BLOCK CAP CLOSURE WITH VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR BLOCKED CONTAINERS

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a bung plug closure according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Bung plug closures of the type mentioned above are used to close liquid containers, which can be designed in particular as drums or inner containers for intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). To allow pressure equalization between the container interior and the surrounding environment, such bung plug closures are equipped, depending on the type of liquid contained in the container, with a valve assembly formed on the bung plug. This valve assembly is located in the base of the plug recess and has a valve body positioned in a valve opening in the base recess, allowing flow through the valve to equalize pressure.

[0003] The known valve assemblies typically feature a flexible valve body that is inserted into a valve opening formed in the base recess of the bung plug. To prevent damage to the valve body, the valve assembly is equipped with a valve cover.

[0004] From DE 296 08 342 U1, which constitutes the closest prior art, a bung plug closure according to the preamble of claim 1 for bung containers is known, which has a valve cover designed as a disc made of a wire mesh, which is mechanically attached separately to the bottom of the trough. The sealing cap is engaged by locking projections on the outer circumferential side of the bung plug and does not come into contact with the valve cover.

[0005] The valve seal formed on the familiar bung plug provides effective protection for the valve body without impairing the valve's function, as the grid structure not only offers protection but also acts as a ventilation device, allowing flow through the valve despite the cover. However, installing the valve cover involves considerable effort.

[0006] From EP 0 922 649 A1 a bung plug is known which has a valve cover that is welded separately.

[0007] EP 2 256 056 A1 shows a bung plug closure for bung containers, whereby the bung plug does not have a valve function.

[0008] US patent 2006 / 096985 A1 discloses a bung plug with ventilation device and ventilated safety cap.

[0009] US Patent 5,649,639 A discloses a bung plug with a valve assembly in the base, wherein a valve cover is provided as a holder for a valve insert and the valve cover is snapped into place with a sealing cap. The present invention therefore aims to propose a bung plug closure that enables the provision of a valve assembly with a valve cover at a comparatively low manufacturing cost.

[0010] To solve this problem, the bung plug closure according to the invention has the features of claim 1.

[0011] According to the invention, the valve cover is designed as an elastically deformable disc having a diameter d that is smaller than a diameter D of the receiving space, wherein the connection between the valve cover and the bung plug is designed such that the valve cover is received with a circumferential edge projecting radially outwards beyond the counter-locking elements between the locking projection of the engagement body and a trough edge of the bottom trough.

[0012] By arranging the valve cover between the locking projection of the engagement body and the rim of the bottom recess, the relative arrangement of the valve cover to the valve assembly is secured solely by the connection between the sealing cap and the bung plug that is required anyway, without any measures beyond the connection between the two aforementioned components of the bung plug closure being necessary.

[0013] Even if the sealing cap is removed from the bung plug closure, the connection between the valve cover and the bung plug, which still exists, ensures a positioned arrangement of the valve cover on the bung plug due to the valve cover being held between the counter-locking elements formed in the plug recess and the edge of the recess.

[0014] For assembly, the valve cover, which has a diameter that is at least slightly reduced compared to the diameter of the receiving chamber, can be inserted until it rests against the locking elements and finally, under elastic deformation, further inserted over the locking elements towards the bottom recess in the bung plug until it reaches the position covering the valve assembly.

[0015] If, according to a preferred embodiment, the connection between the valve cover and the bung plug is designed as a clamping connection, such that the valve cover is axially clamped between the detent projection of the engagement body of the sealing cap, which is latched in the plug recess, and the edge of the recess, the defined relative arrangement of the valve cover against the valve assembly itself cannot be affected by transport and handling of the container.

[0016] Preferably, the key recesses in the area of ​​the gaps are connected to each other by gap platforms, such that radially inwardly directed front surfaces of the gap platforms, together with lower surface sections of the inner surfaces of the key recesses adjacent to the edge of the recess, form a rim that radially delimits the edge of the recess. This ensures that the circumferential edge of the valve cover is received in the bung plug over its entire circumference, so that, in addition to the protective effect, protection against contamination of the valve mechanism by radial dust ingress is also prevented.

[0017] Preferably, the locking elements are arranged in the area of ​​the gaps on the front surfaces of the gap platforms, so that when assembling the valve cover by axially inserting the valve cover into the plug recess, a handling tool for automated fitting of the bung plugs with the valve cover can be used without the risk of collision with the key lugs immediately adjacent to the locking elements on the valve cover.

[0018] It proves particularly advantageous if the inner surfaces of the key lugs and the front surfaces of the intermediate platforms form a continuous guide surface when the valve cover is inserted into the plug recess, such that the inner surfaces and the front surfaces form guide surfaces for the radial guidance of the circumferential edge of the valve cover until the valve cover rests against the recess edge.

[0019] If the valve cover is designed as a cover disc with a surface closed except for a ventilation opening to form the ventilation device, the effect of the cover disc as contamination protection for the valve device can be further improved without impairing any other function.

