ES2209795T3 - MEANS OF GUARANTEE SEAL FOR A RECIPIENT. - Google Patents

Abstract

A container (1) having an upwards facing opening with a surrounding edge and flange (10) means arranged in the vicinity of the container edge, said flange means adapted to cooperate with a lid (40), said lid having an edge which can engage said flange means to provide a closed container. The container comprises at least one tool arranged at the container edge and comprising a lid-engaging surface for releasing the lid when mounted on the container, said tool comprising a bracket (20) hinged to the container, the bracket being arranged such that a pivot movement outwards from the container results in the lid-engaging surface being moved outwards thereby lifting the edge of the lid outwards in the region of the tool when the lid is mounted, thus facilitating opening of the container, and a tamper-indicating means for indicating that the bracket has been pivoted outwards. The tamper-indicating means comprises an indicator member (30) arranged to cover at least a portion of the bracket in a non-engaging manner, said indicator member being attached to said container and configured to break or deform when the bracket is moved outwards. <IMAGE>

Description

Warranty seal means for a container.

The present invention relates to means Indicators that an opening tool has been used. In especially, the present invention relates to packages adapted for be used with an elastic jump closure cap and with a integrated tool to facilitate the opening of the lid, according to is defined in the preamble of claim 1.

Containers molded from materials Elastic plastics are practical and economical and therefore of use extended. The combination of lid and container can be done reusable, so that the lid can be replaced and removed over and over after the first opening. Although the possibility reuse is practical for the user, there is a risk that, as a result of accidents or improper manipulations, the lid can be opened, contaminate the contents or extract part of him and return the cover to his site without leaving any visible evidence of its opening, unless means are available that so indicate. Thus, the provision of means is desirable. tamper indicators that indicate whether the lid has been separated from the container, totally or partially, in order to protect the consumer against the purchase of a product other than totally fresh, like when the container was closed for the first time. Consequently, various types of packaging have been proposed indicators of improper manipulations. One of them has a seal that bridges adjacent parts of the lid and container to indicate a previous removal of the lid. Other types are equipped with additional parts that must be removed before lid opening possible. Still, other guys have the lid or container so that whole parts thereof are break when the lid is separated from the container.

One type of extended-use packaging has a elastic jump mounting lid, knowing such containers by example, from the documents EP-A-0 243 545 or US-A-4 027 775, disclosing this last, in addition, the incorporation of an indicator element of improper manipulations in the form of a guard tab arranged circumferentially. Such packages are typically used to store, for example, products such as paints and adhesives

A special type of package comprises a tool to lift the edge of the lid at one point, thus facilitating the separation of the entire lid. Such a container is known, for example, from the document US-A-3 753 512.

For the document EP-A-0 565 967 a container is known of the elastic jump closure type, which comprises a tool of separation of the cover and means of indication of a manipulation improper More specifically, this document discloses a container with a circumferentially arranged flange protruding from the container and which has a cut strip, where part of a bracket is located hinged lift, which bridges this cut strip. To offer an indication of improper handling, a plurality of frangible bridges are arranged between the part of the tool and flange mentioned above. Since the bracket is hinged to the container in relation to the bridges, the lifting the tool will result in a displacement of the interconnected parts and the bridges, thus indicating that the opening tool has been used at least once and that, therefore, the top.

However, the indicator system of improper manipulation or seal, known by the document EP-A-0 565 967 has several inconvenience Due to the specific construction, with a relatively long and freely extending closure element,  the involuntary lifting of this closing element can cause the breakage of the bridges and, consequently, indicate that the Cover has been opened even though it might not be the case. Similarly, in order to provide an indicator seal of undue manipulation that does not require too much effort to break it, there is a plurality of smaller bridges, each of them relatively easy breakage; however, in the if the closing element is involuntarily lifted, one or more of the bridges, but not all, can be broken, which could give the impression at first glance that the seal and the lid has been opened. Moreover, when the packaging has been really open it can be difficult to see, with a glance Quick, that the bridges are broken.

In addition, due to the specific provision of bridges, is forced to use a mold that has a part of scrollable tool, which brings costs in higher tools as well as a more molded process slow.

Therefore the purpose of this invention is to provide a container with a tool to remove the cover and means of indication of tampering that overcome one or more of the problems noted above.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, A package is provided as defined in claim 1. Al provide an indicator element of improper manipulations arranged so that it covers at least part of the bracket, it can use a simple molding tool that comprises only two non-movable parts In addition, through the provision of indicator element of improper handling in direction transverse to the bracket, the breakage is easily detected or deformation of the element.

In a preferred embodiment, the element of corbel comprises a downwardly oriented gripping element which has an outwardly directed surface, being arranged transversely to this surface the indicator element.

