Pouring element for a composite packaging and composite packaging having a pouring element

Abstract

A pouring element for a composite packaging, in particular a beverage carton for liquid foodstuffs is shown and described, comprising a basic body having a fastening flange and a pouring tube, a cutting element which is arranged and guided in the pouring tube and a closure cap which can be joined to the basic body, wherein during actuation for the first time, the cutting element can be driven by first drive means formed on the closure cap and by second drive means formed on the inner wall of the cutting element and wherein the movement of the cutting element follows different gradients, and a composite packaging is also shown and described, in particular a beverage carton for liquid foodstuffs, having a pack gable-top panel which is suitable for receiving a pouring element. In order to improve the drive and guidance of the cutting element during opening of the composite packaging, simultaneously with optimised producibility, and to facilitate the opening of the composite packaging in the region of a weakening in the pack material, it is provided that the second drive means is configured as a rib which runs obliquely and includes an angle with the longitudinal direction, and that the end face of the rib partly projects over the foot thereof and thus includes a valley angle.

Claims

1. A pouring element for a composite packaging, in particular for a beverage carton for liquid foodstuffs, comprising: a basic body having a fastening flange and a pouring tube; a cutting element which is shaped as a hollow cylinder and arranged and guided in the pouring tube; and a closure cap which can be joined to the basic body, wherein during actuation for the first time by rotation of the cap relative to the basic body, the cutting element can be driven by a first drive means formed on the closure cap and by a second drive means formed on an inner wall of the cutting element, wherein an inner wall of the pouring tube has a first guide means with a first segment oriented in one direction and a second segment oriented in a different direction, wherein an outer wall of the cutting element has a second guide means which engages the first guide means and wherein movement of the cutting element follows the first segment and then the second segment of the first guide means along a movement path with different gradients, wherein the second drive means is configured as a rib extending obliquely to and thus includes a first angle with a longitudinal direction of the cutting element, and wherein the rib, on a drive-side rib foot, includes an acute valley angle.

2. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein the first angle is greater than or equal to 40 and less than or equal to 50.

3. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein the acute valley angle is greater than or equal to 50 and less than or equal to 80.

4. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein during a first reclosing procedure, the cutting element can be driven further by a third drive means formed on the closure cap and by a fourth drive means formed on the cutting element.

5. The pouring element according to claim 4, wherein the fourth drive means is configured as a second rib which runs obliquely to and thus includes a second angle with the longitudinal direction of the cutting element.

6. The pouring element according to claim 5, wherein the second angle is greater than or equal to 5 and less than or equal to 25.

7. The pouring element according to claim 5, wherein the second rib, on a contact surface side rib foot, includes an obtuse angle.

8. The pouring element according to claim 7, wherein the obtuse angle is greater than or equal to 100 and less than or equal to 130.

9. The pouring element according to claim 5, wherein a third rib which stands transversely to the longitudinal direction is formed between the first rib and the second rib.

10. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein the first drive means is configured as at least one drive flank.

11. The pouring element according to claim 10, wherein the at least one drive flank has an angular width on a contact surface side such that it forms with the valley angle complementary angle.

12. The pouring element according to claim 4, wherein the third drive means is formed as at least one second drive flank.

13. A composite packaging, in particular a beverage carton for liquid foodstuffs, comprising: a pack gable-top panel suitable for receiving a pouring element, wherein the pack gable-top panel has a local weakening in the pack material and a pouring element according to claim 1 is positioned and joined permanently such that when the pouring element is actuated for the first time, the cutting element is movable in the direction of the pack material weakening and said weakening can be severed so that the composite packaging is ready to be emptied.

14. The composite packaging according to claim 13, wherein the weakening in the pack material is formed as a prelaminated hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawings which show only one embodiment. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from above at the front of a composite packaging according to the invention with a pouring element,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view from above of a pouring element according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view from above of the basic body of the pouring element from FIG. 2,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view from above of the cutting element of the pouring element from FIG. 2,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the basic body with an inserted cutting element of the pouring element from FIG. 2,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a detail view of a drive means of the cutting element from FIG. 4, and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective internal view of the closure cap of the pouring element from FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) The embodiment of a composite packaging P according to the invention, shown in FIG. 1, shows the composite packaging as a beverage carton. The composite packaging P consists of a pack material which forms a pack laminate from a sequence of flat-joined materials: polymer layers are laminated onto both sides of a cardboard carrier layer, and an additional aluminium layer protects the product of the composite packaging P against undesirable environmental influences (light, oxygen).