[0020] Ensuring sufficient flow through the valve assembly with a completely closed surface of the cover plate is possible if the valve cover is designed as a cover plate with a closed surface and a spacer device formed on an underside of the cover plate or on the rim of the bung plug to form the ventilation device as a ventilation gap.

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the bung plug closure are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

[0022] They show: Fig. 1a bung plug closure arranged on a bung spout of a container with a bung plug screwed into the bung spout, which is provided with a sealing cap; Fig. 2 the in Fig. 1 The illustrated bung plug is shown in detail with a valve device arranged in a recessed base of the bung plug, which is provided with a valve cover; Fig. 3 the in Fig. 2 shown bung plug in isometric sectional view; Fig. 4 the in Fig. 3 The illustrated bung plug features a modified valve cover.

[0023] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a bung plug closure with a sealing cap 11 arranged on a bung plug 10. The bung plug 10 is provided with an external thread 12 for screwing into a bung socket 24. As shown in particular Fig. 2As shown, the bung plug 10 has a plug recess 13 with key lugs 15 formed on an inner wall 14 of the plug recess 13, which are separated from each other by gaps 16. The gaps 16 are bounded circumferentially by drive surfaces 17, which serve to engage radial lugs of a bung plug wrench (not shown in detail) inserted into the plug recess 13, in order to transmit a screw torque to the bung plug 10 for screwing it in or out.

[0024] As can be seen from a synthesis of the Figs. 1 and 2As can be seen, the key lugs 15 further define, with concave inner surfaces 18, a receiving space 19 formed within the plug recess 13 for receiving an engagement body 20 arranged on the sealing cap 11, which is provided at its lower end with an annular locking projection 21. For locking the annular locking projection 21 to the bung plug 10, the bung plug 10 has counter-locking elements 32. The counter-locking elements 32 are arranged above an annular rim 35, which is formed outside the spaces 16 separating the key lugs 15 from one another by lower sections 36 of the inner surfaces 18 of the key lugs 15, wherein the inner surfaces 18 are preferably concave. The enclosure 35 therefore has both the sections 36 of the inner surfaces 18 and further sections in the area of ​​the spaces 16, which are formed by front surfaces 38 of space platforms 39 formed in the spaces 34.As especially from . Fig. 2 As can be seen, in the illustrated embodiment, the edging 35 is designed as a continuously circumferential cylindrical surface with a constant radius of curvature r with respect to a central axis M of the bung plug 31.

[0025] As the Fig. 2 and 3As shown, the annular edging 35 is bounded upwards in the area of ​​the gaps 16 by the radially inwardly extending counter-locking elements 32. The annular edging 35 is bounded downwards by a trough rim 43 of a base 44, the circumferential rim 43 being raised above the base 46 to form a base trough 45. In the area of ​​the gaps 16, the bung plug 31 has a plug cross-section 48 that slopes radially inwards from the counter-locking element 32, over the edging 35, the trough rim 43 of the base 44, and a sleeve-shaped shoulder 47 formed at the transition to the base 46.

[0026] As in the Figs. 1 and 2As shown, a valve assembly 49 is arranged in the bottom 44 of the bung plug 10, comprising a valve body 50 which is inserted into a valve opening 51 formed in the base 46. The valve body 51 is designed as an elastic, approximately mushroom-shaped component with a stem-shaped mounting part 52 and a valve cover 53 formed thereon. The valve cover 53 seals against an annular-shaped valve seat 54 formed on the underside of the base 46, such that when there is an overpressure above the base 44 relative to the internal pressure of the container, the valve opens and a fluid connection between the interior of the container and the environment is established via valve channels 54 formed on the circumference of the mounting part 52 and a valve gap (not shown here) formed between the valve cover 53 and the valve seat 54 as a result of the overpressure.

[0027] As the Fig. 2 and 3 As shown, the valve assembly 49 is provided with a disc-shaped valve cover 55, which is made of a form-elastic plastic, such as PE, and has a circumferential rim 56 that projects radially outwards beyond the locking elements 32 and is received in the axial direction between the locking elements 32 and the recess rim 43. In the radial direction, the valve cover 55 is positioned by the frame 35, which, as already described above, is formed by the front surfaces 38 of the intermediate platforms 39 and lower surface sections 36 of the inner surfaces 18 of the key lugs 15.

[0028] As particularly evident from the presentation in Fig. 3The assembly is carried out in a traceable manner, i.e., the axial insertion of the valve cover 55 into the plug recess 13 until it rests against the recess edge 43, such that the inner surfaces 18 of the key lugs 15 and the front surfaces 38 of the intermediate platforms 39 form a continuous guide surface in the plug recess 13, such that the circumferential edge 56 of the valve cover 55, which has a diameter d that is at least slightly reduced compared to the diameter D of the receiving space 19 formed in the plug recess 13 ( Fig. 2 ) initially guided until axial contact with the counter-locking elements 32, then elastically deformed to overcome the counter-locking elements 32 and, after overcoming the counter-locking elements 32, into the Fig. 2 and 3 The position shown on the ground is 44.

