Spiral closure for beverage container

Abstract

A screw closure (20) for closing a container (10) for receiving a filling product, preferably a beverage, the screw closure (20) being provided for screwing onto a container mouth (12) of the container (10) and having: a closing body (21), preferably having a cylindrical shape closed on one side; and a closure insert (22) inserted into the closure body (21), the closure insert (22) having a closure thread (23) for screwing the spiral closure (20) onto a container mouth (12) of the container (10); wherein the closure body (21) is made of a compostable and / or biodegradable material, preferably a pulp material, and the closure insert (22) is made of a different material than the closure body (21), comprising a closure thread (23).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a screw closure for a container to be filled with a filling product, preferably a beverage, and to a container having a screw closure. Background Art

[0002] Containers in the beverage industry are increasingly being manufactured using recyclable, compostable or biodegradable materials, such as wood and / or pulp fibers. Thus, DE 600 33 358 T2 describes a method for manufacturing containers, in particular bottles, formed from fibrous materials.

[0003] However, in most cases, not the entire container including the closure is made of environmentally friendly fiber materials. For example, in the case of a reclosable container with a screw closure, the threads of the container are not made of wood and / or pulp fibers like the container body, but are usually made of plastic suitable for food contact, especially a polymer bonded to the container body.

[0004] It is demanding to manufacture any thread made of fiber suspension so that it has the strength and tightness required for multiple tightening and screwing in. For this reason, threads and closures made of plastics have been commonly used so far, but they are neither compostable nor biodegradable. In addition, the material combination of wood / pulp fibers and plastics makes recycling difficult. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved screw closure for a container to be filled with a filling product, preferably a beverage, and an improved container having a screw closure.

[0006] This object is achieved by a screw closure having the features of the invention and a container having the features of the invention. Advantageous developments emerge from the dependent claims, the following description of the invention and the description of preferred exemplary embodiments.

[0007] The screw closure according to the invention is designed for closing a container for receiving a (liquid) filling product. The screw closure is provided for being screwed onto a container mouth of the container.

[0008] The container is in particular provided as a beverage container for filling with a beverage, for example for filling with water (still or carbonated water), soft drinks, smoothies, juices, beer, wine, dairy products, mixed drinks or the like.

[0009] The screw closure comprises: a closure body, which preferably has a cylindrical shape with one side closed; and a closure insert, which is inserted into the closure body and preferably also has a cylindrical shape with one side closed, wherein the closure insert has a closure thread for screwing the screw closure onto a container mouth of a container, so that the screw closure can be screwed onto the container mouth in a recloseable manner and can be unscrewed to open the container.

[0010] The closure body is made of compostable and / or biodegradable material, preferably pulp material, and the closure insert, including the closure thread, is made of a material different from the closure body. In this article, "pulp material" is understood to be a material consisting of wood and / or paper and / or pulp fibers.

[0011] By using the closure insert, a satisfactory seal between the container mouth and the screw closure can be ensured even if the remaining materials used consist of compostable and / or biodegradable materials, in particular pulp materials. As a result, a sustainable and at least biodegradable or even compostable alternative to closures made of plastic can be provided. In addition, the closure insert ensures structural stability, so that the screw closure can be made of an otherwise less strong, environmentally friendly material.

[0012] Preferably, the closure insert is made of glass or, in particular, ferromagnetic metal or compostable and / or biodegradable plastic, whereby the thread can be provided with a strength suitable for a screw closure. Glass has the advantage that it exhibits great inertness during recycling. Metals, in particular ferromagnetic metals, can be easily separated out during recycling.

[0013] Preferably, the screw closure has a closure seal which is inserted into the closure insert and which is in sealing contact with the container mouth when the screw closure is in the screwed-on state.

[0014] The closure seal thus ensures a seal between the container mouth and the closure insert via one or more sealing points. In addition, the load and / or force of the screw closure on the container thread is distributed over a larger surface, thereby protecting the container thread. In this way, even with material-related, structurally relatively low strengths, the container and the screw closure can withstand the closing forces, even in the event of repeated opening and closing. In addition, possible unevenness or irregularities on the sealing surface of the container mouth can be compensated.

[0015] The material of the closure seal is preferably different from the material of the closure insert in order to optimize the above-mentioned effects.

[0016] Preferably, the closure seal comprises a sealing disc and one or more sealing lips which protrude from the sealing disc and are arranged to be in lateral sealing contact with the container mouth when the screw closure is screwed in. In this way, the sealing and load distribution on the container mouth and its threads can be further improved.

[0017] The sealing disk and the sealing lip or lips are preferably formed in one piece, whereby a high degree of precision of the sealing elements or sections relative to one another can be achieved.

[0018] Preferably, the closure seal has two sealing lips, in particular designed as concentric rings, which, in the screwed-on state of the screw closure, are in sealing contact with the container mouth on the outside and inside of the container mouth, respectively. In this case, therefore, a combined seal is produced on the outer surface of the container mouth, i.e. towards the container thread, on the horizontal mouth surface and in the interior of the container mouth. However, it is also possible to combine only two of the three sealing points mentioned above, as long as these sealing points are already sufficiently sealed.

