Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D55/00—Accessories for container closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D55/16—Devices preventing loss of removable closure members
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
  • B65D2251/10—Details of hinged closures
  • B65D2251/1008—Means for locking the closure in open position
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
  • B65D2401/15—Tearable part of the closure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
  • B65D2401/15—Tearable part of the closure
  • B65D2401/20—Frangible elements completely enclosed in closure skirt
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2401/00—Tamper-indicating means
  • B65D2401/15—Tearable part of the closure
  • B65D2401/30—Tamper-ring remaining connected to closure after initial removal

Definitions

• the invention relates to an assembly comprising a container and a stopper device which is equipped with a stopper and makes it possible to keep said stopper attached to the neck of the container, which avoids losing the stopper in nature.
• stopper devices which make it possible to keep a stopper attached to a neck of the container.
• a closure device is, for example, described in the document EP1406820 or US2018086510.
• the closure device comprises a ring which is intended to be retained on the neck of the container, a stopper which is intended to cover the orifice of the container so as to close it, two elastic blades connecting the stopper to the lower ring and a blocking device arranged to block the cap in a tilted open position.
• Such a plugging device is not fully satisfactory.
• this stopper is intended to be clipped onto the neck of the container and cannot be adapted to other types of neck.
• the movement of the stopper between the closed position and the open tilted position is a simple pivoting movement, which limits the height of the stopper and/or of the neck capable of being used. This limits the applications of said closure device.
• it is not suitable for containers intended to receive carbonated drinks because the pressure prevailing inside such containers would lead to undesired openings of the stopper.
• the blocking device is not suitable for all types of cap and does not provide sufficient reliability to maintain the open tilted position on screw caps for example.
• One idea underlying the invention is to propose an assembly comprising a container and a closure device equipped with a stopper attached to the neck of the container suitable for being screwed onto the neck of the container which:
• the invention provides an assembly comprising:
• a container equipped with a neck, the neck comprising a dispensing orifice, a helical thread, rotating around an X axis, which is provided on the neck and a fastening flange,
• a closure device comprising:
• a lower ring fixed axially to the neck and rotatable on the neck around said axis X
• said lower ring comprising a first sector which comprises hooking elements which project radially towards the inside of the lower ring and are arranged in below the attachment collar so as to retain the lower ring axially on the neck of the container and a second sector, the first sector and the second sector of the lower ring being hinged to each other so that that the second sector pivots relative to the first sector between a lowered position in which the second sector is arranged below the attachment collar and a raised position in which the second sector is arranged at least partly above the hanging collar,
• a plug comprising an upper wall and an outer peripheral skirt, the outer peripheral skirt having a helical thread intended to cooperate with the helical thread of the neck so as to allow the movement of the plug between a closed position and a released position in which the helical thread of the cap is no longer in engagement with the helical thread of the neck;
• a hinge device comprising two slats connecting the outer peripheral skirt and the second sector and configured to allow the stopper to pivot between the released position and an open tilted position in which the stopper is disengaged from the orifice of the neck; the second sector of the lower ring being able to be positioned in the lowered position when the cap is in the open tilted position; the plugging device further comprising a blocking device configured to block the plug when it is in the open tilted position, said blocking device comprising:
• the cleat and the protruding portion being configured such that, when the cap is in the open tilted position and the second section of the lower ring is in the lowered position, the protruding portion is clamped between the cleat and the flange of hooking.
• the blocking device guarantees robust blocking, with a large angle, of the plug in its open tilted position.
• the proposed arrangement makes it possible to limit the radial dimension of the cleat. This is particularly advantageous insofar as a cleat having too large a radial dimension is likely to harm the reliability and yields of bottling operations during which the closure devices are in particular transported on conveyors before being placed in place on the containers.
• such an assembly may have one or more of the following characteristics.
• the cleat and the protruding portion are configured such that, when the cap is in the tilted open position and the second section of the lower ring is in the lowered position, the cleat and the protruding portion are in contact against each other in a zone located in the plane of the attachment collar.
