KR102023262B1 - Containers for loosely stored products and methods for opening such containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The container for the loosely stored product is a container body 1, a cover 3 for closing the open end of the container body 1, such a cover 3 being in a closed position and an opening that closes the open end of the container body. As a cover, and opening means 4 provided on the container body 1, which are movable between positions, such opening means 4 comprises a pushing means 40, preferably a pushing tab, having a contact portion 403, and A lifting means 402 disposed below the abutment portion 30 of the cover 3 in the closed position of the cover 3, wherein the contact portion of the pushing means 40 is far from the open end of the container body 1. It is arranged to be pushed so that the lifting means 402 displaces the abutment 30 of the cover 3.

Description

Containers for loosely stored products and methods for opening such containers

The present invention relates to a container for containing a product that is loosely stored and a method of opening such a container.

Loosely stored products such as drugs, tablets, pills, test strips, granules and even powders may be stored in a container body having a cover for closing the open end of the container body. The cover has opening means movable between the closed position and the open position closing the open end of the container body and operable by the user.

Containers of the aforementioned type are known to the skilled person and are common. The container generally includes a cover attached to the container, the cover having a circular base with an outer periphery and a cylindrical tubular skirt extending vertically and upwardly around the outer periphery of the base. The cylindrical upright rim located in the upper part of the container is in contact with the inner wall of the skirt of the cover when the cover is closed. In addition, such a cover as known from WO 2009/063089 A1 comprises a thumb tab to help open and close the container and at least one hinge element between the container body and the cover.

Known containers are generally opened using one hand by raising the tab formed on the cover of the container with the thumb.

Such a container is shown in FIG. 1, and arrow F indicates the direction in which the user places his thumb under the tab and generally pushes the tab in the upward direction to open the cover.

For certain products, low height containers are needed. In such a container, for example having a height of 40 mm or less, opening of the container with a general thumb tab pushed upwards can be difficult. The user must place the container in the palm of the hand, where there is little space for placing the thumb under the tab to raise the cover. It may be difficult to operate a conventional open tab, especially when a certain force is required to raise the cover held firmly in the closed position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container of the above-mentioned type which aids in the opening of the cover, especially in the case of a container of low height or a container having a strong holding force in the closed position. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for opening such a container.

Another object of the present invention is to use containers of the aforementioned type for storing or packaging pharmaceutical or diagnostic products, and in particular pharmaceuticals, tablets, pills and test strips.

This object is achieved not only by a container having the features of claim 1, but also by a method of opening such a container having the features of claim 20. Preferred embodiments follow other claims.

According to the present invention, a container for a loosely stored product includes a container body and a cover for closing the open end of the container body. The cover is movable between a closed position and an open position that closes the open end of the container. Optionally, the cover is connected to the container body by a hinge element. An opening means is provided on the container body, the opening means comprising a pushing means, preferably a pushing tab, and a lifting means disposed below the border of the cover in the closed position of the cover. Such pushing means comprise a contact portion arranged to push away from the open end of the container body, whereby the lifting means displaces the abutment of the cover.

The opening means provided on the container body may be an integral part of the container body or may be attached to the container body. When attached to the container body, the opening means may be provided on an attachment ring attached to the container body (eg a retaining ring connected to the cover by a hinge element for attachment on the access opening of the container body). have.

The contact portion is part of the pushing means operated by the finger pressure of the user during normal operation. When the container according to the invention is erected on a horizontal surface such that the open end of the container body is located at the upper end of the container body, the contacting portion of the pushing means is pushed away from the open end of the container body, which in effect causes It means that it is essentially pushed downward to effect a rotational movement along the downward direction of the center of the rotating axis of separation. This movement of the contact portion of the pushing means along the downward direction also has the effect that the lifting means, which is part of the opening means, is displaced in the opposite direction, ie essentially in the upward direction. In the closed position of the cover, since the lifting means is disposed below the border of the cover, the movement of the lifting means along the upward direction will raise the cover.

The container of the present invention provides an alternative to the general opening system, and is not only a container of low height and thus difficult to open, but also a container having a strong holding force in the closed position and an elderly person who is too forceless to operate a conventional lift tab. Or has a benefit of helping to open the container, including the container used by another patient.

By providing several kinds of lever mechanisms with pushing means pressed in the downward direction and lifting means displaced in the opposite direction, an appropriate force distribution by proper selection of the lever arms can be achieved. In that way, the force required to open the cover can be reduced and also a weak person can access the product stored in the container.

