Closure for a container and container with such a closure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closure or a closure device for a container and to a container with such a closure or closure device. Specifically, the invention relates to a closure for a container with a base element, being directly or indirectly attachable to a container, with a flip- top lid attached to said base element by a hinge and with a transport lock element. Said transport lock element is arranged such that it is covered from view when said flip-top lid is in its closed position.

Description

[0001] Closure for a Container and Container with such a Closure

[0002] Description

[0003] The present invention relates to a closure or a closure device for a container and to a container with such a closure or closure device.

[0004] Such closures are typically used for dispensing products contained in a container to which said closure is attached.

[0005] The products to be dispensed are typically fluid products, like e.g. liquids or powdered or granular products, e.g. in the cosmetics or beauty area or in the food and beverage area, but also in other applications, e.g. for cleaning substances, detergents or other products.

[0006] The present invention especially relates to a closure having a flip-top lid being attached to a base element by a hinge, while such a flip-top lid can be moved between an opened and closed position, while said flip-top lid is typically rotated around said hinge between its opened and its closed position.

[0007] In some applications it is desired to ensure that the closures are not inadvertently opened during transport, so that so-called transport lock elements are provided with such closures.

[0008] Such a closures with a lock element is for example known from WO 2009 / 145847 Al. The closure disclosed in this document comprises a base element and a flip-top lid. this closure also comprises a sliding element which includes a latch portion which coacts with the lid to positively retain the lid in its closed position until manipulation of the sliding element by a user to unlatch the lid.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide an enhanced closure or closure device with a transport locking mechanism.

[0010] This object is solved by a closure for a container according to claim 1 and by a container with such a closure according to claim 16. Claims 2 to 15 refer to specifically advantageous realizations of the closure according to claim 1. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a closure according to claim 17. According to the present invention the closure for a container comprises a base element and a flip-top lid, which is, directly or indirectly, attached to said base element by means of a hinge. This connection or attachment of the flip-top lid to the base element is realized such that the flip-top lid can be moved between an opened and a closed position.

[0011] In the sense and in connection with the description of the closure according to the present invention, the closure has a vertical axis or z-axis, extending in a vertical direction. In case of a base element, which has an essentially cylindrical outer form or a cylindrical skirt, as it is typically or frequently the case, see also the embodiment shown lateron in this specification, this vertical axis or z-axis is also the longitudinal axis of this cylindrically formed base element or skirt. The upward direction of this vertical axis or z-axis is the direction where the flip-top lid is positioned, the flip-top lid defining an upper part of the closure, whereas the downward direction of this vertical axis or z-axis is the direction where the base or base element is positioned, defining a lower part of the closure. The lower part of the closure is therefore the part of the closure which is attached or attachable to a container, whereas the upper part of the closure is the part of the closure where the flip-top lid is arranged, at an opposite side of the part of the closure which is attached or attachable to a container.

[0012] In addition to this vertical axis or z-axis, there are also two horizontal axes, a cross axis or x- axis and a longitudinal axis or y-axis, being normal to each other and being normal to the vertical axis or z-axis, thereby defining a coordinate system. The longitudinal axis or y-axis extends through the middle of the closure and through the middle or the center of the hinge, whereas the cross axis or x-axis extends normal thereto. The x-axis and the y-axis thereby also define radial directions when considering a closure which has an essentially circular cross- sectional form.

[0013] According to the present invention the closure comprises a transport lock element, which is arranged such that it is covered from view when said flip-top lid is in its closed position, in other words it is arranged such that it is not visible for a user, handling the closure or a container with such a closure when said flip-top lid is in its closed position.

[0014] Said transport lock element is, in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid has not yet been opened by the user for the first time, frangibly connected to said flip-top lid by at least one frangible bridge. It is possible that only one transport lock element is provided, however, also the provision of two or more transport lock elements is possible. Typically, one transport lock element is connected to said lid by one frangible bridge, however, it is also possible to use two or more frangible bridges per transport lock element.

