EP0633197A1 - Combination of a, by relative rotation, interlocking container and closure, as well as the application of such a combination - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly of a container and a closure, the said container having a head comprising a neck extended by a shoulder (10) which connects this neck with a body or with a skirt, the said closure and the said head respectively having complementary means (12, 14 and 15) of locking in relative position by rotation, characterised in that these means respectively consist of an elastically flexible axial blade (12) carried by the closure and of profiled axial portions (14 and 15) carried by the said shoulder (10), these portions comprising a first portion (14) for the clip-in engagement and retention of the said blade (12) and a second portion (15) which is a stop-piece for the blade (12) ensuring its retention by the first portion (14). The invention applies to the manufacture and industrial closure of containers having clip-on or screw-type closures which must be oriented accurately with respect to a decoration or to the geometry of these containers. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly of a container and a closure, said container having a head comprising a neck extended by a shoulder which connects this neck to a body or to a skirt, said closure and said head having respectively complementary means. locking together vis-à-vis the relative rotations of the closure relative to the container.

Document GB-A-2189475 = FR-A-2597838 describes such an assembly in which in addition said locking means comprise a flexible axial blade resiliently carried by the plug and profiled axial portions carried by the shoulder, these profiled portions comprising a first portion having a first wall inclined with respect to a diametrical axial plane of the container which passes through it, against which the blade comes to slide while being elastically deformed when the plugging is driven in rotation, the blade then being folded down by elastic return in a space between said portion and a second profiled axial portion against which the blade abuts, thus being locked in relative rotation.

This locking is thus obtained thanks to an elastic deformation of the skirt of the capsule, and in the case of a capsule with a lid opening by pivoting around a joint, the orientation of this joint and of the opening of the lid is fixed relative to the container. But in practice, this locking, which can be undone by forcing with deformation of the skirt, is not sufficiently secure.

The Applicant has sought to develop such an assembly with means of locking in relative position by rotation much safer and allowing only very little or no angular play.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

• a) la lame est fixée sous le fond du bouchage et est libre en dessous de sa fixation
• b) la première portion comprend une seconde paroi formant avec la paroi inclinée une encoche en V tournée vers la seconde portion de butée et ladite paroi inclinée se termine par un bord latéral d'extrémité sur lequel la lame vient s'encliqueter par retour élastique à la fin de son glissement contre ladite paroi inclinée en se rabattant dans ledit espace entre l'encoche en V et la portion de butée ;
• c) la seconde paroi de la première portion se termine à une distance de la seconde portion de butée inférieure à la largeur circonférentielle de la lame, la lame rabattue dans ledit espace étant alors emprisonnée de tous les côtés entre les portions profilées.

The subject of the invention is an assembly as known from the cited document, characterized in that:

• a) the blade is fixed under the bottom of the stopper and is free below its fixing
• b) the first portion comprises a second wall forming with the inclined wall a V-shaped notch facing the second abutment portion and said inclined wall ends in a lateral end edge on which the blade snaps in by elastic return to the end of its sliding against said inclined wall by falling back into said space between the V-shaped notch and the abutment portion;
• c) the second wall of the first portion ends at a distance from the second abutment portion less than the circumferential width of the blade, the blade folded back into said space then being trapped on all sides between the profiled portions.

The blade after its folding is between the profiled portions preferably over at least 4 mm in height along the axis. These portions are typically axial and fixed on the shoulder, separated from both the neck and the skirt of the closure as well as the skirt or the body of the container. The position of the blade between the profiled portions is surprising and very safe.

In its implementation, the flexible blade resiliently snaps onto one end of the inclined wall of the first portion or retention portion, and by elastic return it is housed between the second abutment portion and the retention portion, in face of its V-shaped notch, the abutment portion then preventing the blade from escaping from the retention portion. There is embedding of the blade against the profiled axial portions carried by the shoulder, a violation of this locking is not possible and the angular play of the blade and therefore of the plugging inside this kind of lock is typically less than 3 degrees of angle.

The blade locking position is even more inviolable when the lateral end edge of the inclined wall is located towards the inside of the shoulder, behind the blade in the locked position, that is to say locked.

The container is preferably made of moldable material, for example glass or aluminum or plastic, its head can be molded separately and fixed by an appropriate means to the body or the skirt, for example by gluing, snap-fastening, friction welding , induction welding. The closure is preferably made of elastically deformable plastic, typically comprising a molded part fixed to the container so as to allow its rotation, this part carrying the longitudinal blade.

In order to facilitate the latching of the blade on the lateral end edge of said inclined wall, the profiled axial portions are preferably made of plastic molded in one piece with the head, the first inclined wall having a thickness which decreases towards its lateral end edge and thus being elastically flexible.