Advantageously, the indicator element is disposes on the lower free end of the gripping element, what which provides both protection against movement involuntary braces during, for example, manipulation, as on the other hand, an adequate indication of whether the bracket has been moved, even slightly.

By arranging the bracket between items that extend down along edges sides of the gripping element, at least as much as the edge bottom of the grip element, protection is provided additional against inadvertent manipulation of the bracket. These elements may advantageously be part of an arranged skirt circumferentially, oriented down, which has a part cut where the bracket is accommodated, and the indicator element can join, by two ends of it, to these elements.

Advantageously, the indicator element is provided of a weakened area at which point the break will take place.

When the bracket and the indicator element are shifted out for the first time and the parts of the bracket are deformed plastically, the result will be tendency of these elements not to return completely to their initial position, which will indicate that the packaging has been open.

However, in order to provide a visual indication even better that the bracket has been moved, it they can provide additional means that help one or both ends  of the indicator element already broken, to stand out permanently, what which can be achieved well by a bracket element that offer resistance to return completely to your starting position when the cover is replaced, thus avoiding the indicator element broken bends and is flat transversely to the bracket, or providing the indicator element with a hinge zone that deforms to such an extreme when it bends out, that it is achieved only with difficulties that the indicator element bends and is flat against the bracket element, once it has been lifted for the first time time.

If a linked indicator element is used only to one extreme, it is important then that I cannot return to stay flat again.

Other additional advantages will be made of manifest from the following description and figures attached in which:

Figure 1 represents a container according to the invention with a lid placed on it and in its initial state, with an unbroken indicator element that extends transversely on the bracket element;

Figure 2 represents the same container of the Figure 1, in which the indicator element has broken and become partially out;

Figure 3 represents the same container of the Figure 2, in which both ends of the indicator element have been turned out;

Figure 4 represents the same container of the Figure 3, in which the bracket tool for lifting the lid it has been swung out and up;

Figure 5 is a vertical cut (with the container arranged on a horizontal surface) through the area of the bracket of figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the Corbel zone corresponding to Figures 2 and 3; and

Figure 7 is a vertical section through the bracket zone corresponding to a bracket position intermediate to that of figures 3 and 4.

As shown in the figures, container 1 has in general a pot shape, with a continuous side wall 3 of circular cross section but could also, in general, be oval or rectangular or in any other way. The container It has a top opening with a lid 40 mounted. On the border top of the container and looking down, there is a skirt 10 circumferential with a free edge pointing down. He skirt has a space in which it places a bracket 20, and a indicator element 30, by way of bridge, arranged through the corbel, without contact with it, and joined by its ends 31, 32 a the edges 12 of the parts of the skirt facing the bracket. When the lid is fully engaged, the bracket is in its initial position prior to first use, the bracket is in its resting position The indicator element is formed, preferably, one piece with the container, but it could also be a separate piece that could be joined for example by ultrasonic or adhesive welding, which could use a Indicator element of a different material than the container.

The skirt illustrated is, apart from space mentioned above, a constant cross section and, also, it could have other functional details such as additional trimmed parts or a pair of mounting holes of a handle. Support elements can be arranged, not shown, between the wall 3 of the container and the inner surface of the skirt

Returning to Figure 2, the drawing illustrates that the indicator element has broken at an intermediate point to its ends binding to the skirt, protruding from the container a first part 34 and a second part 35 being in its initial position. It can break the indicator element directly directly, grabbing the indicator element itself, or indirectly, grabbing the bracket to force it out. Figure 3 shows the two Parts of the broken indicator element, pointing out. He indicator is preferably provided with a line or a point of reduced resistance, so that breakage is facilitated. He break point may be located well at a point of attachment to the container or in an intermediate position. It must be possible to ensure that the Indicator element will be broken by just one point. With reference to Figure 4, the drawing shows the bracket turned outward and towards above, moving away from the container, so that it lifts a part of the edge of the lid. In the drawing it is not visible that the edge of The lid has been lifted.

With reference now to figures 5 to 7, will describe in detail the constitution and operation of an embodiment of the present invention. As seen in the Figure 5, the wall 3 of the container has an upper edge with a tab 4 protruding outward, for coupling with the lid 40. The lid has an edge portion 42 arranged circumferentially, with a free edge pointing down. The edge part has coupling means 43 and 44 arranged on its inner surface to be applied in cooperation relationship with the top edge of the container and with the tab 4. The tab that protrudes down mates with the inner top surface from the wall 3 of the container so that the lid is properly located on the container and sealing between the container and the lid On the inner surface of the edge part 42 of the cover, an inwardly oriented grip tab 44 is provided which grabs under tab 4 of the container, by jump elastic, so that the flexible edge portion 42 is first forced out when placing the lid, then flex elastically inward when the lid is pressed down Regarding the container. As illustrated, the gripping means does not they have to be applied to the tab of the container, when the lid has been fully pressed down, in application with the container.

