Sealing element for reducing and retaining liquid residues

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a closure element for a liquid container, wherein the closure element comprises a closure cap, wherein the closure cap has a cap lid, wherein the closure cap has a cap mantle extending cylindrically around a closure cap axis and adjoining the cap lid circumferentially, wherein the closure cap comprises a sealing ring, wherein the sealing ring is arranged on the inside of the cap lid, wherein the closure element comprises an anchor ring and a connecting element, wherein the connecting element connects the closure cap to the anchor ring in a tensile-resistant manner, wherein the anchor ring is designed such that it can be brought into tensile-resistant engagement with a container neck of a liquid container.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a combination of a container with a closure element of the type mentioned at the outset.

[0003] Closure elements of the type mentioned above are also called tied closures. This is because they can be engaged with the neck of a container, so that the closure cap always remains attached to the container neck, even when the closure cap is in an open position and liquid is flowing out of the container.

[0004] Especially when the container to be sealed is a beverage container and is intended for a consumer to drink the contents directly by placing their mouth on the neck of the container, it is important that the cap can be opened to a position in which it interferes with the consumer's drinking as little as possible.

[0005] Equally important, however, is ensuring that any liquid residue remaining in the cap when the closure was opened does not leak out of the cap while drinking, potentially staining and soiling the drinker or their clothing.

[0006] WO 2021 / 141079 A1 discloses a container lid made of synthetic resin which includes a deformation prevention device in the middle area of ​​the inner surface of the upper wall.

[0007] Against this background, an object of the present invention is to eliminate or at least reduce the risk of liquid residues escaping from an open, attached closure cap.

[0008] This problem is solved by a closure element for a liquid container, wherein the closure element comprises a closure cap, the closure cap having a cap lid, the closure cap having a cap mantle extending cylindrically around a closure cap axis and adjoining the cap lid circumferentially, the closure cap comprising a sealing ring, the sealing ring being arranged on the inside of the cap lid, the closure element comprising an anchor ring and a connecting element, the connecting element connecting the closure cap to the anchor ring in a tensile-resistant manner, the anchor ring being designed such that it can be brought into tensile-resistant engagement with a container neck of a liquid container, and the cap lid having a structured surface on its inside and radially inside to the sealing ring, at least in sections.wherein the structured surface is designed such that the structured surface comprises a plurality of open recesses for receiving liquid.

[0009] The textured surface exerts greater adhesive forces on any liquid residue remaining in the cap, particularly on the cap lid, after opening than would be the case with a largely smooth inner surface. This allows the liquid residue to be retained in the recesses formed by the textured surface, even as gravity pulls it towards the openings.

[0010] The sealing ring is also known in technical circles as a sealing olive or sealing lip. The sealing ring is designed to rest against the inside of a container neck and seal the container neck against the external environment when the closure element is in a closed position on the container neck.

[0011] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the connecting element connects the closure cap to the anchor ring with such tensile strength that the resulting connection only breaks at a tensile force of 12.5 Newtons or more.

[0012] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the cap cover is designed as a cover plate extending essentially perpendicular to the closure cap axis.

[0013] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the connecting element is a hinge element which is designed such that the closure cap can be pivoted about a pivot axis which is formed essentially perpendicular to the closure cap axis relative to the anchor ring.

[0014] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the connecting element comprises at least one retaining strap and preferably two retaining straps.

[0015] According to the invention, the structured surface borders the sealing ring, wherein the structured surface preferably borders the sealing ring at every circumferential angle position.

[0016] It has been shown that liquid residue after opening the cap is primarily located in the inner transition area between the sealing ring and the cap lid. This is also due to the increased adhesive forces locally present there, caused by the sealing ring. Liquid residue is found much less frequently in the central area of ​​the cap lid, as the adhesive forces acting solely on the inner surface of the cap lid are generally insufficient to prevent backflow of liquid into the container when the container is stored in an upright position before opening. However, the structured surface, being adjacent to the sealing ring, not only further intensifies the adhesive forces acting locally in that area.At the same time, the structuring also weakens the molecular forces acting circumferentially within a liquid residue, which hold the residue together. This prevents the formation of a substantially continuous film over a larger circumferential angle along the transition area between the sealing ring and the cap. Consequently, the amount of liquid contained in a recess defined by the structured surface does not exceed a critical mass value beyond which the adhesive forces would no longer be sufficient to counteract the force of gravity acting on the liquid.

