CAP CONTAINS AN ACTIVE INGREDIENT

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing cap configured to close an opening of a container. The invention also relates to a closure and a container comprising such a sealing cap, and to a specific use thereof.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is known to use closures or caps, providing both a sealing function and an atmosphere regulation function, to close containers containing sensitive products such as pharmaceutical products. In a classical structure of such a closure, a cavity provided in a body of the closure receives an active material, for example a desiccant or an oxygen scavenger, intended to regulate the atmosphere in a container equipped with the closure. The cavity of the body is closed by a gas-permeable cover, which retains the active material inside the cavity. The gas-permeable cover may typically be a cardboard or a porous membrane.

[0003] A problem of such closures is that the regulation capacity of the active material is used even before the closures are fixed on containers in a gas-tight manner. It is difficult to have a precise control of the activity of the active material contained in the closures at the time of their assembly on containers, which therefore does not ensure with certainty the shelf life of sensitive products contained in the containers. One solution to limit variations in activity of the active material is to provide moisture or oxygen-proof packaging for transport and storage of the closures before their initial assembly on containers. However, the provision of such specific packaging increases the production cost of the closures. US2487620 discloses a closure comprising a fixed receptacle for receiving an active material, the closure having a bimetallic disc to close off the receptacle with the active material from the atmosphere outside of the receptacle when the closure is not installed on a container and to open the receptacle when the closure is installed on a container, allowing regulation of the atmosphere inside the container.

[0004] It is these drawbacks that the invention is intended more particularly to remedy by proposing a sealing cap which, when it is fixed on a container, makes it possible to precisely control the shelf life of products contained in the container, while maintaining low production costs.DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0005] For this purpose, a subject of the invention is a sealing cap configured to close an opening of a container, the sealing cap comprising: a cap body comprising a fixing element configured to cooperate with a corresponding fixing element of the container, a receptacle for receiving an active material capable of regulating an atmosphere in the container, such as a desiccant or an oxygen scavenger, the receptacle having a gas-permeable wall, a sealing member configured to provide a gas-tight seal between the cap body and the container when the sealing cap is fixed on the container, wherein the sealing cap further comprises at least one holding element configured to hold the receptacle relative to the cap body, such that: before the sealing cap is fixed on the container, the receptacle is held by the at least one holding element in a first position in which the gas-permeable wall is gas-tightly enclosed in a cavity of the cap body; and when the sealing cap is fixed on the container, the receptacle is released to a second position in which the gas-permeable wall is exposed to the atmosphere in the container.

[0006] Within the meaning of the invention, the expression "the sealing cap is fixed on the container" means that the fixing is ensured by the cooperation of the fixing elements of the cap body and the container. The fixing elements may be of any suitable type, in particular the sealing cap may be fixed on the container by screwing, by cooperation between a thread of the sealing cap and a corresponding thread of the container capable of being screwed relative to each other; or the sealing cap may be fixed on the container by clipping, by cooperation between a snap-fastening element of the sealing cap and a corresponding snap-fastening element of the container capable of being clipped relative to each other.

[0007] Within the meaning of the invention, the expression "gas-tightly" means that, in the first position of the receptacle, the gas-permeable wall of the receptacle is not exposed to the atmosphere outside the cavity of the cap body. In other words, in the first position of the receptacle, substantially no gas reaches the inner volume of the cavity in which the gas-permeable wall of the receptacle is received.

[0008] According to a non-limiting example, the level of gas-tightness of the cavity in the first position of the receptacle may be characterized by the Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) of the assembly comprising the cap body and the receptacle held in the first position by the at least one holding element, measured according to standard ASTM-D7709 - Method A, where the inner volume of the receptacle placed in the cavity of the cap body represents the "bottle" to be filled with desiccant according to Method A, and the receptacle held in the first position by the at least one holding element represents the "closure" closing the "bottle" according to Method A. In one embodiment, the Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) of the assembly comprising the cap body and the receptacle held in the first position by the at least one holding element, measured according to standard ASTM-D7709 - Method A, is less than or equal to 4 mg / day, preferably less than or equal to 2 mg / day, preferably less than or equal to 1 mg / day, at 40°C and 75%RH.

[0009] According to another non-limiting example, the level of gas-tightness of the cavity in the first position of the receptacle may be characterized by the duration of preservation of an active material (such as a desiccant or an oxygen scavenger) received in the inner volume of the receptacle placed in the cavity of the cap body, said cavity being closed by the receptacle held in the first position by the at least one holding element. In one embodiment, when a desiccant is received in the inner volume of the receptacle placed in the cavity of the cap body, said cavity being closed by the receptacle held in the first position by the at least one holding element, the moisture content of the desiccant is less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, preferably less than 3%, when measured after six months of storage of the sealing cap at 25°C and 65%RH. Herein, the moisture content of a desiccant is the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of dry desiccant, expressed in percent by weight. The moisture content can be established according to the "Loss on Drying" test methods described for different types of desiccants in United States Pharmacopeia standard USP <670>.

[0010] Thanks to the structure of the sealing cap with at least one holding element configured to keep the active material gas-tightly enclosed in a cavity of the cap body as long as the sealing cap has not been fixed on a container, the initial state of the active material is substantially the same as that during production. Then, the in-use life cycle of the active material once the sealing cap is fixed on a container can be reliably predicted based on the characteristics of the container and the sensitive products it contains. By way of examples, the sensitive products may be food, nutraceutical products, pharmaceutical products or diagnostic products.

