FR2812279A1 - Tamper proof system for container stopper comprises breakable tab connected to stopper support and opening/closing parts which separates from support on first opening and second coupling part enclosing tab after opening - Google Patents

Abstract

The stopper (2) comprises a support part (5) connected to the opening (4) of a container (1) and a closing/opening part (6) connected to the support. The tamper proof system (9) comprises a first breakable coupling tab (20) connected to the support part and the opening/closing part which is separated from the support on first opening of the stopper. A second coupling folding section (21) forms, with the support, a cage which encloses the first coupling tab after opening, when this has been separated from the closing/opening part.

Description

The invention relates to a tamper-evident system for a plug in

  plastic material, a cap comprising such a tamper-evident system and, finally, a container provided with such a cap with a tamper-evident system, empty or

less partially filled.

  Tamper-evident systems are already known comprising reciprocal attachment means associated respectively with the support part and with the closure / opening part of the stopper. These attachment means cooperate with each other when the cap is closed before first opening. In the known embodiments, one of the attachment means is frangible and separate from

  the part of the cap with which it is associated during the first opening.

  Among the known inviolability systems, there are some in which the means

  hooking are continuous all around the periphery of the plug.

  There are others in which the hooking means are located at certain locations on the periphery of the plug. In such cases, the attachment means may be in the form of legs

  hooking cooperating with projections or stops.

  Similar inviolability systems comprising reciprocal attachment means may also relate to a stopper and a container neck intended

  to receive the plug (see for example FR-A-2 676 715).

  The invention is considered more particularly in the case of the application to both parts of a stopper, but also finds application in the case of

  application to a stopper and to the neck intended to receive it.

  One of the problems which is posed with tamper-evident systems of the type which has just been described is the fact that, when the cap has been opened for the first time, the hooking means are separated from the cap. The user does not know what to do with these attachment means. Children can

  put in the mouth. In any case, they can be returned to the container.

  The object of the invention is therefore to overcome these drawbacks and to ensure that the attachment means separate from the plug are not

"lost".

  To this end and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a tamper-evident system intended for a plastic stopper, itself intended for a container, of the type comprising at least two parts, on the one hand for support intended to be associated with the opening of the container or forming the container neck, on the other hand closing / opening intended to be associated with the support part and being able to be moved between two positions / two states of closing and opening respectively, the tamper-evident system comprising reciprocal hooking means associated respectively with the support part and with the closing / opening part, the said hooking means cooperating with each other when the cap is closed before first opening, the first means of hooking being frangible and separate from the part

  with which it is associated during the first opening.

  According to the invention, this inviolability system is such that the second attachment means is presented with the part with which it is associated in the form of a cage having the function of trapping the first frangible attachment means both before that after the first opening, so that the first attachment means, once separated from the part with which it was associated, remains positively trapped in the cage formed by the second attachment means. According to other characteristics, the first attachment means is in the general form of a V-shaped lug having a first support branch connected towards its free edge in a frangible manner to the corresponding part and a second blocking branch intended to cooperate in abutment with a projection

  corresponding to the second attachment means.

  The second attachment means comprises a flap spaced radially from the corresponding part to form a housing space for the first attachment means, a lumen formed in the flap and defining a forming protruding stop for the first attachment means, walls or parts of walls closing laterally at least partially said space, so as to prevent the exit from said space of the first attachment means which is placed there, the latter thus being trapped positively in the second attachment means . Said walls or parts of walls are placed laterally on either side of the flap, between the latter and a wall, in particular a skirt, of the corresponding part. In one embodiment, the flap is slightly inclined relative to the wall,

  in particular skirt, of the corresponding part.

  The second attachment means comprises a lateral and front opening of

  mounting by axial introduction of the first attachment means.

  Opposite the mounting opening is a second opening of smaller dimension than the corresponding dimension of the first attachment means, the latter thus being unable to leave the cage by this second.

opening.

  The first attachment means is connected to the corresponding part by the

minus a frangible bridge.

