CONTAINER LID

Abstract

A container lid having a panel with an opening for emptying a container, where formed on two opposite walls of the said opening are guides declining towards the bottom surface of the panel, and further having a slide piece with catches formed on the top surface of the slide piece declining towards the top surface of the slide piece, the latter also featuring a pull tab, where the said catches are fitted slidingly in the said guides characterised in that the pull tab is formed on the top surface of the slide piece, and there is a recess to accommodate the slide piece formed on the bottom surface of the panel around the opening for emptying the container.

Claims

1. A container lid comprising a panel (1) with an opening (2) for emptying the container, wherein formed on the two opposite walls (2a) of the said opening (2) are guides (3, 103) declining towards the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1), and further having a slide piece (8) with catches (12, 12a, 112, 112a) formed on the top surface (9) of the slide piece declining towards the top surface (9) of the slide piece, the latter also featuring a pull tab (11), wherein the said catches (12, 12a, 112, 112a) are fitted slidingly in the said guides (3, 103), wherein the pull tab (11) is formed on the top surface (9) of the slide piece (8), and there is a recess (7) to accommodate the slide piece (8) formed on the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1) around the opening (2) for emptying the container, wherein formed in the said recess (7) is at least one locking element (18) and formed on the slide piece (8) is at least one locking element (19), so that the said locking element (18) of the panel (1) and the said locking element (19) of the slide piece (8) fit each other forming a pair.

2. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface (10) of the slide piece is flat, and the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1) is flat at least in a part around the recess (7).

3. The lid according to claim 1, wherein formed on the bottom surface (1) of the slide piece (8) are guides (23), and formed on the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1) are catches (22) which are fitted slidingly in the said guides (23).

4. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the guides (3) formed on the two opposite walls (2) in the opening (2) run askew with respect to the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1), and the catches (12, 12a) formed on the top surface (9) of the slide piece (8) run askew with respect to the top surface (9) of the slide piece (8).

5. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the guides (103) formed on the two opposite walls (2a) in the opening (2) and the catches (112, 112a) formed on the top surface (9) of the slide piece (8) are given the arched shape.

6. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the catches formed on the top surface (9) of the slide piece (8) are given the form of segments (12a, 112a).

7. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the catches (12, 12a, 112, 112a) on the top surface (9) of the slide piece (8) are formed on the opposite side walls of the pull tab (11).

8. The lid according to claim 2, wherein fixed to the bottom surface (10) of the slide piece (8) and the flat part of the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1) around the recess (7) is plastic foil (16) with a perforation (17) at least along the longitudinal edges of the slide piece (8).

9. The lid according to claim 8, wherein there are spikes (15) on the bottom surface (10) of the slide piece, along the edge transverse with respect to the direction in which the slide piece (8) moves.

10. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the locking element (19) of the slide piece (8) is given the form of a hollow, and the matching locking element (18) of the recess (7) in the panel (1) is given the form of a protrusion.

11. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the panel (1) features at least one opening (13) to ensure the flow of air.

12. The lid according to claim 11, wherein the slide piece (8) features at least one opening (14) to ensure the flow of air, which cooperates with the said opening (13) in the panel (1), which ensures the flow of air.

13. The lid according to claim 1, wherein formed on the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1) around its circumferential edge is a groove (20).

14. The lid according to claim 13, wherein the bottom (20a) of the groove (20) is flat.

15. The lid according to claim 13, wherein there is an energy director (21) formed on the bottom (20a) of the groove (20), preferably triangular in cross section.

16. The lid according to claim 1, wherein formed on the bottom surface (5) of the panel (1) around its circumferential edge is an energy director (21), preferably triangular in cross section.

