Container with resealable lid

Abstract

Container with a container (1) having at least one opening (2) and a lid (5) for closing the opening (2), which is connected to the container (1) via an elastically deformable hinge, characterized in that the container (1) is made of fibrous material and has a biodegradable or bioinert coating, that the lid (5) is made of biodegradable thermoplastic material and that a flexible hinge strip (6, 6', 6") made of fibrous material is attached to the lid (5) and glued to the container (1).

Description

The invention relates to a container with a container having at least one opening and a lid for closing the opening, which is connected to the container via an elastically deformable hinge. Such plastic containers are widely used to package liquid products or similar bulk goods. They are made of plastic, with the resealable lid typically molded onto a screwed-on lid holder via a film hinge. The lid holder is screwed or snapped onto the container. EP 2 050 685 A1 describes a container, namely a child-resistant bottle, comprising a hollow cylindrical container with a circumferential wall and an opening at one end, wherein the first connecting element is a ring arranged on the circumferential wall of the hollow cylindrical container, which is connected to a lid via a film hinge. The connecting element, film hinge, and lid are made of polymer material. It is well known that plastic packaging containers are problematic because plastic is not biodegradable or only very difficult to biodegrade and pollutes the environment and the world's oceans. Safe packaging made from molded fibers is also known. These containers are called pulp mold containers and are formed from pulp in a suction mold. Water is drawn out of the pulp through the suction mold, causing the cellulose fibers contained in the pulp to adhere to the mold's surface. The resulting container is then dewatered and can be used for packaging liquids and bulk goods. EP 1 221 413 A1 describes the manufacture of such a molded fiber container. However, it does not disclose a hinged, resealable lid attached to the container. Fiber-reinforced molded containers with hinged lids are also known (see DE 16 11 944 B1). However, these describe egg cartons, which are not liquid-tight and therefore cannot hold liquids or fine powders. GB 2 420 265 A describes a one-piece biodegradable drinking container with a cup section and an integral lid, which is connected to the cup section via a film hinge made of biodegradable material. The object of the invention is to create a biodegradable container that is easy to handle and safely stores liquids and bulk materials contained within it. This problem is solved according to the invention by the fact that the container consists of fibrous material and has a biodegradable or bioinert coating, that the lid consists of biodegradable thermoplastic material, and that a flexible hinge strip made of fibrous material, attached to the lid, is glued to the container. A fiber-reinforced molded container is proposed, featuring a biodegradable or bioinert coating so that the container does not pollute the environment. Biodegradable coatings are typically natural ones such as lipids, oils, or waxes. Bioinert coatings include, for example, those containing silicon dioxide. Furthermore, it is proposed that the lid be made of a biodegradable thermoplastic material. Thermoplastic material is particularly well-suited for manufacturing container lids. It is easy and safe to process in large quantities using injection molding. This technique is ideally suited for mass production. Such a biodegradable thermoplastic can contain starch, as well as glycerin and sorbitol as plasticizers. In particular, 11-15 wt% glycerin and 6-9 wt% sorbitol, based on the total weight of the material in its dried state, have proven advantageous. The starch concentration is between 56 and 63 wt%. Other components can include fillers at a concentration of 16-24 wt%. These fillers can be talc, chalk, bentonite, mustard seed hulls, organic fibers, or waste materials. This material is ideally suited for processing in twin-screw extruders and injection molding. With appropriate coatings, it can be made moisture-resistant and highly durable. However, this material is generally too brittle to be used as a flexible film hinge to connect a resealable lid to the container.For this reason, the lid is attached with a flexible hinge strip made of fiber material, which is glued to the container. Such a hinge strip can be made of paper, particularly kraft paper. The hinge strip possesses considerable strength. With appropriate coatings, the hinge strip can be made moisture-resistant. It can also be decoratively printed. The hinge strip thus combines the technically required flexibility, allowing the lid to be opened and closed repeatedly, with positive aesthetic characteristics. The fiber material of the hinge strip is biodegradable, even when coated with a moisture-resistant finish. The resealable packaging with its hinged lid is therefore environmentally friendly and meets the highest functional and aesthetic standards. In practice, the container can have a connecting element made of biodegradable thermoplastic material in the area of ​​its opening, with the hinge strip being bonded to the container in the area of ​​the connecting element. To stabilize the opening of the fiber-reinforced container, a thermoplastic connecting element can be provided at the opening. This can be bonded to the fiber-reinforced material of the container or otherwise materially or form-fitted. The lid can be bonded to this connecting element by means of the hinge strip, with a circular projection of the lid fitting into an annular opening of the connecting element. Preferably, the connecting element and the lid have interacting projections and recesses that enable a snap-fit ​​or latching connection between the lid and the connecting element.In this way, the connection can be securely closed, with the lid also being held in the open position by the hinge strip on the connecting element. In practice, the hinge strip may be glued to the lid. However, it is also possible