium via the container closure 1 from the container 7.

This is only possible by the pivoting of the cap 2 in the pivoting direction 10. That is, the facing edges of the cap 2 and closure bottom 5 and their overlapping areas stand out from each other, but at the same time it is ensured that the cap 2 captive on the at least one web 8 remains on the closure part 5. Thereby, the mouthpiece 3 is accessible, so that in the container 7 located medium can be removed (for example, poured or drunk) can be. The piercing nail 4 and the mouthpiece 3 are designed and coordinated with each other for this purpose, that by pressing the nail clip 4 of his in FIG. 5 shown position in the position shown in the following figures, an opening in the mouthpiece 3 is released to remove the medium.

After the removal, in particular after the incomplete removal of the medium from the container 7, the container closure 1 according to FIG. 8 be closed again by the cap 2 against the pivoting 10 according to FIG. 7 according to their position FIG. 6 is brought. There are, both in FIG. 6 as well as in FIG. 8 , the inside of the upper end of the Cap 2 and the top of the mouthpiece 3 and the position of the cap 2 with respect to the closure part 5 so matched to one another that the top of the mouthpiece 3 sealingly comes to rest on the inside of the top of the cap 2. This effectively prevents the medium from being able to move into the interior space which is formed by the axial inner surfaces of the cap 2 and the axial surface of the mouthpiece 3. Here, in addition to the described vote of the cap 2 with respect to the mouthpiece 3 and the closure part 5 are also thought of an additional seal between the top of the mouthpiece 3 and the flat inner surface of the cap 2.

Due to the described configuration and operation of the container closure 1 in the sequence in the FIGS. 3 to 8 is the advantageous embodiment, ease of use and opening and reclosing very well recognizable.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1.

container closure

Second

cap

Third

mouthpiece

4th

nail piercing

5th

Closure lower part

6th

guarantee strip

7th

container

8th.

web

9th

print direction

10th

pivoting

Claims (8)

1. Container closure (1) having a lower closure part (5) and a cap (2) and also a mouthpiece (3) and means (4) for piercing a closure film, wherein a tamper-evident band (6) is provided, and this ensures that the closure film can be pierced by the means only when the tamper-evident band (6) has been removed, and wherein the tamper-evident band (6) is arranged between the lower closure part (5) and the cap (2), characterized in that the encircling lower edge of the cap (2) and the upper encircling edge of the lower closure part (5) are connected to one another via at least one crosspiece (8), and in that the at least one crosspiece (8) is designed in the form of a film hinge.
2. Container closure (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the closure film is fitted to the lower encircling edge of the lower closure part (5) and closes a space of the container closure (1) which can be filled with a medium.
3. Container closure (1) according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for piercing the closure film is designed in the form of a piercing spike (4) which is mounted in an axially displaceable manner in the mouthpiece (3).
4. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance (Y) which is freed by removal of the tamper-evident band (6), and is located between the encircling lower edge of the cap (2) and the upper encircling edge of the lower closure part (5), is at least half the size or greater than the movement path (X) covered by the means, in particular the piercing spike (4), for piercing the closure film.
5. Container closure (1) according to Claim 4, characterized in that the distance (X) is equal to the distance (Y).
6. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower closure part (5) and the cap (2) and also the tamper-evident band (6) and the at least one crosspiece (8) are formed in one piece.
7. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower closure part (5) and the mouthpiece (3) are formed in one piece.
8. Container closure (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cap (2) and also the tamper-evident band (6) and the at least one crosspiece (8) are formed in one piece.

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