[0011] The active material capable of regulating the atmosphere in the container may be any type of active material. In particular, the active material may belong to a group of: humidity absorbers (or desiccants); oxygen scavengers; odor absorbers; and / or emitters of humidity or volatile olfactory organic compounds. Optionally, the active material may be capable of releasing gaseous substances such as moisture or perfume. Such properties can for example be useful for applications where sensitive products require a certain humidity level. Such products are, for example, powders, especially for generating aerosols, gelatin capsules, herbal medicine, gels and creams including cosmetics, and food products.

[0012] According to one feature, when the sealing cap is fixed on the container, the receptacle is released to the second position by the at least one holding element. In other words, it is the at least one holding element which ensures both maintaining the receptacle in the first position and releasing the receptacle to the second position.

[0013] According to one embodiment, in the second position, the receptacle is still held relative to the cap body by the at least one holding element. In other words, in the configuration where the sealing cap is fixed on a container and the gas-permeable wall is exposed to the atmosphere in the container, the receptacle remains attached to the cap body.

[0014] According to one feature, when the sealing cap is removed from the container, the at least one holding element is configured to move the receptacle relative to the cap body from the second position to the first position. In this way, the movement of the receptacle between the first and second positions is reversible, the active material being automatically gas-tightly enclosed in the cavity of the cap body each time the sealing cap is removed from the container. This makes it possible to limit the use of the regulation capacity of the active material only when the sealing cap is fixed on a container.

[0015] According to one feature, the receptacle is axially movable relative to the cap body, in the direction of a main axis of the cap body, between the first position and the second position.

[0016] According to one embodiment, in the second position, the receptacle is in the inner volume of the container without being held relative to the cap body by the at least one holding element. In other words, in the configuration where the sealing cap is fixed on a container and the gas-permeable wall is exposed to the atmosphere in the container, the receptacle is dropped in the container.

[0017] According to one feature, the cap body and the receptacle comprise complementary sealing surfaces which are in sealing contact when the receptacle is in the first position. More precisely, when the receptacle is in the first position, the complementary sealing surfaces of the cap body and the receptacle are kept in sealing contact with each other by the at least one holding element. The complementary sealing surfaces of the cap body and the receptacle may be frustoconical surfaces or flat surfaces. According to one feature, the complementary sealing surfaces of the cap body and the receptacle are surfaces of revolution about the main axis of the cap body, in particular annular surfaces.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the at least one holding element comprises a connecting part, which is configured to connect the at least one holding element to the cap body, and a movable part, which is movable relative to the connecting part under the action of a pushing force applied by the cap body during fixation of the sealing cap on the container.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the cap body comprises a projecting element configured to apply a pushing force on the at least one holding element during fixation of the sealing cap on the container, so that the movable part moves relative to the connecting part and releases the receptacle from the first position to the second position.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the cap body comprises a projecting element configured to apply a pushing force on the at least one holding element when the sealing cap is in a configuration fixed on the container, so that the movable part holds the receptacle in the second position.

[0021] In one embodiment, the at least one holding element may be integrally formed with the sealing member. In one embodiment, the sealing cap may comprise a multifunction component playing both the role of a sealing member between the cap body and the container, and the role of at least one holding element acting on the position of the receptacle. According to one feature, the multifunction component may comprise a central part forming the sealing member between the cap body and the container, at least one outer tab forming a connecting part of the at least one holding element, and at least one inner flap forming a movable part of the at least one holding element.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the sealing member comprises a flat sealing surface forming an inner surface of the sealing cap positioned transversally to a main axis of the cap body so as to provide a gas-tight seal between the sealing cap and an upper surface of the container opening. Such a flat sealing surface positioned transversally to the main axis makes it possible to adapt to a wide range of containers.

[0023] According to one embodiment, at least one among the sealing member and the at least one holding element is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), preferably of a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPE-V or TPV). Especially in the case of a multifunction component as described above, comprising a central part forming the sealing member between the cap body and the container, at least one outer tab forming a connecting part of the at least one holding element, and at least one inner flap forming a movable part of the at least one holding element, the constituent thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) of the multifunction component is selected so that the sealing member is flexible enough to absorb surface irregularities of the upper surface of the container opening which may result, e.g., from its manufacturing process, such as molding defects or cutting marks, and also so that the movement of the movable part of the at least one holding element relative to the connecting part can take place without fatigue of the material. Thermoplastic vulcanizates, in which crosslinked rubber parts are homogeneously dispersed in a thermoplastic phase through dynamic vulcanization, such as those based on a mixture of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber and polypropylene (PP), are particularly advantageous in that they combine good flexibility and good gas barrier properties.

[0024] According to one embodiment, at least one among the sealing member and the at least one holding element is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), preferably of a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), having a Shore A hardness of between 30 and 80. In the context of the invention, the Shore A hardness of a thermoplastic elastomer may be measured according to standard ASTM D2240.

[0025] Another subject of the invention is a closure comprising a sealing cap as described above.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the sealing cap is an inner cap configured to attach the closure to a container, and the closure further comprises an outer cap, the sealing cap being coaxially nested in the outer cap.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the cap body comprises a cap thread configured to be screwed onto a corresponding container thread around a screwing axis, the closure comprising a child-resistant engagement mechanism between the outer cap and the sealing cap, configured to drive the outer cap and the sealing cap in unison in a direction of unscrewing the cap thread relative to the container thread, upon application on the outer cap of a rotational torque in the direction of unscrewing and at least one additional force, to remove the closure from the container.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the closure comprises a child-resistant engagement mechanism between the outer cap and the sealing cap, configured to drive the outer cap and the sealing cap in unison in a direction of unscrewing the cap thread relative to the neck thread, upon application on the outer cap of a rotational torque in the direction of unscrewing and at least one additional force, to remove the closure from the bottle.

