US20220002067A1

US20220002067A1 - Packaging System For At Least One Product Preparation Component, And Corresponding Method For Handling The Product Preparation Component

Info

Publication number: US20220002067A1
Application number: US17/481,274
Authority: US
Inventors: Antoine Lombard
Original assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Current assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Priority date: 2019-03-21
Filing date: 2021-09-21
Publication date: 2022-01-06
Also published as: EP3941843A1; WO2020187557A1; DE102019203858A1; CN113950452A; JP2022526123A

Abstract

A packaging system for at least one product preparation component is disclosed. Said packaging system having a first container for storing a first product preparation component, a second container for storing at least one other product preparation component, and a closure device sealing off an opening of the first container from the surroundings by way of a closure element having a coupling device in order to couple the second container to the closure device and establishes a fluidic connection between the first container and the second container. Additionally, a method for handling at least one product preparation component is disclosed. The method ensures a reliable packaging system which allows a user-friendly handling of the contained product preparation components. This is achieved in that the closure element and the coupling device are joined together as separate components in a non-releasable manner to form the closure device.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a packaging system for at least one product preparation component, comprising a first container for storing a first product preparation component, a second container for optionally storing at least one other product preparation component, and a closure device which seals off an opening of the first container from the surroundings by means of a closure element and has a coupling device in order to couple the second container to the closure device and in order to establish a fluidic connection between the first container and the second container. The invention also relates to a corresponding method for handling this product preparation component. Such packaging systems are often used for the targeted mixing of initially separately stored free-flowing product preparation components and are mainly used when two- or multi-component product preparations are used, in which preparations the individual preparation components are incompatible with one another due to their chemical composition or are highly chemically reactive and should therefore only be mixed shortly before they are actually used. Such multi-component product preparations and uses are known in principle from, inter alia, the fields of cosmetics, medicine, food, and detergent and cleaning agents.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For example, German utility model DE 29721872 U1 describes an arrangement for coupling two containers with the aim of the possible mixing of fluids initially stored separately in the containers. The coupling arrangement described here serves, among other things, to mix individual components of hair dyes, the individual components being incompatible with one another and therefore having to be stored separately from one another in separate containers until they are actually used. The mixing of the individual components to form the ready-to-use hair dye then takes place immediately before use. For this purpose, the coupling arrangement has two coupling elements, each of which allows an associated container to be connected. The coupling elements each form a flow passage which is in fluidic connection with the respective container interiors. In addition, the two flow passages are aligned with one another within the coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement also has a control element which is arranged in one of the flow passages so as to be shiftable between a first and a second position. Depending on the position of the control element, the flow passages can be open or closed. Therefore, depending on the position of the control element, a flow through the flow passages and thus the entire coupling arrangement is either made possible or prevented. The flow passages are usually closed in the initial state of the coupling arrangement. To improve the sealing function, an additional plug is also provided, which closes a flow passage in the initial state of the coupling arrangement. During use, the plug is removed under the action of the shiftable control element, so that the flow passages are cleared for fluid to flow through.
WO 2007/111667 A2 describes another system comprising two containers for the separate storage of two container contents, in which the different container contents can be mixed immediately before use by means of a coupling device connecting the two containers. For this purpose, the coupling device has a valve arrangement which can be moved between a closed and an open position. In the open valve position, a flow passage in the coupling device which forms a fluidic connection between the two containers is cleared. The two container contents can therefore be mixed in the open valve position.
Although the above-described packaging systems in principle allow separate storage of different substances and the mixing thereof immediately prior to actual use, they are functionally inadequate in terms of the separate storage and efficient handling of the individual product preparation components. This is especially true when, for example, highly chemically reactive or possibly hazardous substances are stored by means of a packaging system of this kind. In this respect, the aforementioned packaging systems are only suitable for handling very specific chemical substances.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the above in mind, the problem addressed by the invention is that of providing a closed packaging system for at least one product preparation component which allows the safe storage and handling of product preparation components consisting of as many different chemical substances as possible. In particular, the packaging system according to the invention should allow the safe and user-friendly handling of highly chemically reactive or hazardous substances.
The problem is solved by a packaging system for at least one product preparation component as disclosed herein. The entire packaging system then essentially comprises a first container for storing a first product preparation component, a second container for optionally storing at least one other product preparation component, and a multifunctional closure device. This closure device is able to seal off an opening of the first container from the surroundings by means of a closure element. In this way, above all, chemically reactive substances and hazardous substances can be safely stored in the first container. Due to the sealed closure of the first container, substance constituents from the first container cannot enter the surroundings, and environmental conditions, for example air humidity or atmospheric oxygen, cannot negatively affect the substance constituents inside the first container due to chemical reactions. The closure device also has a coupling device in order to releasably couple the second container to the closure device and thereby establish a fluidic connection between the first container and the second container. The closure device is designed such that a fluidic connection between the first and second container, or in other words an opening in the first container, can only be achieved if the closure device is completely coupled to the second container by means of the coupling device. Undesired discharge of the product preparation component from the first container into the surroundings is effectively prevented in this way. In fact, the product preparation component can only be discharged from the first container into the second container after coupling has taken place. In this case, the closure element and the coupling device as originally separate components are non-releasably joined together to form the closure device. In this way, the closure element and the coupling device can be particularly easily manufactured independently of one another in a suitable manner, for example by injection molding, and can be advantageously handled in the joined state, i.e. as the closure device, as a common structural unit. The joining of the closure element and the coupling device can take place by means of a snap process or a comparable joining step. In this case, the closure element and the coupling device are pressed together axially with respect to an axis of the closure device under the action of force and are snap-fitted together in a substantially non-releasable manner. In this context, the non-releasable connection between the closure element and the coupling device means that the two parts, once joined, cannot be released from one another in a non-destructive manner.
In the context of the present invention, the terms “product preparation” or “product preparation components” should in principle be understood to mean free-flowing and/or pourable substances. This includes both all liquid, gel, pasty, or comparable high-viscosity substances, which generally have corresponding flow properties, and all powder, particulate, granular or comparable solid substances, which generally have corresponding flow or pouring properties. In this context, a “product preparation” or a “product preparation component” can each be composed of both an individual chemical substance and a mixture of substances.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the packaging system, the closure element (and thus the entire closure device) is, excluding its destruction, non-releasably connected to the first container by means of a fastening sleeve. “Non-releasable” in this context means that the closure element or the fastening sleeve cannot be detached from the first container in a non-destructive manner. The non-releasable connection between the fastening sleeve and the first container is preferably achieved by snap-fitting or combined screwing/snap-fitting. In terms of joining, the fastening sleeve can be particularly advantageously snapped to the first container. Non-releasably connected to the first container in such a manner, the closure device achieves an extremely reliable and sealed storage of the product preparation component within the first container. This precludes both a consumer being able to open the first container and the product preparation component unintentionally escaping from the first container into the surroundings. Likewise, the product preparation component stored in the first container is reliably protected from undesirable environmental influences, such as air humidity and/or atmospheric oxygen, as a result of the sealed container closure. In this respect, such a packaging system also allows, inter alia, the storage and handling of highly chemically reactive and possibly hazardous substances in the first container.
A “container” in the context of the present invention should be understood to mean containers of various shapes, which have in common that the interior of the container is surrounded by a container wall which has an opening for discharging the container contents. The container opening can be cleared or closed by a suitable closure element. Such containers can therefore have different designs. However, containers in the form of bottles, pouches, canisters, jars, tubes, or similar designs appear particularly suitable. With regard to the container material, depending on the use-specific content, materials which ensure an adequate barrier effect from the surroundings, especially against atmospheric oxygen and humidity, due to their physical properties should be selected in order to protect the container contents. Furthermore, the container material should be designed so as to be sufficiently inert with regard to its chemical-physical reactivity with the container contents. Glass, suitable plastics such as PP or PTFE, or materials with comparable properties have proven to be suitable container materials that best meet the stated requirements.