[0017] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the cap lid has several structural elements on its inner surface, the surfaces of which define the majority of open recesses. For the purposes of the present invention, a structural element is a plastic element with a clearly definable spatial extent, such as height, length, and width. Compared to stochastically generated structured surfaces, such structural elements have the advantage that they generate a clearly definable adhesive effect, which can then be distributed, for example, homogeneously along the transition area between the sealing ring and the cap lid.

[0018] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the structural elements have a smaller distance to the closure cap axis than the sealing ring.

[0019] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the structural elements are formed in one piece with the cap cover and the sealing ring.

[0020] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the structured surface is formed by the surfaces of the structural elements and the surface of a valley floor of the cap lid, which is arranged between each pair of adjacent structural elements. In other words, opposing side surfaces of two adjacent structural elements form the flanks of a valley, which is completed by the valley floor. It has been shown that, firstly, liquid residues can be retained very well in such valley structures by adhesion, and secondly, that each valley can be dimensioned such that the amount of liquid contained therein does not exceed a critical mass, thus preventing the liquid residues from dripping out.

[0021] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the structural elements are designed and arranged such that at least a first pair of adjacent structural elements laterally limits a first capillary, wherein the first capillary is open in a spatial direction aligned parallel to the closure cap axis.

[0022] A capillary within the meaning of the present application is understood to be a recess such as a gap or cavity which is dimensioned in such a way that the capillary force which would act on water contained in the capillary compensates the force of gravity which would also act on water contained in the capillary, so that water does not flow out of the capillary towards the ground.

[0023] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, each of the plurality of open recesses forms a capillary.

[0024] The design of the recesses as capillaries ensures that, in the majority of all cases when using the closure element, the adhesive forces compensate for the force of gravity acting on liquid residues on the cap lid.

[0025] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the first pair of structural elements is designed and arranged such that a capillary force acts on a quantity of cow's milk entering the first capillary during the use of the closure device, which substantially compensates for the force of gravity acting on the quantity of cow's milk when the inside of the cap lid is oriented towards the ground.

[0026] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, each pair of adjacent structural elements has a circumferential distance of 2 to 10 degrees in radians. It has been found that such radian distances can generate sufficient adhesion to reduce the risk of liquid residue dripping from an open closure cap.

[0027] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, each pair of adjacent structural elements has a circumferential distance of 4 to 8 degrees in radians. It has been found that such radian distances can generate sufficient adhesion force to significantly reduce the risk of liquid residue dripping from an open closure cap.

[0028] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, each pair of adjacent structural elements has a circumferential distance of no more than 2 mm from each other. This creates recesses between the structural elements, as defined in the present invention, which provide sufficient adhesion to reduce the risk of liquid residue dripping. At the same time, the material required for attaching the structural elements is kept to a minimum.

[0029] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, each pair of adjacent structural elements has a maximum circumferential distance of 1.5 mm from each other. This further enhances the adhesive effect, thus further reducing the risk of dripping.

[0030] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, each pair of adjacent structural elements has a maximum circumferential distance of 1 mm from each other. This ensures that in the majority of all everyday situations, no liquid residue drips off.

[0031] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the several structural elements are elongated ribs. Such ribs are very well suited for forming recesses in the form of valleys. Furthermore, such ribs can be produced very easily using known injection molding processes for plastic closures.

[0032] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the ribs extend substantially radially. This prevents the formation of a continuous liquid film on the cap lid, which would otherwise remain as liquid residue in the closure lid when the lid is opened. Due to the radially extending ribs, the liquid molecules can no longer interact with each other as strongly over a greater distance to form a continuous film, since the necessary planar surface is repeatedly interrupted by the axially projecting ribs. In other words, the ribs particularly prevent the formation of an annular film, as continuous, undisturbed contact between the liquid molecules is not possible due to the interruptions caused by the ribs.

