EP3720781A1

EP3720781A1 - Assembly of a container and a lid in plastic material

Info

Publication number: EP3720781A1
Application number: EP18710517.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Davide Abate
Original assignee: Abate Basilio and C SNC
Current assignee: Abate Basilio and C SNC
Priority date: 2017-12-04
Filing date: 2018-01-26
Publication date: 2020-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2038-01-26
Also published as: WO2019111060A1; EP3720781B1; HRP20220185T1; PL3720781T3

Abstract

An assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) of plastic material, in which the container (10) and the lid (13) are provided with a respective outer skirt (15, 28) having snap engaging annular locking beads (16, 17; 30, 32) for the lid (13), configured with seal surfaces. The outer skirt (28) of the lid (13) is provided with a hooking crown (40) having a plurality of outwardly facing tabs (41), side by side arranged and separated by transverse slits (42); each tab (41) is connected to a lower rim of the skirt (28) of the lid (13), by an elastically flexible hinge (42) to allow, in the assembled condition of the lid (13) and of the container (10), the hooking crown (40) to be introduced into an upwardly facing channel (18) of the skirt (15) of the container (10), and the hooking with an annular bead (20).

Description

ASSEMBLY OF A CONTAINER AND A LID IN PLASTIC MATERIAL

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to an assembly of a container and of a closing lid, in plastic material, particularly suitable for packaging liquid, pasty or solid substances in loose state, having the features of claim 1. STATE OF THE ART

Packaging substances in loose state is widespread in the food industry and in other sectors, by containers made of plastic material closed by a lid that snaps onto a pe ripheral wall of the container, and which can be removed after removing a tear strip.

Nevertheless, one limit to the use of containers made of plastic material consists of the tendency of the lid to pop-up in the event of a fall of the container, or, if inside the same container shock waves or overpressure are created; this problem is particu larly significant in containers of medium and large dimensions. In order to solve the problem, various solutions have been proposed over the years providing snap engag ing systems between the closing lid and the peripheral wall of the container, in which the lid can be removed after tearing off a safety strip.

Container and lid assemblies made of plastic material provided with a snap engaging system of the lid, and with a tear-off safety strip, are disclosed for example in WO 2015/197501 of the same applicant, which constitutes the state of the art that the pre sent invention intends to improve, in US 9.340.332 and WO 01/19697.

In particular, WO 2015/197501 refers to a container and lid assembly made of plastic material according to the preamble to claim 1, in which the lid and the container are provided with respective outer skirts configured with a multiple system of snap en gaging beads; in this manner, a good outer seal and good mechanical resistance to ac cidental opening of the container are obtained. Nevertheless, in WO 2015/197501 only tough engaging annular locking beads are used between an outer skirt of the container and an outer skirt of the closing lid. Alt hough a similar solution permits a good seal and good mechanical resistance to acci dental opening of the container, it nevertheless requires great closing force that tends to deform the lid, with the risk of compromising the hermetic seal of the container.

In order to limit this drawback, it was necessary to mould the lid with great thick nesses, with consequent consumption of plastic material, greater production costs and difficulty in closing the container.

Further, the use of only annular beads involves lid engaging forces that are prevalent ly directed in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container, with the risk that an elastic deformation of the container, following a fall or for other caus es, may cause the lid to become detached and an accidental opening of the container, with consequent loss of the substance contained and contamination of the external environment.

US 9.340.332 for its part discloses the assembly of a container and a lid made of plastic material, in which the lid comprises a tear-off safety strip, provided with an gularly spaced apart tamper tabs and accessible through openings of the rim of the lid; the single tabs are oriented inwards to engage a bead of the side wall of the con tainer.

In order to increase the stiffness of the tabs and limit the flexibility thereof, the single tabs are connected to the safety strip by suitable beads. The solution according to US 9.340.332 is thus deleterious and unsuitable for combined use with the closing sys tem of WO 2015/197501, because not only does it not permit suitable mechanical re sistance of the closure, but does not permit a suitable hermetic seal of the container.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of a container and a lid made of plastic material, provided with an improved closing system compared to WO 2015/197501, in which the engagement of the lid with the container is facili tated more, requiring a comparatively lower closing force.