Although the applied force is the same, due to the other fact that the user has a stronger intensity when the user presses in the downward direction with the thumb compared to applying the upward directional force that requires the user to rotate his / her hand. The container of the invention assists in opening. Thus, under normal circumstances and in containers where the upper end is closed by a cover, such opening means is more convenient to use.

Further, the provision of the opening means having the pushing means and the raising means may provide a distance from the rotational axis to the portion of the rising part in contact with the border portion of the cover, as compared to the distance a from the rotational axis to the extreme end of the pushing means ( According to b), it is possible to select a suitable lever arm. Preferably, 0.5 x b <a. For example, if distance a is chosen to be longer than the length of distance b, due to the lever effect, the effort required to open the cover of the container is small. Preferably, the distances are chosen such that 1.0 x b <a <2.5 x b is satisfied. If a is too large for b, the opening force will be small, and the opening angle of the cover is reduced or the downward movement of the pushing means is increased. Thus, following the above equation, a good compromise between the reduction of the required force and the opening of the cover can be achieved.

The method for opening the container of the present invention comprises the steps of arranging a closed container such that the opening faces in an essentially upward direction, and in the open position the opening means is coupled to the border of the cover and pushes the cover upwards. Pressing downwardly the contact portion of the pushing means to pivot.

The border of the cover can be any part of the cover having a downward facing surface to which the lifting means can contact when the lifting means is moved upward. This may be, for example, the bottom surface of the protrusion extending horizontally from the top of the cover. Alternatively, if the cover has an outer skirt or outer wall, it may be a bottom surface of the outer skirt or a protrusion extending from the outer skirt in the horizontal direction.

Advantageously, when the cover is in the closed position, the border remains close to or even in contact with the lifting means, so that once the cover is closed, the border relocates the lifting means to its initial position.

More advantageously, throughout the opening process of the cover by the opening means, the size of the downward facing surface of the border is determined such that the raising means is in contact with the downward facing surface of the border.

Preferably, the dimension of the downward facing surface of the border is determined such that the lifting means is in contact with the downward facing surface of the border through the angle or through at least more than 75% of the maximum possible rotational movement of the opening means. In view of manufacturing tolerances, a specific initial gap between the raising means and the abutment may have to be provided. However, once the lifting means is in contact with the downward facing surface of the abutment, such contact is preferably maintained from its starting position in the closed position of the cover of the container to the maximum possible rotational movement of the pushing means. Due to the rotational movement, the point of contact between the lifting means and the downwardly directed surface of the border changes with the angle of rotation.

During closing of the cover, the downward facing surface of the abutment pushes the lifting means back and returns the opening means to its initial starting position.

Preferably, the hinge connects the pushing means and the elevating means to the fixed part, so that the pushing means and the elevating means can be pivoted about the pivot axis of the hinge.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the opening means comprises at least one securing part attached to the container body, wherein the pushing means and the raising means are pivotally connected to the fixing part by a hinge. The provision of at least one fastening portion increases the overall stability of the opening means and provides a fastening means to which the movable part of the opening means, ie the pushing means and the lifting means, is pivotally attached.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the opening means may be attached directly to the container body or may be provided on a retaining ring intended to be attached to the container body. In the case of attaching the opening means directly to the container body, the opening means is preferably formed integrally with the container body.

In the case of a retaining ring, the securing portion can be formed integrally with the retaining ring.

The securing portion is attached to the container body and preferably extends in a direction parallel to the open end of the container body. More preferably, the securing portion extends horizontally and outwardly from the container. The position of the fixed portion relative to the container body is fixed, while the pushing means and the raising means are movable relative to the container body. Further, the pushing means extends beyond the raising means in the horizontal direction.

The hinge can be any means allowing rotational movement of the pushing means and the lifting means about the pivot axis, ie about the axis of rotation. The hinge can be provided by a reduction in predetermined material strength or by the use of a flexible material within the discontinuity or pivot axis region of the material to create a defined fragility. Preferably the hinge is a film hinge. In other words, the rotational movement of the pushing means and the raising means about the pivot axis is provided by the membrane hinges.

Preferably, the pivot axis of the hinge of the opening means is perpendicular to the center of the container and the vertical plane of the container passing through the opening means. Preferably, the pivot axis of the hinge of the opening means is perpendicular to the vertical symmetry plane of the container passing through the opening means.

Preferably, the pivot axis of the hinge of the opening means is parallel to the plane of the open end of the container body and in the tangential direction of the side wall of the container body.

Preferably, the pivot axis of the hinge is arranged such that the lever arm of the lifting means is shorter than the lever arm of the contact portion.

