KR20200097272A - Plastic container with opening means - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a plastic container comprising a container body 1, a container cover 2, 2', 2" and an opening means 9 for opening the container cover 2, 2', 2". The container body 1 comprises a container wall 3 and a container floor 4 arranged in a lower area. A container opening 5 is formed at the upper end of the container body 1 opposite the container bottom 4. The container body 1 comprises an upper boundary 6 extending circumferentially in the upper area. The container covers 2, 2', 2" are fixed to the upper boundary 6 of the container body 1 to cover the container opening. According to the invention, the upper boundary 6 is an upper part of the container wall 3 It is spaced radially outwardly from the edge 7 and is connected to the container wall 3 by means of a flexible connection 8, the flexible connection 8 being the top to the container wall 3 and the opening means 9. By allowing the sliding of the border 6, the plastic container can be brought from the closed position to the open position.

Description

Plastic container with opening means

The present invention relates to a plastic container having opening means comprising a container body and a container cover.

WO2012048922, CH700312, WO2006046730, WO03093128, US6705462, US6886686, US4247001 and US2008067172 are respective plastic containers, having a dispensing device integrated in the container chamber for dispensing substrates received in the container chamber into a mixing container. Plastic containers are often designed as container seals or placed over the mixing container openings during use. During activation of the dispensing device, the container is opened and the substrate is dispensed from the container chamber to the mixing container.

The plastic containers each comprise a container body, an ejector and a sealing film. The container body here forms a container interior or container chamber for receiving solid or liquid substrates, for example solid, free-flowing or liquid agents, beverage additives, reagents, etc. that are sealed by a sealing membrane. The ejector is movably integrated inside the container, but when the ejector is activated, the latter moves in the direction of the sealing film, and in the process, it is integrated by cutting between the sealing films. The substrate contained inside the container may exit the container. The ejector can be activated by a flexible curved membrane, or a portion of the ejector can be airtightly guided through the container wall and activated directly.

US6003728 represents an alternative to sealing membranes. Here the container chamber is sealed with a lower closing cover that can be pushed open instead of a sealing membrane, which is non-positively received in a groove in the container wall by a peripheral bead. The closing cover can be connected with the container wall by means of a narrow hinged bridge and protrudes essentially vertically into the mixing container in the open position. The ejector operates in the center on the closing cover. For dispensing purposes, the closing cover has to be pressed from the latching connection with a relatively high level of action and then "jumped" into the open position. Here it can also happen that the hinged bridge breaks and the closing cover falls into the mixing container.

A disadvantage of known plastic containers is that they consist of several parts, which are individually manufactured and then assembled in different stages. This takes time and money.

Another drawback of known container systems is that the cut film or swiveled out closure cover often plunges into the liquid of the mixing container and remains in an open position. Then, it is almost impossible to cleanly remove the plastic container from the mixing container. The structural design of known containers in which the dispensing device is integrated is also often the most complex and expensive. In addition, the sealing film cannot be torn or cut open in a controlled manner, so handling the plastic container is prone to errors. Another drawback to known containers is that the substrate is distributed uncontrollably and often along the peripheral edge regions. For example, it may occur that a powder or coarse substrate adheres to the inner surface of the neck of the mixing container and does not completely and cleanly dispense within the mixing container.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to enable a more cost-effective manufacturing.

This object is achieved by a plastic container having the features of claim 1. The plastic container comprises a container body, a container cover and an opening means for opening the container cover.

The container body includes a container wall and a container bottom arranged in a lower region, wherein a container opening is formed at an upper end of the container body opposite the container bottom. The container body includes a circumferential upper boundary in the upper region. The container cover for covering the container opening may be fastened to the upper boundary of the container body. The upper boundary is spaced radially outwardly from the upper edge of the container wall with respect to the container axis. The upper boundary is connected with the container wall by a flexible connection, the flexible connection allowing displacement of the upper boundary relative to the container wall and the opening means, so that the plastic container can be brought from a closed position to an open position.

The relative displacement urges the opening means for opening the container cover operatively connected with the container wall and operatively connected with the upper boundary relative to the container cover.

The flexible connection element makes it possible to easily manufacture a plastic container with an integrated dispensing and opening device for a substrate housed in the plastic container, with the container body and container cover defining the container interior for the substrate. Here the upper edge of the container wall can be designed as an opening means for the container cover, as described below.

Alternatively, it is also possible to arrange a separate opening means inside the container, for example an ejector.

