EP3350093B1 - Fillable cap closure with a film seal that is opened purely by means of rotation or axial pressing - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a fillable cap closure according to the preamble of claim 1.

Many drinks are already made today by mixing a concentrate with water. Instead of distributing the finished mixture, it would be much more efficient if the bottle fillers could only fill water on site and the concentrate was only added to the water in the bottle by the consumer when the bottle was opened for the first time and then mixed with it. Such a closure can also be used to add all kinds of sensitive active ingredients and light-sensitive vitamins.

A known solution for metering in a separate liquid is a plastic metering cap and associated container neck for a container as it is made of WO2012 / 175'317 A1 evident. It is a fillable closure with a push button to release, which works with a separately filled capsule. The closure consists of a closure cap which can be screwed onto the threaded connector of a container and into which this separately filled capsule can be inserted from below in the closed state, with the sealing film of the capsule pointing downwards. The top of the capsule used is designed to be deformable and can be pressed axially downward, so that the downward-pointing sealing film of the capsule can be broken or burst. According to this document, this is achieved by an axially downwardly projecting profile formed on the underside of the closure cap, which fits into a recess in the deformable upper side of the capsule that is suitable for the cross section of this profile. By pressing this profile into the recess, the outer lower corners of the profile are pressed onto the sealing film of the capsule. The sealing film is provided with lines of weakness so that these corners meet the bisector of the circle segments formed by the lines of weakness and after the lines of weakness have burst the same can be pivoted downwards from the corners and afterwards can be kept pivoted downwards. In practice, however, it turns out that this solution works in principle, but not in every case, that is not in 100% of cases. This solution is therefore unsuitable for an implementation in practice in which hundreds of thousands of closures have to be delivered and each one has to function perfectly.

US 2014/367283 discloses a twist mixing tank according to the preamble of claim 1.

WO 2015/009171 discloses the closure of a closure vessel.

WO 2009/023976 discloses a self-opening closure with an air inlet channel for packaging or for containers to be seated with film material.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a fillable cap closure with foil sealing of the content, the filled content either by rotating the cap by cutting and folding the film into the container equipped with the closure, or its emptying can be triggered by a pure axial pressing on the cap. This fillable closure should be even easier to manufacture and assemble, consist of a minimal number of parts, and only by one action, namely either by rotating the cap or by axially pressing on the cap, that the film is cut cleanly and then folded down so that its contents or its filling falls safely and reliably into the container equipped with the closure. In particular, the closure is intended to ensure that the film, once folded down, cannot swivel in halfway again. In addition, the filling in the closure should be protected from the ingress of oxygen, UV radiation and water vapor from the environment.

This object is achieved by a fillable cap closure with the features of claim 1. Further features and special embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

This punctures the film on its periphery precisely and safely, and the film that has been pierced is then cut open along its circumference by approximately 360 °, and in a third step, this film is lowered by approximately 90 ° over the left, not cut film edge folded down and releases the cup, so that its content falls completely and safely down into the container equipped with the closure, regardless of whether it is a liquid or solid cup content. Furthermore, the laminate structure of the film ensures tightness against the ingress of oxygen, water vapor or UV radiation.

In the figures, this fillable cap closure and its individual components are shown in different views, namely an embodiment that can be emptied by simply rotating it, and an embodiment that can be emptied by means of pure axial pressure on the cap. The second embodiment is not part of the invention. On the basis of these figures, the different variants of this cap closure are described in detail and their functions are explained.

• Figur 1: Die drei Kunststoff-Bauteile in einer axialen Explosionszeichnung dargestellt - und darunter die Folie zum Versiegeln;
• Figur 2: Den Kappen-Verschluss als Drehkappen-Verschluss ausgeführt, mit dem zugehörigen separat befüllbaren Becher in einer Ansicht von schräg unten;
• Figur 3: Diese Drehkappe nach Figur 2 mit ihren Mitnehmern von schräg unten gesehen;
• Figur 4: Den befüllbaren Becher mit seinen Führungsmitteln für die Mitnehmer in einer Ansicht von schräg oben;
• Figur 5: Das auf einen Behälter aufschraubbare Aufnahmeteil von schräg oben gesehen;
• Figur 6: Den kompletten urenKappen-verschluss nach Figur 2 in zusammengesetztem zustand, mit darunter der auf den Zylinderrand aufzusiegelnden Laminatfolie;
• Figur 7: Eine Ausführung, nicht Teil der Erfindung, des Kappenverschlusses zum Auslösen Entleerung mittels reinem axialen Draufdrücken auf die Kappe.