With regard to the choice of material for the closure device, similar conditions apply as for the container: the material of the closure device is preferably designed in such a way that the closure device also has an adequate barrier effect, above all against atmospheric oxygen and humidity, and is chemically inert to the container contents. Glass, suitable plastics such as PP or PTFE, or materials with comparable properties have proven to be suitable closure materials that best meet the stated requirements.
In order to further improve the packaging system, the closure element comprises a cap for closing the first container, which cap is connected to the fastening sleeve of the closure element via a predetermined breaking point in the initial state of the closure device. The cap is in principle designed in such a way that it can close or also clear the opening for releasing the container contents from the first container. In the closed container state, the cap abuts the first container in such a way that the opening is completely covered and thus closed. To open the first container, the cap must be at least partially released therefrom. For this purpose, starting from the initial state of the closure device, the cap is separated from the fastening sleeve, which is non-releasably connected to the first container, at the predetermined breaking point in order to achieve a use state. After separation, the cap can be moved relative to the fastening sleeve or to the first container. The cap can then also be released from the first container by relative movement in order to clear the container opening. The connection of the cap to the fastening sleeve via a predetermined breaking point thus forms a kind of tamper-evident closure which advantageously signals the unused initial state of the first container with the closure device.
A useful embodiment of the packaging system with a corresponding closure device is achieved by arranging the cap in such a way that it can be shifted relative to the coupling device axially with respect to an axis of the closure device and such that it is secured against rotation about the axis. The axis extends essentially centrally through the substantially cylindrical or sleeve-shaped basic structure of the closure device. Of course, the corresponding arrangement of the cap with respect to the closure device only applies to a limited extent to the initial state of the closure device, where the cap is preferably integrally connected to the fastening sleeve via the predetermined breaking point. That is to say, in the initial state, the cap is fixedly connected to the fastening sleeve of the closure device so that said cap cannot be moved axially or rotated relative to said sleeve. Moreover, in the use state, i.e. after separation from the fastening sleeve, the cap is arranged so as to be axially movable and to a limited extent rotatable relative to the fastening sleeve. Compared with the coupling device, the cap is continuous, i.e. arranged so as to be axially shiftable but secured against rotation both in the initial state and in the use state of the closure device. As a result of this specific arrangement, there is a unique interaction between the fastening sleeve, the cap, and the coupling device in the course of coupling the two containers, which is created by the movement of the individual components relative to one another. Specifically, since it is secured against rotation relative to the coupling device, the cap follows the rotational movement of said coupling device. As a result, the cap can also be separated from the fastening sleeve at the predetermined breaking point when it is used, i.e. when it rotates relative to the fastening sleeve. Even after the cap has been separated from the fastening sleeve, the cap follows the rotational movement, with the cap then being movable axially both relative to the fastening sleeve and relative to the coupling device.
Another embodiment of the packaging system results from the coupling device having a thread for screwing to the second container. In this way, the coupling device is screwed to the second container during coupling by the interaction of corresponding thread portions on the coupling device and the second container. This allows a particularly user-friendly coupling of the two containers. In an advantageous variant of the packaging system, the fastening sleeve and the coupling device each have at least one mutually corresponding rotation stop element, which allows the relative rotation of the fastening sleeve and the coupling device about the axis of the closure device only until the corresponding rotation stop elements abut one another. The mutually corresponding rotation stop elements on the fastening sleeve and the coupling device fundamentally limit the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device to a range of rotation of approximately 360°, i.e. approximately one revolution. The respective rotation elements are preferably designed as ribs, shoulders, projections, or other comparable rotationally effective stop elements. Overall, the mutually corresponding rotation stop elements serve to allow the basic transmission of torque between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device during use, specifically when two corresponding rotation stop elements abut one another. The fastening sleeve and the coupling device can also be rotated relative to one another to a limited extent.
According to a further developed embodiment of the packaging system, either the fastening sleeve or the coupling device has at least two rotation stop elements which interact with the at least one corresponding rotation stop of the coupling device or the fastening sleeve in such a way that an initial stop and an end stop for the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device about the axis of the closure device is formed. In continuation of the variant with only one rotation stop element on each of the fastening sleeve and the coupling device, arranging two rotation stop elements on at least the fastening sleeve or the coupling device limits the relative rotation between the two components to an exactly defined range of rotation. In this case, the two rotation stop elements interact with the at least one corresponding rotation stop element on the other component and form an initial stop and an end stop for the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device. In this way, the range of values for the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device can be set exactly to a rotation angle of less than 360°. Preferable ranges of values for rotation angles between the initial stop and end stop have been shown to be approximately 0-180°, particularly preferably 0-90°. These limited rotation angle ranges ultimately also determine the maximum possible rotation of the cap relative to the first container. In this respect, the maximum opening dimension of the cap or the maximum release position of the cap with respect to the first container is also indirectly determined by this limited rotation angle. That is to say, at the end stop of the corresponding rotation stop elements, i.e. when the rotation angle upper limit is reached, the maximum release position of the cap on the first container is also reached. Thus, by suitably setting the rotation angle upper limit, the cap can be reliably fixed so that it does not release completely from the first container but is always in threaded engagement with the first container in every use state of the packaging system.
In a useful embodiment of the packaging system, the cap is connected to the first container via a thread which has a rotational direction counter to that of the thread of the coupling device. This embodiment offers the great use advantage that in the course of coupling the two containers by screwing the coupling device to the second container, a constant rotational direction can be maintained in order to ultimately establish the fluidic connection between the first and second container. For example, a clockwise thread is provided between the coupling device and the second container, while a counterclockwise thread is formed between the cap and the first container. It is thus possible, in the course of the coupling, to screw the first container with the closure device to the second container in a clockwise direction via the coupling device. In this case, the first container is therefore rotated together with the closure device in a clockwise direction relative to the second container. If this relative rotation of the first and second container is continued in a clockwise direction, not only will the coupling be completed, but the cap will also be simultaneously separated from the fastening sleeve via the predetermined breaking point, and the cap will be released from the first container due to the contradirectional thread. In a very simple and user-friendly way, the contradirectional threads between the coupling device and the second container and between the cap and the first container reliably couple the container and set the fluidic connection between the first and second container as a result of the opening of the first container.
According to a preferred variant of the packaging system, the cap has a substantially pot-like basic structure with a bottom wall and a cylindrical circumferential wall adjoining said bottom wall. In this case, at least one opening is provided in the circumferential wall of the cap, via which opening the fluidic connection between the mutually coupled containers is ultimately established when the cap is sufficiently released. Ideally, a plurality of openings is provided in the cap circumferential wall, which are ideally uniformly distributed over the circumference of the circumferential wall. The at least one window-like opening in the cap circumferential wall allows the fluidic connection to be set even when the cap is only partially released from the first container. For this purpose, the opening in the cap circumferential wall is preferably positioned in the immediate vicinity of the cap base. Specifically, the clockwise relative rotation between the first container or the fastening sleeve and the second container or the coupling device including the cap, which is secured against rotation, results in the cap being unscrewed from the first container. If the cap is sufficiently unscrewed but not completely released from the first container, then the opening in the cap circumferential wall is cleared such that the fluidic connection between the first and second container is established. In this state, the cap is partially released from the container, but is still connected to the first container via the contradirectional thread. It is particularly useful in this context for the range of values for the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device to be set using the mutually corresponding rotation stop elements in such a way that the cap can only be unscrewed from the first container until the opening in the cap circumferential wall is cleared. The initial stop and end stop of the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device, which stops are set via the position of the rotation stop elements, thus prevent the cap from unintentionally being completely unscrewed from the first container. Instead, the initial stop and end stop ensure a permanent threaded connection between the cap and the first container, regardless of the use state of the entire packaging system and the opening state of the first container.