The bracket comprises an upper part 22 of coupling with the lid, curled to the container in 23, and a lower grip element 26 extending downward. The bracket can be directly mounted on the external surface of the wall or it can be mounted on a flange 24 that extends out from the wall of the container. The bottom of the coupling part 22 with the cover is displaced inwards with respect to the upper part of the gripping element, so that it form a flange 27 on which the lower free edge of the lid In addition, the skirt 10 can also be provided with such an area  of seat for the lid. The bracket has, on its surface internal, one or more reinforcement ribs that extend downward, which serve to prevent the grip element from flexing so much when raised, as if the bracket is pressed more towards inside in relation to its resting position.

There is an indicator element in the form of bridge extending transversely to the lower free edge 21 of the gripping element 26, seen without breaking in its initial state in Figure 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the indicator element arranged with its lower edge extending further down than the free edge 21 of the gripping element, so it serves to better protect the gripping element against a lift involuntary and also ensures that the indicator element breaks before any outward movement occurs of the bracket.

Figure 6 illustrates the situation shown in the Figures 2 and 3, with a broken area 34 of the indicator element 30 protruding from the container and, figure 7, illustrates the situation in the that the bracket has been turned out, lifting the part of edge 42 of the lid outward and upward so as to release the grip tab 44 of the tab 4 of the container and facilitate the lifting the lid away from the container. When the cover again, the situation is substantially as illustrated in Figure 2, though, due to the deformation of the hinge 23 or due to other specific means designed for this purpose, the corbel may have a tendency not to return completely to its initial position when the lid is mounted, thus making it difficult to repositioning of a bent or broken indicator element. In fact, the same bracket will always have a tendency to move away from the container due to the plastic deformation of the area of the hinge.

In the illustrated embodiment, both the Grip area of the bracket as the skirt, are shown with their exterior surfaces facing in a direction that separates in essence perpendicular to the wall of the container; However, the external surfaces could also be arranged inclined, looking up and out or down and out or even they could be oriented substantially upwards.

The container-lid combination illustrated is of the elastic jump mount type, however, both the arrangement of the bracket to lift the lid, and the means of indicating tampering, could also be used with a container with a lid attached to the container by friction.

The present package is preferably manufactured from molded plastic material. Depending on the method of manufacturing, different materials could be used for both Different parts of the container as for the lid.

Claims (11)

1. Container (1) that has an oriented opening up with a border around and tab flange (4) arranged in the vicinity of the edge of the container, said flange means adapted to cooperate with a cover (40), said cover having an edge (42) that can be coupled to said flange means for providing a closed container, comprising the container: at least one tool, arranged on the edge of the package and comprising a coupling surface (22) with the lid, to release the lid when mounted on the container, said tool comprising a cornered bracket (20) in the container, the bracket being arranged so that a rotation movement out of the container, results in movement out of the mating surface with the lid, so that the edge of the lid is lifted out, in the area covered by the tool, when the lid is placed, thus facilitating the opening of the container and, a manipulation indicator means undue (30) to indicate that the bracket has been turned towards outside, characterized in that said tamper indicating means comprise an indicating element (30), arranged in such a way as to cover at least part of the bracket without contact with it, said indicating element being attached to said container and configured so as to break or deform when the bracket is moved out. 2. Container as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the indicator element is attached to the container so that the indicator element, broken or deformed, is allowed to move away from the container without detaching. 3. Package as defined in claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said element is attached to the container at two points (31,32) and, preferably, configured so that the element will be broken by a point of attachment to the container or in a place between the junction points when the bracket is moved out from its initial position. 4. Packaging according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bracket has a free edge (21) as opposed to its flanged end, the indicator element being arranged transversely to the bracket along said free edge, preferably covering by complete said free edge. 5. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bracket is provided with means (25) that limit the movement into the bracket against the wall of the container. 6. Package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the package comprises a skirt (10) circumferentially arranged, said skirt being located below said flange means (4) and comprising at least one cut strip where said said bracket. 7. Container according to claim 6, characterized in that the lateral edges (12) of the skirt corresponding to said cut strip face towards lateral edges of said bracket with a relatively small distance between the respective facing edges, the indicator element being joined by each one of its ends to said side edges of the skirt. A package according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bracket has a grip portion (26) generally oriented downwards, which has an outwardly facing surface, said indicator element extending transversely over said outwardly facing surface. . 9. Package according to any of the preceding claims, combined with a lid. A package according to claim 9, characterized in that said lid has an edge provided with gripping means (44) that protrude inwardly, which is preferably adapted to engage by elastic jump with the flange means (4) protruding of the container 11. Packaging according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when the bracket has not yet been used, an initial movement of the bracket outward from an initial resting position, which results in the breakage or deformation of the indicator element , results in a second locking position, slightly protruding the bracket when the cover is mounted.