[0015] Said transport lock element has a first latch element and said base element has a second latch element. The first latch element and the second latch element are arranged such that they engage with each other when said flip-top lid is in its closed position and when it has not yet been opened by the user for the first time. Thereby the transport lock element is fixed to said base element.

[0016] Said transport lock element and said at least one frangible bridge are arranged such that the frangible bridge is destroyed when said flip-top lid is opened by the user for the first time. In this situation said first latch element and said second latch element remain engaged with each other so that said transport lock element also remains fixed to or attached to said base element.

[0017] One advantage of the closure according to the present invention is that there is no necessity for the user to first operate a transport lock element from a locked position to an unlocked position, before the user can bring the lid in its opened position. Those two-step proceedings do not only require two separate steps to be initiated one after the other, but also the movements involved with each of those two separate steps have to be initiated into different directions, which make it more difficult for a user to open the lid. Furthermore, as a prerequirement, the user has to first realize that there is a first unlocking step necessary before being able to operate the closure and to bring the lid in its opened position.

[0018] With a closure according to the present invention, the user can therefore simply operate the lid and assert a force into the opening direction and can then move the lid from its closed into its opened position. No two separate steps will have to be initiated by the user, which is especially burdensome to a user who is not aware of such a system and requirement.

[0019] At the beginning of this operation of the closure according to the present invention, the user will only have to apply a minimum force in order to destroy the frangible bridge, and with continuation of applying of force, essentially in the same direction, the lid will be moved into its opened position.

[0020] The user therefore does not even have to know the closure provides a certain transport lock mechanism or a transport lock element, and this is a remarkable advantage, as it is thereby avoided that the user has to gain knowledge of the function of such a closure with a transport lock element and it is not necessary that the user has to learn how such a transport lock element has to be released.

[0021] Another advantage of such a closure according to the present invention is that it can be well operated with one hand, again due to the fact that an opening force has to be applied to the flip-top lid essentially only in one direction, which can be easily managed by the user, even if being distracted by other activities.

[0022] The one or the multiple frangible bridge elements can be arranged such that they require a certain minimum force, which will have to be overcome to destroy these frangible bridges and to open the lid. Depending on the application, the container, the size of the closure and the desired transport lock security, such a minimum force can be in the range of 5 N to 40 N, more preferably in the range of 15 N to 35 N.

[0023] A further advantage is that the transport lock elements are covered from view or are not visible to the user when the flip-top lid is in its closed position. On the one hand, this automatically provides protection of the transport lock elements such that these are not inadvertently damaged by any external means during transport, even if no force into an opening direction is asserted. On the other hand, the user is not at all distracted, but immediately realizes that there is only one way to open the lid, namely, to assert a force onto the lid into an opening direction, which ensures an intuitive operation of the closure.

[0024] This applies both to a status when the flip-top lid has not yet been opened for the first time and to a status where the flip-top lid had already been opened and closed by a user one or multiple times. Also, in consecutive operations for opening the lid the user always applies the same intuitive forces and movements to the lid of the container. A user who wants to opened the lid for therefore not have to check in beforehand whether the lid has been already opened once or not, so that always the same operational steps can be applied.

[0025] The closure according to the present invention therefore provides a transport lock function, which is “invisible” to the user and therefore does not disturb or confuse the user, who always operates the closure in the same way, independent on whether the user opens the closure for the first time or in subsequent utilizations. The desired transport lock function is therefore achieved, while not having any negative influence on the user or causing any additional measurements or attention by the user. In a preferred embodiment said flip-top lid comprises a top cover element, frequently or preferably a flat top cover, and an outer side wall extending therefrom. The outer side wall of said flip-top lid extends in a vertical direction or essentially in a vertical direction or along the z-direction, in a downward direction or towards the base element in a situation when the flip- top lid is in its closed position. Preferably and typically the outer side wall or a lower rim of the side wall comes into contact with the base element or parts of the hinge, when the flip-top lid is in its closed position.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment the transport lock element, or multiple transport lock elements, is or are frangibly connected to said outer side wall of said flip-top lid, more preferably to the lower rim of said side wall. This has the advantage that the transport lock element is positioned very close to the base element, ensuring both a reliable functioning and also making the manufacturing process easier and more reliable.