It is noted that the snap-fastening is then facilitated by a local bending towards the inside of the V and that the reverse deformation towards the outside of the V would be more difficult in itself and too difficult to cause.

The flexibility of the end of the inclined wall therefore makes it possible to lower the force and therefore the torque corresponding to the latching and it contributes to the inviolability which is excellent.

Preferably for the embodiment which must take account of the width of the shoulder and for the proper sliding of the front of the blade against the first inclined wall, this first wall has, on the side outside the V-notch, a engagement surface of said blade which is inclined 40 to 50 ° relative to said diametral axial plane, said blade having at the front a lateral chamfer for engagement of said inclination surface greater than the inclination of said surface engagement and between 45 and 55 °. Thus, the front of the blade will slide easily, this blade deforming at the same time elastically towards the inside of the stopper, until it snaps and relaxes by elastic return.

In general, the blade is preferably rather rigid circumferentially and flexible radially, with a circumferential width of 24 to 32 ° and a thickness of 2 to 3 mm.

• a) La lame a de préférence un chanfrein latéral intérieur arrière lui permettant de rentrer davantage dans ladite encoche en V, et la distance de l'extrémité de la seconde paroi à la position de butée est au plus égale à la largeur circonférentielle de la lame moins 4°, soit au plus égale à 20° lorsque cette largeur de la lame est de 24 à 32°;
• b) ladite première paroi de la portion profilée d'encliquetage et de rétention se termine à une distance de la portion de butée inférieure de 1 à 3° à ladite largeur circonférentielle de la lame;
• c) la seconde paroi se prolonge jusqu'à la portion de butée et est en continuité avec elle, ce qui améliore encore l'inviolabilité et facilite la fabrication du récipient, les portions axiales profilées formant une seule grande portion qui a en section droite l'allure d'une demi-ancre de marine (coupée par son axe de symétrie);
• d) la lame a de préférence à son extrémité inférieure un chanfrein regardant vers l'extérieur du bouchage, permettant ainsi à cette lame d'échapper à un engagement axial aléatoire en appui sur la portion de butée.

The additional means described below can be used either alone or together, in combination with the above means, in particular to improve the inviolability of the locking according to the invention:

• a) The blade preferably has a rear interior lateral chamfer allowing it to enter further into said V-shaped notch, and the distance from the end of the second wall to the stop position is at most equal to the circumferential width of the blade. minus 4 °, or at most equal to 20 ° when this width of the blade is 24 to 32 °;
• b) said first wall of the profiled latching and retention portion ends at a distance from the abutment portion less than 1 to 3 ° to said circumferential width of the blade;
• c) the second wall extends to the abutment portion and is in continuity with it, which further improves the inviolability and facilitates the manufacture of the container, the profiled axial portions forming a single large portion which has in cross section l 'look of a marine half anchor (cut by its axis of symmetry);
• d) the blade preferably has at its lower end a chamfer looking towards the outside of the stopper, thus allowing this blade to escape a random axial engagement in abutment on the abutment portion.

In general, it can be indicated that, in order to have both easy and rigid locking, the blade typically has a height of 6 mm or more and engages between the profiled portions by at least 2/3 of its height.

For ease of production, it is moreover preferred that said closure be made of PP or PE.HD, and that said head of the container is made of polyolefin.

According to a first category of applications, the stopper is fixed on the container, for example on its neck, by pushing in until it stops or by snap-fastening, then being at a constant or little variable level. and can rotate around the container in one direction and / or the other. If rotation is possible in both directions, we can have two profiled parts whose V-shaped notches face each other, each of these retention parts forming a stop for the blade in one of the two directions of rotation and the two parts allowing together the 'snap and lock this blade. If the stopper is a service capsule, that is to say a capsule comprising a fixed base and a cover pivoting between pins or around a hinge and revealing in the open position a dispensing orifice for the cover or the base , it is this base which carries the blade to be locked.

According to a second category of applications, it can be a plugging with rapid screwing, typically in less than a revolution and a half. The blade, preferably provided with a chamfer allowing it to escape a moderate support on the axial abutment portion, locks at the end of the turn which follows this support.

The industrial use of all of the closure and of the container in a capping installation, that is to say of fixing the closure on the container, has been found to be very advantageous: the closure is inserted therein on the neck of the container. then this plugging is rotated relative to the container until a selected stopping torque is obtained proving said locking.
The rates obtained are 2.5 to 3 times faster than with closures oriented by the technique described previously by the applicant in EP-A-0410913 = US-A-5046630.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

• Final and tamper-proof locking.
• Very low circumferential orientation clearance, less than 3 °.
• Allows a high capping rate in series.

