SALES UNIT WITH WARRANTY LOCK

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a sales unit with a container, a lid for closing the container and a guarantee closure indicating that the sales unit has been opened for the first time. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] It is known that in the case of sales units such as buckets, bowls, cups or the like, made of plastic or renewable raw materials such as cardboard or bamboo, the contents of which are protected from access or contamination by a lid, the first opening of the sales unit can be proven by means of a guarantee seal.

[0003] From DE 84 22 478.9 U1, for example, a sales unit in the form of a bucket is known, the upper rim of which is provided with an upper annular groove between an inner flange and an outer flange, and with a lid having a downwardly facing flange received in the annular groove. The downwardly facing flange of the lid engages with the container below an annular locking lug on the inside of the outer flange and is held in place by the outside of the inner flange. When the lid is opened for the first time, the tamper-evident seal is damaged, making it visually apparent whether the bucket has been opened or not.

[0004] DE 299 10 375 U1 discloses a sales unit comprising a container and a lid for closing the container, which has a tamper-evident seal with a recess at the bottom edge. The arrangement of the recess at the bottom edge of the cover flange allows for convenient and easy opening.

[0005] The principle of the tamper-evident seal is generally based on the geometry of the lid and container, making it difficult to manually grasp the lid without first damaging the tamper-evident seal. Tamper-evident seals are also known to be attached to the sales unit at multiple points, so that even after the sales unit is opened, the tamper-evident seal is damaged but is still held in place by individual attachment points or a film hinge on the sales unit.

[0006] The disadvantage of the known sales units is that the guarantee seal is a non-reusable part, which is either disposed of together with the sales unit or, for example, if it is accidentally or intentionally torn off completely, can end up in the environment as a small, individual plastic part.

[0007] In the construction sector, sales units of coating components are offered for application to a coating substrate, for example, for coating building walls, roofs, or flooring. It is often very important that a uniform layer thickness of the coating to be applied is achieved. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide a sales unit with a container for receiving at least one component of a coating to be applied to a coating substrate, which has a reusable guarantee closure. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to the invention, a sales unit is proposed with a container for receiving at least one component of a coating to be applied to a coating substrate, with a lid for closing the container and with a guarantee closure indicating a first-time opening of the sales unit, wherein the guarantee closure has an upper edge, a lower edge, two side edges and a recess, wherein the recess is arranged on the upper edge of the guarantee closure as a measuring embodiment for detecting or determining a layer thickness of the coating to be applied.

[0010] The guarantee closure according to the invention can be reused by separating it from the sales unit and reusing it either as a layer thickness gauge in a first embodiment of the invention or as a layer thickness determiner in a second embodiment.

[0011] The lid can be opened after the tamper-evident seal has been removed, torn off, or simply opened. This can be done manually, for example, by reaching into a recess left by the removed tamper-evident seal. After the tamper-evident seal has been removed, it is visually evident that the sales unit has been opened.

[0012] The coating thickness gauge is advantageously reusable. Detecting or determining the coating thickness does not render it unusable, for example due to contamination, because the detection is performed via the measuring scale in the form of a recess, rather than as with a ruler or folding rule, such as a folding rule, where the display becomes contaminated by the coating during the measurement.

[0013] Nevertheless, the tamper-evident seal can of course also feature a display that visually shows, for example, the target layer thickness of the coating to be applied. However, the display can be positioned separately from the area where the detection or measurement of the layer thickness takes place.

[0014] In particular, but not exclusively, the sales unit with the tamper-evident seal according to the invention is suitable for use in the sale of components for coating building walls, roofs, and floor coverings, such as for their waterproofing, but also for the formation of glazes, varnishes, or the like. In these applications, it is often very important that a uniform layer thickness of the coating to be applied is achieved. Preferred embodiments include liquid-applied sealing materials, for which a key feature for standard-compliant application is a minimum achievable wet layer thickness and / or dry layer thickness.