It shows:

• Figure 1 : The three plastic components are shown in an axial exploded view - and underneath the film for sealing;
• Figure 2 : The cap closure is designed as a twist cap closure, with the associated separately fillable cup in an oblique view from below;
• Figure 3 : This twist cap after Figure 2 seen from below with their drivers;
• Figure 4 : The fillable cup with its guide means for the drivers in an oblique view from above;
• Figure 5 : The receptacle part that can be screwed onto a container, seen obliquely from above;
• Figure 6 : The complete uren cap closure Figure 2 in the assembled state, including the laminate film to be sealed onto the cylinder edge;
• Figure 7 : An embodiment, not part of the invention, of the cap closure for triggering emptying by means of pure axial pressing on the cap.

In a first version, this cap closure consists of a total of four parts, of which in Figure 1 the plastic parts 1, 2 and 3 are shown, in a view in which the three plastic parts are shown along their common axis of rotation away from each other. The fourth part is the laminate film, with which the bottom edge of the cylinder there can be closed.

Starting from the top, the cap closure, here embodied as a twist cap closure, consists of the twist cap 1, then shown below it, a fillable cup 2 and finally, finally, a receiving part 3, in which the cup 2 can be inserted. When the cup 2 is inserted into the receiving part 3, its piercing and cutting teeth 5, which are formed on it from below on its edge 4 and protrude downwards, do not quite extend to the lower edge 6 of the cylinder 7 inside the receiving part 3. This cylinder 7 is connected at the upper end to the outer area of the receiving part 3, as will become clear from further illustrations. In the interior of the rotating cap 1, on the lid of the rotating cap, axially downwardly projecting drivers 8 can be seen, which are intended to interact with guide means on the cup 2. These are formed on the one hand from two mutually opposite recesses 9 on the outside of the cup 2, secondly the axially extending ribs 10 on the outside of the cup 2 and thirdly the plungers 11 on the top of the rim 4 of the cup which projects outwards at the bottom 2. On the inside of the rotating cap 1 one can also see stopper 12 for unscrewing the receiving part 3 with its internal thread 13 on the threaded connector of a container. Furthermore, on the inside of the rotary cap 1, on the underside of its cap cover 15, a groove 17 formed by two concentric tube sections 16 can be seen, which fits over the upper end of the cylinder 7 in the receiving part 3. The rotating cap 1 is on the outside with a Corrugation 18 provided so that it can be rotated vigorously by hand without sliding off by hand. A ring 21, which is held over fine material bridges, is formed on the lower edge of the rotating cap 1 as a guarantee of opening. The receiving part 3 has on the outside a circumferential cantilever ring 14, over which two opposing bead portions 19 on the inside of the rotary cap wall 20 can be put and then close below the ring 14, to hold the rotary cap 1 on the receiving part 3 and to ensure that Rotatability of the rotary cap 1 on the receiving part 3. On the receiving part 3, a cantilevered circular ring 22 can be seen which, after the receiving part 3 has been screwed onto a container neck, rests on its upper edge. Inside the cylinder 7 of the receiving part 3, guide ribs 23, 24 can be seen, which cooperate with the ribs 10 on the cup, as will be explained.

The film 33 to be welded or glued onto the cylinder 7 consists of a laminate, with a carrier material of at least 0.2 mm thickness, with respect to the cup to the outside, followed by a barrier film as an oxygen, water vapor and UV radiation barrier, and on this barrier film a sealing layer in the form of a lacquer or a PE laminate layer, which is sprayed on or laminated on. So that the cup 2 is also water vapor-tight and the contents are protected from the ingress of water vapor, there are various variants of how this can be designed and constructed. In a first variant, the cup 2 can be sprayed with a special plastic which contains a silica gel which is added to the polymer to be sprayed. One speaks of an advanced desiccant polymer. With such polymers, the advantages of traditional polymers can be combined with the advantages of silica gel for moisture protection, so that any shapes and packaging can be plastic-sprayed and that they are moisture-absorbent. A second variant consists of injecting an insert for the inside of the cup from such advanced desiccant polymer separately, which is inserted into the inside of the cup. This insert must have a wall thickness of 0.8mm to ensure adequate water vapor absorption. In a third variant, a water vapor barrier is created by spraying an EVOH layer (EVOH = ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer) onto the inside of the cup, in order to protect the contents from water vapor. And in a fourth variant, the cup can be produced in a conjuction process, in which an EVOH component is injected into the middle of the still soft layer between an injected cavity in the injection mold, so that the EVOH bonds with the rest of the plastic on both sides ,

