ES2750354T3 - A lid with a latch mount - Google Patents

Abstract

A lid (100, 200) to fit in the upper portion of a container, the lid has a body (102, 202) with an upper end (106, 206) comprising a hole (114, 214) and equipped with a mounting closure (104, 204) to seal the hole that is in liquid communication with a container opening defined in said upper portion, the closure assembly: is hinged to the upper end by a first hinge (108, 208); and comprises a first element (110, 210) and a second element (112, 212), each of said first and second elements has an external face and an internal face (110A, 112A, 210A, 212A), at least one of the internal faces carry a mirror, and the two elements (110, 210, 112, 212) are articulated with each other by means of a second hinge (118, 218) which allows the second element to be inclined with respect to the first element between a state collapsed and an extended state; so that in the collapsed state the two elements fit against each other and their internal faces are opposite each other, and in the extended state the internal faces are exposed; the closure assembly has (i) a closed state in which the first element engages the hole and (ii) an open state in which the first element is decoupled from the hole; and is capable of assuming at least the states of: (a) closed and collapsed state; (b) open and collapsed state; (c) closed and extended status; and (d) open and extended status.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A lid with a latch mount

Technological field

The present invention relates to a lid suitable for fitting into a container opening, comprising a closure assembly.

Technical background

US 2009/016799 A1 discloses a cosmetic-bearing jar provided with a base member for supporting at least a first cosmetic product provided therein. An intermediate member is provided for selective communication with the base member. The intermediate member has at least one opening to receive a removable cosmetic accessory.

US 7,226,227 discloses a packaging and dispensing device that may include a receptacle containing a first substance; an application surface secured to the receptacle during the application of the first substance and a closure capsule configured to be removably attached to the receptacle. The closure capsule can be configured to allow the closure capsule to be attached to the receptacle.

Background

Lids, eg flip-top lids, are known for various packages. Sometimes such caps can have mirrors, which are typically located on an external surface of the cap, allowing a user to examine their reflection with or without removing the cap from the package. In such an organization the size of the mirror is limited to the size of the external surface of the lid, therefore, the reflection of a limited area of the object to be reflected can be obtained. Furthermore, once placed on an external surface, the mirror is prone to damage and is exposed to external elements, such as dust.

Another arrangement is that of an internal mirror, which is placed on an internal surface of a container closure flap. Such an organization does not allow a user to use the mirror without opening the package. Furthermore, in such an organization the mirror surface also serves as a sealing element for a container opening, that is, without being separated from the container opening, which often causes fouling of the mirror surface by the contents of the container.

General description

The invention provides a lid according to the features of claim 1 comprising a closure assembly, which is designed to allow the operational separation between the use of the container and the use of a storage organization and / or mirrors, so that a The contents of the package can be extracted by the user regardless of the use of the storage organization or mirrors, and the storage organization and / or mirrors can be used independently, without the need to open the package. When the lid comprises a mirror arrangement, such an arrangement provides a user with a relatively wide angle of reflection (i.e., a wider field of view), as well as preserving the mirrors from damage or soiling during use of the package.

Therefore, the invention provides such a lid to fit over an upper portion of a container. The invention also provides a container with such a lid.

It should be noted that the invention is not limited to a certain type of packaging and the teaching of the invention can be applied to a variety of different types of packaging; for example, such as contains or may be intended to contain creams, powders, soap, lotion, etc. A lid suitable for fitting into a container that contains or is intended to contain a cosmetic, a personal care composition or a personal care product, is a specific example for a lid of the invention.

The container is of a type that has a defined opening in the upper portion of the container that allows extraction of the contents of the container. Such a container typically includes a neck in which the opening of the container is defined. Such a container typically can have any transverse shape, eg, square, rectangular, oval, circular, etc., and the lid will therefore have a matching fit for such a neck. Examples of such packages are tubes with a screw-type neck part, a bottle-shaped package, etc. The container may also be one in which the opening is defined by the upper sections of the container walls, or even defined as an edge at the highest section of the container walls. The lid can be integral with its suitable container, or it can be independent of the container, so that it can be removed from one container and then adjusted in another similar container. The lid can also be disposable.

The lid can be adjusted on the top of the container by any method known in the art, in a fixed or detachable manner. For example, the lid can be tightly screwed into complementary threads in the upper portion of the package, it can be press-fit on the upper part or even welded on the upper portion. Alternatively, the lid may be removable, that is, by rotational or sliding displacement around the top portion, thereby allowing the user to remove the lid entirely from the container.

The lid has an upper end in which a hole is defined. The hole is in fluid communication with the container opening, and can be located coaxially or asymmetrically with the container opening. The hole may be of a similar or smaller transverse dimension compared to the container opening. For example, for a circular opening and circular hole, the diameter of the hole may be similar in size or smaller than the diameter of the container opening.