• L the length of the slats in an initial state in which the plug is in the closed position
• e1 a radial distance between a contact zone of the cleat intended to come into contact with the projecting portion when the plug is in the open tilted position and an intersection between a straight line passing through the upper ends of the slats and a plane of symmetry of the slats relative to each other
• e2 a radial distance between a contact zone of the projecting portion intended to come into contact with the cleat when the plug is in the open tilted position and an intersection between a straight line passing through the lower ends of the slats and the plane of symmetry p.
• e1 L-e2+e3+e4+D with D between 0.05 and 2 mm.
• the projecting portion projects beyond a lower limit of the outer peripheral skirt.
• the first sector of the lower ring comprises a front zone which is diametrically opposed to the second sector and two attachment zones which are each arranged between the front zone of the first sector and the second sector, the elements of hooking being arranged only in the two hooking zones so as to allow radial movement of the ring lower adapted to facilitate the passage of a part of the second sector on either side of the fastening flange during the movement of the second sector between the lowered position and the released position.
• the tensile forces to be exerted on the lower ring to allow the second sector to move between the lowered position and the raised position are lower, which facilitates the use of the plugging device.
• the second sector has no attachment elements.
• the front zone of the first sector has no attachment elements.
• the attachment elements are protuberances which project radially inwards.
• the second sector extends over an angular range comprised between 90 and 180°.
• the front zone of the first sector extends over an angular range of between 40 and 150°.
• each of the two attachment zones extends over an angular range of between 10 and 90°.
• the first sector and the second sector are separated from each other by two thinned zones in which the lower ring locally has a reduction in radial thickness so as to allow the articulation of the second sector by relative to the first sector.
• the lower ring has a sufficiently small thickness to allow the pivoting of the second sector relative to the first sector without the first sector and the second sector being separated from each other by two zones thinned.
• the outer peripheral skirt comprises a notched portion and the elastic blades join said outer peripheral skirt in said notched portion.
• the lower ring is connected to the outer peripheral skirt by frangible bridges.
• the closure device is molded in one piece.
• the slats and the locking device are configured such that, during the pivoting movement of the cap between the closed position and the open tilted position, the slats are subjected to a tensile force which increases up to to an intermediate unstable position then which decreases from said intermediate unstable position towards the open tilted position.
• the opening angle of the cap is greater than 120° and advantageously greater than or equal to 145°, and for example of the order of 180°.
• Figure 1 is a rear three-quarter perspective view of a closure device mounted on the neck of a container.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of a container neck intended to receive the closure device of Figure 1.
• FIG. 3 is a side view of the closure device mounted on the neck of the container and showing the stopper of the closure device in a released position in which it is no longer in engagement with the neck of the container.
• Figure 4 is a detail view of the hooking elements which protrude radially inwards from the lower ring of the closure device.
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the stopper device mounted on the neck of the container and showing the stopper of the stopper device in a tilted open position in which the stopper is disengaged from the orifice of the neck.
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the stopper device mounted on the neck of the container and showing the stopper of the stopper device in a tilted open position in which the stopper is disengaged from the orifice of the neck.
• Figure 7 is an enlargement of Figure 1 illustrating the blocking device in detail.
• Figure 8 is a schematic sectional representation of the plug and the cleat.
• Figure 9 is a schematic sectional representation of the lower ring and the projecting portion.
• the axis X corresponds to the axis of rotation of the stopper 1 of the stopper device when the latter is screwed onto the neck 2 of the container.
• the "radial” orientation is directed orthogonal to the X axis and the axial orientation is directed parallel to the X axis.
• the terms “external” and “internal” are used to define the relative position of a element relative to a another, with reference to the X axis, an element close to the X axis is thus qualified as internal as opposed to an external element located radially on the periphery.
• the neck 2 of the container has an upper end in which is formed an orifice 3 for pouring the contents of the container.
• the neck 2 of the container comprises a support collar 4 which projects radially outwards and a fastening flange 5 which also projects radially outwards and which is arranged axially between the support collar
• the neck 2 comprises, positioned axially between the attachment flange 5 and the orifice 3, a thread helical thread 6 formed of a series of helical ribs projecting radially outwards from an outer surface of the neck 2.