Preferably, the opening means comprises a central fixed portion and a central pushing means, and two laterally arranged lifting means (or raised portions) on each side of the fixed portion, respectively. In the case of a container body having a cylindrical shape and in particular a cylindrical shape having a rounded base such as an egg-shaped or circular shape, the two laterally arranged lifting means, when the contacting part of the pushing means is pressed higher or A larger opening angle is possible because the lifting means extends around the peripheral body wall of the container. In addition, in the case of a cover having a specific flexible material, the cover may be raised at two separate positions spaced from each other so that the cover cannot easily absorb a part of the movement of the lifting means by its inherent flexibility. It may be advantageous.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the opening means comprises two laterally arranged fixing parts to which the pushing means are pivotally attached, the lifting means being arranged between the fixing parts. If a large lever effect is considered, such an embodiment is preferred. The relatively long distance between the pivot axis and the furthest part of the contact portion can be combined with a fairly short range of lifting means from the pivot axis. In this way, a relatively long pushing movement with a small required force produces a short upward movement of the lifting means in contact with the border of the cover.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container further comprises at least one gap (or incision) between the at least one lifting means and the at least one fastening portion, the gap extending toward the pivot axis of the hinge of the opening means. do. Such at least one gap is easy to manufacture and allows for relative movement between the at least one fixing portion and the at least one lifting means.

More preferably, the vessel comprises a gap between the vessel body and the lifting means. Such clearance enables a smooth and unobstructed movement of the lifting means relative to the container body, whereby the force required when pressing the contact portion of the pushing means can be kept low.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container further comprises a binding means for holding the cover on the container body in the closed position. The binding means can be any means for creating a form fit or frictional bond between the cover and the container body. This may be, for example, a protrusion or groove on the outer side of the peripheral body wall that interacts with the protrusion or groove on the inner side of the outer wall of the cap. It may also be a peripheral groove on the inner side of the peripheral body wall that cooperates with a corresponding protrusion on the sealing skirt of the cover. Such interaction can provide resistance to opening and prevent the cover from being opened accidentally. In addition, such interaction is controlled and establishes a predetermined opening force. In a preferred embodiment, at least one lifting means is produced so that when the contact portion of the pushing means is pressed downward, the lifting means can be sufficiently raised to separate the binding means between the container body and the cover.

Preferably, the opening and binding means are located on the same side of the container. When the opening means are acting on one side of the container, the lifting means apply a force onto the cover, which tends to effect separation of the bond formed on the cover and the container body by the binding means. The contact point of the applied force is aligned with the binding means. The cover is raised only enough to allow separation of the binding means.

Preferably the container further comprises a hinge element for attaching the cover to the container body. Such containers are easy to manufacture and are less likely for the user to forget to close the cover permanently attached to the container body. Finally, the user cannot lose the cover. For this purpose, the hinge element may be a band of material connecting the cover and the container, which does not necessarily require a well-defined trajectory of the cover during opening and closing of the container. In another embodiment, the hinge element allows the cover to be pivotally moved between a closed position and an open position that closes the open end of the container body. More preferably, the hinge element provides a pivot axis for the rotational movement of the cover. A hinge element of this kind with a clearly-defined pivot axis that forms a clearly-defined trajectory of the cover during opening and closing of the cover is an outward facing sealing element that is in contact with the inner side of the container body for precise and efficient sealing. Particularly preferred, when the cover comprises a sealing skirt having a.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container body and the cover are made of different materials. In this embodiment, the cover is detachably connected to the container body. Providing a cover of a material different from the material of the container body can further increase the airtightness to the container due to the special material selection of both parts.

The hinge element can be any means for directly or indirectly connecting the container body and the cover as long as it allows rotation or pivoting of the cover relative to the container body.

Preferably, the hinge element is integral with the cover and the container body. In this way, the container body and the cover are made of one piece using a hinge element that attaches the cover to the container body. Such unitary hinge elements can be, for example, types of snap hinges or simple membrane hinges.

As an alternative embodiment of the container, the cover is detachably connected to the container body by first connecting means integral with the container body and second connecting means integral with the cover. The second connecting means may comprise one snap hook on the entire length of the hinge hook or hinge element on the opposite sides, or a combination of both, which engages with a corresponding recess located in the first connecting means. In order to establish a connection, it is required to insert the second connecting means into the first connecting means. The first and second connecting means can provide a removable mechanical hinge.

Advantageously, a membrane hinge is provided on the first or second connecting means, preferably on the second connecting means of the cover, which is joined with the first connecting means of the container body from below. Examples of such hinges are described in WO 2008/116888.