In principle, the fluidic connection between the two coupled containers allows the reliable and loss-free transfer of the product preparation component stored in the first container from the first to the second container, specifically via the corresponding openings in the first container and in the cap. At least in the case of free-flowing and/or correspondingly pourable product preparation components, as described above, the transfer generally takes place as a result of gravity and thus automatically, since the first container is held on top. Alternatively or in addition, the transfer of the product preparation component can also be brought about by means of an external force acting on a deformable first container. This applies, for example, to a pouch-like or tube-like first container in which the product preparation component can be squeezed out of the first container for transfer to the second container.
In an alternative embodiment of the packaging system, another product preparation component is stored in the second container to mix the first product preparation component with the at least one other product preparation component after coupling the second container to the first container by means of the closure device. For this purpose, the two product preparation components initially stored separately from one another in the two containers are first brought together in the course of the coupling of the containers, which brings about the formation of the fluidic connection, in order then to subsequently mix them to form a multi-component product preparation. The actual mixture is brought about by quick movement of the two coupled containers. For this purpose, the two coupled containers are shaken, tilted, rotated or the like by the user. In principle, such multi-component product preparation mixtures, consisting of individual product preparation components that are initially chemically incompatible with one another, are not uncommon. Examples of such multicomponent product preparation mixtures are cosmetic products, such as multi-component hair coloring products. The advantage of the present packaging system is its basic structure, which is closed off from the surroundings. That is to say that by means of the present packaging system, highly chemically reactive substances or hazardous substances can also be safely handled as individual product preparation components. Finally, a first product preparation component can only be transferred from the first container, optionally for subsequent mixing with a further product preparation component, if it has been coupled to an associated second container and the first container is opened as intended. Undesired escape of the first product preparation component from the first container into the surroundings is effectively avoided by means of the present multifunctional closure device.
According to a further useful embodiment of the packaging system, the closure device can be coupled to the second container in a liquid-tight manner. The closure device is then sealingly coupled to the second container by means of the coupling device in such a way that undesired escape of one or more free-flowing and/or pourable product preparation components into the surroundings is reliably avoided. A closed packaging system which reliably ensures that the user does not come into contact with one of the product preparation components being handled is thus achieved.
A comparably further developed variant of the packaging system results from the closure device being provided with at least one sealing element to ensure a liquid-tight connection to the first and/or second container. Sealing elements of this type can in principle have almost any geometrical design and, above all, have a sealing effect in the axial and/or radial direction. In particular, the sealing elements can be designed as a sealing ring, sealing lip or the like.
Protection is also sought for two alternative method instructions for handling at least one product preparation component using a packaging system described above.
A first method alternative is used for the secure transfer of at least one product preparation component from a first container into a second container using a packaging system as described above. The packaging system here comprises a first container for storing at least one first product preparation component, an opening in the first container being sealed off from the surroundings by means of a closure element of the closure device which is fixedly connected to the first container. The closure element also comprises a cap which, in the initial state of the closure device, is connected to a fastening sleeve of the closure element via a predetermined breaking point. Closed in this way, the first container cannot be opened manually by the user. Furthermore, the closure device has a coupling device in order to couple the second container to the closure device and in principle to be able to establish a fluidic connection between the first container and the second container. The closure element and the coupling device, as initially separate components, are non-releasably joined together to form the closure device. In this context, non-releasable means that the two components cannot be separated from one another in a non-destructive manner after the joining process. Furthermore, the coupling device is shiftable relative to the closure device axially with respect to an axis of the closure device and is arranged so as to be secured against rotation about the axis. In addition, the coupling device has a thread for screwing to the second container. For such a packaging system, the following method sequence proves to be useful in order to safely transfer the product preparation component from the first container into the second container without undesired escape into the surroundings. Firstly, the first container is attached to the second container by means of the closure device, specifically by bringing corresponding threads on the coupling device and on the second container into engagement. The closure device is then screwed onto the second container by means of the coupling device until a coupling end position is reached between the coupling device and the second container. The coupling end position describes a state in which the coupling device is completely screwed onto the second container by means of the thread. Moreover, the coupling device cannot be screwed any further onto the second container, and thus forms a stationary structural unit with the second container, at least temporarily. Therefore, not only the closure device itself, but also the first container, which is non-releasably connected thereto, is coupled to the second container at the same time. The relative rotation between the first container or the closure device and the second container, which has already been used to screw on the closure device, is then continued. This means that the first container, together with the closure element, is further rotated relative to the second container while maintaining the clockwise screwing direction of the coupling device. The cap, which is initially connected to the fastening sleeve via the predetermined breaking point and which is secured against rotation relative to the coupling device, is separated from the closure element or the fastening sleeve at the predetermined breaking point. The separation of the cap at the predetermined breaking point takes place here due to the fact that, with continued relative rotation between the two coupled containers, the fastening sleeve follows the movement of the first container, while the coupling device, together with the cap, follows the movement of the second container. After separation of the cap from the fastening sleeve, the relative rotation between the first container or the fastening sleeve and the second container with the coupling device is continued while maintaining the rotational direction. The now-separated cap is connected to the first container by means of a thread which has a rotational direction contradirectional to that of the thread of the coupling device. The cap is thus simultaneously unscrewed from the first container when the relative rotation continues and as a result of the contradirectional cap thread. The thread between the coupling device and the second container is designed to be clockwise, while the thread between the cap and the first container is designed to be counterclockwise, for example. Of course, the opposite rotational direction is also conceivable for both threads, but it is crucial for the two threads to be oriented in opposite directions to one another. As a result of the continued relative rotation, the cap is now unscrewed from the first container at least to the extent that at least one opening in a circumferential wall of the pot-like cap is cleared. Since it overlaps with the opening of the first container, this cap opening brings about a fluidic connection between the first and the second container. After the fluidic connection between the two containers has been set, the transfer of the at least one product preparation component from the first to the second container can then also take place. Such a transfer of the product preparation component preferably takes place as a result of gravity, the first container being arranged on top when the containers are coupled. In addition, the product transfer, especially in the case of a flexibly designed first container, can be supported by the action of external forces on the first container. This preferably applies to tube-shaped or pouch-like first containers.
In principle, the method described above is suitable for handling almost all conceivable product preparation components. However, due to the closed functionality of the packaging system with the possibility of product transfer only after the two associated containers have been properly coupled, it is particularly advantageous to use it in connection with highly chemically reactive or possibly hazardous substances. The method described above can also be used universally in a wide variety of fields of application. Purely by way of example, the transfer method according to the invention could be advantageously used, inter alia, with any type of substance addition, with refilling processes from refill containers, with the addition of additives and with comparable substance transfer processes.
A second method alternative serves not only to safely transfer at least one product preparation component from a first container to a second container, but also to subsequently mix the first product preparation component with another product preparation component stored in the second container to form a multi-component product preparation. A packaging system as described above is also used here. The packaging system here comprises a first container for storing at least one first product preparation component, an opening in the first container being sealed off from the surroundings by means of a closure element of the closure device which is fixedly connected to the first container. The closure element also comprises a cap which, in the initial state of the closure device, is connected to a fastening sleeve of the closure element via a predetermined breaking point. Closed in this way, the first container cannot be opened manually by the user. The packaging system also comprises a second container for storing at least one other product preparation component. Furthermore, the closure device has a coupling device in order to couple the second container to the closure device and in principle to be able to establish a fluidic connection between the first container and the second container. The closure element and the coupling device, as initially separate components, are non-releasably joined together to form the closure device. In this context, non-releasable means that the two components cannot be separated from one another in a non-destructive manner after the joining process. Furthermore, the coupling device is shiftable relative to the closure device axially with respect to an axis of the closure device and is arranged so as to be secured against rotation about the axis. In addition, the coupling device has a thread for screwing to the second container. For such a packaging system, the following method sequence