GB2164028A

GB2164028A - Container with a flexible lid

Info

Publication number: GB2164028A
Application number: GB08520388A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harry Schmid
Original assignee: ASEPTA AG
Current assignee: ASEPTA AG
Priority date: 1984-09-05
Filing date: 1985-08-14
Publication date: 1986-03-12
Also published as: GB8520388D0; GB2164028B; CH664744A5; BE903001A; JPS6193060A; IT8522043A0; NL8502306A; LU86026A1; DE3526771A1; FR2569662A1; FR2569662B1; IT1208571B

Abstract

The container (2) has near its mouth a bead (10) and an annular outwardly projecting rib (11). The lid (1) consists of an upper part (23) and a ring (17). The latter is connected to the upper part (23) of the lid by a thin tear-open skin (14) extending in the peripheral direction around the lid (1). On the inside of the ring (17) is disposed an inwardly projecting rib (13) which engages under the rib (11) on the container. When the upper part (23) of the lid is lifted off for the first time, the ring (17) bearing against the rib (11) on the container (2) is completely and irreversibly separated. Unauthorized opening of the container can therefore be immediately recognized by the user from the lid (1). The container is in particular suitable for packing foodstuffs, for example yoghurt, or pharmaceutical products. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container with a flexible lid This invention relates to a container provided with a flexible lid and consisting of a container comprising a base, a peripheral wall, a container mouth, and a bead extending around the mouth, and of a lid adapted to be placed over the mouth and to be detachably connected to the container.

In the case of the container known from German Published Application No 3 220 184 the lid is fitted over the bead on the mouth of the container. On the inside of the lid are disposed sealing lips which, when the container is closed, are pressed elastically against the bead and thus ensure abso lutely leaktight closure. Since the container can be opened and reclosed without being damaged, the user is not able to recognize any previous unauthorised opening of the container.

For the packing of foodstuffs and pharmaceutical products various containers have therefore been proposed which are provided with a so-called guarantee closure and are conspicuously damaged when opened for the first time. However, these containers are usually expensive to produce or complicated to handle. In many cases the container can no longer be closed quite leaktightly once it has been opened.

According to the present invention, there is provided container apparatus consisting of a container comprising a base, a peripheral wall, a mouth, and a bead extending around the mouth, and a flexible lid adapted to be placed over the mouth and to be detachably connected to the container, wherein the container has, at a distance from the bead, an outwardly projecting rib, and wherein the lid has a ring which engages under the rib and which is adapted to be completely separated from the upper part of the lid upon first opening of the lid along a weakened line.

The invention also extends to a flexible lid to be detachably connected to a container of the type having a bead extending around its mouth, and which container also has an outwardly projecting rib spaced from the bead, said lid being provided with an inwardly extending projection to engage beneath the bead and maintain the lid in place, -and a ring to engage beneath the outwardly extending rib, the ring being adapted to be completely separated from the rest of the lid upon first opening of the lid along a weakened line.

With the invention there can be provided a container which has a flexible lid and which is protected against unauthorised opening, is absolutely leaktight and closes leaktightly a number of times after first being opened, and can be opened in a simple manner by hand without implements and with slight force, but which nevertheless can be inexpensively produced in large numbers.

The container according to the invention can be opened and closed just as simply and conveniently as known containers not provided with a guarantee closure.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, the following description is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a lid according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower side of the lid shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-section through a lid and the top part of the container, Figure 4a is a partial elevation of a container partly opened for the first time, to a smaller scale, and Figure 4b is a partial elevation of a completelyopened container, to a smaller scale.

As the drawings show, the lid 1 consists of an upper lid part 23, which corresponds substantially to the lid according to German Published Application No 3 220 184, and of a ring 17, which is disposed at the bottom edge of the lid.

The upper part 23 of the lid has a lateral operating tongue 8 provided with a stiffening rib 9 anO a stand-up edge 20 serving to secure laterally containers stacked one on the other. Liquid collecting on the lid 1 can run off through slots 21. As Figure 3 shows, sealing lips 6 extend around the inside of the lid 1 and bear elastically against a bead 10 on the container 2. In addition, a rib 12, extending around the upper part 23 of the lid, is formed on the inside of the edge portion 3 of said upper part, this rib 12 engaging elastically behind the bead 10 and lying leaktightly against the latter. The sealing lips 6 and the bead 10 form a sealing system which is largely insensitive to tolerance variations of the containers 2.