[0029] In one embodiment, the child-resistant engagement mechanism comprises coupling elements which are brought in mutual engagement under the effect of the at least one additional force against an elastic action of at least one elastic element of the closure, in such a way that the coupling elements are automatically disengaged when the at least one additional force is released. In one embodiment, the outer cap is elastically deformable, the coupling elements being brought in mutual engagement by reversible elastic deformation of the outer cap.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the closure comprises a tamper-evident member, connected to one cap among the outer cap and the sealing cap by a frangible structure.

[0031] In one embodiment, the tamper-evident member may be a safety strip connected to one cap among the outer cap and the sealing cap by the frangible structure, the safety strip being arranged between the outer cap and the sealing cap so as to block at least one degree of freedom of relative movement of the outer cap and the sealing cap.

[0032] In another embodiment, the tamper-evident member may be a portion of a top wall of the outer cap connected to a surrounding region of the top wall by the frangible structure.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the sealing cap comprises a first top wall and a first sidewall, the outer cap comprises a second top wall and a second sidewall, the sealing cap being coaxially nested in the outer cap with possibility of relative axial movement so that the first and second top walls can be displaced relative to each other in the direction of the screwing axis, the closure further comprising: at least one protruding element arranged between the first top wall and the second top wall while facing the tamper-evident member, a child-resistant engagement mechanism between the outer cap and the sealing cap, configured to drive the outer cap and the sealing cap in unison in a direction of unscrewing the cap thread relative to the container thread, upon application on the outer cap of a rotational torque in the direction of unscrewing and an axial force in the direction of the screwing axis, to remove the closure from the container.

[0034] According to one feature, the at least one protruding element is configured to break the frangible structure by coming in abutting contact with the tamper-evident member upon axial displacement of the first and second top walls toward each other in the direction of the screwing axis.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the closure comprises a mounting engagement mechanism between the outer cap and the sealing cap, configured to drive the outer cap and the sealing cap in unison in a direction of screwing the cap thread onto the neck thread, upon application on the outer cap of a rotational torque in the direction of screwing, to mount the closure on the container without breaking the frangible structure.

[0036] Another subject of the invention is a container with a sealing cap as described above, the sealing cap being fixedly attached onto the container and closing an opening of the container.

[0037] Another subject of the invention is a use of a container as described above for containing moisture-sensitive items, such as tablets or capsules containing a pharmaceutical composition; nutraceuticals; herbalism products; diagnostic products.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of several embodiments of a sealing cap, a closure and a container according to the invention, this description being given merely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container equipped with a closure according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective bottom view of an outer cap of the closure of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective top view of an inner sealing cap of the closure of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective bottom view of the inner sealing cap of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective bottom view of a cap body of the inner sealing cap of Figures 3 and 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a receptacle of the inner sealing cap of Figures 3 and 4; Figure 7 is a top view of a multifunction component playing both the role of a sealing member and a holding element of the inner sealing cap of Figures 3 and 4; Figure 8 is a cross section at larger scale according to plane VIII-VIII of Figure 1, in a configuration of the closure before fixing the inner sealing cap on the container, the receptacle being held in the first position relative to the cap body while the tamper-evident member is not altered; Figure 9 is a cross section similar to Figure 8, in a configuration of the closure where the inner sealing cap is fixed on the container, the receptacle being held in the second position relative to the cap body while the tamper-evident member is not altered; Figure 10 is a cross section similar to Figure 8, in a configuration of the closure where the inner sealing cap is in the process of being removed from the container, the receptacle being held in the second position relative to the cap body while the tamper-evident member is broken; Figure 11 is a cross section similar to Figure 8, in a configuration of the closure where the inner sealing cap has been removed from the container, the receptacle being held in the first position relative to the cap body while the tamper-evident member is broken; Figure 12 is a perspective view similar to Figure 6 for a variant of a receptacle suitable for the inner sealing cap of the first embodiment, the receptacle comprising notches promoting gas exchange between the active material inside the receptacle and the atmosphere in the container when the receptacle is held in the second position relative to the cap body; Figure 13 is a top view of the receptacle of Figure 12; Figure 14 is a cross section similar to Figure 8 of a container equipped with a closure according to a second embodiment of the invention, in a configuration of the closure before fixing the inner sealing cap on the container, the receptacle being held in the first position relative to the cap body while the tamper-evident member is not altered; and Figure 15 is a cross section similar to Figure 14, in a configuration of the closure where the inner sealing cap is fixed on the container, where the receptacle has been released to the second position relative to the cap body and dropped into the container while the tamper-evident member is not altered. ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0039] In the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 to 11, the sealing cap 2 according to the invention is used as an inner part of a child-resistant and tamper-evident closure 1, configured to close an opening 12 of a container 10. More precisely, the inner sealing cap 2 of the closure 1 is configured to be screwed onto the container 10, the opening 12 of which is provided with an external thread 14 as visible for example in Figure 8. The shape of the container 10 shown in the figures only serves as an example, it being understood that the container 10 can have any shape, as long as it is provided with an opening surrounded, either externally as shown in the figures, or else internally, by a thread 14 on which the inner sealing cap 2 of the closure 1 can be screwed. In the example of Figure 1, the container is provided with a neck portion. However, it is also possible to provide the container in the shape of a bottle with a relatively narrow neck, or in the shape of a straight cylinder. Likewise, it is possible to provide non-rotational geometries for the container, as long as it is provided with an annular container thread, which may be a continuous thread or an interrupted thread.