Preferably, the hinge element preferably has a tendency to open the cover and keep it in the predetermined open position as soon as the binding means are released. For example, the hinge element can be provided with a self-opening cap mechanism so that the cover opens automatically when the binding means are released. For example, the hinge element may have an elastic element as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,711,360, or may have an elastic band made of an elastic material.

As another example, the hinge element may be a hinge (snap hinge) with a spring effect.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover comprises a top wall and a sealing skirt, the sealing skirt being in contact with the inner wall surface of the container body near its open end in the closed position of the cover, the sealing skirt being preferably elastic And has an outward facing seal. Such a structure provides a good seal between the cover and the container body.

Preferably, the cover of the container extends from the top wall of the cover in the downward direction and, in the closed position of the cover, an outer frame (or outer wall) disposed at least partially around the outer wall surface of the container body near the open end. It includes more. The outer rim of the cover provides protection of the sealing skirt and its outward facing seal against any contact or damage when the cover is in the open position, in particular when the outer wall extends beyond the axial position of the seal. According to an alternative embodiment, sealing contact can be realized between the outer circumference of the container body and the outer rim of the cover.

As an alternative embodiment, the cover may have a sealing skirt and an outer rim having a sealing function. In this case, the sealing skirt and the outer rim provide two separate sealing contacts to the container body.

When providing the outer rim to the cover, the abutment is preferably attached to such outer rim of the cover. This may be, for example, the downward facing surface of the outer wall or the downward facing surface of the protrusion, extending in the horizontal direction from the outer rim to increase the surface to which the lifting means can contact.

According to a preferred embodiment, the container further comprises at least one rib formed integrally with the pushing means and / or the raising means. The first function of the lip may be to limit the movement of the pushing means. This can prevent the situation in which the pushing means can be rotated into a position where the lifting means can interfere with the closing of the cover because the opening means no longer returns to its starting position when the cover is closed. In addition to or as an alternative to the first function, the second function is the reinforcement of the opening means. Although the container of the present invention serves to be operated using a small amount of force, the possibility of the user applying an excessively large amount of force to the contact portion of the pushing means cannot be excluded. In such a case, providing at least one suitably arranged lip for reinforcement prevents damage to the pushing means and / or the lifting means.

Preferably, the pushing means is a pushing tab having a gripping portion. Such gripping portions may comprise one or more raised lips on the upper surface of the contact portion of the pushing means. Such a lip may improve gripping and may be particularly helpful if the user wants to open the container with wet fingers. However, the gripping portion can also be any irregular surface, depression or convex, such as letters, pictures or symbols in the material.

It is advantageous to provide an insert in the container of the present invention. Such an insert may essentially cover the inner surface of the container body. The insert can be made of a different material than the container body. By providing an insert in the container body, the inner surface in contact with the stored product can be made of a suitable material. For example, such an insert may be suitable for medical use to produce an insert of inert material. It may also be desirable to produce the insert with a desiccant material, and a particularly advantageous material for the insert may be the use of a desiccant-containing polymer material. Similarly, any other active material that can capture and / or release a substance (eg, oxygen, moisture or aroma) can be used.

Preferably, the pivot axis (rotation axis) between the container body and the cover and the pivot axis (rotation axis) between the pushing means and the raising means are parallel to each other.

Preferably, the pivot axis between the pushing means and the raising means, in particular, does not intersect the container, at least partly in front of the container, and / or horizontally and / or laterally outward of the container, in tangent to the container body. Extend in the direction.

In particular, the container is configured such that the pushing of the pushing means downwards is associated with the movement of the pushing means away from the user, and at the same time the lifting means is directed in the direction of the imaginary line extending from the side of the container where the opening means is arranged to the user. Thus, it is moved toward the user.

Preferably, the container is configured such that when the pushing means is pushed (ie when the contact portion is pushed away from the open end of the container body) and thereby rotated, the lifting means displaces the border of the cover, and the cover is pushed. It is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction in which it is rotated.

In particular, the pushing means and the raising means can be pivotally connected to the fixed part by a hinge and thus rotate about the pivot axis of the hinge. The cover and the container body can be connected by a hinge element and can thus be rotated about the pivot axis of the hinge element. The direction of rotation about the pivot axis (between the pushing means and the raising means) is opposite to the direction of rotation about the pivot axis of the hinge element (which connects the cover and the container body).