[0027] Preferably the base element comprises a deck portion and a skirt extending therefrom. The deck portion is preferably flat of substantially flat, extending parallel to an x-y-plane se defined above, and it normally contains an opening or a dispensing opening for dispensing content from the container. The opening or dispensing opening may be simply a hole in the deck portion, however, it may also have a specific form, especially there maybe an elevation over an otherwise essentially flat deck portion or the dispensing opening may be realized in form of a spout. The dispensing opening may be provided with a valve, especially a silicon valve.

[0028] The skirt is provided with attachment means for attaching the closure to a container. The attachment means may comprise an inner or an outer thread for interaction with a corresponding thread at a container, especially at a neck of a container. The closure can also be realized as a snap-on closure comprising a snap-on bead for attachment to a container, preferably a neck of a container. However, it is also possible that closure and container are an integrated or unitary element, and it is also possible that the closure is attachable to a container, preferably to a neck of a container, by other fastening means, for example by application of heat, gluing or other means.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment said base element comprises at least one rim portion extending from said deck portion in a direction towards the flip-top lid. The rim portion therefore extends essentially or mainly in a vertical direction or along the z-axis and in an upward direction towards the flip-top lid. The at least one rim portion extends, in a circumferential direction of the closure, at least over a part of the circumference of said deck portion or said base element. The at least one rim portion, with one or more sections, may extend over a total angular distance or angular range of between 90° to 270°, preferably between one 120° and 180°, while this angular distance or range is to be understood as the angular distance or range of one rim portion, if there is only one rim portion, or the sum of the angular distances of all rim portions, if there are two or more rim portions or multiple sections of a rim portion. Such rim portion or multiple rim portions do not only provide an enhanced optical appearance, but also ensure an enhanced cooperation with the flip-top lid, ensuring a secured or covered or embraced flip-top lid when said flip-top lid is in its closed position.

[0030] In a specifically preferred embodiment said rim portion comprises two separate sections or, in other words, there are two separate rim portions provided. The two sections of the rim portion are preferably arranged such that the outer side wall or at least a part of the outer side wall of said flip-top lid is positioned radially inward from said sections of said rim portion, when said flip-top lid is in its closed position. Preferably the radial inner parts or surfaces of the rim portion are in contact with other parts or surfaces of the outer side wall of said flip-top lid, so that a protection and also a sealing effect is provided, avoiding or reducing e.g. dust or dirt entering the area between base element and flip-top lid when said flip-top lid is in its closed position.

[0031] Preferably the sections of said rim portion are spaced from each other in a circumferential direction and having an opening between each other at a circumferential position being opposite to the position where the hinge is located. This opening or interruption preferably extends over an angular distance or range of between 20° and 120°, more preferably between 30° and 6o°. This has the specific advantage that the flip-top lid is covered and protected especially at the side areas of the closure to avoid an inadvertent opening of the flip-top lid, while providing only a specific area, namely essentially opposite to the hinge, at which the flip- top lid can be easily operated by a user by asserting the force onto the flip-top lid into an opening direction. This ensures an intuitive operation while avoiding or reducing the risk of any inadvertent opening of the flip-top lid.

[0032] In a specifically preferred embodiment said deck portion and / or at least one of said sections of said rim portion have a through hole being arranged such that said transport lock element, being frangibly connected to said flip-top lid in its as-manufactured status, can at least partly be inserted into or at least partly through said through hole when closing the flip-top lid for the first time after manufacturing. The closure is preferably manufactured with the flip-top lid in its opened position, and only thereafter the flip-top lid is brought into its closed position for the first time, so that the closure is then ready to be used. The above described arrangement is specifically preferred as ensuring a secure manufacturing process, especially avoiding any malfunctions or potential damages of the important transport lock element when closing the flip-top lid for the first time.

