EP3981703A1 - Container with snap-on lid - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (2), in particular a wide-mouth can preferably made of plastic, comprising: a base (4) and a peripheral side wall (5) which has a peripheral edge in the area of an opening (6) of the container (2). (7) on which an engagement area (8) for latching interaction with a cover is formed on the outside of the peripheral side wall (5). On one side of the rim (7) facing away from the opening (6) there is a locking profile (16) which protrudes outwards from the peripheral side wall (5) and is preferably circumferential, for locking interaction with a guarantee strip which is detachably fastened to the lid. The locking profile (16) has at least one recessed grip (21) to make it easier to lift off the cover (3) after the anti-tamper strip has been released. The invention also relates to an associated lid and a container.

Description

The invention relates to a container, in particular a wide-mouth can preferably made of plastic, comprising: a base and a peripheral side wall, which has a peripheral edge in the area of an opening of the container, on which on the outside of the peripheral side wall an engagement area for latching interaction is formed with a lid. The invention also relates to a lid for such a container, as well as a container which includes such a container and such a lid.

For the purposes of this application, a wide-necked can is understood to mean a container with a base, a circumferential, typically cylindrical (or slightly conical) side wall and a typically central opening on the upper side of the wide-necked can.

In the DE 298 02 048 U1 describes that transparent cylindrical cans for solvent-free paints are known which have a relatively simple, open edge profile. The upper edge of such a can is designed as a sealing edge onto which a plastic lid can be latched in a sealing manner. In the unopened state of the can, the lid is connected to a retaining ring via a tear-off sealing strip, which in turn engages behind a circumferential rib on the outer wall of the can.

To improve such a can in the DE 298 02 048 U1 proposed to attach below the sealing edge and at a distance from this one outwardly projecting collar, one in the direction of the Container opening open channel forms, which is closed by the attached lid of a peripheral cover skirt and forms a closed bead-like outer contour of the can with this. A tamper-evident closure in the form of a detachable tab can be provided in the cover apron.

The lid of the DE 298 02 048 U1 The can described can be removed from the can after the tab that forms the tamper-evident closure has been removed. With this opening mechanism, however, a bead-like outer contour is required, which protrudes outwards beyond the peripheral side wall of the can. This results in a reduced number of packaging units for the can, which can be arranged next to one another on a (Euro) pallet, for example. In addition, filling contents can collect in the channel, which is open towards the container opening.

One object of the invention is to provide a container with a guarantee function that functions as reliably as possible, in which a lid that has been pressed open and protrudes as little as possible beyond the side wall of the container can be easily lifted off the container after the guarantee function has been removed/actuated. Another object of the invention is to provide a lid for such a container and a container with such a container and such a lid.

According to a first aspect, this object is achieved by a container of the type mentioned at the outset, in which, on a side of the rim facing away from the opening, a preferably circumferential Latching profile is formed for latching interaction with a guarantee band releasably attached to the cover, the latching profile having at least one gripping depression for easier lifting of the cover after the release of the guarantee band.

In the case of the container according to the invention, the latching profile fulfills a dual function: on the one hand, the latching profile enables the guarantee band of the lid to latch on the container and thus a tamper-proof seal, and on the other hand, the at least one gripping recess on the latching profile simplifies lifting of the lid, so that an operator can open the lid without additional Aids can remove from the container. The locking profile typically extends outwards from the side wall of the container horizontally, i.e. parallel to the bottom of the container, but this is not absolutely necessary. The anti-tamper strip prevents an operator from accessing the handle(s), i.e. the handle(s) are only accessible to the operator after the anti-tamper strip has been removed.

In one embodiment, the latching profile has a plurality of gripping depressions, which are preferably arranged at equal intervals (equidistant) in the circumferential direction. A gripping trough is usually provided for the gripping of a finger of the operator. A number of gripping indentations arranged next to one another enable the operator to lift the lid with the aid of several fingers. The gripping recesses are preferably arranged at equal intervals along the entire circumference of the locking profile. This allows the operator to reach into the gripping indentations anywhere in the circumferential direction in order to lift the lid off the container.