In the following, by way of example, some embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 shows a container according to the prior art.
Figure 2 illustrates the basic elements of the container of the present invention.
3a and 3b show the container according to FIG. 2 when opened and the opening means in each of the initial and operating positions.
4A and 4B are three-dimensional bottom views of the container as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
5 a) and 5 b) are top views of the container of the invention according to the above-described drawings, in which the opening means are not operated in FIG. 5 a), and in FIG. It is a top view which shows that the pushing means was pressed down.
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 5A.
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 5A.
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 5B.
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 5B.
FIG. 8 is an additional view of the container as shown in FIGS. 5 a-7b.
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line LL of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 shows a detailed view of FIG. 9.
11 shows a cross-sectional view of a container of the present invention according to a further embodiment.
12A shows a further embodiment of the container of the present invention in an open state.
FIG. 12B shows the container of FIG. 8 when the opening means is operated.
13 is a three-dimensional bottom view of the container according to FIG. 8.

In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are presented in connection with the drawings. In the following, when referring to the geometrical position and in particular the direction such as upward or backward, the container of the invention takes a position as shown in FIG. 2 standing on a horizontal surface and closes the upper end of the container body. It is assumed to have a.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the container 100 of the present invention is shown. The container consists essentially of the container body 1 and the cover 3. In general, the cover can be attached to the container by a hinge element. In a specific embodiment according to FIG. 2, a hinge element 2 is provided which connects the container body and the cover. In addition, an opening means 4 is provided on the container body 1. In addition, the opening means 4 is formed integrally with the container body 1.

The hinge element 2 allows the rotation of the cover 3 relative to the container body 1 about the axis of rotation. The hinge element can be any means that directly or indirectly connects the container body and the cover and allows rotational pivotal movement of the cover relative to the container body. Examples of suitable hinge elements are simple membrane hinges or snap hinges. When using a membrane hinge, the container body and the cover are integrally formed, and the membrane hinge is a material having a geometry that creates sufficient flexibility to connect the container body and the cover and allow relative movement between the container body and the cover. Is crosslinking. The hinge element can also be provided on the connecting means 39 which is integral with the cover, for example as shown in FIG. 3B. The connecting means 39 are engaged with a connecting element 19 which is integral with the container body. Examples of such hinges are described in WO 2008/116888. In that way, the container body and the cover can be made of different materials and connected to each other by connecting the connecting element 19 and the connecting means 39.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the container body is provided with an opening means 4. When opening the cover 3, the cover is lifted from the container body 1. For this purpose, the user will operate the opening means 4 by pressing the contact portion 403. By applying downward pressure on the contact portion, part of the opening means will be moved in the downward direction (arrow F). Specific details of how the opening means 4 are designed and operated will become apparent from the detailed description of the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 3A-9.

The container according to the specific embodiment as shown has a circular cross section. However, it is also possible to provide a container body that does not have a cylindrical shape or any other type of cylindrical shape, such as a cylindrical body having a non-circular base. Nevertheless, it is desirable to provide a container body that is rounded, for example having an egg-shaped or circular base.

The container 100 as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B extends upwardly from the circular lower end 12 and the lower end 12 and forms an opening 10 at the top end of the peripheral wall 11. It has a cylindrical peripheral wall (11). Beads or flanges 14 proximate the opening 10 and extend around the outer periphery of the peripheral wall 11.

The cover 3 has an upper wall 31 and an outer wall 32 which is suspended from such an upper wall 31. The cover 3 also has a sealing skirt 33. The sealing skirt as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B seals against the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11 near the opening 10. The elastically deformable sealing skirt 33 has an outwardly facing sealing portion 34 which seals against the inner side of the peripheral wall 11 when the cover 3 is in the closed state. The peripheral wall 11 may additionally have a groove on the inner side, which, in the closed state of the cover, receives the outward facing sealing portion 34 of the sealing skirt 33, which is called sealing and binding. Allows you to combine two functions.

In addition, an outer wall 32 located radially outward of the sealing skirt 33 is arranged radially outward of the peripheral wall 11. The outer wall 32 can protect the sealing skirt 33 and its outward facing sealing portion 34 against any contact when the cover is in the open position. In this case, the outer wall 32 of the cover can extend further downward than the sealing skirt 33 or the sealing portion 34 in the closed position.

The outer wall 32 also has a protruding element 30 in its lower part, which protruding element has a lower side extending essentially in the horizontal direction in the closed position of the container. As will be explained in more detail below, the protruding element 30 serves as a border of the cover 3. However, the cover 3 may not have an outer wall 32. In this case, the abutment part 30 may be, for example, a protruding part which is continuous to the upper end wall 31 of the cover 3.