The closure assembly comprises a first element and a second element, and is hinged to the upper end by a first hinge. The first hinge allows the closure assembly to assume (i) a closed state in which the first element seals the hole and (ii) an open state that allows a user to remove the contents of the container.

The closure assembly may be offset around the first hinge to assume a first angle to the top end, typically up to approximately 90 °, 120 °, 150 °, or even 180 °.

The first and second elements each have an external face and an internal face bearing a mirror; that is, at least one, sometimes both, of the internal faces of the first and second elements carry a mirror. Mirrors can be associated with internal faces by any means known in the art; for example, but not limited to, glued, snapped, etc. The mirror can be made of glass, polished metal, a metal-coated plastic material, and others.

Each of the mirrors may, in some embodiments, be independently planar, concave, or convex geometries (that is, reflecting an increased or decreased size of the reflected object, respectively). In other embodiments, the mirrors have a planar geometry and are inclined with respect to the internal face of the element.

The first and second elements are articulated with each other by a second hinge. The second hinge allows the second element to be tilted with respect to the first element between a collapsed state and an extended state. In the collapsed state the two elements are nested against each other and their two internal faces (in some embodiments, they carry mirrors) are opposite each other; and in the extended state the internal faces (two with mirrors) are exposed.

In the extended state, the first and second elements define a second angle between them, typically between about 45 ° and 180 °, more typically between about 60 and 150 ° C.

The cap of the invention can therefore assume any of four states (a) a closed and collapsed state, in which the container is sealed by the first element and the mirrors are hidden; (b) an open and collapsed state, in which the first element is decoupled from the upper end to allow the extraction of the container content through the hole, while the closing organization is kept in the collapsed state to hide the mirrors; (c) a closed and extended state, in which the container is sealed and the mirrors are exposed; and (d) an open and extended state, in which the first element is decoupled from the upper end and both internal faces bearing mirrors are exposed.

The first and second angles can be independently adjusted by the user to allow for an extended field of view in the relevant operational states of the cap.

In order to allow a compact configuration in the closed and collapsed state, each of the internal faces can be inclined with respect to their corresponding external faces. That is, the inner face of the first element may be inclined at an angle with respect to the outer face of the first element; while the internal face of the second element can be inclined at an opposite and complementary angle with respect to the internal face of the first element. When the closure assembly is in the collapsed state, such complementary tilt angles produce substantially parallel external faces and hence a compact spatial organization.

In one embodiment, the second hinge is adjacent to the first hinge, that is, the first and second hinges are positioned at adjacent points on the circumference of the closure assembly. In such an embodiment, the two hinges are formed on the same side of the closure assembly.

In another embodiment, the first hinge and the second hinge are distant from each other, that is, positioned at distant points on the circumference of the closure assembly.

In such embodiments, the first hinge and second hinge can be formed at opposite points on the circumference of the closure assembly, that is, on opposite sides of the closure assembly. In some ways In the extended state, the second hinge may allow rotation of the second element relative to the first element to provide an additional degree of freedom for the second element relative to the first. This allows the user to further adjust the field of view as needed to obtain an optimal viewing angle.

The caps of the invention can typically be made of plastic material, although they can also be made of other materials, including metal, such as aluminum or stainless steel. When formed from plastic materials, the cap can be manufactured by injection molding techniques known in the art. Suitable, however non-limiting, plastic materials for producing the cap of the invention are homopolymers, copolymers, such as, for example, block, graft, random and alternating copolymers, as well as terpolymers, further including their derivatives, blends and mixtures thereof. The polymers may or may not be bio- or environmentally degradable. Non-limiting examples of such polymers are polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polypropylene terephthalate, polyphenylene oxide, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), butadiene-styrene-block copolymers, butadiene-styrene-butadiene, acrylonitrile-butadiene. -styrene (ABS), styrene copolymers, etc.

In one embodiment of the invention, the hinges can be formed of metal or plastic material, the same or different from the plastic material from which the other parts of the lid are made. Typically, all of the lid elements are integrally formed and made of the same material.

The invention provides a lid to fit in the upper portion of a container, the lid has an upper end equipped with a closure assembly to seal a hole that is in fluid communication with an opening of the container that is defined in said upper portion, the closure assembly is hinged to the upper end by a first hinge and having (i) a closed state in which the first element engages the hole and (ii) an open state in which the first element disengages from the hole,

the closure assembly comprises a first element and a second element, each of said first and second elements has an external face and an internal face, and at least one of the internal faces carries a mirror, and the elements are articulated with each other by a second hinge that allows the second element to be tilted with respect to the first element between a collapsed state and an extended state; so that in the collapsed state the two elements fit against each other and their internal faces are opposite each other, and in the extended state the internal cars are exposed,

such that the closing assembly is capable of assuming at least the states of: (a) closed and collapsed state; (b) open and collapsed state; (c) closed and extended status; and (d) open and extended status.