[0040] The closure 1 comprises two caps which are nested inside each other. In Figure 1, only the outer cap 6 is visible, which comprises a top wall 61 and a sidewall 63. The sidewall 63 can be provided with suitable means to increase the grip for a user. In the example shown, a plurality of ribs are provided on the sidewall 63, extending axially in the direction of a main axis X of the closure. The top wall 61 comprises a tamper-evident member 64, which is connected to a surrounding region 65 by a frangible structure 66. By way of a non-limiting example, in the illustrated embodiment, the frangible structure comprises four distinct frangible bridges 66 regularly distributed around the periphery of the tamper-evident member 64. In a variant, the frangible structure 66 may be formed by a material of reduced thickness fully surrounding the tamper-evident member 64. The geometry of the outer cap 6 represented in Figure 1 only serves as an example, and other geometries are also possible.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the inner sealing cap 2 comprises a cap body 3 with a top wall 31 and a sidewall 33. The top wall 31 is provided with a protruding element 36. It can be seen, e.g. in Figure 8, that the protruding element 36 has a geometry which corresponds to the geometry of the tamper-evident member 64 being part of the top wall 61 of the outer cap 6. The protruding element 36 is configured to remove the tamper-evident member 64 by breaking the frangible bridges 66 between the tamper-evident member 64 and the surrounding region 65, upon axial displacement of the outer cap 6 toward the cap body 3 of the inner sealing cap 2 in the direction of the main axis X. In this case, the rupture of the frangible bridges 66 results from an axial stretching stress applied thereto in the direction of the main axis X. As visible in Figures 4 and 5, the cap body 3 of the inner sealing cap 2 is provided with an inner cap thread 34 which is configured to cooperate with the container thread 14 of the container 10. In this way, the closure 1 can be screwed onto the neck of the container 10 by rotation in a screwing direction R 1 which, in this example, is a clockwise direction.

[0042] In addition to the cap body 3, the inner sealing cap 2 comprises a receptacle 4, which defines a chamber 40 for receiving an active material 8 capable of regulating the atmosphere in the container 10, in particular a desiccant and / or an oxygen scavenger. The chamber 40 is delimited by a bottom wall 41 and a sidewall 43, and is closed by a gas-permeable cover 48 which retains the active material 8 inside the chamber. In the represented example, the gas-permeable cover 48 is a cardboard held at its periphery by a thinner extension 45 of the sidewall 43 which has been crimped. In another embodiment, the gas-permeable cover 48 may be a porous membrane secured to the distal end of the sidewall 43, e.g. by heat-sealing, ultrasonic welding, overmolding, etc.

[0043] As visible for example in Figures 4 and 8, the receptacle 4 is held in a cavity 30 of the cap body 3 by a holding element 5, which is a third part of the inner sealing cap 2 in addition to the cap body 3 and the receptacle 4. As shown in Figure 7, the holding element 5 is a multifunction component including several parts with dedicated functions. In particular, the holding element 5 comprises a central part playing the role of a sealing member 51, configured to provide a gas-tight seal between the cap body 3 and the container 10 when the inner sealing cap 2 is in a configuration fixed on the container 10. More precisely, the sealing member 51 comprises a flat sealing surface 52 forming an inner surface of the inner sealing cap 2 positioned transversally to the main axis X, so as to provide a gas-tight seal between the inner sealing cap 2 and an upper surface 16 of the container opening 12. Such a flat sealing surface 52 positioned transversally to the main axis X makes it possible to adapt to a wide range of containers.

[0044] The holding element 5 also comprises, regularly distributed over the circumference of the sealing member 51, a plurality of outer tabs 53 and a plurality of inner flaps 54. Each outer tab 53 forms a connecting part of the holding element 5 configured to be received in a corresponding inner groove 39 of the cap body, in such a way that the holding element 5 is maintained relative to the cap body 3 with possibility of movement in the direction of the main axis X. Each inner flap 54 forms a movable part of the holding element 5, configured to move relative to the connecting tabs 53 under the action of a pushing force P applied by the cap body 3 upon fixing the inner sealing cap 2 on the container 10. In the non-limiting example represented in Figures 1 to 11, there are eight outer connecting tabs 53 and twelve inner movable flap 54, it being understood that these numbers may be varied according to the designs and materials used. As can be seen for example in Figure 3 or Figure 8, each inner groove 39 of the cap body is connected to an aperture 39'. Thanks to this structure, it is possible to obtain the cap body 3 easily by injection molding, the risks of damage during release of the part from the injection mold being low because the inner grooves 39 can be obtained without molding undercuts.

[0045] The selection of the constitutive material(s) of the holding element 5 is key to ensure that the various functions of this component are carried out in a reliable and lasting manner, including the sealing function performed by the sealing member 51 at the interface between the cap body 3 and the container 10, the anchoring function relative to the cap body 3 performed by the outer connecting tabs 53, the holding and releasing functions of the receptacle 4 relative to the cap body 3 performed by the inner movable flaps 54. In one embodiment, the whole of the holding element may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), preferably a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), having a Shore A hardness and a thickness selected to ensure all of the above functions. In another embodiment, each part 51, 53, 54 of the holding element may be made of a specific material specially adapted to its function.

[0046] By way of example, for the geometry and configuration of the first embodiment as described above and shown in the figures, the whole of the holding element may be made of a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) having a Shore A hardness of 60 and a thickness of 1.5 mm. A non-limitative example of a suitable material for the holding element 5 is a thermoplastic vulcanizate selected in the TPV - Elastron ®< V Series designed for use in medical applications, which are based on mixtures of EPDM and PP, e.g., the products Elastron ®< P.V101, such as Elastron ®< P.V101.A60.B having a Shore A hardness of 60 measured according to standard ASTM D2240.