EXAMPLES

• FIG. 1 represents a closure and a container according to the invention, in axial section of the closure and of the head of the container.
• FIG. 2 represents the locking of a blade carried by the plugging between the profiled axial portions carried by the shoulder of the container, in section perpendicular to the axis.
• Figure 3 shows the preparation of the latching, with the previous cutting mode, in situation above the shoulder.
• Figure 4 shows the same stage as Figure 3 in axial half-section, as well as the position of the blade before its engagement on the first profiled portion.
• FIG. 5 shows the blade locked inside profiled axial portions forming a single large portion, in section perpendicular to the axis.
• FIG. 6 shows a second set of a closure and a container according to the invention, in axial section of the closure and of the head of the container.
• FIG. 7 represents a container and a screw closure according to the invention, the closure being identified by two positions of its locking blade, in axial half-section.

1. First example (fig. 1 to 5)

The stopper 1 in FIG. 1 is a service capsule 1 having a base 2 snapped onto the neck 3 of the container 4 by a discontinuous rib 5 and a hinged cover 6 making it possible to stop and discover a dispensing orifice 8 of the base 2.
The neck 3 is connected to the skirt 9 of the container 4 by an annular shoulder 10 inclined at 30 ° on the horizontal plane, the longitudinal axis 11 of the plug 1 and of the container 4 being assumed to be axial with the plug at the top.

The shoulder 10 extends between the diameter 26 mm from the bottom of the neck 3 and the diameter 50 mm from the skirt 9.
The blade 12 fixed under the apex 13 of thickness 1.2 mm from the base 2 has a height of 12 mm, a thickness of 2.5 mm and a circumferential width of 30 °, ie an overall width of 7 mm.
The blade 12 is locked over a height of 9 mm inside the profiled axial portions 14 and 15 carried by the shoulder 10: the axial cut being made according to the plane AA identified in FIG. 2, it can be seen that the blade 12 is guarded on the outside by the second wall 16 of the first portion profile 14 (fig. 2) and has in front of it the profiled stop portion 15, the portions 14 and 15 together forming the locking means carried by the shoulder 10.
The base 2 is precisely guided on the neck 3 by ribs 17 at 60 ° of total angle ending in a dish of width 0.4 mm as shown in local section 18.
The stopper is in PP and the head 3 and 10 of the container 4 is in HDPE, both are injection molded.

In Figure 2, we can better see the blade locking mode 12. The first wall 19 of the profiled portion 14 is inclined and forms with the second wall 16 a notch 20 in V. The surface 21 of the first wall 19 which is external to the notch 20 is inclined at 45 ° on a radial plane, it serves as an engagement surface 21 with progressive bending of the blade 12. The latter has on its front edge a chamfer 22 of inclination 2 ° more stronger on the radial plane than the inclined surface 21, so as to slide well on this surface 21 which causes it to flex (position 12A in the figure).
According to position 12B, the rotation has progressed and the bending of the blade 12 which rests on the end 190 of the first wall 19 is at its maximum. The wall 19 progressively thins from a thickness of 1 mm at its root to a thickness of 0.3 mm from its end edge 191. The bending of the end 190 will facilitate the latching of the blade 12 under the effect of its elastic return. The blade has a rear chamfer 25 allowing it to enter further into the V-shaped notch 20 after snap-fastening. The V-shaped chamfer also facilitates this snap-fastening. According to position 12C, the blade is latched and in abutment on the abutment portion 15, it has resumed its relaxed shape and cannot escape the notch 20, the circumferential distances between the first wall 19 and the abutment portion 15 on the one hand and between the second wall 16 of 0.8 mm thickness and said abutment portion 15 being 20 ° and 23 ° respectively.

FIG. 3 shows the position 12B of the blade 12 in position on the shoulder 10.

FIG. 4 according to the external view planes BB identified in FIG. 3, shows the bending of the blade 12 in position 12B and, for comparison, its position 12D before engagement against the first profiled portion 14. It makes it possible to understand the force of the elastic return for the latching of the blade 12. The chamfer 24 of the the lower end of the blade 12 makes it possible, by sliding and bending, to escape a random pressing of this blade on the top of the stop portion 15.

FIG. 5 corresponds to position 12C of FIG. 3, the profiled axial portions 14 and 15 are joined by the wall 16 with a thickness of 0.6 mm which forms a continuous wall 160 with the stop portion 15. The molding is facilitated , inviolability is even better. The cross section of the large section 145 thus formed is curiously reminiscent of a marine half-anchor. In this case, and in the general case, it is possible to arrange the large section 160 or the sections 14 and 15 so as to obtain a locking of the blade from the outside, the elastic bending of the blade 12 towards the outside thus leading to when latching and in the same locked position as before.

