RU2773673C1 - Flap cap - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: storage.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a flap cap with a closure element (1) and a flap lid (2), interconnected by means of at least one hinge (9) and by means of at least one tension band (10) in order to ensure a triggering effect when opening and/or closing the hinged lid. Said at least one tension band (10), in the unloaded state, in the cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said at least one hinge, has at least three curved sections, and between the corresponding two adjacent curved sections passes along one substantially straight section, and also does not bend in opposite directions. Alternatively, in the unloaded state of said at least one tension band (10), in the cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hinge, the distance from the tangent to the midline between the edges of said at least one tension band at the point of connection of the tension band with the closure element and, accordingly, with the flap lid to the axis of rotation of said at least one hinge (9) is at most tripled, preferably at most doubled, more preferably at most single, and especially preferably at most half the thickness of said at least one tension band at the corresponding point of connection.

EFFECT: breakage or tearing of the tension band occurs less frequently.

8 cl, 8 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a hinged cap with a closing element and a hinged lid, which are connected to each other by means of at least one hinge and by means of at least one tension band in order to achieve a trigger effect when the hinged lid is opened and/or closed.

The flip cap is preferably made of plastic, in particular by injection molding. In this case, the locking element and the hinged lid, including said at least one hinge and said at least one tension band, can be manufactured together, i.e. as one piece, injection molded. However, it is also possible to first injection mold one component, in particular the locking element, and then injection mold other components to it, in particular a hinged lid with said at least one hinge and said at least one tension band. It is also possible vice versa - first to make a hinged cover by injection molding, and then to pour a locking element on it under pressure. In both cases, said at least one hinge and said at least one tension band can be injection molded together with the locking element or together with the hinged lid.

The injection molding position of the flip cap, i.e. the position in which the locking member and the hinged lid are injection-molded together or, respectively, molded to each other under pressure, is preferably an approximately 180 degree open position of the flap. Since the flip cap assumes its original shape in this position, no mechanical forces act on its individual components in this position. In particular, said at least one tension band is thus unloaded in this injection molding position, i. e. not subject to any tensile or bending stresses or other mechanical forces.

Said at least one hinge is preferably formed as a film hinge, i.e. as a thin-walled place in the material along a line that corresponds to the axis of rotation of the hinge. In this case, the hinge function is obtained due to the increased flexibility of the material in this thin-walled place.

By pivoting the hinged lid about this axis of said at least one hinge, the hinged lid can be driven into at least one, in particular fully closed position and at least one open position.

The closing element preferably has a single opening for dispensing the product, which is closed by the hinged lid in its closed position, preferably hermetically.

Said closing element is intended to be fastened to the container, in particular to the bottle, in particular by screwing or snap-fitting.

Flip caps of this kind are known, for example, from US 5435456 A or EP 0291457 A2 and are used to dispense a variety of liquid, pasty, powdery, granular, granular or otherwise shaped flowable or free-flowing products from a container, for example for body care products , other care products, cosmetics, oils or fats, cleaning products, medicines, food or drinks.

When the locking element is attached to the container, the hinged lid can preferably be opened with a single finger, preferably the thumb, and snapped past a certain opening angle, the "snap angle", into a stable open position. In this open position, the hinged lid does not become an obstacle when dispensing the product from the container. In particular, when the container is used as a water bottle, the hinged lid then does not interfere with the user's drinking by contacting the user's mouth or nose with it.

On the other hand, this hinged lid can be closed from its open position, preferably again with a single finger, and preferably again over a certain opening angle, in particular again the snap angle, into a completely closed or almost closed position, and it can preferably be moved from an almost closed position to a fully closed position by further pressure with this finger.

Said triggering effect is achieved due to the fact that said at least one tension band is located in such a way that it is only slightly tensioned in the closed position of the hinged lid, when opening the hinged lid it is gradually tightened until it reaches its maximum tension, and after overcoming the angle of snapping, when the hinged lid is further opened, it will not shrink again and thereby unload. Preferably, the corresponding process is carried out in reverse order when the hinged lid is closed, so that the said triggering effect also occurs.

In order to achieve a trigger effect, the connection points of the tension band with the locking element or, respectively, with the hinged lid are usually (in the fully open position of the hinged lid) located lower than the axis of rotation of the hinge. In this case, the orientation of the hinged cap is taken as a basis, in which the said locking element in the fully closed position of the hinged lid is located under the said hinged lid.

In the fully closed position of the hinged lid, said connection points of the tension band with the locking element or, respectively, with the hinged lid then preferably lie vertically one above the other, so that the tension band also runs vertically between these connection points. Preferably, niches are formed in the outer wall of the closing element and/or in the outer wall of the hinged lid, in which the tension band can lie in the fully closed position of the hinged lid.

