EP0367025B1 - Container for fluid materials with an opening device - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for liquids comprises a tube at the upper end of which there is a lid consisting of thermoplastics synthetic material without any carrier material and which is injection molded along the top edge of the tube, forming a pouring means with a closure flap. The closure flap is captively articulated on the lid by means of an articulating axis, on the side opposite the tip of the pouring aperture, being adapted to be engaged on the lid in the open condition via an engaging means. In order that the closure flap can be kept open and can nevertheless be pressed down again into as far as possible a clearly defined position in order to reclose the container, the handle is connected via a curved articulating member to the middle portion of the lid. The curved articulating member is preferably provided on the surface of the lid alongside the engaging means.

Description

The invention relates to a pack for flowable fillings with a tube, at the ends of which the bottom and lid are attached, of which the lid is made of thermoplastic material without a carrier material, on the tube is injection-molded along the top edge thereof and has a pouring device with a closure flap with a handle, wherein the closing flap on the side opposite a tip of a pouring opening is articulated captively on the lid by means of an articulation axis.

From DE-A-34 05 253 such packs with a tube made of plastic-coated paper are already known, the lid of which is molded from thermoplastic material and at the same time have the opening device molded on. Packages have already been designed which have a square bottom and a round lid or also a round lid and round bottom or also a square lid and a square bottom. Regardless of the shape of the package, the design of the opening device is important in the case of the present invention. This must enable good stacking, be tight during transport and storage and nevertheless be easy for the end user to open without too much effort.

Known opening devices of this type have a closure flap in the region of a pouring opening with a handle which is connected to the closure flap via a tie bar. To open, the user grips the handle and pulls the closure flap up along the weakening line along a line of weakness, so that the closure flap opens the opening and the filling material can be poured out.

It has been shown in the manufacturing plant that the design of the lid made of thermoplastic material without a backing material is either time-consuming, material-consuming or faulty, because the material flow into the edge areas of the lid with a clean design of the closure flap and the like was difficult to implement.

From EP-A-0.251.590 it is known to connect the handle of a closing flap to a lid via a hinged arch, but this is a lid which is bent upwards in a semicircular shape and which prevents packs from being stacked on top of one another. In addition, the pouring device consists of a small opening in a type of nozzle, which is kept closed by a pin in the closed state in that the pin penetrates the opening and essentially closes it. In the known pack, the closure flap can fold down after opening, so that the user is prevented from pouring out the pack.

The invention is therefore based on the object of conventional e.g. known from DE-A-3 405 253 to provide packs with improved opening devices which can be opened more easily, the closure flap being to be kept open in order to be pressed back into the opening in a defined position for reclosing, and for the Manufacturers to ensure economical production.

This object is achieved in that the closure flap can be latched onto the lid with a latching device in the open state and the handle is connected to a central region of the lid via a pivoting arch. If the user tears up the closure flap to open the pouring device, it initially remains captively hinged to the lid in an advantageous manner and in the open position, because the closure flap is captively connected to the handle and connected to the lid via the articulation bend. Due to the connection of the handle and thus also the articulation bend in the middle area of the cover, the anchoring point for the articulation bend is practically next to the locking device for the closing flap.

The manufacturer thus finds an economically producible product, because the articulation bend can also be used as a channel for the flowing plastic with which the lid is sprayed with the opening device. The plastic is then introduced via the center of the lid, ie outwards from the central area, so that, as is known better spray products are created because all radial flow paths are practically the same length from the center to the outside.

For this purpose, it is expedient according to the invention if the articulation bow is attached to the surface of the cover next to the latching device. Although the articulation bend protrudes a little from the surface of the lid, the stackability of the liquid pack is not affected. The articulation bow can be designed in the form of a band and, after the cover has been sprayed on, can be folded over to the level of the cover while it is still plastic. This again creates a flat lid with opening device, handle and articulation bend, in which essentially no parts from the outer contour, i.e. projecting outward beyond the level of the cover. One pack can be stacked on top of the other.