Next, the structure and operation of the opening means 4 will be described. The opening means is formed integrally with the beads 14 in the specific example as shown. In the specific example of FIGS. 3A-7B, the opening means 4 has a tab 40 having a contact portion 403 which is contacted by the user's thumb and pushed downward in the direction of the arrow F (see FIG. 2). Include. The opening means 4 also have a gripping portion 401 in the contact portion 403, which helps to apply pressure to the tab 40 without the thumb slipping. The opening means 4 of this embodiment is formed by two fixing portions 43a and 43b which are integral extensions of the beads 14. The pivot line 46, like the membrane hinge, is formed by the fragility of the predetermined material strength. The tab 40 is integrally connected to the securing portions 43a and 43b but can be moved about the securing portion about the pivot line 46. The tab 40 has a raised portion 402 which serves as a lifting means for contacting and displacing in contact with the downward facing surface of the abutment portion 30 of the cover 3 during operation of the tab 40.

In order to allow relative movement between the fixed portions 43a and 43b and the raised portion 402, there are gaps 45a and 45b which may be straight cuts through the material. There is also a peripheral gap 44 between the tab 40 and the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 11. Depending on the material thickness of the raised portion 402, once the contact portion 403 of the tab 40 is pressed down in the downward direction as shown in FIG. 3B, the peripheral gap 44 can be moved without clogging in the upward direction. The size of is determined.

4A and 4B show the same state of the container as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, but in a three-dimensional view from the downward direction of the container. It can be seen that the bottom side of the tab 40 has a lip 47 to reinforce the tab and also protect the tab from excessively large operating forces. The lip 47 is shaped in such a way that it serves as a contact means for limiting the pivoting movement of the tab 40 by abutting against the peripheral wall 11 of the container body, in this way a limited maximum angle of rotation. It provides an opening means having. In this way, the tab cannot be moved to a position that prevents the cover from closing, and once the cover is closed, the tab can be automatically returned to its initial position. This function is the most from the cross sectional view of FIG. 6B, showing a tab in cross section along line AA of FIG. 5 b) and showing that the lip 47 is fully pressed in contact with the outer surface of the peripheral wall 11 of the container body. I can confirm it well. The corresponding geometry of the lip 47 can be best seen from the comparison of FIGS. 6A and 6B, where FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 5 a showing the container in the closed state.

The corresponding cross-sectional views of FIGS. 7A and 7B, all taken along line BB, further provide for the provision of pivot line 46 formed by a weakening of the predetermined material strength to allow bending of the tab to the fixed portion. As shown.

The cross-sectional views of FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B may also be provided as sleeves or inserts in a container that may be provided as an inert material or may be provided having a particular adsorption capacity, depending on the desired protection of the contents stored in the container. The provision of (5) is shown.

Further details that can be taken from both the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 6A and 3A are the provision of the binding means 13, which can be provided as a lip-like extension at the outer periphery of the peripheral wall 11 proximate the opening 10. . The binding means 13 may serve to hold the cover on the container body in the closed position and may be provided in any manner that achieves the function for creating mutual engagement between the cover 3 and the container body 1. This may be, for example, a protrusion or groove on the outer side of the peripheral wall 11 which interacts with a protrusion or groove on the inner side of the outer wall 32 of the cap 3. This situation is illustrated in the example of FIGS. 3A and 6A. However, it can also be a peripheral groove on the inner side of the peripheral wall 11 that cooperates with the corresponding protrusion on the sealing skirt 33 of the cover. The interaction of the binding means with the appropriate opposing structure provides resistance to opening and prevents inadvertent opening of the cover. It is also controlled and sets a predetermined opening force.

Preferably, the raised portion 402 and its movement are designed such that when the tab 40 is pressed downwards, the raised portion 402 is raised enough to allow separation of the binding means between the container body and the cover.

FIG. 8 is an additional view of the container as shown in FIGS. 5 a-7b and specifically as described above. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line L-L of FIG. 8. The difference between FIG. 9 and FIG. 7B lies in the viewing direction of the cross sectional view. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 9, it can be seen that the lifting element 402 does not form part of the cutting cross section of the container.

In FIG. 9 and in an enlarged view of FIG. 10, the contact portion 403 and the lifting means 402 are shown. In addition, in the enlarged view of FIG. 10, the hinge 46 is shown. Comparing the dimensions of the lift means 402 and the dimensions of the contact portion 403, the maximum range of the contact portion 403, referred to as "a", is greater than the maximum range of the lift means 402 indicated by the reference "b". You can see that it is large. In a particular example as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lever arm a approximately corresponds to twice the lever arm b. In fact, this is somewhat smaller because the user's thumb will apply pressure somewhere near the gripping lip and not the distal end of the lever arm a. However, the lever effect is achieved in that the downward movement distance of the distal end of the contact portion 403 exceeds the upward movement of the distal end of the ascending means 402, and the term "distal end" is spaced apart from the hinge 46. The end of each of the contact portions or the lifting means is described.

