Sealant system

Abstract

The invention relates to a sealant system (10) comprising: a) a sealant container (12) comprising a container interior space (14) accessible via a container opening at an end of a container neck (16); and b) a container closure (18), the container closure (18) comprising a first fluid channel (20) extending through the container closure (18) and a second fluid channel (22) extending through the container closure (18), the container closure (18) comprising a fastening region, a circumferential first fastening projection (24) being arranged at the container neck (16), wherein the first fastening projection (24) narrows in the direction of the container opening, and wherein a circumferential second fastening projection (26) is arranged on the fastening region, and wherein the second fastening projection (26) narrows in the pressing direction A, and wherein the sealant system (10) is configured such that, when the fastening region and / or the container neck (16) is at least partially elastically deformed, the second fastening projection (26) is pressed against the container neck (16). The container closure (18) can be arranged at the container opening by pressing the container closure (18) against the sealant container (12), and wherein the sealant system (10) is configured to form a form-fitting connection by engaging the first fastening lug (24) and the second fastening lug (26) into one another.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealant system and a container closure for closing a container opening at an end of a container neck of a sealant container in a corresponding sealant system. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing a corresponding sealant system or a corresponding container closure, and a breakdown assistance kit including a corresponding sealant system, and a method for sealing a damaged vehicle tire with a corresponding breakdown assistance kit. Background Art

[0002] In many technical fields, such as in the tire and vehicle industries, sealants are commonly used to seal leaking components. Here, in most cases, the sealant is provided in a viscous form in a so-called sealant system and only exerts its sealing effect after leaving the sealant system (e.g., by contacting air and / or the substrate to be sealed). In particular, in the tire and vehicle industries, the use of sealant systems has been extended, for example, in the context of breakdown assistance kits for at least temporarily repairing damaged vehicle tires.

[0003] Such sealant systems for storing sealants are generally subject to particularly high requirements because, on the one hand, the sealant system must enclose the sealant to be stored so that it does not cure prematurely and should correspondingly reliably prevent the sealant from escaping undesirably, but on the other hand, it must enable rapid and easy supply in the case of use, which must in particular also be achievable by laypersons or without the use of ancillary tools in the case of breakdown assistance kits.

[0004] Correspondingly, the sealant system must be fluid-tightly closed after being filled with sealant to protect the sealant from environmental influences, especially even in the case of oscillations and vibrations. Only when the user uses the sealant system is the closure of the sealant system opened by suitable measures to fill the sealant, which is in most cases facilitated or achieved by applying external pressure and squeezing the sealant out of the sealant system.

[0005] After filling a sealant system with sealant and before using the sealant system as intended, in many cases it should be ensured that the container containing the sealant of the sealant system cannot be opened too easily, especially to prevent improper use of the sealant by children, for example. In addition, the closure of the sealant system should be as "pressure-resistant" as possible to ensure reliable closure even when there is overpressure in the container. This is particularly important because, in many cases during later use, the output of the sealant during the sealing process is achieved by applying pressure to open one or more fluid channels arranged in the closure, in such a way that the sealant or a separate sealing element used for closure is opened, so that the sealant can leave the sealant system through at least one of these opened fluid channels. Importantly, the overpressure does not squeeze out the entire container closure.

[0006] In this regard, for closing sealant systems, such screw closures are known from the prior art in particular. These screw closures are in most cases relatively easy to manufacture in practice and can, if necessary, be used together with additional sealing elements (such as sealing rings) to reliably close the corresponding sealant systems. However, in many cases, such screw closures are also considered disadvantageous, especially considering the risk of improper use of the sealant, which exists due to the possibility of reversibly and without damage opening the screw closure. Correspondingly, twist protection is often provided for screw closures so that the closure of the sealant system cannot be easily opened and the sealant is protected from improper use and also from environmental influences. However, the use of additional protective elements is in many cases associated with additional components or additional manufacturing technology expenditure and corresponding cost and time expenditure.

[0007] In particular, it is considered disadvantageous that manufacturing the corresponding sealant systems in machine production is often an inefficient and difficult-to-control or difficult-to-automate process because the screw movement (i.e., tightening the closure with the container of the sealant system) usually takes a lot of time and the required tightening torque is difficult to control. In addition, the corresponding container closure must also meet additional application requirements, where, for example, suitable receiving elements must be present on the compressor or support during operation when the bottle is "inverted", which may reduce the design freedom in terms of structure.

[0008] Further prior art regarding the technical background is disclosed, for example, in EP 2123432 A1 and 3099473A1. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The main object of the present invention is to eliminate or at least mitigate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

[0010] In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a sealant system and a corresponding container closure, by means of which the closure of a sealant container can be simplified from a manufacturing technology perspective. Here, a desirable requirement is that the sealant system to be provided should still be able to be closed particularly reliably by means of the simplified container closure, so that the risk of the sealant system being undesirably opened should be reduced compared to the prior art.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is that the production of the sealant system to be provided should be particularly time - efficient and cost - effective. Here, a desirable requirement is that the need for additional components for anti - torsion protection should be minimized compared to the prior art.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a corresponding container closure for the sealant system to be provided, by means of which a favorable closure can be achieved.