The container axis is defined as a center by the container bottom and the container opening, the container wall need not be a circular cylinder around the container axis in design, but may have other shapes.

Additional embodiments types of the invention are shown in the dependent claims.

In some embodiments, the opening means may be in a closed position under the container cover or inside the container, and may be offset upward in the open position to cut, penetrate or push the container cover.

In some embodiments, the flexible connection may be essentially loop-shaped or U-shaped when viewed in cross section in the closed position. When the upper boundary is displaced to the open position, the flexible loop-shaped or U-shaped connection is elongated. Here, a restoring force can be created to facilitate displacement of the upper boundary to the closed position. The maximum displacement may correspond to the length of the connecting portion, that is, approximately twice the length of one leg of the loop-shaped or U-shaped connecting portion.

In some embodiments, the flexible connection may be designed as a flexible and/or elastic thin segment. In general, the flexible connection is thinner in design than the standard wall thickness of the container wall. The container wall and the upper boundary can have essentially the same thickness.

In some embodiments, the upper boundary may include a wall extending essentially parallel to the container wall. The lower end of the wall can be connected with the flexible connection. A cylindrical, outwardly directed flange can be formed on the upper boundary or upper end of the wall.

In some embodiments, the upper boundary may be integrally molded to the container wall by means of a connection. The container body can be made integrally, for example by injection molding.

In some embodiments, the container cover may be a container lid with several flaps, and the upper edge of the container wall may include an opening means. For example, the latter can be arranged and configured in such a way that it can be opened by pushing a container lid having several flaps. In general, the opening means protrudes upwardly with respect to the neck area of the flexible connection, ie in the direction of the container cover.

The container cover may have a peripheral fixing edge and several flaps each connected with the fixing edge by a hinge, and displacement of the opening means in the direction of the container cover deflects the flaps around each hinge.

Activating the plastic container causes the flaps to swivel out and the container cover starts to open in the center. Here the flaps themselves act as ramps, dispensing the substrate centrally into the mixing container.

A container cover with such flaps is described in a Swiss patent application entitled "Capsule with Integrated Dispensing Device" by the same applicant, the contents of which are incorporated herein.

In some embodiments, some flaps may be formed by slits in the container lid or slits in the cover surface of the container cover, which includes several sectors of the container lid. The sectors may be tapered sectors, the tips of which converge on the longitudinal axis of the plastic container. Since these are preferably uniform or constant circular segments, the planar circular area of the container lid is divided into at least three identical circular segments. Here the container lid is opened from the center, thereby ensuring even distribution of the substrate. Webs that bridge the slits may exist between the flaps and may form predetermined breaking points.

In some embodiments, it may be designed in such a way that a restoring force acts on the flap in the open state of the container lid. For example, the hinge can take the form of an arc, in particular an arc. Here the restoring force acts on the swiveled-out open flap, and after the opening means returns, the flap moves back to the closed position. The capsule can now be removed cleanly from the mixing container.

In some embodiments, the opening means, preferably defined by the upper edge of the container wall, may have a front stop surface, which is pressed against some flaps upon activation of the plastic container and causes these flaps to swivel out. Let's do it.

The stop surface here may also consist of several (part) stop surfaces. The stop face is preferably formed in an annular shape, or some (some) stop faces are arranged in an annular shape. In general, each stop surface is arranged radially inwardly offset with respect to each hinge.

This means that the annular stop surfaces are arranged radially inwardly offset with respect to several film hinges, or that several annularly arranged stop surfaces are each offset radially inwardly with respect to several film hinges.

In other words, the diameter of the annular stop surface or some annularly arranged stop surfaces is less than the distance between the hinges and the center point of the annular shape. Slightly preferably, the stop surface hits the flap as close to the film hinge as possible, but is still sufficiently away from it to ensure that there is a sufficiently high lever action to pressurize and open the flaps. In this way, the flaps can also be swiveled out almost completely with respect to the planar starting position, ie by nearly 90° by slight movement of the opening means. The swiveling outward is ideally at least 60° with the opening means fully moved toward the front.

In some embodiments, the container cover can be a sealing film and the opening means can be designed as a cutting edge. Here, the sealing film can be fixed to the outward flange of the upper boundary. The upper boundary or flange may have a support surface, with which the plastic container is supported to generate displacement across the mixing container opening of the mixing container.

In some embodiments, the upper perimeter may have a screw, preferably a peripheral skirt with female threads, using which the plastic container can be screwed to the mixing container.