Said hinged cap can be provided, in particular, with a central hinge and two, when viewed in the circumferential direction, tension bands located on both sides of the hinge, or vice versa, one central tension band and two hinges located on both sides of this tension band. But other combinations of at least one hinge and at least one tension band are also possible.

Due to the described kinematics of said hinged cap, said at least one tension band is subjected both to tensile stresses when opening and/or closing the hinged lid and, due to rotation of the hinged lid around the hinge axis, to bending stresses.

With a conventional flip cap of the prior art, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the tension band is connected to the closing element and, respectively, to the hinged lid by two curved sections, which are connected to each other by a flat section (respectively, in a cross section by a straight section). As the hinged lid rotates, the flat portion experiences tensile stress first, while the curved portions experience an overlap of bending stress and tensile stress. Said curved sections thus function as bending zones or as turning centers. As a result of this superimposition of bending and tensile stresses, the most stressed states are obtained in these bending zones, in particular because these bending zones are completely "straightened out" during use of the flip cap when the maximum load is applied. These stresses, in particular due to aging of the material, exposure to the environment, such as cold, or due to improper use by the user, can cause the tension band to break or tear during use. In practice, one can observe a large number of cases of this kind of failure.

Therefore, the present invention is based on the object of providing a hinged cap of the kind in question, which is less likely to break or break said at least one tension band.

This problem is solved by means of a hinged cap according to one of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The hinged cap discussed here has a locking element and a hinged lid. To achieve a trigger effect when opening and/or closing the hinged lid, they are connected to each other by means of at least one hinge and by means of at least one tension band. Tension band is understood here as a strip, preferably elastic element with two ends, one end connected to the locking element and the other end connected to the hinged lid.

In the first solution of the problem proposed by the invention, said at least one tension tape in an unloaded state in cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said at least one hinge has at least three curved sections, and between the respective two adjacent curved sections has one, essentially , a straight section, and this at least one tension tape does not bend in this cross section in opposite directions. The latter condition means that all curved sections in this cross section are bent in the same direction, i.e. all clockwise or all counterclockwise.

As a result, the bending stresses arising from the use of the flip cap are distributed within the tension band over several curved sections, i.e. over several bending zones, even if there are, for example, only two bending sections. At the same time, the average angle of curvature of the curved sections becomes smaller, and the angle of curvature of the curved section is understood to be the angle by which the course of the tension tape (in the unloaded state of this tension tape) deviates in the cross section in this curved section. As mentioned above, each bent section, at maximum load on the tension band, fully straightens. The smaller this angle of curvature of an individual curved section, the less often, therefore, the destruction or tearing of this curved section occurs when using a hinged cap.

Also, due to the curvature of the tension tape in the same direction, the average angle of curvature of the curved sections is less than it would be for a tension tape with the same number of curved sections, in which these curved sections would be bent in different directions. In the first case according to the invention (curvature in the same direction), the total angle of curvature of the curved sections that occurs in the cross section between the junction of the tension band with the locking element and the junction of the tension band with the hinged lid is made up only of individual angles of curvature with the same sign, in the second case (curvature in different directions), on the contrary, is made up of individual curvature angles with different signs. Thus, the individual angles of curvature in the first case are, on average, modulo less than in the second case. As explained above, as a result, destruction or rupture of this curved section also occurs less frequently.

Thus, due to the embodiment of the bent portions of the tension band according to the invention, the breaking or tearing of the tension band is less frequent, and at the same time the number of bent portions can be reduced. The latter simplifies the shape of the tension band and thus, in particular, in view of the very small dimensions of the tension band, the production of the area in the injection mold for the flip cap in which this tension band is produced.

A further advantage of this solution is that the tension band in the closed state of the flip cap no longer protrudes, or barely protrudes, obstructively, radially outward from the perimeter of the flip cap.

In one preferred embodiment of this solution, the curved sections in this cross section are located essentially symmetrically about the middle of said at least one tension band between the junction of the tension band with the locking element and the junction of the tension band with the hinged lid. As a result, the tensile and bending stresses of the tensioning band are also loaded symmetrically and thus particularly evenly.

However, it is also possible that the curved portions in this cross section are not substantially symmetrical about the middle of said at least one tension band between the junction of the tension band with the locking element and the junction of the tension band with the hinged lid.

Preferably the number of folds is odd, in particular the number of folds is 3, 5 or 7.