A further object of the invention is to provide an assembly of a container and a lid made of plastic material, as defined above, suitable to provide a greater mechanical resistance, and a better seal, in the event of great impact and deformation of the con tainer as a result of an accidental fall or for other reasons.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects and advantages are obtainable by an assembly of a container and a lid made of plastic material, provided with a closing system according to the claim 1.

In general, according to the invention, an assembly is provided of a container and a lid made of plastic material, comprising:

a container having a peripheral or lateral wall, provided with an outer skirt con figured with an upwardly open annular channel having an annular bead inside the channel;

the lid is in turn configured with an outer skirt that protrudes from a first down wardly open annular channel, along a peripheral rim of the lid;

opposite surfaces of the outer skirt of the container and of the outer skirt of the lid, are provided with annular locking beads that are snap engageable with one anoth er; the locking beads are further configured with sealing contact surfaces.

The container-lid assembly according to the present invention is distinguished from previous solutions, inasmuch as the outer skirt of the lid comprises a hooking crown that extends outwards from a lower rim; the hooking crown comprises a plurality of tabs arranged side by side, separated by transverse slits, in which each tab is connect ed to the lower rim of the skirt of the lid by an elastically flexible hinge.

In the assembled condition of the lid and the container, the single hooking tabs are elastically moved inside at the moment of closing and subsequently to the outside to engage the bead inside the annular channel of the skirt of the container.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One preferred embodiment of the container-lid assembly according to the invention, and further features thereof, will be disclosed below with reference to the drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 is a section of the container and of the lid, in an assembled condition;

- Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of a detail of figure 1 ;

- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lid;

- Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of figure 3;

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged section, similar to that of figure 2, of the skirt of the con tainer;

- Fig. 6 is an enlarged section, similar to that of figure 2, of the skirt of the lid;

- Fig. 7 is an first enlarged detail of figure 2;

- Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a second enlarged detail of figure 2;

- Figs 9- 12 show the main hooking steps of the lid to the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the example of figures 1 to 7, the features will now be disclosed of the closing system of a container-lid assembly made of plastic material according to the invention. In the various figures, a container and a lid of circular shape have been shown; nevertheless, it is pointed out that the innovative features of the closing sys tem according to the invention are suitable for being applied to any type of container having a different shape from that shown, for example a square, rectangular, oval or polygonal shape. As shown in figure 1, the assembly comprises a container 10 made of plastic materi al, having a bottom 11, a side wall 12, and a closing lid 13 that are engageable by a snap seal to the side wall 12 of the container 10. In particular, as shown in figure 2, the side wall 12 of the container 10 has an annular rim 14 that extends axially upwards with respect to an outer skirt 15; the skirt 15 sur rounds the container 10, and is radially spaced apart from the peripheral wall 12.

The skirt 15 of the container extends downwards from the upper rim 14 of the wall 12; further, it is configured on the outer side with a first annular bead 16 near the rim 14 of the container, and with a second annular bead 17 in an intermediate position below the first bead 16.

The skirt 15, in a position below both annular beads 16 and 17, is configured with an upwardly open outer annular channel 18; the annular channel 18 is provided with an outer wall 19 having an annular bead 20 facing inside, near an upper rim thereof.

The annular bead 20, as shown in the enlarged detail of figure 7, is configured with a downwardly slanted upper surface 21 and with an undercut annular throat 22, for the reasons set out below.

The two annular beads 16 and 17 of the skirt 15 are in turn configured with surfaces that are suitable for providing annular locking and sealing contact zones with corre sponding annular beads of an outer skirt 28 of the lid 13, as shown in figures 2, 5 and 6.

According to the detail of figure 7, the skirt 15 of the container 10, at the annular channel 18, has a third annular bead 23 that is suitable for engaging a corresponding bead 23’ of the skirt 28 of the lid 13, as explained further below.

Again with reference to figures 2, 5, 6 and 7 the features of the closing lid 13 will now be disclosed. The lid 13 comprises a flat central zone 24, having a peripheral wall 25 that extends upwards from the outer rim of the lid, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container 10.

