Cap provided with a locking pin

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cap (16) and a cap assembly (12) for a container (10), comprising: a cap body (20) pivotably mounted between a closed position and at least one open position; a tamper-evident ring (26); and two connecting arms (34, 36) which are each connected, on one side, to the tamper-evident ring (26) and, on the other side, to the cap body (20) by means of a hinge. The cap body (20) comprises a locking pin (46) which is located between the two connecting arms (34, 36) and which axially extends towards the tamper-evident ring (26) when the cap body (20) is in its closed position. The locking pin (46) comprises a free-end edge (48) and an outer axial surface (50).

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a stopper for a container.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to a cap which is inseparable from the container even when the cap is open, in particular a cap usable on a brick-shaped container, for example made of cardboard. Technical background

[0003] It is known that a container such as a cardboard carton can be fitted with a neck onto which a cap is screwed. The neck can be attached to the cardboard carton, for example by gluing.

[0004] The term container here refers to any kind of container, without limitation of shape or use. The stopper comprises, for example, a stopper body comprising a tubular skirt and a plate connected at its periphery to the skirt and intended to cover the opening of the neck. The skirt comprises a thread arranged inside, intended to engage with a complementary shape of the neck.

[0005] The skirt is often extended by a tamper-evident ring designed to engage with a collar on the neck. The tamper-evident ring is connected to the skirt by bridges between which extend through dividers. When the cap is opened, the tamper-evident ring remains attached to the collar and is detached from the skirt by the breaking of the bridges. This shows that the container has already been opened.

[0006] Recently, new European directives have introduced a standard requiring that basic caps as described above must now be attached to the neck of the container, in order to limit the impact on the environment by preventing the dissemination of caps.

[0007] Thus, so-called inseparable caps are now provided, which comprise the same elements as conventional caps except that the cap body is permanently connected to the tamper-evident ring by means of connecting arms. These connecting arms are shaped by their length in such a way as to allow the cap body to move axially away from the tamper-evident ring, to detach from the neck and to be able to tilt towards an open position which allows the fluid contained in the container to be poured through the neck.

[0008] Examples of caps are described in WO2020 / 227813A1 and JP2014-061929A.

[0009] One disadvantage of existing caps is that they are not suitable for all container configurations, particularly brick-type containers. The fact that the cap remains attached to the neck by the tamper-evident ring can hinder use when you want to pour a liquid from the container and the cap gets in the way of the liquid. You then have to hold the container with one hand and hold the cap with the other, which is not practical.

[0010] The invention aims to provide a cap and a cap assembly that is more practical, while complying with regulations and minimizing manufacturing costs. Summary of the invention

[0011] With these objectives in view, the invention provides a cap assembly comprising a threaded neck intended to be mounted on a container and a cap for the container comprising: a cap body comprising a substantially tubular skirt centered on a main axis and means for engaging it with a neck connected to the container, the cap body being pivotally mounted between a closed position and at least one open position; a tamper-evident ring; and two connecting arms which are each connected, on one side to the tamper-evident ring and on the other, by a hinge, to the cap body; characterized in that: the cap body comprises a locking finger which is located between the two connecting arms and which extends axially towards the tamper-evident ring when the cap body is in its closed position;the locking finger comprises a free end edge which is provided to bear against a first bearing zone of the neck so as to retain the cap body in an intermediate open position, and an outer axial surface which is provided to bear against a second bearing zone of the neck so as to retain the cap body in a fully open position, the upper section of the neck comprises an outer peripheral groove whose lower edge forms the first bearing zone and whose upper edge forms the second bearing zone for the free end edge of the locking finger, the neck comprises at its upper end a sealing lip provided to be compressed against a sealing element of the cap body in the closed position of the cap against the neck, and the outer radial end of the sealing lip forms the upper edge of the outer peripheral groove. ;

[0012] Thus, the flow of liquid is no longer hindered by the cap body. The cap is therefore convenient to use. The user only has to unscrew the cap and then rotate the cap to the intermediate opening position, or the fully open position, until the cap body is immobilized by means of the locking finger. Then, the user can freely pour the liquid contained in the container without having to hold the cap body.