[0047] Thanks to its three-part structure, the inner sealing cap 2 is configured to expose the gas-permeable wall 48 of the receptacle to the exterior of the cavity 30 only when the inner sealing cap 2 is fixed on the container 10, making it possible to use the regulation capacity of the active material 8 only when the container 10 is gas-tightly closed by the inner sealing cap 2. More specifically, the holding element 5 is configured to hold the receptacle 4 relative to the cap body 3 in such a way that, before the inner sealing cap 2 is fixed on the container 10, the receptacle 4 is held by the inner flaps 54 in a first position, visible in Figure 8, in which the gas-permeable wall 48 is gas-tightly enclosed in the cavity 30. To this end, the cap body 3 and the receptacle 4 comprise complementary annular sealing surfaces 37 and 47 of frustoconical shape, respectively defined by a flared edge 30' of the cavity 30 and by an outer peripheral shoulder 44 of the receptacle 4. The frustoconical sealing surfaces 37 and 47 are in sealing contact when the receptacle 4 is in the first position.

[0048] The holding element 5 is also configured to hold the receptacle 4 relative to the cap body 3 in such a way that, when the inner sealing cap 2 is fixed on the container 10, the receptacle 4 is released by the inner flaps 54 to a second position, visible in Figure 9, in which the gas-permeable wall 48 is exposed to the atmosphere in the container 10. To this end, the cap body 3 comprises an annular pressure rib 35 provided on a transverse wall 38 of the cap body arranged transversely to the main axis X. The pressure rib 35 is positioned facing the part of the holding element 5 corresponding to the inner flaps 54 and is designed to apply a pushing force P on the inner flaps 54 when the inner sealing cap 2 is in the process of being fixed on the container 10 and the surface 52 of the sealing member 51 comes in sealing contact with the container 10. Under the action of the pushing force P, the inner flaps 54 move relative to the connecting tabs 53 by bending at the level of the pressure rib 35, thus releasing the receptacle 4 from the first position to the second position.

[0049] The degree of bending movement of the inner flaps 54 relative to the connecting tabs 53 at the level of the pressure rib 35 depends on the height of the pressure rib 35 in the direction of the main axis X and on the radial position of the pressure rib 35. In this first embodiment, the height h 1 of the pressure rib 35 in the direction of the main axis is selected so that, in the second position, the receptacle 4 is still held with respect to the cap body 3 by the inner flaps 54. In addition, when the inner sealing cap 2 is removed from the container 10, the inner flaps 54 move the receptacle 4 relative to the cap body 3 back from the second position to the first position because the pushing force P applied by the pressure rib 35 on the inner flaps 54 is released. The receptacle 4 is thus axially movable relative to the cap body 3 in the direction of the main axis X between the first position and the second position, the movement being driven by the inner flaps 54 of the holding element as a function of the state of the inner sealing cap 2 relative to the container 10, i.e., either fixed on or removed from the container.

[0050] As shown in Figures 8 to 11, the transverse wall 38 of the cap body may also be provided with an annular groove 381 facing the part of the holding element 5 corresponding to the sealing member 51 and defining a gap G 1 in the direction of the main axis X between the cap body and a bottom of the inner grooves 39 receiving the outer connecting tabs 53. The presence of the annular groove 381 gives more clearance for the holding element 5 to deform and facilitates the bending movement of the inner flaps 54 relative to the outer connecting tabs 53 under the effect of the pushing force P.

[0051] In the enlarged portion of Figure 9, the pushing force P is applied by the pressure rib 35, it being understood that the inner edge of the annular groove 381 closest to the pressure rib 35 also applies a pressure force P on the holding element 5. In a variant not shown in the figures, the pressure rib 35 may be omitted and the inner edge of the annular groove 381 may form the projecting element configured to apply a pushing force P on the holding element 5. Yet, the combination of the pressure rib 35 and the inner edge of the annular groove 381 to apply a pushing force, as shown in the first embodiment, ensures optimum bending deformation of the holding element 5. The pushing force P generates a bending of the inner flaps 54 of the holding element 5 when the sealing member 51 of the holding element 5 comes into contact with the upper surface 16 of the container opening 12 and is compressed between the transverse wall 38 of the cap body and the upper surface 16 of the container opening.

[0052] The sidewall 63 of the outer cap 6 comprises a radially inwardly extending bead 62 which, in the mounted state of the outer cap 6 on the inner sealing cap 2, forms a positive lock with a radially outwardly extending flange 32 provided on the sidewall 33 of the cap body 3. The inner bead 62 and the outer flange 32 cooperate in a such a way as to firmly hold the outer cap 6 on the inner sealing cap 2, so that it can no longer be removed from the inner sealing cap 2. The closure 1 also comprises a child-resistant engagement mechanism between the outer cap 6 and the inner sealing cap 2. As can be seen in Figure 2, the outer cap 6 includes, on that side of the top wall 61 which, in the mounted state, faces the top wall 31 of the cap body 3, a plurality of radial ribs 76 regularly distributed on the surrounding region 65 and configured to cooperate with corresponding wedge-shaped elements 92 with beveled inclined surface provided on the top wall 31 of the inner sealing cap 2, between the protruding element 36 and the apertures 39'. In the non-limiting example represented in Figures 1 to 11, there are twelve radial ribs 76 on the outer cap 6 configured to cooperate with twelve wedge-shaped elements 92 of the inner sealing cap 2, it being understood that the number of coupling elements 76 and 92 may be different.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, the initial mounting configuration of the closure 1, suitable for the initial mounting of the closure on a container 10, is such that the radial ribs 76 are in contact with straight edges 92a of the wedge-shaped elements 92, with possibility of axial movement of the radial ribs 76 in the interspace between the wedge-shaped elements 92 in the direction of the main axis X, whereas the tamper-evident member 64 rests on the protruding element 36. In this embodiment, the tamper-evident member 64 is configured to be detached from the surrounding region 65 upon application on the outer cap 6 of an axial pushing force F in the direction of the main axis X, so that the protruding element 36 is displaced in pushing abutment against the tamper-evident member 64, thus breaking the frangible bridges 66, while at the same time the radial ribs 76 are displaced in the interspace between the wedge-shaped elements 92 toward slanted edges 92b of the wedge-shaped elements 92.

