CONTAINER LID HAVING A CLOSABLE VENTILATION OPENING

Abstract

The invention relates to a lid for a container, in particular for a can, which comprises: a lid surface with a first opening passing through the lid surface; an internal element arranged on an inner side of the lid surface and having a ventilation opening passing through the internal element and being aligned with the first opening; and an actuation element arranged on an outer side of the lid surface, the actuation element having a joint region which subdivides the actuation element into a first and second portion; wherein the first portion of the actuation element is arranged so as to bear on the lid surface; the second portion of the actuation element is pivotable about the joint region relative to the first portion and the second portion comprises a peg for closing the ventilation opening, wherein the peg comprises a latching element, in particular a latching bead extending preferably around the peg, which is able to be releasably latched in a recess of the internal element. The lid according to the invention is characterized by a locking element for locking the latching element in the recess, wherein the locking element locks the latched latching element in a locking position and in an unlocking position of the locking element, the latching element is able to be unlatched from the recess in order to disengage the peg in the ventilation opening so as to open the ventilation opening.

Claims

1. A lid for a container, in particular for a beverage can, comprising: a lid surface (10) with a first opening (15) passing through the lid surface; an internal element (20) arranged on an inner side of the lid surface (10) and having a ventilation opening (25) passing through the internal element, the ventilation opening being aligned with the first opening (15); and an actuation element (30) arranged on an outer side of the lid surface (10), the actuation element (30) comprising a joint region (40) subdividing the actuation element (30) into a first portion (31) and a second portion (32); wherein the first portion (31) of the actuation element (30) is arranged so as to bear on the lid surface (10); the second portion (32) of the actuation element (30) is pivotable about the joint region (33) relative to the first portion (31) and the second portion (32) comprises a peg (40) for closing the ventilation opening (25), and wherein the peg (40) comprises a latching element (41) which can be releasably latched into a recess (21) of the internal element, wherein the latching element (41) comprises in particular a latching bead (41) which preferably extends around the peg (40); and a locking element (50) for locking the latching element (41) in the recess (21), wherein the locking element (50), in a locking position, locks the latched latching element (41) in the recess (21) and, in an unlocking position of the locking element (50), the latching element (41) is able to be unlatched from the recess (21) in order to disengage the peg (40) so as to open the ventilation opening (25).

2. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the peg comprises a cavity being outwardly opened and the locking element comprises a plug, wherein in the locking position, the plug of the locking element is located within the cavity of the peg.

3. The lid according to claim 2, wherein the plug comprises at least one cam and at least one projection is provided in the cavity of the peg, wherein the at least one cam is arranged in the locking position opposite the at least one projection and/or is clamped with the at least one projection.

4. The lid according to claim 3, wherein the plug for clamping the at least one cam with the at least one projection within the cavity is rotatable about an axis.

5. The lid according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the locking element further comprises a tab on which the plug is arranged, and wherein the plug is extractable from the cavity by means of the tab and/or wherein the plug is rotatable in the cavity by means of the tab.

6. The lid according to claim 5, wherein the tab is connected to the actuation element and/or the lid surface; or wherein the tab is non-rotatably connected to the plug and, in the locking position, is disposed in a first orientation with respect to the second portion of the actuation element and, in the unlocking position, is disposed in a second orientation with respect to the second portion of the actuation element.

7. The lid according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the plug is pushable into the cavity for movement from the locking position to the unlocking position.

8. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the locking element comprises at least one pin which is insertable into a respective externally accessible opening between a wall of the peg and the latching element for locking the latching element and which is removable from this opening for unlocking.

9. The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the latching element of the peg is arranged spaced from each end of the peg.

10. The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the peg comprises a wall having a circular cross-section, the diameter of which reduces in an indentation, thereby forming a section of the peg with a relatively larger diameter and a section with a relatively smaller diameter, and wherein the latching element is arranged on an outer side of the section with the larger diameter, in particular adjacent to the indentation.

11. The lid according to claim 10 in combination with claim 2, wherein the indentation forms a bearing surface in the cavity on which an underside of the plug at least partially bears in the locked position.

12. The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in combination with claim 2, wherein a central outwardly facing pin is formed in the cavity onto which the plug can be fitted by means of a corresponding central opening formed therein.

13. The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a second opening is provided in the lid surface and a fluid connection between the second opening and a container interior can be established by folding away the internal element from the inside of the lid surface, wherein the first portion of the actuation element is connected to or is contactable with the internal element, in particular allowing a sliding movement relative to one another, and the internal element can be folded away by displacing the first portion of the actuation element.

14. The lid according to claim 13, further comprising an inner sliding member arranged on the inside of the lid surface, wherein the first portion of the actuation element is connected to the inner sliding member and a unit of the first portion of the actuation element and the inner sliding member is slidable along the lid surface, wherein the inner sliding member is further connected or contactable with the internal element, in particular allowing a sliding movement towards each other, and the internal element is foldable away by a displacement of the unit, and wherein a displacement of the first portion is only possible after an unfolding of the second portion, in particular after the pin is thereby removed from the ventilation opening and the first opening.

15. A container, in particular a can, comprising: a base body; and a lid according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 A, B shows a second embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

[0028] FIG. 4 A, B shows details of a fourth embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

EMBODIMENTS

[0030] In the Figures, identical reference signs denote identical or comparable elements.

[0031] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a first embodiment of a lid 100 according to the invention.

[0032] In this first embodiment, the lid 100 according to the invention comprises a lid surface 10 having a first opening 15 penetrating the lid surface; an internal element 20 arranged on an inner side of the lid surface 10 and having a ventilation opening (pressure equalization opening) 25 penetrating the internal element 20 and aligned with the first opening 15; and an actuation element 30 arranged on an outer side of the lid surface and formed, for example, of plastic.