The ring 17 is of the same material as the upper part 23 of the lid and is joined to it by an annular tear-open skin 14 lying in a groove 15 extending around the lid.

The tear-open skin 14 forming a weakened line, viewed in the peripheral direction may be closed or interrupted below the gripping tongue 8 by a gap 16 extending over a comparatively small angle. The ring 17, which is cylindrical in its bottom region, has at the top an inwardly projecting rib 13 which engages under an outwardly engaging rib 11 on the container 2. The rib 11 is disposed at a distance from the bead 10 and, like the latter, is annular, so that under the bead 10 an annular groove 22 is formed, in which the groove 12 on the upper part 23 of the lid can engage.

On the outside the ring 17 has a plurality of edges 18 which extend at right angles to the peripheral direction and between which the outer surface of the ring is inwardly curved. This ensures greater lateral rigidity of the ring 17 and better distribution of the flow of forces when the lid 1 is pulled off.

The lid 1 is made of a flexible plastics material, for example polyethylene or rubber, and the container 2 is made of glass or a suitable plastics material.

For the purpose of opening the container for the first time, the lid 1 is pushed up by the gripping tongue 8. Since the ring 17 bears against the rib 11, the skin 14 under the gripping tongue 8 tears open (Figure 4a). The upper part 23 of the lid can then be lifted off from the container by slight force, the skin 14 tearing open in both peripheral directions until the ring 17 is completely detached from the upper part 23 of the lid (Figure 4b). The separated ring 14 falls onto a shoulder 24 provided immediately under the groove 11.

The tear-open skin 14 has a thickness of only about 0.02 to about 0.07 mm, preferably 0.02 to 0.03 mm, for which reason the skin 14 very easily and unavoidably tears when the upper part 23 of the lid is lifted off. The detachment of the ring 17 is conspicuous and irreversible. The skin 14 may, with the exception of the gap 16, have uninterruptedly or, as shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of perforations 25 distributed around the periphery. The ring 17 is connected here to the upper part 23 of the lid via comparatively narrow webs 26.

Once it has been lifted off, the upper part 23 of the lid can be replaced and lifted off again a number of times without impairing the sealing action.

The container can without difficulty also be opened by children. The broken-off lid has no sharp and dangerous edges or corners.

The container 2 may be a wide-necked glass, for example a yoghurt glass, or a narrow-necked glass, for example a milk bottle.

Claims

1. A flexible lid to be detachably connected to a container of the type having a bead extending around its mouth, and which container also has an outwardly projecting rib spaced from the bead, said lid being provided with an inwardly extending projection to engage beneath the bead and maintain the lid in place, and a ring to engage beneath the outwardly extending rib, the ring being adapted to be completely separated from the rest of the lid upon first opening of the lid along a weakened line.

2. Container apparatus consisting of a container comprising a base, a peripheral wall, a mouth, and a bead extending around the mouth, and a flexible lid adapted to be placed over the mouth and to be detachably connected to the container, wherein the container has, at a distance from the bead, an outwardly projecting rib, and wherein the lid has a ring which engages under the rib and which is adapted to be completely separated from the up per part of the lid upon first opening of the lid along a weakened line.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the container has, immediately below the ring, an outwardly projecting shoulder.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the weakened line is formed by a periph eral tear-open skin.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the tear-open skin has a thickness of 0.02 to 0.07 mm, preferably 0.02 to 0.03 mm.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the tear-open skin has a plurality of perforations.

7. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the ring is separated from the upper part of the lid by a peripheral groove.

8. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the ring has, on the inside, a rib projecting inwards which rib engages under the rib on the container.

9. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the ring has, on the outside, a plurality of edges extending at right angles to the peripheral direction, and the outer surface of the ring is inwardly curved between the edges.

10. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the upper part of the lid has an outwardly projecting gripping tongue.

11. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the lid has, in the region of the weakened line, a peripheral slot.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 and claim 11 wherein the gripping tongue is disposed above the slot.

13. A flexible lid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. Container apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.