CONTAINER CLOSURE

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a container closure for closing the pouring opening of a container according to claim 1 and a container according to claim 9. State of the art

[0002] The state of the art in the field of plastic closure caps with a tamper-evident ring includes closure caps that are permanently attached to the container and seal its pouring opening. This retention function is also important because legal regulations are expected to require that beverage bottle closures remain permanently attached to the beverage bottle, even when the closure is open.

[0003] Such a captive closure cap for closing a container is known from WO 2020 / 157695 A1. After the threaded part of the cap has been unscrewed, it remains held to the tamper-evident ring by a first and a second connecting band. The first and second retaining bands are cut from the tamper-evident ring by providing a first and second cut. The first cut extends over the entire circumference and, with the exception of recessed tamper-evident webs, separates the threaded part from the tamper-evident ring. In addition to the tamper-evident webs, a connecting part is cut out at the first cut, which separates the first from the second retaining band and with which the first and second retaining bands are held to the threaded part.

[0004] A second cut is provided on the tamper-evident ring below the first cut. The length of the second cut corresponds to the sum of the length of the two retaining straps and the length of the connecting part.

[0005] Above the first cut line, a third cut can also be provided on the threaded part, which can be the same length as the second cut. This creates an X-shaped design in which the first and second retaining straps cross, and the connecting part represents their intersection point.

[0006] The multiple cuts result in a significant investment in the slitting and folding system. Furthermore, the tamper-evident ring and the lower edge of the threaded portion (in the X-shaped retaining band design) require increased height to allow for the first and second retaining bands to be cut out. This leads to a significantly increased material requirement for the production of the closure cap.

[0007] DE 20 2020 100758 U1 also discloses a captive closure cap, which also has two retaining straps and a connecting divider cut out between the retaining straps. This closure cap therefore functions in the same way as the closure cap described in the previous paragraph.

[0008] WO 2011 / 093597 A2 describes a closure cap in which the lower edge of a screw cap is connected to the tamper-evident ring by a hinge. The hinge can be designed as a so-called butterfly hinge or a film hinge. In either case, the hinge has a horizontal weakening line at which it bends when the screw cap is moved relative to the tamper-evident ring.

[0009] EP 3 584 189 A1 discloses a container closure according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

[0010] US Pat. No. 4,394,918 A also describes a hinge with a weakening line connecting a screw cap to a tamper-evident ring. Additionally, the tamper-evident ring has a notch to the left and right of the hinge. Object of the invention

[0011] The disadvantages of the described prior art give rise to the task of creating a captive closure cap which can be manufactured using a cost-effective production facility and which nevertheless allows a user-friendly open position.

[0012] A further task is to create a captive closure cap whose material consumption differs only insignificantly from that of a conventional closure cap with a guarantee ring. Description

[0013] The stated problem is solved in a container closure for closing the pouring opening of a container by the features stated in the characterizing portion of patent claim 1. Further developments and / or advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent patent claims.

[0014] The height of the holding section corresponds to the height of the tamper-evident ring when the folding ring is folded in. This ensures that the tamper-evident ring is continuous in the area of ​​the holding section. An expensive cutting system, which creates at least one additional cut on the container closure, is therefore not necessary to implement a closure that folds down from the container neck. The cutting system can therefore be particularly cost-effective and can even be retrofitted to existing systems. Furthermore, the service life of the knives on cutting systems that can perform multiple cuts is short. Accordingly, high maintenance costs are not incurred in the production of this container closure.

[0015] The invention is characterized in that the torque causes the folding ring (19) to unfold in the region of the holding section (49) in the open position and, as a result, in the open position, tabs (39) formed on the free end of the folding ring (19) and distributed over the circumference are unfolded or turned outwards in the region of the holding section (49) and can be supported on the retaining ring (35) or the external thread (33), whereby the screw cap (15) can be fixed in the open position.

[0016] The screw cap is held in a defined and wobble-free open position by wedging the tabs and does not disturb the user when drinking or pouring.

[0017] Because the entire holding section preferably acts as a hinge to the guarantee ring, this solution is particularly practical and it is self-explanatory for the user how to open the unscrewed cap and move it into the defined open position.

[0018] It has proven useful if the area of ​​the folding ring located below the holding section is connected to the holding section at the lower end of the holding section. This allows the torque generated when the cap is opened to be transmitted from the holding section to the folding ring. If a separating cut were present in the holding section, the separating cut would make the transmission of the torque impossible.