[0054] In operation, when a rotational torque in the direction of screwing R 1 is applied on the outer cap 6, even without any axial force in the direction of the main axis X, the radial ribs 76 are in a locking arrangement with the straight edges 92a of the wedge-shaped elements 92 forming abutments of height e 1 , so that the inner sealing cap 2 is rotated in unison with the outer cap 6 in the direction R 1 , thus making it possible to mount the closure 1 on the container 10. Conversely, when a user rotates the outer cap 6 in the direction of unscrewing R 2 , in an attempt to open the closure 1 without applying an axial force on the outer cap 6 in the direction of the main axis X, the radial ribs 76 slip over the slanted edges 92b and flat portions 92c of the wedge-shaped elements 92, and the rotation of the outer cap 6 does not lead to a corresponding rotation of the inner sealing cap 2.

[0055] An opening of the closure 1 requires that the radial ribs 76 of the outer cap 6 are brought in engagement with the slanted edges 92b of the wedge-shaped elements 92 of the inner sealing cap 2, which is only possible after the outer cap 6 has been axially displaced toward the inner sealing cap 2, in particular under the action of an axial pushing force F applied on the top wall 61 in the direction of the main axis X, as shown in Figure 10. More precisely, under the action of the axial force F applied on the surrounding region 65, the outer cap 6 is displaced axially toward the inner sealing cap 2, and the tamper-evident member 64 is detached from the surrounding region 65 under the pressure exerted by the protruding element 36. In this way, as shown in Figure 10, after application of the axial pushing force F, the radial ribs 76 can interact with the slanted edges 92b of the wedge-shaped elements 92 so that rotation of the outer cap 6 in the direction of unscrewing R 2 also rotates the inner sealing cap 2 in the same direction. In practice, when the axial pushing force F on the outer cap 6 is released, the outer cap returns to its initial configuration, which disengages the radial ribs 76 from the slanted edges 92b of the wedge-shaped elements 92. Thus, the child-resistant properties of the closure 1 are maintained even after the first use.

[0056] As can be seen from the above description, the mounting (or closing) of the closure 1 onto a container is easy to achieve and only requires a simple rotational movement of the outer cap 6 in the direction of screwing R 1 , whereas the opening of the closure 1 requires a complex operation starting with an axial displacement of the outer cap 6 toward the inner sealing cap 2 under an axial pressure force F in the direction of the main axis X, followed by a rotational movement in the direction of unscrewing R 2 while maintaining the axial pressure force F. Such complex operation establishes a highly effective child resistance of the closure 1.

[0057] Figures 12 and 13 show a variant of a receptacle suitable for the inner sealing cap 2 of the first embodiment. In Figures 12 and 13, elements of the receptacle that are similar to those of the first embodiment have the same references increased by 100. In this variant, the receptacle 104 comprises on its outer surface a plurality of notches 142 which are regularly distributed over the sidewall 143 and which extend between the outer peripheral shoulder 144 and the extension 145. In this way, when the receptacle 104 is held in the second position relative to the cap body 3 as shown in Figure 9 or 10, with the inner flaps 54 in open configuration, the notches 142 form passages promoting gas exchange between the active material 8 inside the receptacle 104 and the atmosphere in the container 10. The presence of such gas passages defined by the notches 142 is all the more important as the clearance resulting from the opening of the inner flaps 54 in the second position is narrow.

[0058] In Figures 12 and 13, the receptacle 104 has notches 142 extending substantially parallel to the main axis X. In a variant not shown in the figures, the notches 142 of the receptacle may be oriented transversally to the main axis X. In another variant not shown in the figures, the notches 142 of the receptacle may be oriented helically around the main axis X or according to any other orientation allowing to create complex and / or tortuous passages. In this way, the notches 142 can be used to avoid leaks of particles of active material 8 out of the receptacle, in addition to promoting gas exchange between the active material 8 and the atmosphere in the container 10. According to still another variant not shown in the figures, the notches 142 of the receptacle may be designed to create passages so complex and / or tortuous that the cardboard 148 can be omitted, the active material 8 then being kept in the chamber 140 of the receptacle and the cavity 30 of the cap body thanks to the impossibility for the active material to exit the cavity 30 through the complex and / or tortuous passages defined by the notches 142.

[0059] In the second embodiment shown in Figures 14 and 15, elements that are similar to those of the first embodiment have the same references. The closure 1 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the structures of the cap body 3 and the holding element 5 are configured to drop the receptacle 4 into the container 10 when the inner sealing cap 2 is fixed on the container 10. To this end, in the second embodiment, the degree of bending movement of the inner flaps 54 relative to the connecting tabs 53 is increased compared to the first embodiment, by providing the pressure rib 35 with a height h 2 in the direction of the main axis X higher than the height h 1 of the first embodiment. In a variant not shown, the degree of flexion of the inner flaps 54 can also be increased by adjusting the radial position of the pressure rib 35, in addition or as a replacement for the increase in the height h 2 of the pressure rib 35.

