IT202200020904A1 - Container neck and container locking system. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Attached to a patent application for an INDUSTRIAL INVENTION having as its title

?CONTAINER NECK AND CLOSING SYSTEM FOR

CONTAINERS?

The invention concerns a neck for containers and a closing system for containers.

In particular, the invention refers to a neck for a container, such as a bottle or tube or similar product, where the neck is configured to be coupled to a relative cap.

Even more specifically, the present invention relates to a container neck made of natural, renewable and recyclable material, for example cellulose-based material or other fibres, generally used to produce a variety of objects that are currently made of synthetic polymeric material, in particular but not exclusively in the packaging sector. Cellulose-based materials are advantageously much less polluting and easier to dispose of than synthetic polymeric materials. In addition, the relative closing cap applicable to the neck is also made of natural material, preferably cellulose-based.

As is known, the neck of the container has a side wall with a substantially cylindrical development and equipped at the top with an opening for the passage of the material housed in the container. The side wall is generally threaded to allow a cap to be screwed onto the neck.

Alternatively, the cap can also be coupled to the neck by pressure and mechanical interference.

The passage opening of the neck is defined by a generally circular edge that is coupled to the cap to define a seal capable of occluding the opening and preventing the passage of the material housed in the container.

In particular, the seal is provided by the coupling of the neck edge with a circular relief (called a ?plug?) emerging from the internal surface of the cap. In this way, the circular relief is positioned inside the edge and abuts it. Alternatively, the circular relief can be wider than the neck opening to be positioned outside the edge and in contact with it. Furthermore, caps are known that have two circular reliefs, concentric and configured to be in contact both inside and outside the edge.

In the case of containers for liquid or paste products, such as toothpaste tubes or similar, the neck opening can be particularly narrow in order to contain and control the flow of material exiting the container.

Therefore, the side wall that defines the neck is also made with very small dimensions. In this context, as better illustrated in figure 1, to facilitate the gripping and screwing/unscrewing operations of the cap ?A?, it is oversized compared to the size of the neck ?B?. In particular, a cap ?A? is made with a first internal side wall ?A1?, sized according to the neck ?B?, on which the thread is obtained to cooperate with the thread of the neck ?B?, and an external side wall ?A2? designed solely to obtain a larger external surface of the cap and therefore easier to grip by the user.

However, caps of this type, better illustrated in figure 1, have a major drawback deriving first of all from the structural complexity of the cap itself equipped with two lateral walls "A1, A2", with the consequent drawbacks in the production processes. A further complexity derives from the cellulose-based material which makes the production of complex caps and necks of this type expensive and in some cases impracticable.

In addition, the external side wall ?A2? is easily deformable if gripped with too much force by the user. In this case, in fact, the external wall ?A2? is not supported internally by the neck ?B? of the container and for this reason it can be flexed inwards, that is, towards the internal side wall ?A1?.

There are also known containers with a neck and respective cap both made of natural materials, such as cellulose, which however present design constraints deriving from the relative forming processes and the structural sealing capacity of the material itself.

In this context, the circular relief (?plug?) that emerges from the internal wall of the cap is spaced from the side wall of the cap itself, in order to be able to be correctly formed in the respective molds and to give the cap sufficient structural stability. To ensure the bond between the edge of the neck and the circular relief, the neck is made with the respective side wall slightly larger than the relief. In other words, to ensure the seal of the container, the neck is sized according to the width of the circular relief, in order to correctly couple the edge of the neck between the relief and the wall of the cap. However, it should be noted that in this condition the side wall of the neck is spaced from the side wall of the cap and to ensure the screwing of the cap onto the neck, very pronounced and therefore particularly pointed threads are made.

In this context, the use of threads that are too sharp requires a variation in thickness that cannot be obtained with cellulose-based materials, which must have constant thicknesses to be correctly compacted. Furthermore, even the molding of such pronounced reliefs can be difficult with cellulose-based material which, given its density, would be damaged during the extraction phase of the product (neck or cap) from the mold. In this context, an aim of the present invention is to create a container neck capable of solving the drawbacks of the known art.

In particular, a first aim of the present invention is to provide a container equipped with a neck that can be made of cellulose and at the same time adapted to the structure of the cap.

Even more specifically, it is an object of the present invention to create a cellulose neck that can be easily produced using known molding processes and at the same time can be optimally coupled to the respective cap.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a container equipped with a neck which, despite having dimensional constraints in the section of the passage opening of the material contained in the container, is adaptable to the dimensions of the cap, simplifying its relative structure.