[0019] Preferably, the sealing lip is substantially perpendicular to the sealing disk, so that the annular container mouth can be bordered by the (concentric) sealing lip in a form-fitting manner.

[0020] Preferably, one or more sealing lips are tilted with respect to sealing disk, to improve the tightness and reliability thereof in opening and closing again for many times. For this reason, in particular, the inner sealing lip can be tilted on the direction towards the container mouth.

[0021] Preferably, the closure seal is made of a softer material than the closure insert, for example a natural material, particularly preferably cork, or a biodegradable and / or compostable plastic. In this way, a sealing effect can be reliably and durably ensured.

[0022] However, the closure seal can also be made of a harder material, for example a natural material or other suitable material, in particular a biodegradable and / or compostable material. In this case, at least one material in contact with the closure seal, i.e. the container mouth and / or the sealing insert, is correspondingly made of a softer material, in particular a softer natural material or other suitable material, for example a biodegradable and / or compostable plastic. Thus, the flexibility and / or elasticity that facilitates the seal is provided by the element with which the closure seal is in contact.

[0023] The above object is also achieved by a container having a screw closure according to one of the above-mentioned embodiment variants. The container has a container body and a container mouth with a container thread, which interacts with the closure thread in such a way that the screw closure can be screwed onto the container mouth to close the container and can be unscrewed to open the container.

[0024] The features, technical effects, advantages and embodiments described for the screw closure apply analogously to the container with a screw closure.

[0025] Preferably, the container is made completely, thus including the container mouth and the container thread, from a compostable and / or biodegradable material, preferably a pulp material. The screw closure equipped with a closure insert is suitable for use with such environmentally friendly containers together with any closure seal, wherein, even with a relatively low material-related, structural strength, the container and the screw closure can withstand the closure forces even in the case of repeated opening and closing.

[0026] Other advantages and features of the present invention can be seen from the following description of the preferred embodiment. The features described therein can be implemented alone or in combination with one or more of the above features, as long as these features do not contradict each other. Here, the preferred embodiment is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Other preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail by the following description of the accompanying drawings.

[0028] In the figure:

[0029] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a container having a screw closure according to one embodiment;

[0030] Figure 2 schematically shows a container with a screw closure according to another embodiment;

[0031] Figure 3 A container with a screw closure according to a further exemplary embodiment is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same reference numerals are attached to the same, similar or functionally identical elements in the accompanying drawings, and the repeated description of these elements is partially omitted to avoid redundancy.

[0033] exist Figure 1 Schematically shown in FIG. 1 is a container 10 having a screw closure 20 according to one embodiment.

[0034] The container 10 is designed in particular as a beverage container for filling with beverages, for example water (still or carbonated), soft drinks, smoothies, juices, beer, wine, dairy products, mixed drinks, etc. The container 10 is preferably designed in the shape of a bottle.

[0035] The container 10 comprises a container body 11 and a container mouth 12 having a container thread 13. The container thread 13 interacts with a corresponding closure thread 23, whereby the screw closure 20 can be reclosably screwed onto the container mouth 12 and can be unscrewed to open the container 10.

[0036] The container 10 is preferably made of compostable and / or biodegradable material, especially pulp material, completely, i.e. including the container mouth 12 and the container thread 13. In this article, "pulp material" is to be understood as a material consisting of wood and / or paper and / or pulp fibers.

[0037] The screw closure 20 comprises a closure body 21, which preferably has a cylindrical shape with one side closed. A closure insert 22 is inserted into the closure body 21, which preferably also has a cylindrical shape with one side closed and has a shape corresponding to the interior of the closure body. The closure insert 22 has a closure thread 23 for screwing the screw closure 20 onto the container mouth 12.

[0038] The closure body 21 is made of a compostable and / or biodegradable material, in particular a pulp material. The closure insert 22, including the closure thread 23, is made of a different material than the closure body 21. Preferably, the closure insert 22 is made of glass or in particular a ferromagnetic metal or a compostable and / or biodegradable plastic.

[0039] Preferably, all of the materials mentioned are sustainable and compostable or at least biodegradable. By using the closure insert 22, a seal between the container mouth 12 and the screw closure 20 can be satisfactorily ensured even if the material used consists of a compostable and / or biodegradable material, in particular a pulp material. In addition, the closure insert 22 ensures structural stability, so that the screw closure 20 can be made of an otherwise less strong, environmentally friendly material.

[0040] exist Figure 2 Schematically shows a container 10 with a screw closure 20 according to another embodiment. Figure 1 Starting from the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the screw closure 20 according to the present embodiment further comprises a closure seal 24 .

[0041] The closure seal 24 is inserted into the closure insert 22 in such a way that, in the screwed-on state of the screw closure 20, the closure seal 24 is in sealing contact with the container mouth 12. The closure seal 24 preferably comprises at least one sealing disk 24a.

