ES1298063U - Closing cap for pouring holes of containers containing liquids (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Closing cap for pouring holes of liquid-containing containers, attachable to the neck of a container that has a hooking collar for closing an orifice in said neck, cap comprising: - a lower ring (1) comprising a in turn: - a first sector (9) intended to be retained axially in the neck coupling collar, and - a second sector (10); articulated with respect to the first sector (9); - an upper cover (2), which in turn comprises: - a flat upper wall (4), and - an external peripheral skirt (5), the cover (2) being able to be arranged in a closed position in which the upper wall (4) closes the hole in the neck and the peripheral skirt (5) surrounds said neck; - an articulation element (3) comprises two elastic sheets (13) that connect the peripheral skirt (5) with the second sector (10), configured to allow the cover (2) to pivot between a released position and a folded position open in which the cover (2) is removed from the hole; and - a locking device configured to lock the lid (2) in the folded-open position, comprising: - a flexible tab (14), arranged between the two elastic sheets (13); and - a bead (15) that protrudes radially outwards, from the peripheral skirt (5) of the cover (1); the closing plug being characterized in that the second sector (10) of the ring (1) additionally comprises a slot (16) for housing the heel (15) when the lid (2) is in the folded-open position and with an inclination with respect to the ring (1) included in the range of 90° to 179°. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Closing cap for pouring holes of containers containing liquids

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention falls within the technical field of caps with lines of least resistance, bands, tearing rings or similar opening or lifting devices to allow the formation of pouring openings. The invention relates in particular to a plug for closing pouring holes in liquid containers, which is screwed onto the neck of the container.

The closing cap of the invention comprises a base or lower ring, which can be threaded to the neck of the bottle, an articulated lid for opening and closing, which allows the liquid to escape without it being necessary to unscrew the base, and some arms of Parallel and deployable connections that link the ring and the lid in an articulated manner. A defined notch on an external face of the lower ring, which cooperates with a heel, produces a click indicating the maximum opening of the hinged lid. This stopper remains attached to the neck of the bottle at all times by mechanical means, thus facilitating its recycling procedure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the state of the art, stopper devices are known that make it possible to keep a stopper attached to a neck of the container. The PCT application with publication number WO2020193821, by the same applicant, refers to a plugging device intended to be fixed to the neck of a container in order to plug an orifice in said neck, comprising a lower ring with a first sector intended to be held axially in the neck and a second sector; a lid; and a hinge device that connects the cover to the second sector of the lower ring.

The first sector and the second sector of the lower ring are hinged together in such a way that the second sector pivots with respect to the first sector from a lowered position to a raised position to allow the lid to be separated axially from the neck from the locked position at a free position where said lid is no longer attached to the neck of the container. The hinge device is configured to allow the lid to pivot between said free position and a folded open position where it is withdrawn from the neck hole.

Another example of this applicant can be seen in the Spanish patent with publication number ES 2751171, relating to a stopper for containers that comprises a cylindrical body formed by the articulated union of two superimposed parts, a lower part provided with gripping means for its retention in the neck of the container, and an upper part provided with an upper base attached to a perimeter wall, where said perimeter wall comprises a visor to allow the opening of the cap, and a flap arranged transversally to it and in correspondence with a complementary notch provided in the upper edge of the lower part. The flap comprises on an inner surface a cord arranged transversally to the axial axis of the stopper to effect gripping of the upper part to the neck of the container.

These plugs allow the lid to be folded over 180°, which makes it easier to use. However, there is a maximum opening that can be considered as a breaking point, and that must not be exceeded or forced. It is necessary for the stopper to incorporate means to warn the user that said point should not be exceeded, without these means negatively affecting the integrity and the rest of the characteristics of the stopper.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention consists of a closing plug for pouring holes in liquid-containing containers, the plug being attachable to the neck of a container for opening and closing its corresponding pouring hole.

