TAMPER-EVIDENT FLIP-TOP CLOSURE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closure for a container with a base element (100), a flip-top lid (200) attached to said base element (100) by a hinge (150) such that the flip-top lid (200) can be moved between an opened and a closed position, and with a tamper evident unit (400) for indicating whether the flip-top lid (200) had been opened at least once by a user or not. Said tamper evident unit (400) comprising a first tamper evident element (420) and a second tamper evident element (440), which are, when said closure is in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid (200) has not been opened yet by the user, connected to each other by at least one frangible bridge (430). Said first tamper evident element (420) is attached to the base element (100) such that it is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first tamper evident element (420) is in its first position, when said closure is in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid (200) had not been opened yet by the user, and said first tamper evident element (420) is in its second position, when said flip-top lid (200) had been opened at least once by the user.

Claims

1. Closure for a container with a base element (100), a flip-top lid (200) attached to said base element (100) by a hinge (150) such that the flip-top lid (200) can be moved between an opened and a closed position, a tamper evident unit (400) for indicating whether the flip-top lid (200) had been opened at least once by a user or not, said tamper evident unit (400) comprising a first tamper evident element (420) and a second tamper evident element (440), which are, when said closure is in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid (200) has not been opened yet by the user, connected to each other by at least one frangible bridge (430), wherein said first tamper evident element (420) is retained relative to the base element (100) such that it is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein said first tamper evident element (420) is in its first position, when said closure is in its as-manufactured status or when said flip-top lid (200) has not been opened yet by the user, and said first tamper evident element (420) is in its second position, when said flip-top lid (200) had been opened at least once by the user, wherein said flip-top lid (200) is at least in part transparent or translucent and/or comprises at least one opening or window, wherein said base element (100) comprises at least one spring element (120) being arranged such that it applies a force FS onto said first tamper evident element (420) into a direction towards the second position of said first tamper evident element (420), said force FS being smaller than a minimum force FD being necessary to destroy the at least one frangible bridge (430), wherein said flip-top lid (200) comprises a first inner extension wall (220) with first engagement means (222) and wherein said second tamper evident element (440) comprises second engagement means (442), said first engagement means (222) and second engagement means (442) being arranged such that they engage with each other when said closure (10) is in its as-manufactured status, and wherein said first (222) and said second engagement means (442) are arranged such that a minimum force FE being necessary to disengage the first engagement means (222) and second engagement means (442) from each other is larger than said force FD being necessary to destroy the at least one frangible bridge (430).

2. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said first tamper evident element (420) and/or said second tamper evident element (440) are ringlike elements.

3. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said second tamper evident element (440) is smaller or has a smaller diameter than said first tamper evident element (420).

4. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said first tamper evident element (420) and said second tamper evident element (440) are concentric or essentially concentric to each other.

5. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said first tamper evident element (420) has a height being larger than the height of said second tamper evident element (440).

6. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said second tamper evident element (440) is arranged within said first tamper evident element (420) such that a height of said second tamper evident element (440) fully overlaps with a height of said first tamper evident element (420) or such that the second tamper evident element (440) cannot be seen when viewed from a radial outward direction when said at least one frangible bridge (430) is undestroyed.

7. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said first tamper evident element (420) comprises an outwardly extending protrusion (422), being arranged such that said at least one spring element (120) of said base element (100) exerts a force onto said protrusion (422) of said first tamper evident element (420) into the direction of said second position of said first tamper evident element (420).

8. Closure according to claim 1, comprising multiple frangible bridges (430) connecting said first tamper evident element (420) and said second tamper evident element (440), wherein said multiple frangible bridges (430) are arranged around an outer circumference of said second tamper evident element (440).

9. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said closure comprises a spout (300) being an element separate from said base element (100) and which is inserted through an opening (118) on an upper side (115) of said base element (100) and being attached to said base element (100) in a fixed position.