[0013] According to other characteristics of the invention: the two hinges define a pivot axis of the cap body and a first radial distance from the pivot axis to the free end edge of the locking finger is slightly greater than a second radial distance from the pivot axis to the top of the lower rim of the outer peripheral groove, such that when moving from the closed position to the intermediate open position of the cap body, the passage of the locking finger over the lower rim causes a hard point in the pivoting of the cap; the tamper-evident ring has clamping elements against the neck to brake the rotation of the cap on the neck; in its intermediate open position, the cap body is pivoted by a first angle of between 90 and 100 degrees, preferably 95 degrees, relative to its closed position;in its fully open position, the cap body is pivoted by a second angle greater than or equal to 150 degrees, preferably substantially equal to 170 degrees, relative to its closed position; the two connecting arms delimit between them a substantially rectangular notch, and in that, in the closed position of the cap body, the locking finger is received in the notch; the two connecting arms are connected to the tamper-evident ring by a substantially trapezoidal connecting portion whose apex delimits the bottom of the notch. ;

[0014] The invention also provides a brick-shaped container, characterized in that it is equipped with a stopper assembly according to one of the preceding characteristics. Brief description of the figures

[0015] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear during the reading of the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which: [ Fig. 1 ] - there figure 1 is a perspective view which schematically represents a container whose opening is equipped with a stopper assembly according to the invention; [ Fig.2 ] - there figure 2 is a perspective view that represents the cap assembly of the figure 1 when the cap body occupies a closed position; [ Fig.3 ] - there figure 3 is an axial sectional view along plane 3-3 which represents the plug assembly of the figure 2 ; [ Fig.4 ] - there figure 4 is a side view showing the cap assembly of the figure 2 ; [ Fig.5 ] - there Figure 5 is an axial sectional view similar to that of the figure 3but which represents the cap assembly when the cap body occupies an intermediate opening position; [ Fig.6 ] - there figure 6 is a detailed view of a portion of the Figure 5 which represents the locking finger when the cap body occupies the intermediate opening position; [ Fig.7 ]- there figure 7 is an axial sectional view similar to that of the Figure 5 which represents the cap assembly when the cap body is in a fully open position. Detailed description of the invention

[0016] On the figure 1 a container 10 is shown equipped with a stopper assembly 12 according to the invention. The container 10 is here of the cardboard brick type made by folding and gluing. The invention is also suitable for other types of containers.

[0017] According to the embodiment shown, the cap assembly 12 is attached to an upper wall 14 of the container 10 which has an opening 15.

[0018] The cap assembly 12 is shown in more detail in the figures 2 and following. Here it has a threaded neck 14 and a cap 16 designed to be screwed onto the neck 14.

[0019] In the remainder of the description, an axial orientation along the main axis A1 of the cap assembly 12 will be used, without limitation, i.e. along the axis of the neck 14, from bottom to top, considering the Figures 2 and 3 . The stopper assembly 12 is first described when it occupies its closed position on the neck 14, as shown in the figures 2, 3 And 4 .

[0020] The neck 14 is here provided at its lower axial end with a radial collar 18, or base, which allows the cap assembly 12 to be fixed to the container 10 in a hermetic manner.

[0021] The stopper 16 comprises a stopper body 20 comprising a substantially tubular skirt 22, along the main axis A1. The skirt 22 is provided on its internal axial wall with threads 24 which allow it to engage with the neck 14 of the container 10 by screwing.

[0022] The cap 16 also includes a tamper-evident ring 26 which is retained axially on the neck 14 by a retaining rib 28.

[0023] The cap body 20 and the tamper-evident ring 26 are made in a single piece by injection of plastic material into a mold.

[0024] In the closed position, and before the first opening of the cap 16, the tamper-evident ring 26 is connected to the skirt 22 by breakable material bridges 29. Unscrewing the cap body 20 relative to the neck 14 causes the material bridges 29 to break to allow the opening of the cap 16 and to give access to the neck 14.

[0025] The tamper-evident ring 26 comprises clamping elements 31 against the neck 14 to slow the rotation of the cap 16 on the neck 14 and to allow it to be held in a determined angular position.

[0026] The tamper-evident ring 26 here comprises, over a portion of its circumference, a connecting portion 30 of generally trapezoidal shape which extends upwards. This connecting portion 30 therefore has an axial dimension greater than the axial dimension of the tamper-evident ring 26 over the rest of its circumference. The connecting portion 30 extends, on each side of its top 32, by two connecting arms 34, 36 which are each connected to the cap body 20 by a hinge 38, 39.