Furthermore, the invention allows to realize the usual function of neck and cap systems using simple and economical geometries. Economy and also "ecodesign" are also guaranteed by the lower weight, therefore lower material consumption, compared to more complex solutions.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a container neck is provided comprising: a side wall having a substantially tubular shape and having a lower edge configured to be joined to a respective container and defining a lower opening for the passage of the material contained in the container and an upper edge defining an upper opening for the passage of said material contained in the container. The neck also has coupling means configured to allow reversible or non-reversible coupling with a respective cap. Advantageously, the upper opening defines a passage section smaller than the passage section of the lower opening.

In other words, the top edge is smaller than the bottom edge.

In this way, it is possible to obtain an upper opening smaller than the dimensions of the side wall of the neck.

This way it is also possible to place a plug even or only on the outside edge of the neck.

For this purpose, the side wall has a first section near the upper edge that is tapered compared to a second section near the lower edge.

Advantageously, the coupling means, preferably in the form of a thread, are provided on the second section of the external surface of the side wall configured to mate with a thread of a respective cap.

Advantageously, the second section of the side wall, on which the upper opening is obtained, is sized independently of the size of the second section which carries the thread.

In addition, the neck is advantageously made of cellulose-based material.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a closure system for containers is provided, comprising the neck described above and a cap which can be resolvably engaged with said neck, also advantageously made of cellulose-based material.

Preferably, the cap has a closing wall of the upper opening and a side wall extending perpendicularly to said closing wall. The closing wall has an annular relief emerging from an internal surface of the closing wall facing the neck to be in contact with the upper edge and inside the upper opening.

Advantageously, the entire system made of cellulose-based material also allows for great versatility in the creation of the upper opening regardless of the size of the neck and cap.

The invention may be better understood and implemented with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate an exemplary and non-limiting version of its implementation, in which:

- figure 1 shows a side elevation and sectional view of a neck and related cap belonging to the known art described above;

- figure 2 shows a side elevation and sectional view of a container neck according to the present invention and coupled to a respective cap;

- Figure 3 shows a side elevation and sectional view of the neck in a second embodiment of the present invention; and

- figures 4a and 4b show side elevation and section views of the neck according to a third embodiment and in two respective operating conditions.

With reference to the attached figures, 1 globally indicates a neck for container 2 which is only partially illustrated as it is not part of the present invention.

In fact, the container 2, to which the package 1 of the invention is applied, can be of any type and made of any material depending on the product that must be contained (products in solid, semi-solid or liquid form).

Advantageously, neck 1 is made entirely of natural material, preferably cellulose-based.

The neck 1 comprises a lateral wall 3 having a substantially tubular shape and developing around a respective longitudinal development axis ?X?.

The wall 3, preferably cylindrical and with a circular section, has a lower edge 3a configured to be joined to the container 2 using known coupling techniques, and an upper edge 3b opposite the lower edge 3a.

The lower edge 3a defines a lower opening 4a for the passage of the material (not illustrated) contained in the container 2. In other words, the lower opening 4a is in fluid communication with an internal compartment of the container 2 for the passage of the material from the container 2 towards the inside of the neck 3.

The upper edge 3b instead defines an upper opening 4b for the passage of the material contained in the container.

In greater detail, the upper opening 4b allows the passage of material from the inside of the wall 3 to the outside. The upper opening also defines a passage section ?S? having a width determined according to the nature of the material contained in the container 2 and according to the shape and dimensions of the container 2 itself.

Advantageously, as will be better explained later in this discussion, the upper opening 4b defines a section "S1" of smaller width than the width of the passage section "S2" defined by the lower opening 4a.

In other words, as clearly illustrated in the attached figures, the upper edge 3b is smaller than the lower edge 3a.

The neck 1 further comprises coupling means 5 configured to allow reversible coupling with a respective cap 101.

Advantageously, the coupling means 5 comprise reliefs 6a, 6b, preferably threads, obtained on the external surface of the side wall 3 and configured to couple with a thread 102 of the respective cap 101 (figure 2).

In the attached figures, the neck 1 is illustrated with threads 6a and 6b, which are different and alternative to each other. In fact, a first thread 6a is determined by a shaping of the wall 3 designed to define a concave portion on the internal surface of the wall 3 and a convex portion on the external surface of the wall 3. In this situation, the wall 3 has a constant thickness along its entire length. In fact, the thread 6a also has a constant thickness.