The Figure 2 shows the rotary cap 1 and the cup 2 in a view from approximately below. It can be seen in this view the shape of the two drivers 8 inside the rotary cap 1 and the groove 17 and the two stoppers 12, the function of which will be explained. On the cup 2 you can see the inside, as it results from the recesses 9 visible from the outside. In the example shown, the lower edge of the cup 2 is provided with three piercing and cutting teeth 5 which project downwards in the axial direction. Two grooving and incisors 5 are mutually opposed by 180 ° arranged, and a third piercing and incisor 5 lies on the edge at a medium distance from the other two. If the cup 2 is rotated during a left rotation of the rotating cap 1 - in the view shown here clockwise - (seen from above in a counterclockwise direction), the incisors 5 cut circular cuts along the circumference of the cup, and when the cup 2 rotates a little less than 180 °, a remainder of film of the otherwise cut circumference remains intact.

The Figure 3 shows the ring 21 for the first opening guarantee, on which wedges 25 protrude upwards, and these fit into wedge-shaped recesses 26 at the lower edge of the outer wall of the rotary cap 1. If the rotary cap 1 is turned to the left for the first time, that is to say when viewed from above in the release direction, namely counterclockwise, these recesses 26 slide with their lower edges onto the wedges 25 and a force is generated upwards until the material bridges break which hold the ring 21 on the rotary cap 1. The rotary cap 1 can then be rotated further on the receiving part 3. This rotation then causes a specific interaction with the cup 2, so that it is first axially lowered a little, then rotated and then again axially lowered a little.

The Figure 4 shows the cup 2 with its special design. On its upper outer wall, two mutually opposite depressions 9 are visible, which form an inclined surface 27 on which the drivers 8 act on the rotary cap 1. If these are rotated counterclockwise, they press the cup 2 downwards in the axial direction when these inclined surfaces 27 are driven because the rotary cap 1 is held on the receiving part 3 along the ribs 28 and therefore cannot rotate. This pressing down of the cup 2 leads to the piercing and cutting teeth 5 piercing the film at the lower cup edge, which spans the lower edge of the cylinder 7 in the receiving part 3. The further rotation of the rotating cap 1 causes the catches 8 to rotate the cup 2 counterclockwise because the ribs 28 have been lowered under the stopper 12. As a result, the cup 2 executes a pure rotation, as do the incisors 5. These cut a slot on the outer periphery of the film, which is approximately 360 °, so that it is only held on the outside by a narrow film material bridge. The ribs 10 on the outer wall of the cup 2 keep it at a distance from the cylinder inner wall of the cylinder 7 in the receiving part 3 and serve for the cup 2 to perform its third movement after the film has been cut open, namely again an axial downward movement with which the cut-out Film is folded down.

The Figure 5 shows the receiving part 3 seen from above. The guide means 23, 24 on two opposite sides of the inner wall of its cylinder 7 are designed in such a way that the upper ends of the ribs 10 on the cup 2 move under the guide ribs 24 in the final phase of the rotation of the cup 2 and slide along these guide ribs 24 upon further rotation and thus the cup 2 is pushed axially down a little. Its lower edge folds out the cut-out film by approximately 90 °. The stop elements 29 on the top of the Receiving part 3 serve that the rotating cap 1 with its stoppers 12 cooperates with these stop elements 29, so that firstly the entire rotating cap closure with its receiving part can be screwed clockwise onto a container neck, and can subsequently be rotated counterclockwise with respect to the receiving part 3, without the latter again To loosen the container neck by sliding the stopper 12 over the inclined surfaces 30 and, after almost 180 ° rotation, entering the catchers 32 via the inclined surfaces 31 and stopping the left-hand rotation in order to enable the screw cap closure to be completely unscrewed from the container.

The composite twist cap closure is in Figure 6 shown. In this assembled state, it is brought into an overturned position, with the open cylinder 7 facing upwards. It can be filled in this position, be it with a liquid or a pourable or pourable product. Finally, a laminate film 33 is glued or welded onto the edge of the cylinder 7. Then the twist-cap closure is ready to be screwed onto a container neck. During the next rotation of the rotating cap 1 to the left, the film 33 is pierced first with a purely axial downward movement of the cup 2, then cut open with a pure rotation of the cup 2, the film 33 is cut open, and finally, by pressing the cup 2 again purely axially, the cut out Foil disc folded down.

The Figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the cap closure, which is not part of the invention, which is only to be acted upon by an axially acting pressure on the cap lid to trigger the falling down of the cup contents. It only needs to be pressed on the cap lid with a finger or thumb. For this purpose, this cap closure, in an inverted position, forms a receptacle or a receptacle 3, in which a cup 2 can be inserted. This cup 2 is shaped in a special way. At its upper end in the picture or at the center of its base, on its outside, it forms a short tube section projecting outwards, the end of which is closed by a cover 42 with a slightly projecting edge 41. This edge is sloping towards the outside on its upper side here, and this falling ring thus formed forms a sliding surface 43. The counterpart to this peripheral, slightly projecting edge 41 is a number of flexible hooks 39 distributed around the circumference of this pipe section, the are formed on the underside of the receiving part 3 formed by the cap. If the cup 2 is inserted into the receiving part from below in the image shown, the peripheral edge 41 is initially against the hook 39. If pressure is applied, its beveled sliding surface 43 slides over the downwardly inclined surfaces on the hooks 39 and these swivel radially outwards under the pressure and under the beveled edge. As a result, the cantilevered edge 41 of the cover 42 of the tube section passes these hooks 39 and snaps behind the hooks 39, which for this purpose pivot back elastically towards the center of the cap. In the end, however, the cup 2 is reliably held in the receiving part 3. The receiving part in the picture is soft-elastic in the upper area due to its thinner wall thickness. In the center it forms a pusher surface 38, with a circumferential groove-like depression, a groove 40, which makes it possible for the pusher surface 38 to deform in the axial direction the groove 40 can be pressed down. The receiving part 3 is closed at the bottom with a sealing film. This film 33, which is to be welded or glued onto the lower edge of the receiving part 3, consists of a laminate with a carrier material of at least 0.2 mm thickness, and then with respect to the cup to the outside, a barrier film as oxygen, water vapor and UV radiation Barrier, and on this barrier film a sealing layer in the form of a lacquer or a PE laminate layer which is sprayed on or laminated on, as already described in detail above in section [0010]. The same applies to the cup 2 and its nature, which is also described in section [0010]. It must have a wall thickness of at least 0.8mm to ensure adequate water vapor absorption. In the example shown, this cup has a holding volume of 2 ml, which is sufficient for numerous applications.

As a special feature, the cup 2 is designed with its lower edge in such a way that it forms three lancing tips 35 projecting downwards. The edge between these lancing tips describes three arches 34, each with a sharp-edged edge projecting downwards. When the cup 2 is pressed purely axially inside the receiving part 3, by depressing its dome with the pressing surface 38, the three lancing tips distributed over the circumference pierce the film 33 at three points, and when the cup 34 is pressed further, the arches 34 act with their sharp edges as a knife. One of the sheets is cut higher, so that when the cup 2 is pressed down, the film is only cut open along its circumference by approximately 340 °, and thus approximately 360 °. In addition, the higher-cut arch is designed with a blunt edge in its center by approx. 20 °. If the cup 2 is pressed still further down, the cut-out film disk 33 is pivoted downward about the material bridge left standing and the entire contents of the cup 2 fall into the container equipped with the closure. The cap closure can now be unscrewed from the container neck and the prepared and mixed drink is available for drinking.

digits directory

• 1 rotating cap
• 2 cups
• 3 receiving part
• 4 Cantilever edge at the bottom of the cup 2
• 5 groin and incisor
• 6 Bottom edge of open cylinder on the receptacle 3
• 7 cylinders
• 8 drivers on rotating cap 1
• 9 wells on the cup
• 10 axial ribs on cup 1 1 tappet on cup 2
• 12 stoppers on rotating cap 1
• 13 internal thread on female part 1
• 14 ring bead on the outside of the receiving part 1, for holding the rotating cap 1
• 15 cap cover of the rotating cap 1
• 16 pipe sections for groove 17
• 17 groove
• 18 corrugation on rotating cap 1
• 19 beads on rotating cap 1
• 20 wall of rotating cap 1
• 21 ring on rotating cap 1 for first opening guarantee
• 22 Circular ring on 3
• 23 guide rib
• 24 guide rib for the last axial displacement of the cup 2
• 25 wedges on ring 21
• 26 recess on the wall of the rotary cap 1
• 27 inclined surface in recess on cup 2
• 28 Rib on the outside of cup 2
• 29 stop elements on top of receiving part 3
• 30 sloping surface on stop element
• 31 sloping surface
• 32 catchers
• 33 slide
• 34 sheets with a sharp cutting edge
• 35 grooved tooth in execution after Figure 7
• 36 Second grooving tooth in execution after Figure 7
• 37 Third tooth in execution after Figure 7
• 38 Pusher surface on cap cover in the version according to Figure 7
• 39 Elastic radially swiveling hooks on the design according to Figure 7
• 40 Groove to allow depression of the pusher surface in the cap cover according to the version Figure 7
• 41 Cantilevered edge a Pipe section on the outside of the cup base, with an outer beveled edge as a sliding surface
• 42 Cover surface of the tube section on the cup base
• 43 chamfered sliding surface outside on the edge 41 of the cover 42

