MXPA99011063A - Synthetic top with articulated cap on a ring - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a top for closing a container, comprising a hinge (6) for articulating the cap (4) on the ring (2) at the container opening plane or above the latter. It further comprises a boss (30) projecting inside the top provided on the ring (2) beneath the hinge (6) articulating the cap (4) on the ring (2).

Description

PLUG OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL, WHICH HAS A ARTICULATED CAP ON A BAND OR RING The present invention relates to a plug of synthetic material, having a cap hinged on a band or ring. This type of plug is used, for example, in a container, such as a bottle intended to be filled with a liquid. Eventually, a landfill is used to allow the liquid to be poured, avoiding that at the end of pouring, a drop of the liquid will slide or spill along the bottle. The articulated cap allows the opening and closing of the bottle with each use thereof, without the risk of losing the cap. Frequently, this type of plug is provided with means for visualizing a first opening. This stopper therefore comprises two parts: a band or ring and a cap, as well as, optionally, an inviolability ring, which joins the band or ring with the cap, over a large part of the contour of the cap. The band or ring surrounds the external upper part of the neck of the bottle, and extends, in addition, possibly, above the plane of the opening of the bottle. The cap is attached to the band or ring by a hinge or point of union, and in closed position, closes the landfill. The patent US Pat. No. 4,984,716 describes such a stopper. REF .: 31846 Before the first opening of the cap, the tamper-proof ring or the break points join the cap with the band or ring. After the tearing of this ring, or the breaking of the points, only the hinge or junction point forms the link between these two parts. The band or ring is conserved very poorly in the neck of the bottle. Your link is difficult. The cap contributes to its conservation. Therefore, when the cap is open, or even when it is closed, but the tamper-proof ring has been removed, or the points have been broken, only the hinge or junction allows the preservation of the band or ring. In order to maintain, therefore, the stopper without risk of sliding the band along the neck of the bottle with the opening of the cap, it is known to adapt the neck of the bottle to the level of an annular rib, on which then, it is supports the band or ring. Such a plug, mounted on a neck of a bottle adapted to the cap, is shown in EP 0 685 406. The main drawback of this solution is that it is necessary to adapt the bottle or the container to the cap. In addition, this adapted rib increases the cost of the bottle because it needs an excess of material. The object of the invention is therefore to provide a stopper which is well retained in the neck of the container to which it is intended, without needing, however, an adaptation of this neck. For this purpose, the plug proposed is a plastic plug, with a cap hinged on a band or ring, intended to close a container, a hinge or junction point is provided to allow the articulation of the cap in the band or ring, at the level of the plane of the opening of the container, or above it, and a rib is provided to allow the locking of the plug on the neck of the container. According to the invention, at least one additional projection projecting towards the interior of the cap is formed in the band or ring, this projection, in a number of at least one, can rest on a fixed part, with respect to the container . This projection allows to keep the band or ring in its position, especially when the cap is opened. This projection supports the axial forces directed downward, that is to say, towards the body of the container, and can rest on a flange of the neck of the container, for example, or on any other fixed part, with respect to the container, which faces the front. this. In a plug according to the invention, the projection has to be adapted to the surrounding configuration, and it is not necessary to further shape the neck of the container, so that the band or ring of the cap is preserved. In a first embodiment, the projection is formed on the band or ring in the vicinity of the hinge or junction point. Such a projection is then supported, for example, on the flange of the neck of the container. In a second embodiment, the projection is constituted by an annular rib formed on the internal surface of the band or ring. Such a projection is then supported, for example, on an annular rib of the neck of the container, serving for the preservation of the container after filling thereof. In the first embodiment, the plug has a projection extending advantageously over about half the length of the hinge or junction point. The invention can thus be applied to a plug that is equipped with a weir fitted to the level of the container opening. In this case, the projection is advantageously supported on the landfill. In one embodiment of the invention, the cap is provided with means for visualizing the first opening of the cap, means which connect, before the first use, the cap to the band or ring, in a large part of the periphery of the cap.

In any case, the invention will be well understood with the help of the following description, with reference to the attached schematic drawing, which represents, by way of non-limiting examples, two embodiments of a plug according to the invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a plug according to the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an amplified scale, of a plug of the previous figure, mounted on the neck of the container, provided with a weir and in closed position; Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, the cap is in the open position, and Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, and representing a second embodiment of a cap, according to the invention. . The Figures that represent a plug, comprise a band or ring 2, and an articulated cap 4, by means of a hinge or point of union 6, on the band or ring 2. In the closed position of the cap 4, and before a first opening thereof, an inviolability ring 8, tear-off, joins the cap 4 to the band or ring 2. This ring 8 extends appreciably, from one end of the hinge or junction 6, to the other end of this hinge or junction point, and extends over most of the periphery of the cap 4. The zones of thin material 10, which form the link between the ring 8, on the one hand, and the cap 4 or the band or ring 2, on the other hand, thus allow the tear of the tamper-evident ring 8. The cap, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, is provided with a weir 12. The latter allows to prevent a drop of liquid from slipping or spill along the outer wall of the container, which The liquid contained in the container is poured. The landfill 12 is fitted in the neck opening of the container 16. It has a cylindrical part 18, circular, which engages in the opening and further extends towards the interior of the container. To keep the weir 12 in place on the neck of the container 16, an annular, axial groove 20 is provided on the outside of the cylindrical part. The neck edge of the container 16, is topped by this slot 20, thus allowing a good maintenance of the landfill on the neck of the container 16. The cap 4 has a narrow passage 22, which cooperates with the cylindrical part 18 of the landfill 12, to ensure closure of the cap. The hinge or junction 6, which connects the cap 4 to the band or ring 2, is located above the plane of the opening.