The peripheral wall 25 is configured with a downwardly open annular channel 26; the channel 26 is suitable for allowing the upper rim 14 of the container to be press fit ted, and a seal coupling between reciprocal contact side surfaces 27 and 27’.

The lid 13 is further provided with an outer skirt 28 that surrounds, in a spaced apart position, the outer wall 25; the skirt 28 protrudes from the annular channel 26 and ex tends downwards beyond the peripheral wall 25.

As shown in the various figures, the outer skirt 28 of the lid 13 is configured with a first upper strip 29 having a first inner annular bead 30 suitable for snap and sealingly engaging the first outer bead 16 of the skirt 15 of the container; the skirt 28 compris es a second lower strip 31 having a second annular bead 32 suitable for snap and sealingly engaging the second outer bead 17 of the container 10.

The outer skirt 28 of the lid 13 is further provided with a third annular strip 33, in an intermediate position between the upper strip 29 and the lower strip 31; the interme diate strip 33 is one piece with the entire lid. The strip 33 is further connected to the annular beads 30 and 32 by respective weakened tear-off breaking line 34 and 35, more clearly shown in figure 6; the strip 33 can be tom off by pulling on a relative tab 36 (figure 3).

The skirt 15 of the container 10 and the skirt 28 of the lid 13 are configured for providing, in the assembled condition of figure 2, annular seal chambers that permit optimum hermetic closure of the container. In particular, in the assembled condition of the lid and of the container, a first annular seal chamber 37 is formed, figure 2, at the upper strip 29 of the skirt 28, and a second annular seal chamber 38 at the tear-off strip 33, in an intermediate position between the upper beads 16, 30 and the lower beads 17, 32 of the two hooking skirts 15 and 28. A third annular seal chamber 39 is provided at the lower annular strip 31, that protrudes inside the channel 18, and a fourth annular seal chamber 46 in the zone comprised between the annular rim 14 of the peripheral wall 12 of the container that sealing enters with interference into the channel 26 of the lid 13.

As referred to previously, in combination with the features of the container 10 and of the lid 13 previously disclosed, one aspect of the present invention consists of con figuring the lid 13 with a finned crown 40, figure 3, for hooking the lid 13, that ex tends outside the rim of the lower strip 31 of the skirt 28; the crown 40 has a plurality of tabs 41 elastically biased against the outer wall 19 of the channel 18, in the form of a pawl suitable for being hooked to the annular bead 20.

More precisely, as shown in figures 3 and 6 and in the detail of figure 7, the lower annular strip 31 of the skirt 28 of the lid is provided with a peripheral crown 40, fig ure 3, that protrudes outwards from the lower rim of the skirt 28. The finned crown 40 comprises a plurality of tabs 41 arranged side by side, in which contiguous tabs 41 are separated from one another by a narrow transverse slit 4G, figure 4, for example of the order of about a millimetre or little more.

As shown in the detail of figures 7 and 8, the single hooking tabs 41 are connected to the outer rim of the lower annular strip 31 of the skirt 28, by an elastically flexible hinge 42.

The single hooking tabs 41 can have any form of cross section; for example they can have a triangular section, of gradually increasing thickness, bounded by side surfaces 43, 44 diverging to the outer rim 41 A. Accordingly the tabs 41, at the outer rim 41 A, have a thickness that is the same as or little greater than the distance existing between the inner surface 15’ of the channel 18, consisting of the corresponding outer surface of the lower strip 31, and the inner rim of the bead 20 that is suitable for being the hook with the tabs 41; in this manner the tabs 41 can penetrate the channel 18 ex ceeding the bead 20 with slight forcing and flexure of the outer wall 19 of the chan nel 18.

Preferably, the hooking tabs 41, as shown in figures 6 and 7, before assembly of the lid 13 on the container 10, are slanted outwards and upwards, for example at an angle comprised between 20°C and 50° between the outer side surface 43 of the tabs 41 and the outer surface 15’ of the lower strip 31 of the peripheral skirt 28 of the lid 13.