In an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, the latching device has a nose which is attached to the cover in its central region and is connected to the articulation arch via a connecting web. By means of such a snap-in device, the closure flap can be latched onto the cover in the open state and kept open. This facilitates handling and pouring with the pack. Opening is particularly facilitated by the connecting bridge, because the nose is pulled up when the handle is torn up and when the articulation bend is raised so that the latching bead of the latching device can be guided behind the nose and come into hooking engagement with the nose and are held in it can. The locking bead lies in the outer or upper level of the closing flap and protrudes somewhat beyond it in a bead-like manner. At a distance from the locking bead attached to the closing flap, specifically towards the central region of the cover, there is a rear wall which separates a recessed part in the cover, in which the opening device is located, from an elevated part which forms the surface of the cover, to which the articulation bow is attached. On this rear wall is - if necessary via a reinforcing rib - The mentioned nose attached, which is consequently at a distance from the closure flap. If the user flips the closing flap upwards when tearing up around the articulation axis, the locking bead engages under the snap-in hooks of the nose, because the nose is pulled up by the connecting web together with the articulation arch. The locking flap is thus locked in the open position.

In a further embodiment of the invention, an attachment is formed on the annular handle at the top and rear. This is by no means necessary and is not even desirable in many embodiments, which is why tools are sometimes provided to prevent it from remaining on the handle. On the other hand, it does not damage the appearance or the function and shows in a characteristic way how the plastic is supplied via this approach when manufacturing the packaging. If you imagine the injection mold, then the channel in the area of the attachment is the only inflow channel for the plastic to form the cover. from above and behind the hot thermoplastic material flows during the manufacture of the lid, thus forming the annular handle on both sides (front and rear), so that a large part of the plastic material through the articulation bend in the central region of the lid and from there radially over the Flow paths to its edge; while a further portion of the liquid plastic flows into the area of the opening device from the mentioned approach to the front via a pull strip, because a little more plastic is required to form it than for the smooth cover walls. Both the pull bar between the handle and the closing flap at the front as well as the articulation bend between the handle and the central area of the lid at the back represent flow channels and are at the same time force guide parts for the correct opening, holding, articulation and reclosing of the opening device after the spraying process and shaping of the lid with the opening device.

Figur 1

eine Querschnittsansicht durch den Deckel einer Packung mit Öffnungsvorrichtung und Griff, wobei nur der im Bereich des Deckels abefindliche Teil des Griffes, seiner Zugleiste und seines Anlenkbogens abgebrochen dargestellt ist,

Figur 2

eine Seitenansicht der Packungsoberseite mit dem Deckel, wobei der Tubus abgebrochen ist, und

Figur 3

eine Draufsicht auf den viereckigen Deckel der hier bevorzugten Ausführungsform.

Further advantages and possible uses of the present invention result from the following description of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the drawings. Show it:

Figure 1

2 shows a cross-sectional view through the lid of a package with opening device and handle, only the part of the handle, its pull bar and its articulation bow, which is located in the area of the lid, being shown broken away,

Figure 2

a side view of the top of the pack with the lid, with the tube broken off, and

Figure 3

a plan view of the square lid of the preferred embodiment here.

Along the upper edge 9 of the tube 1, the cover 8 made of plastic without a carrier material is injection molded with the pouring device, generally designated 22, with the closure flap 17. On the side opposite the tip 26 of the pouring opening 27 lying within a weakening line 21, the closing flap 17 is articulated captively by means of a pivot axis 28. The closure flap 17 can be latched to the cover 8 in the open state with the latching device generally designated 29.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the free upper edge 9, which is initially exposed due to the cut without plastic, is completely encapsulated with the thermoplastic material of the cover 8, specifically on the inside of the tube 1 by a conical collar 10 and on the outside a protective edge 11. This prevents in the finished package that liquid can penetrate from any side into the plastic-free upper edge 9 and destroy it by swelling.