(10) In the top region, the composite packaging P provides a pack gable-top panel 1, onto which a pouring element A, also according to the invention, is applied and permanently attached. When the pouring element A is actuated for the first time, a weakened region in the pack material which is concealed here by the pouring element A, is cut through and in this way, the composite packaging P is opened for the first time and is thus ready to be emptied. In the embodiment which is shown and preferred in this respect, this weakened region is formed as an over-coated hole which is formed during production: in this respect, a hole is punched in the cardboard carrier layer so that after this layer has been coated, a local weakening is produced.

(11) FIG. 2 shows the pouring element A according to the invention, the parts of which, produced individually by injection moulding, have been ready assembled (put together): a basic body 2, a cutting element 3, concealed here, (shown in FIG. 4), and a closure cap 4. The pouring element A which is now ready for use is then applied to the composite packaging P over a fastening flange 5 and is permanently attached by hot melt adhesive.

(12) When the closure cap 4 is actuated for the first time by the consumer, the unscrewing movement of the closure cap 4 is transferred to the cutting element 3 which is guided in the basic body 2 and which severs the composite packaging P in the region of the weakening. The product can then be poured out through the opening produced thus.

(13) FIG. 3 shows the basic body 2 which consists of a pouring tube 6 in addition to the fastening flange 5. In the assembly and functional state, the cutting element 3 is arranged in the pouring tube 6 and is forcibly guided by first guide means 7, formed on the inner wall of the pouring tube, and by corresponding second guide means 8, formed on the cutting element (see FIG. 4). The first guide means 7 is formed by a peripheral web 9.

(14) As further seen in FIG. 3, the first guide means 7 has a first segment B oriented in one direction and another segment C and yet another segment D, wherein each segment C and segment D is oriented in a different direction than segment B. The second guide means 8 is on the outer wall of the cutting element 3 and engages the first guide means 7.

(15) FIG. 4 shows the cutting element 3 as an individual part. The mentioned second guide means 8 is realised as pairs of cams 10 which are arranged over the circumference and are formed integrally with the outer wall of the cutting element 3. The pairs of cams 10 enclose the web 9 and thus form a forced guidance of the cutting element 3 in the pouring tube 6 of the basic body 2. When used for the first time, the cutting element 3 moves according to its guidance in the direction of the over-coated hole in the composite packaging P, pierces and/or cuts through said hole by severing members 11 formed at the end of the cutting element 3. The cutting element 3 is driven by first drive means 12 which is formed on the closure cap 4 (see FIG. 7), the ribs 14 formed on the inner wall of the cutting element 3 act as second drive means 13 and thus start the cutting element 3 to move as has already been described.

(16) In FIG. 5, the cutting element 3 mounted in the pouring tube 6 of the basic body 2 is shown in the starting position. The plan view shows the valley angle included in the foot region of a rib 14. The end face 15 of the rib 14 projects above the foot thereof on the drive side so that valley angle is an acute angle. This acute valley angle assists the guidance of the cutting element 3.

(17) FIG. 6 shows one of the ribs 14 in detail, which rib includes an angle with the longitudinal direction of the cutting element 3. This allows an improved torque transmission from the closure cap 4 to the cutting element 3, the forced guidance of which in the pouring tube 6 of the basic body 2 forces the cutting element 3 along segment C and then along first segment B and/or along first segment B and then along segment D of the first guide means 7 thereby following a movement path with different gradients. In the embodiment which is shown and preferred in this respect, third drive means 16 is formed on the closure cap 4 (see FIG. 7) and fourth drive means 17 is formed on the cutting element 3. When the closure cap 4 is reclosed, these drive means comes into operative contact and bring the cutting element 3 into its end position. The fourth drive means 17 is formed as second ribs 18 and extend inclined by an angle to the longitudinal direction of the cutting element 3 and are also inclined by the obtuse angle (shown in FIG. 5), as a result of which this drive part is also optimised. A third rib 19 forms an additional piece between rib 14 and second rib 18 and joins them integrally.

(18) Finally, FIG. 7 shows the closure cap 4. On the inside thereof, the first drive means 12 projects as first drive flanks 20 from the top into the interior of the closure cap 4. In the embodiment, the first drive flanks 20 are produced with relatively thin walls and on the contact surface side, they have the complementary angle to the valley angle . Second drive flanks 21 are joined integrally to the first drive flanks 19 as third drive means 16. Thus, the closure cap 4 is coupled as a drive to cutting element 3 for the individual movements, and the desired transmission of force and torque can take place in a solidly guided manner.