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

Abstract

A pouring element for a composite packaging, in particular for a beverage carton for liquid food, comprising a fastening flange and a pouring tube, a cutting element arranged and guided in the pouring tube, first guide means formed in the pouring tube and second guide means formed on the cutting element, wherein the first and second guide means cooperate correspondingly, and a composite packaging, in particular a beverage carton for liquid foods, with a packaging gable panel suitable for accommodating a pouring element. The first guide means is formed by a surrounding and self-contained rib.

Claims

1. A pouring element for a composite packaging, in particular for a beverage carton for liquid foods, with a basic body comprising a fastening flange and a pouring tube, a cutting element arranged and guided in the pouring tube, first guide means formed in the pouring tube and at least one pair of cams formed on the cutting element, wherein the first guide means and the at least one pair of cams cooperate correspondingly, wherein the first guide means is formed by a surrounding and self-contained rib.

2. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein the rib for the initial position of the cutting element comprises at least one high level section.

3. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein the rib for the end position of the cutting element comprises at least one low level section.

4. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein the rib has different pitches for different movements of the cutting element.

5. The pouring element according to claim 4, wherein the rib between a high level section and low level section comprises a further level for a pure rotational movement of the cutting element.

6. The pouring element according to claim 4, wherein the rib between the high level section and low level section comprises a section to prevent the cutting element from falling out.

7. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of cams are arranged over the circumference of the cutting element.

8. The pouring element according to claim 7, wherein three pairs of cams are arranged distributed over the circumference of the cutting element.

9. The pouring element according to claim 7, wherein at least one cam comes into contact via a rounded contour with the rib.

10. The pouring element according to claim 1, wherein a closure cap is connected to the basic body.

11. The pouring element according to claim 10, wherein the cutting element can be driven over drive flanks formed on the closure cap.

12. The pouring element according to claim 11, wherein the drive flanks act on drive elements arranged on the cutting element.

13. The pouring element according to claim 12, wherein the drive elements are formed as webs.

14. A composite packaging, in particular a beverage carton for liquid food stuffs, with a packaging gable panel suitable for accommodating a pouring element, wherein the packaging gable element has a local packaging material weakness, and the pouring element according to claim 1 is positioned and permanently connected so that during the first actuation of the pouring element the cutting element is movable in the direction of the packaging material weakness and this can be severed so that the composite packaging is ready for emptying the contents.

15. The composite packaging according to claim 14, wherein the packaging material weakness is formed as a prelaminated hole.

Description

(1) The invention is described in more detail hereinafter with the aid of the drawings simply illustrate one exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

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

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

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

(5) FIG. 4 shows the basic body of FIG. 2 in a vertical section along the line IV-IV,

(6) FIG. 5 shows the basic body of FIG. 3 in a vertical section along the line V-V,

(7) FIG. 6 shows the cutting element of the pouring element of FIG. 2 in a perspective view from above,

(8) FIG. 7 shows a pair of guide cams of the cutting element of FIG. 6 in a detailed view, and

(9) FIG. 8 shows the closure cap of the pouring element of FIG. 2 in a perspective view from inside.

(10) The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 of a composite packaging P according to the invention shows this as a beverage carton. The composite packaging P consists of a packaging material, which forms a packaging laminate from a series of flat joined-together materials: polymer layers are laminated on both sides of a carton carrier layer and an additional aluminium layer screens the product in the composite packaging P against undesired environmental influences (light, oxygen).

(11) The composite packaging P has in the edge region a packaging gable panel 1, to which is applied and permanently attached a pouring element A also according to the invention. When the pouring element A is actuated for the first time, a packaging material weakness regionhere covered by the pouring element Ais severed and the composite packaging P is thereby opened for the first time, which is then ready for emptying the contents. This weakness region in the illustrated and thus preferred exemplary embodiment is implemented as an over-coated perforation, which is formed during production: for this, a hole is punched out of the carton carrier layer, so that after it has been coated over a local weakness is produced.

(12) FIG. 2 shows the pouring element A according to the invention, whose parts individually produced in an injection moulding method are installed (assembled) ready for use: a basic body 2, ain this case concealedcutting element 3 (illustrated in FIG. 6) and a closure cap 4. The pouring element A that is now functionally ready for use is then applied via a fastening flange 5 to the composite packaging P and permanently connected by means of a hot-melt adhesive.

(13) 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 guided in the basic body 2, which severs the composite packaging P in the region of the weakness. The product can then be poured out through the thus created opening.

(14) The basic body 2 is illustrated in FIG. 3, which in addition to the fastening flange 5 also consists of a pouring tube 6. In the installed and functionally ready state the cutting element 3 is arranged in the pouring tube 6 and is forcibly guided over first guide means 7 formed on the inner wall of the pouring tube and thereby over corresponding second guide means 8 formed on the cutting element 3 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The first guide means 7 is formed by a surrounding and self-contained rib 9.

(15) FIGS. 4 and 5 show the vertically sectioned halves of the basic body 2 with the respective inner wall of the pouring tube 6, on which the outline of the projecting rib 9 is visible. The rib 9 has in the upper region a high level section 10, which forms the guide section for the initial position of the cutting element 3. If the cutting element 3 is now caused to move, this follows the first guide means 7 and is moved from the high level section 10 over a section of variable pitch to a low level section 11, where the end position of the cutting element 3 is reached. The actual opening process of the composite packaging P takes place between the high level section 10 and low level section 11. For this, the severing means 12 formed at the end on the cutting element 3 pierce and cut (see FIG. 6) the composite packaging P in the region of the over-coated perforation.

(16) In the illustrated and thus preferred embodiment a further level 13 is formed between the high level 10 and low level section 11 on the rib 9, which produces a pure rotation of the cutting element 3, whereby over this region the severing means 12 cut instead of pierce the over-coated perforation.

(17) When the cutting element 3 has reached its end position, it should be stopped at this position. In order to prevent an undesired loosening, the rib 9 between its high level section 10 and low level section 11 is formed as a section 14 preventing the cutting element from falling out.

(18) In FIG. 6 the cutting element 3 is shown as an individual part. The already mentioned second guide means 8 is realised as cams 15, which enclose pair-wise the first guide means 7 of the rib 9 and thus form a forced guidance. Three such pairs of cams 16 are formed distributed over the circumference of the cutting element 3, whereby a sufficiently good guidance of the cutting element is ensured. A detailed view of such a pair of cams 16 can be seen in FIG. 7. The lower cam 15 coming into contact with the underneath of the rib 9 is partially formed as a rounded contour 17, so that different sections of the rib 9 can be traversed as smoothly as possible.

(19) FIG. 8 shows the closure cap 4 as an individual part. Drive flanks 18 are formed on the inner surface of the cover surface, which act on drive elements 19, which are formed as webs, projecting on the inside of the cutting element 3 (see FIG. 6). The closure cap 4 is thereby coupled to the cutting element 3 and the desired force and torque transmission can take place.