The stopper comprises at least the following elements:

- a lower ring that includes a first sector intended to be retained axially in the neck and a second sector;

- a lid that includes an upper wall and an external peripheral skirt, the lid being able to be arranged in a closed position in which the upper wall closes the opening of the neck and the peripheral skirt surrounds said neck; and

- an articulation element that connects the cover to the second sector of the lower ring;

The first sector and the second sector of the lower ring are hinged together such that the second sector pivots with respect to the first sector from a lowered position to a raised position to allow the lid to move axially away from the neck from the closed position until a released position in which said lid is no longer attached to the neck of the container.

The hinge device is configured to allow the cap to pivot between said released position and a folded open position in which it is withdrawn from the neck hole. The second sector includes at least one support element that protrudes radially towards the interior of the lower ring and that is configured to come into position above the hooking collar, resting against it, when the second sector is in the raised position.

In this way, the kinematics of the lid between the closed position and the open position includes a movement from bottom to top and then a pivoting movement towards the rear of the cap. Consequently, this allows the cap to be taller and optionally to be screwed onto the neck. Likewise, a cap of this type can be used for a great variety of applications and specifically for containers that contain soft drinks.

The second sector of the ring additionally has a groove, intended to house a heel that extends from the peripheral skirt of the lid, when the lid is in the folded-open position, at 90° with respect to the ring. The slot is configured so that, when the lid is opened to and beyond 180° in the folded-open position, an interaction with the heel is produced that generates an audible warning of the "click" type, which warns the user that it is being pulled. reaching the maximum opening, thus avoiding possible breaks.

In addition, thanks to the support element that makes it possible to keep the second sector in the raised position, the stopper remains uncoupled from the neck. This also ensures a good positioning of the cap in the neck during its movement from the open folded position towards the closed position and, in particular, without the consumer having to exert an uncontrolled tensile effort on the second sector of the lower ring to allow placement of the plug in the neck.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of its practical embodiment, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description. where, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, the following has been represented:

Figure 1.- Shows a top perspective view of the front closing cap for pouring holes of liquid-containing containers.

Figure 2.- Shows a bottom perspective view of the stopper.

Figure 3.- Shows a front view of the stopper.

Figure 4.- Shows a top perspective view of the back of the stopper, sectioned along a central plane.

Figure 5.- Shows a right side view of the stopper.

Figure 6.- Shows a sectional view of the stopper illustrated in figure 5.

Figure 7.- Shows a rear perspective view of the cover in the raised and open position at 90° with respect to the ring.

Figure 8.- Shows a rear perspective view of the lid in the raised and open arrangement at 180° with respect to the ring.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A detailed explanation of a preferred embodiment of the object of the present invention is provided below, with the help of the aforementioned figures.

In the description, when reference is made to the X axis, it must be understood that this corresponds to an axis of the plugging device intended to be positioned orthogonally to the plane of the orifice to be plugged when the plugging device is in the closing and plugging position. said hole. The X axis thus corresponds to the axis of rotation of the plug of the plugging device when it is screwed onto the neck of the container. By convention, the "radial" orientation is directed orthogonally to the X axis. The terms "external" are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another, by reference to the X axis, an element close to the X axis is described as this mode of internal by opposition to an external element located radially in the periphery. The terms "top" and "bottom" are used to define the relative position of one element with respect to another by reference to a position in which the hole in the neck is oriented upwards and the stopper is in the closed position in the neck of the container, an element intended to be placed lower being called, lower, and an element intended to be placed higher, being called upper.

The closure cap for pouring holes of liquid-containing containers that is described is intended to be attached to the neck of a container that has a hooking collar. The stopper, shown in figure 1, is made up of a lower ring (1), intended to be retained in the neck of the container, an upper lid (2), intended to cover the pouring hole of the container to seal it, and a articulation element (3) that articulately connects the cover (2) with the ring (1).