[0013] A secondary object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing the corresponding sealant system or the associated container closure. Here, a desirable requirement is that the quality control of the container closure should be particularly easily achievable.

[0014] Furthermore, a secondary object of the present invention is to provide a failure rescue kit having one or more corresponding sealant systems and a method for sealing a damaged vehicle tire with such a failure rescue kit.

[0015] The inventors have now recognized that the above - described objects can surprisingly be achieved in the following situation: in the sealant system, the container neck of the sealant container and the container closure of the sealant system are implemented such that when the container closure is pressed onto the container neck, a form - fit connection can be formed between the container neck and the container closure by means of specific mutually complementary fastening projections according to the type of snap - fit closure, as defined in the claims. In other words, in order to achieve the above object, the container closure is fastened to the bottle using a snap - fit closure. For this purpose, undercuts are provided at the opening in the container closure and complementary raised portions are provided at the bottle neck, so that by inserting and pressing the container closure, the undercuts can slide over the raised portions at the bottle neck and snap behind them, making it impossible to easily loosen the closure.

[0016] Thereby, a sealant system with simplified closure can be advantageously obtained, the risk of the sealant system being undesirably opened is reliably minimized, and it can be particularly time - efficient and cost - effective from a manufacturing technology perspective.

[0017] Accordingly, the above object is achieved by the subject matter of the present invention as defined in the claims. Preferred embodiments according to the invention are derived from the dependent claims and the following description.

[0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment, such an embodiment hereinafter referred to as preferred is combined with the features of other embodiments hereinafter referred to as preferred. Accordingly, a combination of two or more of the embodiments hereinafter referred to as particularly preferred is very particularly preferred. Also preferred is an embodiment in which a feature of one embodiment, to some extent referred to as preferred, is combined with one or more further features of other embodiments, to some extent referred to as preferred. The features of the preferred container closure, the emergency rescue kit and the method are derived from the features of the preferred sealant system.

[0019] The present invention relates to a sealant system, in particular a sealant system for sealing vehicle tires, the sealant system comprising:

[0020] a) a sealant container, the sealant container comprising a container interior space for receiving the sealant, wherein the container interior space is accessible via a container opening located at an end of the container neck; and

[0021] b) a container closure, wherein the container closure comprises a first fluid passage extending through the container closure and a second fluid passage extending through the container closure, wherein the container closure comprises a fastening region,

[0022] wherein a circumferential first fastening projection is arranged at the container neck, wherein the first fastening projection tapers in the direction of the container opening,

[0023] wherein a circumferential second fastening projection is arranged at the fastening region, wherein the second fastening projection tapers in the pressing direction A,

[0024] wherein the sealant system is configured to be able to arrange the container closure at the container opening by pressing the container closure against the sealant container in the pressing direction A when at least part of the fastening region and / or the container neck is elastically deformed, and

[0025] wherein the sealant system is configured to form a form-fitting connection by engaging the first fastening projection and the second fastening projection with each other when the container closure is arranged at the container opening.

[0026] The basic mode of operation of the sealant system and its use in a breakdown assistance kit are known to the person skilled in the art based on their professional knowledge. Correspondingly, the person skilled in the art understands that the sealant system according to the invention must be suitable both for the storage of the fluid sealant and for the subsequent output of the sealant, where the person skilled in the art can adapt the sealant system in terms of its basic design to the requirements of the sealant to be received, for example in terms of the material of the sealant container.

[0027] For receiving the sealant, the sealant system according to the invention comprises a sealant container having an interior space of the container accessible via a container opening at the end of the container neck, which sealant container is sometimes also referred to as a sealant bottle. In accordance with the understanding of the person skilled in the art, in practice a section of the sealant container with a reduced diameter compared to the sealant container is considered below the container neck of the sealant container, which section opens directly into the container opening at its end. For substantially all embodiments in the field of vehicle tyre sealing, the sealant system according to the invention is of great significance, where the interior space of the container has a volume in the range from 0.05 to 10 l, preferably in the range from 0.1 to 5 l, particularly preferably from 0.2 to 2.5 l, very particularly preferably from 0.2 to 1.25 l.

[0028] The person skilled in the art understands that the sealant does not necessarily have to be part of the sealant system according to the invention as defined above, which sealant system can for example also be provided by the manufacturer to the sealant manufacturer as a refillable storage vessel. However, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the sealant system according to the invention already comprises the sealant so that it can be used directly for sealing vehicle tyres. Here, compositions suitable as sealants, in particular for sealing vehicle tyres, are known to the person skilled in the art from the prior art and are commercially available from various suppliers. Correspondingly, preference is given to a sealant system according to the invention which additionally comprises a sealant in the interior space of the container, preferably a sealant for sealing damaged vehicle tyres. Here, a damaged vehicle tyre is in particular understood to mean a vehicle tyre with a small hole in the tread, such as may be caused by a nail or the like.

