CAP AND VESSEL WITH SUCH CAP AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE CAP

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap for a container for holding cosmetic creams, liquids, or pastes, such as mascara in particular, wherein the cap is designed as a material hybrid with a connection area formed on the inside of a base body of the cap made of metal, plastic, or ceramic for creating a connection between the cap and the container, designed as a screw connection, bayonet connection, or the like. Furthermore, the invention relates to a container provided with such a cap and to a method for manufacturing a cap.

[0002] Closure caps of the aforementioned type, designed as material hybrids, are known in various designs. One approach to enabling the recycling of such closure caps involves designing them so that components made of different materials are separably joined during the manufacturing process. This allows, for example, the separation of a plastic inner cap, which simultaneously forms the cap's threaded end, from an aluminum outer cap, thus enabling recycling of the different materials. Such a design of a closure cap as a material hybrid requires the individual components to be manufactured independently and then assembled in a separate assembly step.For recycling such a cap, this means that the cap must be handled again in order to separate the components.

[0003] Another possible approach is to forgo the creation of mechanical interfaces between the components that would allow for their separation for recycling and instead eliminate one or more of the combined materials. For example, plastic components could be separated or incinerated to allow the metal components to be recycled. This approach, however, would potentially sacrifice a significant volume of the cap, such as plastic, which could otherwise be recycled, resulting in a rather negative environmental impact.

[0004] US patent 7,134,565 B1 discloses a closure cap in which a plastic material applied to the inside of the closure cap to form a connection area extends over the entire threaded area.

[0005] From DE 92 18 595 U1 a closure cap is known which, in a connection area for producing a bayonet connection with a container neck, has a plastic material designed as a guide nub which is guided in guide grooves formed on the container neck for closing the container.

[0006] The present invention is based on the objective of minimizing the use of plastic material for the production of a screw connection between a closure cap and a container.

[0007] To solve this problem, the closure cap according to the invention has the features of claim 1.

[0008] According to the invention, the closure cap has a connection area formed on an inner side of a base body of the closure cap made of metal, plastic or ceramic for producing a connection of the closure cap to the vessel in the form of a screw connection, bayonet connection or the like, wherein the connection area has a plastic material as contact material only in a partial area to form a contact contact between the closure cap and the vessel and is otherwise formed from the material of the base body.

[0009] If the cap body is also made of a plastic material, the plastic material used as a contact material differs in its chemical and / or physical properties from the plastic material of the cap body. Using a contact material made of a plastic material only in a portion of the connection area, with the remainder of this area being made of the same material as the cap body, requires, in preparation for recycling the material used for the cap body, only the elimination of a relatively small volume or weight fraction of the cap compared to a cap where approximately the entire connection area consists of a plastic material different from the cap body.This is particularly relevant if the connection area consists entirely of a plastic material, so that the amount of plastic to be sacrificed can be significantly reduced as a prerequisite for recycling the base material.

[0010] It is assumed that the essential function of the plastic material used in the connection area is to form a friction partner in the production of the connection between the cap and the container, which, for example in the case of a screw connection between the cap and a metal thread of the container, positively influences the friction behavior, so that a correspondingly positive haptic perception of the user results when opening or closing the container.

[0011] According to the invention, the contact material forms a thread of a cap thread on the inside of the base body, so that the invention is particularly easy to implement in the case where the connection area serves to produce a screw connection.

[0012] According to the invention, the valley floor of a thread valley formed between axially adjacent flanks of the thread thread has no contact material.

[0013] Preferably, the volume or weight fraction of the contact material is less than or equal to 8%, particularly preferably less than or equal to 5%.

[0014] If the contact material consists of a thermoplastic material that is softer than the material of the cap, such as TPE (thermoplastic elastomers), the advantages described above can be achieved to a particularly high degree.

[0015] Furthermore, if the contact material forms a cap seal between the base body and an opening edge of a vessel opening, it is advantageous to use the same contact material for both forming a thread and forming a sealing surface.

[0016] It is particularly preferred if the sealing surface is designed as a ring or circular surface.

[0017] If the thread and the cap seal are formed from a continuous contact material composite, the thread and the cap seal can be manufactured particularly economically in a single injection molding process.

[0018] Particularly effective use of the contact material, both for achieving the aforementioned advantageous haptic perception and for minimizing the material content of the contact material in relation to the total volume or weight of the cap, can be achieved if the thread has a profile with profile flanks that taper off at the transition to the surface of the base body.

[0019] Particularly with regard to further increasing the possible minimization of the use of plastic material as contact material, it is advantageous if the thread is composed of thread segments spaced apart from each other in the direction of the thread.