[0060] In the second embodiment, the transverse wall 38 of the cap body 3 does not comprise any groove similar to the groove 381 of the first embodiment, because the height h 2 of the pressure rib 35 already provides sufficient clearance between the transverse wall 38 and the bottom of the inner grooves 39 for the holding element 5 to deform. In other words, in the second embodiment, the gap G 2 in the direction of the main axis X between the cap body 3 and a bottom of the inner grooves 39 receiving the outer connecting tabs 53 is equal to the height h 2 of the pressure rib 35. In practice, the mounting (or closing) and opening of the closure 1 of the second embodiment, relative to a container, are carried out in a manner analogous to the previous description for the first embodiment, which will therefore not be repeated.

[0061] The constitutive materials of the closure and the container of the invention, as well as the active material received in the cavity of the closure for regulation of the atmosphere inside the container, are selected according to the intended use of the container. In all embodiments, the cap body 3, the receptacle 4 and the outer cap 6 are advantageously manufactured by injection molding of suitable polymer material(s), which may be one and the same polymer material, or different polymer materials selected according to the intended function of each element, or even according to the intended function of each portion of each element.

[0062] Examples of suitable polymers for the cap body 3, the receptacle 4 and the outer cap 6 include polyolefin-based polymers, in particular polyethylene or polypropylene. In one embodiment, the cap body 3 and the receptacle 4 may be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), whereas the outer cap 6 may be made of polypropylene (PP) or polyoxymethylene (POM). Polypropylene (PP) and polyoxymethylene (POM) are polymer materials that are advantageous for the outer cap 6, especially as they are materials that are brittle enough to allow the rupture of the frangible structure 66, but they are also flexible materials.

[0063] The constitutive material of the holding element 5 may also be a specific polymer, especially with a Young's coefficient lower than that of the cap body 3. By way of a non-limiting example, when the cap body 3 is made of HDPE, the holding element 5 may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), preferably a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), having a Shore A hardness of between 30 and 80. Suitable TPVs include those based on a mixture of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and polypropylene (PP).

[0064] As can be seen from the above description of several embodiments and examples, the invention provides a sealing cap suitable for different sizes of container openings which, when fixed onto a container, makes it possible to safely preserve sensitive products stored in the container, while increasing the in-use life cycle of the active material. In this way, the shelf life of products contained in the container can be precisely controlled, while maintaining low production costs. A closure comprising a sealing cap according to the invention and an outer cap also makes it possible to combine the three functions of being child-resistant, tamper-evident and providing active control of the atmosphere in a container. Because of its high safety, a container with a closure according to the invention is advantageously used for storing tablets or capsules containing a pharmaceutical composition; nutraceuticals; herbalism products; or diagnostic products.

[0065] The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown.

[0066] In particular, the pressure rib of the cap body may have different cross sections (e.g., rounded, triangular), different heights and different radial positions. Depending on its height and radial position, the receptacle may still be held by the at least one holding element in the second position, or it may be totally dropped in the container in the second position.

[0067] According to one variant, the sealing member and the at least one holding element may be independent components instead of being formed by one and the same multifunctional component as shown in the figures. The plurality of connecting tabs and movable flaps belonging to the same multifunctional component may also be replaced by connecting tabs and movable flaps belonging to discrete holding elements distributed over the circumference of the sealing cap, at the interface between the cap body and the receptacle. According to another variant, the sealing member between the cap body of the inner sealing cap and the container may have a frustoconical sealing surface, instead of flat sealing surface.

[0068] According to one variant, the tamper-evident member may be a safety strip, instead of a tamper-evident disc as shown in the figures. In this case, the safety strip may be integral with one among the inner sealing cap and the outer cap, while being connected by a frangible structure to the other one among the inner sealing cap and the outer cap. Whatever the structure of the tamper-evident member, the frangible structure may also comprise a continuous thinned portion of material, instead of a plurality of frangible bridges.

[0069] According to one variant, the cap body of the inner sealing cap may be fixed on the container by other fixing means than screwing, e.g. the threads 14 and 34 may be replaced by clipping elements such as a bead on the container configured to be clipped in a corresponding groove of the first side wall of the cap body. The container may also comprise an internal thread on its inner surface, instead of an external thread on its outer surface as shown in the figures, with the cap thread being provided on the outer face of the first side wall of the cap body. In this case, the sealing member is independent from the at least one holding element and may for example be provided on the inner face of an external sealing skirt coming around the neck of the container so as to be pressed against the outer surface of the container upon screwing the cap thread onto the neck thread.

[0070] The geometry, the number, and the arrangement of the coupling elements of the child-resistant engagement mechanism and mounting engagement mechanism may also be different from those described above. It is notably understood that the invention may be implemented with any type of child-resistant engagement mechanism, e.g., a "push-and-turn" child-resistant mechanism, a "squeeze-and-turn" child-resistant mechanism, a "push-and-squeeze-and-turn" child-resistant mechanism, as long as the removal of the tamper-evident member releases at least one degree of freedom of relative movement between the outer cap 6 and the inner sealing cap 2. The child-resistant mechanism may also comprise an elastic element, such as a spring arranged between the inner sealing cap and the outer cap, for automatically disengaging the coupling elements of the child-resistant mechanism, e.g., when the axial force F is released in the embodiments described above. The child-resistant and tamper-evident functions may also be directly integrated within the cap body 3, in cooperation with corresponding elements provided on the container, e.g., as disclosed in EP2842886A1.