[0029] The person skilled in the art understands that in practice, apart from the container opening, the sealant container is in most cases fluid-tight so that the viscous sealant or other fluid can only enter or escape via the container opening.

[0030] However, in principle, and at least theoretically feasible, it is possible to provide the sealant container with a plurality of container openings, which may then each need to be closed. However, in most cases it is advantageous to provide only a single container opening, in order on the one hand to increase the stability of the sealant container and to simplify the manufacture of the corresponding container, and on the other hand to simplify the fluid-tight closing of the interior space of the container. Thus, for most cases, the sealant system according to the invention is of great significance, in which the interior space of the container is accessible only via one container opening.

[0031] The sealant system according to the invention further comprises a container closure, which is configured to be arranged at the container neck of the sealant container such that the container opening is closed, wherein preferably, in the presence of sealant in the interior space, the container closure also fluid-tightly closes the sealant container in practice. Here, according to the invention, the container closure comprises a fastening region, which will be described further below. In this regard, an exemplary sealant system according to the invention is one in which a sealing element, preferably a sealing ring, is arranged between the container closure and the sealant container.

[0032] When used later in a sealing process (for example for sealing a vehicle tyre), the sealant arranged in the sealant system is in most cases conveyed out of the container opening of the sealant system via a fluid passage which is opened during the process by the container closure which was previously fluid-tightly closed, due to the action of an external force. In many cases, especially in the field of tyre repair, the external force is caused or facilitated by the introduction of additional fluid (especially compressed air).

[0033] In order to be able to achieve this function, namely: introducing fluid and discharging sealant, the container closure of the sealant system according to the invention comprises a dedicated fluid line system.

[0034] That is, according to the present invention, the container closure has a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage. Conveniently, until the sealant system according to the present invention is used, the fluid passages will be fluid-tightly closed to minimize the risk of the sealant disposed in the interior space of the container escaping prior to the sealing process. According to the present invention, the fluid passages extend through the container closure such that in the state closed by the container lid, the interior space of the container can only be accessed via the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage (if they are not closed by the corresponding sealing elements), because these sealing elements have been opened by suitable measures. Therefore, for most cases, the sealant system according to the present invention is of great significance, wherein the container closure includes one or more sealing elements for fluid-tightly sealing the first fluid passage and / or the second fluid passage, preferably the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage, and wherein the sealant system is preferably configured such that the container closure fluid-tightly closes the container opening after being disposed at the container opening until these sealing elements are opened by suitable measures.

[0035] In most cases, the sealant system according to the present invention is operated in such a way during a subsequent sealing process: when gas pressure is applied via one of the two fluid passages of the container closure, the sealant disposed in the interior space of the container is extruded from the sealant container, so that the sealant can be guided via, for example, another pipeline in a vehicle tire to be sealed. In practice, after the sealing element is opened, compressed air, for example, can be introduced into the first fluid passage by means of a compressor, so that the introduced compressed air then displaces the sealant disposed in the interior space of the container, and the sealant can be introduced, for example, via a hose into an object to be sealed, such as a damaged vehicle tire. In other words, this involves a sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the sealant system is configured such that after the sealing element in the fluid passage is opened, the working fluid can enter the interior space of the container through the first fluid passage to displace the sealant disposed in the interior space of the container through the second fluid passage.

[0036] In later practice, the outwardly directed ends of the first and second fluid channels for guiding fluids must in many cases be correspondingly connected to fluid pipelines. For example, threaded connectors can be used to connect these fluid pipelines to the fluid channels. Alternatively, so-called hose olives, i.e., pipe connectors, can also be envisaged, to which the hose can be fastened, if necessary, additionally using a hose clamp. Correspondingly, a sealant system according to the invention is preferred, wherein the first fluid channel includes a first connector for a fluid pipeline, and wherein the first connector preferably includes a hose olive or a thread, preferably a thread. Also of great significance for most cases is a sealant system according to the invention, wherein the second fluid channel includes a second connector for a fluid pipeline, and wherein the second connector preferably includes a hose olive or a thread, preferably a thread.

[0037] Advantageously, the sealant system according to the invention is not restricted in terms of the design of the fluid channels, the dimensions of which in practice are particularly governed by the scale of the container closure and the structural design of the devices used during the sealing process. Exemplary is a sealant system according to the invention, wherein the first fluid channel has a length in the range of 10 to 50 mm, preferably in the range of 25 to 35 mm, and / or wherein the first fluid channel has an average diameter in the range of 2 to 35 mm, preferably in the range of 3 to 8 mm. Additionally or alternatively, also exemplary is a sealant system according to the invention, wherein the second fluid channel has a length in the range of 10 to 50 mm, preferably in the range of 15 to 25 mm, and / or wherein the second fluid channel has an average diameter in the range of 2 to 35 mm, preferably in the range of 3 to 8 mm.

