CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER AND CONTAINER WITH SUCH A CLOSURE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closure for a container with a base element and a flip-top lid attached to said base element by a hinge. The flip-top lid can be moved between an opened and a closed position. The base element has a skirt with attachment means for attaching the closure to the container, and said flip-top lid has a top cover and a sidewall. The closure comprises an actuating region with a latching element, wherein said actuating region is tiltable and/or deformable relative to the remaining regions of the sidewall between a latching position and a released position. The present invention also relates to a container with such a closure.

Claims

1. Closure (10) for a container (600) with a base element (100), a flip-top lid (200) attached to said base element (100) by a hinge such that the flip-top lid (200) can be moved between an opened and a closed position, said base element (100) having a skirt (110) with attachment means (160) for attaching the closure (10) to the container (600), said flip-top lid having a top cover (210) and a sidewall (220), characterized in that said sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200) comprises an actuating region (400) with a latching element (420), said latching element (420) being positioned at an inner surface of said actuating region (400), wherein said actuating region (400) is tiltable and/or deformable relative to the remaining regions of said sidewall (220) between a latching position and a release position, said actuating region (400) with said latching element (420) being arranged such that said latching element (420) is, when being in its latching position, engageable with a corresponding latching portion (620) of the container (600), while the flip-top lid (200) cannot be moved out of its closed position when said latching element (420) of said actuating region (400) is engaged with the corresponding latching portion (620) of the container (600), said actuating region (400) has, at an outer surface thereof, an operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450′″, 450″″) extending outwardly from said actuating region (400) for being operated by a user, said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450″′, 450″″) extending at least partly in a circumferential direction of the closure, said actuating region (400) is partly separated from the remaining regions of the sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200) by a slit (500, 500′, 500″, 500″′, 500″″, 510, 510′, 510″,b 510″′, 510″″), said slit (500, 500′, 500″, 500′″, 500″″, 510, 510′, 510″, 510″′, 510″″) extending at least partly in a circumferential direction of the closure, and said actuating region (400) is connected with the remaining regions of the sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200) by at least one deformable hinge section (470) biasing said actuation region (400) into its latching position.

2. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said closure (10) comprises at least one frangible bridge (150), connecting said skirt (110) of said base element (100) with said sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200), preferably with said actuation region (400) of said sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200), wherein said at least one frangible bridge (150) is arranged such that it is destroyed when said latching element (420) of the actuating region (400) is disengaged from the corresponding latching portion (620) of the container (600) for the first time.

3. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said slit (500, 500′, 500″, 500″′, 500″″, 510, 510′, 510″, 510″′, 510″″) in said sidewall (220) extends in a circumferential direction of said sidewall (220) by an angle (α) of 20° to 120°.

4. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said slit (500, 500′, 500″, 500′″, 500″″, 510, 510′, 510″, 510″′, 510″″) in the said sidewall (220) at least partly extends into a direction different than the circumferential direction, which is in a direction perpendicular to said circumferential direction or at least with a component being perpendicular to said circumferential direction and/or which is in a direction towards the skirt (110) of the base element (100).

5. Closure according to claim 1, wherein the slit (500, 500′, 500″, 500″′, 500″″, 510, 510′, 510″, 510″′, 510″″) has a width in the area of 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm.

6. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said at least one deformable hinge section is arranged such that a tilting angle of said actuating region (400) or an angle between the latching position and the release position of said actuating region (400) is at least 5°.

7. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said actuating region and said at least one deformable hinge section are arranged such that an axis (R) of tilting or rotating of said actuating region (400) is positioned below said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450″′, 450″″) or is, in a vertical direction, positioned in an area between said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450′″, 450″″) and said latching element (420) of said actuating region (400).

8. Closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure is arranged such that a straight line (L) connecting an axis (R) of tilting or rotating of said actuating region (400) with a radially most outward point (452) of said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450″′, 450″″) forms an angle (β) with said sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200) or with a vertical direction in a range of between 30° to 60°.

9. Closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure is arranged such that the necessary amount of a force applied onto said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450′″, 450″″) in order to disengage said latching element (420) of said actuating region (400) from the corresponding latching portion (620) of the container (600) is higher when a force (FA) is applied onto said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450″″, 450″″) or said flip-top lid in a vertical upward direction compared to a force (Fu) which is applied onto said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450′″, 450″″) having also a radially inwardly directed component.

10. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450′″, 450″″) extends in a circumferential direction of said sidewall (220) by an angle of 20° to 120°.

11. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450″′, 450″″) is at least partly curved, being either arched towards the position of the slit (500, 500′, 500″, 500′″, 500″, 510, 510′, 510″, 510″′, 510″″) in the sidewall (220) or arched in a vertical upward direction.

12. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said operating element (450, 450′, 450″, 450′″, 450″″) extends, in a radial outward direction from the sidewall (220), by a distance of 1 mm to 10 mm.

13. Closure according to claim 1, which comprises at least one further frangible bridge (550), bridging said slit (500, 500′, 500″, 500″′, 500″″, 510, 510′, 510″, 510″′, 510″″) in said sidewall (220), said at least one further frangible bridge (550) being arranged such that it is destroyed when said latching element (420) of the actuating region (400) is disengaged from the corresponding latching portion (620) of the container (600) for the first time.

14. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said skirt (110) of said base element (100) has an upper rim (130), said upper rim (130) or said skirt (110) having a recess (132) extending over a predetermined angular range in the circumferential direction, wherein said sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200) has a lower rim (230), said lower rim (230) or said sidewall (220) having a protrusion (232) extending over a predetermined angular range in the circumferential direction, said protrusion (232) of said sidewall (220) of said flip-top lid (200) extending into said recess (132) of said skirt (110) of said base element (100) when said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position.

15. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said closure (10) comprises a folding strap (160) or folding ring attached to said (110) skirt of said base element (100) for attaching and/or fastening said closure (10) to the container (600).

16. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said latching element (420) of said actuating region (400) comprises a protrusion (422) at an inner surface of said sidewall (220) and/or comprises a recess at an inner surface of said sidewall (220).

17. Closure according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the actuation region (400) is smaller in an upper region than in a lower region or is smaller in a region being further away from said latching element (420) than in a region being closer to said latching element (420).

18. Closure according to claim 1 in combination with a container for holding a flowable medium, the container (600) comprising a neck (610) with a dispensing opening (630) and with attachment means (670) for attaching a closure (10), the closure (10) attached to the neck (610) of the container (600).

19. Closure in combination with a container according to claim 18, wherein said container (600) comprises a ring-like protrusion (620) at the outer circumference of said neck (610) thereby forming a latching portion (620), which is engaged with the corresponding latching element (420) of said actuating region (400) of said closure (10) when the flip-top lid (200) of said closure (10) is in its closed position and when actuating region (400) is in its latching position.

Description

[0061] These and other features and advantages of a closure and container according to the present invention will become more apparent in view of the embodiments shown in the enclosed Figures and described hereinafter:

[0062] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the closure according to the present invention,

[0063] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the closure as shown in FIG. 1,

[0064] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view through the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, with the actuating region being in its latching position,

[0065] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged portion of the area A as shown in FIG. 3,

[0066] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, however with the actuating region in its release position,

[0067] FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of part (B) as shown in FIG. 5 in an enlarged view,

[0068] FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the embodiment shown in the earlier FIGS. with the flip-top lid in its opened position,

[0069] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a 2.sup.nd embodiment of a closure according to the present invention,

[0070] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a 3.sup.rd embodiment of a closure according to the present invention,

[0071] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a 4.sup.th embodiment of a closure according to the present invention,

[0072] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a 5.sup.th embodiment of a closure according to the present invention,

[0073] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, where certain dimensions are visualized, and

[0074] FIG. 13 shows a cross-section through a part of an embodiment of a closure according to the present invention.

[0075] FIGS. 1 and 2 show both a perspective view and a front view of an embodiment of a closure 10 according to the present invention. The closure 10 comprises a base element 100 and a flip-top lid 200, which is connected by a hinge to the base element 100 such that the flip-top lid 200 can be moved between an opened and a closed position, with FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the lid in its closed position.