[0071] Of course, many other variants can be considered, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Sealing cap (2) configured to close an opening (12) of a container (10), the sealing cap (2) comprising: - a cap body (3) comprising a fixing element (34) configured to cooperate with a corresponding fixing element (14) of the container, - a receptacle (4) for receiving an active material (8) capable of regulating an atmosphere in the container (10), such as a desiccant or an oxygen scavenger, the receptacle (4) having a gas-permeable wall (48), - a sealing member (51) configured to provide a gas-tight seal between the cap body (3) and the container (10) when the sealing cap (2) is fixed on the container (10), wherein the sealing cap (2) further comprises at least one holding element (5) configured to hold the receptacle (4) relative to the cap body (3), such that: - before the sealing cap (2) is fixed on the container, the receptacle (4) is held by the at least one holding element (5) in a first position in which the gas-permeable wall (48) is gas-tightly enclosed in a cavity (30) of the cap body; and - when the sealing cap (2) is fixed on the container (10), the receptacle (4) is released to a second position in which the gas-permeable wall (48) is exposed to the atmosphere in the container (10).

2. Sealing cap according to claim 1, wherein, in the second position, the receptacle (4) is held relative to the cap body (3) by the at least one holding element (5).

3. Sealing cap according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, when the sealing cap (2) is removed from the container (10), the at least one holding element (5) is configured to move the receptacle (4) relative to the cap body (3) from the second position to the first position.

4. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receptacle (4) is axially movable relative to the cap body (3), in the direction of a main axis (X) of the cap body (3), between the first position and the second position.

5. Sealing cap according to claim 1, wherein, in the second position, the receptacle (4) is in the inner volume of the container (10) without being held relative to the cap body (3) by the at least one holding element (5).

6. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap body (3) and the receptacle (4) comprise complementary sealing surfaces (37, 47) which are in sealing contact when the receptacle (4) is in the first position.

7. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one holding element (5) comprises a connecting part (53), which is configured to connect the at least one holding element (5) to the cap body (3), and a movable part (54), which is movable relative to the connecting part (53) under the action of a pushing force (P) applied by the cap body (3).

8. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cap body (3) comprises a projecting element (35) configured to apply a pushing force (P) on the at least one holding element (5) during fixation of the sealing cap (2) on the container (10).

9. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one holding element (5) is integrally formed with the sealing member (51).

10. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing cap (2) comprises a multifunction component (5) including: - a central part (51) forming the sealing member, - an outer tab (53) forming a connecting part of the at least one holding element (5), - an inner flap (54) forming a movable part of the at least one holding element (5).

11. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing member (51) comprises a flat sealing surface (52) forming an inner surface of the sealing cap (2) positioned transversally to a main axis (X) of the cap body (3) so as to provide a gas-tight seal between the sealing cap (2) and an upper surface (16) of the container opening (12).

12. Sealing cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one among the sealing member (51) and the at least one holding element (5) is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), preferably of a thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV).

13. Closure (1) comprising a sealing cap (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing cap (2) is an inner cap configured to attach the closure (1) to a container (10), wherein the closure further comprises an outer cap (6), the sealing cap (2) being coaxially nested in the outer cap (6).

14. Closure according to claim 13, wherein the cap body (3) comprises a cap thread (34) configured to be screwed onto a corresponding container thread (14) around a screwing axis (X), wherein the closure (1) comprises a child-resistant engagement mechanism (76, 92b) between the outer cap (6) and the sealing cap (2), configured to drive the outer cap and the sealing cap in unison in a direction of unscrewing (R2) the cap thread (34) relative to the container thread (14), upon application on the outer cap (6) of a rotational torque in the direction of unscrewing (R2) and at least one additional force (F), to remove the closure (1) from the container (10).

15. Closure according to claim 13 or claim 14, comprising a tamper-evident member (64) connected to one cap among the outer cap (6) and the sealing cap (2) by a frangible structure (66).

16. Closure according to claim 15, wherein the sealing cap (2) comprises a first top wall (31) and a first sidewall (33), the outer cap (6) comprises a second top wall (61) and a second sidewall (63), the sealing cap (2) being coaxially nested in the outer cap (6) with possibility of relative axial movement so that the first and second top walls can be displaced relative to each other in the direction of the screwing axis (X), wherein the closure (1) further comprises: - at least one protruding element (36) arranged between the first top wall (31) and the second top wall (61) while facing the tamper-evident member (64), - a child-resistant engagement mechanism (76, 92b) between the outer cap (6) and the sealing cap (2), configured to drive the outer cap and the sealing cap in unison in a direction of unscrewing (R2) the cap thread (34) relative to the container thread (14), upon application on the outer cap (6) of a rotational torque in the direction of unscrewing (R2) and an axial force (F) in the direction of the screwing axis (X), to remove the closure (1) from the container (10).

17. Closure according to claim 15 or claim 16, comprising a mounting engagement mechanism (76, 92a) between the outer cap (6) and the sealing cap (2), configured to drive the outer cap and the sealing cap in unison in a direction of screwing (R1) the cap thread (34) onto the container thread (14), upon application on the outer cap (6) of a rotational torque in the direction of screwing (R1), to mount the closure (1) on the container (10) without breaking the frangible structure (66).

18. Container with a sealing cap (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the sealing cap (2) being fixedly attached onto the container (10) and closing an opening (12) of the container.

19. Use of a container according to claim 18, for containing moisture-sensitive items, such as tablets or capsules containing a pharmaceutical composition; nutraceuticals; herbalism products; diagnostic products.