[0033] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the ribs abut both a surface section of the cap lid lying perpendicular to the cap lid axis and an inner surface of the sealing ring arranged cylindrically around the cap lid axis. This advantageously prevents the formation of a film of liquid residue in the transition area between the sealing ring and the cap lid.

[0034] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the ribs extend in the form of a semicircular arc between the surface section of the cap lid, which lies perpendicular to the cap lid axis, and the inner surface of the sealing ring, which is arranged cylindrically around the cap lid axis. Ribs designed in this way are particularly easy to demold during the manufacturing process and require minimal material – while providing maximum adhesion and simultaneously preventing film formation. The semicircular arc can, in particular, have a radius of curvature whose center of curvature is located radially inside the cap body.

[0035] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the ribs each have a radial extent of 2 to 20 percent of the diameter of the cap lid. It has been shown that film formation can be reduced by appropriately designed ribs to such an extent that the risk of liquid residues with a critical mass required for dripping can be reduced.

[0036] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the ribs each have a radial extent of 5 to 15 percent of the diameter of the cap lid. With appropriate design, it can be ensured that the risk described above is further reduced.

[0037] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the ribs each have a radial extent of 8 to 12 percent of the diameter of the cap lid. This ensures that film formation is practically prevented.

[0038] In one embodiment of the locking element according to the invention, the ribs each have a radial extension of 2 mm to 8 mm. In another embodiment of the locking element according to the invention, the ribs each have a radial extension of 2.5 mm to 6 mm. In another embodiment of the locking element according to the invention, the ribs each have a radial extension of 3 mm to 4 mm.

[0039] In one embodiment of the locking element according to the invention, the ribs each have a circumferential extent of 0.2 mm to 1 mm. In another embodiment of the locking element according to the invention, the ribs each have a circumferential extent of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm.

[0040] In one embodiment of the locking element according to the invention, the ribs each have a maximum axial extension of 1.5 mm to 4 mm. In another embodiment of the locking element according to the invention, the ribs each have a maximum axial extension of 2 mm to 3 mm.

[0041] It has been shown that ribs designed according to the parameter ranges described above both advantageously prevent or at least reduce film formation on the cap lid and enable the formation of a plurality of recesses, the recesses being accompanied by adhesive forces which retain any liquid residues contained in the recesses and thus prevent these residues from dripping off.

[0042] In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the closure element is made of plastic. In one embodiment of the closure element according to the invention, the closure element is manufactured by an injection molding process.

[0043] The problem underlying the invention is also solved by a combination of a container with a closure element according to one of the embodiments described above. The container can also be made of plastic.

[0044] In one embodiment of the combination according to the invention, the container has a container neck, wherein the anchor ring is engaged with the container neck in such a way that the anchor ring is tensilely connected to the container neck, so that the closure cap is attached to the container neck via the connecting element and the anchor ring, even when the closure cap is in an open position.

[0045] In one embodiment of the combination according to the invention, the container is a beverage container, in particular a beverage container for milk, milk-based drinks, or fruit juices. It has been found that these types of liquids, in particular, tend to leave larger liquid residues in a cap, so that the risk of leakage is especially high with these types of beverages if the closure elements are not designed according to one of the embodiments described here.

[0046] In one embodiment of the combination according to the invention, the anchor ring engages with the container neck in such a way that the resulting tensile-resistant connection only breaks at a tensile force of 12.5 Newtons or more.

[0047] Further embodiments, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the figures described below. They show: Fig. 1: a top view of the inside of the cap lid of an embodiment of a closure element according to the invention, Fig. 2: a side sectional view of the embodiment made of Fig. 1 according to the in Fig. 1 shown second section plane 101, Fig. 3: a detail view of the section view from Fig. 2 on the transition area between the sealing ring and the cap cover according to the one in the Fig. 2 The first detailed view area 102 shown in Fig. 4: a sectional view of the transition area between the sealing ring and the cap cover according to the one shown in Fig. 1 first section plane 100 shown, Fig. 5: a detail view of the top view from Fig. 1 on the transition area between the sealing ring and the cap cover according to the one in the Fig. 1 shown second detail view area 103.