Due to the rotational movement of the pushing means about the hinge 46, the contact line between the distal end of the lifting means and the downwardly directed surface of the abutment 30 depends on the angle of rotation of the pushing means. Thus, over the entire possible rotational movement of the pushing means, the downward facing surface of the abutment portion 30 has an extension c which is sized so that the distal end of the raising means is always in contact with the downwardly directed surface. The dimension of is to be determined. When the cover is closed again, the downward facing surface of the abutment 30 pushes back the lifting means 402 and pushes the pushing means 40 of the opening means 4, for example as shown in FIG. 6A. Return to the initial start position.

11 shows a cross-sectional view of a container of the present invention in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment according to FIG. 11 is distinguished from the embodiment described in FIG. 6B in that the cover 3 does not have an outer wall as indicated by reference numeral 32 in FIG. 6B. Instead, the cover 3 has only a sealing skirt 33. Also in such a case, it provides a projecting element 30 which serves as the abutment of the cover 3 and is directed to the downward facing surface with the extension c which is in contact with the distal end of the lifting means 402. By this, the same function can be achieved.

In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 11, there is a peripheral groove close to the opening of the container and along the inner circumference of the container. This peripheral groove cooperates with the sealing portion 34 of the sealing skirt 33 and also provides the binding function of the cover 3 in the closed state of the container.

12A and 12B are substantially the same as the embodiments described above in detail. Accordingly, detailed description may be omitted, and only the difference from the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 7B will be described below.

The container according to FIGS. 12a, 12b and 13 has one fixed portion 43 and two separate raised portions having the function to contact and upwardly move the border, which in this embodiment is the rim 30. It has another structure of the opening means 4 with the tab 40 having two lateral portions 402a and 402b which are. Between the tab 40 and the fastening portion 43 of the opening means 4, a pivot axis 46 is arranged, which in turn is of the hinge of the membrane with a moderately reduced material thickness to provide a defined bending property. It is a type. To allow for relative movement, the opening means according to the embodiment of FIGS. 12a, 12b and 13 also has two parts of the raised part, lateral parts 402a and 402b and a centrally fixed part 43. It has two essentially parallel gaps 45a and 45b therebetween. In addition, a peripheral gap is provided in two sections 44a, 44b between the lateral portions 402a, 402b and the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11.

As can be seen in the figure as shown in FIG. 13, both lateral portions 402a and 402b have reinforcing ribs 47a and 47b. In addition to these ribs 47a and 47b, additional ribs or “stops” may be provided below the tab 40 to limit the pivoting movement of the tab 40 by abutting the lip with respect to the peripheral wall 11. (Not shown in the figure).

12A, 12B and 13 show the rim 30 of the cover 3, partly due to the extension of the lateral portions 402a, 402b around the outer periphery of the peripheral wall 11. The particular portion of the lateral portion bordered by) is located farther to the pivot axis 46, so that the relatively small downward motion of the tab 40 is relatively relative to the lateral portion in contact with the frame 30. It has the advantage of causing a large upward movement.

Although in the above embodiments, the pivot line has been described as being at least one membrane hinge, it should be noted that any kind of hinge may be used depending on the rotation or pivoting of the tab. However, when providing the membrane hinges as well as the membrane hinges between the container body and the cover to the opening means 4, the entire container 100 can be manufactured as an integral piece. When the container is produced by an injection process, gaps 45a, 45b; 44, 44a, 44b may be provided during manufacture of the container. The thin pins in the mold may provide gaps during the manufacture of the container.

Preferably, the pivot axis between the container body 1 and the cover 3 and the pivot axis between the pushing means 40 and the raising means 402 are parallel to each other.

Preferably, the pushing means 40 and the raising means 402, 402a, 402b are pivotally connected to the fixed part by a hinge, the pivot axis 46 of the hinge not intersecting with the container 1 in particular. Rather, it extends tangentially to the container body 1, at least partially in front of the container 1, horizontally and / or laterally outward of the container 1.

In particular, the container 1 is configured such that the pushing of the pushing means 40 downwards is associated with the movement of the pushing means 40 away from the user, and at the same time, the lifting means 402 is provided with the opening means 4 upwards. It is moved toward the user, along the direction of the imaginary line extending from the side of the container disposed to the user.