  According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a plastic stopper of the type comprising at least one closing / opening part intended to be associated with a support part, itself either intended to be associated with the neck of a container, or forming part of the container, this closing part being able to be moved between two positions / two states of closing and opening respectively, and at least one tamper-evident system as previously described, coming from manufacturing with the support and

  closing / opening proper.

  The inviolability system is located at the periphery and outside.

  In one embodiment, the first attachment means is associated with the closing / opening part, and the second attachment means associated with the support part. In one embodiment, the support branch of the first hooking means in the form of a V-shaped tab is attached by at least one frangible bridge to an annular wall of the closing / opening part, and the cage for confining the V-shaped tab. of the first attachment means is delimited by the flap and an annular wall opposite the support part, the first opening

  hooking being turned towards the closing / opening part.

  Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the inviolability system extends over a few

degrees of angle.

  The angle between the flap and the facing wall is of the order of a few degrees.

  Such a cap may include several inviolability systems distributed at the

  periphery, especially from two to six.

  Depending on an application, the two support and closing / opening parts

belong to the cap.

  Thus, according to one embodiment, these two parts are also associated one with

the other by a hinge.

  According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a container - empty or at least partially filled with a certain content - provided with a cap as it comes

to be described.

  The other characteristics of the invention result from the description which follows in

  reference to the appended figures in which: - Figure 1 is an elevational view of a container provided with a cap in the closed state before first opening, provided with two tamper-evident systems according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a top view of the container of Figure 1; - Figure 3 is a partial view in radial section of the container cap and the tamper-evident system before first opening - Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, the cap having been and being open; - Figure 5 is a partial perspective view along arrow F of Figure 3; - Figure 6 is a partial perspective view along arrow G of the

figure 5.

  Reference is now made more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in which a container 1 is represented - which is empty or partially filled with a

  certain content - and a plastic cap 2.

  The container 1 has a neck 3 defining an opening 4.

  The plug 2 proper comprises a support part 5 and a part of

closing / opening 6.

  The two parts 5, 6 are associated with each other by a hinge 7, located at

  the periphery 8 of the plug 2 (Figure 2).

  The plug 2 also comprises, in the embodiment under consideration, two tamper-evident systems 9 at the periphery 8 and outside, each arranged approximately 120 on either side of the hinge 7, each associated with the two

parts 5, 6.

  In other embodiments, the cap has only one or more

  two inviolability systems such as 9.

  In another application, not shown, the support part 5 is part of the container 1, the stopper 2 comprising the closing / opening part 6.

  We consider more particularly the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

  The neck 3 of the container has an external annular peripheral seat 10 and,

  îo towards the opening 4, an external annular hooking projection 11.

  The part 5 for supporting the plug 2 comprises an annular wall 12 resting on the edge of the opening 4, an internal skirt 13 and an external skirt 14 associated respectively with the neck 3 inward and outward. To this end, the external skirt 14 has an internal annular hooking projection 15 intended to cooperate with the projection 11 of the neck 3. Furthermore, the skirt 14 comes

wear on seat 10 of collar 3.

  On the other hand, the part 5 comprises a wall 16 adjoining the annular wall 12,

  forming in this case spout.

  The part 6 for closing / opening the cap 2 comprises a transverse wall 17 and an annular wall 18. When the cap is closed, the edge 19 of the annular wall 18 comes to rest on the annular wall 12, towards the skirt.

  external 14 that it extends overall.

  A tamper-evident system 9 comprises, in the embodiment more particularly considered, a first attachment means 20 and a second means

  attachment 21, the attachment being reciprocal.

  The attachment means 20, 21 are intended to cooperate with each other when the

  cap is closed before first opening (figure 3).

  The attachment means 20, 21 of the tamper-evident system 9 are located

  peripherally and extend over a course of a few degrees of angle.

  The attachment means 20 is associated with the closing / opening part 6 and the attachment means 21 with the support part 5. In other embodiments, the association is inverse: means 20 with part 5 and

medium 21 with part 6.