[0019] The tamper-evident ring is free of any additional cuts in the retaining section. An additional cut is unnecessary because the outer diameter of the cap is large enough to be pulled over the container neck during unscrewing. This is made possible by the cap being sufficiently flexible and not so rigid that it would catch on the neck.

[0020] The screw cap is also free of an additional cutting cut in the area of ​​the holding section.

[0021] Such an additional cut allows for an even greater axial expansion of the gap between the tamper-evident ring and the cap, preventing the cap from catching on the container neck. In contrast, the present cap is sufficiently flexible to be pulled or pressed over the neck.

[0022] The invention is also preferably characterized in that the outer diameter of the container closure is greater than 25 mm and preferably greater than 30 mm. A cap with an enlarged outer diameter is less rigid and more flexible. This allows the cap to be slightly deformed during unscrewing and lifted over the container neck without snagging or jamming.

[0023] The retaining section is preferably between 10 and 20 mm long, and preferably between 13 and 17 mm. This allows the retaining section to be designed as a hinge, which is not too rigid, yet not too weak to break or tear during unscrewing. The tabs ensure that the positive connection between the retaining ring and the tamper-evident ring cannot be overcome by axial forces generated when unscrewing the cap. All tabs can engage underneath the retaining ring because they are more flexible than a closed folding ring.

[0024] The invention is also characterized by the presence of 1 to 3 tabs on the underside of the retaining section. Due to their flexibility, these tabs can be supported on the retaining ring in the open position of the cap, so that at least the two outer tabs are in contact with the retaining ring. This ensures that the screw cap is securely held in the open position. Nevertheless, the tabs can skip the external thread when the cap is closed again, and the fixation can be released.

[0025] It has proven useful to incorporate an inwardly projecting inner cone, e.g., in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring, onto the lid disc of the screw cap. This cone is designed to interact sealingly with the inner wall of the container neck in the closed position. The closure cap can therefore act as a so-called "cone sealer," reliably sealing the bottle neck.

[0026] The invention is also characterized in that the closure cap is designed to interact with a standardized container neck with an external thread and an annular projection. The closure cap can therefore be placed on standardized container necks, in particular PET beverage bottles. Containers assembled with the closure cap according to the invention therefore do not need to be specially adapted to the closure cap.

[0027] The closure cap is preferably made of a plastic material, preferably HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene). The closure cap can therefore be manufactured from standard plastic materials, which are also used to manufacture well-known closure caps with tamper-evident rings.

[0028] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the screw cap, the guarantee ring, the first and second arms, the intended breaking webs and the tongue are integrally produced. As a result, the closure cap can be produced in an injection molding form. The intended breaking webs and the holding section are produced by providing a separating cut which is interrupted by the intended breaking webs and the holding section. No further separating cuts are provided, as a result of which the cutting system is much more cost-effective in terms of procurement compared to cutting systems with multiple knives. The inner cone is also preferably produced integrally with the other parts of the closure cap.

[0029] A further aspect of the invention relates to a container comprising a container body, a container neck adjoining the container body, an external thread formed on the container neck and a container closure according to the above description.

[0030] According to the invention, in the open position, the folding ring is unfolded or turned outwards in the area of ​​the holding section and the tabs of the folding ring are supported in the area of ​​the holding section in the open position on the retaining ring or the external thread, whereby the screw cap is fixed in the open position. Since the holding section is connected to the folding ring and is not separated from it by a second separating cut, the torque when the closure cap is opened can be transmitted via the holding section to the folding ring. The folding ring is therefore automatically unfolded in the area of ​​the holding section and serves as a fixing element for fixing the cap in the open position. In order to ensure that the torque can be transferred from the screw cap to the holding section, the connection between the free edge of the screw cap and the holding section is inflexible or awkward.The torque that occurs when the screw cap is folded down is transferred to the holding section and from the holding section to the folding ring.

[0031] Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention with reference to the schematic representations. These are not to scale: Figure 1: a side view of a container closure; Figure 2: a sectional view along section line II-II; Figure 3: a cross-section through the container closure; Figure 4: an isometric view of the container closure; and Figure 5: an isometric view of the container closure in the open position and placed on a preform.

[0032] In the Figures 1 to 5A container closure is shown, which is designated overall by the reference numeral 11. The container closure 11 is held captively on a container 13, in particular on a bottle. The container is in the Figure 5 shown as a standard preform 13. The closure cap 11 comprises a screw cap 15, a guarantee ring 17, and a folding ring 19.