The container neck 16 has two peripheral annular ribs. A first 24 of these ribs, placed in the vicinity of the opening, is intended to allow the locking of the cap on the neck of the container 16. The second 26, of these ribs, is placed below the first, ie, that it is farthest from the opening, and serves for the maintenance of the bottle after the filling thereof, and after the locking of the stopper. To allow locking of the plug on the neck of the container 16, a peripheral annular rib 28 is formed on the inner side of the band or ring 2. It cooperates with the first rib 24 of the neck of the container 16. When the stopper is in a closed position on the neck of the container 16, the cap 4 contributes to the preservation of the band or ring 2, particularly when the inviolability ring 8 has not yet been torn. Once the tamper-evident ring 8 has been removed, the band or ring 2 is held only by the hinge or connection point 6. With the opening of the cap 4, an axial force is exerted at the level of the hinge or point 6, on the band or ring 3, which tends to lower is last, that is to say, that fits more on the neck of the container 16.

According to the invention (Figures 2 and 3), a projection 30 is formed below the hinge or junction 6, to prevent an axial movement towards the lower part of the band or ring 2. The projection 30 allows the coupling of the band or ring 2 on the rim of the weir 12, in which the axial groove 20 is formed. The band or ring 2 is now perfectly maintained at the level of the hinge or junction 6, on the one hand by the rib 28 which cooperates with the first rib 24 of the neck of the container, and on the other hand by the projection 30. It is proven that the maintenance of the band or ring 2 with the help of the projection 30, and of course, of the rib 28, is sufficient to prevent, during the course of using the plug, a displacement of the band or ring. Effectively, the force exerted on the band or ring 2 is transmitted only by the hinge or junction 6, and a projection placed at this level, which allows to keep the band or ring 2 well. The projection 30, in the embodiment shown in the drawing, does not extend more than about half the length of the hinge or junction point 6. This length is sufficient to obtain good maintenance and good results, in the course of the openings or closures of the cap 4 .

Figure 4 represents a second embodiment of a plug according to the invention. In it, the projection 30 is suppressed and replaced by an annular rib 31, which extends over the entire inner contour of the band or ring 2. This annular rib 31, is placed just above the annular rib 26, which serves for the maintenance of the bottle during the filling of the same. In this embodiment, the projection 30 is located farther from the hinge or joining point 6 than in the first mode. Therefore, it is more preferable that the projection 31 extends more than the projection 30, since the axial forces transmitted by the hinge or junction point 6 are distributed over the whole contour of the band or ring 2. The plugs of this type of the prior art, they do not have the projection 30, and the maintenance of the band or ring is then ensured, by the second annular rib 26, of the neck of the container 16. This rib 16, must, therefore, be adapted to its maintenance function. Such a rib, as represented in the drawing, does not allow this maintenance in the absence of the projection 31. For this a rib of a larger size is needed, which is just below the band or ring 2. The dashed line in Figure 3, it shows the shape of a section of the rib of the prior art. It is noted that the section of the rib for a plug according to the invention is substantially smaller than for a plug of the prior art. This translates, therefore, into an economy in weight of the raw material, not negligible. As it is observed, the invention is not limited to the modality described above, by way of non-limiting example, but covers, on the contrary, all the variants. Thus, for example, the plug is not necessarily a plug provided with a weir. The projection can be supported not on the landfill, but directly on the neck of the container. The position of the projection and its size may vary. In the first exemplary embodiment shown, the projection is just below the hinge or junction point in the center thereof. It is possible, for example, to have two projections, one under each end of the hinge or junction, or in another position. In the second exemplary embodiment, the annular projection may be replaced by several "point" projections, distributed on the internal perimeter of the band or ring, or by any other equivalent projection. The plug according to the invention does not necessarily have a tear-proof inviolability ring. The breaking points can, for example, also connect the cap to the band or ring of the cap. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it relates.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property.

1. A plug in synthetic material having an articulated cap on a band or ring, intended for closing a container, provides a hinge or junction point, to allow the articulation of the cap on the band or ring, at the level of the plane of the opening of the container, or above it, and a rib is provided, to allow the locking of the cap on the neck of the container, characterized in that at least one additional projection projecting towards the interior of the cap, is formed on the band or ring, under the hinge or junction point, of the articulation of the cap, on the band or ring, this projection, in number of at least one, can rest on a fixed part, with respect to the container.

The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that the projection is formed on the band or ring, in the vicinity of the hinge or junction point.

3. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the projection is constituted by an annular rib, formed on the internal surface of the band or ring.

The plug according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a projection extending over approximately half the length of the hinge or junction point.

The stopper according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is equipped with a spillway, adjusted to the level of the opening of the container.

6. The plug according to claims 2 and 5, characterized in that the projection rests on the landfill. The cap according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is provided with means for visualizing a first opening of the cap, means which are joined, before a first use, the cap to the band or ring, on top of the cap. a large part of the periphery of the cap.