[0048] The Figs. 1 to 5 Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the closure element 1 according to the invention. As can be seen in particular from the following: Fig. 2As can be seen, the closure cap 2 used there is a screw cap. In this sense, the closure cap 2 has an internal thread 12 which can engage with a corresponding external thread of a container neck in order to close the container neck.

[0049] The sealing ring 5, extending axially inwards from the cap 3, and in particular the sealing projection 11 arranged thereon, rest against an inner side of the container neck and thus create a liquid-tight seal when the closure element 1 is attached to a container neck. The liquid-tight seal is further enhanced by the outer sealing element 13, which is located radially further outwards from the sealing ring 5. This outer sealing element is annular in shape and rests against an outer side of the container neck when the closure element 1 is closed. In other words, the container neck is positioned between the sealing ring 5 (inside) and the outer sealing element 13 (outside) to provide a liquid-tight seal.

[0050] Such a seal is necessary to ensure that a liquid container can be transported without any unintended leakage. During transport, the container, for example, a 500 ml PET beverage bottle, is frequently turned from an upright position to a horizontal position or even upside down. In these situations, it is crucial that the liquid contents cannot escape from the container's neck.

[0051] However, the events described also cause the liquid, initially contained only in the container, to flow into the interior of the closure cap 2, which is enclosed by the cap lid 3 and cap mantle 4, and which is in Fig. 2This is clearly visible. Due to adhesion forces, i.e., molecular interaction forces between the molecules of the liquid and the molecules located on the inner surfaces of the cap 2, liquid residues remain in the recesses 9, each of which is flanked by a pair of adjacent ribs 8. The surfaces of the ribs 8 and the recesses 9 together form the structured surface 7.

[0052] However, a fluid film that extends continuously over a larger circumferential angle range does not form.

[0053] The ribs 8 are - as in Figure 1 and 5The ribs are arranged so closely together that adhesive forces act on the liquid residues from the two flanks of the adjacent ribs 8 and the intervening valley floor, counteracting their drainage, even when the cap 2 is stored in an upright position. Thus, the risk of drops forming and falling from the cap 2 is low, for example, when a consumer brings a beverage container equipped with the closure element, or its neck, to their mouth to drink.

[0054] The ribs 8 are designed as half-round arches and attach both laterally to the inside of the sealing ring 5 and axially to the cap cover 3.

[0055] As shown by Fig. 3As can be seen, the cap cover 3, the ribs 8, and the sealing ring 5 are formed in one piece. A groove extends between each adjacent pair of ribs 8 – as shown in Fig. 4 visible - slit-shaped recess 9, which, due to its fluid-retaining function, can also be referred to as capillary 9.

[0056] In Fig. 5 The ribs 8 and the intervening slit-shaped recesses 9 are shown again in a top view from below. It can also be seen that the recesses 9 narrow from the sealing ring 5 towards the axis 50 of the end cap. This is due to the circumferential extent of the ribs 8, which is constant in the radial direction.

[0057] During the Figs. 1 to 5In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor ring 6 is designed as a flexible band. This flexible band has a hinged inner band section 10 that can engage with a pilfer-proof ring of a container neck to fix the anchor ring 6 relative to the container neck. A connecting element (not shown in detail) that links the anchor ring 6 to the closure cap 2 ensures that the closure cap 2 remains attached to the anchor ring 6 even when it is unscrewed from the container neck to release the contents of the liquid container. Reference symbol list

[0058] 1 Closure element 2 Closure cap 3 Cap cover 4 Cap mantle 5 Sealing ring / Sealing olive 6 Anchor ring / Flex band 7 Structured surface 8 Structure element / Rib 9 Recess / Capillary 10 Inner band section of the flexible band 11 Sealing projection 12 Internal thread 13 Outer sealing element 50 Closure cap axis 100 First section plane 101 Second section plane 102 First detail view area 103 Second detail view area