for the hinge strip to be attached to the lid in another way. In particular, the lid may be rotatably attached to the hinge strip. This is especially useful when the lid can be screwed to the connecting element. In practice, the hinge strip can have at least one second section glued to the container, which forms a seal section and is perforated so that it separates along the perforation when the lid is opened. This seal section serves as a tamper-evident seal. A buyer can verify that the goods inside the container are in their original packaging by observing that the perforation remains intact. An opened container can be easily distinguished from an unopened one by the damaged perforation. As mentioned above, the container can have an external thread at the opening, and the lid can have an internal thread that screws onto the external thread. In this case, the hinge strip is rotatably connected to the lid. To achieve this rotatable connection, an eyelet can be formed on the hinge strip, through which a section of the lid with a circular cross-section passes. For example, a T-shaped pin can be formed on top of the lid, surrounded by the eyelet. Either the hinge strip has a certain degree of elasticity, allowing it to be pulled over the edge of the T-shaped pin and contract elastically, or the T-shaped pin is first inserted through the eyelet and then connected to the lid by a positive or material-locking connection. To increase the tightness of the container, the coating may contain at least one of the following components: - cellulose fibers, - casein, - whey, - agar agar, - psyllium husks, - SiO2, - linseed oil, - carnauba wax, - beeswax. Cellulose fibers, especially very short microfibrils, are suitable for increasing the container's tightness and gas impermeability. Fillers and swelling natural components, such as casein whey, agar-agar, and psyllium husks, also increase tightness. Silicon dioxide gives the container considerable strength. Lipids such as oils and waxes also increase the gas and liquid resistance of the container material. All selected components are biodegradable or bioinert, so that the container according to the invention decomposes after a short time without leaving any harmful residues. As mentioned, the thermoplastic material of the lid is also biodegradable, specifically water-soluble and / or compostable. Such properties can be achieved with the starch-based thermoplastics described above. The connecting element can be bonded to the container either materially or form-fit. The thermoplastic material can develop adhesive properties when moistened with water or a solvent and bond to the container's fiber material. Alternatively, the connecting element can have a thin connecting wall with perforations. During the manufacturing process for the molded fiber container, this connecting wall is held close to the wall of the suction mold, so that fiber material drawn in by the mold also settles in the area of ​​the connecting wall and protrudes through the perforations. This results in an excellent, intimate bond between the connecting element and the container's fiber material. The connecting wall can completely surround the opening, creating a form-fit connection along its entire circumference. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a container with at least one opening and a lid for closing the opening, which is connected to the container via an elastically deformable hinge. The method comprises the following steps: - Suction of fiber material from a pulp through a suction mold and compaction of the fiber material deposited on the inner wall of the suction mold to form the container; - Dewatering and drying the container; - Coating the container; - Injection molding of the lid from biodegradable thermoplastic material; - Attaching the lid to a flexible hinge strip made of fiber material; - Bonding the hinge strip to the container. In this way, the various components of the container can be manufactured and connected efficiently and cost-effectively. In practice, the connecting element made of biodegradable thermoplastic material can be arranged on the container in the area of ​​the opening, with the hinge strip being glued to the container in the area of ​​the connecting element. The lid and the connecting element, made of thermoplastic material, can form a snap-fit ​​or latching connection to close the container. When open, the lid is connected to the connecting element via the hinge strip. As mentioned above, the hinge strip can be glued to the lid. Furthermore, the hinge strip can have at least one second section bonded to the container, namely a seal section, which is perforated and separated along the perforation when the lid is opened. In this way, the hinge strip forms a tamper-evident seal. Finally, the container can have an external thread in the area of ​​the opening and the lid can have an internal thread that can be screwed onto the external thread, with the lid being rotatably connected to the hinge strip. Further practical embodiments and advantages of the invention are described below in connection with the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a side exploded view of a container according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows a three-dimensional exploded view of the container from Fig. 1 from above. Fig. 3 shows the front view of the container from Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 shows the view of the container from Fig. 3 cut along section line IV-IV. Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the hinge strip for the container. Fig. 6 shows a front view of the container with the hinge strip from Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows a side view of the container with the hinge strip from Fig. 5. Fig. 8 shows a view of the container with the lid pivoted open, corresponding to Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows a bottom view of the lid of the container with another embodiment of the hinge strip. Fig. 10 shows one of the Figs.4. A corresponding sectional view of the container with the hinge strip from Fig. 9. Fig. 11 shows a view of the container with the lid pivoted open, corresponding to Fig. 10. Figures 1, 2, 3 to 4 show a first embodiment of the container. Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the components of a container used for packaging chewing gum. The container consists of a vessel 1, which is an open-topped hollow body made of cast fiber. The opening 2 of the vessel 1 is surrounded by a rim 3 that extends substantially vertically upwards and is connected to a connecting element 4. The connecting element 4 is made of a biodegradable thermoplastic, in particular a starch-based thermoplastic with the components described above. This thermoplastic connecting element 4 can be manufactured by injection molding and can be substantially tightly connected to the rim 3 of the vessel 1.The connecting element 4 can be closed with a lid 5, which is also made of a biodegradable thermoplastic using injection molding. In conventional plastic containers, injection-molded parts such as the connecting element 4 and the lid 5 are pivotally connected to each other by means of a film hinge made of the same thermoplastic. However, the biodegradable, starch-based thermoplastic usually has insufficient elasticity to reliably form a film hinge between the lid 5 and the connecting element 4. For this reason, a flexible hinge strip 6 made of paper, in particular kraft paper, is provided, which pivotally connects the lid 5 to the container 1 and, in particular, to the connecting element 4 of the container 1. The hinge strip 6 has a main section 7 extending parallel to the top surface of the lid 5, as shown in Fig. 1, which is glued to the top surface of the lid 5. In Fig. 1, a side section 8 of the hinge strip 6, angled downwards at a right angle, can be seen on the left side.This side section 8 is glued to the connecting element 4 of the container 1. Figure 2 shows that the width of the main section 7 of the hinge strip 6 is greater than the width of the side section 8. The main section 7 of the hinge strip 6 has a contour corresponding to the top surface of the lid 5 and is bonded to the top surface of the lid 5. The biodegradable thermoplastic can be water-soluble or alcohol-soluble. In this case, the main section 7 of the hinge strip 6 can be bonded by softening the top surface of the lid 5 and then allowing it to dry. Similarly, the inside of the annular connecting element 4 can be bonded to the rim 3 of the container 1. The outside of the connecting element 4 can be bonded to the side section 8 of the hinge strip 6. Alternatively, a glue or other suitable biodegradable adhesive can be used to bond the hinge strip 6 to the cover 5 and the connecting element 4. The articulated connection between the lid 5 and the connecting element 4 is essentially created by the strip-shaped side section 8 of the hinge strip 6. If the main section 7 of the hinge strip 6 covers the entire surface of the lid 5, the hinge strip 6 can be printed and display product information. However, it is also possible that the main section 7 of the hinge strip 6 does not extend over the entire top surface of the lid 5. Figures 3 and 4 show a front view and a cutaway side view of the container from Figures 1 and 2. It can be seen that the lid 5 has a flat rim and a downwardly projecting circular section 11 in the center. The circular section 11 of the lid 5 can form a snap-fit ​​or latching connection with the inner circumference of the annular connecting element 4. Figure 4 shows in particular that the side section 8 of the hinge strip 6 is bonded to the outer surface of the connecting element 4. In this way, the lid 5 is securely held against the connecting element 4 of the container after opening. Figures 5, 6, 7 to 8 show a second embodiment of the hinge strip 6'. As in the previously described embodiment, this strip has a main section 7 and a side section 8. Here, the side section 8 is still in the same plane as the main section 7 and is not folded over by 90° as in Figure 1. The hinge strip 6' has two lateral sealing sections 9, which are connected by a perforation 10, i.e., a line along which the connection between the sealing section 9 and the main section 7 is partially severed. As can be seen in Figures 6 and 7, the sealing sections 9 are bonded to the connecting element 4 of the container 1 in the area of ​​its side. When the lid 5 is opened, the sealing sections 9 separate from the main section 7 of the hinge strip 6 along the perforation 10. This can be seen in Fig. 8, which shows the lid 5 in its open position.The sealing strips 9 therefore represent seals of authenticity, by which it can be seen that the container has been opened. Fig. 9 shows a bottom view of the lid 5 with a further embodiment of the hinge strip 6". The main section 7' ​​of the hinge strip 6" is in the shape of an eyelet, i.e., it has a circular recess in its center, which is penetrated by the circular projection of the lid 5. The main section 7 of the hinge strip 6" is thus glued against the downward-facing surface of the lid 5 when the container is closed (Fig. 10), with its side section 8 also being glued against the upper edge of the container 1. The hinge strip 6" holds the open lid 5, visible in Fig. 11, firmly to the container 1. If the cover has a screw thread (not shown) that can be screwed to the connecting element, the bonding between the hinge strip and the cover can be omitted. In this case, the projecting circular section 11 of the cover 5 can have a groove or slot on its circumference into which the ring- or eyelet-shaped main section of the hinge strip fits. The cover 5 is thus rotatably connected to the hinge strips. The features of the invention disclosed in this description, in the drawings, and in the claims can be essential for realizing the invention in its various embodiments, both individually and in any combination. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments. It can be varied within the scope of the claims and taking into account the knowledge of the person skilled in the art. Reference symbol list 1 Container 2 Opening 3 Rim 4 Connecting element 5 Lid 6.6' 6" Hinge strip 7.7' Main section 8 Side section 9 Sealing section 10 Perforation 11 Circular section