[0076] As can be well seen in both FIGS. 1 and 2, said base element 100 has a skirt 110, which can be attached to a container with attachment means, see especially FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The flip-top lid 200 comprises a top cover 210 and a sidewall 220. The sidewall 220 is essentially cylindrical and the top cover 210 is essentially flat, while it has been mentioned that the top cover can also have different forms.

[0077] As can be well seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the closure comprises an actuating region 400, which is partly separated from the remaining regions of the sidewall 220 by a slit 500.

[0078] The slit 500 extends, in a circumferential direction of the closure 10, over an angular area of about 60° and has extensions 510, at both sides, comprising a component also in a vertical direction, here in a downward direction.

[0079] The actuating region 400 is connected with the remaining regions of the sidewall 220 of said flip-top lid 200 by two deformable hinge sections 470.

[0080] Furthermore, the closure comprises an operating element 450, which extends radially outwardly from said actuating region 400, while said operating element 450 also extends in a circumferential direction of the closure over an angular range of about 60° whereas said operating element is slightly curved or arched, such that a finger of a user can easily be placed on the lower side of the operating element to operate and to open the flip-top lid.

[0081] The base element too comprises a folding strip 160 for attaching and/or fastening said closure to a container, as will be explained in some more detail in connection with FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 hereinafter.

[0082] Furthermore, the closure of this embodiment comprises one frangible bridge 150, connecting said skirt no of said base element too with the actuation region 400 of said flip-top lid 200. The frangible bridge is shown in its undestroyed position, therefore in a position before a first opening of the flip-top lid 200 by a user. This frangible bridge 150 is arranged such that it is destroyed when said latching element 420 of the actuating region 400 is disengaged from the corresponding latching portion of a container (not shown) for the first time.

[0083] This frangible bridge 150 thereby acts as a temper-evident element (TE-element), while this frangible bridge 150 is destroyed when said latching element of the actuating region is disengaged from the corresponding latching portion of the container for the first time, thereby indicating to a user that the closure to has been opened at least once.

[0084] The closure 10 according to this embodiment further comprises an additional frangible bridge 550, bridging said slit 500. Also this additional frangible bridge 550 is arranged such that it is destroyed when said latching element 420 of the actuating region 400 is disengaged from the corresponding latching portion of a container (not shown) for the first time, thereby also serving as an additional TE-element.

[0085] As can be also well seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the skirt no of said base element 100 in this specific embodiment has an upper rim 130 having a recess 132 extending over a predetermined angular range in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the sidewall 220 of said flip-top lid 200 has a lower rim 230, whereas said lower rim 230 or said sidewall 220 has a protrusion 232 also extending over a predetermined angular range in the circumferential direction. The protrusion 232 of said sidewall 220 of said flip-top lid 200 extends into said recess 132 of said skirt 110 of said base element, when said flip-top lid 200 is in its closed position.

[0086] As can be especially seen in FIG. 2, the lower rim 230 of said sidewall 220 has, in the area of said protrusion 232, two further extensions 425. On the backside of these extensions 425, the latching elements (420, see especially FIG. 6) are arranged. In this embodiment there are two latching elements, but it is possible to have either only one latching element or more than two latching elements.

[0087] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through the closure as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, also in a condition before a first opening, therefore with the frangible bridges 150 and 550 undestroyed and with the actuating region 400 being in its latching position.

[0088] As can be well seen in FIG. 3 and especially in the enlargement A shown in FIG. 4, the closure is attached to a neck 610 of a container wherein the neck 610 of the container comprises attachment means (see FIG. 4) in the form of a ring-like protrusion 670.

[0089] When attaching the closure 10 to the neck bio of the container, the folding strap 160 is folded upwardly, so that the folding strap 160 engages with the attachment means 670 of the closure 10 such that the closure 10 cannot be removed from the neck 610 of the container.