• the helical thread 6 is intended to cooperate with a complementary helical thread 7, represented in particular in FIG. a series of helical ribs which are formed in the cap 1 of the capping device.
• the helical thread 6 formed in the neck 2 as well as the helical thread 7 formed in the cap 1 are interrupted.
• the adjacent helical ribs are separated by a space forming a vent and making it possible in particular to evacuate the gas present inside the container while the stopper 1 is still engaged on the neck 2.
• the closure device comprises a lower ring 9 which is retained on the neck 2 of the container, a stopper 1 which is intended to cover the orifice 3 of the container so as to close it and a hinge device 10 linking the stopper 1 to the lower ring 9.
• the cap 1 is movable between a closed position, shown in Figure 1 and a released position, shown in Figure 3, in which the cap 1 is no longer in engagement with the neck 2.
• the stopper 1 is also capable of being tilted from the released position to the open tilted position, represented in FIGS. 5 and 6, in which the stopper 1 is disengaged from the orifice 3 of the neck 2 so that it does not interfere with the spillage of the contents of the container.
• the plugging device also comprises a blocking device arranged to block the plug 1 in the open tilted position.
• the cap 1 comprises an upper wall 13 intended to be arranged substantially orthogonal to the axis X, opposite the orifice 3 of the neck 2 when said cap 1 is in the closed position.
• the cap 1 further comprises an outer peripheral skirt 14 intended to surround the neck 2 of the container when the cap 1 is in the closed position.
• the outer peripheral skirt 14 extends, downwards, perpendicular to the upper wall 13, from the outer periphery of said upper wall 13.
• the helical thread 7 is provided on the inner face of the outer peripheral skirt 14.
• the stopper 1 comprises an internal skirt 8, which extends perpendicularly downwards from the upper wall 13 of the stopper 1 and is dimensioned so as to be inserted inside the orifice 3 of the neck 2.
• the cap 1 further comprises an annular lip 15 which extends, from the upper wall 13, radially between the inner skirt 8 and the outer peripheral skirt 14.
• the inner skirt 8 and the annular lip 15 are dimensioned such that, when the stopper 1 is in the closed position, on the neck 2 of the container, the internal skirt 8 is in contact against the internal face of the neck 2 while the annular lip 15 is in contact against the face external neck 2.
• the inner skirt 8 and the annular lip 15 ensure the sealing of the closure.
• the lower ring 9 is, before the first opening of the container, connected to the stopper 1 by frangible bridges, not visible in the figures, intended to break when the cap 1 is opened. These frangible bridges thus constitute tamper evidence.
• the lower ring 9 is held axially on the neck 2 of the container while being able to rotate relative to the latter around the axis X.
• the lower ring 9 comprises two parts which are hinged to each other, namely a first sector 16 and a second sector 17 by which the lower ring 9 is connected to the plug 1 by means of the hinge device 10.
• the lower ring 9 comprises two thinned zones, that is to say the radial thickness of which is less than the radial thickness of the lower ring 9 outside of said thinned zones.
• the two thinned zones delimit the first sector 16 and the second sector 17.
• the thinned zones thus form pivots allowing the articulation of the second sector 17 with respect to the first sector 16.
• the lower ring 9 does not comprise no thinned zones delimiting the first and second sectors 16, 17.
• the second sector 17 is able to pivot upwards relative to the first sector 16, between a lowered position in which the second sector 17 is intended to be arranged below the attachment collar 5 and a raised position, in which the second sector 17 is arranged at least partly above the attachment flange 5. This allows the stopper 1 to move upwards relative to the neck 2 of the container, until that the helical thread 7 of the cap 1 disengages from the helical thread 6 provided on the neck 2 of the container.
• the lower ring 9 when the cap 1 is unscrewed, the lower ring 9 is rotated around the X axis while the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9 pivots relative to the first sector 16 to the position raised so as to allow an axial movement, upwards of the stopper 1, from the closed position, to the released position shown in Figure 3.
• the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9 pivots in the opposite direction with respect to the first sector 16 and then returns to the lowered position.