The outwards and upwards slanted arrangement of the tabs 41 facilitates the automat- ic refolding backwards thereof around the elastic hinge 42 and the insertion thereof into the channel 18 during assembly of the lid on the container; it further facilitates the return to the initial position of the tabs 41 for the elastic memory of the hinge 42. Lastly, the upwards slanting of the tabs 41 prevents the tabs, during movement of the lids before assembly, bending for external reasons excessively downwards, hindering closure of the lid on the container.

With reference now to figures 9-12 and to the detail of figure 7, the fundamental steps of assembling the lid 13 to the container 10 will be described, and the hooking function of the tabs 41 as a result of the elastic action of the flexible hinge 42.

As shown in figure 9, at the moment of assembling the lid 13 it is positioned on the container 10 with the wall 12 and the skirt 15 of the container that partially penetrate between the peripheral wall 25 and the skirt 28 of the lid 13. In these conditions, the tabs 41 of the hooking crown 40 rest on the rim of the outer wall 19 of the channel 18; performing a downward thrust on the lid 13, as indicated by the arrow Fl in the subsequent figure 10, the tabs 41 slide along the slanted guide surface 21 of the annu lar bead 20, and are folded inwardly, loading elastically the flexible hinge 42 thereof.

In this condition, the beads 30 and 32 of the skirt 28 of the lid 13 are not yet engaged with the beads 16 and 17 of the skirt 15 of the container 10, whereas the upper rim 14 of the container 10 is aligned on the channel 26 of the lid 13.

By continuing the downward thrust on the lid 13, as a result of the slight elastic de formation of the side walls of the channel 18, the lower rim of the skirt 28 and the tabs 41 of the annular crown 40 completely penetrate the channel 18; thus the tabs 41 are arranged below the bead 20 and the annular throat 22, and are made to rotate outwardly by the elastic hinge 42, against the peripheral wall 19 of the channel 18; in this condition shown in figure 12, the annular beads of the two skirts 15 and 28 are firmly engaged together; thus the tabs 41 of the crown 40, in combination with said beads, in addition to permitting facilitated closure, increase mechanical resistance to accidental opening of the lid. At the same time as mechanical hooking of the lid 13 to the container 10, the beads 30 and 32 of the lid lock against the beads 16 and 17 of the skirt 15 of the container and sealingly close the annular chambers 37, 38 and 39; further, the upper rim 14 of the container is forced to sealingly penetrate the upper channel 27 of the lid.

In this manner, closure of the lid 13 on the container 10 is achieved that is character ized by numerous mechanical hooking points and by numerous hermetic seal zones.

Let it now be supposed that the container closed and completely filled with a liquid substance, or substance in a loose state, falls accidentally against the ground, suffer ing a great shock. Owing to the impact force and the elastic deformation of the con tainer, inside the container a great shock wave is generated that may cause an acci dental detachment of the lid and the escape of the substance contained therein.

In such a case the detachment of the lid is not only prevented by the annular beads of the skirts 15 and 28 of the container 10 and of the lid 13, but is further hindered by the hooking action of the tabs 41 on the bead 20 of the channel 18; following a short forward movement and the elastic action of the flexible hinges 42, the tabs 41 are pushed outwards, penetrating with the rim 41 A thereof the annular throat 22 of the wall 19, the tabs 41 being pushed against the bead 20.

From what has been previously explained, it is thus clear that in an assembly of a container and a lid made of plastic material according to the present invention, the closure of the container is significantly facilitated owing to the fact that the tabs 41 easily fold inwardly to enter the channel 18; once the tabs 41 have been folded, they are pushed to return against the outer wall of the channel 18 by the elastic action of the flexible hinge 42, creating in fact a pawl closure against the bead 20; in this man ner a significantly more effective closure of the lid is obtained, a hermetic closure of the lid and great mechanical resistance against accidental opening.

The mechanical resistance against accidental opening of the container is further im proved by the elastic action of a channel-formed upwardly oriented annular bead 45, between the flat central zone 24 of the lid and the peripheral wall 25.