Further, preferably the number of curved sections is even, in particular the number of curved sections is 4, 6 or 8.

In the second solution of the problem proposed by the invention, for a hinged cap of the kind in question in the unloaded state of said at least one tension band in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said at least one hinge, the distance from the tangent to the center line between the edges of said at least one tension tape in at the junction of said at least one tension tape with the locking element and/or from the tangent to the center line between the edges of the specified at least one tension tape at the junction of the specified at least one tension tape with a hinged lid to the axis of rotation of the specified at least one of the hinge is a maximum of three, preferably a maximum of twice, more preferably a maximum of one, and particularly preferably a maximum of half the thickness of said at least one tension band at the corresponding connection point.

This solution of the problem is based on the conclusion that, due to the kinematics of the hinged cap, the maximum tensile stress is reached on the specified at least one tension band when the axis of rotation of the hinge lies on a straight line passing through the junctions of the tension band with the locking element and, respectively, with a hinged lid, namely between these two connection points. Due to said orientation of one and/or the other joints, therefore, when the said maximum tensile stress occurs, no or only a very small bending stress occurs at the corresponding joint. In this way, this respective connection point is not additionally loaded with bending stress in the event of a maximum tensile stress, so that breaking or tearing of the tension band, in this case at its connection points with the locking element and, accordingly, with the hinged lid, occurs less frequently.

With this solution, the following advantage also arises, in that the tension band in the closed state of the flip cap no longer protrudes, or practically does not interfere, protruding radially outward from the perimeter of the flip cap.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of this solution, said at least one tension band is bent everywhere in this cross section. This leads, in particular, to the formation of a curved tension band having a circular arc shape, an elliptical arc shape or another curved shape in cross section.

Of course, the features of the first and second solutions of the problem proposed by the invention can also be combined with each other in one hinged cap, except that said at least one tension band is bent everywhere in cross section, since the tension band in this case will not be have no straight sections.

Other preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings and are explained in the following description. The drawings show the following.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art flip cap in an injection molded position;

Fig. 2 is a view of the tension band of the prior art flip cap of FIG. 1, mixed image in perspective and in section;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of a tension band according to a first embodiment of a hinged cap, according to a first solution to the problem;

Fig. 4: view according to FIG. 2 tension tape according to the second embodiment of the hinged cap, according to the first solution to the problem;

Fig. 5: view according to FIG. 2 tension bands of the hinged cap according to the second solution of the problem;

Fig. 6: Tension band of the flip cap of FIG. 5 in the partially open position of the flip cap at maximum tensile stress;

Fig. 7: view according to FIG. 2 according to the following embodiment of the tension band of the flip cap, according to the second solution of the problem;

Fig. 8: Tension band of the flip cap of FIG. 7 in the partially open position of the flip cap at maximum tensile stress.

On FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art flip cap in an injection molded position that corresponds to the 180 degree open position ^of the flip cap. Also in FIG. 2 - Fig. 5 shows fragments of the flip cap in this position.

The flip cap according to Fig. 1 has a locking element 1 with a cylindrical side surface 3 and a continuous cover surface 4, which closes the side surface 3 at its upper end end. Of course, the side surface 3 can also have another shape, for example oval or polygonal. The covering surface 4 has two sections at different heights. In the middle of the higher portion of the covering surface 4 there is an outlet 5 through which a product, such as a shower product or a shampoo, can exit.

On the inner side of the side surface 3 there is a connecting device (not visible in FIG. 1), in particular an internal thread, by means of which the locking element 1 can be secured to the container, in particular by means of a corresponding external thread. This connecting device can also be part of a snap-on lid, the other part of this snap-on lid being located on the container. Further, in the connection area between the closing element 1 and the container, a seal may be provided in order to prevent the product from escaping between the closing element 1 and the container.

Said hinged cover 2 also has a cylindrical side surface 6, which has almost the same radius as the side surface 3 of the locking element 1. Represented (in the open position of the hinged cover 2 shown in FIG. 1) the lower end end of the side surface 6 of the hinged cover 2 is closed by the cover surface 7. In the middle of the cover surface 7, a plug 8 protrudes into the side surface 6, which, when the hinged cover 2 is closed, enters the outlet 5 and seals it hermetically.

Said locking element 1 and the hinged lid 2 in the exemplary embodiment shown are made in one piece by injection molding. The possibility of rotation of the hinged cover 2 relative to the closing element 1 is provided by a film hinge 9, which connects the closing element 1 at the level of the lower portion of the cover surface 4 of the closing element 1 with the edge of the side surface 6 of the hinged cover 2 facing away from the covering surface 7. As can be clearly seen in FIG. . 2, the upper edge of the lower portion of the cover surface 4 of the locking element 1, the hinge 9 and the upper (in the open position) edge of the side surface 6 of the hinged lid 2 lie in the same plane.