2. Second example (fig. 6)

The cover 60 of the service capsule 100 is pivotally mounted between lugs.
It is the dispensing orifice 80 of the cover 60 which is oriented with precision relative to the decoration 90 of the skirt 9. The blade 12 is locked as in the first example (FIG. 1).

3. Third example (fig. 7)

It is a screw closure, screwable in a turn and a half on the quick thread 23 of the neck 3. The axial section of the figure cuts the locked position 12C of the blade 12. A front turn, the blade 12 does must not yet be engaged definitively between the profiled locking portions 14 and 15 carried by the shoulder 10, it can at most come to bear on the abutment portion 15 and escape therein by bending in 12E thanks to the chamfer 24 of its end lower, then return to its relaxed position to make a little less than one turn until it engages with the portion 14 leading to the locked position 12C.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

All containers with a snap-on or fairly fast screw-on closure that must be oriented with precision and inviolability in relation to the decor or the geometry of the container.

Claims (14)

Assembly of a container (4) and a stopper (1), said container (4) having a head (3 and 10) comprising a neck (3) connected by a shoulder (10) to a body or to a skirt (9), the closure (1) and the head (3 and 10) respectively having complementary means of locking together (10, 14 and 15) with respect to the relative rotations of the closure (1) with respect to the container ( 4), said locking means comprising an elastically flexible axial blade (12) carried by the closure (1) and profiled axial portions (14,15) carried by the shoulder (10), these profiled portions comprising a first portion ( 14) having a first inclined wall (19) relative to a diametrical axial plane of the container which passes through it, against which the blade (12) comes to slide while being elastically deformed when the plugging (1) is rotated, the blade ( 12) then folded down by elastic return in a space between said portion (14) and a second p profiled axial portion (15) against which the blade (12) abuts, thus being locked in relative rotation, characterized in that: a) the blade (12) is fixed under the bottom of the stopper and is free below its fixing b) the first portion (14) comprises a second wall (16) forming with the inclined wall (19) a V-shaped notch (20) facing the second stop portion (15) and said inclined wall (19) ends in a lateral end edge (191) on which the blade (12) snaps by elastic return at the end of its sliding against said inclined wall (19) by being folded back into said space between the V-shaped notch (20 ) and the stopper portion (15); c) the second wall (16) of the first portion (14) ends at a distance from the second abutment portion (15) less than the circumferential width of the blade (12), the blade (12) folded back into said space then being trapped on all sides between the profiled portions (14) and (15). The assembly of claim 1, wherein the end edge (191) of the inclined wall (19) is located inwardly of the shoulder (10), behind the blade (12) in the snapped position. Assembly according to claim 1, in which the container (4) is made of moldable material and the stopper (1) is made of elastically deformable plastic. An assembly according to claim 3, in which the profiled axial portions (14, 15) are made of plastic molded in one piece with the head (3 and 10), said first inclined wall (19) of the first latching portion and retention (14) having a thickness which decreases towards its lateral end edge (191) and thus being elastically flexible. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which said first wall (19) has on the outside of the V-shaped notch (20) an engagement surface (21) of said blade (12) which is inclined from 40 to 50 ° relative to said axial plane, said blade having at the front a lateral engagement chamfer (22) of inclination greater than the inclination of said engagement surface (21) and between 45 and 55 °. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said blade (12) has a circumferential width of 24 to 32 ° and a thickness of 2 to 3 mm. An assembly according to claim 6, wherein said blade has a rear interior lateral chamfer (25) allowing it to fit further into said V-shaped notch (20), and wherein said distance from the end of the second wall (16) to the abutment portion (15) is at most equal to 20 °. An assembly according to any one of claims 6 or 7, in which said first wall (19) of the first profiled portion (14) ends at a distance from the abutment portion (15) of 1 to 3 ° less than said width circumferential of the blade. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said second wall (16) extends to the abutment portion (15) and forms a continuous wall (160). Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the stopper is screwed quickly onto the neck and in which the blade (12) has at its lower end a chamfer (24) looking towards the outside of the stopper (1), thus allowing this blade (12) to escape a random engagement bearing on the abutment portion (15). Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said blade (12) has a height of at least 6 mm and engages between said profiled portions (14,15) by at least 2/3 of its height. Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said plug (1) is fixed to the neck (3) by snap-fastening and is oriented relative to said body or to said skirt (9) by rotation and locking of said blade ( 12) plugging (1) between said profiled portions (14,15) carried by said shoulder (10) of the container (4). An assembly according to claim 10, in which said closure is fixed to the neck (3) and locked with an orientation chosen by less than one and a half turns of screwing. Use of the closure assembly (1) and the container (4) of any one of claims 1 to 13, in a closure installation, in which the closure is pressed onto the neck (3) of the container (4) then this plugging (1) is made to rotate relative to the container (4) until a chosen stopping torque proving said locking is obtained.

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