[0020] It is particularly advantageous if the thread is designed as a trapezoidal thread.

[0021] If the base body of the closure cap forms an inner cap arranged in an outer cap, complex designs of a closure cap are also possible on the basis of the base body provided with the contact material, in which, for example, further design possibilities of the closure cap are opened up by an outer cap that is formed independently of the base body.

[0022] The vessel according to the invention has the features of claim 11. Advantageous embodiments of the closure cap are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing figures.

[0023] They show: Fig. 1 a closure cap in a first embodiment in isometric view and top view; Fig. 2 the in Fig. 1 Shown closure cap in isometric view and bottom view; Fig. 3 one with the in Fig. 1 Container with cap shown in cross-sectional view; Fig. 4 the in Fig. 3 shown closure cap in individual view; Fig. 5 an exploded view of the in the Fig. 1 bis 4 illustrated cap; Fig. 6 a closure cap in isometric representation in a further embodiment; Fig. 7 the in Fig. 6 Shown closure cap in isometric view and bottom view; Fig. 8 a vessel containing the Fig. 6 and 7 shown closure cap in cross-sectional view; Fig. 9 the in Fig. 8 shown closure cap in individual view; Fig. 10 the in the Fig. 6 bis 9 Exploded view of the cap shown.

[0024] In the Fig. 1 bis 5 In a first embodiment, a closure cap 11 is shown in combination with a vessel 10, here designed as a crucible. The closure cap 11 comprises a total of four components, wherein a cap insert 14, here designed as a cap weight, is accommodated between a base body 12 designed as an inner cap and an outer cap 13. Like the outer cap 13, the cap insert 14 contributes substantially to the haptic characteristics of the closure cap 11 and is complemented by the base body 12, which is provided on its inner surface 15 with a cap thread 16 and a cap seal 17.

[0025] As in Fig. 3 As shown, the cap thread 16 with a thread 18 extends over a connection area formed on the inside 15 of the base body 12, the thread 18 being in engagement with a vessel thread 20 formed on a vessel neck 19 of the vessel 10. In the Fig. 3 In the closed configuration of the vessel 10 shown, the cap seal 17, arranged on a cap base 21 of the base body 12 designed as an inner cap, lies sealingly against an opening edge 34 of the vessel 10.

[0026] In the present case, both the thread 18 of the cap thread 16 and the cap seal 17 are formed from a contact material 22, which is injection-molded onto the inside 15 of the base body 12, which in this case is made of aluminum, identical to the outer cap 13. As can be seen in particular from a review of the Fig. 4 and 5As becomes clear, in the present case the thread 18 and the cap seal 17 form a contact material composite 23, which is arranged on the inside 15 of the base body 12, wherein, in the case of production of the contact material composite 23 in an injection molding process, the base body 12 can serve as part of a mold tool, such that the base body 12 together with a mold core 32 inserted into the base body 12, which in Fig. 4 As indicated by the hatched area, a mold cavity for the contact material composite 23 is formed during the production of the contact material composite 23.

[0027] The contact material 22 can be fed into the mold cavity through a central bore 33 formed in the cap base 21 of the base body 12, so that, as in Fig. 4 shown, after production of the contact material composite 23, this has a sprue 26 formed in the central bore 25.

[0028] How in particular Fig. 4 As shown, the thread 18, which is designed here as a trapezoidal thread, has a profile 27 with profile flanks 29 extending towards a surface 28 of the inside 15 of the base body 12, wherein a valley bottom 30 of a thread valley 31 formed between axially adjacent profile flanks 29 has no contact material, so that in the present case the surface 28 is formed by the material of the base body 12, i.e. in the present case the aluminum.

[0029] How Fig. 3 As clearly shown, in the illustrated embodiment, contact between the cap 11 screwed onto the neck 19 of the vessel 10 and the vessel 10 occurs exclusively via the contact material 22 used to create the thread 18 and the cap seal 17. Thus, despite the base body 12 being made of aluminum and the vessel 10 potentially also being made of aluminum, no metallic contact occurs between the cap 11 and the vessel 10 when the cap is screwed on or off. Rather, the user's haptic perception during an opening or closing process is controlled by the contact material 22.The frictional behavior of the contact material 22 towards the material of the vessel 10 is determined, whereby, in particular when using TPE as a plastic material, especially in the case of a friction pairing of TPE as contact material and aluminum or a comparatively hard plastic material for the vessel 10, a snug fit of the closure cap 11 is achieved in conjunction with a frictional resistance that is perceived as pleasant when screwing on or off.