Further, the locking element 1 and the hinged lid 2 are connected by two tension bands 10, which, when viewed in the circumferential direction, are located on both sides of the hinge 9.

On FIG. 2 shows a view of one of the tension bands 10 of the prior art flip cap of FIG. 1 is a mixed view in perspective and in section, with the axis of the hinge 9 running perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements of the flip cap.

The connection points 15a, 15b of the tension band 10 with the locking element 1 and, respectively, with the hinged cover 2 are located on the respective side surface 3 and 6 and thus lie lower than the hinge plane 9. Directly below the connection points 15a, 15b of the tension band 10, niches 11 and 12 are located in the side surfaces 3 and 6, in which the tension band 10 lies when the hinged lid 2 is fully closed.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the tension band 10 at its connection points 15a, 15b with the closing element 1 and, respectively, with the hinged lid 2, each has one curved section 13a and, respectively, 13b. Between them there is one flat, respectively, a straight section in cross section 14a.

If the hinged lid 2 closes from the open position shown or, conversely, opens from the closed position, the distance between these connection points 15a, 15b increases due to the arrangement of the connection points 15a, 15b of the tension band 10 with the locking element 1 and, accordingly, with the hinged lid 2. The tension band 10 is thereby stretched. The straight section 14a then primarily experiences tensile stress, while the curved sections 13a and 13b experience an overlap of bending stress and tensile stress. As a result of this superimposition of forces, the greatest stress states within the tension band 10 are obtained in the curved sections 13a and 13b, which, when the maximum load is applied, fully straighten out, i.e. "pull out". This can lead to the destruction or rupture of the tension band 10, in particular in the area of the places 15a, 15b of connection with the locking element 1 and, accordingly, with the hinged lid 2.

On FIG. 3 is a view according to FIG. 2 tension band 10 in the first embodiment of the hinged cap according to the first solution to the problem. In this case, the tension tape 10 has three curved sections 13a, 13b, 13c, wherein a straight section 14a extends between the curved sections 13a and 13b, and a straight section 14b extends between the curved sections 13b and 13c. The bending stresses arising in the curved sections 13a, 13b, 13c are thus distributed over several curved sections and thus become smaller in one curved section.

At the same time, said tension band 10 in its course from its connection point 15a with the locking element 1 to its connection point 15b with the hinged lid 2, when viewed in cross section, is always bent only in the same direction, namely in the direction shown in FIG. 3rd view - clockwise. Due to this, the average angle of curvature of the curved sections 13a, 13b, 13c can be kept smaller than if, with the same number of curved sections, different sections were bent in opposite directions.

Due to such an arrangement of the curved sections 13a, 13b, 13c, in particular, part of the bending stress from the more critical to fracture areas in the places 15a, 15b of the connection is transferred to the non-critical middle of the tension tape 10, due to which the bending stress in the places 15a, 15b of the connection is reduced.

In addition, said tension band 10 in the closed state of the flip cap does not protrude or barely protrudes radially outward from the side surfaces 3 and 6 and can therefore hardly be perceived by the user.

On FIG. 4 is a view according to FIG. 2 tension band 10 according to the second embodiment of the hinged cap, according to the first solution to the problem. At the same time, said tension tape 10 has four curved sections 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, wherein a straight section 14a extends between the curved sections 13a and 13b, a straight section 14b extends between the curved sections 13b and 13c, and a straight section extends between the curved sections 13c and 13d. plot 14c.

Due to the increased number of curved portions 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, the bending stress in each of the curved portions 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d becomes even smaller.

On FIG. 5 is a view according to FIG. 2 tension band 10 hinged cap according to the second solution to the problem.

Said tension band 10, in this case, at the points 15a, 15b of connection with the locking element 1 and, accordingly, with the hinged lid 2, each has one straight section 14a, 14b, between which a curved section 13a extends. These straight sections 14a and 14b are of different lengths. Similarly, these straight sections 14a and 14b can, however, also be of the same length. Said straight sections 14a and 14b are connected to the closing element 1 and, respectively, to the hinged lid 2 at such an angle that the center lines T1, T2 of these straight sections 14a and 14b (corresponding to the tangents to these center lines, if we were talking about curved sections ) in their extensions pass exactly or almost exactly through the hinge axis 9. The distance from the corresponding center line T1, T2 to the axis of rotation of the hinge 9 is thus almost or exactly equal to zero.