[0033] The actuation element 30 has a joint region 33 which divides the actuation element 30 into a first portion 31 and a second portion 32; wherein the first portion 31 of the actuation element 30 is arranged to abut the lid surface 10; the second portion 32 of the actuation element 30 is pivotable relative to the first portion 31 about the joint region 33 and the second portion 32 comprises a peg 40 for closing the ventilation opening 25. The peg 40 comprises a latching bead 41, preferably running around the entire circumference of the peg 40, which can be engaged and disengaged in a recess (notch) 21 of the internal element 20. For this purpose, the design of the peg 40 with the latching bead 41 on the one hand and the internal element 20 with the recess 21 on the other hand is such that elasticity is present and the peg can be pressed into the ventilation opening 25 with a minimum force until the latching bead 41 latches (snaps) into the recess 21. In a corresponding manner, by applying a minimum tractive force on the peg 40, the latching bead 41 can be pulled out of the recess 21 and thus the peg 40 can be pulled out of the ventilation opening 25.

[0034] The lid 100 according to the invention further comprises a locking element (plug) 50 for locking the latching bead 41 in the recess 21, wherein in a locking position the locking element 50 locks the latched latching bead and in an unlocking position of the locking element 50 the latching bead 41 is able to be unlatched from the recess 21 in order to disengage the peg 40 in the ventilation opening 25 for opening the ventilation opening 25.

[0035] FIGS. 2A and 2B show a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of a lid 200 according to the invention.

[0036] In this embodiment, the plug 50 is provided with one or more cams 52. In case of a single cam (bead/crown) 52, for example, it may be formed to run completely or partially around the circumference. In the unopened state of the lid, the plug is connected (e.g. welded) at the upper side to the second portion 32 of the actuation element by relatively thin plastic bridges.

[0037] The cam(s) 52 are then located opposite respective projections 42 of the peg 40. Such a locking position is shown in FIG. 2A. To unlock the plug 40 in the ventilation opening 25, the plug is pushed into the cavity, thereby destroying the bridge connection. This unlocking position is shown in FIG. 2B. The cam 52 is now no longer opposite the projection 42, such that with a tractive force being applied upwardly to the peg 40, the latching bead 41 can disengage from the recess 21 of the internal element 20, essentially due to the flexibility of the plastic material of the peg 40 and thus the flexibility of the side walls of the peg 40 toward the cavity. The destruction of the bridge connection between the plug 50 and the second portion 32 of the actuation element during the first opening also serves as a tamper-evident seal, since an opening that has already occurred can be detected based on the destroyed connection.

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates a third embodiment of the lid according to the invention.

[0039] In this regard, the peg 40 comprises an indentation 45. The plug 50 has a corresponding indentation of complementary design, so that part of the underside of the plug 50 can rest on the indentation 45. The latching bead 41 is arranged on the outside of the peg 40 in a region above the indentation 45. Thereby, on the one hand, there is a good locking effect when the plug 50 is in the cavity of the peg 40 and, on the other hand, there is a good flexibility of the peg 40 so that it can be easily pulled out of the ventilation opening 25 with the bead 41 slipping out of the indentation 21. By way of example only, the plug 50 is provided here with two tabs 55 and 56. The tab 56 is connected, for example welded, to the top of the actuation element 30, and the plug 50 can be pulled out upwardly by pulling on the tab 55. By reinserting (pushing in) the plug 50 into the cavity of the peg 40, the locking condition can be restored. Thus, after a beverage can has been used for the first time and is incompletely emptied, it can be securely closed again with this lid.

[0040] FIGS. 4A and 4B represent a detailed view of a fourth embodiment of the lid according to the invention.

[0041] FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the actuator element 30 including the first portion 31, the second portion 32, and the joint region 33 about which the second portion 32 can be folded upward. In this embodiment, the peg 40 also includes an indentation 45 in the cavity. At least one projection 44 is disposed on the indentation 45 in the cavity of the peg 40, preferably two indentations 45 on opposite sides of the step 45 are equally spaced.

[0042] FIG. 4B shows an associated plug 50 for locking. It comprises respective cams 54, which can be clamped with corresponding projections 44 by rotation of the plug 50 within the cavity.

[0043] For this purpose, the plug 50 comprises a tab 55, which is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner. The projections 44 may be provided with inclined bevels so that the cams 54 can be more easily clamped with the projections 44. The position of the tab on the top of the lid also indicates whether the plug 50 is in the locking or unlocking position.

[0044] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a fifth embodiment of the lid according to the invention. The peg 40 and the locking element 40 (not shown here) can, for example, be designed according to one of the previously described embodiments.

[0045] In this fifth embodiment, the actuation element 30 is connected, e.g. by riveting, in the region of the first portion 31 to an inner sliding element 90, which rests against the inside of the lid surface 10. The connecting elements 35, 36 (e.g. rivets) are movable in slot-shaped recesses of the lid surface 10 so that the unit comprising the actuation element 30 and the inner sliding element 90 can be displaced along the lid surface 10 (after the second portion 32 of the actuation element 30 has been folded out). The inner sliding element 90 may further comprise sliding lugs 80, which, when displaced, run onto inclined surfaces 28 of the internal element 20, allowing the internal element 20 to fold away downwardly. Folding the internal element 20 away from the lid surface 10 causes a sealing effect, existing in the closed state, of the internal element 20 against the lid surface 10 to be cancelled and a fluid connection between the interior and exterior being created, thereby exposing a drinking or pouring opening 16.