Abstract
The invention relates to a closure device (1) for a container (2) comprising a container opening (3), wherein the closure device (1) comprises a lid element (4) for closing the container opening (3), an inner housing (5) and a chamber (6) arranged on the lid element (4), wherein the chamber (6) is arranged at least partially in the inner housing (5), wherein the inner housing (5) has a first thread (10) which corresponds positively to a thread (10) of the container (2), wherein lid element (4) and inner housing (5) have second threads (11) corresponding positively to one another along which the lid element (4) is movable relative to the inner housing (5) from a closed position into a discharge position in which discharge position a medium stored in the chamber (6) can exit into the container (2). For the usage-advantageous further development of a closure device of the type in question, it is proposed that the first thread (10) and the second thread (11) are configured opposite to one another in such a manner that during a movement into the discharge position the chamber (6) is moved further into the inner housing (5).
Claims
1. A closure device for a container comprising a container opening, comprising: a lid element for closing the container opening, and an inner housing and a chamber combined with the lid element, wherein the chamber has a discharge opening closed by a closure element and the inner housing has an opening element to open the closure element, the opening element being configured as a cutting element and having a central through-opening extending through a front side of the opening element, wherein there is an annular sealing element formed of thermoplastic elastomer fitted in the discharge opening, the annular sealing element being disposed entirely within the discharge opening and disposed on the side of the closure element facing away from the chamber, the sealing element sealing against the opening element, wherein the closure element is a membrane and is sandwiched directly between a wall of the chamber and the sealing element, wherein the chamber is arranged at least partially in the inner housing, wherein the inner housing has a first thread which corresponds positively to a thread of the container, wherein lid element and inner housing have second threads corresponding positively to one another along which the lid element is movable relative to the inner housing from a closed position into a discharge position in which discharge position a medium stored in the chamber can exit into the container, and wherein the first thread and the second thread are disposed opposite to one another in such a manner that during a movement into the discharge position the chamber is moved further into the inner housing.
2. The closure device according to claim 1, wherein the second thread is configured as a left-hand thread and the first thread is configured as a right-hand thread.
3. The closure device according to claim 1, wherein the second thread can be actuated prior to the first thread.
4. The closure device according to claim 1, wherein the opening element is configured as a mandrel disposed inside the annular sealing element.
5. A container having a container opening and the closure device according to claim 1, wherein the container opening has a first thread which is connected in a positively corresponding manner to the first thread of the inner housing.
Description
(1) The invention is explained in detail hereinafter with reference to exemplary embodiments. In the figures:
(2) FIG. 1: shows a closure device according to the invention according to a first embodiment in the closed position;
(3) FIG. 2: shows a closure device according to the invention according to a second embodiment in the closed position;
(4) FIG. 3: shows a closure device according to the invention according to a third embodiment in the closed position;
(5) FIG. 4: shows the closure device according to FIG. 1 in the discharge position;
(6) FIG. 5: shows the closure device according to FIG. 1 during unscrewing from a container;
(7) FIG. 6: shows the closure device according to FIG. 1 completely separate from the container.
(8) FIGS. 1 to 3 show different embodiments of a closure device according to the invention. These differ on the one hand by the configuration of the chamber arranged on the lid element and on the other hand by the type of closure means and opening means.
(9) FIG. 1 shows a closure device 1 which is arranged on a container 2, for example, a drinks bottle. The closure device 1 is screwed onto the container 2 in the region of the container opening 3. The closure device 1 comprises a lid element 4, an inner housing 5 as well as a chamber 6 arranged on the lid element 4. The chamber 6 is arranged at least partially in the inner housing 5, where an upper partial region of the chamber 6 in the vertical direction projects from the inner housing 5. Located in the chamber 6 is a medium which, for example, can be a liquid or a powder. The chamber 6 has a discharge opening 8 at its lower end, which is closed by means of a closure means 7, here an aluminium film. Advantageously the closure means 7 is welded onto the chamber 6. The inner housing 5 has an opening means 9, here a mandrel. This opening means 9 in the closed position of the closure device 1 preferably projects into the discharge opening 8 but in the given case only insofar that the opening means 9 does not touch or only touches in a non-injurious manner the closure means 7. Touches in a non-injurious manner herewith means that no damage to the closure means occurs so that no unintentional exit of the medium can occur. However, a certain contact can optionally occur. The discharge opening 8 can be sealed with respect to the opening means 9 by a sealing element 12. This is then let into the discharge opening 8 in an annular shape. The opening means 9 furthermore has a discharge channel 13 through which the medium stored in the chamber 6 can flow from the chamber 6 into the container 2 in the open position of the closure means 7.
(10) During manufacture of the closure device shown in FIG. 1, the chamber 6 is closed with a film element 14. This film element 14 is advantageously welded-on or glued-on to an edge region of the chamber. Furthermore, the film element 14 is advantageously also welded-on or glued-on to the lid element 4. For attachment of the closure device 1 to the container 2, the inner housing 5 with integrated opening means 9 is first screwed onto the container 2. For this purpose the inner housing 5 has a U-shaped edge region which bears a first thread 10 on the side directed towards the outer wall of the container 2. The container 2 has a positively corresponding first thread 10 so that the inner housing 5 can be screwed onto the container 2. The lid element 4 with the chamber 6 arranged thereon is then screwed onto the inner housing 5 (and thus at the same time onto the container 2). To this end a second thread 11 arranged on the inner side of the lid element 4 is brought into engagement with an outwardly pointing second thread 11 of the side edge of the inner housing 5. The lid element 4 is screwed onto the inner housing 5 until a snap-in element 16 arranged on the lid element 4 engages in a projection 15 arranged on the inner housing 5. This corresponds to a position in which the opening means 9 engages in the discharge opening 8 of the chamber 6 in such a manner that the closure means 7 introduced into the discharge opening 8 is not destroyed.