17. The lid according to claim 1, wherein formed on the top surface (4) of the panel (1) is an outflow lip (6).

Description

[0018] These and other characteristics of the invention will be clear from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example, with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows the lid with opening for emptying the container in the closed position, in a 3D view from the top;

[0020] FIG. 2 presents the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the open position, in a 3D view from the top;

[0021] FIG. 3 depicts the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the closed position, in a view from the bottom;

[0022] FIG. 3A shows the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the closed position, with plastic foil fixed in place, in a view from the bottom;

[0023] FIG. 4 presents the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the open position, in a view from the bottom;

[0024] FIG. 5 depicts the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the closed position, in longitudinal section across the guide;

[0025] FIG. 6 shows the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the open position, in longitudinal section across the guide;

[0026] FIG. 7 depicts the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the closed position, in longitudinal section in between the guides;

[0027] FIG. 8 presents the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the open position, in longitudinal section in between the guides;

[0028] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8D shows the lid as in FIG. 8 with the rim in various profile variants;

[0029] FIG. 9 presents the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the closed position, in cross section across the guides;

[0030] FIG. 10 depicts the lid with the opening for emptying the container in the open position, in cross section across the guides;

[0031] FIG. 11 shows the slide piece in a 3D view from the top;

[0032] FIG. 12 presents the slide piece in a view from the top;

[0033] FIG. 13 depicts the slide piece in a view from the side;

[0034] FIG. 14 shows the slide piece in a view from the bottom;

[0035] FIG. 15 depicts the panel in a 3D view from the top;

[0036] FIG. 16 shows the panel in a view from the top;

[0037] FIG. 17 presents the panel in a view from the bottom;

[0038] FIG. 18 depicts the slide piece with slanting catches in the form of segments, in a 3D view;

[0039] FIG. 19 presents the panel with arched guides, in a 3D view;

[0040] FIG. 20 depicts the slide piece with arched catches, in a 3D view;

[0041] FIG. 21 shows the lid with the open opening for emptying the container, in cross section across the guide as in FIG. 19;

[0042] FIG. 22 presents the slide piece with catches in the form of arched segments, in a 3D view;

[0043] FIG. 23 shows the lid with additional guides and catches, with the opening for emptying of the container in the closed position, in a 3D view from the bottom;

[0044] FIG. 24 presents the lid with additional guides and catches, with the opening for emptying the container in the open position, in a 3D view from the bottom;

[0045] FIG. 25 depicts the panel with the catches in a view from the bottom;

[0046] FIG. 26 shows the slide piece with guides, viewed from the bottom.

[0047] In the invention embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 17, a lid of the container, particularly a container designated for beverages, features a panel 1 with an opening 2 for emptying the container, and a slide piece 8 for opening and reclosing the said opening 2. Formed in the opening 2, on the opposite longitudinal walls 2a, askew with respect to the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1, are guides 3 declining towards the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1. Formed on the top surface 4 of the panel 1, along the transverse edge 2b of the opening 2, is an outflow lip 6. The bottom surface 5 of the panel 1 is flat around the opening for emptying the container, where the said flat part features a recess 7 to accommodate the slide piece 8 (FIG. 4, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 8C, FIG. 8D, FIG. 9). Formed on the top surface 9 of the slide piece 8 is a protruding pull tab 11, where formed on the opposite side walls 11a of the pull tab, askew with respect to the top surface 9 of the slide piece 8, are catches 12 declining towards the top surface 9 of the slide piece. The bottom surface 10 of the slide piece 8 is flat. The slide piece 8 is positioned in the recess 7, and the catches 12 are fitted slidingly in the guides 3. Formed on the top surface 9 of the slide piece 8 is a locking element 19 in the form of a hollow, and formed in the recess 7 of the panel 1 is, correspondingly, a locking element 18 in the form of a protrusion which cooperates with the said hollow when the slide piece 8 is actuated. Shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12 are four hollows 19 formed on the top surface of the slide piece 8, and presented in FIG. 17 are four protrusions 18 formed, correspondingly, on the bottom surface of the panel 1, in the recess 7. The said hollows and protrusions are arranged in matching pairs which stabilise the slide piece 8 in the closed position and open position, respectively, and secure the slide piece 8 against undesirable movement. In order to supply air to the container during its emptying, the panel 1 and the slide piece 8 may feature e.g. two pairs of openings 13, 14. In the initial position, when the opening 2 for emptying the container is closed, the openings 13 in the panel 1 are screened with the slide piece 8, whereas when the opening 2 for emptying the container is open, the openings 13 in the panel 1 overlap the openings 14 in the slide piece 8, forming an air inlet into the container when it is being emptied.