The cover 8 molded on the upper edge 9 of the tube 1 in this way has four corners in plan view, as can clearly be seen in FIG. 3, with a pouring edge 13 on the (front) corner 12 (here called), the corner 12 completely encircling, is injected. From the outside you can also clearly see the handle 14 with tie bar 15, which is formed at the front near the cover corner 12 at the tip 16 on the closing flap 17. The closure flap is injection-molded onto a recess 20 along the weakening line 21 on the collar 18. According to the plan view of FIG. 3, the depression 20 is located in the lower or front area together with the pouring device 22, while the outer or upper wall field 24 of the cover 8 is provided above or behind the rear wall 23. From Figure 3 it can be seen that the larger area of the lid 8 is taken up by the upper wall panel 24 which, when the handle 14 is folded over, serves as a standing and supporting surface for the next pack above it during stacking, storage and transport. On the side opposite the tip 26 of the pouring opening 27, namely at the ends of the weakening line 21, there is the articulation axis 28 described with the latching device 29. This is located in the region of the rear wall 23 at the transition from the surface of the lid 8 or the top thereof Wall panel 24 to the recess 20. The articulation axis 28 is only as wide as the distance between the lines of weakness 21 ending at the middle region 2 of the lid 8, for example 8 mm in a 1-liter milk packaging. On the upper rear edge of the closing flap 17, a locking bead 32 is formed in the form of a sprue, on the side of which facing the closing flap 17 a small shoulder is formed. At a small horizontal distance from the central region 2 of the cover 8 there is a nose 34 which points downwards and can engage the shoulder of the locking bead 32. A reinforcing rib 37 supports the nose 34 against the rear wall 23 and reinforces the nose which projects from the rear wall 23 to the closing flap 17.

On the side of the ring-shaped handle 14 opposite the tip 26 toward the tip, an articulation bend 3 is formed thereon, which can be designed in the form of a web like the drawbar 15, but in the side view of FIGS. 1 and 2 it is designed in an arch and at the rear end (in 1 and 2 on the left) in the central area 2 of the cover 8 at 4 is connected to the upper wall panel 24 thereof.

The articulation bow 3 is connected to the nose 34 via a connecting web 5, so that when the handle 14 is pulled up in the direction of the arrow 6, the nose 34 is also bent up in the direction of the arrow 6 while deforming the reinforcing rib 37.

Finally, at the top rear, the handle 14 is provided with an attachment 7, which is integrally formed when the cover 8 is injection molded together with the pouring device 22, because this attachment 7 serves as the flow or inflow of the liquid plastic material from the injection molding machine into the cavities to form the cover with pouring device 22.

In operation, the snap-in device 29 operates after the opening of the pouring device 22 and the exposed pouring opening 27 such that the closure flap 17 is pivoted about the articulation axis 28 in the direction of arrow 6, the nose 34 being pulled up by the connecting web 5 and the shoulder of the latching bead thereby being behind the nose 24 can snap into place. So that the closure flap with attached and somewhat deformed handle 14 with tie bar 15 and articulation bend 3 is locked in the open position.

Since all parts are made of thermoplastic, it goes without saying that for reclosing, the user only has to exert a small finger pressure on the closing flap 17 or the handle 14 in order to snap the locking bead 32 out of engagement with the nose 34 and the closing flap 17 again to press the contour of the opening 27.

Claims (4)

1. A packaging means for flowable contents, with a tube (1) at the end of which there are a bottom and a lid (8), of which the lid (8) consists of thermoplastics synthetic material without a carrier material, is injection moulded onto and along the top edge (9) of the tube (1) and comprises a pouring device (22) with a closure flap (17) with a handle (14), the closure flap (17) being captively articulated on the lid (8) by means of a hinging axis (28) on the side opposite one tip (26) of the pouring orifice (27) characterised in that the closure flap (17) has an engaging device (29) which, in the opened condition, can be engaged into the lid (8), the handle (14) being connected to a middle portion (2) of the lid (8) by a curved articulating member (3).
2. A packaging means according to Claim 1, characterised in that the curved articulating member (3) is provided on the surface (24) of the lid (8) alongside the engaging means (29).
3. A packaging means according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the engaging means (29) comprises, provided in the middle portion (2) of the lid (8), a nose (34) connected to the curved articulating member (3) via a connecting web (5).
4. A packaging means according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a projection (7) is integrally moulded on the top and at the rear of the annular handle (14).

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