[0090] FIGS. 5 and 6 show the embodiment of the closure 10 in a cross-section, identical to FIGS. 3 and 4, however with the actuating region 400 being moved in its release position, being tilted or rotated relative to the remaining regions of the sidewall.

[0091] The tilting or rotating angle in this embodiment is about 9°, which is a preferred tilting or rotating angle, but this angle could vary in other embodiments, typically being in a range of 5° to 20°.

[0092] As can be well seen especially in FIG. 6, the latching element 420 of said actuating region 400 is disengaged from the corresponding latching portion 620 of the container, so that the flip-top lid 200 can be moved in its open position (see FIG. 7).

[0093] Consequently, the frangible bridges 150 and 550, acting as TE-elements, have been destroyed and indicate to a user that said latching element 420 of the actuating region 400 has been disengaged from the corresponding latching portion 620 of the container 600 at least once, so that the flip-top lid has been opened or could at least have been opened.

[0094] As can be well seen especially in FIG. 6, the thickness of the actuating region 400 is higher at a lower region, close to the latching portion 620, while the thickness is smaller in an upper region. The specific thickness differences of the actuating region 400 have the advantage that, with a lower thickness at an upper region, the actuating region 400 can be tilted by a larger angle, as the maximum angle of tilting is also limited by the actuating region 400 abutting against some parts of a neck of a container, like e.g. an outer thread 690.

[0095] This may be of specific relevance in case the neck of a container has additional fastening means, such as e.g. an external thread 690, which in principle allows also a fastening of a thread-on closure.

[0096] FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the embodiment of the closure 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, with the flip-top lid being in its opened position, so that a content, especially a fluid content stored in a container, can be dispensed through an opening 630 being provided in the neck 610 of the container 600.

[0097] FIG. 8 to FIG. 11 do show perspective views of further embodiments of a closure according to the present invention. Identical or similar elements are indicated with the same or similar reference numbers and in order to avoid repetitions, it is referred to the detailed explanation of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0098] As can be especially seen in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the 2.sup.nd, 3.sup.rd and 4.sup.th embodiment are very similar to the 1.sup.st embodiment of the closure according to the present invention, but the slit 500, 500′, 500″, 500″′, 500″″, 510, 510′, 510″, 510′″, 510″″ and the operating element 450, 450′, 450″, 450″′, 450″″ are designed and positioned slightly different.

[0099] FIG. 11 shows a 5.sup.th embodiment, which does not have a recess of the skirt 110 into which a corresponding protrusion of the sidewall 220 does extend, but the lower rim 230 of said sidewall 220 of said flip-top lid 200, as well as the upper rim 130 of said skirt 110 is extending in its circumferential directions, extending essentially on the same height.

[0100] The embodiment in FIG. 11 shows a very specifically designed frangible bridge 150′, which connects the skirt 110 and the sidewall 220 and which will be broken or destroyed when the latching element of the actuating region 400 is disengaged from the corresponding latching portion of the container for the first time, as explained in connection with the first embodiment.

[0101] The frangible bridge 150′ is in the form of an S and has a longer extension in a vertical direction, is placed in two smaller recesses 133, 233 in the respective rims 130 and 230 of the skirt 110 and the sidewall 220, respectively.

[0102] When this specific S-form frangible bridge is broken or destroyed, it will be specifically well-seen by a user, thereby realizing a very preferred TE-element.

[0103] With respect to the dimensions and realizations shown in the various embodiments it is especially referred to FIG. 12:

[0104] FIG. 12 visualizes some parameters for the different designs especially of the slit 500, 510 and the operating element 450. As explained above with respect to the embodiments, the slit 500, 510, extends over a certain angular range (a), and the operating element 450 is positioned in a certain height.

[0105] The distance between the most upper part of the operating element 450 to the slit 500 is designated as “h”.

[0106] Furthermore, depending on the arrangements in the various designs and embodiments, the deformable hinge sections 470 have certain lengths, namely the length “l”, being the shortest distance between the end of the slit 500, 510 to the lower rim 230 of the sidewall 220.