• the second sector 17 also pivots with respect to the first sector 16 from the lowered position towards the raised position when the cap 1 is pivoted from the open tilted position to the released position.
• the lower ring 9 is held axially on the neck 2 of the container by means of the attachment flange 5.
• the attachment flange 5 has a frustoconical outer surface tapering upwards, it that is to say in the direction of the orifice 3 of the container.
• the attachment collar 5 delimits, downwards, that is to say in a direction opposite to the orifice 3, a shoulder.
• the first sector 16 of the lower ring 9 comprises hooking elements 18 which cooperate with the hooking collar 5 provided on the container in order to retain the lower ring 9 axially at the neck 2 of the container.
• the hooking elements 18 are protuberances which project radially inwards from the first sector 16 of the lower ring 9.
• the hooking elements 18 have a radial dimension which increases, from the bottom upwards, that is that is to say in the direction of the upper edge of the lower ring 9.
• the first sector 16 of the lower ring 9 comprises a front zone 19 which is diametrically opposed to the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9 and two attachment zones 20, one of which is represented in FIG. either side of the front zone 19 and are each arranged between the front zone 19 and the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9.
• the attachment elements 18 are only arranged in the two zones of hooking 20, 21.
• the radial clearance e4 between the lower ring 9 and the neck 2 in the front/rear direction is for example between 0.5 and 1 mm. This facilitates the passage of part of the second sector 17 on both sides on the other side of the attachment collar 5 during the movement of the second sector 17 between the lowered position and the raised position. In other words, the tensile forces to be exerted on the lower ring 9 to allow the second sector 17 to pass on either side of the attachment collar 5 are lower.
• the hinge device 10 comprises two slats 11, 12, particularly visible in Figure 4, which connect the cap 1 and more particularly the outer peripheral skirt 14 of the cap 1 to the lower ring 9, and more particularly to the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9.
• the slats 11, 12 are symmetrical to each other with respect to a plane of symmetry P, represented in FIGS. 8 and 9, which is vertical and passes through the X axis.
• the slats 11, 12 join the outer peripheral skirt 14 in a notched portion.
• the slats 11, 12 advantageously join the second sector 17 of the lower ring 2 in a notched portion.
• the slats 11, 12 extend substantially above the lower limit of the outer peripheral skirt 9 and extend substantially below the upper limit of the lower ring 3.
• the device blocking comprises a heel 22, particularly visible in Figures 1, 5 and 6, which is formed in the outer peripheral skirt 14 of the stopper 1.
• the heel 22 projects axially downwards, that is to say in the direction of the lower ring 9, from the outer peripheral skirt 14 of the stopper 1.
• the heel 22 protrudes between the two slats 11, 12.
• the heel 22 comprises a cleat 23 which extends circumferentially between the two slats 11, 12 and which projects radially outward from the heel 22.
• the locking device also comprises a projecting portion 24 which projects axially upwards, that is to say towards the outer peripheral skirt 14 of the stopper 1, from the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9.
• the portion in projection 24 also projects between the two slats 11, 12.
• the cleat 23 and the projecting portion 24 are arranged such that, when the cap 1 is in the open tilted position, the projecting portion 24 is sandwiched between the cleat 23 and the collar hooking 5.
• the cleat 23 and the projecting portion 24 are in contact against each other in a zone located in the plane of the flange of attachment 5 and the projecting portion 24 is also in contact against the attachment collar 5.
• the contact zone of the cleat 23 with the projecting portion 24 is placed at a radial distance e1 from the intersection between the line passing through the upper ends of the strips 11, 12 and the plane of symmetry P and the contact zone of the projecting portion 24 with the cleat 23 is placed at a radial distance e2 from the intersection between the straight line passing through the lower ends of the strips 11, 12 and the plane of symmetry P.
• the dimension e1 is such that e1 > L - e2, with L: the length of the slats 11, 12, in the initial state, when the plug is in the closed position. This ensures that the cleat 23 comes into contact against the projecting portion 24 and that the slats 11, 12 are stressed in tension when the plug 1 is in the open tilted position.