Claims (9)

1. A fillable cap closure for receiving and film-sealing a liquid or pourable filling in the interior thereof and for emptying purely by means of rotation of the cap (1), consisting of a receiving part (3) which can be screwed onto the threaded connection piece of a container and has a cylinder (7) which is open at the bottom, wherein the cylinder (7) is film-sealed at the bottom, and a cup (2) which can be inserted headfirst into said cylinder (7), comprising at the edge thereof at least one piercing and cutting tooth (5) which extends over said edge in the axial direction, characterised in that guide means are embodied in the form of two depressions (9) which are opposite one another, forming an oblique surface (27) below, on the upper outer wall of the cup and that the twist cap (1) is provided with drivers (8) which engage in said depressions (9) on the cup (2) to open and pivot down the film purely by means of rotation of the cap, as a result of which, with a first rotation the drivers (8) can drive onto the oblique surfaces (27) and in this manner the axial displacement of the cup (2) downwards can be effected to pierce through the film (33), then by means of further horizontally rotation of the twist cap (1), in that the drivers (8) thereof rotate the cup by abutting the lateral surfaces of the depressions (9), the film (33) of said cup can thus be cut open along the circumference thereof by less than 360°, and, by means of subsequent further pure rotation of the cap by driving down the guide ribs (24) extending obliquely to the inner wall of the cylinder (7) with the upper end of the ribs (10) extending axially to the outer wall of the cup (2) subsequent further pure rotation of the cap by driving down the guide ribs (24) extending obliquely to the inner wall of the cylinder (7) with the upper end of the ribs (10) extending axially to the outer wall of the cup (2), another axial displacement of the cup (2) downwards to fold down the cut-out film (33) is effected.
2. The fillable twist cap closure according to claim 1, characterised in that the edge of the cup (2) has three piercing and cutting teeth (5), of which two are opposite one another and a third is integrally formed on the edge between said two, so that a rotation of the cup (2) by approximately 180° leads to a cutting-open of the film (33) by approximately 360°.
3. The fillable twist cap closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cup (2) is designed to be water-vapour-repellent in that the cup (2) is injected-moulded from an Advanced Desiccant Polymer, which contains a water-vapour-absorbent component.
4. The fillable twist cap closure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the cup (2) is designed to be water-vapour-repellent in that the cup (2) contains an insert which is separately injection-moulded from an advanced desiccant polymer and has a wall thickness of at least 0.8 mm, said insert being insertable into the inside of the cup in a precisely fitting manner, and which is intended to act in a water-vapour-absorbing manner.
5. The fillable twist cap closure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the cup (2) is designed to be water-vapour-repellent in that a water vapour barrier made of an EVOH layer is sprayed onto the inner sides of the cup (2).
6. The fillable twist cap closure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the cup (2) is designed to be water-vapour-repellent in that same is produced in a conjective method, in which the walls thereof in the interior contain an injection-moulded EVOH component, which is connected on both sides to the injected wall material.
7. The fillable twist cap closure according to any one of claims 1 or 2 to 6, characterised in that stoppers (12) which project further outwards and downwards are integrally formed on the twist cap (1) on the inner side of the capsule lid in order to delimit the rotation of the twist cap (1), and that ribs (28, 10) are integrally formed on the outer side of the cup (2) for further axially downwards pressing of the cup (2) into the receiving part (3).
8. The fillable twist cap closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the film (33) is a laminate film, comprising a carrier material of at least 0.2 mm thickness, then a barrier film thereon outwards with respect to the cup (2), said barrier film being in the form of an oxygen barrier, water vapour barrier and UV radiation barrier, and a sealing layer in the form of a lacquer or a PE laminate layer is sprayed or laminated onto said barrier.
9. The fillable twist cap closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that plastic parts, namely the twist cap (1), the cup (2) and the receiving part (3), are all made of a water-vapour-impermeable polymer.

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