proves to be useful in order to safely transfer the product preparation component from the first container into the second container without undesired escape into the surroundings, and to mix said component with the further product preparation component in said second container to form a multi-component product preparation. Firstly, the first container is attached to the second container by means of the closure device, specifically by bringing corresponding threads on the coupling device and on the second container into engagement. The closure device is then screwed onto the second container by means of the coupling device until a coupling end position is reached between the coupling device and the second container. The coupling end position describes a state in which the coupling device is completely screwed onto the second container by means of the thread. Moreover, the coupling device cannot be screwed any further onto the second container, and thus forms a stationary structural unit with the second container, at least temporarily. Therefore, not only the closure device itself, but also the first container, which is non-releasably connected thereto, is coupled to the second container at the same time. The relative rotation between the first container or the closure device and the second container, which has already been used to screw on the closure device, is then continued. This means that the first container, together with the closure element, is further rotated relative to the second container while maintaining the clockwise screwing direction of the coupling device. The cap, which is initially connected to the fastening sleeve via the predetermined breaking point and which is secured against rotation relative to the coupling device, is separated from the closure element or the fastening sleeve at the predetermined breaking point. The separation of the cap at the predetermined breaking point takes place here due to the fact that, with continued relative rotation between the two coupled containers, the fastening sleeve follows the movement of the first container, while the coupling device, together with the cap, follows the movement of the second container. After separation of the cap from the fastening sleeve, the relative rotation between the first container or the fastening sleeve and the second container with the coupling device is continued while maintaining the rotational direction. The now-separated cap is connected to the first container by means of a thread which has a rotational direction contradirectional to that of the thread of the coupling device. The cap is thus simultaneously unscrewed from the first container when the relative rotation continues and as a result of the contradirectional cap thread. The thread between the coupling device and the second container is designed to be clockwise, while the thread between the cap and the first container is designed to be counterclockwise, for example. Of course, the opposite rotational direction is also conceivable for both threads, but it is crucial for the two threads to be oriented in opposite directions to one another. As a result of the continued relative rotation, the cap is now unscrewed from the first container at least to the extent that at least one opening in a circumferential wall of the pot-like cap is cleared. Since it overlaps with the opening of the first container, this cap opening brings about a fluidic connection between the first and the second container. After the fluidic connection between the two containers has been set, the transfer of the at least one product preparation component from the first to the second container can then also take place. Such a transfer of the product preparation component preferably takes place as a result of gravity, the first container being arranged on top when the containers are coupled. In addition, the product transfer, especially in the case of a flexibly designed first container, can be supported by the action of external forces on the first container. This preferably applies to tube-shaped or pouch-like first containers. After the first product preparation component has been transferred to the second container, the multiple product preparation components can then be mixed in the second container to form a multi-component product preparation. Mixing is preferably carried out with a suitable movement of the two coupled containers, for example by means of shaking, tilting, rotating, or comparable movements. In particular, the mixing process of the multiple product preparation components is carried out with a continuous fluidic connection between the two containers. This not only brings about very homogeneous mixing of the different product preparation components, but also ensures complete mixing of the product preparation components to form the multi-component product preparation. This ensures that the stored quantities of the individual product preparation components actually flow completely into the multi-component product preparation mixture. In this respect, it is simultaneously guaranteed that, by mixing the complete quantities of product preparation components, a defined and therefore often intended mixing ratio between the individual product preparation components is maintained.
Furthermore, in the context of this second method alternative, the specific design of the closed packaging system also ensures particularly safe handling of the individual product preparation components, which may be critical for the user. In principle, the above-described mixing method is suitable for handling a large number of different product preparation components that are to be further processed to form a mixture. Above all, such a mixing method is useful for individual product preparation components which are highly chemically reactive with one another or with respect to environmental parameters and which have to be kept separate from one another until they are actually used. Multi-component cosmetic products, such as hair coloring products, are examples of such uses. Even substances which, considered individually, may be hazardous, can be advantageously and safely handled by means of the mixing method due to the closed design of the packaging system. The mixing method described above can also be used universally in a wide variety of fields of application.
According to a particularly advantageous development of the two aforementioned method alternatives, the method steps for coupling and releasing the cap from the first container while simultaneously establishing the fluidic connection between the first and second container can be carried out reversibly. When the relative rotational direction which is used to couple the two containers is reversed, the two containers can analogously be decoupled again in the reverse order of the corresponding individual method steps already described above. In principle, a reversal of the relative rotational direction between the two coupled and fluidically connected containers initially results in the cap being tightened on the first container. At the same time, the axial movement of the cap relative to the first container closes the at least one opening in the cap circumferential wall, whereby the fluidic connection between the two containers is removed and the first container is immediately closed again. When the cap is completely screwed onto the first container, the coupling device is unscrewed from the second container, specifically until the coupling device can be completely released from the second container again, when the reverse relative rotation is continued. Such a reversible method opens up the possibility of repeating the coupling process, the fluidic connection process, the transfer of a product preparation component, and optionally the mixing of a plurality of product preparation components by means of the packaging system according to the invention as often as desired. Furthermore, with appropriately finely divided control of the opening and closing process of the cap, the amount of transferred product preparation component can be influenced in a targeted manner, so that essentially a type of metering system for the first product preparation component is brought about by means of the packaging system. This advantageously results in expanded fields of application for such a packaging system. For example, it is conceivable to dispense only a certain amount of the product preparation component from the first container into the second container during each coupling process. In this way, depending on the use, it is also conceivable to meter defined quantities of the product preparation component from the first container. In any case, such a reversible sequence of the disclosed method steps is possible both with a transfer method and with a mixing method.
Another useful embodiment of the two mentioned method variants results from the fact that the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device about the axis of the closure device is limited to a range of rotation of less than 360° by mutually corresponding rotation stop elements being provided on the fastening sleeve and the coupling device, which rotation stop elements allow a relative rotation only between an initial stop position and an end stop position of the corresponding rotation stop elements. As already described, the two rotation stop elements interact with the at least one corresponding rotation stop element on the other component and form an initial stop and an end stop for the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device. In this way, the range of values for the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device can be set exactly to a rotation angle of less than 360°. Preferable ranges of values for rotation angles between the initial stop and end stop have been shown to be approximately 0-180°, particularly preferably 0-90°. These limited rotation angle ranges ultimately also determine the maximum possible rotation of the cap relative to the first container. In this respect, the maximum opening dimension of the cap or the maximum release position of the cap with respect to the first container is also indirectly determined by this limited rotation angle. That is to say, at the end stop of the corresponding rotation stop elements, i.e. when the rotation angle upper limit is reached, the maximum release position of the cap on the first container is also reached. Thus, by suitably setting the rotation angle upper limit, the cap can be reliably fixed so that it does not release completely from the first container but is always in threaded engagement with the first container in every use state of the packaging system. In order to ensure that the cap is opened sufficiently wide within the rotation angle ranges limited by the rotation stop elements, in particular in order to establish a sufficient fluidic connection, the thread between the cap and the first container must also be designed accordingly. Specifically, not only is the thread designed to be contradirectional to the thread between the coupling device and the second container with regard to its rotational direction, but the thread pitch is also selected so as to be significantly higher than that of the thread between the coupling device and the second container. Due to the high thread pitch of the thread between the cap and the first container, the cap moves a sufficient distance in the axial direction to sufficiently clear the radially oriented openings in the cap circumferential wall, despite the limited relative rotation. The design of the thread pitch, which is optimized in this respect, thus ultimately results in a sufficient axial opening movement or closing movement within the initial stop or end stop of the relative rotation between the closure element and the coupling device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features of the invention are also explained below with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the individual components of the packaging system in a perspective view;