Claims

1. A closure element (1) for a liquid container, wherein the closure element (1) comprises a closure cap (2), wherein the closure cap (2) has a cap cover (3), wherein the closure cap (2) has a cap skirt (4) which adjoins the cap cover (3) on the circumferential side and extends cylindrically about a closure cap axis (50), wherein the closure cap (2) comprises a sealing ring (5), wherein the sealing ring (5) is arranged on the inside of the cap cover (3), wherein the closure element (1) comprises an anchor ring (6) and a connecting element, wherein the connecting element connects the closure cap (2) to the anchor ring (6) in a pull-resistant manner, wherein the anchor ring (6) is designed in such a way that it can be brought into pull-resistant engagement with a container neck of a liquid container, wherein the cap cover (3) has a structured surface (7) on its inner side and radially inwardly of the sealing ring (5), at least in sections, wherein the structured surface (7) is designed in such a way that the structured surface (7) comprises a plurality of open recesses (9) for receiving liquid, characterized in that the structured surface (7) is adjacent to the sealing ring (5).

2. The closure element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the structured surface (7) is adjacent to the sealing ring (5) at each circumferential angular position.

3. The closure element (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap cover (3) has a plurality of structural elements (8) on the inside, wherein the surfaces of the plurality of structural elements (8) define the plurality of open recesses (9), wherein the structured surface (7) is preferably formed by the surfaces of the structural elements (8) and the surface, arranged in each case between two adjacent structural elements (8), of a valley bottom of the cap cover (3) designed between a respective adjacent pair of structural elements (8).

4. The closure element (1) according to claim 3, wherein the structural elements (8) are designed and arranged in such a way that at least a first pair of adjacent structural elements (8) laterally delimits a first capillary (9), wherein the first capillary (9) is designed to be open in a spatial direction aligned parallel to the closure cap axis (50), wherein the first pair of structural elements (8) is preferably designed and arranged such that a capillary force acts on a quantity of cow's milk entering the first capillary (9) during use of the closure device, which force substantially compensates for the gravitational force acting on the quantity of cow's milk when the inside of the cap cover is oriented towards the ground.

5. The closure element (1) according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein in each case two adjacent structural elements (8) have a radian distance in the circumferential direction of 2 to 10 degrees, preferably 4 to 8 degrees.

6. The closure element (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein in each case two adjacent structural elements (8) have a distance of at most 2 mm, preferably at most 1.5 mm and particularly preferably at most 1 mm from one another in the circumferential direction.

7. The closure element (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the plurality of structural elements (8) are longitudinally designed ribs (8), wherein the ribs (8) preferably extend substantially radially.

8. The closure element (1) according to claim 7, wherein the ribs (8) are adjacent both to a surface section of the cap cover (3) lying perpendicular to the cap axis (50) and to an inner surface of the sealing ring (5) arranged cylindrically around the cap axis (50).

9. The closure element (1) according to claim 8, wherein the ribs (8) extend in the form of a half-round arc between the surface portion of the cap cover (3) lying perpendicular to the cap axis (50) and the inner surface of the sealing ring (5) arranged cylindrically around the cap axis (50).

10. The closure element (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the ribs (8) each have a radial extension of 2 to 20 percent, preferably of 5 to 15 percent and particularly preferably of 8 to 12 percent of the diameter of the cap cover (3).

11. The closure element (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the ribs (8) each have a radial extension of 2 mm to 8 mm, preferably of 2.5 mm to 6 mm and particularly preferably of 3 mm to 4 mm.

12. The closure element (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the ribs (8) each have an extension in the circumferential direction of 0.2 mm to 1 mm, preferably from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm.

13. The closure element (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the ribs (8) each have a maximum axial extension of 1.5 mm to 4 mm and preferably of 2 mm to 3 mm.

14. A combination of a container with a closure element (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the container has a container neck, wherein the anchor ring (6) is in engagement with the container neck in such a way that the anchor ring (6) is connected to the container neck in a pull-resistant manner, so that the closure cap (2) is tethered to the container neck via the connecting element and the anchor ring (6), even when the closure cap (2) is in an open position.