ARRANGEMENT CONTAINING AN OUTER CONTAINER WITH AN INNER CONTAINER ARRANGED THEREIN AND METHOD FOR OPENING AND FOR MAKING AN ARRANGEMENT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an assembly comprising an outer container with an inner container arranged therein, a cover for the inner container, and a cap for closing the outer container. The cap is movable relative to the outer container in such a way that a cover of the inner container is thereby opened. The invention also relates to methods for opening and producing an assembly.

[0002] Known assemblies of this type consist of many individual parts that are manufactured separately and subsequently assembled. Due to their design, the individual parts usually have to be made of different materials, which complicates the disposal of the assembly after use. US 2017 / 355508 A1 shows two different alternatives according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of further developing such an arrangement. This object is achieved by an arrangement having the features of patent claim 1 and a method having the features of patent claim 15. Advantageous further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0004] The one-piece design simplifies the manufacturing process. A single-piece part can also contain different materials, for example, if the part is manufactured by coextrusion.

[0005] However, it is advantageous if at least the inner container is made of the same material as the cap or outer container. This facilitates disposal and can also simplify manufacturing.

[0006] The cap or outer container has an outwardly open hollow insert extending at least 25% of the length along the outer container. This allows for the placement of a functional means, such as a cutting means or a mixing device, in the outer container.

[0007] A cutting device is arranged on the outer container or on the cap in such a way that it can be used to open the cover of the inner container. In particular, if the cap and outer container are displaced laterally relative to each other, this allows the cutting device to open the cover of the inner container.

[0008] In order to position the cutting means close to the cover, the insert contains the cutting means.

[0009] When opening the cover, it may come loose and enter the outer container. To prevent this, it is recommended that the cutting tool have a tip and a rim, and that the tip be positioned closer to the cover than the rim when the outer container is closed.

[0010] The inner container, cap, and outer container can have different shapes and, for example, be square, rectangular, circular, or oval in cross-section. Furthermore, the parts can be arranged differently depending on requirements. However, it is advantageous if the inner container, cap, and outer container are arranged concentrically. The tip of the cutting tool can then be positioned off-center. This makes it easier to open the inner container without the cover penetrating the outer container.

[0011] According to the invention, the cutting means will be formed integrally with the outer container or the cap.

[0012] With regard to production and disposal, it is advantageous if the outer container, inner container, cap and cutting means are made of the same material.

[0013] The inner container is particularly easy to open if the cutting means is arranged opposite the cap on the outer container.

[0014] The cap should securely seal the inner container and be easy to open. Therefore, a preferred embodiment proposes that the cover comprise a foil, particularly a metal foil. This foil can be glued or extruded onto the inner container. It can be made of the same material as the inner container. However, it can also be attached as a snap-on lid and / or extend into the inner container, for example, like a cork.

[0015] A guide may be provided to move the cap relative to the outer container and, for example, to open the inner container by pressing on the cap. However, the cap may also be connected to the outer container via a thread.

[0016] This makes it possible to design the thread in such a way that a first rotation in one direction opens the cover and a second rotation in the opposite direction opens the outer container.

[0017] Preferably, the first turn is anti-clockwise and the second turn is clockwise. A user who wants to open the screw-top container will intuitively turn the cap anti-clockwise. Since the cap cannot be opened this way and the inner container is opened, either noticeably or unnoticed, the user will then try a different turn and find that the cap can now be easily lifted off the outer container. Intuitively, the user will therefore open the inner container first and then the outer container. This is advantageous if you want to ensure that the material from the inner container has reached the outer container before opening the outer container.

[0018] It should be ensured that neither the inner container material nor the outer container is prematurely leaked into the outer container, nor that the outer container is prematurely opened. Both of these can be easily ensured if the cap is detachably connected to the outer container via a seal or a ring with a predetermined breaking point.

[0019] Regardless of the specific design of the arrangement, the object underlying the invention is also achieved with a method for opening an arrangement comprising an outer container with an inner container arranged therein, a cover of the inner container and a cap for closing the outer container, wherein the cap is movable towards the outer container in such a way that a cover of the inner container is opened, when the closed arrangement is opened by turning the cap anti-clockwise relative to the outer container until the inner container is opened and then turning it right clockwise to remove the cap from the outer container.

[0020] This specific direction of rotation causes the user who wants to open the assembly to first turn the wrong way, opening only the inner container. Only when they realize that they can't open the outer container this way will they try a different direction of rotation, opening the outer container. This exploits the user's intuitive behavior to ensure that the inner container is opened first, followed by the outer container.

[0021] It is particularly advantageous if the cap and / or the outer container are manufactured as injection-molded parts. This exemplary embodiment demonstrates that, even with an injection-molded part, the cap and inner container, or the outer container and inner container, can be manufactured very easily as a single piece, and that even the cutting means can be manufactured as a single piece with the cap or outer container.