[0033] Furthermore, with the specific arrangement the transport lock element or multiple transport lock elements, if provided, are inserted at least partly, preferably fully into these through holes, so that these elements do not extend beyond the upper surface of the deck portion of the base element. Therefore, even after a first opening of the flip-top lid by the user, the transport lock elements are protected by the upper surface of the deck portion of the base element. While the transport lock elements may be not completely covered from view when the flip-top lid is in its opened position, the transport lock elements will nevertheless hardly be visible by the user and only if the user on purpose looks through the through holes in order to gain more information about the structure of the closure, but during normal use the user will typically not recognize these at least partly covered transport lock elements.

[0034] Preferably the through holes are either only provided in said deck portion, very preferably in the vicinity or directly at a rim portion or a section of the rim portion, so that said through holes are securely covered from view when said flip-top lid is in its closed position. In another embodiment the through holes partly extend into the rim portion or a section of the rim portion, preferably only in a lower part of the rim portion or the section of the rim portion, whereas also in this embodiment the through holes are preferably fully covered by the flip-top lid, when it is in its closed position, so that the through also are completely covered from view.

[0035] In a specifically preferred embodiment, the closure comprises two transport lock elements, which are preferably arranged, in a circumferential direction, in opposite or essentially opposite positions. In a specifically preferred embodiment, the two transport lock elements are arranged in side positions, or in other words, in a position between a position where the hinge is located and the position opposite to where the hinge is located. Preferably the two transport lock elements are arranged along the x-axis or, in other words, at an outer circumferential position of the base element in a cross axis direction, when said flip-top lid is in its closed position.

[0036] The functional areas and elements in such an embodiment are therefore separated in a very preferred way, the hinge at one position (referred to as 12 o’clock position), the area on which the user asserts a force in order to open the flip-top lid (referred to as 6 o’clock position), with the two transport lock elements and the corresponding through holes at the side (i.e. in the 3 o’clock position and the 9 o’clock position). This ensures proper and intuitive operation, while at the same time ensuring minimal risk of malfunctions.

[0037] In one specific embodiment said first latch element of a transport lock element and said corresponding second latch element of said base element are arranged such that they engage with each other after a first closing of the flip-top lid such that their relative position cannot change anymore thereafter, independent of whether the frangible bridge has been destroyed or not. This ensures that the transport lock element is, also after having been detached from the flip-top lid by destruction of the corresponding frangible bridge, fixedly secured to the base element, so that it cannot move relative thereto, and it cannot get lost or separated from the closure, which is important for environmental reasons, and it does not rattle within a certain space within the closure, which otherwise may create or generate noise and which may disturb the user or give the impression to a user that an element of the closure has been broken. This specific realization additionally supports the “invisibility” of the transport lock function.

[0038] In another specifically preferred embodiment said closure comprises a support ramp which is provided at said transport lock element and / or at a rim of said outer side wall. Said support ramp is preferably positioned such that it is located between said transport lock element and said rim of said outer side wall when the closure is in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid has not yet been opened by the user for the first time. Preferably a closure comprises two transport lock elements, while each of said transport lock elements comprises a support ramp. Preferably said support ramp extends in a vertical direction or z-direction between a rim of said outer side wall and said transport lock element.

[0039] Preferably said transport lock element has a surface or an upper surface being directed towards the flip-top lid or towards the outer side wall of said flip-top lid or towards the rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid when said transport lock element is connected to said flip-top lid by one or more frangible bridges. Further preferably the one or more frangible bridges are connected to said surface or upper surface of said transport lock element, and further preferably the one or more frangible bridges are connected to said side wall of said flip-top lid or said rim or a lower rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid. Said surface or said upper surface of said transport lock element therefore has, in its as manufactured or as molded status, a predetermined distance to said rim or said lower rim of said side wall of said flip-top lid at a position where said frangible bridge or said frangible bridges are connected to said side wall or said rim of said side wall. This predetermined distance essentially corresponds to the length of the one or more frangible bridges in its as manufactured status. In a specifically preferred embodiment said support ramp, or each support ramp, has a height or an extension in a vertical direction or in a z direction or in a direction between said surface or said upper surface of said transport lock element and said rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid being less than the length of the one or more frangible bridges were, in other words, being less than the distance between the surface or upper surface of said transport lock element to said rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid.