Claims

Container with a container (1) having at least one opening (2) and a lid (5) for closing the opening (2), which is connected to the container (1) via an elastically deformable hinge, characterized in that the container (1) is made of fibrous material and has a biodegradable or bioinert coating, that the lid (5) is made of biodegradable thermoplastic material and that a flexible hinge strip (6, 6', 6") made of fibrous material, attached to the lid (5), is glued to the container (1). Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (1) has a connecting element (4) made of biodegradable thermoplastic material in the area of ​​the opening (2), wherein the hinge strip (6, 6', 6") is bonded to the container (1) in the area of ​​the connecting element (4). Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hinge strip (6, 6', 6") is bonded to the lid (5). Container according to claim 3, characterized in that the hinge strip (6') has at least one sealing section (9) bonded to the container (1), which is perforated and is separated along the perforation (10) when the lid (5) is opened. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container (1) has an external thread in the area of ​​the opening (2) and the lid (5) has an internal thread that can be screwed onto the external thread, wherein the lid (5) is rotatably connected to the hinge strip. Container according to claim 5, characterized in that an eyelet is formed on the hinge strip (6, 6', 6") which is penetrated by a section (11) of the lid (5) with a circular cross-section. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coating contains at least one of the following components: - cellulose fibers, - casein, - whey, - agar agar, - psyllium husks, - SiO2, - linseed oil, - carnauba wax, - beeswax. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thermoplastic material of the lid (5) and / or the connecting element (4) is water-soluble and / or compostable. Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting element (4) is materially bonded and / or form-fitted to the container (1). Container according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that connecting element (4) has a connecting wall surrounding the opening (2) with openings which are penetrated by the fibrous material of the container (1). A method for producing a container (1) having at least one opening (2) and a lid (5) for closing the opening (2), which is connected to the container (1) via an elastically deformable hinge, the method comprising the following process steps: - suction of fiber material from a pulp through a suction mold and compaction of the fiber material deposited on the inner wall of the suction mold to form the container (1); - dewatering and drying the container (1); - coating the container (1); - injection molding of the lid (5) from biodegradable thermoplastic material; - attaching the lid (5) to a flexible hinge strip (6, 6', 6") made of fiber material; - bonding the hinge strip (6, 6', 6") to the container (1). Method according to claim 11, characterized in that a connecting element (4) made of biodegradable thermoplastic material is arranged on the container (1) in the area of ​​the opening (2) and that the hinge strip (6, 6', 6") is bonded to the container (1) in the area of ​​the connecting element (4). Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the hinge strip (6, 6', 6") is glued to the lid (5). Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the hinge strip (6, 6', 6") has at least one sealing section (9) bonded to the container (1), which is perforated and separated along the perforation (10) when the lid (5) is opened. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the container (1) has an external thread in the area of ​​the opening (2) and the lid (5) has an internal thread that can be screwed onto the external thread, wherein the lid (5) is rotatably connected to the hinge strip.

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