In some embodiments, each of the internal faces carries a mirror.

As stated above, based on the same principle of operation, the first and second elements can define between them, in the collapsed state, a closed space (for example, for storage). That is, the first element constitutes a lower section of the storage space, while the second element can constitute an upper section of the storage space.

Therefore, the invention provides a lid to fit in an upper portion of a container, said lid has an upper end in which a hole is defined, to establish fluid communication with a defined opening in the upper portion of the container, the upper end. is equipped with a latch assembly, the latch assembly comprises a first movable element equipped with a first hinge and a second hinge, so that the first hinge joins between the first movable element and the upper end, and allows the first element mobile assumes (i) a closed state in which the first mobile element is coupled to the hole and (ii) an open state in which the first mobile element is decoupled from the hole, and a second mobile element, attached to the first mobile element by said second hinge that allows the second movable element to be inclined with respect to the first movable element to define a collapsed state and an extended state; so that in the collapsed state the two movable elements fit against each other to form a closed space, and in the extended state the two movable elements are inclined with respect to each other.

The closing assembly is capable of assuming at least the states of: (a) closed and collapsed state; (b) open and collapsed state; (c) closed and extended status; and (d) open and extended status.

According to some embodiments, when in the collapsed state the closed space is formed by joining a first gap defined in the first moving element and a second gap defined in the second moving element. According to other embodiments, the space is formed in the collapsed state between a gap formed in one of said first or said second moving elements and the inner face of the other of said first or said second moving elements. Each of said first and second holes may be empty, or independently filled with the same, or different materials. When the materials stored in the hole are loose or fluid, each of the holes may be covered by a removable cover to prevent unwanted spillage or loss of materials.

The closed space may contain, at least in part of its volume, at least one material, the same or different than that in the container on which the lid is fitted. The at least one material may be for a single use, i.e. a single dose, or be in a form suitable for multiple uses. The at least one material can be, for example, in the form of a powder, a liquid, a gel, a cream, an ointment, a compacted powder, a solid block, etc. Alternatively, the space can be left empty, leaving the user to decide the material or object to be stored in it.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second movable elements carries a mirror on the internal faces thereof. In other embodiments, each of the first and second movable elements carries a mirror on the internal face thereof.

In some embodiments, the second hinge is adjacent to the first hinge. In other embodiments, the first hinge and the second hinge are positioned remotely on the circumference of the first movable member.

In other embodiments, the first hinge and the second hinge are formed on opposite sides of the first movable member. In such embodiments, when in the extended state, the second hinge allows rotation of the second movable member relative to the first movable member.

Brief description of the drawings

In order to better understand the object disclosed herein and to exemplify how it can be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lid according to an embodiment of the invention, in the closed and collapsed state.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lid of Figure 1 in the open and collapsed state.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cap of Figure 1 in the closed and extended state.

Figures 4A-4C are perspective views of the lid of Figure 1 in the open and extended state according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figures 5A-5D are perspective views of the cover in its various operating states according to another embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of embodiments

Figure 1 depicts a lid 100 according to an embodiment of the invention in its closed and collapsed state. The lid comprises a body 102 , suitable to fit over an upper portion of a container (in this specific non-limiting embodiment, the upper portion is in the form of a container neck), and a closure assembly, generally designated as 104 . The closure assembly comprises a first member 110 and second member 112, each having an inner face 110A and 112A , respectively, and an outer face 110B and 112B, respectively. In some cases, at least one of the internal faces 110A and 112A carries a mirror. Alternatively both internal faces 110A and 112A carry mirrors. Furthermore, the first and second elements ( 110 , 112 ) can be designed such that a closed space is formed between their internal faces ( 110A , 112A ) when they are in their collapsed state. The function of the first and second elements will now be explained in more detail, for example, when both internal faces 110A , 112A carry mirrors.

As can best be seen in Figure 2 , the closure assembly is associated with an upper end 106 of the lid through a first hinge 108 , which allows the closure assembly to move from a closed state to an open state of the cap. At the upper end a hole 114 is defined which is in liquid communication with a container opening defined by the neck. When in the closed state, the hole is sealed by protrusion 116 that extends from outer face 110B .