• e1 L - e2 + e3 + e4 + D with D between 0.05 and 2 mm , and determined so that the projecting portion 24 comes into contact against the attachment collar 5 when the cap 1 is in the open tilted position.
• the upper edge of the contact surface of the cleat 23 extends axially below the upper end of the slats 11, 12 of a distance d1
• the upper edge of the projecting portion 24 extends axially above the lower end of the slats 11, 12 by a distance d2
• the upper edge of the attachment flange 5 extends axially above the -above the lower end of the slats 11, 12 by a distance d3.
• the distance d1 is less than d2 and d3.
• the kinematics of stopper 1 is as follows.
• the cap 1 During the first unscrewing, the cap 1 leaves the closed position and moves away from the lower ring 9 to the released position, illustrated in FIG. 3. The frangible bridges break during this movement.
• the lower ring 9 is rotated around the axis X and the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9 pivots towards the raised position as the cap 1 moves away from the attachment collar 5.
• the cap 1 can then be pivoted rearward towards the open tilted position in which the outer peripheral skirt 14 extends upwards from the upper wall 13.
• the cleat 23 bears against the projecting portion 24 and thus causes the pivoting of the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9 pivots from the raised position to the lowered position.
• the stretching possibilities of the slats 11, 10 together with the aforementioned characteristics of the locking device make it possible to create a hard point when the stopper 1 is tilted between the released position, represented in FIG. 3, and the open tilted position, represented on Figures 4 and 5.
• the slats 11, 12 and the locking device are configured such that, during a first part of the movement of the cap 4 from the released position to the open tilted position, the two elastic blades 28, 29 are, due to the support of the cleat 23 on the projecting portion 24, subjected to a tensile force which increases up to an intermediate unstable position then which decreases from said intermediate unstable position towards the position tipped open. This makes it possible to block the cap 1 in the open tilted position.
• the cap 1 remains in its open tilted position since, due to the aforementioned arrangement, the cap 1 cannot be pivoted towards the released position. in which the stopper 1 faces the dispensing orifice 3 as long as the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9 remains in the lowered position.
• the opening angle of the cap 1 is greater than 120° and advantageously greater than or equal to 145° and for example of the order of 180°.
• the opening angle corresponds to the salient angular sector which is formed at the intersection between a plane parallel to the upper wall 13 of the cap 1 and a horizontal plane.
• cap 1 To close cap 1 , the user tilts cap 1 forwards to the released position. During this tilting, the contact between the cleat 23 and the projecting portion 24 disappears, which allows the movement of the second sector 17 of the lower ring 9 towards the raised position.
• the entire closure device is molded in a single piece of synthetic material, such as polyethylene and advantageously high density polyethylene.
• the closure device is molded in the configuration of Figure 1, that is to say in a closed position, a position in which it can be directly mounted on the neck 2 of the container.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Sealing Of Jars (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)
• Dry Development In Electrophotography (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=73654761

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Citations (4)

• 2020
  • 2020-11-26 ES ES20383031T patent/ES2969159T3/es active Active
  • 2020-11-26 PT PT203830310T patent/PT4005945T/pt unknown
  • 2020-11-26 EP EP20383031.0A patent/EP4005945B1/de active Active
• 2021
  • 2021-11-25 AR ARP210103263A patent/AR124151A1/es unknown
  • 2021-11-25 UY UY0001039534A patent/UY39534A/es unknown
  • 2021-11-26 CA CA3200299A patent/CA3200299A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-11-26 AU AU2021388924A patent/AU2021388924A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-11-26 JP JP2023532132A patent/JP2023550803A/ja active Pending
  • 2021-11-26 WO PCT/EP2021/083150 patent/WO2022112495A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2021-11-26 CN CN202180091640.6A patent/CN116829469A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-11-26 MX MX2023006239A patent/MX2023006239A/es unknown
  • 2021-11-26 US US18/039,145 patent/US20240002116A1/en active Pending
• 2023
  • 2023-05-25 CO CONC2023/0006825A patent/CO2023006825A2/es unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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