Claims

1. An assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) in plastic material, compris ing:

a container (10) having a side wall (12) provided with an outer skirt (15) con figured with an upwardly open annular channel (18) and an annular hooking rib (20) inside the annular channel (18);

a lid (13) provided with a peripheral skirt (28) downwardly extending from an annular channel (26), along a peripheral rim of the lid (13);

in which the peripheral skirt (15) of the container (10) and the peripheral skirt

(28) of the lid (13) are provided with snap engaging annular locking ribs (16, 17; 30, 32);

characterised in that:

the skirt (28) of the lid (13) is provided with a hooking crown (40) to the an- nular rib (20) of the channel (18) of the skirt (15) of the container (10), in which the hooking crown (40) is outwardly extending from a peripheral rim of the skirt (28) of the lid (13), and in which the hooking crown (40) comprised a plurality of side by side arranged tabs (41) separated by cross slits (4G), each hooking tab being con nected to the peripheral rim of the skirt (28) of the lid (13) by an elastically flexible hinge (42).

2. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 1, in which the hooking annular rib (20) of the lid (13) is provided on an outer peripheral wall (19) of the annular channel (18) of the skirt (15) of the container (10), and in which each hooking tab (41), in the assembled condition of the lid (13) to the con- tainer (10), is urged by the elastically flexible hinge (42) towards the outer wall (19) of the annular channel (18), in a position underneath the annular hooking rib (20).

3. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 1, char acterised in that each hooking tab (41) is configured with an outer rim (41 A) having a thickness greater than the annular space between the annular rib (20) of the outer wall (19) and an inner wall of the annular channel (18), defined by a lower rim of the shirt

(15) of the container (10).

4. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 3, char acterised in that each hooking tab (41) has a cross section diverging from the elas tically flexible hinge (42) towards the outer rim (41 A).

5. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 4, char acterised in that the outer rim (41 A) of each hooking tab (41) is configured with a sharp edge.

6. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 1, char acterised in that each hooking tab (41) is upwardly slanted.

7. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 1, char acterised in that the skirt (28) of the lid (13) comprises an upper annular band (29) extending from the downwardly open annular channel (26) of the lid (13); a lower annular band (31) from which the hooking tabs (41) outwardly extend; and an inter mediate annular band (33) connected to the upper annular band (29) and to the lower annular band (31) by weakened tearing lines (34, 35).

8. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claims 1 and 7, characterised in that the annular locking ribs (16, 17; 30, 32) of the skirt (15) of the container (10) and of the skirt (28) of the lid (13) are arranged on opposite side of the intermediate tearing band (33).

9. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 8, char- acterised in that the locking annular ribs (16, 17; 30, 32) of the skirt (15) of the con tainer (10) and of the skirt (28) of the lid (13) are configured with reciprocal sealing annular surfaces.

10. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 1, char- acterised in that the side wall (12) of the container (10) is provided with a peripheral edge (14) sealingly fittable into the annular channel (26) of the lid (13).

11. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 1, char acterised in that in correspondence of the annular channel (18) of the skirt (15) of the container (10), annular hooking ribs are provided on opposite surfaces of the skirt (15) of the container (10) and of the skirt (28) of the lid (13).

12. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 7, char acterised in that the skirt (15) of the container (10) and the skirt (28) of the lid (13) are provided with opposite surfaces configured to provide, in the assembled condi tion of the lid (13) and container (10), a sealing annular chamber (37, 38, 39) in cor- respondence of at least one of the annular bands (29, 31, 33) of the skirt (28) of the lid (13), and a sealing annular chamber (46) in the zone between the edge (14) of the peripheral wall (12) of the container (10), sealingly fitting into the channel (26) of the lid (13).

13. The assembly of a container (10) and a lid (13) according to claim 1, char- acterised in that the lid (13) is provided with a planar central zone (24) and a periph eral wall (25) upwardly extending parallely to a longitudinal axis of the container (10), in which a channel shaped elastically flexible annular rib (45) is provided be tween the planar central zone (24) and the peripheral wall (25) of the lid (13).