[0038] The sealant system according to the invention can advantageously and efficiently be adapted to a wide variety of application requirements, such that the operation of, for example, the sealant system according to the invention can be carried out both upright and "inverted". In other words, this means that: the sealant system according to the invention can be designed as required such that the sealant can be discharged both against gravity and along gravity. For this purpose, during upright operation, i.e., when the sealant arranged in the interior space of the container has to be conveyed at least partially against gravity in order to leave the sealant system through the container opening, a so-called riser tube needs to be provided at at least one of these fluid channels (conveniently, the fluid channel through which the sealant is conveyed out). The term "riser tube" is well-known to those skilled in the art in connection with fluids and refers to a tube or hose through which a fluid can rise, for example due to an external pressure action. When operating the sealant system according to the invention "inverted", i.e., when the sealant arranged in the interior space of the container is conveyed substantially along gravity, such a riser tube is not necessary for the fluid channel provided for discharge. For later upright use, correspondingly preferably, the sealant system according to the invention, wherein the second fluid channel is designed as a riser tube, wherein the end of the second fluid channel pointing in the direction of the interior space of the container preferably extends into the interior space of the container by 0.85*H or more, preferably 0.9*H or more, particularly preferably 0.95*H or more, where H is the height of the interior space of the container.

[0039] For later "inverted" use, preferably, the sealant system according to the invention, wherein the end of the second fluid channel pointing in the direction of the interior space of the container extends into the interior space of the container by 0.15*H or less, preferably 0.1*H or less, particularly preferably 0.05*H or less, wherein the end of the first fluid channel pointing in the direction of the interior space of the container preferably extends into the interior space of the container by 0.05*H or more, particularly preferably 0.1*H or more, very particularly preferably 0.15*H or more, where H is the height of the interior space of the container.

[0040] Even if it is at least theoretically possible to provide possible overpressure protection devices, according to the assessment of the inventors for substantially all embodiments, it is convenient that: the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are spatially completely separated from each other and thus, in other words, cannot be short-circuited with each other. Therefore, for substantially all embodiments, preferably, the sealant system according to the invention, wherein the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel in the container closure are separated from each other. In this case, according to the assessment of the inventors, in principle two embodiments are advantageous. On the one hand, the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel can be arranged side by side or orthogonally to each other in the container closure. Alternatively, a coaxial arrangement of the fluid channels is also feasible and in many cases is also preferred.

[0041] According to the present invention, a circumferential first fastening projection that narrows in the direction of the container opening is arranged at the container neck of the sealant container, and a circumferential second fastening projection that narrows in the pressing direction A is arranged at the fastening region of the container closure. Those skilled in the art understand that the first fastening projection correspondingly narrows from the end of the container neck facing the direction of the sealant container towards the end of the container neck facing the direction of the container opening.

[0042] The pressing direction A is the direction in which the container closure is put on the container neck, where, in accordance with the understanding of those skilled in the art, it is not limited that: in fact, the container closure must also be moved in the closed state so that it is also possible to press the container neck against the container closure, which may be carried out in the opposite direction to the pressing direction A depending on the definition. In practice, the pressing direction A and correspondingly the narrowing of the second fastening projection are thus substantially opposite to the narrowing direction of the first fastening projection.

[0043] According to the present invention, due to the corresponding design of the sealant system, the container closure can be connected to the sealant container in a form-fitting manner by: when the container closure is pressed against the sealant container in the pressing direction A, the two narrowing fastening projections engage with each other. According to the present invention, during pressing, at least part of the fastening region of the container closure and / or the container neck elastically deforms. In this regard, those skilled in the art understand that the question of which or which of these components deform during the closing process is substantially related to the structural design of these components, where regions with a smaller material thickness and / or regions formed of flexible materials are generally more easily and thus more strongly deformed than thick-walled regions and / or regions formed of particularly rigid materials. Here, a sealant system according to the present invention is preferred, wherein the sealant system is configured such that: in the case where the fastening region and / or the container neck are substantially completely elastically deformed, the container closure can be arranged at the container opening by pressing the container closure against the sealant container in the pressing direction A.

[0044] According to the assessment of the present inventor, the design of the present invention (which is also referred to by the present inventor as snap closure) is particularly robust and is particularly advantageous with regard to preventing the undesired opening of the corresponding closure. That is, in this way, an undesired opening of the closed sealant system can be particularly reliably avoided, since after elastic deformation these fastening projections return to their initial position (i.e., in other words, the snap closure engages) advantageously in such a way that: even in the case of a relatively large pulling force, the form-fitting connection of the fastening projections can prevent the snap closure from being undesirably opened again. Here, an advantage results in particular compared to common screw closures, which in most cases must be equipped with anti-twist protection to avoid undesired opening, so that the manufacturing effort can be significantly reduced by dispensing with the anti-twist protection.

[0045] According to the assessment of the present inventor, a corresponding snap closure can be established between components with a particularly low manufacturing-technical effort.

[0046] To simplify the closure assembly, i.e., to create a form-fitting connection between the container closure and the sealant container, according to the assessment of the present inventor, it can be advantageous to divide the container closure into a plurality of segments such that the second fastening projection or segments of the second fastening projection are more movable during the assembly process.

