Discharge cap for a container

Abstract

Discharge cap, in particular for a container for accommodating an enteral nutritional solution. The container has a discharge opening, which is sealed liquid-tight with a cover and has a projection for the arrangement of the discharge cap in the region of the discharge opening. The discharge cap can be arranged with an open front end over the discharge opening of the container and has at least one receiving opening for a discharge tap on the opposite side of the side of the discharge cap facing away from the open front end. At least one sealing body is arranged in the region of the open front end of the discharge cap. A tear-open aid is arranged below the receiving opening and in the region of the open front end, wherein the tear-open aid is moved in the direction of the open front end during insertion of the discharge tap.

Claims

1. A discharge cap suitable for use with a container for accommodating an enteral nutritional solution, the container having a discharge opening which is sealed liquid-tight with a cover and having a projection for arrangement of the discharge cap in a region of the discharge opening, the discharge cap comprising: an open front end being able to be arranged above the discharge opening of the container and on an opposite side of the discharge cap facing away from the open front end having at least one receiving opening for a discharge tap and at least one sealing body being arranged in a region of the open front end of the discharge cap; wherein a tear-open aid is arranged below the receiving opening for the discharge tap and in the region of the open front end, said tear-open aid is moved in the direction of the open front end during insertion of the discharge tap, and wherein the tear-open aid is arranged in an interior segment to the center point of the sealing body and extends at least in sections in the direction of the center point of the sealing body; wherein the tear-open aid is integrally formed with the sealing body and is pivotally arranged on the sealing body; and wherein the sealing body is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the open front end of the discharge cap so that in the assembled state on the container, a first surface of the sealing body can be brought at least partially in contact with the side of the discharge cap facing away from the open front end and with the cover.

2. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein a screw thread is arranged in the region of the open front end of the discharge cap.

3. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the receiving opening for the discharge tap is a guide aid which determines the alignment of the discharge tap by means of a cross-sectional shape.

4. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the discharge cap has a ventilation opening on the side facing away from the open front end.

5. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the tear-open aid extends radially in the direction of the center point of the sealing body.

6. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the tear-open aid is formed sharp-edged on the outer contour and has at least one tip in the direction of the center point of the sealing body.

7. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the tear-open aid and the sealing body are connected to one another by means of a web region.

8. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the tear-open aid is made of at least one material selected from a group which comprises polyphenylene sulfide, polypropylene, poly-1-butene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polysulfone, polyacetal, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, ionomers, fluoroplastic, polyethylene, polyamide, a partially aromatic polyamide, polycarbonate, polyester, polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyvinyl acetal, polyurethane, and chlorinated polyether, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, cellulose ether, phenolic resin, urea resin, thiourea resin, melamine resin, alkyl resin, allyl resin, silicone, polyimide, polybenzimidazole, epoxy resin, casein plastic, crosslinked polyurethane, unsaturated polyester resin, and combinations thereof.

9. A sealing element for the discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has a hollow circular-shaped sealing body and at least one feature serving as the tear-open aid, which is arranged in an interior segment to the center point of the sealing body and extends at least in sections in the direction of the center point of the sealing body.

10. The sealing element according to claim 9, wherein the tear-open aid is pivotably arranged on the sealing body.

11. The sealing element according to claim 9 wherein the tear-open aid is formed sharp-edged on the outer contour and has at least one tip in the direction of the center point of the sealing body.

12. The discharge cap according to claim 1, wherein the sealing body has a hollow circular shape and, in the assembled state on the container, a second surface of the sealing body contacts a portion of the cover of the container.

13. The sealing element according to claim 10, wherein the first surface of the sealing body can be brought at least partially in contact with the side of the discharge cap facing away from the open front end of the discharge cap and, in the assembled state on the container, a second surface of the sealing body contacts a portion of the cover of the container.