10. Closure according to claim 9, wherein said spout (300) comprises an outwardly extending protrusion (322) and wherein said base (100) comprises at least one abutment portion (122), wherein said protrusion (322) and said at least one abutment portion (122) are arranged such that they are positioned with a distance from each other, thereby providing a space therebetween in which at least part of said at least one spring element (120) and at least part of said outwardly extending protrusion (422) of said first tamper evident element (420) are positioned.

11. Closure according to claim 10, wherein said first tamper evident element (420) abuts against said spout against said outwardly extending protrusion (322) of said spout (300), when said first tamper evident element (420) is in its second position.

12. Closure according to claim 1, wherein said at least one spring element (120) is arranged such that it exerts a force FF onto said first tamper evident element (420), preferably onto said outwardly extending protrusion (422) of said first tamper evident element (420), when said first tamper evident element (420) is in its second position.

13. Closure according to claim 9, wherein said first inner extension wall (220) has an essentially cylindrical form, extending from a top part or a top wall (260) of said flip-top lid (200), wherein said spout (300) and said first inner extension wall (220) are arranged such that said spout (300) is inserted into said first inner extension wall (220) of said flip-top lid (200), when said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position.

14. Closure according to claim 9, wherein said flip-top lid (200) comprises a second inner extension wall (240), having an essentially cylindrical form, said second inner extension wall (240) extending from a top part or top wall (260) of said flip-top lid (200), wherein said spout (300) and said second inner extension wall (240) are arranged such that said second inner extension wall (240) is inserted into a dispensing opening (320) of said spout (300), when said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position.

15. System with a container and with a closure according to claim 1, wherein said closure is attached to the container or wherein said closure is integrally formed with the container.

16. Method for manufacturing a closure according to claim 1, wherein said base element (100) 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.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein a spout (300) is manufactured separately from said base element (100) and said flip-top lid (200), wherein after injection molding of said base element (100) and said flip-top lid (200) in its open status, the flip-top lid (200) is first brought into its closed position, wherein thereafter the tamper evident unit (400) and said spout (300) are inserted into said base element (100) while said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position.

18. Method according to claim 17, wherein said tamper evident unit (400) is positioned onto said spout (300), wherein thereafter said spout (300), together with said tamper evident unit (400), is inserted into said base element (100) while said flip-top lid (200) is in its closed position.

Description

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the closure according to the present invention after a first opening by a user and with the flip-top lid being in its opened position,

[0049] FIG. 2 shows an a cross-sectional view of embodiment of the closure according to the present invention during the manufacturing process, with a base element and a flip-top lid having been manufactured by injection molding in an opened position, however still without a tamper evident unit and without a spout,

[0050] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the closure according to the present invention during the manufacturing process, with the tamper evident unit already inserted but with the spout not yet inserted,

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the closure as shown in FIG. 1, however in its as manufactured status, with the flip-top lid being in its closed position and before the flip-top lid has been opened by a user for the first time, together with a part of the closure being shown in an enlarged view,

[0052] FIG. 5 shows the closure as shown in FIG. 4, with the flip-top lid being in its opened position,

[0053] FIG. 6 shows the closure as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with the flip-top lid again being in its closed position, however after having been opened by a user at least once,

[0054] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the tamper evident unit as used in the embodiment of the closure according to the invention as shown in the earlier figures, and

[0055] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the tamper evident unit as shown in FIG. 7.

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a perspective 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, being attached to said base element 100 by a hinge 150, wherein said flip-top lid 200 is in its opened position.

[0057] The base element 100 comprises an essentially cylindrically formed skirt 110 and an upper wall 115, which has a circular opening through which a spout 300 has been inserted. The spout 300 comprises a dispensing opening 320.

[0058] Around the spout 300 a first tamper evident element 420 of a tamper evident unit 400 is visible, wherein a second tamper evident element 440 of the tamper evident unit 400 is attached to the first inner extension wall 220, which has an essentially cylindrical form and which extends from a top wall or top part of the flip-top lid 200.

