PLUG

Abstract

A stopper (1) comprising a hollow cylindrical body (3) and a cap (2), wherein the hollow cylindrical body (3) and the cap (2) form a one-piece body, and the cap (2) is pivotable between an open position and a closed position with respect to the hollow cylindrical body (3) and the stopper (1), is characterized in that: - the hollow cylindrical body (3) comprises an upper base (4) from which a projection (5) extends; - on the cap (2) there is an opening projection (6), arranged in a position opposite the projection (5) of the hollow cylindrical body (3), and the opening projection (6) comprises a fixed part (62) extending perpendicularly to an upper base of the cap (2), a weakened section (63) following the fixed part (62), and a seal (61) following the weakened section (63); - the protrusion (5) comprises a groove (51) configured to allow the seal (61) to be inserted into an interior space of the protrusion (5) where it is housed.

Description

PLUG OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention relates to a plastic stopper with an obvious opening and pouring spout and is intended for use in containers for liquid or pasty products such as cleaning gels, sauces and, in general, in containers that may be rigid or semi-rigid and are intended to contain products of this type. TECHNICAL PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are several types of stoppers with tear-away seals attached to the front of the cap. For example, US patent 2012067922 describes a hinged lid closure designed for fluid containers. The closure comprises a base, a lid, and a ring, with the lid hinged to move between open and closed positions. A crucial aspect of the design is that when closed, a portion of the ring and a portion of a pouring spout interlock via a locking mechanism that substantially obstructs the pouring spout. In addition, the closure includes a locking mechanism that prevents the separation of the ring and the pouring spout portion, ensuring the integrity of the container before use. Another document, ES1059124, describes a bottle and container stopper that incorporates a hinge to keep the cap attached to the body when opened, and a tamper-evident seal that breaks upon first use. The primary objective is to provide a closure that, when opened, holds the cap in a horizontal position so as not to interfere with the contents of the container. Following the lines of the foregoing, the invention in document ES2938366T3 is a stopper for a beverage bottle or similar container, where said stopper includes a base and a hinged cover, intended to provide a hermetic seal and visually indicate whether the stopper has been previously opened (tamper-evident). It comprises components such as a tamper-evident lever and a locking element. To lock the seal, a slot or front window is provided into which the seal, attached to the stopper at its lower end by a breakable bridge, is inserted. The seal is separated from the stopper by breaking the breakable bridge. In these documents, specifically US2012067922 and ES2938366T3, the seal is inserted through a slot cut into the same plane as the upper base of the cup, specifically along its outer perimeter. The torn seal remains inside the cavity opened at the top by this slot. However, in neither case is the opening mechanism sufficiently intuitive for the user, who sometimes fails to correctly identify it because the entire sealing system is excessively integrated with the other components or parts of the cap. The ergonomics for opening are also not optimal, forcing the user to make several attempts before successfully breaking the raised section or extension that acts as the seal. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention describes a stopper comprising a cylindrical body in the form of an inverted cup for coupling onto the corresponding neck of the container and a lid, forming a single-piece body with the former, and hinged to it through an area provided with plastic sheets forming a bistable hinge between the two, presenting on either side of the hinge two elastic straps that establish the stable positions in the open and closed state for the lid. The object of the invention is to provide a cap of the type referred to, in which for its first opening it is necessary to section a small harpooned seal located on a front part of the cap (part opposite to the part where the hinge is located), so that said first opening is evident, but that this operation is simple and easy for the user. Thus, the plug of the invention, being of the type referred to above, presents a series of particularities and innovations that give rise to a new solution or realization of the plug in question, with optimal functionality from the point of view of ease and clarity of opening for the user and an important improvement in opening ergonomics. Thus, the stopper of the invention comprises a hollow cylindrical body and a lid, forming a single unit, with the lid hinged to swing from a closed to an open position. The stopper includes a user-operated opening protrusion to switch from the closed to the open position. When a user acquires a container comprising the stopper of the invention, it comes with the lid in the closed position, and to open it for the first time, the user must operate the opening protrusion, which comprises a fixed part, a weakened section, and a seal. When the opening protrusion is operated, it is actuated by the fixed part, forcing the seal apart as the weakened section tears. The seal is housed inside a projection extending from the upper part of the hollow cylindrical body of the stopper.More specifically, once the weakened section has been torn, the seal is lodged in a groove of the protrusion. The incorporation of this sealing system in the cap of the invention makes it possible to prevent accidental openings before the consumption of the contents of the container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES To complete the description and to aid in a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is included with this descriptive document as an integral part thereof, in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Figures 1A-1B show, respectively, perspective views of the stopper with the lid in the closed position and with the lid in the open position. Figure 2 shows a sectioned front view of the plug in which, for ease of description, the plug and hollow cylindrical body have been separated. Figure 3 shows a sectional view with the lid in the closed position, before the first opening has occurred. Figures 4A-4B show, respectively, side views of the stopper with the lid in the closed position and with the lid in the open position. The following is a list of the various elements represented in the figures that comprise the invention: 1: plug; 2: cap; 3: hollow cylindrical body; 4: upper base; 5: protrusion; 51: groove; 52: slit; 6: opening projection; 61: seal; 62: fixed part; 63: weakened section; 64: appendage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein. Other configurations may be realized by those skilled in the art in light of this description. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims. In Figures 1A-1B, the plug (1) of the invention can be seen in perspective views with the cap in the closed position and with the cap in the open position respectively. As can be seen in the figures, the stopper (1) comprises a hollow cylindrical body (3), configured to be attached to a container (and more preferably to a neck of a container), and comprises a lid (2), wherein the hollow cylindrical body (3) and the lid (2) form a single unit and the lid (2) is pivotable between an open and a closed position with respect to the hollow cylindrical body (3). The pivoting of the lid (2) is achieved by means of a hinge comprising a plastic sheet extending between the lid (2) and an upper base (4) of the hollow cylindrical body. Furthermore, the hinge comprises elastic stays on the sides of the plastic sheet configured to establish stable open and closed positions of the lid (2). The plug (1) of the present invention comprises an opening projection (6) on the lid (2) configured to facilitate the user's operation of the lid (2). This opening projection (6) is positioned opposite a projection (5) extending from the upper base (4) of the hollow cylindrical body (3), perpendicular to said upper base (4). This projection (5) comprises a groove (51) configured to accommodate a seal (61) attached to a weakened section (63), which in turn is attached to a fixed portion (62) extending from the lid (2) perpendicular to an upper base of the lid (2). During the manufacture of the plug (1), when inserting the cap (2), which in the distribution position is in the closed position, the seal (61) is inserted through the groove (51), being housed and retained inside the protrusion (5) thanks to its harpoon-shaped configuration.This harpoon-shaped seal (61) causes contact with some inner walls of the protrusion (5), and especially with an upper inner wall, in which the groove (51) is located, and which acts as a stop, preventing the unintentional removal of the seal (61). As can also be seen in Figure 1, the seal (61) may include appendages (64) specially designed to serve as evidence of tampering. In one embodiment, these appendages (64) may also be red for greater visibility. In this embodiment, the groove portion may also include indentations (54) to accommodate the appendages of the invention. This sealing system can be particularly useful in various applications requiring this type of tamper-evident signal. In this way, the user can identify all relevant information at a single glance. Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the lid (2) and the hollow cylindrical body (3). In this figure, the intact seal (61) can be seen, still attached to the fixed part (62) through the weakened section (63). Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the plug (1) with the lid (2) in the closed position. In this representation, the lid (2) has not yet been opened for the first time. Thus, as in Figure 2, the seal (61) is attached to the fixed part (62) of the opening projection (6) through the weakened section (63). To open the cap (1) for the first time, the user simply applies force to the opening protrusion (6) until the weakened section (63) breaks, leaving the seal (61) inside the protrusion (5), thus indicating that the cap (1) has been opened. The first opening is more difficult because it is necessary to break the weakened section (63) to separate the seal (61), so the user clearly perceives the tamper-evident nature of the container. Subsequent openings are easier. In the figures, such as Figure 3, it can be seen how the slot (51) itself connects to a space inside the protrusion (5) with sufficient volume to accommodate the torn seal (61). After the first opening, the fixed part (62) of the opening protrusion (6) remains attached to said opening protrusion (6) and, therefore, to the lid (2). Preferably, the plug (1) comprises additional retaining means on the seal (61) and on the protrusion (5). In one embodiment, these additional retaining means are at least one appendage (64) on the seal (61) and at least one indentation (52) on the protrusion (5), at a lateral end of the groove (51) intended to receive said appendage (64). In a preferred embodiment, the plug (1) comprises two appendages (64) on opposite lateral ends of the seal (61), and comprises two indentations (52) on opposite lateral ends of the groove (51). The key to this technical feature is that it ensures the seal (61) remains inside the lip (5) when the cap is first opened, even if the user separates the cap from the container. As shown in Figure 3, the seal (61) is held in the hollow interior space of the lip (5) between the lip's inner walls and the container to which the cap is attached. However, without additional retention mechanisms, the seal (61) will fall off if the user separates the cap from the container. Figure 1B shows the grooves (52), and Figure 2 shows the appendages (64) in addition to the grooves (52). Thus, in embodiments where the cap comprises the appendages (64) and the grooves (52), during cap manufacturing, the cap (2) is placed in the closed position, with the appendages (64) fitting into the grooves (52) and remaining locked in place when the weakened section (63) is torn. In this way, the seal (61) is trapped and cannot fall inside the container, even when the user separates the cap from the container. Thus, the most secure retention of the seal (61) inside the projection (5), once inserted through the slot (51), is achieved by the combination of the harpoon geometry of said seal (61) which abuts an inner upper wall of the projection (5), and the additional retention means which ensure the housing and retention of at least one appendage (64) of the seal (61) in the at least one groove (52) of the projection (5). In one embodiment, the projection (5) is positioned opposite the hinge. The projection (5) may be an arched projection. The curvature of this arched projection (5) may correspond to the curvature of the upper base (4) of the hollow cylindrical body (3) and of the cover (2). Figures 4A-4B show a side view of the plug (1) of the invention, with the cap (2) in the closed position and with the cap (2) in the open position. All the elements of the plug (1) mentioned throughout the description can be seen in these figures.