In a further embodiment, the gripping depressions alternate with projections in the latching profile. The projections protruding radially outward beyond the gripping troughs enable the tamper-evident strip of the cover to be locked in place, while preferably no locking takes place in the radially set-back gripping troughs. Typically, the cover has a peripheral, inwardly projecting latching edge or inwardly projecting latching elements, which engage under or behind the latching profile, more precisely the projections. Such a detent facilitates snapping of the lid and is sufficient to prevent the operator from being able to detach the lid from the container without removing the tamper evident band. After the anti-tamper strip has been removed, the projections can also be used to protect neighboring containers or wide-mouth cans from being picked up if they are transported on pallets, for example.

In an advantageous further development, the latching profile forms a wave profile in which concave grip depressions alternate with convex projections. Such a corrugated profile has no sharp edges on which an operator could injure himself when removing the cover.

In a further embodiment, the latching profile protrudes further outwards from the side wall than a preferably circumferential latching edge formed on the engagement area of the edge, which interacts with the cover to seal the opening A plurality of locking elements are formed. The latching edge and the latching profile are spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction or in the direction of the vertical axis of the container. By further outwardly projecting locking profile can The edge of the lid widens slightly conically outwards, starting from the surface of the lid, which makes it easier to remove the lid.

In this case, the edge of the lid can have an L-shape, in particular at its lower edge, to which the guarantee strip is detachably attached, i.e. the lower section of the edge of the lid, to which the guarantee strip is attached, protrudes further outwards over the side wall than an upper one Portion of the lid rim forming an engagement area for snap-fit engagement with the engagement area of the container. The L-shape on the underside of the edge of the lid makes it easier for an operator to grip the lid and improves the feel when the operator reaches into the handle(s).

In a further embodiment, the container has a support structure for stiffening the locking profile (and the container), which is formed on a side of the locking profile facing away from the opening on the peripheral side wall. The support structure can be a rib structure which has a plurality of stiffening ribs spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. As a support structure, for example, in the DE 10 2018 106 844 A1 the applicant described, radially outwardly projecting locking elements are used in the DE 10 2018 106 844 A1 are designed to be elastically resilient and/or elastically resiliently connected to the peripheral side wall of the container. The elastically resilient connection can take place in the form of webs projecting outwards over the side wall, to which the latching elements are connected in an elastically resilient manner. The connection (for example by injection molding) of the support structure to the latching profile leads to a stiffening of the webs, so that the radially outwardly projecting latching elements are no longer resiliently connected to the side wall in the case of the present container.

The cross-sectional geometry of the container, in particular the wide-necked can, is generally round, but the container can also have a different cross-sectional geometry, for example an oval or angular cross-sectional geometry.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a lid for a container as described above, in particular for a wide-mouth can. The lid comprises a peripheral edge of the lid with an engagement area for latching interaction with the engagement area on the edge of the container, and a guarantee band detachably connected to the lid edge for latching interaction with the latching profile on the peripheral side wall of the container.

The edge of the lid or its gripping area is matched to the gripping area on the circumferential side wall of the container and enables the opening of the container to be closed tightly when the lid is placed or pressed onto the container from above. When the anti-tamper strip engages with the locking profile on the surrounding side wall of the container, the anti-tamper strip or the lid is permanently connected to the container when it is pressed open, i.e. the latching of the anti-tamper strip can only be canceled by releasing the connection between the anti-tamper strip and the edge of the lid . For the purposes of this application, a guarantee band is also understood to mean a ring-shaped circumferential guarantee ring.

In one embodiment, the edge of the lid has, on a side facing the tamperproof strip, an outwardly protruding section to which the tamperproof strip is detachably attached. The edge of the lid can be at his lower end to which the guarantee strip is attached, have a (radial) outwardly projecting section. The anti-tamper strip is usually attached to the outer end of the outwardly protruding section. If the anti-tamper strip is loosened or removed, the protruding section of the edge of the lid makes it easier to lift the lid when an operator reaches into the handle(s).

In a further embodiment, the anti-tamper strip has an inwardly protruding, circumferential locking edge for locking interaction with the locking profile of the container. Instead of the snap-in edge, the anti-tamper strip can in principle also have a plurality of snap-in elements in order to interact with the snap-in profile of the container. However, the provision of a peripheral locking edge is favorable if the locking takes place only at those points of the locking profile where no gripping depressions are formed. In this case, the circumferential locking edge ensures that the locking of the lid on the locking profile of the container is independent of the orientation of the lid relative to the container. When using latching elements instead of the latching edge, indexing might be necessary in order to specify the orientation of the lid relative to the container.