[0047] Here, the present inventor has found that the corresponding snap closure can be operated quickly and easily in use, particularly also with regard to the (i.e., at least partially automated) production on a machine, so that, for example, pressing the container closure onto the sealant container of the sealant system according to the present invention can be carried out particularly time-efficiently, especially compared to screw closures, which usually require setting a specific torque and are thus correspondingly more difficult to operate in machine production. Therefore, for substantially all embodiments, it is preferred for the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the container neck does not include a thread, and / or wherein the fastening region does not include a thread.

[0048] Those skilled in the art understand that the expression "surrounding" does not exclude that the fastening projection is interrupted and accordingly formed by a plurality of sub-fastening projections. And even considered to be an advantage of the sealant system according to the present invention is that neither the first fastening projection nor the second fastening projection is limited to a single-piece projection in terms of its structural embodiment. In this regard, within the scope of the present invention, the surrounding fastening projection can for example also be designed as an interrupted surrounding fastening projection. In order to simplify the closing assembly, i.e., to create a form-fit connection between the container closure and the sealant container, according to the evaluation of the present inventor, it can for example be advantageous to divide the container closure into a plurality of segments to improve deformability, such that the second fastening projection or a segment of the second fastening projection is more movable during the assembly process and can be more easily guided past the first fastening projection. Thus, exemplary is the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the first fastening projection is a continuous, surrounding fastening projection, or wherein the first fastening projection comprises two or more sub-fastening projections that partially surround. Similarly, exemplary is the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the second fastening projection is a continuous, surrounding fastening projection, or wherein the second fastening projection comprises two or more sub-fastening projections that partially surround.

[0049] For most applications, it is preferred in the sealant system according to the present invention that these fastening projections are formed in a complementary but substantially identical manner to achieve the best possible form fit. Correspondingly, preferred is the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the height H of the first fastening projection 1 and the height H of the second fastening projection 2 differ by less than 30%, preferably less than 20%, particularly preferably less than 10%, and very particularly preferably do not differ substantially even. Exemplary is the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the first fastening projection and / or the second fastening projection, preferably the first fastening projection and the second fastening projection, have a wedge-shaped cross-section.

[0050] The closing system of the sealant system according to the present invention can advantageously be implemented in different ways, whereby a high structural flexibility is advantageously achieved. Here, in particular, the design of the fastening area and the orientation of the fastening projections are affected.

[0051] The first design is that the container closure at least partially closes the container neck of the sealant container with a fastening flange, such that the side wall of the fastening flange is placed on the side of the container neck from the outside after being sleeved, which may also be the case even in common screw bottle closures. Here, the second fastening projection conveniently points inwards, such that when pressed, the second fastening projection is guided past beside the first fastening projection on the radially outer side. Correspondingly, it is preferred that the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the fastening area includes a surrounding fastening flange, preferably a continuously surrounding fastening flange, wherein the surrounding second fastening projection is arranged at the fastening flange, preferably on the side pointing inwards in the radial direction. Correspondingly, it is also preferred that the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the first fastening projection is arranged on the radially outer side of the container neck, and wherein the second fastening projection is arranged on the radially inner side of the fastening area.

[0052] Alternatively, there is the following design, wherein the container closure can be partially inserted into the container opening in relation to the distance from the stopper, such that the container closure is at least partially surrounded by the sealant container. Here, the second fastening projection conveniently points outwards, such that the second fastening projection is guided past beside the first fastening projection on the radially inner side. Thus, alternatively, it is preferred that the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the fastening area includes a central fastening plug, wherein the surrounding second fastening projection is arranged at the fastening plug, preferably on the side pointing outwards in the radial direction. Correspondingly, it is preferred that the sealant system according to the present invention, wherein the first fastening projection is arranged on the radially inner side of the container neck, and wherein the second fastening projection is arranged on the radially outer side of the fastening area.

[0053] In this regard, the present inventors propose that, regardless of the design of the fastening region, an undercut can be provided that is as steep as possible, by means of which the fastening projections can be joined into each other to a particularly high degree, so that not only can the container closure be pressed particularly easily, but also it is made difficult to undesirably withdraw the container closure by hooking. In this regard, for example, a cross-sectional shape of the fastening projection is preferred, in which the angle between the side facing away from the narrowing and the side adjacent to the corresponding component in a basic triangular shape is greater than 90°, so as to obtain a design in the shape of an arrowhead. Thus, a sealant system according to the invention is preferred, in which the first fastening projection has a triangular cross-section, and in which the triangular cross-section preferably has an angle in the range of 80° to 135°, particularly preferably in the range of 85° to 120°, very particularly preferably in the range of 90° to 105°, between the side facing away from the narrowing and the side abutting against the container neck. Similarly, a sealant system according to the invention is preferred, in which the second fastening projection has a triangular cross-section, and in which the triangular cross-section preferably has an angle in the range of 80° to 135°, particularly preferably in the range of 85° to 120°, very particularly preferably in the range of 90° to 105°, between the side facing away from the narrowing and the side abutting against the fastening region.