In an alternative solution, a second thread 6b is provided which does not have an internal concavity but only a convexity on the external surface of the wall 3. In this case, the wall 3 has a variation in thickness in correspondence with the thread 6b, i.e. a thickening of the section. Both threads 6a, 6b described above, however, allow to avoid thinning of the section of the wall 3 with the advantages deriving from the compactness obtainable with the cellulose material which guarantees a mechanical seal of the entire neck 1.

Wall 3 also comprises a first section 7 close to the upper edge 3b and tapered with respect to a second section 8 close to the lower edge 3a.

In other words, wall 3 presents a variation in section in which it narrows at the first section 7 of the top (close to the upper edge 3b).

In this situation, note that the thread is located in the second section 8 of the side wall 3, therefore close to the lower edge 3a and the container 2.

In greater detail, in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention illustrated in figure 2, the first and second sections 7, 8 are both defined by annular portions, coaxial to the "X" axis and joined together by an arched section 9.

In this situation, note that the curved section 9 seamlessly joins the first section 7 with the second section 8 in order to define the variation in the section of the passage from the lower opening 4a with greater width to the upper opening 4b with less width.

In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention illustrated in figure 3, the first section 7 comprises: a first portion 7a having annular development and associated with the aforementioned curved section 9, and a second portion 7b having transversal development with respect to the first portion 7a and defining the aforementioned upper edge 3b.

In other words, in this solution the first section has a second portion 7b having a planar development perpendicular to the longitudinal axis "X" and to the annular development of the first portion 7a.

In this situation, the upper edge 3b and the relative opening 4b are obtained in the form of a hole made on the aforementioned second portion 7b of the first section 7. This hole is obtained, preferably but not limited to, axially to the longitudinal axis ?X? i.e. at the centre of the second portion 7b.

Advantageously, the opening 4b obtained on the second portion 7b can have any passage section "S1", always smaller than the section "S2" of the lower opening 4a, sized according to the various usage needs.

In accordance with a third embodiment illustrated in figures 4a and 4b, the first section 7 comprises: a first portion 7a having an annular development coaxial to the axis ?X? and associated with the curved section 9; a second portion 7b having an annular development coaxial to the longitudinal axis ?X? and defining the aforementioned upper edge 3b; and a third portion 7c having a transversal development with respect to the first 7a and the second 7b portions and interposed between these portions.

More specifically, in this solution the third portion 7c has a planar development perpendicular to the longitudinal axis "X" and to the annular development of the first and second portions 7a, 7b.

In this situation, the second portion 7b appears to emerge (protrude) from the planar development of the third portion 7c to extend above it. In other words, the second portion 7b of the first section 7 defines a "spout" protruding from the third portion 7c on which the upper opening 4b is obtained with a section "S1" smaller than the section "S2" of the lower opening 4a.

With reference to figure 4a, it should be noted that a wall 10 may also be provided to occlude the upper opening 4a. This wall 10 has a planar development parallel to the development of the third portion 7c and is configured to be removed, by means of appropriate cutting or drilling systems of the wall 10 itself, and to define the upper edge 3b with the relative upper opening 4b.

Advantageously, the occlusion wall 10 can also be provided in the previous embodiments, i.e. those illustrated in figures 2 and 3.

The present invention also refers to a closure system 100 which comprises the cap 101 which can be coupled to the neck 1 in accordance with any of the above-described embodiments.

In fact, even if the cap 101 is illustrated only in figure 2, it should be noted that the closing system 100 is used for any type of neck 1. In particular, the cap 101, also preferably made of cellulose-based material, has a closing wall 103 designed to occlude the upper opening 4b of the neck 1, and a lateral wall 104 developing perpendicularly to the closing wall 103.

The side wall 104 has the aforementioned thread 102 which interacts with the thread 6a, 6b of the neck 1 to screw/unscrew the cap 101 from the neck 1. Advantageously, the cap 101 can be equipped with at least one interference element with the occlusion wall 10 capable of cutting into and removing this wall 10 during the movement (rotation) of the cap 101 with respect to the neck 1.

Therefore, in this situation the cap 101 also provides for the definition of the upper edge 3b and the relative opening 4b during a single opening movement of the cap 101 itself.

The closing wall 103 has an annular relief 105 emerging from an internal surface of the closing wall 103 itself facing the neck 1. Advantageously, in the closed condition of the cap 101 on the neck 1, the annular relief 105 is positioned inside the upper opening 4b and abutting the upper edge 3b to define a mechanical seal capable of preventing the escape of material from the container 2.