[0042] Preferably, if Figure 2As shown, the closure seal 24 has one or more sealing lips 24b which protrude from the sealing disk 24a in the direction of the container 10 and are in sealing contact laterally with the container mouth 12. The sealing disk 24a and the sealing lips 24b are preferably formed in one piece.

[0043] Preferably, the two sealing lips 24b are provided as concentric rings which, when viewed in the axial direction, are in sealing contact with the container mouth 12 on the outside and inside of the container mouth 12, respectively. Therefore, in this case, a combined seal is performed on the outer surface of the container mouth 12, i.e., toward the container thread 13, on the horizontal mouth surface, and in the interior of the container mouth 12. However, it is also possible to combine only two of the above three sealing points, as long as these sealing points are already sufficiently sealed.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 , the sealing lip 24 b can extend substantially axially relative to the cylindrical screw closure 20 , ie the sealing lip 24 b is substantially perpendicular to the sealing disk 24 a .

[0045] Alternatively, one or more sealing lips 24b may be inclined relative to the sealing disk 24a and the container mouth 12, such as Figure 3 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the sealing performance and reliability thereof are improved. In particular, in the case of the concentric sealing lip 24 b, the inner sealing lip 24 b may be inclined in the direction toward the container mouth 12 .

[0046] The closure seal 24 is preferably made of a softer material than the closure insert 22 , for example of a natural material such as cork or of another biodegradable and / or compostable material such as a corresponding plastic.

[0047] However, the closure seal 24 can also be made of a harder material, such as a natural material or other suitable material, in particular a biodegradable and / or compostable material. In this case, at least one material in contact with the closure seal 24, i.e. the container mouth 12 and / or the sealing insert 22, is correspondingly made of a softer material, in particular a softer natural material or other suitable material, such as a biodegradable and / or compostable plastic.

[0048] Figure 2 and Figure 3The embodiment of the ...

[0049] Where applicable, all individual features shown in the exemplary embodiments may be combined with one another and / or exchanged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0050] Description of reference numerals:

[0051] 10 Container

[0052] 11 Container body

[0053] 12 Container mouth

[0054] 13 Container thread

[0055] 20 Screw closure

[0056] 21 Closed Body

[0057] 22 Closed insert

[0058] 23 Closed thread

[0059] 24 Closure seal

[0060] 24a Sealing disc

[0061] 24b Sealing lip

Claims

1. A screw closure (20) for closing a container (10) for containing a filled product, preferably a beverage, wherein: The screw closure (20) is provided for being screwed onto a container mouth (12) of the container (10) and comprises: a closed body (21), the closed body (21) preferably having a cylindrical shape with one side closed; and A closure insert (22) is inserted into the closure body (21), wherein the closure insert (22) has a closure thread (23) for screwing the screw closure (20) onto the container mouth (12) of the container (10); wherein The closure body (21) is made of a compostable and / or biodegradable material, preferably a pulp material, and the closure insert (22), including the closure thread (23), is made of a different material than the closure body (21).

2. The screw closure (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that The closure insert (22) is made of glass or, in particular, ferromagnetic metal or a compostable and / or biodegradable plastic.

3. The screw closure (20) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The screw closure (20) has a closure seal (24), which is inserted into the closure insert (22) and is in sealing contact with the container mouth (12) when the screw closure (20) is screwed on, wherein the material of the closure seal (24) is preferably different from the material of the closure insert (22).

4. The screw closure (20) according to claim 3, characterized in that The closure seal (24) comprises a sealing disk (24a) and one or more sealing lips (24b), wherein the sealing lips (24a) protrude from the sealing disk (24b) and are arranged to be in lateral sealing contact with the container mouth (12) when the screw closure (20) is screwed on, wherein the sealing disk (24a) and the one or more sealing lips (24b) are preferably formed in one piece.

5. The screw closure (20) according to claim 4, characterized in that The closure seal (24) has two sealing lips (24b), preferably designed as concentric rings, which, when the screw closure (20) is in the screwed-on state, are in sealing contact with the container mouth (12) on the outside and inside of the container mouth (12), respectively.

6. The screw closure (20) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The sealing lip (24b) is substantially perpendicular to the sealing disk (24a).

7. The screw closure (20) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The one or more sealing lips (24b) are inclined relative to the sealing disk (24a), wherein, preferably, the inner sealing lip (24b) is inclined in a direction toward the container mouth (12).

8. The screw closure (20) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that The closure seal (24) is made of a softer material than the closure insert (22), preferably of a natural material, particularly preferably cork, or of a biodegradable and / or compostable plastic.

9. The screw closure (20) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that The closure seal (24) is made of a harder material than the closure insert (22).

10. A container (10) having a screw closure (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The container (10) comprises a container body (11) and a container mouth (12) with a container thread (13), wherein the container thread (13) interacts with a closure thread (23) in such a way that the screw closure (20) can be screwed onto the container mouth (12) to close the container (10) and can be unscrewed to open the container (10).

11. The container (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that The container (10) is made completely, thus including the container mouth (12) and the container thread (13), from a compostable and / or biodegradable material, preferably a pulp material.

Images