When looking at the container from the direction defined by the axis of rotation of the opening means 4 (along the pivot axis of the hinge 46), the cover 3 is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the opening means 4. Has For example, in FIG. 6A, the opening means 4 is rotated clockwise about the hinge axis 46, while the cover 3 is rotated counterclockwise about the pivot axis of the hinge element 2. . Thus, the opening means 4 and the cover 3 are rotated in opposite rotational directions.

In other words, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the opening means, ie in a plane perpendicular to the hinge 46, the direction of rotation of the cover 3 is actuated by the user (when moved from the closed position to the open position). Opposite the direction of rotation of the opening means 4.

Claims (21)

For loosely stored products:
A container body 1;
A cover 3 for closing the open end of the container body 1,
The cover (3) is movable, between a closed position and an open position closing the open end of the container body; And
An opening means 4 provided on or attached to the container body 1,
Said opening means (4) comprises pushing means (40) with a contact portion (403) and lifting means (402) arranged below the border (30) of the cover (3) in the closed position of the cover (3); 402a, 402b);
The contact portion 403 of the pushing means 40 is arranged to push away from the open end of the container body 1, so that the lifting means 402; 402a, 402b are brought into contact with the cover 3. Displace the neck 30,
The opening means 4 comprises at least one fixing part 43 attached to the container body 1, wherein the pushing means 40 and the lifting means 402; 402a, 402b are hinges 46. Pivotally connected to the fixing part by
The pivot axis of the hinge (46) of the opening means (4) is perpendicular to the center of the container and the vertical plane of the container passing through the opening means (4). delete The method of claim 1,
A container, wherein the hinge is just a hinge. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The opening means 4 comprises a central fixing part 43 and a central pushing means 40 and two laterally arranged lifting means 402a and 402b on each side of the fixing part 43, respectively. A container comprising: The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The opening means 4 comprise two laterally arranged fixing parts 43a and 43b to which the pushing means 40 are pivotally attached, and the lifting means 402 is provided with the fixing parts ( 43a, 43b). The method according to claim 1 or 3,
Further comprising at least one gap (45) between said at least one lifting means (402) and said at least one securing portion (43), said gap extending toward a pivot axis of said hinge (46). The method according to claim 1 or 3,
Further comprising a clearance (44) between said container body and said lifting means (402). The method according to claim 1 or 3,
Container, characterized in that the container body (1) and the cover (3) are made of different materials. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The container (1), the cover (3), the hinge element (2) and the opening means (4) are made in one piece. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The cover (3) is detachably connected to the container body (1) by a first connecting means integral with the container body and a second connecting means integral with a hinge element (2). The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The container further comprises a binding means (13) for holding the cover (3) in the closed position. The method of claim 11,
The container, wherein the container is configured such that the hinge element (2) has a self-opening cap mechanism so that the cover (3) opens automatically when the binding means (13) are released. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The cover 3 comprises an upper wall 31 and a sealing skirt 33, the sealing skirt being in contact with the inner wall surface of the container body 1 near its open end in the closed position of the cover, The sealing skirt (33) is characterized in that it can be elastically deformed and has an outwardly facing sealing part (34). The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The cover further comprises an outer rim 32, the outer rim being disposed at least partially around the outer wall surface of the container body 1 near the open end in the closed position of the cover 3. , Vessel. The method of claim 14,
Container, characterized in that the abutment (30) is attached to the outer rim (32) of the cover (3). The method according to claim 1 or 3,
And at least one reinforcing lip (47) formed integrally with said pushing means (40) and / or lifting means (402; 402a, 402b). The method according to claim 1 or 3,
When the contact portion 403 is pushed away by and rotated from the open end of the container body, the container is configured such that the lifting means 402 displaces the abutment portion 30 of the cover 3. And the cover (3) is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction in which the contact portion (403) is rotated. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The pushing means 40 and the lifting means 402 can be rotated about an axis of rotation between the pushing means and the lifting means, and the cover 3 and the container body 1 are hinged elements 2. Pivotally connected so as to be able to rotate about its pivot axis, wherein the rotational direction about the rotational axis between the pushing means and the lifting means is opposite to the rotational direction about the pivotal axis of the hinge element 2, Vessel. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
A container, wherein the axis of rotation between the container body (1) and the cover (3) and the axis of rotation between the pushing means (40) and the lifting means (402) are parallel to each other. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
The container further comprises a hinge element (2) for attaching the cover (3) to the container body (1). A method for opening a container according to claim 1, wherein:
Arranging the closed container such that the openings face essentially in an upward direction, and
Pressing downwardly the contact portion of the pushing means in a downward direction to pivot the opening means to engage the abutment portion of the cover and push the cover upwards into the open position.

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