In a further embodiment, the guarantee strip has at least one tear-off tab for detaching the guarantee strip from the edge of the lid. In this case, the anti-tamper strip is attached to the edge of the lid via predetermined breaking point(s), for example, via a wedge-shaped contour that runs (almost) completely around the circumference and is broken along its smallest cross section, by several thin webs that are spaced apart from one another, etc. The anti-tamper strip is in this case typically designed as a tear-off strip, which when loosening the Connection is completely separated from the lid edge. Such a tear-off strip may not run all the way around in the circumferential direction, but rather has two adjacent ends, on each of which a tear-off tab can be formed. It goes without saying that instead of a tear-off tab, there are also other options that enable or simplify the detachment of the guarantee strip from the edge of the lid.

It is also possible for the guarantee band to have, in addition to the tear-off band, a further section which remains on the container when the tear-off band is detached. For example, the anti-tamper strip can have a ring-shaped snap-in section which interacts with the snap-in profile on the circumferential side wall and which remains on the container after the tear-off strip formed between the edge of the lid and the snap-in section has been detached.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a container which has a container which is designed as described above and a lid which is also designed as described above. The container can in particular be a wide-necked can, the opening of which is closed with the lid pressed open. The lid typically has an end face with a flat section on which a piston can attach in order to mechanically press the lid onto the rim of the container after the container has been filled.

In one embodiment, the material of the container and/or lid is polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, PET, or polyolefins. Containers made from polyolefins, in particular from polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide or from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are typically inexpensive to produce. Furthermore, such containers advantageous properties, such as high durability due to high toughness and elongation at break values. In principle, however, the container or the lid can also be made from other plastic materials (in particular from thermoplastics, possibly also from duroplastics). The container and/or the lid are typically produced using an injection molding process, but it is also possible to produce the container using a deep-drawing or blow-molding process. In particular, it is favorable if both the container and the lid are made from a recyclable plastic.

Further advantages of the invention result from the description and the drawing. Likewise, the features mentioned above and those detailed below can be used according to the invention individually or collectively in any combination. The embodiments shown and described are not to be understood as an exhaustive list, but rather have an exemplary character for the description of the invention.

Fig. 1

eine Darstellung eines Gebindes, welches einen Behälter in Form einer Weithals-Dose und einen auf diesen aufgeprellten Deckel mit einem Garantieband umfasst,

Fig. 2

eine Darstellung des Gebindes von Fig. 1 im Querschnitt mit einem Rastprofil an einer umlaufenen Seitenwand des Behälters, das mit einem an dem Garantieband gebildeten Rastrand zusammenwirkt,

Fig. 3a-c

Darstellungen des Gebindes bzw. eines Details des Gebindes nach dem Lösen des Garantiebands von dem Deckel,

Fig. 4

eine Darstellung des Behälters mit einem Rastprofil in Form eines Wellenprofils, das Eingriffsmulden und Vorsprünge aufweist,

Fig. 5

eine Darstellung von zwei übereinander gestapelten Deckeln, sowie

Fig. 6

eine Detaildarstellung von zwei übereinander gestapelten Behältern.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings and is explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments. It shows the:

1

a representation of a container, which comprises a container in the form of a wide-necked can and a lid with a guarantee band pressed onto it,

2

a representation of the container of 1 in cross section with a locking profile on a peripheral side wall of the container, which interacts with a locking edge formed on the guarantee band,

Fig. 3a-c

Representations of the container or a detail of the container after detaching the guarantee band from the lid,

4

a representation of the container with a locking profile in the form of a wave profile, which has gripping recesses and projections,

figure 5

a depiction of two lids stacked on top of each other, as well as

6

a detailed representation of two stacked containers.

1 shows a container 1, which includes a container 2 in the form of a wide-necked can and a lid 3 . The container 2 has a base 4 and a peripheral side wall 5 , which is cylindrical in the example shown. The cover 3 closes an in 2 to be recognized opening 6 in the container 2, which is formed at the top of the container 2 and which is surrounded by a peripheral rim 7 . The peripheral edge 7 has an engagement area 8 formed on the outside 5a of the peripheral side wall 5 for latching interaction with the cover 3 . The lid 3 has a peripheral lid edge 9 which, when the lid 3 is placed or pressed on the container 2, extends downwards on the outside 5a of the peripheral side wall 5 and has an engagement area 10 on its inside facing the side wall 5, which engages with the engagement area 8 on the outside 5a of the side wall 5 of the container 2 in order to close the opening 6 of the container 2 in a sealing manner.