[0054] The present inventors propose that, in order to optimally combine easy closure and difficulty in reopening, the sealant system should be designed such that the force required to close the closure is significantly less than the force required to open the closure, which can be set in an advantageous manner, in particular by the structural design and material selection of the fastening projections, based on the design according to the invention. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the force required to open the closure of the sealant system is so high that the user cannot achieve opening without additional auxiliary devices, so that in particular misuse can be avoided. Thus, a sealant system according to the invention is preferred, in which the sealant system is configured such that: when pressing the container closure against the sealant container in the pressing direction A with a pressing pressure P 1 the first fastening projection and the second fastening projection can slide past each other; and a form-fitting connection is achieved due to the first fastening projection and the second fastening projection being joined into each other, where when using a withdrawal pressure P 2 the first fastening projection and the second fastening projection cannot slide past each other, where the withdrawal pressure P 2 is greater than the pressing pressure P 1 , preferably 5 times or more, particularly preferably 10 times or more, very particularly preferably 100 times or more. In other words, the pressing pressure P 1 corresponds to the mechanical pressure that must be expended in order to establish a form-fitting connection between the container closure and the sealant container, while the withdrawal pressure P2 is the pressure that may be required to eliminate and / or break a form-fitting connection.

[0055] It can be regarded as an advantage of the sealant system according to the invention that neither the sealant container nor the container closure is restricted with regard to the materials used in their manufacture. However, in this regard, a person skilled in the art understands that the materials should be selected such that, given the respective structural design of these components, at least one of these components has sufficient deformability such that a form fit can be formed. In the case of using a very hard container neck, the sufficient flexibility of the container closure should be correspondingly set by means of structural design and / or material selection. The inventors propose that particularly advantageous properties from a manufacturing technology perspective can be obtained if these components are formed from thermoplastics. Thereby, not only can a particularly time-efficient and cost-effective manufacturing method (such as injection molding) be achieved, but also the deformability can be influenced by using elevated temperatures if required. Correspondingly preferred is a sealant system according to the invention, wherein the container closure is formed to 90% or more, preferably to 95% or more, particularly preferably to 98% or more, very particularly preferably substantially completely, in terms of the mass of the container closure, from a first thermoplastic. Additionally or alternatively, also preferred is a sealant system according to the invention, wherein the sealant container is formed to 90% or more, preferably to 95% or more, particularly preferably to 98% or more, very particularly preferably substantially completely, in terms of the mass of the sealant container, from a second thermoplastic. Here, by way of example, is a sealant system according to the invention, wherein the first thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polyesters and polyolefins, preferably from the group consisting of polyolefins, particularly preferably from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene, very particularly preferably from the group consisting of polypropylene. Also by way of example is a sealant system according to the invention, wherein the second thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polyesters and polyolefins, preferably from the group consisting of polyolefins, particularly preferably from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene, very particularly preferably from the group consisting of polypropylene.

[0056] The invention also relates to a container closure for closing a container opening at the end of a sealant container of the sealant system according to the invention at the container neck, wherein a circumferential first fastening projection is arranged at the container neck, and wherein the first fastening projection tapers in the direction of the container opening.

[0057] wherein the container closure includes a first fluid passage extending through the container closure and a second fluid passage extending through the container closure, and wherein the container closure includes a fastening region.

[0058] wherein a circumferential second fastening projection is arranged at the fastening region, and wherein the second fastening projection tapers in the pressing direction A.

[0059] wherein the container closure is configured to be arranged at the container opening by pressing the container closure against the sealant container in the pressing direction A when at least part of the fastening region and / or the container neck is elastically deformed, and

[0060] wherein the container closure is configured to achieve a form - fit connection by engaging a first fastening projection and a second fastening projection with each other when the container closure is arranged at the container opening.

[0061] A method is also disclosed for manufacturing a sealant system according to the invention or a container closure according to the invention, the method comprising the following method steps:

[0062] i) manufacturing or providing a first thermoplastic, and

[0063] ii) shaping a container - closure blank from the first thermoplastic by a casting method,

[0064] wherein in method step ii) the fastening region is shaped as part of the container - closure blank.

[0065] The method for manufacturing a sealant system according to the invention or a container closure according to the invention comprises, in a first method step, manufacturing or providing a first thermoplastic; and in a second method step, shaping a container - closure blank from the first thermoplastic by a casting method, wherein various casting methods are known to those skilled in the art. Exemplary is the method disclosed above, wherein the casting method is an injection - molding method.

[0066] Within the scope of the invention, a failure - rescue kit is also disclosed, the failure - rescue kit comprising:

[0067] aa) one or more sealant systems according to claim 1, which include sealant in the interior space of the container, and

[0068] bb) a pressure - generating unit.