[0015] The component may, for example, but not exclusively, be offered in the form of bulk material, powder or liquid in the sales unit.

[0016] The tamper-evident closure typically has a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side edges. For the purposes of the invention, the terms "top" and "bottom" refer to a bottom of the container. The container opening, which is closed by the lid, is typically located on the top, but this is in no way limiting to the invention.

[0017] According to the invention, the recess is located at the top edge of the tamper-evident seal. The upper-side arrangement of the recess provides protection, in particular, against damage to the measuring scale, for example, during transport. Furthermore, the embodiment advantageously protects users from injury if the tamper-evident seal is grasped at its bottom edge and separated from the container.

[0018] The lower edge of the tamper-evident seal can advantageously be substantially straight. "Substantially straight" in this context means "straight" relative to an upper edge or a bottom of the sales unit. The container itself, and thus also the tamper-evident seal, can nevertheless have a round shape, for example, in the case of a bucket, which is also understood to be encompassed by this embodiment. A straight or smooth design of the lower edge of the tamper-evident seal has the advantage that, when using the tamper-evident seal to detect or determine the thickness of the coating to be applied, the user's thumb can be placed on the lower edge of the tamper-evident seal, for example, to press it against a wall or ceiling.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the recess is defined by at least two support sections and at least one measuring section of the tamper-evident seal. The layer thickness of the coating to be applied is determined as the height of a reference point located in the measuring section relative to a straight line through support points located in the support sections. Support by at least two support sections advantageously enables reliable detection or determination of the layer thickness of the coating to be applied.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment, the guarantee seal comprises a coating thickness gauge forming the measuring standard. The coating thickness gauge comprises precisely one reference section, by means of which a target value for the coating thickness to be applied can be verified. In the embodiment of the guarantee seal as a coating thickness gauge, the measuring standard in the form of the recess thus enables the verification of a target value for the coating thickness.

[0021] According to an alternative embodiment, the tamper-evident seal comprises a plurality of reference sections by means of which different layer thicknesses of the coating to be applied can be measured, for example, at least two, preferably at least three, more preferably at least four, or even more preferably at least five different layer thicknesses. The reference sections can, for example, be arranged in steps. According to this alternative embodiment as a measuring device, the tamper-evident seal can measure a series of layer thicknesses through the measuring embodiment in the form of the recess.

[0022] In this embodiment, the tamper-evident seal can, for example, contain a scale that shows the user the corresponding layer thickness of the applied coating in the respective reference sections. The scale can be positioned independently of the recess that functions as a "measuring device," unlike, for example, a ruler or folding rule, such as a folding rule. The reference sections can, for example, be arranged in steps and exhibit a linear or non-linear relationship to one another.

[0023] The guarantee closure preferably comprises at least two connecting sections, which are further preferably arranged on two opposite side edges of the guarantee closure.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the tamper-evident seal is connected to the container or the lid of the sales unit by means of at least one, preferably two or three, web bridges or by means of a perforation. While in the present disclosure, "web bridges" refer to individual material bridges that are easily counted visually, for example, one or two or three such material bridges for connecting the tamper-evident seal to the rest of the sales unit, perforations typically involve a plurality of material bridges, for example, more than 20 or more than 50, so that one perforation can be referred to.

[0025] The inventive tamper-evident seal can, for example, be attached to the lid of the sales unit and, if the lid is damaged, indicates that the sales unit has been opened for the first time. Alternatively, the tamper-evident seal can be attached to an insert, such as an insert tray, of the sales unit.

[0026] Further alternatively and preferably, the tamper-evident closure is arranged in a flange recess of a first outer flange of the container. In this embodiment, the lid closure opening is provided with at least one flange.

[0027] In advantageous embodiments, it can be provided that the sales units can be nested for empty transport. These typically have a stacking edge in the form of an outer flange of the sales unit to simplify the separation of an empty transport stack of sales units. The first outer flange with the flange recess for the guarantee seal can be part of the stacking edge.

