EP3921248B1

EP3921248B1 - Closure for a spout of a flexible thin-walled packaging

Info

Publication number: EP3921248B1
Application number: EP20706590.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefano Tamarindo
Original assignee: Guala Pack SpA
Current assignee: Guala Pack SpA
Priority date: 2019-02-08
Filing date: 2020-02-05
Publication date: 2023-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 2040-02-05
Also published as: EP3921248A1; IT201900001829A1; WO2020161633A1; CL2021002079A1; BR112021015244A2; MX2021009486A; AU2020219941A1; US20220024650A1

Description

The present invention relates to a closure for a spout of a thin-walled flexible packaging, usually called a "pouch".
As is known, these packages are widely used to contain products such as fruit juices and purees, yoghurt, energy drinks and the like.
They are especially appreciated for their enormous ease of use, as the spout allows the product to be dispensed directly into the mouth, and as regards children's products, for the fun inherent in the use of the spout.
Usually, the packaging includes a cap screwed to the spout, provided with a guarantee seal which shows the first use thereof.
Once the cap is unscrewed from the spout, it remains in the user's hand, usually in the other hand with respect to the one used for drinking, or, in the case of children, it is given to the helper. Since it is inconvenient to hold it in one's hand and given its small size, the risk is that the cap is thrown away or lost, without taking into account the correct disposal thereof. A closure according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from WO-A1-2018/020365 .
The object of the present invention is to provide a closure for a spout of a thin-walled flexible packaging which meets the requirements of the field and which overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the prior art.
Such an object is achieved by a closure according to claim 1; the dependent claims describe further advantageous embodiments.
The features and the advantages of the closure according to the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description, made by way of an indicative and non-limiting example with reference to the following figures, in which:

- figure 1 shows a closure according to an embodiment of the present invention, with separate parts;
- figure 2 shows a sectional view of an overcap of the closure of figure 1;
- figure 3 shows the section of figure 2 according to a plan view;
- figure 4 shows a sectional view of a closure according to the present invention, applied to a spout;
- figure 5 shows an enlarged view of a detail of figure 4; and
- figure 6 shows the closure applied to the spout, in a condition subsequent to the first opening.