The lid (2) comprises an upper wall (4), flat and horizontal, intended to be arranged substantially orthogonal to the X axis facing the neck hole when said lid (2) is in the closed position. The lid (2) also includes a peripheral skirt (5) intended to surround the neck of the container when said lid (2) is in the closed position. The peripheral skirt (5) extends downwards, perpendicular to the upper wall (4), from the external periphery of said upper wall (4).

The peripheral skirt (5) presents, on its internal face, a screwable surface (6), formed by a series of helical ribs, designed to cooperate with a complementary screwable surface located on the external surface of the neck. In this way, the lid (2) is configured to screw on the neck in order to close the container and to unscrew from the neck in order to open the container.

The lid (2) is therefore movable between a closed position and an open position. In the open position, the lid (2) is no longer attached to the neck of the container. It is thus suitable for collapsing towards the collapsible open position, in which the lid (2) is withdrawn from the hole in the neck so that it does not hinder the pouring of the content of the container.

The peripheral skirt (5) presents, on its external face, a series of grooves (7) distributed around the X axis and which extend parallel to the X axis. The grooves (7) thus provide a rough surface that facilitates the grip of the lid (2) by the user or by the assembly device of the bottling chain.

The cover (2) also comprises an internal skirt that extends perpendicularly downwards from an internal face of the upper wall (4) and is configured to inserted into the neck hole. The cover (2) further comprises an annular lip, which extends, from an internal face of the upper wall (4), radially between the internal skirt and the external peripheral skirt (5).

The internal skirt and the annular lip are sized so that, when the lid (2) is in the closed position, on the neck of the container, the internal skirt is in contact against the internal face of the neck while the annular lip is in contact against the outer face of the neck. In this way, the internal skirt and the annular lip make it possible to guarantee the tightness of the closure.

The ring (1) is, before the first opening of the container, connected to the lid (2) by frangible bridges (8) intended to break during the first opening of the lid (2). These frangible bridges (8) thus constitute tamper-evident seals and connect the upper edge of the ring (1) and the lower edge of the peripheral skirt (5).

The ring (1) remains axially linked to the neck of the container, while being able to rotate with respect to it around the X axis. The ring (1) comprises two parts hinged to each other, more specifically a first sector (9) and a second sector (10) through which the ring (1) is connected to the cover (2) through the articulation element (3).

The ring (1) comprises two thinned areas (11), whose radial thickness is less than that of the rest of the ring (3). The two thinned areas (11) delimit the first sector (9) and the second sector (10), and form pivots that allow the articulation of the second sector (10) with respect to the first sector (9). In the embodiment shown, the two thinned areas (11) are diametrically opposed, on both sides of the ring (1).

Thanks to this structure of the ring (1), the second sector (10) can pivot upwards with respect to the first sector (9), from a lowered position to a raised position, in order to allow the cover (2) to be move upwards with respect to the neck of the container, until the screw-in surface (6) of the lid (2) separates from the complementary screw-in surface of the external surface of the neck. In this way, when the cover (2) is unscrewed, the ring (1) is dragged in rotation around the X axis while the second sector (10) of the ring (1) pivots with respect to the first sector (9) until the position raised, to allow an axial upward movement of the cover (2), from the closed position to the released position.

The first sector (9) of the ring (1) includes retaining elements (12) in order to axially retain the ring (1) to the neck of the container. The retention elements (12) are protuberances, represented in figure 2, which protrude radially inwards from the first sector (9) of the ring (1).

The second sector (10) includes support elements formed by protuberances that protrude radially inwards. The support elements are configured in such a way that, when the second sector (10) is in the lowered position, said support elements are located below the hooking collar and that, when the second sector (10) is in the raised position , are located above the coupling collar and are supported on it.

Due to the connection of the cover (2) with the second sector (10) through the articulation element (3), the ring (1) is stressed in traction during the movement of the second sector (10) from the lowered position towards the raised position, which allows the support elements to move from a low position in which they are located below the hooking collar to a high position in which they are located above the hooking collar and rest on it.