[0028] Preferably, a lower edge of the tamper-evident seal is flush with a lower edge of the first outer flange and is essentially continuous with the lower edge of the first outer flange. The smoothest possible connection of the tamper-evident seal to the outer flange, or a smooth transition at its lower edge, protects the user from injury when carrying and lifting the sales unit. "Essentially continuous" in this context means a continuous design except for the transition points, which, as previously described, are bridged, for example, by means of webs or perforations. In other words, the lower edge of the tamper-evident seal is straight with respect to the lower edge of the first outer flange.

[0029] The lid can be connected to the sales unit in a variety of ways.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the container has a second outer flange, which extends at a distance from the first outer flange. The second outer flange is arranged closer to the upper edge of the container than the first outer flange. For example, a groove can be formed between the first and second outer flanges.

[0031] Advantageously, the groove and a sealing edge of the lid are aligned in such a way that manual opening of the sales unit without removing the tamper-evident seal is difficult. After the tamper-evident seal has been breached, for example, removed, the lid can preferably be grasped from under a lower edge to remove the lid from the container.

[0032] The second outer flange can be provided with a skirt that engages with an inner flange of the lid when the sales unit is closed. This further complicates opening the lid, as the inner flange of the lid must be disengaged from the skirt of the outer flange.

[0033] Alternatively or additionally, the second outer flange may have a first fitting area that engages with a second fitting area of ​​the lid when the sales unit is closed. Within the context of the present disclosure, a "fit" is understood to mean a press fit, which typically involves a slight oversize of an inner part relative to an outer part. In the preferred embodiment, the upper edge of the container is oversized relative to a receiving groove in the lid, so that they only engage with each other upon the application of force. This prevents the lid from spontaneously detaching from the container.

[0034] The sales unit is designed, for example but not exclusively, as a bucket. The sales unit is preferably made of injection-molded plastic.

[0035] The invention is described and illustrated in more detail below with reference to the figures, which are not to be understood as limiting. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0036] It shows Fig. 1 shows a sales unit in a side view with a container and a flange recess for receiving a guarantee closure, Fig. 2 shows a side view of an upper part of a container with a guarantee closure according to a first embodiment and Fig. 3 shows a side view of an upper part of a container with a guarantee closure according to a second embodiment.

[0037] Fig. 1 shows a side view of a sales unit 10 with a container 12 for receiving at least one component of a coating to be applied to a coating substrate according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0038] A lid for closing the container 12 is not shown in the figures and is not necessary for understanding the invention.

[0039] The container 12 has a container rim 122 on the top side, which engages with the lid to close the container 12.

[0040] Although the container 12 is depicted as a bucket, this is not limiting for the invention. Rather, the container 12 can have any shape, in particular, for example, bowl-shaped, box-shaped, or cup-shaped.

[0041] Furthermore, the container 12 is not shown to scale in the figures, but certain details are shown somewhat enlarged in order to facilitate understanding of the invention.

[0042] The container 12 comprises, in the region of the container rim 122, a first outer flange 14 and a second outer flange 16, which are spaced apart from each other by a groove 18. More specifically, an upper edge 144 of the first outer flange 14 is spaced apart from a lower edge 162 of the first outer flange 16 by the groove 18. The second outer flange 16 is arranged closer to the opening of the container 12 for receiving the contents, in other words, further up, than the first outer flange 14.

[0043] When the cover is in place, the second outer flange 16 is typically not visible and is concealed by its beveled edge.

[0044] The second outer flange 16 has a fitting area 164, which simultaneously forms the upper container edge 122. The fitting area 164 is matched to a corresponding second fitting area of ​​the lid, so that they can be inserted into one another using manual force. The second outer flange 16 also has a skirt 168 that adjoins the fitting area 164. In the area of ​​the skirt 168, the lid can be provided with an inner flange that cooperates with the skirt in a form-fitting manner to enable the lid to be held in place. However, this is not limiting for the invention.