In the example shown, a circumferential clamping profile in the form of a locking edge 11 projecting outwards over the circumferential side wall 5 is formed in the gripping area 8 of the container 2, and a circumferential, inwardly projecting locking edge 12 is formed on the gripping area 10 on the inside of the lid edge 9. which engages behind or below the locking edge 11 on the outside 5a of the side wall 5 of the container 2 . It goes without saying that the latching on the engagement areas 8, 10 can also be formed in a different way than by two clamping profiles in the form of latching edges 11, 12.

At one end of the lid edge 9 facing away from the planar end face 13 of the lid 3 , the lid 3 has a guarantee band 14 which is detachably connected to the lid 3 . In the example shown, the anti-tamper strip 14 is attached to the lid edge 9 via a film hinge, but it is also possible to attach the anti-tamper strip 14 to the lid edge 9 in a different way, eg via predetermined breaking points in the form of thin webs, etc. In the example shown, the guarantee strip 14 has two tear-off tabs 15a, b , on which the guarantee strip 14 designed as a tear-off strip can be grasped by an operator in order to detach it from the edge 9 of the lid. It goes without saying that other types of tear-off aids can also be attached to the guarantee strip 14 in order to simplify the detachment from the edge 9 of the lid.

On a side of the peripheral edge 7 facing away from the opening 6 , the container 2 has a peripheral latching profile 16 protruding outwards from the peripheral side wall 5 for latching interaction with the anti-tamper strip 14 . The guarantee band 14 has a radially inwardly projecting circumferential locking edge 17 with the circumferential latching profile 16 interacts latching. In the example shown, the circumferential latching edge 17 engages below or behind the latching profile 16 of the container 2. Because of this latching connection, the lid 3 cannot be lifted from the container 2 without the connection between the anti-tamper strip 14 and the lid edge 9 being released .

Figure 3a -c show the container 1 of 1 after tearing off the guarantee band 14. In Figure 3a and in 3c a support structure 18 can be seen, which is formed on the peripheral side wall 5 below the latching profile 16 . The support structure 18 has a plurality of sawtooth-like stiffening ribs 19 spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction. In the example shown, the stiffening ribs 19 are provided with the aid of webs 20 protruding outwards over the side wall 5 (cf. 3c ) connected to container 2. The webs 20 are molded onto the locking profile 16 and are therefore not designed to be elastically resilient. Correspondingly, the stiffening ribs 19 are also rigidly connected to the side wall 5 via the webs 20 . It goes without saying that the support structure 18 can also be designed in a different way.

As in Figure 3b is clearly visible, the edge of the cover 9 has a radially outwardly protruding section 9a on an end facing away from the end face 13 and thus towards the guarantee strip 14, on which the guarantee strip 14 (cf. 2 ) is detachably attached. The outwardly protruding section 9a of the lid edge 9 makes it easier for an operator who wants to lift the lid 3 from the container 2 to grip the lid 3 .

In order to facilitate lifting of the lid 3, the locking profile 16 is further from the peripheral side wall 5 to the outside than on the

Engagement area 8 of the edge 7 of the container 2 formed locking edge 11. This allows the provision of the outwardly protruding section 9a of the lid edge 9 the lifting of the lid 3 from the container 2 is also simplified. It is generally advantageous if the distance between the locking edge 11 and the locking profile 16 along the peripheral side wall 5 is comparatively large in order to increase the leverage when the cover 3 is lifted.

In addition, the lifting of the cover 3 is made easier by the fact that the latching profile 16 has a plurality of gripping recesses 21 , as is shown in 4 it can be seen in which the container 2 is shown after the lid 3 has been lifted off. In order to lift the cover 3, the operator can reach into the gripping depressions 21 and, in doing so, grasp the cover 3, more precisely the peripheral edge 9 of the cover, at its lower end. As described above, the lifting of the lid 3 is facilitated by the radially outwardly projecting portion 9a of the lid rim 9. However, the provision of the protruding section 9a on the cover edge 9 can also be dispensed with if necessary.