With reference to the accompanying tables, reference numeral 1 generally indicates a closure for a spout of a thin-walled flexible packaging, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The closure 1 comprises a closure body 2 and an overcap 4, to which the closure body 2 is stably applicable.
The closure body 2 comprises an annular body wall 6 having a main axis X and a predefined height along said main axis X; the body wall 6 extends between a closure base 10 and an annular body wall edge 7 for insertion of the closure body 2 on the spout.
The body wall 6 is internally threaded (thread 14) for screwing onto the spout.
The overcap 4 comprises a closure compartment 16, for example delimited by an annular overcap wall 18, suitable for at least partially housing the closure body 2.
The overcap wall 18 extends along said main axis X between an overcap wall edge 18a and an overcap base 18b which acts as a closure.
The overcap 4 comprises a plurality of fins 19, protruding radially externally from the overcap wall 18, and an annular grip wall 20, continuous or in sections, made integral with the overcap 18 by said fins.
By virtue of the fins 19, the grip wall 20 is radially spaced from the overcap wall 18, forming axial anti-suffocation passages 22.
Preferably, the closure body 2 is housed in the closure compartment 16 so as to be axially and rotationally constrained.
For example, the body wall 6 of the closure body 2 has a plurality of axial ribs 24 protruding externally, while the overcap wall 18 internally has a corresponding plurality of axial grooves 26, each groove being suitable for accommodating the respective rib, thus creating a relative constraint in rotation.
Furthermore, in the vicinity of the closure base 10, the closure body 2 comprises at least one ring 23 which engages in the closure compartment 16, in the vicinity of at least one respective groove 25 close to the overcap base 18b to achieve a relative axial constraint.
A spout-closure assembly 100, consisting of a spout 110 for the thin-walled flexible packaging, and of the closure 1 described above, has an engagement configuration, in which the closure is screwed to the spout, and a disengagement configuration, in which the closure is unscrewed from the spout.
Connecting means are provided which are suitable for keeping the closure 1 connected to the spout also in the disengagement configuration, that is, after having unscrewed the closure from the spout.
According to the invention, said connecting means comprise a collar 30 suitable for being inserted on a grip portion of the spout, and a flexible lace 32 connecting the collar 30 to the overcap 4, for example to the overcap wall 18.
The collar 30, typically consisting of an annular wall, for example circular, has a lower edge 30a and an upper edge 30b adjacent to the edge of the overcap wall edge 18a of the overcap wall 18 and connected thereto by means of a breakable guarantee seal 30c.
The collar 30 and the overcap wall 18 are preferably made as a single piece, for example by injection molding, in a first plastic material, and are connected by means of the guarantee seal 30c intended to be broken at the first opening of the closure 1.
The lace 32 is made of a second, more flexible plastic material, different from the first plastic material, by bi-injection, in a single piece with the overcap wall 18 and the collar 30.
For example, the lace 32 has the shape of a flat strap. Preferably, the lace 32 has a round or curvilinear, or polygonal, for example square or rectangular, or mixed curvilinear and rectilinear section.
Preferably, the lace 32 has a constant thickness from the collar 30 to the overcap wall 18 or the thickness is variable, for example decreasing from the ends towards the central region.
A manufacturing process according to the present invention provides for making the overcap wall 18, the collar 30 and the lace 32 or the entire overcap 4, the collar 30 and the lace 32 in one piece, in a closed configuration corresponding to the representation in figure 1.
By bi-injection, the overcap 4 (or the overcap wall 18) and preferably the collar 30 are made of a first plastic material, for example polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), which gives a certain rigidity, and the lace 32 of a second plastic material, for example more flexible than the first, for example of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or other elastomer.
Having made the overcap 4 with the collar 30 and the lace 32 and, separately, the closure body 2, the latter is inserted in the closure compartment 16 of the overcap 4, so that the body wall edge 7 is deformed elastically and contained inside the collar 30.
Preferably, the spout 110 comprises a connecting portion 112, usually defined as a "welding boat", suitable for being welded to the thin walls of the packaging, and a tube 116 protruding from the connecting portion 112 along a spout axis Y, ending with a mouth 118 of the spout 110.
Along the tube 116, from the connecting portion 112 towards the mouth 118, the spout 110 comprises a grip portion 120 for engaging the connecting means with the collar 30.
For example, said grip portion 120 is delimited by a lower plate 122 and a ring 124, preferably chamfered, for engagement with the collar 30.
The collar 30 is configured to be axially constrained to the spout 110, and in particular to the grip portion 120.
For example, the collar 30 comprises axial retaining means suitable for constraining the collar 30 to the grip portion 120.
For example, said retaining means comprise an engagement portion 31, protruding axially from the lower edge 30a, foldable along said lower edge 30a, so as to engage with the ring 124 and form an obstacle to the removal of the collar 30 from the grip portion 120.
According to a variant embodiment, the collar 30 is snap-engageable with the spout 110, to remain constrained thereto.
For the first application to the spout, the process provides a first step in which the closure 1 is applied to the spout 110 and screwed forcibly thereto, so that the collar 30 engages with the grip portion 120 of the spout 110.
In normal use of the packaging, the closure 1 is gripped by the user and unscrewed from the spout; the collar 30 remains engaged with the spout and, through the lace 32, allows keeping the overcap connected to the spout.
The assembly consisting of the closure body 2, the overcap 4, the spout 110 and the collar 30 creates a guarantee seal, the structure and functionality whereof are described in the International Application WO-A1-2018/020365 in the name of the Applicant. The teaching contained therein relating to such a guarantee seal is expressly incorporated herein.
In particular, according to the International Application WO-A1-2018/020365 , the collar 30 forms the fixed band of the guarantee seal, the base edge 7 of the closure body 2 forms the guarantee ring and the overcap wall 18 forms the movable body.
During the unscrewing of the closure, the guarantee seal 30c undergoes breakage since the collar 30 is constrained to the spout, while the overcap wall 18 and the closure body 2 tend to axially separate from the spout due to the unscrewing.
Consequently, the body wall edge 7 of the closure body 4 comes out of the collar 30 and tends to return to the undeformed condition, widening outwards.
In this way, by screwing the overcap wall 18 provided with the closure body 2 to the spout, the body wall edge 7 is interposed between the overcap wall edge 18a and the collar 30, preventing mutual contact thereof, thus showing the first opening of the packaging.
Innovatively, the closure according to the present invention allows meeting the needs of the sector and overcoming the drawbacks mentioned above, since the closure remains connected to the spout even after opening the packaging.
Advantageously, moreover, the closure according to the present invention is obtained by molding in the condition in which the collar is aligned with the overcap wall, that is, already in the condition which allows the application of the closure body and the screwing to the spout. This is due to the bi-injection of the lace with the collar and the overcap.
It is clear that a man skilled in the art, in order to meet contingent and specific needs, may make changes to the closure described above.
The embodiment variant described above, in which the closure provides a closure body, the overcap is indirectly applied to the spout.
According to an embodiment variant, in which the closure has no closure body, the overcap is directly applied to the spout and used to close it.
This embodiment variant also falls within the scope of protection as defined by the following claims.

Claims

Closure (1) for a flexible thin-walled packaging, comprising:
- a rigid overcap (4), directly or indirectly applicable to a spout in the packaging, comprising an annular overcap wall (18) extending along a main axis (X) between an overcap base (18b) and an overcap wall edge (18a), said overcap wall (18) being made of a first plastic material;

- a collar (30), coaxial to the overcap wall (18), suitable to be inserted on a grip portion (120) of the spout (110) so as to remain axially bound thereto;

- a flexible lace (32) connecting the collar (30) to the overcap wall (18);

said overcap (4) comprises a plurality of fins (19), protruding radially externally from the overcap wall (18), an annular grip wall (20), continuous or in sections, made integral with the overcap (18) by said fins, by virtue of the fins (19), the grip wall (20) is radially spaced from the overcap wall (18), forming axial anti-suffocation passages (22);

wherein the closure is characterized in that said lace (32) being made by bi-injection together with the overcap wall (18) and the collar (30), made of a second plastic material, different from the first plastic material.
Closure according to claim 1, wherein the overcap wall (18) is made in one piece with the collar (30).
Closure according to claim 2, wherein the overcap wall (18) and the collar (30) are connected by a breakable guarantee seal (30c).
Closure according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a closure body (2) provided with an annular body wall (6) extending along said main axis (X) between a closure base (10) and a body wall edge (7), said closure body (2) being at least partially housed in a closure compartment (16) delimited by the overcap wall (18), so as to be bound thereto axially and in rotation.
Closure according to claim 4, wherein the body wall edge (7) is elastically deformed and housed within the collar (30).
Closure according to any one of the preceding claims when dependent from claim 3, wherein, in a configuration wherein the guarantee seal (30c) is broken and the collar (30) is axially separated from the overcap wall (18), the body wall edge (7) of the closure body (2) emerges from the collar (30) and tends to return to the undeformed condition, widening outwards.
Spout-closure assembly (100) comprising:
- a spout (110) for flexible thin-walled packaging; and

- a closure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, applied to the spout (110).
Flexible thin-walled packaging comprising a spout-closure assembly (100) according to the preceding claim.