(11) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a closure device 1 according to the invention which, instead of a chamber 6 closed with a film element 14, has a completely closed chamber 6 apart from the discharge opening 8. This chamber 6 is over-moulded in a cylinder shape by the material of the lid element 4 so that chamber 6 and lid element 4 are firmly connected to one another. Otherwise, the configuration is shown as before with reference to the closure device 1 according to FIG. 1.
(12) FIG. 3 shows a closure device 1 according to a third embodiment. This closure device 1 has a chamber 6 which is configured as shown in FIG. 2, i.e.apart from the discharge opening 8is completely closed. This chamber 6 is over-moulded in a cylinder shape by the material of the lid element 4 so that chamber 6 and lid element 4 are firmly connected to one another. In contrast to a separate closure means 7 and a separate opening means 9, the closure device 1 according to FIG. 3 has a stopper element formed in one part, which comprises both a closure means 7 and an opening means 9. The stopper element is arranged on the inner housing 5, wherein at least the closure means 7 as upper end region of the stopper element projects into the discharge opening 8 associated with the chamber 6. A sealing element 12 is arranged in the discharge opening 8 which, depending on the position of the closure means 7, abuts or does not abut against this. FIG. 3 shows the closed position of the closure device 1. In this position the closure means 7 abuts against the sealing element 12 with an expanded end region and closes the discharge channel 13 so that the medium stored in the chamber 6 cannot flow out. In a discharge position of the closure device 1 not shown, the closure means 7 on the other hand is moved further into the chamber 6 (upwards in FIG. 3) so that the expanded end region of the closure means 7 no longer abuts against the sealing element 12 and the discharge channel 13 is released.
(13) The mode of operation of the closure device 1 is explained in detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIGS. 4 to 6 relate to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
(14) The closure device 1 shown in FIG. 4 is located in a discharge position. Starting from the closed position shown in FIG. 1, this discharge position is reached by moving the lid element 4 in the direction of the container 2, whereby the chamber 6 is moved further into the inner housing 5. This is accomplished by a rotation of the lid element 4 along the second thread 11 formed between lid element 4 and inner housing 5 which is configured as a left-hand thread. Since the second thread 11 is a left-hand thread, during a usual opening movement of the container 2 the lid element 4 is turned further in the anticlockwise direction onto the container 2. For the user however the usual manner of actuation during an opening process in the anticlockwise direction is obtained so that no different handling must be noted as a result. As a result of the movement of the lid element 4 towards the container 2, the chamber 6 arranged on the lid element 4 is at the same time moved further into the container 2. The closure means 7 located in the discharge opening 8 of the chamber 6 thus comes in contact with the opening means 9 arranged on the inner housing 5. The opening means 9, as explained previously, is a cutting element which has a central discharge channel 13 through which medium can flow from the chamber 6 into the container 2 if the closure means 7 introduced in the discharge opening 8 is destroyed. As a result of the rotation of the lid element 4, the closure means 7 also rotates at the same time relative to the opening means 9 so that a large-area, substantially round opening is obtained inside the discharge opening 8 of the chamber 6. In this discharge position the lid element 4 is screwed onto the inner housing 5 and therefore the container 2 as far as possible.
(15) In the diagrammatic view the position of the outwardly projecting thread projection of the chamber 5 has not changed between FIG. 1 and Fig. This is attributable to the fact that the chamber 5 also has not changed its position in the screwing-on or unscrewing direction between FIG. 1 and FIG. 5. On the contrary the thread projection has only been exceeded as a result of the rotation of the corresponding recess on the inner wall of the cover element 4 which accordingly always results in the same relative arrangement with respect to one another in the same sectional plane.
(16) FIG. 5 shows the closure device 1 according to the invention during unscrewing from the container 2. As a result of a further rotation of the lid element 4 in the anticlockwise direction, the inner housing 5 and therefore also the lid element 4 arranged on the inner housing 5 is unscrewed from the container 2. Since the first threads 10 formed between inner housing 5 and container 2 are configured as right-hand threads, the closure device 1 overall is moved away from the container 2. During this unscrewing process the medium stored in the chamber 6 can escape completely into the container 2.
(17) FIG. 6 finally shows the closure device in a state in which the closure device 1 is completely separated from the container 2. In this case, all the components of the closure device 1, namely in particular the lid element 4 with chamber 6 mounted thereon and the inner housing 5 are separated from the container 2.
(18) With reference to the closure devices 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the invention functions similarly. It should be emphasized here in each case that the closure device 1 is always transferred from a closed position into a discharge position via the same thread mechanism. This thread mechanism includes a left-hand thread which provides for the movement of the lid element 4 in the direction of the inner housing 5 and a right-hand thread which ultimately provides for separation of the closure device 1, in particular the inner housing 5, from the container 2.
(19) According to FIG. 3, the opening of the discharge opening 8 does not function via corresponding closure means 7 and opening means 9 which are configured as membrane and mandrel, but rather via a one-part stopper element which takes on the function of the closure means 7 and of the opening means 9. Depending on the position of the stopper element inside the discharge opening 8, a discharge channel 13 formed between stopper element and sealing element 12 is either closed or open.
REFERENCE LIST
(20) 1 Closure device 2 Container 3 Container opening 4 Lid element 5 Inner housing 6 Chamber 7 Closure means 8 Discharge opening 9 Opening means 10 First thread 11 Second thread 12 Sealing element 13 Discharge channel 14 Film element 15 Projection 16 Latching element