In Figure 3 , a lid according to an embodiment of the invention can be seen in the closed and extended state. The first and second elements 110 , 112 are articulated to each other by a second hinge 118 , located on the opposite side of the upper end with respect to the location of the first hinge 108 , which allows the angular displacement of element 112 with respect to element 110 . Once the element 112 is displaced, the mirrors that are attached to each of the internal surfaces 110A and 112A are exposed, so that a user is provided with a wide viewing angle. In this position, the first element 110 engages the hole 114 , which prevents removal of the contents from the container, while allowing a viewer to independently use the mirror mount.

Once back to the collapsed state, shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inner faces 110A and 112A are nested against each other, so that two inner faces (mirror carriers) are facing each other, so that the mirrors are not exposed and are therefore protected from damage or soiling.

Turning to Figures 4A-4C , a lid according to an embodiment of the invention can be seen in the open and extended state, in which the mirrors are exposed and the contents of the container can be removed through hole 1 l4 .

In another embodiment of the invention, the hinges may reside on the same side of the closure assembly. Figures 5A-5D depict such a cover, where elements similar to those in Figures 1-4C are given similar figures, shifted by 100. That is, element 100 is similar to element 200, element 102 is similar to element 202, etc.

Figure 5A depicts a lid 200 in its closed and collapsed state. The lid comprises a body 202 , and a general closure assembly designated 204 . The closure assembly comprises a first element 210 and a second element 212 , each having an internal face 210A and 212A respectively, and an external face 210B and 212B , respectively (as can be seen more clearly in Figure 5D ).

As seen in Figure 5B , the latch assembly is associated with a top end 206 of the lid through a first hinge 208 , which allows the latch assembly to move from a closed state to an open state of the lid . At the upper end a hole 214 is defined which is in liquid communication with a container opening defined by the neck. When in the closed state, the hole is sealed by protrusion 216 that extends from outer face 210B .

In figure 5C it can be seen in the closed and extended state. The first and second elements 210 , 212 are hinged to one another by a second hinge 218 , positioned near and slightly above the first hinge 208 , so that both hinges 208 , 218 reside on the same side of the mount. The second hinge 218 allows the angular displacement of the element 212 with respect to the element 210 . Once the element 212 is displaced, the mirrors that are attached to the internal surfaces 210A and 212A are exposed, so that a user is provided with a wide viewing angle. In this position, the first element 210 engages the hole 214 , which prevents the contents from being removed from the container, while allowing a viewer to use the mirror mount.

Once back to the collapsed state, shown in Figures 5A and 5B , the inner faces 210A and 212A snap against each other, the two inner faces (mirror carriers) are facing each other, so that the mirrors are not exposed.

In Figure 4D , the lid is in the open and extended state, in which the mirrors are exposed and the contents of the container can be removed through hole 214 .

Claims (14)

1. A lid (100, 200) to fit in the upper portion of a container, the lid has a body (102, 202) with an upper end (106, 206) comprising a hole (114, 214) and equipped with a closure assembly (104, 204) to seal the orifice that is in liquid communication with a container opening defined in said upper portion, the closure assembly: it is hinged to the upper end by a first hinge (108, 208); Y it comprises a first element (110, 210) and a second element (112, 212), each of said first and second elements has an external face and an internal face (110A, 112A, 210A, 212A), at least one of the internal faces carry a mirror, and the two elements (110, 210, 112, 212) are articulated with each other by a second hinge (118, 218) which allows the second element to be inclined with respect to the first element between a collapsed state and an extended state; so that in the collapsed state the two elements fit together and their internal faces are opposite each other, and in the extended state the internal faces are exposed; the closure assembly has (i) a closed state in which the first element engages the hole and (ii) an open state in which the first element is decoupled from the hole; Y it is capable of assuming at least the states of: (a) closed and collapsed state; (b) open and collapsed state; (c) closed and extended status; and (d) open and extended status. 2. The cover of claim 1, wherein each of the internal faces carries a mirror, optionally where each mirror has a convex or concave geometry. 3. The cover of claim 1 or 2, wherein the second hinge is adjacent to the first hinge. 4. The cover of claim 3, wherein the two hinges are formed on the same side of the closure assembly. 5. The cover of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are positioned remotely on the circumference of the closure assembly. 6. The cover of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are formed on opposite sides of the closure assembly. 7. The cover of claim 6, wherein, in the extended state, the second hinge allows rotation of the second element with respect to the first element. 8. The cap of any of claims 1-7, made of plastic material. 9. The cap of claim 8, wherein the cap is formed by injection molding. The cap of any one of claims 1-9, wherein all of the cap elements are integrally formed. 11. The cover of any of claims 1-10, wherein the mirror has a convex geometry. 12. The cover of any of claims 1-10, wherein the mirror has a concave geometry. 13. A container associated with the lid of any of claims 1-12. 14. The container of claim 13, wherein the lid is integral with the container.