[0027] The hinges 38, 39 are here arranged close to the bottom wall 40 of the plug body 20. The skirt 22 therefore comprises a notch 41 which generally follows the shape of the connecting portion 30. The notch 41 comprises in particular two inclined edges 43, 44, on either side of the connecting portion 30.

[0028] This makes it possible in particular to produce the hinges 38, 39 in the form of a thin veil of material to allow the pivoting of the cap body 20 relative to the tamper-evident ring 26, around a transverse pivot axis T1. The pivot axis T1 is here generally tangent to the cylinder formed by the skirt 22.

[0029] The two connecting arms 34, 36 delimit between them a notch 42 whose bottom 45 corresponds to the top 32 of the connecting portion 30.

[0030] Advantageously, the cap body 20 comprises a locking finger 46 which is arranged between the two connecting arms 34, 36 and which extends axially towards the tamper-evident ring 26, here downwards.

[0031] The locking finger 46 comprises a free end edge 48 which is here substantially parallel to the pivot axis T1 and which extends in the vicinity of the top 42, at the bottom of the notch 42, when the cap body 20 is in its closed position. The transverse dimension of the locking finger 46 is here slightly less than the transverse dimension of the notch 42.

[0032] In the closed position, the locking finger 46 extends axially in the extension of the connecting portion 30, that is to say that the external axial surface 50 of the locking finger 46 is flush with the connecting portion 30 and with the rest of the skirt 22.

[0033] The upper section of the neck 14 comprises an external peripheral groove 52 which is delimited downwards by a lower rim 54 and upwards by an upper rim 56 intended to cooperate with the locking finger 46 in opening positions of the cap 16, as will be described subsequently.

[0034] Advantageously, the neck 14 comprises at its upper axial end a sealing lip 58 which is designed to be compressed against a sealing element of the cap 16, here an internal axial skirt 60, in the closed position of the cap 16 against the neck 14. The sealing lip 58 extends in a generally radial plane, but slightly inclined towards the inside of the neck 14. The sealing lip 58 projects slightly towards the outside of the neck 14, thus forming the upper edge 56 of the external peripheral groove 52.

[0035] From the closed position, which is shown on the figures 2, 3 , And4 , the cap body 20 can be unscrewed by a user. Since the cap body 20 remains connected to the tamper-evident ring by the hinges 38, 39, at the end of the unscrewing the cap body 20 is pivoted about the pivot axis T1 to an intermediate opening position O1, which is illustrated by the figures 5 And 6 .

[0036] The intermediate opening position O1 here corresponds to a pivoting of the cap body 20 by a first angle a1 of between 90 and 100 degrees, preferably 95 degrees, relative to its closed position.

[0037] The cap body 20 is held in the intermediate opening position O1 by the locking finger 46 which pivots with the cap body 20 and which comes to bear by its free end edge 48 against a first bearing zone on the neck 14. The first bearing zone is constituted here by the lower edge 54 of the outer peripheral groove 52.

[0038] From the intermediate opening position O1, the plug body 20 is pivoted about the pivot axis T1 to a fully open position O2, which is illustrated by the figure 7 .

[0039] The fully open position O2 here corresponds to a pivoting of the cap body 20 by a second angle a2 greater than or equal to 150 degrees, preferably substantially equal to 170 degrees, relative to the closed position.

[0040] The cap body 20 is held in the fully open position O2 by the locking finger 46 which comes to bear via the outer axial surface 50 against a second bearing zone on the neck 14. The second bearing zone is constituted here by the upper rim 56 of the outer peripheral groove 52. Advantageously, it is an end portion of the outer axial surface 50, located in the vicinity of the free end edge 48, which comes to bear against the upper rim 56.

[0041] In each of the opening positions O1, O2, the stopper body 20 is released from the neck 14 to allow the pouring of a fluid through the opening 15 of the container 10.

[0042] Advantageously, a first radial distance d1, from the pivot axis T1 to the free end edge 48 of the locking finger 46, is slightly greater than a second radial distance d2 to the lower rim 54 of the outer peripheral groove 52. Thus, when moving from the closed position to the intermediate open position O1, the locking finger 46 rubs against the top of the lower rim 54, which causes a hard point in the pivoting of the cap body 20 and makes it possible to index the cap body 20 in its intermediate open position O1. This hard point allows the user to feel a “click” which indicates to him the passage of the hard point and the arrival in the intermediate open position O1.