  The first attachment means 20 is in the general form of a V-shaped lug having first of all a first support branch 22 connected towards its

  22 'free edge frangibly - with sufficient external action -

  at the edge 19 of the annular wall 18 of the closing / opening part 6.

  The V-shaped tab of the hooking means 20 then has a second locking branch 23 whose axial length - along the axis AA of the container 1 and of the

  plug 2 - is weaker than that of the first support branch 22.

  In the embodiment considered, the first support branch 22 is connected to the edge 19 of the annular wall by several - in this case three bridges

frangible 24.

  The junction 25 of the two branches 22, 23 is rounded to facilitate assembly

of the inviolability system 9.

  The two branches 22, 23 tend to move away from one another.

  In the assembled state, the two branches 22, 23 form an angle of

a few degrees.

  The second attachment means 21 comprises a flap 26 spaced radially and towards the outside of the external skirt 14 so as to form with it a space

  27 for housing the first attachment means 20.

  In the embodiment considered, the flap 26 extends axially - along the axis AA -

  substantially on the same axial length as the outer skirt 14.

  The shutter 26 includes a slot 28 defining a stop 29 for the edge 30 of the locking branch 23.

  This light 28 is located opposite the projection 15 and opposite the wall 12.

  The flap 26 is slightly inclined relative to the wall opposite the part 5, namely the external skirt 14, by a few degrees, the spacing being the greatest.

  at the level of the annular wall 12 and the lowest at the level of the projection 15.

  At the level of the annular wall 12, the flap 26 is spaced from the external skirt 14,

  by providing a lateral, transverse, frontal mounting opening 31.

  This opening 31 of the second attachment means 21 allows mounting by axial introduction - along the axis AA - of the first attachment means 20 to

namely branches 22 and 23.

  At the level of the projection 15, the flap is separated from the external skirt 14 by providing a second opening 32 of smaller deviation than the first

  opening and extending the light 28.

  The second attachment means 21 also comprises two walls 33 - see FIG. 5 - which peripherally form the space 27 and are therefore located at this

  place on either side of the flap 26, between said flap 26 and the outer skirt 14.

  Each wall 33 has in elevation a generally trapezoidal shape.

  In this embodiment, each wall 33 is full, continuous and extends both over the entire axial height of the flap 26 and over the entire width of the spacing between

the flap 26 and the skirt 14.

  In other possible embodiments, the wall 33 is perforated and / or discontinuous and / or extends over only part of the axial height of the flap 26 and / or the

  spacing width between the flap 26 and the skirt 14.

  The structure which has just been described is such that the second means 21 with the external skirt 14 with which it is associated - overall shape and thanks

  in particular at the walls 33 a sort of cage.

  The purpose of this cage is to trap the first frangible attachment means 20 both before and after the first opening (Figures 3 and 4 respectively). Consequently, the first attachment means 20 when it is separated from the annular wall 18 with which it was associated before the first opening, remains positively trapped in the cage. The first attachment means is prevented from leaving the cage. Its exit is impossible by the light 28, due to the configuration of the branches 22 and 23. It is impossible

  through the opening 31, the branch 23 being blocked by its edge 30 on the stop 29.

  It is just as impossible by the opening 32 smaller than the thickness formed by the two branches 22 and 23. Finally, it is prevented laterally

through the wall 33.

  In the assembly of the tamper-evident system 9, it suffices to insert the first attachment means 20 into the second attachment means 21 through the opening 31, until the branch 23 is positioned in the slot 28 and come in

blocking on it.