[0040] Such a support ramp has the advantage of stabilizing the transport lock element being connected via frangible bridges to said outer side wall of said flip-top lid especially during first closing of the flip-top lid after manufacturing, especially after having injection molded the closure with its flip-top lid in its opened position.

[0041] Although, in a preferred embodiment, said transport lock element and especially a first latch element of said transport lock element provides a slanted surface, being arranged such that it comes into contact with a corresponding second latch element of said base element when closing the flip-top lid for the first time such that said transport lock element is shifted or moved or twisted in a radial, preferably a radially inward direction in order to enable said second latch element to first pass or at least partly pass the first latch element and in order to subsequently enable engagement between said first and said second latch element, there will be a force applied to said transport lock element and thereby to said frangible bridge or frangible bridges connecting said transport lock element to said flip-top lid.

[0042] Such a force will push the transport lock element at least partly into a direction towards said flip-top lid or towards said outer side wall or towards said rim of said outer side wall of said. Said support ramp limits the maximum movement of the transport lock element relative to said outer side wall and especially relative to said rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid, thereby preferably keeping said transport lock element always in a position which secures integrity of said frangible bridge or frangible bridges during the first closing of the flip-top lid.

[0043] Preferably said support ramp extends, from an upper surface of said transport lock element towards the rim of the outer side wall of said flip-top lid over a distance being less than a length of the frangible bridges extending between said surface or said upper surface of said transport lock element and said rim of said flip-top lid. Preferably said support ramp extends beyond the surface or upper surface of said transport lock element into a direction of said rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid over a distance being preferably 50% to 90%, more preferably being 60% to 90%, even more preferably being 70% to 80% of said length of said frangible bridges. These arrangements on the one hand secure a sufficient flexibility of the transport lock elements, especially during a first closing of the flip-top lid, while on the other hand securing that the frangible bridges are not damaged during a first closing of the flip-top lid after manufacturing the closure with the flip-top lid in its opened position.

[0044] In a specifically preferred embodiment said transport lock element, preferably all transport lock elements, have one support ramp, while further preferably said transport lock element, preferably all transport lock elements, are connected to said flip-top lid by two frangible bridges, which are arranged, preferably in a circumferential direction, on both sides of said support ramp. This specific arrangement leads to a very secure and reliable system, avoiding any damages or malfunctions.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment said support ramps are provided on the transport lock element. This has the advantage that said support ramps are, after braking of the frangible bridges and after the flip-top lid has been opened for the first time by the user, also covered within the area of the base element, so that also the support ramps are not visible or hardly visible to the user, even when the flip-top lid is in its opened position.

[0046] However, in another embodiment, said support ramps or some of the support ramps can be alternatively provided at the lower rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid. In a further preferred embodiment interacting (partial) support ramps are provided both on the lower rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid and on said transport lock element.

[0047] The invention also relates to a container with a closure as described above and to a method for manufacturing a closure, wherein preferably said base element and said flip-top lid are manufactured by injection molding in an opened status, with said flip-top lid being in its opened position.

[0048] These and other advantages of the closure and the system according to the present invention will become even more apparent in view of the following figures showing a preferred embodiment of a closure according to the present invention.

[0049] Figure 1 a perspective view of an embodiment of the closure according to the invention in its as manufactured status and before the flip-top lid has been closed for the first time,

[0050] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of the closure as shown in figure i after the flip-top lid has been closed, Figure 3 shows a partial cross-section through the embodiment of the closure as shown in figure 2 after the flip-top lid has been closed and before a first opening by a user,

[0051] Figure 4 shows a partial cross-section through the embodiment of the closure as shown in figure 2 after a partial opening of the user,

[0052] Figure 5 shows a view of the closure with parts of the base element being shown in cross section and in a status after first opening of the flip-top lid,

[0053] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the closure as in figure 5, after the flip-top lid has been opened by the user at least once,

[0054] Figure 7 shows a cross-section through an embodiment of a closure according to the present invention during first closing of the flip-top lid after or during manufacturing and at a status in which said flip-top lid is not yet fully in its closed position,

[0055] Figure 8 shows enlargement of section A of figure 7 , and

[0056] Figure 9 shows the enlargement of section A of figure 7, however with the flip-top lid being moved a little bit further into its closed position when compared to figure 8.