FIG. 2 shows the closure device according to FIG. 1 in two perspective views;

FIG. 3 shows the closure device according to FIG. 1 in two different operating states in two sectional views;

FIG. 4 shows the packaging system according to FIG. 1 in two different operating states in two sectional views.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 illustrates a packaging system 1 comprising a first container 10 for storing a first product preparation component (not shown here) and a second container 20 for optionally storing at least one other, second product preparation component (not shown here either). The packaging system 1 shown is used for the controlled and safe transfer of the first product preparation component from the first container 10 to the second container 20. If there is another, second product preparation component in the second container 20, the two product preparation components can also advantageously be mixed to form a multi-component product preparation.
In addition to the two containers 10, 20, the packaging system 1 also comprises a multifunctional closure device 3 which seals off the first container 10 from the surroundings in the initial state by means of a closure element 40. For the reliable closure of the first container 10, the closure element 40 first comprises a fastening sleeve 41 which, in the ready-to-use state, is connected to the first container 10 in a non-destructive and non-releasable manner. For this purpose, the fastening sleeve 41 is preferably snap-fitted to the first container 10, or is both screwed and snap-fitted. In any case, the fastening sleeve 41, which is non-releasably connected to the first container 10, is secured to the first container 10 so as to be axially and rotationally fixed with respect to an axis 4 of the closure device 3. In addition to the fastening sleeve 41, the closure element 40 has a substantially pot-shaped cap 45 which, in the ready-to-use state, seals off an opening 11 in the first container 10. For this purpose, the cap 45 has a bottom wall 47 comprising an annular sealing plug 48 which is able to close the opening 11 of the first container 10 with a precise fit. This reliably prevents undesired escape of the first product preparation component from the first container into the surroundings.
The closure device 3 also has a coupling device 30 in order to couple the second container 20 to the closure device 3 and thus indirectly to the first container 10 and in order to establish a fluidic connection between the first container 10 and the second container 20 with the interposition of the closure device 3. For this purpose, the coupling device 30 has an annular basic structure with a thread 31 which is intended to engage with a corresponding thread 21 on the second container 20. The coupling device 30 also has an inner sleeve 32 which can interact with the cap 45 in an interlocking manner.
In principle, the two components of the closure device 3, namely the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30, are initially designed as separate components, which has the advantage that they can easily be manufactured independently of one another, for example by means of injection molding. When used, the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 are joined together in a non-destructive and non-releasable manner to form the closure device 3. This is preferably done by means of a snap connection, in which the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 are axially snap-fitted to one another. After snap-fitting, the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30, as can also be seen in FIGS. 2-4 in particular, are non-releasably joined together to form the closure device 3, so that the closure device 3 can subsequently be handled very easily. At the same time, the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 are joined within the closure device 3 in such a way that a limited relative rotation of the closure element 40 and coupling device 30 about the axis 4 is possible in principle. For this purpose, mutually corresponding rotation stop elements 33, 43 are provided on the closure element 40 and on the coupling device 30, which elements, when they interact, limit the relative rotation between the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 to a rotation angle range of less than 360° during use. This corresponds to a range of rotation of less than a full revolution. In this case, the rotation stop elements 33, 43 are preferably designed as radial ribs or projections, but can also have any other suitable geometric design. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, as in the embodiment shown (see FIG. 2), a plurality of rotation stop elements 33, 43 is distributed over the circumference of the closure element 40 and/or the coupling device 30. As a result, the rotation angle range for the relative rotation between the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 is limited even further, for example to rotation angle range of up to 180°, particularly preferably of up to 90°. The desired degree of permitted relative rotation between the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 can thus be set in a very targeted manner via the position of the rotation stop elements 33, 43 distributed on the circumference. Above all, the interaction of several rotation stop elements 33, 43 distributed around the circumference allows the initial stop and end stop positions between the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 to be fixed in a defined manner. This means that the defined relative rotation between the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 is limited to a set, limited rotation angle range between the initial rotation stop and end rotation stop.
As already mentioned, in the initial state of the packaging system 1, the closure device 3 is non-releasably attached to the first container 10, which is filled with the first product preparation component. Furthermore, in this initial state, as can be seen from FIG. 2, the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30 are arranged with respect to one another in such a way that the cap 45 extends into the inner sleeve 32 of the coupling device 30 in an interlocking manner. As a result, the cap 45 is fixed on the coupling device 30 so as to be secured against rotation about the closure device axis 4, such that the cap 45 follows every rotation of the coupling device 30 about the axis 4.
Furthermore, the cap 45 has a substantially pot-shaped basic structure, specifically comprising a bottom wall 47 which, in the initial state, covers the opening 11 of the first container 10, and a circumferential wall 49 which extends around the axis 4. A plurality of radially oriented openings 51 is provided in the circumferential wall 49 (three in the present embodiment), such that the bottom wall 48 is integrally connected to the circumferential wall 49 via three bridges 50. Furthermore, the cap 45 is integrally connected to the fastening sleeve 41 via a predetermined breaking point 52 in the initial state. In the present embodiment, the predetermined breaking point 52 comprises a plurality of point-like connecting bridges which are distributed over the cap circumference and each extend between the fastening sleeve 41 and the cap circumferential wall 49. Of course, other suitable designs of the predetermined breaking point are also conceivable within the meaning of the invention.
To improve the sealing effect, the closure device 3 preferably comprises at least one sealing element 34, 48, 53, 54, which acts within the closure device 3 itself or between the closure device and the first and/or second container 10, 20. In the embodiment of the closure device 3 shown in FIGS. 1-4, a plurality of sealing elements 34, 48, 53, 54 is provided, which elements are preferably designed as sealing lips, sealing rings, annular sealing plugs, or the like. These sealing elements 34, 48, 53, 54 jointly prevent the undesired escape of a product preparation component from one of the containers 10, 20 into the surroundings, and form a barrier to prevent environmental influences, such as atmospheric oxygen and air humidity, from adversely affecting the product preparation components.