[0029] Already in the Fig. 2 and 3In the position of the valve cover 55 shown, in which the valve cover 55 is securely attached to the bung plug 10 and can only be moved within a receiving space 57 formed between the counter-locking elements 32 and the rim of the recess 43, the valve cover 55 fulfills its function as a dust guard to prevent dirt from accumulating on the valve body 50, which could impair the valve function.

[0030] If, as in Fig. 1As shown, the sealing cap 11 with its engagement body 20 is inserted into the plug recess 13 in such a way that the locking projection 21 formed on the lower edge of the engagement body 20, which is designed here in an annular form, is locked behind the counter-locking elements 32, the connection between the valve cover 55 and the bung plug 10 is also designed as a clamping connection, such that the valve cover 55 is now axially clamped between the locking projection 21 of the engagement body 20 which is locked in the plug recess 13 and the recess edge 43.

[0031] How a comparison of the in the Figs. 3 and 4As shown in the illustrated embodiments, a valve cover 60 with a completely closed surface 61 can also be provided, in contrast to the valve cover 55, which is designed as a cover plate with a surface 59 closed except for a ventilation opening 58. To ensure unimpeded gas exchange between the environment and a container interior via the valve assembly 49, the valve cover 60 rests with its underside 62 on spacers 63, which are formed on the rim of the recess 43 to create a ventilation gap 64 between a circumferential edge 65 of the valve cover 60 and the recess rim 43.

Claims

1. A bung plug closure for bung-hole containers, the bung plug closure comprising a bung plug (10) for being placed in a bung neck (24) of the bung-hole container and a seal cap (11) for closing a plug recess (13) formed in the bung plug (10), the bung plug (10) having key projections (15) which are spaced apart from each other by gaps (16), are disposed on an interior wall (14) of the plug recess (13) and whose inner surfaces (18) define a receiving space (19), and a valve (49) being disposed in a bottom (44) of the plug recess (13), said valve (49) having a valve body (50) which is disposed in a valve opening (51) of a bottom recess (45), said valve body (50) being provided with a valve cover (55, 60) which is connected to the bung plug (10) and which is provided with a vent (58, 64), the valve cover (55, 60) being an elastically deformable disk whose diameter d is smaller than a diameter D of the receiving space (19), characterized in that the receiving space (19) serves to receive a dimensionally elastic engaging body (20) which is formed on the seal cap (11) and which is provided with a radial locking protrusion (21), matching locking elements (32) for interlocking with the locking protrusion (21) of the engaging body (20) are provided in the plug recess (13), said matching locking elements (32) protruding radially inward over the locking protrusion (21) of the engaging body (20) after interlocking, and the valve cover (55, 60) is connected to the bung plug (10) in such a manner that a circumferential edge (56, 65) of the valve cover (55, 60), which protrudes radially outward over the matching locking elements (32), is received between the locking protrusion (21) of the engaging body (20) and a recess edge (43) of the bottom recess (45).

2. The bung plug closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection is a clamped connection in such a manner that the valve cover (55, 60) is received in an axially clamped manner between the locking protrusion (21) of the engaging body (20) of the seal cap (11) and the recess edge (43), the engaging body (20) being accommodated in an interlocking manner in the plug recess (13).

3. The bung plug closure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the key projections (15) are connected to each other by gap platforms (39) in the area of the gaps (16) in such a manner that front surfaces (38) of the gap platforms (39), which face radially inward, and lower surface portions (36) of the inner surfaces (18) of the key projections (15), which are adjacent to the recess edge (43), together form an enclosure (35) radially defining the recess edge (43).

4. The bung plug closure according to claim 3, characterized in that in the area of the gaps (16), the matching locking elements (32) are disposed at the front surfaces (38) of the gap platforms (39).

5. The bung plug closure according to claim 4, characterized in that when the valve cover (55, 60) is being introduced into the plug recess (13), the inner surfaces (18) of the key projections (15) and the front surfaces (38) of the gap platforms (39) form a continuous guiding surface in such a manner that the inner surfaces (18) and the front surfaces (38) form guiding surfaces for axially guiding the circumferential edge (56, 65) of the valve cover (55, 60) until the valve cover (55, 60) comes into contact with the recess edge (43).

6. The bung plug closure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve cover (55) is a cover disk whose surface (59) is closed except for a ventilation opening for forming the vent (58).

7. The bung plug closure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the valve cover (60) is a cover disk having a closed surface (61) and a spacer for forming the vent (64) as a vent gap, said spacer being formed at an underside of the cover disk or at the recess edge (43).