[0045] The guarantee closure 20 according to the invention is in Fig. 2 and 3 The tamper-evident seal 20 is shown in Fig. 1 embedded in the flange recess 28 shown. Preferably, the container 12 with the tamper-evident closure 20 is manufactured in one piece by injection molding.

[0046] Fig. 2 shows a sales unit 10 on which a guarantee closure 20 according to the invention is connected to a container 12, according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0047] The tamper-evident closure 20 has a substantially rectangular, elongated shape and includes an upper edge 22, a lower edge 24, and two side edges 26. At the side edges 26, the tamper-evident closure 20 is connected to the outer flange 14 of the container 12. In the illustrated embodiment, two web bridges 42 are located in a connecting section 40 between the tamper-evident closure 20 and the container 12, and one connecting section 40 is located on each side edge 26.

[0048] The user destroys the bridges 42 if he / she grasps the underside of the guarantee closure 20 and tears the guarantee closure 20 off the container 12.

[0049] At the lower edge 24 of the tamper-evident closure 20, it is aligned flush with the lower edge 142 of the first outer flange 14 to avoid sharp edges in the transition area. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower edge 24 is essentially straight, i.e., except for the intrinsic curvature of the bucket-shaped container 12. The lower edge 22 of the tamper-evident closure 20 is also essentially continuous with the lower edge 142 of the first outer flange 14.

[0050] The outer flange 14 is circumferentially connected to the container 12 via reinforcing ribs 46.

[0051] The function of the guarantee seal as a measuring embodiment in the form of a recess 30 for the detection or determination of a layer thickness of a coating to be applied is described in particular with reference to Fig. 3 and the embodiment shown therein.

[0052] Of course, the following with reference to Fig. 3 The described function of the guarantee seal also applies to the design according to Fig. 2 transferable, which provides a corresponding recess 30 for this purpose.

[0053] In Fig. 3 An embodiment of the guarantee closure 20 is shown in which it is connected to the container 12 via a perforation 44, in the embodiment shown purely by way of example but not by way of limitation to the first outer flange 14 of the container 12.

[0054] In the Fig. 3In the illustrated embodiment, the guarantee closure 20 comprises, purely by way of example, two support sections 32, on which, for example, two support points S 1 and S 2 are formed. Furthermore, the guarantee closure 20 comprises a measuring section 34 that extends between the support sections 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the measuring section 34 comprises, purely by way of example but not by way of limitation, four reference sections 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, by means of which four different layer thicknesses can be measured or detected.

[0055] The reference sections 36a,b,c,d are arranged in a step-like manner purely by way of example, so that the reference section 36c can detect a smallest layer thickness and the reference section 36a can detect a largest layer thickness.

[0056] The layer thickness is determined by a height h of a reference point R located in the measuring section in relation to a straight line G through the support points S 1 , S 2 .

[0057] The user destroys the perforation 44 if he / she grasps the underside of the guarantee seal 20 and tears the guarantee seal 20 off the container 12.

[0058] After the user has removed the tamper-evident seal 20 from the container 12, the user places the tamper-evident seal 20 at its support points 32 on the coating substrate, whereby the still liquid or not completely dried coating is penetrated by the tamper-evident seal 20. Depending on the layer thickness, the support sections 32 and, if applicable, certain areas in the measuring section 34, i.e., certain reference sections 36a, b, c, d, are wetted or colored by the coating. The layer thickness can be read from this. Alternatively, the layer thickness can be checked or measured by viewing perpendicular to the process of placing the tamper-evident seal 20 on the coating substrate by checking which reference sections 36a, b, c, d are not immersed in the freshly applied layer.

[0059] Of course, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. It may be provided to configure the measuring section 34 with only one reference section 36, so that the tamper-evident seal 20 can be used as a coating thickness gauge. This is particularly useful when a minimum coating thickness is to be achieved in order to maintain certain coating properties.