In general, such a substantially closed packaging system 1 can be used in a particularly versatile manner for storing and handling a wide variety of product preparation components or other chemical substances. In particular, the packaging system 1 allows the user to handle the product preparation components in the container in a completely contact-free manner. Essentially, the packaging system 1 allows both the user-friendly transfer of a first product preparation component from the first container 10 to a second container 20 and the optional subsequent mixing of the first product preparation component with another, second product preparation component originally contained in the second container 20. The two essential handling alternatives of the packaging system 1 are explained below in more detail, although the embodiment of a packaging system 1 shown is preferably designed for mixing of a multi-component product preparation.
The process of the container coupling for handling the first product preparation component stored at least in the first container 10 is primarily illustrated in FIGS. 3-4. To couple the two containers 10, 20, the first container 10 with the closure device 3 non-releasably attached thereto is first placed upside-down on the second container 20. This can be seen at least in principle from FIG. 4 (left-hand illustration). In this initial state, the cap 45 is completely screwed onto the first container 10 via the mutual threaded connection 12, 46, so that the opening 11 of the first container 10 is sealed off by means of the annular sealing plug 48. At the same time, the mutually corresponding threads 21, 31 on the second container 20 and on the coupling device 30 are attached to one another. The first container 10 is then rotated together with the closure device 3 in a clockwise direction relative to the second container 20. The coupling device 30 is screwed via the thread 31 thereof (which is clockwise in this embodiment) onto the corresponding thread 21 on the second container 20. At this stage, there is no relative rotation between the closure element 40 and the coupling device 30, since a relative rotation in this rotational direction is prevented by the corresponding interaction of corresponding rotation stop elements 33, 43. The relative rotation between the first container 10 or the closure device 3 and the second container 20 is continued until a coupling end position is reached, which is illustrated in the left-hand illustration in FIG. 4. The coupling device 30 is then completely screwed onto the second container 20 so that it is no longer possible to turn the coupling device 30 clockwise and the coupling device 30 forms a stationary structural unit with the second container 20, at least at this stage. In this coupling end position, the coupling device 30 thus follows the further movement of the second container 20 in the course of the continuation of the container coupling. After reaching the coupling end position, in which the two containers 10, 20 are fundamentally coupled to one another, but there is still no fluidic connection between the containers 1, 20, the relative rotation between the first container 10 or the closure device 3 and the second container 20 in the clockwise direction, which has already been used to screw on the closure device 3, is continued. This means that the first container 10, together with the closure element 40, is further rotated relative to the second container 20 while maintaining the clockwise screwing direction of the coupling device 30. In the course of this continued rotary movement, the cap 45, which is initially connected to the fastening sleeve 41 via the predetermined breaking point 52 and which is arranged so as to be secured against rotation relative to the coupling device 30, is separated from the closure element 40 or the fastening sleeve 41 at the predetermined breaking point 52. The separation of the cap 45 at the predetermined breaking point 52 takes place here due to the fact that, with continued relative rotation between the two coupled containers 10, 20, the fastening sleeve 41 follows the rotary movement of the first container 10, while the coupling device 30, together with the cap 45, follows the rotary movement of the second container 20. When a defined torque threshold is exceeded, this leads to the predetermined breaking point 52 being broken. In this context, it should be noted that the torque required to break the predetermined breaking point 52 is always greater than the torque required to screw the coupling device 30 onto the second container 20. This is the only way to maintain the desired sequence of the individual method steps when coupling the two containers 10, 20.
After the cap 45 has been separated from the fastening sleeve 41, the relative rotation between the first container 10 with the fastening sleeve 41 and the second container 20 with the coupling device 30 is continued while maintaining the previous rotational direction. The now-separated cap 45 is connected to a corresponding thread 12 on the first container 10 by means of a thread 46, the corresponding threads 12, 46 on the first container 10 and the cap 45 having a rotational direction that is contradirectional to that of the corresponding threads 21, 31 on the second container 20 or the coupling device 30. The cap 45 is thus simultaneously unscrewed from the first container 10 when the relative rotation between the two containers 10, 20 continues and as a result of the contradirectional cap thread. For example, mutually corresponding threads 21, 31 on the second container 20 and on the coupling device 30 are designed to be clockwise, while the mutually corresponding threads 12, 46 on the first container 10 and the cap 45 are designed to be counterclockwise. Of course, the opposite rotational direction is also conceivable for the respective threads 21, 31, 12, 46, but it is crucial for the mutually corresponding thread pairs 21, 31, 12, 46 to be oriented in opposite directions to one another. As a result of the continued relative rotation, the cap 45 is now unscrewed from the first container 10 at least to the extent that at least one opening 51 in a circumferential wall 49 of the pot-like cap 45 is cleared. A plurality of openings 51 is preferably distributed over the circumference of the circumferential wall; in the present embodiment, three openings 51 are formed in the cap circumferential wall 49. Since they overlap with the opening 11 of the first container 10, these cap openings 51 bring about a fluidic connection between the first container 10 and the second container 20. This state, with the fluidic connection established between the containers 10, 20, is illustrated in particular by FIGS. 3-4, in each case on the right-hand side. After the fluidic connection between the two containers 10, 20 has been set, the transfer of the at least one product preparation component from the first container 10 to the second container 20 can then also take place. Such a transfer of the free-flowing and/or pourable product preparation component (not shown here) preferably takes place as a result of gravity, the first container 10 being arranged on top when the containers are coupled. In addition, the product transfer, especially in the case of a flexibly designed first container 10, can be supported by the action of external forces on the first container 10. This preferably applies to first containers 10 which are designed in the shape of a tube or pouch.
The above-described method for handling the packaging system 1 according to the invention also reveals its decisive advantage. Due to the closed structure of the packaging system 1 with respect to the surroundings, safe handling of the product preparation components contained in the containers 10, 20 can be guaranteed under all circumstances. Manual removal of the contents from the first container 10 alone is therefore not possible because of the closure device 3, which is fastened in a non-destructive and non-releasable manner. Instead, in the initial state of the first container 10, the cap 45 (as can be seen in FIG. 2) is protected from manual access from the outside because it is interlocking embedded in the inner sleeve 32 of the coupling device 30. The cap 45 consequently cannot be released from the first container 10 without the closure device 3 interacting with the associated second container 20. Due to the interaction described above, the cap 45 can only be released from the opening 11 of the first container 10 in the event of coupling with the associated second container 20. A fluidic connection of the first container 10 is thus exclusively limited to the corresponding second container 20. An undesired fluidic connection between the first container 10 and the surroundings is precluded by the specific design of the packaging system. The packaging system 1 is thus not only advantageously tamper-proof, but also brings about the transfer of the product preparation components only within the closed packaging system 1. In this way, for example, undesirable spillage of substances during the transfer from one container to another can be avoided. Ultimately, the closed packaging system 1 prevents any contact between the user and the product preparation components contained therein in every use state.