Description

(1) Various embodiments of the invention are explained hereinafter, which illustrate the invention by way of example only and do not represent a limitation of the general inventive concept with respect to modifications. Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic longitudinal section of a first embodiment of the discharge cap according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 a schematic longitudinal section of a second embodiment of the discharge cap according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3a a schematic longitudinal section of the second embodiment of the discharge cap according to the invention, which is assembled in a first state with a discharge tap;

(5) FIG. 3b a schematic longitudinal section of the second embodiment of the discharge cap according to the invention, which is assembled in a second state with the discharge tap; and

(6) FIG. 4 a schematic side view of a third embodiment of the discharge cap according to the invention.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section of a first embodiment of the discharge cap 100. In particular, the discharge cap 100 is a discharge cap 100 for a container (not illustrated) for receiving an enteral nutritional solution. Such a container has in particular a discharge opening, which is sealed liquid-tight with a cover and has a projection for the arrangement of the discharge cap in the region of the discharge opening.

(8) The discharge cap 100 has a side shell 150, which can have a rotational symmetry about an axis of symmetry A. The side shell 150 forms an open lumen 190 and the open front end 110, which is substantially circular and substantially perpendicular to the axis of symmetry A. The discharge cap 100 can be arranged with the open front end 110 above the discharge opening of the container (not illustrated).

(9) In the region of the open front end 110, the side shell 150 has a screw thread 155 which is arranged on the interior surface of the side shell 150. This screw thread 155 in the assembled state of the discharge cap with the container (not illustrated) can engage a corresponding screw thread of the container and thus can form a screw connection between the discharge cap 100 and the container (not illustrated).

(10) The opposite side 120 is facing away from the open front end 110 and extends substantially perpendicular to the axis of symmetry A. The opposite side 120 has the receiving opening 130 for a discharge tap (not illustrated). In particular, the receiving opening 130 is substantially perpendicular to a first direction R1, wherein the first direction R1 is substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry A. In particular, the receiving opening 130 is arranged on a stepped region 125 of the opposite side 120. In particular, the receiving opening 130 can be a guide, which determines the orientation of the discharge tap, in particular by means of a cross-shaped cross section.

(11) The opposite side 120 can also have the ventilation opening 140, which is formed by a ventilation opening shell 145. In particular, the ventilation opening shell 145 extends outwardly with respect to the open lumen 190 along a second direction R2, which is substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry A. In addition, the ventilation opening shell 145 forms an interior region 195 of the open lumen 190. For example, the ventilation opening shell 145 and the ventilation opening 140 are arranged on the step-shaped region 125.

(12) The discharge cap 100 has the sealing body 160, which is formed in a substantially hollow circular shape. The sealing body 160 can, for example, be a seal and thus can have a center point (not illustrated). The tear-open aid 170 is connected to the sealing body 160 by means of the web region 180 and is arranged pivotably on the sealing body 160 about the web region 180. The tear-open aid 170 is arranged in a first position with respect to the sealing body 160, in particular in an interior segment to the center point of the sealing body 160 and extends at least in sections in the direction of the center point of the sealing body 160 and substantially perpendicular to the axis of symmetry A. In particular, the tear-open aid 170 can be a fin, which, for example, has at least one tip 175. For example, the tear-open aid 170 has at least two tips 175 and/or the shape of a split tongue.

(13) The tear-open aid 170 and the sealing body 160 thus form an embodiment of the sealing element 300 according to the invention, which has the web region 180. In particular, the tear-open aid is integrally formed with the sealing body, for example, by a plastic injection molding process.

(14) In this case, for example, the web region 180 can be formed by two opposing grooves 181, 182. In addition, and in particular, the web region 180 is arranged between the tear-open aid 170 and the sealing body 160 and is integrally formed with the sealing body 160 and the tear-open aid 170, for example, by a plastic injection molding process.

(15) The sealing body 160 is arranged in the region of the open front end 110 and is in contact with the opposite side 120 and with the side shell 150. In addition, the tear-open aid 170 is arranged below the receiving opening 130 for the discharge tap 200 and in the region of the open front end 110. When inserting the discharge tap 200 into the receiving opening 130, the tear-open aid 170 is movable in the direction of the open front end, for example, from the first position to a second position.

(16) The sealing body 160 and thus the tear-open aid 170 can be fixedly connected to the opposite side 120 by, for example, a frictional, positive connection and/or material connection. For example, the sealing body 160 is connected to the opposite side 120 by a latching connection and/or a tongue and groove connection and/or a snap-in connection and/or an adhesive connection.