Alternatively, the relief (105) can also be provided externally to the upper edge (3b) or two concentric reliefs (105), configured to be in contact inside and outside of the edge 3b.

Advantageously, the cap 101 has the aforementioned relief 105 spaced from the respective side wall 104 in such a way as to facilitate the respective molding phases of the cellulose material. In this situation, the mechanical seal is still guaranteed, given by the position of the upper edge 3b, positioned on the first section 7 which is tapered with respect to the second section 8. In other words, the possibility of reducing the section ?S1? of the upper opening 4b with respect to the section ?S2? of the lower opening 4a also allows the first section 7 of the wall 3 to be spaced from the side wall 104 of the cap 101.

Note that, advantageously, in this situation the size of the second section 8 on which the thread 6a, 6b is obtained is maintained unchanged.

Furthermore, the present invention allows to obtain a neck 1 equipped with an upper opening 4b of any size regardless of the size of the thread, possibly imposed by the respective cap.

In other words, it is possible to create a neck 1 with a particularly wide side wall, suitable for example for coupling with large diameter caps, and at the same time present a first section 7 tapered to define a particularly narrow upper opening 4b.

Claims (15)

1. Container neck comprising: a side wall (3) made of cellulose-based material and having a substantially tubular shape, said wall having a lower edge (3a) configured to be joined to a respective container (2) and defining a lower opening (4a) for the passage of the material contained in the container (2) and an upper edge (3b) defining an upper opening (4b) for the passage of said material contained in the container (2); and coupling means (5) configured to allow reversible coupling with a respective cap (101); characterised by the fact that said upper opening (4b) defines a passage section (S1) smaller than the passage section (S2) of the lower opening (4a). 2. Neck according to the preceding claim, wherein said upper edge (3b) is smaller in width than the lower edge (3a). 3. Neck according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said side wall (3) has a first section (7) close to the upper edge (3b) tapered with respect to a second section (8) close to the lower edge (3a). 4. Neck according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said coupling means (5) comprise reliefs (6a, 6b) obtained on the external surface of the side wall (3) and configured to couple with a respective cap (101). 5. Neck according to the previous claim, wherein said reliefs (6a, 6b) are threads matable to threads obtained on the cap (101). 6. Neck according to claim 4 when dependent on claim 3, wherein said reliefs (6a, 6b) are arranged in said second section (8) of the side wall (3). 7. Neck according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein said side wall (3) further comprises an arched section (9) connecting the first and second sections (7, 8). 8. Neck according to claim 7, wherein said first section (7) comprises: - a first portion (7a) having an annular development coaxial to a longitudinal axis (X) of development of the neck (1) and associated with said curved section (9); - a second portion (7b) having an annular development coaxial to said longitudinal axis (x) and defining said upper edge (3b); and - a third portion (7c) having a transversal development with respect to the first and second portions (7a, 7b) and interposed between said first and second portions (7a, 7b). 9. Neck according to the previous claim, wherein said third portion (7c) has a planar development perpendicular to said longitudinal axis (X) and in the fact that the second portion (7b) emerges from the planar development of said third portion (7c). 10. A neck according to any preceding claim, wherein it further comprises an occluding wall (10) of said upper opening (4b) configured to be removed and define said upper edge (3b) and said upper opening (4b). 11. Neck according to claim 7, wherein said first section (7) comprises: - a first portion (7a) having an annular development coaxial to a longitudinal axis (X) of development of the neck (1) and associated with said curved section (9); and - a second portion (7b) having a transversal development with respect to the first portion (7a) and defining said upper edge (3b). 12. Neck according to the previous claim, wherein said second portion (7b) has a planar development perpendicular to said longitudinal axis (X). 13. Closure system for containers, comprising a neck (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims and a cap (101) made of cellulose-based material and engageable with said neck (1). 14. System according to the previous claim, wherein the cap (101) has a closing wall (103) of said upper opening (3b) and a lateral wall (104) developing perpendicularly to said closing wall (103); said closing wall (103) having at least one annular relief (105) emerging from an internal surface of the closing wall (103) facing the neck (1) to be in contact with the upper edge (3b). 15. System according to any of claims 13 to 14, wherein the neck comprises an occluding wall (10) of said upper opening (4b) and wherein the cap (101) comprises at least one interference element with the wall (10); said interference element of the cap (101), in the opening movement of the cap (101) itself with respect to the neck (1), removing the wall (10) to define the upper edge (3b) and the upper opening (4b).