The procedure described above for coupling the two containers 10, 20 and for establishing a fluidic connection between the containers 10, 20 by opening the cap 45 is not solely for transferring a first product preparation component from the first container 10 to the second container 20. It is alternatively conceivable to also use the packaging system described above for mixing a multi-component product preparation. For this purpose, a first product preparation component is initially stored in the first container 10, while at least one other product preparation component is stored in the second container 20. In the initial state, the second container 20 is preferably closed off from the surroundings by means of a removable closure (not shown here). If the two containers 10, 20 are coupled to one another according to the method explained above and the corresponding fluidic connection is established, the first product preparation component can generally be combined with the other product preparation component in the second container 20. The first product preparation component is transferred from the first container 10 to the second container 20 as described. The two product preparation components can then be mixed with one another within the coupled and fluidically connected containers 10, 20. For this purpose, the entire packaging system 1 with the coupled containers 10, 20 is preferably shaken, tilted, or similarly moved in order to mix the two product preparation components to form a multi-component product preparation that is as homogeneous as possible by means of the movement dynamics. Ideally, the fluidic connection between the containers 10, 20 is maintained during the mixing process, which increases the available mixing space and ensures that both product preparation components are used in their full amount to produce the product preparation mixture.
In the use state of the packaging system 1 with coupled containers 10, 20 and the fluidic connection established between the containers, as illustrated in FIGS. 3-4 (right-hand illustration in each case), it can also be seen that the cap 45 is not fully released from the first container 10. The cap 45 is only released to the extent that the cap openings 51 are radially cleared in order to set the fluidic connection between the containers 10, 20. In this cap position, the cap thread 46 is still in engagement with the corresponding thread 12 on the first container 10. This cap position is preferably deliberately set above the aforementioned rotation stop elements 33, 43 on the coupling device 30 and the closure element 40. The basic interaction between the initial stop position and end stop position for the relative rotation defined by the rotation stop elements 33, 43 and the associated open and closed position of the cap 45 has already been explained above. In particular, due to their interaction, the corresponding rotation stop elements 33, 43 define an end stop for the relative rotation between the coupling device 30 and the closure element 40. Due to the fixed connection of the coupling device 30 and the second container 20 and of the closure element 40 and the first container 10 at this stage, this also brings about an end stop for the relative rotation between the containers 10, 20. In particular, this end stop, with the cap 45 correspondingly only partially released from the first container, offers the advantage that all essential method steps for coupling the containers 10, 20 and for establishing the fluidic connection between the containers 10, 20 can be reversible. When the first relative rotational direction which is used to couple the two containers 10, 20 is reversed, the two containers 10, 20 can analogously be decoupled again in the reverse order of the corresponding individual method steps already described above. In principle, a reversal of the relative rotational direction between the two coupled and fluidically connected containers 10, 20 initially results in the cap 45 being tightened on the first container 10. At the same time, the axial movement of the cap 45 relative to the first container 10 closes the openings 51 in the cap circumferential wall 49, whereby the fluidic connection between the two containers 10, 20 is removed and the first container 10 is immediately closed again. In this context, it can be ensured by appropriately designing the respective thread parameters between the cap 45 and the first container 10 and between the coupling device 30 and the second container 20 that the torque required to tighten the cap 45 is set to be less than the torque required to unscrew the coupling device 30. When the cap 45 is completely screwed onto the first container 10, the coupling device 30 is unscrewed from the second container 20, specifically until the coupling device 30 can be completely released from the second container 20 again, when the reverse relative rotation is continued. Such a reversible method opens up the possibility of repeating the coupling process, the fluidic connection process, the transfer of a product preparation component, and optionally the mixing of a plurality of product preparation components by means of the packaging system 1 according to the invention as often as desired. Furthermore, with appropriately finely divided control of the opening and closing process of the cap 45, the amount of transferred product preparation component can be influenced in a targeted manner, so that essentially a type of metering system for the first product preparation component is brought about by means of the packaging system. This advantageously results in expanded fields of application for such a packaging system 1. For example, it is conceivable to dispense only a certain amount of the product preparation component from the first container 10 into the second container 20 during each coupling process. In this way, depending on the use, defined discharge quantities of the product preparation component can also be metered from the first container. In any case, such a reversible sequence of the aforementioned method steps is possible both with a transfer method and with a mixing method.
In principle, the method described above is suitable for handling almost all conceivable free-flowing and/or pourable product preparation components within the meaning of the invention. However, due to the closed functionality of the packaging system 1 with the possibility of product transfer only after the two associated containers 10, 20 have been properly coupled, it is particularly advantageous to use it in connection with highly chemically reactive substances or substances which, considered individually, may be hazardous. The method described above can also be used universally in a wide variety of fields of application. Purely by way of example, the transfer method according to the invention could be advantageously used, inter alia, with any type of substance addition, with refilling processes from refill containers, with the addition of additives and with comparable substance transfer processes.
Furthermore, the specific design of the closed packaging system 1 ensures particularly safe handling of the individual product preparation components, which may not be uncritical for the user, in the event that a multi-component product preparation mixture is produced. In principle, the above-described mixing method is suitable for handling a large number of different product preparation components that are to be further processed to form a mixture. Above all, such a mixing method is useful for individual product preparation components which are highly chemically reactive with one another and which have to be kept separate from one another until they are actually used. Multi-component cosmetic products, such as hair coloring products, are examples of such uses. Even substances which, considered individually, may be hazardous, can be advantageously and safely handled by means of the mixing method due to the closed design of the packaging system. The mixing method described above can also be used universally in a wide variety of fields of application.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 packaging system
3 closure device
4 axis
10 first container
11 opening
12 thread
20 second container
21 thread
30 coupling device
31 thread
32 inner sleeve
33 rotation stop element
34 sealing element
40 closure element
41 fastening sleeve
43 rotation stop element
45 cap
46 thread
47 bottom wall
48 sealing plug
49 circumferential wall
50 bridge
51 opening
52 predetermined breaking point
53 sealing element
54 sealing element