In some embodiments, the opening means may be an ejector arranged therein, which is supported against the container wall or the container bottom.

The plastic container having an opening means including the container body and the container cover of the present invention configured as described above can improve production efficiency by reducing product production cost and time.

The invention will be described in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawing(s).
1 is a perspective view of a plastic container.
2 is a cross-sectional view of the plastic container of FIG. 1.
3 is a detailed view of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2.
4 is a detailed view of the connection in (a) a closed position and (b) an open position.
5 is a perspective view of the plastic container of FIG. 1 with a container cover partially open.
6 is a detailed view of a plastic container with a sealing film.
7 is a perspective view of a plastic container with a sealing membrane and with an opening means with several perforation means.
8 is a detailed view of the plastic container of FIG. 7.

1 to 3 show a plastic container in which the opening mechanism is integrated. 4 shows the cutout of the plastic container in the open position and in the closed position. The plastic container comprises a container body 1 and a container cover 2 (shown as partially cut out on FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The container body 1 comprises a container wall 3 having a container bottom 4 at the lower end and a container opening 5 at the upper end. The container wall 3 has an essentially conical shape. At the upper end, the container wall further comprises an upper boundary 6 extending around it. In the illustrated embodiment, the boundary 6 is designed as a wall 61 extending parallel to the container wall 3 having a height of 5 to 15 mm, for example. At the upper end of the wall 61, the boundary 6 comprises a radially outward flange 62 with a skirt 63 directed downwardly for reinforcement.

At the lower end of the wall 61, the boundary 6 is connected with the container wall 3 by means of a flexible connection 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible connection 8 has a loop or U-shaped cross section. The container wall 3 and the boundary 6 have essentially the same wall thickness. The connection 8 is thinner in design than the container wall 3 or border 6. The connection 8 is flexible enough so that the boundary 6 can be moved from the closed position (Fig. 4(a)) to the open position (Fig. 4(b)) with respect to the container wall 3. Above the attachment point 81 of the flexible connection 8 to the container wall 3, the container wall 3 extends further upwards and forms an opening means 9 at its upper edge 7. The upper edge 7 is below the plane defined by the flange 62.

A loop-shaped or U-shaped flexible connection 8 is connected with two end regions at the container wall 3 or at the upper boundary 6. In the closed position, the two ends are located essentially at the same height. In the open position, they are moved away from each other and the flexible connection 87 is elongated.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container cover 2 is a container lid 2 ′ with several flaps 24 for covering the container opening 5 and has a peripheral fixing edge 21. This container lid 2'is described in a Swiss patent application entitled "Capsule with Integrated Dispensing Device" by the same applicant, the contents of which are incorporated herein. The container lid 2'can be directly connected with the fixed edge 21 of the perimeter 6 or, as in the illustrated embodiment, a peripheral fixed edge 21 with a continuous bead 23 arranged on its outer surface. ) Has a continuous downward skirt 22 on it. To secure the container lid 2', a continuous bead 23 is latched in a complementary groove 64 arranged on the inner surface of the wall 61 of the boundary 6.

In the illustrated embodiment of the container lid 2 ′, the four flaps 24 are formed by successive slits 25 at the cover surface and resemble uniform circular segments. These flaps 24 are each connected with a fixed edge 21 of the container lid 2'by a hinge 26, preferably a film hinge. Retaining webs connecting the slits 25 in a bridge shape may exist between the flaps 24 and may form predetermined breaking points. Instead of slits, certain breaking points in the form of segments are also possible.

4 shows a detailed view of the flexible connection in (a) a closed position and (b) an open position. In the closed position, the boundary 6 is in an open position with respect to the container wall 3 or the opening means 9, where the flexible connection 8 has a loop or U-shaped cross section, and the container wall 3 Or the opening means 9 are located below the surface defined by the flange. Here the opening means 9 is covered by the container lid 2'.

In order to open the container lid 2', the boundary 6 to which the container lid 2'is fixed is pressed downwardly along the container axis A in the direction of the container bottom 4. For example, this can be done by pressing against the neck of the mixing container a plastic container having a flange 62 that simultaneously includes a support surface 65. Here the opening means 9 are displaced with respect to the container lid 2 ′ and press open the flaps 24 with the upper edge 7. In the open position, the opening means 9 protrude above the flange 62 of the boundary 6. The flexible connection 8 having a flexible design is elongated here (see Fig. 4(b)). The maximum displacement here corresponds approximately to the length of the connecting portion 8 or twice the length of the U-shaped leg.