[0022] An advantageous embodiment is shown in the drawing and is described in more detail below. It shows Figure 1a side view of an arrangement, Figure 2a section through the Figure 1 shown arrangement, Figure 3 a view of the arrangement obliquely from below, Figure 4 a view of the arrangement obliquely from above, Figure 5 a plan view of the arrangement, Figure 6 a view from below of the arrangement and Figure 7 several sections to illustrate the relative movement of cap and outer container when opening the inner container and subsequently the outer container.

[0023] The arrangement 1 shown comprises an outer container 2 with an inner container 3 arranged therein. A cover 5 serves to close the inner container 3, and a cap 4 serves to close the outer container 2. The cap 4 is movable relative to the outer container 2 such that the movement opens the cover 5 of the inner container 3. The inner container 3 is formed integrally with the cap 4. However, it can also be formed integrally with the outer container (not shown).

[0024] The inner container 3 is made of the same material as the cap 4 and the outer container 2, wherein the inner container 3 is formed integrally with the cap 4.

[0025] The outer container 2 has an outwardly open hollow insert 6, which extends at least 25% of the length along the outer container 2, in order to be able to come into contact with the cover 5 with a cutting means 7. This allows the cover 5 of the inner container 3 to be opened with the cutting means 7.

[0026] The inner container 3, cap 4, and outer container 2 are arranged concentrically with each other, and the tip of the cutting means is arranged off-center. The cutting means 7 has a tip 8 and an edge region 9, and when the outer container 2 is closed, the tip 8 is arranged closer to the cover 5 than the edge region 9. This means that the cover 5 can be opened with the cutting means 7, and the cutting means opens the inner container in such a way that the cover cannot enter the outer container 2.

[0027] Outer container 2, inner container 3, cap 4 and cutting means 7 are made of the same material.

[0028] The cap 4 is connected to the outer container 2 via a thread such that a first rotation in one direction opens the cover 5, and a second rotation in the opposite direction opens the outer container 2. To ensure that an intuitive rotation of the cap 4 relative to the outer container 2 also reliably opens the inner container 3, the first rotation is a counterclockwise rotation, whereby the cutting agent reaches the cover 5 of the inner container 3, and the second rotation is a clockwise rotation to remove the cap 4 from the outer container 2.

[0029] The cap 4 with the inner container 3 is produced as a first injection-molded part and a second injection-molded part forms the outer container 2 with the cutting means 7. If the cover 5 cannot be produced together with the inner container 3, it is produced as an applyable film, if necessary also from a different material and preferably again from the same material.

[0030] The cap 4 therefore has a concentric recess 10, which is surrounded by an inner wall 11, to which an outer wall 12 extends concentrically. An internal thread 13 is provided on the outer wall 12 of the cap 4, which interacts with an external thread 14 on the outer container 2.

[0031] The cap 4 has a ring 15 which tears as a safety device when the cap 4 is unscrewed for the first time and thus shows that the outer container 2 has already been opened once.

[0032] The Figure 7shows how the cutting means 7 breaks through the cover 5 when the cap is screwed onto the outer container 2 and presses it against the inner wall of the inner container 3. The cover then lies firmly between the insert 6 and the inner container 3, preventing it from falling into the outer container 2.

Claims

1. An assembly (1) consisting of an outer container (2) having an inner container (3) arranged therein, a cover (5) of the inner container (3) and a cap (4) for closing the outer container (2), wherein the cap (4) is movable relative to the outer container (2) in such a manner that the cover (5) of the inner container (3) is thereby opened, wherein: • the inner container (3) is formed integrally with the cap (4), wherein a cutting means (7) is arranged on the outer container (2), or • the inner container (3) is formed integrally with the outer container (2), wherein a cutting means (7) is arranged on the cap (4); wherein the cutting means is arranged in such a manner that the cover (5) of the inner container (3) can be opened with it, characterized in that the cap (4) or the outer container (2) features a hollow insert (6) that is open to the outside, which extends at least 25% of the length along the outer container (2), and the insert (6) features the cutting means (7).

2. The assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner container (3) is formed from the same material as the cap (4) or the outer container (2).

3. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting means (7) features a tip (8) and an edge region (9), and the tip (8) is arranged closer to the cover (5) than the edge region (9) when the outer container (2) is closed.

4. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner container (3), the cap (4), and the outer container (2) are arranged concentrically with each other.

5. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tip (8) of the cutting means (7) is arranged off-center.

6. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting means (7) is formed integrally with the outer container (2) or the cap (4).

7. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer container (2), the inner container (3), the cap (4), and the cutting means (7) are formed from the same material.

8. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cutting means is arranged on the outer container (2) opposite the cap (4).

9. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (5) features a foil and in particular a metal foil.

10. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner container (3) is formed integrally with the cap (4).

11. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cap (4) is connected to the outer container (2) by means of a thread.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that the thread (13, 14) is formed in such a manner that, upon a first rotation in one direction, the cover (5) is opened and, upon a second rotation in the opposite direction, the outer container (2) is opened.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that the first rotation is a leftward counterclockwise rotation and the second rotation is a rightward clockwise rotation.

14. The assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cap (4) is detachably connected with the outer container (2) by means of a seal or a ring (15) with a predetermined breaking point.

15. A method for opening an assembly according to claim 1.