Claims (18)

  1. Tamper-evident system (9) intended for a plastic cap (2),   even for a container (1), of the type comprising at least two parts, on the one hand support (5) intended to be associated with the opening (4) of the container (1) or forming the neck of the container, d other closing / opening part (6) intended to be associated with the support part (5) and which can be moved between two positions / two states of closing and opening respectively, the tamper-evident system (9) comprising i0 reciprocal hooking means (20, 21) associated respectively with the support part (5) and with the closing / opening part (6), the said hooking means (20, 21) cooperating with each other when the plug (2) is closed before first opening, the first attachment means (20) being frangible and separate from the part (6) with which it is associated during the first opening, characterized in that the second attachment means ( 21) is presented with the part (5) with which it is associated in the form of a cage having the function of imprisoning the first frangible attachment means (20) both before and after the first opening, so that the first attachment means (20), once separated from the part (6) to which it was associated, remains positively trapped in the cage formed by the second attachment means (21), so that no element resulting from the rupture of the inviolability system (9)   is released from the plug (2) after the first opening.   2. Tamper-evident system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first attachment means (20) is in the general form of a V-shaped tab having a first support branch (22) connected towards its free edge ( 22 ') frangibly to the corresponding part (6) and a second locking branch (23) intended to cooperate in abutment with a projection   corresponding (29) of the second attachment means (21).   3. Tamper-evident system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second attachment means (21) comprises a flap (26) spaced radially from the corresponding part (5) to form a space (27) of ll housing of the first attachment means (21), a slot (28) formed in the flap (26) and defining a stop forming projection (29) for the first attachment means (20), walls (33) or parts of walls closing laterally at least partially said space (27), so as to prevent the exit from said space (27) of the first hooking means (20) which is placed there, the latter being thus trapped   positively in the second attachment means (21).   4. Tamper-evident system according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises said walls (33) or parts of walls arranged laterally on either side of the flap (26), between the latter and a wall ( 14), in particular   skirt, of the corresponding part (5).   5. Tamper-evident system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the flap (26) is slightly inclined relative to the wall (14), in particular   skirt, of the corresponding part (5).   6. Tamper-evident system according to any one of claims 3 to 5,   characterized in that the second attachment means (21) comprises a lateral and frontal opening (31) for mounting by axial insertion of the first attachment means (20).   7. Tamper-evident system according to claim 6, characterized in that opposite the mounting opening (31) is a second opening (32) of smaller dimension than the corresponding dimension of the first means of hooking (20), the latter thus being unable to leave the   cage through this second opening (32).   8. Tamper-evident system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,   characterized in that the first attachment means (20) is connected to the   corresponding part (6) by at least one frangible bridge (24).   9. Plastic plug (2) of the type comprising at least one closing / opening part (6) intended to be associated with a support part (5), itself being intended to be associated with the neck (3) of a container (1), either forming part of the container (1), this closing / opening part (6) being able to be moved between two positions / two states of closing and opening respectively, and at least one system   inviolability (9) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, coming from   manufacturing with the support (5) and closing / opening (6) parts proper.   10. Cap according to claim 9, characterized in that the tamper-evident system o0 (9) is located at the periphery and outside of the cap (2).   11. Plug according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the first attachment means (20) is associated with the closing / opening part (6),   and the second attachment means (21) associated with the support part (5).   12. Plug according to claim 11, characterized in that the support branch (22) of the first attachment means (20) in the form of a V-shaped lug is attached by at least one frangible bridge (24) to an annular wall (18 ) of the closing / opening part (6), and by the fact that the imprisonment cage of the V-shaped leg of the first attachment means (20) is delimited by the flap (26) and an annular wall opposite of the support part (5), the first hooking opening being turned towards the part closing / opening (6).   13. Stopper according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in   that the tamper-evident system (9) extends over a few degrees of angle.   14. Stopper according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in   that the angle between the flap (26) and the facing wall (14) is of the order of a few degrees.   15. Stopper according to any one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in   which it comprises several inviolability systems (9) distributed at the   periphery, especially from two to six.   16. Plug according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in   what the two support (5) and closing / opening (6) parts belong to the plug (2).   17. Plug according to claim 16, characterized in that the two support (5) and closing / opening (6) parts are also associated   to each other by a hinge (7).   18. Container (1) provided with a stopper (2) according to any one of   io claims 9 to 17, this container (1) being empty or filled at least partially of certain content.