The hinge element (3) is configured to allow the lid (2) to oscillate between the released position and the folded open position. In the embodiment shown, the articulation element (3) includes two elastic sheets (13) that connect the cover (2), more particularly the peripheral skirt (5), to the second sector (10) of the ring (1). The two elastic sheets (13) are positioned in the central part of the second sector (10).

The closure cap additionally comprises a locking device configured to lock the lid (2) in the folded open position. The blocking device comprises:

- a flexible tab (14), arranged between the two elastic sheets (13), and

- a bead (15) that protrudes radially outwards, from the peripheral skirt (5) of the cover (1).

The heel (15) is configured to bear against the tongue (14) when the cover (2) pivots towards the folded open position in order to lock it in said position, as seen in Figure 9.

The stretching possibilities of the elastic sheets (13) together with the characteristics of the locking device, make it possible to create a hard point in the middle of the folding path of the lid (2) between the released position and the open folded position, so that, during a first part of the lid (2), the two sheets The elastic bands (13) are, due to the support of the heel (15) on the tongue (14), subjected to a tensile force that increases up to an intermediate unstable position and then decreases from said intermediate unstable position towards the open folded position. This allows the cover (2) to be locked in the folded open position, as shown in figure 9.

In addition, the blocking device is configured so that the opening angle of the lid (2) in said folded-open position is greater than or equal to 180°, as can be seen in figure 8.

The second sector (10) of the ring (1) additionally has a slot (16), located between the elastic sheets (13), intended to house the heel (15) when the lid (2) is in the raised and open position. at 90° with respect to the ring (1), as in figure 7.

The slit (16) is configured so that, starting from 90° in figure 7 and upon reaching 180° of opening of the cover (2) in the folded-open position, the heel (15) slides out of said slit. (16) to remain attached to the tongue, also generating a "click" sound warning that warns the user that the maximum opening is being reached, thus avoiding possible breakages. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 8.

Preferably, the closure cap is produced by molding in a single piece of synthetic material, such as polyethylene, and advantageously high-density polyethylene.

Claims (6)

1. Closing plug for pouring holes in liquid-containing containers, attachable to the neck of a container that has a hooking collar for closing an orifice in said neck, plug comprising: - a lower ring (1) which in turn comprises: - a first sector (9) intended to be retained axially in the neck hooking collar, and - a second sector (10); articulated with respect to the first sector (9); - An upper cover (2), which in turn comprises: - a flat upper wall (4), and - an external peripheral skirt (5), the cover (2) being able to be arranged in a closed position in which the upper wall (4) closes the hole in the neck and the peripheral skirt (5) surrounds said neck; - an articulation element (3) comprises two elastic sheets (13) that connect the peripheral skirt (5) with the second sector (10), configured to allow the cover (2) to pivot between a released position and a folded position open in which the cover (2) is removed from the hole; and - a locking device configured to lock the cover (2) in the folded open position, comprising: - a flexible tab (14), arranged between the two elastic sheets (13); and - a bead (15) that protrudes radially outwards, from the peripheral skirt (5) of the cover (1); the closing plug being characterized in that the second sector (10) of the ring (1) additionally comprises a slot (16) for housing the heel (15) when the lid (2) is in the folded-open position and with an inclination with respect to the ring (1) included in the range of 90° to 179°. Closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the first sector (9) and the second sector (10) are separated from each other by two thinned areas (11) in which the ring (1) has a local decrease in size. radial thickness. Closing cap according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heel (15) and the groove (16) are located in a central area of the second sector (10). 4. Closing plug according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the articulation element (3) is connected to the second sector (10) in a central area of the second sector (10). Closure cap according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower ring (1) is connected to the peripheral skirt (5) by frangible bridges (8). Closing plug according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plug is molded in a single piece.