[0069] Consistent with the understanding of those skilled in the art, a breakdown rescue kit is a kit composed of multiple units, which can enable at least temporarily sealing a defective vehicle tire during use. In this regard, for example, a vehicle with a defect eliminated by the breakdown rescue kit can continue to drive independently for at least a certain period of time, so that, for example, it can access a workshop to replace or repair the vehicle tire involved, thereby especially eliminating the need for a towing service. For this purpose, the breakdown rescue kit includes at least one sealant system according to the present invention, and the sealant system includes a sealant and a pressure generating unit. Of great significance for most application cases is the breakdown rescue kit disclosed above, wherein the pressure generating unit is a compressed air compressor.

[0070] In order to connect the pressure generating unit to the at least one sealant system and to connect the sealant system to the object to be sealed, in practice, fluid pipelines, such as connecting hoses, are usually used. Convenient for most embodiments is the breakdown rescue kit disclosed above, which additionally includes:

[0071] cc) One or more fluid pipelines, preferably hoses, to connect the sealant system to the vehicle tire and / or the pressure generating unit.

[0072] In practice, also convenient is the breakdown rescue kit disclosed above, which additionally includes:

[0073] dd) Operating instructions for using the breakdown rescue kit to seal a damaged vehicle tire.

[0074] There is also disclosed a method for using the breakdown rescue kit according to claim 3 to seal a damaged vehicle tire, the method including the following steps:

[0075] v) Establish a fluid-conducting connection between the first fluid passage and the pressure generating unit;

[0076] w) Establish a fluid-conducting connection between the second fluid passage and the pressure valve of the damaged vehicle tire; and

[0077] z) Discharge the sealant from the sealant system through the second fluid passage into the damaged vehicle tire. Description of the Drawings

[0078] Below, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be elaborated and described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0079] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the sealant system of the present invention in a preferred embodiment is shown; and

[0080] Figure 2Highly simplified schematic illustration showing various form-fitting connections between a container closure and a container neck of a sealant system according to the invention.

[0081] List of reference numerals

[0082] 10 Sealant system

[0083] 12 Sealant container

[0084] 14 Container interior space

[0085] 16 Container neck

[0086] 18 Container closure

[0087] 20 First fluid channel

[0088] 22 Second fluid channel

[0089] 24 First fastening projection

[0090] 26 Second fastening projection

[0091] 28 Fastening flange

[0092] 30 Fastening plug

[0093] A Pressing direction Detailed description

[0094] Figure 1 Shows a sealant system 10 according to the invention, which has a sealant container 12 and a container closure 18, and which is arranged to be used "inverted" when sealing a vehicle tire. In the example shown, both the sealant container 12 and the container closure 18 are made entirely of polypropylene.

[0095] The sealant container 12 has a container interior space 14 with a volume of 450 mL, in which the sealant can be received in a fluid-tight manner. The container interior space 14 is accessible via a container opening at the end of the container neck 16, which is closed by the container closure 18.

[0096] In addition, the container closure 18 has a first fluid channel 20 and a second fluid channel 24 to ensure the functions required for the sealing process when supplying the sealant. Both fluid channels are hermetically sealed by a sealing element in the initial state, so that the sealant arranged in the inner space 14 of the container cannot escape from the sealant system 10 without the action of an external force until the sealing element is opened during the sealing process. The fluid channels are arranged coaxially and separately from each other locally in the container closure 18, so that direct fluid flow between the first fluid channel 20 and the second fluid channel 22 cannot be achieved.

[0097] To produce a form fit, the container neck 16 includes a continuous, circumferential first fastening projection 24 (i.e., similarly, a bulge), which narrows in the direction of the container opening. The fastening region of the container closure 18 has a fastening flange 28 at which a continuous, circumferential second fastening projection 26 is arranged. The circumferential second fastening projection 26 narrows in the pressing direction A, which is shown as the arrow direction in Figure 1 Both fastening projections have a wedge-shaped cross section, where the triangular cross section between the side facing away from the narrowing and the side adjacent to the corresponding component has an angle of 90° accordingly, and the height of the side facing away from the narrowing is substantially the same accordingly.

[0098] In the example shown, the closure of the components is achieved by engaging the first fastening projection 24 with the second fastening projection 26 into each other to achieve a form-fit connection. In other words, by inserting and pressing the container closure 18, the second fastening projection 26 slides over the first fastening projection 24 at the container neck 16 and snaps behind it. Here, the fastening flange 28 has a thinner wall and a larger radius than the container neck 16, so that the form fit in the example shown takes place especially when the fastening region 28 of the container closure 18 is substantially completely elastically deformed. By snapping in, the loosening of the container closure 18 becomes largely difficult, more precisely only achievable with a significant amount of force, and in most cases requires additional auxiliary devices in addition to the user's conventional human force and may be accompanied by irreversible damage to the components in most cases.

[0099] To obtain a particularly fluid-tight closure, a sealing element (not shown) is additionally arranged between the container closure 18 and the container neck 16 to compensate for manufacturing-induced errors when positioning the container closure 18 on the container neck 16.