[0057] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the closure 10 according to the present invention. The closure 10 comprises a base element 100 which is directly or indirectly attachable to a container, and the closure 10 comprises a flip-top lid 200 which can be moved between an opened and a closed position by means of a hinge 150.

[0058] The flip-top lid 200 is shown in figure 1 in its fully opened position and in an as manufactured status, i.e. the closure 10 is shown in an as manufactured status after having been molded in an opened position and before the flip-top lid 200 has been closed for the first time.

[0059] As can be well seen in figure 1, this embodiment has a base 100 with a deck portion 120 from which a skirt 110 is extending downwardly towards a container (not shown). The base 100 and the skirt 110 have an essentially cylindrical form with an essentially circular cross-section. The base element too also comprises an upwardly extending rim portion 130, which has two sections being arranged at side portions of the base element too and extending beyond the deck portion 120 in a vertical direction along a z-axis. The two sections 132 and 134 of the rim portion 130 are spaced from each other or separated from each other at a circumferential area of said base element too or of said deck portion 120, both at a position opposite to where the hinge 150 is located and at a position where the hinge 150 is located.

[0060] A dispensing opening 170 is provided at an essentially central position within the deck portion 120 of said base element too.

[0061] The flip-top lid 200 comprises a top cover element 220 and an outer side wall 240 extending therefrom, essentially in a downward direction towards the deck portion 120 of said base element too when said flip-top lid 200 is in its closed position.

[0062] Two transport lock elements 400 are attached to the flip-top lid 200, in this embodiment to the outer side wall 240 of said flip-top lid 200, actually to a rim 242 of said outer side wall 240 of said flip-top lid 200, which is directed to or at least partly comes into contact with said deck portion 120 of said base element too when said flip-top lid 200 is in its closed position.

[0063] The flip-top lid 200 comprises a sealing extension 270 extending from an inner side of said top cover element 220 of said flip-top lid 200 in order to come into engagement with said dispensing opening 170 when said flip-top lid 200 is in its closed position.

[0064] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the closure 10 shown in figure 1 after the flip-top lid 200 has been moved into its closed position. Figure 2 very well shows how the two sections 132 and 134 of said rim portion 130 partly embrace the flip-top lid 200 and especially the outer side wall 240 of said flip-top lid 200, while in an area essentially opposite to said hinge (the hinge not being visible in figure 2 as being on the backside of the closure) there is a distance or open area between the two sections 132 and 134 of said rim portion 130, on the one hand indicating to the user where a force shall be best applied to the flip-top lid 200 in order to open the closure and on the other hand providing a well accessible area of the flip-top lid 200, especially of parts of the outer side wall 240 of said flip-top lid 200, in order to support a controlled and intuitive opening of the flip-top lid 200.

[0065] Figure 3 shows a partial cross-section through an area of the closure 10 as shown in figures 1 and 2, in a status in which the flip-top lid 200 is in its closed position and has not yet been opened by a user for the first time. As can be well seen in figure 3 the transport lock element 400 is attached to the outer side wall 240 of said flip-top lid 200 by two frangible bridges 402.

[0066] Figure 3 also very well shows the engagement of the first latch element 482 of the transport lock element 400 and the second latch element 182 of said base element too. As can be also well seen, both the first latch element 482 and the second latch element 182 are dimensioned such that the engagement between these two latch elements 182, 482 leads to a fixing and exact positioning of the transport lock element 400 relative to said base element too. The transport lock element 400 therefore remains in the exact same position relative to the base element too even after the frangible bridge 402 has been destroyed (see figure 4).