In the example shown, the gripping recesses 21 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of gripping recesses 21 depends on the diameter of the container 2 and can be more than twenty, for example. At the in 4 latching profile 16 shown alternate gripping troughs 21 with projections 22 from. The anti-tamper strip 14 is latched on the projections 22, ie the circumferential latching edge 17 does not extend in the radial direction to the apex of a respective gripping recess 21, as in FIG 2 is easy to see. This simplifies the bouncing of the lid 3 onto the edge 7 of the container 3, since the latching edge 17 of the guarantee band 14 only has to overcome the projections 22 of the latching profile 16, and the lifting of the lid 3 from the container 2 4 In the container 2 shown, the locking profile 16 is designed as a wave profile, ie concave grip depressions 21 alternate with convex projections 22 . This has the advantage that sharp edges are avoided, on which the operator could injure himself when removing the cover 3.

The container 2 has a circumferential base support rib 23 on its base 4 (cf. 6 ), which forms a defined support surface when the container 2 is set down. The bottom support rib 23 can also be used to stack the container 2 on another container (which is not structurally identical), which has a screw cap instead of the cover 3 that can be crushed.

The collapsible lids 3 can be stacked on top of each other, as shown in figure 5 can be seen. In order to make this possible, a section with a U-shaped cross-section and protruding in relation to the planar cover panel 13 is used, on whose annular supporting surface 24 another cover is placed.

In the 1 and 2 The containers 2 illustrated, closed with the crushable cover 3, can also be stacked on top of each other, as is shown in 6 can be seen. An upper container 2 is placed with a lower end 25 of the side wall 5 on the ring-shaped peripheral support surface 24 on the front side of the protruding section of the lid 3 of a lower container. The bottom 4 of the upper container 2, on which the bottom support rib 23 is formed, in this case projects downwards over the bearing surface 24 of the cover 3 .

In the examples described above, both the container 2 and the lid 3 are made of plastic, for example polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides, PET or polyolefins. It goes without saying that other types of plastic can also be used for the manufacture of the lid 3 and the container 2 . Both the container 2, in particular in the form of a wide-necked can, and the lid 3 are preferably produced in an injection molding process.

In the manner described above, a latching and opening mechanism with a guarantee function is realized which fits tightly against the peripheral side wall 5 and makes it possible to detach the snap-on cover 3 from the container 2 without requiring any tool for this purpose.

Claims (12)

Container (2), particularly preferably a wide-mouth can made of plastic, comprising: a bottom (4) and a peripheral side wall (5), which has a peripheral edge (7) in the area of an opening (6) of the container (2), on which on the outside (5a) of the peripheral side wall (5) an engagement area (8) is formed for latching interaction with a cover (3), characterized, that on one side of the edge (7) facing away from the opening (6) there is a preferably circumferential latching profile (16) for latching interaction with a guarantee band (14) releasably attached to the cover (3), and that the latching profile (16) has at least one gripping depression (21) for easier lifting of the cover (3) after release of the guarantee strip (14). Container according to Claim 1, in which the locking profile (16) has a plurality of gripping depressions (21) which are preferably arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Container according to Claim 1 or 2, in which, in the latching profile (16), the gripping depressions (21) alternate with projections (22). Container according to Claim 3, in which the latching profile (16) forms a wave profile in which concave gripping depressions (21) alternate with convex projections (22). Container according to one of the preceding claims, in which the latching profile (16) projects further outwards from the side wall (5) than a preferably circumferential latching edge (11) formed on the engagement region (8) of the edge (7). A container according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising:
a support structure (19) for stiffening the locking profile (16), which is formed on a side of the locking profile (16) facing away from the opening (6) on the peripheral side wall (5). Lid (3) for a container (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in particular for a wide-mouth can preferably made of plastic, comprising:
a peripheral lid edge (9) with an engagement area (10) for locking interaction with the engagement area (8) on the edge (7) of the container (2), and a guarantee band (14) detachably connected to the lid edge (9) for locking interaction with the locking profile (16) on the peripheral side wall (5) of the container (2). Lid according to Claim 7, in which the rim (9) of the lid has, on a side facing the guarantee band (14), an outwardly projecting section (9a) to which the guarantee band (14) is detachably fastened. Lid according to Claim 7 or 8, in which the guarantee strip (14) has an inwardly projecting, circumferential locking edge (17) for locking interaction with the locking profile (16) of the container (3). Lid according to one of Claims 7 to 9, in which the guarantee band (14) has at least one tear-off tab (15a, 15b) for detaching the guarantee band (14) from the lid edge (9). Container (1), comprising:
a container (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a lid (3) according to any one of claims 7 to 10. Container (1) according to Claim 11, in which the material of the container (2) and/or the lid (3) is polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, PET or polyolefins.

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