Claims

1. A stopper (1) comprising a hollow cylindrical body (3) and a cap (2), wherein the hollow cylindrical body (3) and the cap (2) form a one-piece body, and the cap (2) is pivotable between an open position and a closed position with respect to the hollow cylindrical body (3) and the stopper (1), is characterized in that: - the hollow cylindrical body (3) comprises an upper base (4) from which a projection (5) extends; - on the cap (2) there is an opening projection (6), arranged in a position opposite the projection (5) of the hollow cylindrical body (3), and the opening projection (6) comprises a fixed part (62) extending perpendicularly to an upper base of the cap (2), a weakened section (63) following the fixed part (62), and a seal (61) following the weakened section (63); - the protrusion (5) comprises a groove (51) configured to allow the seal (61) to be inserted into an interior space of the protrusion (5) where it is housed. 2.A plug according to claim 1, wherein the seal (61) has a harpoon-shaped configuration such that, when inserted through the slot (51), it is retained inside the protrusion (5).

3. A plug according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protrusion (5) is an arched protrusion where the curvature of said arched protrusion (5) corresponds to the curvature of the upper base (4) of the hollow cylindrical body (3) and of the cap (2).

4. A plug according to any one of the preceding claims comprising additional complementary retaining means on the seal (61) and on the protrusion (5).

5. Plug according to claim 4 wherein the additional retaining means are at least one appendage (64) on the seal (61) and at least one slot (52) in the projection (5), the appendage (64) being housed and retained in the slot (52). 6.A plug according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the additional retaining means are at least one appendage (64) disposed at a lateral end of the seal (61) and a groove (52) in the ridge (5) on one side of the groove (61) such that the appendage (64) is housed and retained in the groove (52).

7. A plug according to claim 6 comprising two appendages (64) disposed at opposite lateral ends of the seal (61) and comprising two grooves (52) in the ridge (5) at opposite lateral ends of the groove (51).