[0067] Figure 3 also very well shows how the sealing extension 270 is partly inserted into said dispensing opening 170, when said flip-top lid 200 is in its closed position, thereby sealing the dispensing opening 170. The dispensing opening 170 is within an elevation 172 extending beyond the height of the deck portion 120.

[0068] Figure 4 shows the closure 10 as shown in figure 3, however with the flip-top lid 220 in a slightly opened position, and after the frangible bridge 402 has been destroyed. It can be also well seen that the transport lock element 400, which had been inserted into a through hole 122, is exactly in the same position relative to the base element too as in the status in which the flip-top lid has not yet been opened for the first time as shown in figure 3. a

[0069] Figure 5 shows the embodiment of the closure 10 with the flip-top lid 200 being in its fully opened position. Figure 5 very well shows the positions of the two transport lock elements 400, now having been detached from the flip-top lid 200 after the opening of the flip-top lid 200 for the first time (or of course after multiple times).

[0070] Figure 5 also shows the inside of the skirt 120 of the base element too, which comprises an inner thread as fastening means 112 for attaching said closure 10 to a neck of a container (not shown) which comprises a corresponding outer thread.

[0071] With the flip-top lid 200 in its fully opened position, the sealing extension 270 is completely away of the dispensing opening 170, so that content can be dispensed through said dispensing opening 170. Figure 6 shows the embodiment shown in figure 5 in a perspective view, very well showing the outer appearance of the closure 10 of this embodiment with the flip-top lid 200 in its fully opened position. Figure 6 also shows one of the through holes 124 provided in a radial outer region of said deck portion 120 and partly extending into said section 134 of said rim portion 130 (while a second through hole is provided in an essentially mirrored configuration on the other side, however not visible in this perspective view).

[0072] Figure 7 shows a cross-section through an embodiment of a closure according to the present invention during first closing of the flip-top lid after or during manufacturing and at a status in which said flip-top lid has not yet been fully brought into its closed position for the first time, and figure 8 shows a partial enlargement of section A.

[0073] As can be well seen in figure 7 and in figure 8, the flip-top lid 200 is, during the step of closing the flip-top lid 200 for the first time after manufacturing, not yet fully in its fully closed position, but at a position in which said transport lock element 400 abuts against the first latch element 182 of said base element too (while still no force is applied to said transport lock element 400).

[0074] As can be especially well seen in figure 8 the transport lock element 400 has, on its upper surface directed to the rim or a lower rim of said outer side wall of said flip-top lid, a support ramp 250. Said support ramp does, in the position shown in figure 8 and when no force has been asserted yet to the transport lock element 400 (therefore still being in a position as molded or as manufactured), not extend up to the lower rim of said outer side wall 240 of said flip-top lid, but the upper end of said support ramp 240 is positioned in a distance d from said rim of said outer side wall 240 (the amount of the distance d being determined by the height of the extension of the support ramp 250 relative to the length of the frangible bridges).

[0075] Figure 9 shows the situation when the flip-top lid is pushed, relative to the position shown in figure 8, a little bit further into its closed position. Due to the force asserted by said first latch element 482 to the transport lock element 400 in a vertical, upward direction, the frangible bridges are deformed, but at maximum until the support ramp 250 abuts against the rim of the outer side wall 240 of said flip-top lid, as shown in figure 9.

[0076] This specific arrangement and dimension of the support ramp 250 therefore ensures both the required flexibility and deformation of the frangible bridges during the first closing of the flip- top lid during manufacturing, while still limiting the potential deformation to a certain extent in order to secure that the frangible bridges are not damaged during the first closing of the flip- top lid.

[0077] It is clear to the expert that various amendments can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the attached claims, and any features disclosed in connection with the embodiments or the general description can be important for realizing the invention, either alone or in any combination thereof.