[0059] The closure 10 is shown after a first opening of the flip-top lid by a user, so that the frangible bridges, which had connected the first tamper evident element 420 with the second tamper evident element 440 in its as-manufactured status, being destroyed, so that the first and the second tamper evident elements 420 and 440 are separated. With respect to the functioning of the tamper evident unit 400 it is especially referred to hereinafter with respect to FIG. 4 to FIG. 6.

[0060] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view through part of the closure according to the present invention, however still without a spout and without a tamper evident unit. FIG. 2 shows the base element 100 and the flip-top lid 200, with the flip-top lid 200 in its opened position, as this embodiment has been manufactured by injection molding in an open status.

[0061] As can be well seen in FIG. 2 the base element 100 comprises the skirt 110 and an upper wall 115, with the skirt 110 being essentially cylindrical, whereas the upper wall 115 has essentially the form of a plane with an inner circular opening 118, through which a spout can be inserted, as will be shown in the following figures.

[0062] The base element 100 comprises fastening means 160, which are in this embodiment realized by an internal thread, which can cooperate with a corresponding external thread of the neck of a container to which the closure can be attached.

[0063] Furthermore the base element 100 also comprises, at a lower end part of the skirt 110, a tamper evident element 112, which indicates whether the closure has been detached from the neck of a container, in which is attached to the skirt 110 of the base element 100 by frangible bridges 113. This tamper evident element 112 is completely independent of the above-mentioned tamper evident unit 400.

[0064] As can be also well seen in FIG. 2 the base element 100 comprises spring elements 120, which extend, in FIG. 2 in a downward direction, from said upper wall 115. The spring elements 120 are shown in its release position, with respect to the functioning it is especially referred to FIGS. 4 to 6 and the corresponding description.

[0065] The base element 100 also comprises the flip-top lid 200, which has an upper wall or top wall 260. The flip-top lid 200 also comprises a first inner extension wall 220 with first engagement means 222, wherein the first inner extension wall 220 extends from said upper wall or top wall 260 and has an essentially cylindrical form. The first engagement means 222 are provided for an engagement with corresponding engagement means of the second tamper evident element 440, as will be explained hereinafter especially with respect to FIG. 4.

[0066] The flip-top lid 200 also comprises a second inner extension wall 240 also extending from said upper wall or top wall 260, which also has an essentially cylindrical form. As can be well seen in FIG. 2, the second inner extension wall 240 is positioned within the space defined by the first inner extension wall 220, the cylindrical form of the second inner extension wall 240 therefore has a smaller diameter and a smaller length or height compared with the cylindrical form of the first inner extension wall 220.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows the closure as shown in FIG. 2, however with the tamper evident unit 400 already inserted but with the spout 300 not yet inserted. Due to the fact that the tamper evident unit 400 has already been inserted and brought into its correct position, with the first tamper evident element 420 in its first position, the spring elements 120 are already compressed, which can be well seen especially in FIG. 4 and the enlargement.

[0068] The second tamper evident element 440 has been brought into engagement with said first inner extension wall 220, while both the second tamper evident element 440 and the first inner extension wall 220 comprise corresponding engagement means, which is also best shown in FIG. 4, so that is referred to the following explanation. The second tamper evident element 440 has thereby been fixed or attached to the first inner extension wall 220 and thereby to the flip-top lid 200.

[0069] As the first engagement means and said second engagement means are arranged such that the minimum force FE being necessary to disengage the first engagement means and said second engagement means from each other is larger than the force FD to destroy the frangible bridges between the first and the second tamper evident element, the second tamper evident element 440 will keep its position relative to the flip-top lid 200 or relative to the first inner extension wall 220 of the flip-top lid 200, independent of the position of the flip-top lid 200 in its closed or in its opened position.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows the closure to in its as-manufactured status, with the tamper evident unit 400 and the spout 300 being inserted and with the flip-top lid 200 being in its closed position, together with an enlargement of the section A.