[0030] In any case, the material pairing can be arranged in such a way that, on the one hand, good adhesion of the contact material 22 to, for example, metal, plastic, glass and ceramic, and on the other hand, good friction and sliding properties can be achieved in order to dampen noises, in particular when closing or opening the vessel 10.

[0031] The connection area, i.e., the area on the inside 15 of the base body 12 over which the thread 18 extends, can be designed such that all forces and torques are borne by the contact material 22, as in the case of the one in Fig. 3 illustrated embodiment.

[0032] To reduce noise and prevent the cap 11 from coming loose, a pre-tensioned cap shape based on the shape of the "Reuleaux triangle" can be used. The flexibility of the base body 12 then acts as a spring and compensates for tolerances in the gaps between the cap 11 and the vessel 10, so that a high-quality feel can be achieved, especially regardless of the ambient temperature.

[0033] In the Fig. 6 bis 10 In another embodiment, a closure cap 40 is shown, which is in Fig. 8 in combination with a vessel 41. As shown in particular Fig. 9 As shown, the closure cap 40 has a base body 42 which is in accordance with the reference to the Fig. 1 bis 5 The illustrated closure cap 11 is designed as the inner cap of the closure cap 40, wherein a cap insert 43 designed as a cap weight is provided between the base body 42 and an outer cap 49 which is also made of aluminium in accordance with the base body 42.

[0034] As can be seen particularly from a synthesis of the Fig. 9 and 10As can be clearly seen, the base body 42 is provided on its inner surface 44 with a contact material composite 45, which is preferably applied to the inner surface 44 of the base body 42 in an injection molding process, and which has a plurality of contact material strands 47 extending axially over a connection area formed on the inner surface 44, which are in contact with a central part of the contact material composite 45 arranged on a cap base 48 of the base body 42, which forms a cap seal 48.

[0035] As already mentioned with reference to the fact that in particular in Fig. 5 As explained in the illustrated embodiment of the closure cap 11, in the present case the contact material composite 45 is also applied to the inside 44 of the base body 42 in an injection molding process.

[0036] The contact material strands 47 extend between thread segments 51 formed on the inside 44 of the base body 42, which in this case are formed from the material of the base body 42, i.e., here from aluminum, so that in the case of the Fig. 6 bis 10 In the illustrated embodiment of the closure cap 40, the transmission of forces in the screw connection is essentially carried out via the thread segments 51 formed from the material of the base body 42, wherein the contact material strands 47 provide radial support and, due to their material properties, enable an elastically compliant reduction of the forces acting in the screw connection and thus contribute to an increase in the haptic quality during the screwing process.

Claims

1. A closing cap (11, 40) for a container (10, 41) for receiving cosmetic creams, liquids or pasty substances, such as in particular mascara, the closing cap (11, 40) being designed as a material hybrid and having a connective area for establishing a connection realized as a screw connection, bayonet connection or the like between the closing cap (11, 40) and the container (10, 41), the connective area being formed on an inner side (15, 44) of a base body (12, 42) of the closing cap (11, 40) made of metal, plastic or ceramics, the connective area having a plastic material as a contacting material (22) in merely a portion for forming a physical contact between the closing cap (11, 44) and the container (10, 41) and the remaining portions being made of the same material as the base body (12, 42), the contacting material (22) forming a thread turn (18) of a cap thread (16) formed on the inner side (15) of the base body (12), characterized in that a depression bottom (30) of a thread depression (31) formed between axially adjacent profile flanks (29) of the thread turn (18) does not have contacting material (22).

2. The closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the volumetric or weight portion of the contacting material (22) is less than or equal to 8 %.

3. The closing cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the contacting material (22) consists of a thermoplastic material, such as in particular TPE, which is soft compared to the material of the closing cap (11, 40).

4. The closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting material (22) forms a cap seal (17) between the base body (12) and an opening edge (34) of a container opening of the container (10).

5. The closing cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the cap seal (17) is an annular or circular surface.

6. The closing cap according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the thread turn (18) and the cap seal (17) are made of a continuous contacting material unit (23).

7. The closing cap according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the thread turn (18) has a profile (27) having profile flanks (29) tapering off in the transition area to the surface (28) of the base body (12).

8. The closing cap according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the thread turn (18) is made up of thread turn segments spaced apart from each other in the direction of the thread turn (18).

9. The closing cap according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the thread turn (18) is an acme thread.

10. The closing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base body (12, 42) of the closing cap (11, 40) forms an inner cap disposed in an outer cap (13, 49) of the closing cap.

11. A container (10, 41) for receiving cosmetic creams, liquids or pasty substances, such as in particular Mascara, the container comprising a closing cap (11, 40) according to one or more of the preceding claims.