[0100] In Figure 2 a) and Figure 2In b), various embodiments of a form-fitting connection between the container closure 18 and the container neck 16 are shown, where, for the sake of clarity, the container closure is accordingly highly abstracted and thus, for example, fluid channels are not depicted. Here, similar to Figure 1 Similarly, Figure 2 a) shows a cross-sectional view of the container closure 18 having a surrounding fastening flange 28, with a second fastening projection 26 arranged radially internally at the fastening flange such that a sleeve-like shape is formed. For this purpose, a first fastening projection 24 is arranged complementarily and radially externally at the container neck 16 such that a form fit between the fastening projections can be achieved when the container closure 18 is plugged onto the container neck 16.

[0101] In contrast, Figure 2 b) shows the container closure 18 having a central fastening plug 30, with a second fastening projection 26 arranged radially externally at the fastening plug such that a cork-like shape is produced. In this embodiment, the first fastening projection 24 is arranged radially externally at the container neck 16 such that a form fit between the fastening projections can be achieved when the container closure 18 is inserted into the container neck 16.

[0102] In Figure 2 both embodiments, the extraction pressure P that may be required to remove the container closure 18 from the container neck 16 2 is significantly greater than the pressing pressure P required to obtain a form fit between the first fastening projection 24 and the second fastening projection 26. 1 .

Claims

1. A sealant system (10), comprising: a) a sealant container (12), the sealant container comprising a container interior space (14) for receiving a sealant, wherein the container interior space (14) is accessible via a container opening located at an end of a container neck (16); and b) a container closure (18), wherein the container closure (18) comprises a first fluid passage (20) extending through the container closure (18) and a second fluid passage (22) extending through the container closure (18), wherein the container closure (18) comprises a fastening region, wherein a circumferential first fastening projection (24) is arranged at the container neck (16), wherein the first fastening projection (24) tapers in the direction of the container opening, wherein a circumferential second fastening projection (26) is arranged at the fastening region, wherein the second fastening projection (26) tapers in the pressing direction A, wherein the sealant system (10) is configured to: be able to arrange the container closure (18) at the container opening by pressing the container closure (18) against the sealant container (12) in the pressing direction A when at least part of the fastening region and / or the container neck (16) is elastically deformed, and wherein the sealant system (10) is configured to: form a form-fitting connection by engaging the first fastening projection (24) with the second fastening projection (26) into each other when the container closure (18) is arranged at the container opening.

2. The sealant system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the fastening region comprises a circumferential fastening flange (28), wherein the circumferential second fastening projection (26) is arranged at the fastening flange (28), and / or wherein the fastening region comprises a central fastening plug (30), wherein the circumferential second fastening projection (26) is arranged at the fastening plug (30).

3. The sealant system (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first fastening projection (24) is arranged on the radially outer side of the container neck (16), and wherein the second fastening projection (26) is arranged on the radially inner side of the fastening region.

4. The sealant system (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first fastening projection (24) is arranged on the radially inner side of the container neck (16), and wherein the second fastening projection (26) is arranged on the radially outer side of the fastening region.

5. The sealant system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first fastening projection (24) has a triangular cross-section, wherein the triangular cross-section preferably has an angle in the range of 80° to 135° on the side facing away from the narrowing and on the side abutting the container neck (16).

6. The sealant system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second fastening projection (26) has a triangular cross-section, and the triangular cross-section preferably has an angle in the range of 80° to 135° between the side facing away from the narrowing and the side abutting against the fastening region.

7. The sealant system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sealant system (10) is configured such that when the container closure (18) is pressed against the sealant container (12) in the pressing direction A with a pressing pressure P1, the first fastening projection (24) and the second fastening projection (26) can slide past each other; and a form-fitting connection is achieved due to the engagement of the first fastening projection (24) and the second fastening projection (26) into each other, wherein when using a withdrawal pressure P2, the first fastening projection (24) and the second fastening projection (26) cannot slide past each other, and the withdrawal pressure P2 is greater than the pressing pressure P1.

8. The sealant system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a sealant in the container interior space (14).

9. The sealant system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the container closure (18) is formed of a first thermoplastic to 90% or more in terms of the mass of the container closure (18).

10. A container closure (18) for closing a container opening at an end of a sealant container (12) in a container neck (16) of the sealant system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a circumferential first fastening projection (24) is arranged at the container neck (16), and the first fastening projection (24) narrows in the direction of the container opening. wherein the container closure (18) includes a first fluid passage (20) extending through the container closure (18) and a second fluid passage (22) extending through the container closure (18), and the container closure (18) includes a fastening region. wherein a circumferential second fastening projection (26) is arranged at the fastening region, and the second fastening projection (26) narrows in the pressing direction A. wherein the container closure (18) is configured such that when the fastening region and / or the container neck (16) is at least partially elastically deformed, the container closure (18) can be arranged at the container opening by pressing the container closure (18) against the sealant container (12) in the pressing direction A, and the container closure (18) is configured such that when the container closure (18) is arranged at the container opening, a form-fitting connection is achieved by engaging the first fastening projection (24) and the second fastening projection (26) into each other.

Images