[0033] The screw cap 15 comprises a lid disc 21 and a first cylindrical shell 23 with a free edge 25. An internal thread 27 is formed on the inside of the shell 23. The container 13 comprises a container body 29 and a container neck 31 adjoining the container body 29. The container neck 31 is designed as a second cylindrical shell. An external thread 33 is formed on the container neck 31, which interacts with the internal thread 27. This allows the screw cap 15 to be screwed onto and off the container neck 31. The closure cap 11 closes the pouring opening 51, which is provided within the container neck 31. The closure cap 11 is designed to interact with a standardized container neck 31 with an external thread 33 and a retaining ring 35.

[0034] The guarantee ring 17 is held in a form-fitting manner on the container neck 31. For this purpose, the retaining ring 35 is formed on the outside of the container neck 31, which can be gripped by the folding ring 19, formed on the inside of the guarantee ring 17. The guarantee ring 17 is rotatable relative to the container neck 31. The folding ring 19 is injection-molded together with the guarantee ring 19 and is unfolded after injection molding ( Figures 1 , 3 and 4). So that the folding ring 19 can engage beneath the retaining ring 35, it is folded into the tamper-evident ring 17 along a fold line 37. To facilitate folding of the folding ring 19, tabs 39 are formed on the folding ring 19, and breaks 41 are provided along the fold line 37. The tabs 39 also act as claws and reliably engage beneath the retaining ring. Therefore, axial removal of the tamper-evident ring 17 from the retaining ring 35 is reliably prevented when unscrewing the screw cap 15. The tabs 39 are preferably evenly distributed around the circumference.

[0035] The container closure 11 has a central axis 43 with respect to which the container closure 11 is rotationally symmetrical. In a rotational plane perpendicular to the central axis 43, a separating cut 45 is provided, which separates the guarantee ring 17 from the screw cap 15 in the circumferential direction. The free edge 25 is formed by the separating cut 45. The separating cut 45 is made with a knife tool after the closure 11 has been removed from the injection mold. The separating cut 45 is interrupted by predetermined breaking webs 47 and a holding section 49. The predetermined breaking webs 47 break when the screw cap 15 is unscrewed for the first time and, by their undamaged state, indicate that the closure 11 is unopened and originally sealed.

[0036] The retaining section 49 does not break upon initial opening and enables a permanent connection between the screw cap 15 and the tamper-evident ring 17. The height of the retaining section 49 corresponds to the height of the tamper-evident ring 17 when the folding ring is folded in. Therefore, the retaining section 49 is not separated from the tamper-evident ring by a second separating cut. In contrast, in the prior art, such a second separating cut is unavoidable so that the cap can be folded away from the container neck.

[0037] According to the present invention, the cap 15 can be unscrewed from the container neck 31 without the retaining portion 49 interfering with the screwing process. This is particularly due to the fact that the closure 11 has an enlarged outer diameter 50 of more than 30 mm. As a result, the cap 15 is less rigid than with smaller outer diameters and can be pulled over the upper end of the container neck 31 by deformation. The retaining portion 49 extends from the separating cut 45 to the folding ring 19 and is connected to the folding ring 19 at its lower side.

[0038] The screw cap 15 can be removed from a closed position ( Figures 1 and 4 ), in which it closes the pouring opening 51, into an open position ( Figure 5). When pivoting into the open position, the entire holding section 49, and not just its connection to the guarantee ring 17, acts as a hinge to the guarantee ring 17. In the open position, the pouring opening 51 is completely exposed.

[0039] Accordingly, the holding section 49 is connected to the tamper-evident ring 17 in an inflexible or rigid manner. The connection of the holding section 49 to the tamper-evident ring 17 is therefore rigid and does not serve as a joint. As a result, a torque generated when the screw cap is opened can be transferred from the screw cap to the tamper-evident ring 17, causing the tamper-evident ring 17 to be subjected to torsion and twisting. The torsion of the tamper-evident ring 17 at the transitions leads to restoring forces that can fix the screw cap 15 in the open position. The unfolding of the folding ring 19 in the area of ​​the holding section 49, as described in the next paragraph, is also advantageous.

[0040] Because the holding section 49 is connected to the folding ring 19, when the cap 15 is opened, the torque from the holding section 49 acts on the part of the folding ring 19 that adjoins the holding section 49. As a result, this part of the folding ring 19 unfolds and is supported by the tabs 39 on the retaining ring 35 ( Figure 5 ). This particularly advantageously holds the screw cap 15 in the open position and does not impede the use of the container 13. The tabs 39 formed on the folding ring 19 improve fixation in the open position. Preferably, three tabs 39 are supported on the retaining ring 35. The flexibility of the tabs 39 further improves the holding function. Preferably, the holding section 49 has a length of approximately 15 mm so that the cap 15 can be easily pivoted without the guarantee ring 17 offering excessive resistance.