[0060] Although the figures only depict one embodiment of the tamper-evident seal 20, where it is arranged in the flange recess 28 of the container 12, the invention is of course not limited to this. In particular, an arrangement of the tamper-evident seal 20 in the region of the lid is also possible. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0061] 10 Sales unit; 12 Container; 14 First outer flange; 16 Second outer flange; 18 Groove; 20 Tamper evident seal; 22 Top edge of tamper evident seal; 24 Bottom edge of tamper evident seal; 26 Side edge of tamper evident seal; 28 Flange recess; 30 Recess; 32 Support section; 34 Measuring section; 36a, b, c, d Reference sections; 40 Connecting section; 42 Bridge; 44 Perforation; 46 Reinforcing rib; 122 Container rim; 142 Bottom edge of first outer flange; 144 Top edge of first outer flange; 162 Bottom edge of second outer flange; 164 Fit area; 168 Skirt; R Reference point; S1, S2, Support points; h Height; G Straight line

Claims

1. Vending unit (10) comprising a container (12) for receiving at least one component of a coating to be applied to a coating undercoat, comprising a lid for sealing the container (12) and comprising a tamper-evident seal (20) showing a first-time opening of the vending unit (10), the tamper-evident seal (20) having an upper edge (22), a lower edge (24), two side edges (26) and a recess (30), characterised in that the recess, as a solid measure for establishing or determining a layer thickness of the coating to be applied, is arranged on the upper edge (22) of the tamper-evident seal (20).

2. Vending unit (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower edge (24) of the tamper-evident seal (20) is formed substantially straight.

3. Vending unit (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the recess (30) is delimited by at least two support portions (32) and at least one measurement portion (34) of the tamper-evident seal (20), a layer thickness of the coating to be applied being determined as a height (h) of a reference point (R), located in the measurement portion (34), with respect to a straight line (G) by way of support points (S 1, S2) located in the support portions (32).

4. Vending unit (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tamper-evident seal (20) comprises a layer thickness gauge, which forms the solid measure and which comprises exactly one reference portion (36) from which a target value for a layer thickness of the coating to be applied can be established.

5. Vending unit (10) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the tamper-evident seal (20) comprises a plurality of reference portions (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d), in particular arranged in a step-wise manner, from which different layer thicknesses of the coating to be applied can be determined, specifically at least two, preferably at least three, more preferably at least four or at least five different layer thicknesses.

6. Vending unit (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tamper-evident seal (20) has at least two connection portions (40), which are preferably arranged on two opposite side edges (26) of the tamper-evident seal (20), at which the tamper-evident seal (20) is connected to the container (12) or to the lid of the vending unit (10) via at least one, preferably two or three bridges (42) or by means of a perforation (44).

7. Vending unit (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tamper-evident seal (20) is arranged in a flange recess (28) of a first outer flange (14) of the container (12).

8. Vending unit (10) according to claim 7, characterised in that a lower edge (24) of the tamper-evident seal (20) connects flush to a lower edge (142) of the first outer flange (14) and is formed substantially continuously with the lower edge (142) of the first outer flange (14).

9. Vending unit (10) according to either claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that the container (12) has a second outer flange (16) which extends spaced apart from the first outer flange (14), in particular by a groove (18).

10. Vending unit (10) according to claim 9, characterised in that the groove (18) and a sealing edge of the lid are matched to one another in such a way that manually opening the vending unit (10) without removing the tamper-evident seal (20) is impeded.

11. Vending unit (10) according to either claim 9 or claim 10, characterised in that the second outer flange (16) has a skirt (168) which enters engagement with an inner flange of the lid when the vending unit (10) is sealed.

12. Vending unit (10) according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the second outer flange (16) has a first fitting region (164) which enters engagement with a second fitting region of the lid when the vending unit (10) is sealed.

13. Vending unit (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the container (12) is formed as a bucket.