On FIG. 6 shows the tension band 10 of the flip cap of FIG. 5 in the partially open position of the hinged lid 2. In this case, the open position of the hinged lid 2 is chosen so that the hinge axis 9 lies between the connection points 15a, 15b of the tension band 10 with the locking element 1 and, accordingly, with the hinged lid 2. In this position, the active on the tension band 10, the tensile stress is at its maximum, and this tension band 10 is fully extended in a straight line. Due to the described angular position of the connection points 15a, 15b of the tension band 10 with the locking element 1 and, accordingly, with the hinged lid 2, however, no or only slight bending stresses arise in these connection points 15a, 15b. Due to this, the destruction or rupture of the tension tape 10 in these places occurs less frequently.

On FIG. 7 is a view according to FIG. 2 according to the following embodiment of the tension band 10 of the flip cap, according to the second solution to the problem, and in FIG. 8 shows the tension band 10 of the flip cap of FIG. 7 in the partially open position of the hinged cover 2.

The configuration of Fig. 7 and FIG. 8 is different from the configuration of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, essentially, firstly, by the fact that the tension tape 10 in the straightened state (Fig. 8) in cross section does not pass exactly through the axis of rotation of the hinge 9, but at a small distance from it. Secondly, the center lines T1, T2 of the straight sections 14a and 14b do not extend exactly through the hinge axis 9. The distance from the respective center line T1, T2 to the axis of rotation of the hinge 9 is, however, less than the thickness of the tension band 10 in the respective connection points 15a, 15b.

Otherwise, the arrangement and operation of the tension band 10 in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 largely correspond to the arrangement and operation of the tension band 10 of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 and therefore will not be re-described here.

List of reference positions

1 locking element

2 hinged lid

3 side surface of the locking element

4 cover surface of the locking element

5 outlet

6 side cover flap

7 cover surface of the hinged lid

8 plug

9 hinge

10 tension tape

11 niche in the side surface of the locking element

12 niche in the side surface of the hinged cover

13a-13d curved section

14a - 14c straight section

15a, 15b connections

T1, T2 tangents

Claims (8)

1. A hinged cap with a locking element (1) and a hinged lid (2), which, in order to achieve a trigger effect when opening and/or closing the hinged lid (2), are connected to each other by at least one hinge (9) and by means of at least at least one tension tape (10), characterized in that said at least one tension tape (10) in an unloaded state in cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the specified at least one hinge (9) has at least three curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c) and between respective two adjacent curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c) each has one substantially straight section (14a, 14b), and said at least one tension band (10) bends in this cross section not in opposite directions. 2. Flip cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c) in this cross section are located essentially symmetrically with respect to the middle of said at least one tension tape (10) between the connection point (15a) tension band (10) with locking element (1) and connection point (15b) between tension band (10) and hinged lid (2). 3. Flip cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c) in this cross section are not located essentially symmetrically with respect to the middle of said at least one tension tape (10) between the place (15a) connection of the tension band (10) with the locking element (1) and the connection point (15b) of the tension band (10) with the hinged cover (2). 4. Flip cap according to one of paragraphs. 1-3, characterized in that the number of curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c) is odd, in particular, this number of curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c) is 3, 5 or 7. 5. Flip cap according to one of paragraphs. 1-3, characterized in that the number of curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) is even, in particular, this number of curved sections (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) is 4, 6 or 8. 6. A hinged cap with a locking element (1) and a hinged lid (2), which, in order to achieve a trigger effect when opening and/or closing the hinged lid (2), are connected to each other via at least one hinge (9) and via at least at least one tension tape (10), and in the unloaded state of the specified at least one tension tape (10) in cross section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the specified at least one hinge (9) the distance from the tangent (T1) to the center line between the edges of the specified at least one tension tape (10) at the point (15a) of the connection of said at least one tension tape (10) with the locking element (1) and/or from the tangent (T2) to the center line between the edges of the said at least one tension tape (10) at the point (15b) of the connection of said at least one tension band (10) with a hinged cover (2) up to the axis of rotation of said at least one hinge (9) is a maximum of three times, preferably preferably a maximum of twice, more preferably a maximum of one, and particularly preferably a maximum of half the thickness of said at least one tension band at the respective connection points (15a, 15b). 7. A hinged cap according to claim 6, characterized in that said at least one tension band (10) is bent everywhere in this cross section. 8. Flip cap according to one of paragraphs. 6, 7, characterized in that the tension band (10) in the closed state of the hinged cap hardly protrudes or does not protrude radially outward above the side surfaces (3) and (6).

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