(17) In particular, the sealing body 160 and the tear-open aid 170 are non-rotatably connected with respect to the axis of symmetry A, that is, they cannot rotate about the axis of symmetry A. In addition, the sealing body 160 can move along the radial directions R3, R4 with respect to the axis of symmetry A, since the side shell 150 substantially prevents such linear movements.

(18) FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic longitudinal section of a second embodiment of the discharge cap 100. This embodiment and the first embodiment of the discharge cap 100 differ in the shape of the receiving opening 130 for a discharge tap (not illustrated).

(19) According to the second embodiment of the discharge cap 100, the receiving opening 130 arranged on the opposite side 120 is formed by a receiving opening shell 135. The receiving opening shell 135 extends outwardly with respect to the open lumen 190 along the receiving opening direction AR, which is substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry A. For example, the receiving opening shell 135 and the receiving opening 130 are arranged on the stepped region 125 of the opposite side 120.

(20) The receiving opening shell 135 has a screw thread 136. As illustrated in FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b, this screw thread 136 can engage in the assembled state of the discharge cap with a discharge tap 200 in a corresponding screw thread of the union nut 210 of the discharge tap 200 and thus form a screw connection between the discharge cap 100 and the discharge tap 200.

(21) FIGS. 3a and 3b show a schematic longitudinal section of the second embodiment of the discharge cap 100, which is assembled in a first or second state with a discharge tap 200.

(22) In particular, the discharge tap 200 has a hollow region 240, which is delimited by a discharge tap shell 250, an open pointed end 220 and front opening 230 arranged on the opposite side of the pointed end 220. In particular, a fluid connector (not illustrated) flow-connected to a drip chamber can be introduced into the front opening 230 to allow, for example, a flow of the nutritional solution between the container (not illustrated) connected to the discharge cap 100 and the drip chamber. In this case, for example, the front opening 230 can have a standardized shape and/or the fluid connector can be a tube.

(23) In addition, the discharge tap 200 has a union nut 210 having a screw thread (not illustrated) arranged on the interior surface of the union nut 210. The screw thread of the union nut 210 can engage the screw thread 136 of the discharge cap 100 in the assembled state of the discharge cap 100 with the discharge tap 200, and thus form a screw connection between the discharge cap 100 and the discharge tap 200.

(24) In the first and second assembled state of the discharge cap 100 with the discharge tap 200, the union nut 210 is partially or completely screwed onto the receiving opening shell 135 to form the above-mentioned screw connection between the discharge cap 100 and the discharge tap 200. The discharge tap 200 is thus introduced into the receiving opening 130 and arranged along the receiving opening direction AR. In addition, in the first and/or in the second assembled state of the discharge cap 100 with the discharge tap 200, the open pointed end 220 of the discharge tap 200 is in contact with the tear-open aid 170.

(25) The insertion of the discharge tap 200 into the receiving opening 130 generates the tear-open aid movement from the first position to a third position (see FIG. 3b) via a second position (see FIG. 3a). In particular, the tear-open aid movement is a pivotal movement S about the web region 180.

(26) In particular, when the discharge cap 100 is located in the assembled state with the container (not illustrated), the tear-open aid 170 comes into contact with the cover of the container during the tear-open aid movement and consequently tears open the cover. The tear-open aid 170 thus allows the piercing of an opening for the flow of enteral nutritional solution.

(27) FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a third embodiment of the discharge cap 100 according to the invention. In particular, this embodiment has the features described above of the second embodiment of the discharge cap 100 according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 2, FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b.

(28) In addition, and in particular, the discharge cap 100 can have a plurality of grooves 156 arranged on the exterior surface of the side shell 150 and extending substantially parallel to the axis of symmetry A. The grooves 156 improve, among other things, the grip of the discharge cap 100 and thus simplify the unscrewing of the discharge cap 100 at the projection of the container.

(29) By way of example, the discharge cap 100 has the following dimensions: diameter D of the side shell approx. 46.0 mm, height H4 of the side shell approx. 16.0 mm, total height H3 of the side shell and the opposite side 120 approx. 19.35 mm. The distance H2 between the open front end 110 and the ventilation opening 140 is, for example, approximately 27.2 mm and/or the distance H1 between the open front end 110 and the receiving opening 130 can be about 33.0 mm.