[0043] Of course, the cap body 20 is able to pivot in the opposite direction, from each of its opening positions O1, O2 to the closing position.

[0044] The cap 16 and the cap assembly 12 according to the invention allow two indexed opening positions to be available. This allows the cap assembly 12 according to the invention to be implemented in many different container configurations, in particular for brick-shaped containers as in the figure 1 where it is important to be able to maintain the open position when pouring liquid from the container. LEGEND

[0045] 10: container 12: cap assembly 14: neck 15: opening 16: cap 18: radial collar 20: cap body 22: skirt 24: threads 26: tamper-evident ring 28: retaining rib 30: connecting portion 31: clamping elements 32: top 34, 36: connecting arm 38, 39: hinge 40: bottom wall 41: notch 42: notch 43, 44: inclined edge 45: base 46: locking finger 48: free end edge 50: outer axial surface 52: outer peripheral groove 54: lower rim 56: upper rim 58: sealing lip 60: inner axial skirt A1: main axis a1: first angle a2: second angle O1 :intermediate opening position O2 :full opening position T1 :pivot axis

Claims

1. Cap assembly (12) having a threaded neck (14) for mounting on a container (10) and a cap (16) for a container (10), comprising: - a cap body (20) comprising a substantially tubular skirt (22) which is centered on a main axis (A1) and means for the engagement of same with a neck (14) connected to the container (10), the cap body (20) being pivotably mounted between a closed position and at least one open position; - a tamper-evident ring (26); and - two connecting arms (34, 36) which are each connected on one side to the tamper-evident ring (26) and on the other, by means of a hinge, to the cap body (20); - the cap body (20) comprises a locking finger (46) which is located between the two connecting arms (34, 36) and which extends axially toward the tamper-evident ring (26) when the cap body (20) is in its closed position; - the locking finger (46) comprises a free end edge (48) which is intended to bear against a first bearing zone of the neck (14) so as to hold the cap body (20) in an intermediate open position (O1), and an outer axial surface (50) which is intended to bear against a second bearing zone of the neck (14) so as to hold the cap body (20) in a fully open position (O2) - the upper section of the neck (14) has an outer peripheral groove (52), the lower edge (54) of which forms the first bearing zone and the upper edge (56) of which forms the second bearing zone for the free end edge (48) of the locking finger (46), characterized in that: - the neck (14) has at its upper end a sealing lip (58) intended to be compressed against a sealing element of the cap body (20) in the closed position of the cap (16) against the neck (14), the radially outer end of the sealing lip (58) forming the upper edge (56) of the outer peripheral groove (52).

2. Cap assembly (12) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the two hinges (38, 39) define a pivot axis (T1) of the cap body (20) and in that a first radial distance (d1) from the pivot axis (T1) to the free end edge (48) of the locking finger (46) is slightly greater than a second radial distance (d2) from the pivot axis (T1) to the top of the lower edge (54) of the outer peripheral groove (52), so that when the cap body (20) moves from the closed position to the intermediate open position (O1), the locking finger (46) passing over the lower edge (54) causes a hard point in the pivoting of the cap (16).

3. Cap assembly (12) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the tamper-evident ring (26) comprises elements (31) for clamping against the neck (14) to slow down the rotation of the cap (16) on the neck (14).

4. Cap assembly (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in its intermediate open position (O1), the cap body (20) is rotated through a first angle (a1) of between 90 and 100 degrees, preferably 95 degrees, relative to its closed position.

5. Cap assembly (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in its fully open position (O2), the cap body (20) is rotated through a second angle (a2) greater than or equal to 150 degrees, preferably substantially equal to 170 degrees, relative to its closed position.

6. Cap assembly (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the two connecting arms (34, 36) delimit between them a substantially rectangular notch (42), and in that, in the closed position of the cap body (20), the locking finger (46) is received in the notch (42).

7. Cap assembly (12) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the two connecting arms (34, 36) are connected to the tamper-evident ring (26) by a substantially trapezoidal connecting portion (30), the top (32) of which delimits the bottom of the notch (42).

8. Carton-shaped container (10), characterized in that it is equipped with a cap assembly (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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