[0107] For the 1.sup.st to 5.sup.th embodiments, the dimensions for “h”, the distance between operating element 450 and slit 550, as well as the length of the deformable hinge sections 470, length “l”, and the angle (α), over which range the slit 500, 510 does extend in an angular direction are shown in the following table:

[0108] As in detail explained above, the closures according to the present invention have especially the advantage that the necessary amount of force to realize a disengagement of the latching element 420 of said actuating region 400 from the corresponding latching portion 620 of the container 600 is lower, when the force is applied by a user against the operating element in a direction, which is not only vertical, but also has a radial inwardly directed component, namely a force F.sub.U, see FIG. 13, when compared to a force which is applied only in a vertical direction, see force F.sub.A in FIG. 13.

[0109] For the 1.sup.st to the 4.sup.th embodiment shown and described above, measurements have been performed, while a force F.sub.U has been applied to the outmost point 452 of the operating element 450 in a direction being tilted 45° from the vertical direction (x-direction), see FIG. 13, and a necessary amount of the force to disengage the latching element 420 from the corresponding latching portion 620 has been measured. In comparison, a force F.sub.A has been applied to the top plate 210 in a vertical direction (x-direction), see also FIG. 13, and again the amount of force being necessary to disengage the latching element 420 from the corresponding latching portion 620 of the container has been determined. In comparison thereto, the same measurements have been performed with a comparative example, which is identical to the first embodiment, but which does not comprise a slit as the first embodiment.

[0110] The comparative example, i.e. a device essentially as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, however without a slit, required an amount of force |F.sub.U| of 12.7 N to disengage the latching element 420 from the corresponding latching portion 620 of the container, while with respect to the amount of force |F.sub.A| applied in a vertical direction to the top plate 210, the amount of force necessary to lead to this disengagement was only 8.4 N.

[0111] The relationship between the amount of force “|F.sub.A|/|F.sub.U|” in this comparative example was therefore 0.66.

[0112] The amount of a force F.sub.A, which may be accidentally applied to a top plate 210, is therefore remarkably lower than the necessary amount of a force F.sub.U, a user has to apply in order to, on purpose, open the closure, so that an inadvertent open can easily happen, while an opening on purpose by the user requires a relatively high force to be applied by a user.

[0113] In contrast thereto, the present invention remarkably changes this relationship between the necessary amount of forces and leads to the opposite result, with a relationship between the amount of force “ |F.sub.A|/|F.sub.U|” being not below 1, but being remarkably above, as can be seen from the following table:

TABLE-US-00001 |F.sub.U| |F.sub.A| |F.sub.A|/|F.sub.U| Comparative example 12.7 8.4 0.66 1.sup.st embodiment 3.95 8.5 2.15 2.sup.nd embodiment 4.2 7.9 1.88 3.sup.rd embodiment 4.8 9.1 1.90 4.sup.th embodiment 1.84 4.29 2.33

[0114] The properties of the closures according to the present invention therefore are much better than those of a comparative example and the relevant relationship of |F.sub.A|/|F.sub.U| is remarkably different.

[0115] FIG. 13 was already referred to above, especially with respect to the forces FA and Fu applied to a closure. Additionally, FIG. 13 also shows, for one embodiment, the axis R of rotation or tilting, which is, according to preferred embodiments, arranged below (in a vertical direction, in x-direction) the operating element 450, or between the operating element 450 and the latching element of the actuating region 400.

[0116] As also already explained above, preferably the device and especially the actuating region 400 is arranged and constructed such that a straight line L connecting an axis R of tilting or rotating of said actuating region 400 with a radially most outward point 452 of said operating element 450 forms an angle (β) with said sidewall of said flip-top lid or the actuating region 400, in the vertical direction, in a range of about 30° to 60°, preferably between 40° and 50°, and, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, of about 45°.

[0117] Such an arrangement is of specific advantage in order to fulfill the above-mentioned functions and results, as in detail explained, in a preferred way.

[0118] The features of the present invention disclosed in the specification, the claims and/or in the accompanying drawings may, both separately and in any combination thereof, be material for realizing the invention in various forms thereof.