[0041] On the cover plate 21 of the screw cap 15 there is preferably an inwardly projecting inner cone 53 ( Figure 3 ), e.g., in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring. The inner cone 53 is designed to cooperate sealingly with the inner wall 55 of the container neck 31 in the closed position. The container closure 11 can therefore act as a so-called "cone sealer" and reliably seals the container neck 31.

[0042] The closure cap 11 is made of a plastic. Preferred plastics include PP and HDPE. The screw cap 15, the tamper-evident ring 17, the folding ring 19, and the predetermined breaking bars 47 are manufactured in one piece, preferably in an injection mold. The separating cut 45 is made after the container closure 11 has been removed from the injection mold.

[0043] At the transition of the container neck 31 to the container body 29, a support ring 57 is usually formed on the container or the preform 13. Legend:

[0044] 11Container closure 13Container, preform 15Screw cap 17Guarantee ring 19Folding ring 21Cover disc 23Cylindrical shell 25Free rim 27Internal thread 29Container body 31Container neck 33External thread 35Retaining ring 37Folding line 39Tabs 41Breaks 43Central axis 45Separation cut 47Predetermined breaking bars 49Retaining section 50Outer diameter 51Pour-out opening 53Inner cone 55Inner wall 57Support ring

Claims

1. Container closure (11) for closing the pouring spout (51) of a container (13), with - a screw cap (15) with a free edge (25), a first cylindrical jacket (23), a cover disk (21) adjoining the jacket (23), and a female thread (27) formed on the inside of the jacket (23), which can interact with a male thread (33) of a container neck (31) of the container (13), - a guarantee ring (17), which is connected by means of predetermined breaking webs (47) with the free edge (25) of the jacket (15), and has a folding ring (19), which is designed for positively engaging into a thrust bearing arranged in the area of the container neck (31) in the form of a retaining ring (35), and can be folded into the guarantee ring (17) from the lower edge of the guarantee ring, wherein a single separating cut (45) is provided between the screw cap (15) and the guarantee ring (17) in the rotational plane of the closure (11), and is interrupted by the predetermined breaking webs (47) and a retaining section (49) that serves to connect the screw cap (15) with the guarantee ring (17), and the screw cap (15) can be folded out of a closed position, in which it closes the pouring spout (51), into an open position, in which it completely releases the pouring spout (51), wherein the height of the retaining section (49) corresponds to the height of the guarantee ring (17) with the folding ring (19) folded in, and the retaining section (49) is connected with the guarantee ring (17), as a result of which a torque that arises while folding open the screw cap (15) can be transmitted from the screw cap (15) to the guarantee ring (17), and the guarantee ring (17) is set into torsion and twisted by the torque at the transitions to the retaining section (49), the retaining section (49) is inflexibly connected with the guarantee ring (17), characterized in that the torque causes the folding ring (19) to unfold in the area of the retaining section (49) in the open position, as a result of which lugs (39) formed at the free end of the folding ring (19) and distributed over the circumference are outwardly unfolded or turned in the area of the retaining section (49) in the open position and can be supported on the retaining ring (35) or the male thread (33), as a result of which the screw cap (15) can be fixed in the open position.

2. The container closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the area of the folding ring (19) arranged below the retaining section (49) is connected with the retaining section (49) at the lower end of the retaining section (49).

3. The container closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer diameter (50) of the container closure (11) is greater than 25 mm, and preferably greater than 30 mm.

4. The container closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining section (49) has a length of between 10 and 20 mm, and preferably of between 13 and 17 mm.

5. The container closure according to claim 1, characterized in that 1 to 3 lugs (39) are present on the underside of the retaining section (49).

6. The container closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an inwardly projecting inner cone (53) is molded onto the cover disk (21) of the screw cap (15), e.g., in the form of a sealing cylinder or a sealing ring, which is designed to interact in a sealing manner with the inner wall (55) of the container neck (31) in the closure position.

7. The container closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container closure (11) is made out of a plastic material, preferably PP or HDPE.

8. The container closure according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the screw cap (15), the guarantee ring (17), the folding ring (19) and the predetermined breaking webs (47) are fabricated as a single piece.

9. A container (13), with - a container body (29), - a container neck (31) adjoining the container body (29), - a male thread (33) formed onto the container neck (31), and - a container closure (11) for closing a pouring spout (51) provided inside of the container neck (31), characterized in that the container closure is a container closure (11) according to one of claims 1 to 8.