The film hinges 26 on the container lid 2 ′, each holding the flaps 24 on the container lid 2 ′, may be arc-shaped. As a result, a restoring force acts on the flap 24 in the swivel-out state, that is, in the open position. When the opening means 9 is returned again, the flaps 24 are also at least partially closed.

The container bottom 4 is curved outward in the illustrated embodiment. A skirt 31 protruding above the container bottom 4 is formed at the lower end of the container wall 3.

Fig. 5 shows the plastic container of Fig. 1 with a partially open container lid 2'. Here, the flaps 24 are swiveled outward around the film hinges.

Figure 6 shows a detailed view of a plastic container with a sealing film 2" as container cover 2. The sealing film 2" is fixed to the upper boundary 6, for example by welding to a flange of the boundary 6 do.

The opening means 9 can for example be designed as a cutting edge in that the upper edge 7 of the container body 1 or the container wall 3 comprises a cutting edge. The relative displacement of the cutting edge from the closed position of the plastic container to its open position causes the sealing film 2" to be cut.

7 and 8 also show a plastic container with a sealing film 2" in perspective and detailed views, while FIG. 7 does not show the sealing film 2". Unlike the plastic container of FIG. 6, the opening means 9 are provided with at least one perforation means 10. The opening means 9 are designed in such a way that they are operatively connected with the container wall 3. The relative displacement of the perforating means 10 from the closed position of the plastic container to its open position causes the sealing film 2" to be perforated.

In the illustrated embodiment, the opening means 9 are on the upper edge 7 of the container wall 3. It can also be fixed to the container wall 3 by means of latching means, for example.

For example, the opening means 9 can be designed as a filter plate with filter openings 11. The filter opening can be covered with filter paper.

1 container body
2 container covers
2'container lead
2" sealing membrane
21 fixed edge
22 skirt
23 bead
24 flaps
25 slits
26 hinge, film hinge
3 container wall
31 skirt
4 container bottom
5 container opening
6 border
61 walls
62 flange
63 skirt
64 groove
65 support surface
7 upper edge
8 flexible connection
9 means of opening
10 drilling means
11 filter opening
A container axis

Claims (12)

A plastic container comprising a container body (1), a container cover (2, 2', 2") and opening means (9) for opening the container cover (2, 2', 2"),
The container body (1) comprises a container wall (3) and a container floor (4) arranged in a lower area; A container opening (5) is formed at an upper end of the container body (1) opposite the container bottom (4);
The container body (1) comprises a cylindrical upper boundary in the upper region; The container cover (2, 2', 2") for covering the container opening is fixed to the upper boundary (6) of the container body (1);
The upper boundary 6 is spaced radially outwardly from the upper edge 7 of the container wall 3 and is connected to the container wall 3 by a flexible connection 8, the flexible connection 8 ) Permits displacement of the upper boundary (6) relative to the container wall (3) and the opening means (9), so that the plastic container can be brought from a closed position to an open position.
The method of claim 1,
The opening means (9) is under the container cover (2, 2', 2") in the closed position, offset upwards in the open position, and penetrates the container cover (2, 2', 2") Plastic container, characterized in that to open or cut or pressurized.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The plastic container, characterized in that the flexible connection (8) is loop or U-shaped in design when viewed in cross section in the closed position.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Plastic container, characterized in that the flexible connection (8) is designed as a flexible thin segment.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Plastic container, characterized in that the upper boundary (6) comprises a wall (61) extending essentially parallel to the container wall (3).
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Plastic container, characterized in that the boundary (6) comprises an outward flange (62) in the radial direction.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Plastic container, characterized in that the upper boundary (6) is integrally molded to the container wall (3) by means of the connection (8).
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Plastic container, characterized in that the upper edge of the container wall (3) comprises the opening means (9).
The method of claim 8,
The container cover (2) in the form of a container lid (2') is plastic characterized in that it has several flaps (24) designed to be pushed open by the upper edge (7) of the container wall (2). container.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
Plastic container, characterized in that the container cover (2) is designed as a sealing film (2") and the opening means (9) is designed as a cutting edge.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A plastic container, characterized in that the upper boundary (6) has a support surface (65), by means of which the plastic container can be placed on the mixing container to initiate displacement across the mixing container opening.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
Plastic container, characterized in that the upper perimeter (6) can have a periphery skirt with screws, preferably female threads, by means of which the plastic container can be screwed into the mixing container.

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