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging system for at least one product preparation component, comprising a first container for storing a first product preparation component, a second container for optionally storing at least one other product preparation component, and a closure device which seals off an opening of the first container from the surroundings by means of a closure element and has a coupling device in order to couple the second container to the closure device and in order to establish a fluidic connection between the first container and the second container, wherein the closure element and the coupling device are joined together as separate components in a non-releasable manner in order to form the closure device.

2. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the closure element, excluding its destruction, is connected to the first container in a non-releasable manner by means of a fastening sleeve.

3. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the closure element comprises a cap which, in the initial state of the closure device, is connected to the fastening sleeve of the closure element via a predetermined breaking point.

4. The packaging system according to claim 3, wherein the cap is arranged to be shiftable relative to the coupling device axially with respect to an axis of the closure device, and to be secured against rotation about the axis.

5. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling device has a thread for screwing to the second container.

6. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the fastening sleeve and the coupling device each have at least one mutually corresponding rotation stop element which allows the relative rotation of the fastening sleeve and the coupling device about the axis of the closure device only until the corresponding rotation stop elements abut one another.

7. The packaging system according to claim 6, wherein either the fastening sleeve or the coupling device has at least two rotation stop elements which interact with the at least one corresponding rotation stop element of the coupling device or the fastening sleeve in such a way that an initial stop and an end stop for the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device about the axis of the closure device is formed.

8. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the cap is connected to the first container via a thread which has a rotational direction counter to that of the thread of the coupling device.

9. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the cap has a pot-like basic structure, at least one opening being provided in the circumferential wall of the cap.

10. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein another product preparation component is stored in the second container to mix the first product preparation component with the at least one other product preparation component after the second container has been coupled to the first container by means of the closure device.

11. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the closure device can be coupled to the second container in a liquid-tight manner.

12. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein the closure device has at least one sealing element to ensure a liquid-tight connection to the first and/or second container.

13. A method for transferring at least one product preparation component from a first container to a second container using a packaging system according to claim 1, characterized by the following method steps:

a. attaching the first container to the second container by means of the closure device by bringing corresponding threads on the coupling device and on the second container into engagement,

b. screwing the closure device to the second container by means of the coupling device up to the coupling end position between the coupling device and the second container,

c. continuing the relative rotation between the first container or the closure element and the second container, the cap which is arranged to be secured against rotation relative to the coupling device being separated from the closure element at the predetermined breaking point,

d. further continuing the relative rotation between the first container or the closure element and the second container, the separated cap being connected to the first container by means of a thread which has a rotational direction counter to that of the thread of the coupling device, and the cap thus being unscrewed from the first container,

e. forming a fluidic connection between the first and second container via at least one cleared opening in a circumferential wall of the pot-like, at least partially unscrewed cap,

f. transferring the product preparation component from the first to the second container.

14. A method for mixing a multi-component product preparation using a packaging system according to claim 1 comprising a first container for storing a first product preparation component and a second container for storing at least one other product preparation component, characterized by the following method steps:

f. transferring the first product preparation component from the first to the second container,

g. mixing the two product preparation components in the first and/or second container.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method steps a-e for coupling the two containers can be carried out reversibly, such that the two containers can be analogously decoupled again when the relative rotational direction is reversed according to method steps e-a.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the relative rotation between the fastening sleeve and the coupling device about the axis of the closure device is limited to a range of rotation of less than 360° by mutually corresponding rotation stop elements being provided on the fastening sleeve and the coupling device, which rotation stop elements allow a relative rotation only between an initial stop position and an end stop position of the corresponding rotation stop elements.