Claims

Closure for a Container and Container with such a ClosureClaims Closure for a container with a base element (too) directly or indirectly attachable to a container, a flip-top lid (200) attached to said base element (too) by a hinge (150) such that the flip-top lid (200) can be moved between an opened and a closed position, and a transport lock element (400), characterized in that said transport lock element (400) being arranged such that it is covered from view when said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position, wherein said transport lock element (400) is, in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid (200) has not yet been opened by the user for the first time, frangibly connected to said flip-top lid (200) by at least one frangible bridge (402), and wherein said transport lock element (400) has a first latch element (482, 484) and said base element (too) has a second latch element (182, 184), said first latch element (482, 484) and said second latch element (282, 284) are arranged such that said first latch element (482, 484) and said second latch element (182, 184) engage with each other when said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position and has not yet been opened by the user for the first time, so that said transport lock element (400) is fixed to said base element (too), wherein said transport lock element (400) and said at least one frangible bridge (402) are arranged such that said at least one frangible bridge (402) is broken when said flip- top lid (200) is opened by the user for the first time, while said first latch element (482, 484) and said second latch element (182, 184) remain engaged with each other so that said transport lock element (400) remains fixed to said base element (too).Closure according to claim 1, wherein said flip-top lid (200) comprises a top cover element (220) and an outer side wall (240) extending therefrom. Closure according to claim 2, wherein said transport lock element (400) is frangibly connected to said outer side wall (240) of said flip-top lid (200). Closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said base element (too) comprises a deck portion (120) and a skirt (110) extending therefrom, wherein said skirt comprises fastening means (112) for attaching said closure to a neck of a container. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said base element (too) comprises at least one rim portion (130) extending from said deck portion (120) in a direction towards the flip-top lid (200), wherein said at least one rim portion (130) extends, in a circumferential direction of the closure, at least over a part of the circumference of said deck portion (120). Closure according to claim 5, wherein said rim portion (130) comprises two separate sections (132, 134), wherein said flip-top lid (200) comprises an outer side wall (240), wherein said sections (132, 134) of said rim portion (130) and said outer side wall (240) are arranged such that said outer side wall (240) is positioned radially inward from said sections (132, 134) of said rim portion (130) when said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position. Closure according to claim 6, wherein said sections (132, 134) of said rim portion (130) are spaced from each other in a circumferential direction and having an opening between each other at a circumferential position being opposite to the position where the hinge (150) is located. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said deck portion (120) and / or at least one of said sections (132, 134) of said rim portion (130) have a through hole (122, 124), being arranged such that said transport lock element (400), being frangibly connected to said flip-top lid (200) in its as manufactured status, can at least partly be inserted into or at least partly through said through hole (122, 124) when closing the flip-top lid (200) for the first time after manufacturing. Closure according to claim 8, wherein said second latch element (182, 184) is arranged at least partly within said through hole (122, 124) and / or at least partly or completely vertically below said through hole (122, 124).Closure according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein said through hole (122, 124) is covered from view when said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, comprising two transport lock elements (400), arranged, in a circumferential direction, in opposite or essentially opposite positions. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, comprising two transport lock elements (400), each one arranged, in a circumferential direction, between a position where the hinge (150) is located and a position opposite to the position where the hinge (150) is located. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said first latch element (482,484) and said second latch element (182, 184) are arranged such that, when being engaged with each other after a first closing of the flip-top lid (200), cannot change their relative position independent of whether the frangible bridge (402) has been broken or not. Closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said closure comprises a support ramp (250), which is provided at said transport lock element (400) and / or at a rim (242) of said outer side wall (240) of said flip-top lid (200), said support ramp (250) being positioned, in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid (200) has not yet been opened by the user for the first time, between said transport lock element (400) and said rim (242) of said outer side wall (240) of said flip-top lid (200). Closure according to claim 14, wherein said support ramp (250) is provided at said transport lock element (400) or preferably at each of said transport lock elements (400) and, in a circumferential direction, preferably between two frangible bridges (402) provided at one or preferably at each transport lock element (400). Container with a closure according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said closure is attached to or attachable to the container or wherein said closure is integrally formed with the container or part of the container. Method for manufacturing a closure according to one of the claims 1 to 15, wherein said base element (too) and said flip-top lid (200) are manufactured by injection molding and in an open status with said flip-top lid (200) being in its opened position.

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