[0071] As can be well seen in FIG. 4, especially in the enlargement, the tamper evident unit 400 comprises the first tamper evident element 420 and the second tamper evident element 440, being connected by frangible bridges (in this embodiment all together 6 frangible bridges, which are positioned between said first tamper evident element 420 and the second tamper evident element 440 in equal angular distances, in this case of 60°, are provided, as can be well seen in FIG. 7).

[0072] In this as-manufactured status of the closure to the first tamper evident element 420 is in its first position, with respect to the orientation shown in FIG. 3 in its upper position. The spring elements 120 are compressed, between an outwardly extending, and in this embodiment ringlike, protrusion 422 of said first tamper evident element and an upper wall 115 of the base element too.

[0073] The second tamper evident element 440 comprises second engagement means 442, which in this embodiment are formed as an essentially ringlike protrusion on the radial inward side of the second tamper evident element 440. The flip-top lid 200 comprises the first inner extension wall 220 with corresponding first engagement means 222, which in this embodiment are formed as an essentially ringlike protrusion on the radial outward side of the first inner extension wall 220.

[0074] As can be best seen in the enlargement of FIG. 4, the first engagement means 222 and the second engagement means 442 are in engagement with each other, so that the second tamper evident element 440 is attached to said first inner extension wall 220.

[0075] The spring elements 120, as being compressed, apply or exert a force FS onto said first tamper evident element 420, more exactly on said protrusion 422 of said first tamper evident element 420. However, said force FS is smaller than the minimum force FD being necessary to destroy the frangible bridges (430, see especially FIG. 7), and as said force FS is not sufficient enough to destroy the frangible bridges, the tamper evident unit 400 is maintained in its original position and in undestroyed condition, so that the first tamper evident member 420 is hold and maintained in its first position.

[0076] As can be also well seen in FIG. 4, the second tamper evident element 440 is fully kept within the boundaries of the first tamper evident element 420, so that it is not or hardly visible when viewed from the outside in a radially inward direction. In other words, a user looking, in a radially inward direction, onto the closure can only see the first tamper evident element 420, not however the second tamper evident element 440, as being covered or at least mainly covered from view by the first tamper evident element 420.

[0077] In this specific embodiment the first tamper evident element 420 is at least partly made from a green and non-transparent material or with a very low transparency for light in a visible range, whereas the second tamper evident element 440 is fully or partly made from a red material. This can be easily realized by means of bi-injection molding. a user looking onto the closure with the first tamper evident element 420 being in its first position can therefore only see the green colored first tamper evident element 420, not however the red colored second tamper evident element 440. This is an indication to the user that the closure has not yet been tempered with, in other words an indication to the user that the flip-top lid has not yet been opened.

[0078] Of course it is possible to use also different coloring or other means for differentiating the optical appearance of the first tamper evident element 420 and the second tamper evident element 440.

[0079] As can be also well seen in FIG. 4, the first inner extension wall 220, extending from the upper or top wall 260 of the flip-top lid 200, encloses the outer wall of the spout 300, thereby leading both to the securing of an exact positioning of the flip-top lid 200 relative to the base element 100 and to a sealing effect between the first inner extension wall 220 and the spout 300.

[0080] Furthermore, the second inner extension wall 240 extends into the dispensing opening 320 of the spout 300, thereby sealing said dispensing opening 320. The spout 300 is provided with a flexible inner lip 310, which enhances this sealing effect.

[0081] FIG. 5 shows the closure 10 as shown in FIG. 4, however after a first opening, therefore with the flip-top lid 200 in its opened position. The opening of the flip-top lid 200 by a user required the force being higher than the minimum force FD, in order to destroy the frangible bridges between the first tamper evident element 420 and the second tamper evident element 440. Furthermore, as the minimum force FE being necessary to disengage the first engagement means 222 and the second engagement means 442 is larger than said force FD being necessary to destroy the frangible bridges, the first engagement means 222 and the second engagement means 442 are kept in engagement. As a result, the second tamper evident element 440 is still in engagement with the first inner extension wall 220, but separated from the first tamper evident element 420.

[0082] As the spring elements 120 apply a force FS onto said first tamper evident element 420, in this embodiment onto the protrusion 422 of said first tamper evident element 420, and as the first tamper evident element 420 is not attached anymore to the second tamper evident element 440 via the frangible bridges, the first tamper evident element 420 will be pushed into its second position (with respect to the orientation shown in FIG. 5 into the lower position) by the force of the spring elements 120.

[0083] The spring elements 120 are not in its fully released position, but still apply a remaining force FF onto said protrusion 422 of said first tamper evident element 420, thereby keeping and holding the first tamper evident element 420 securely in its second position, thereby securing a clear indication of the tamper evident unit to a user on the one hand, secondly securing that no rattling or other noise can be created, which otherwise may happen in case the first tamper evident element would be allowed to only slightly move out of its second position, possibly even hardly visibly, but than moving back again into its second position, while such a repeated abutment may cause disturbing noise during use or moving of the container with the closure by a user.

[0084] FIG. 6 shows the embodiment of the closure 10 as shown in FIG. 5, however with the flip-top lid 200 being again in its closed position. As can be well seen when comparing FIG. 5 with FIG. 6, the position of the first tamper evident element 420 relative to the base element and the position of the second tamper evident element 440 with respect to the flip-top lid 200 are not changed, with the first tamper evident element 420 being in its second position.

[0085] As can be well seen in FIG. 6, the second tamper evident element 440 is now positioned above the first tamper evident element 420, as the first tamper evident element 420 has moved from its first position to its second position (with respect to the orientation shown in FIG. 6 from an upper to a lower position).

[0086] The user looking from the outside onto the closure, especially from a radial outward side, now easily sees the second tamper evident element 440, as not being covered from view any more by the first tamper evident element 420, as it is the case with the first tamper evident element 420 being in its first position, as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore the user can see the second tamper evident element 440, which thereby clearly indicates the change in the system, thereby informing the user that the flip-top lid 200 has been opened once.

[0087] As mentioned above, if for example the first tamper evident element 420 is colored in red, the user would, for the first time, see the red element, namely the red first tamper evident element 420, thereby, in a very obvious view, indicating the different status of the closure, namely a closure which has been opened at least once.

[0088] As mentioned above, the spring elements 120, still asserting the force onto said protrusion 422 of said first tamper evident element 420, secure that the first tamper evident element 420 will be securely hold in its second position, so that the first tamper evident element 420 will be always visible, also in case the closure or the system with a container and closure will be held upside down. This specific arrangement makes a closure according to the present invention as a preferred choice also for containers with closures which are stored upside down, e.g. which have a stand surface on the closure side. In this case the top surface 260 of the flip-top lid 200 serve as such a stand surface for the closure and the system with a container.

[0089] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the tamper evident unit 400 as used in the embodiments described above. The tamper evident unit 400 comprises the first tamper evident element 420 and second tamper evident element 440, while the first tamper evident element 420 and the second tamper evident element 440 are connected by frangible bridges 430. In this specific embodiment there are six frangible bridges 430 between the first and the second tamper evident element 420, 440, and the frangible bridges 430 are arranged around the circumference of the second tamper evident element 440 in angular distances of 60°. FIG. 7 also very well shows the ringlike protrusion 422 of the first tamper evident element 420.

[0090] FIG. 8 finally shows a cross-section through the tamper evident unit 400 as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 especially shows the dimensions and orientations of the first and the second tamper evident element 420 and 440 relative to each other, with the second tamper evident element 440 being fully within the space defined by the first tamper evident element 420, so that the second tamper evident element 440 is fully covered from view by the first tamper evident element 420 when viewed from the outside.

[0091] 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.