[0048] In one of the embodiments, when the opening 2 is closed with the slide piece 8, its bottom surface 10 may be positioned in the plane defined by the bottom flat surface 5 of the panel 1 around the opening 2, and then fixed to both surfaces 5, 10 mentioned above as an additional element may be plastic foil 16 so as to seal the opening 2 for emptying the container. The foil 16 features perforation 17 along the bottom longitudinal edges of the slide piece 8 and along the transverse edge, as shown in FIG. 3A. In this case, on the slide piece 8, on the bottom surface along its edge transverse with respect to the direction in which the slide piece 8 moves, formed may be spikes 15, which facilitate breaking the foil along the perforation 17, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 23 to FIG. 26, there is no foil fixed to the lid described above, but formed on the bottom surface 10 of the slide piece 8 are guides 23, and formed on the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1 are catches 22 which are fitted slidingly in the said guides 23. The above guides 23 and catches 22 stabilise the movement of the slide piece 8.

[0050] In another embodiment, the lid is different from the lid described in the first embodiment in that the catches formed on the top surface 9 of the slide piece 8 are given the form of segments 12a, as shown in FIG. 18.

[0051] In yet another embodiment, the lid is different from the one described above in the first embodiment in that the guides 103 and catches 112 are given the arched shape, as shown in FIG. 19, FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, where the catches can take the form of segments 112a, as shown in FIG. 22.

[0052] In all embodiments described above, formed on the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1, around its circumferential rim, may be groove 20 for non-detachable connection between the lid and the container by way of ultrasonic welding. The bottom 20a of the groove 20 may be flat, as shown in FIG. 8A, or may feature an energy director 21 shaped thereon, preferably triangular in cross section, as shown in FIG. 8B, suitable for ultrasonic welding. In another embodiment, formed on the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1, around its circumferential rim, is an energy director 21, preferably triangular in cross section, as shown in FIG. 8C and FIG. 8D, suitable for ultrasonic welding.

[0053] The described lid may be made of the same plastic.

[0054] In order to open the opening 2 for emptying the container one slides the slide piece 8 using the pull tab 11, where the slide piece 8 simultaneously moves down with respect to the panel 1, eliminating friction between the top surface 9 of the slide piece 8 and the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1. If there is foil 16 fixed to the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1 and to the bottom surface 10 of the slide piece 8, initiation of the movement of the slide piece 8 causes breaking of the sealing foil 16 along the perforation 17. In between the perforations, the foil 16 remains fixed to the bottom surface 10 of the slide piece 8, and the remaining part of the foil 16 remains fixed to the bottom surface 5 of the panel 1. When the opening 2 for emptying the container is open, the openings 13 in the panel 1 and the openings 14 in the slide piece 8 overlap, thus forming ducts which supply air to the container, and the corresponding two locking protrusions 18 of the panel 1 are positioned in the respective two locking hollows 19 of the slide piece 8, as shown in FIG. 4, thus securing the slide piece against undesirable movement. The opening 2 may be reclosed by shifting the slide piece 8 using the pull tab 11 back to its original position, in which case the openings 13 in the panel 1 are screened by the slide piece 8, and the corresponding two locking protrusions 18 of the panel 1 are positioned in the two corresponding locking hollows 19 of the slide piece 8, as shown in FIG. 3, thus securing the slide piece against undesirable movement.

LIST OF NUMERICAL REFERENCES

[0055] 1panel [0056] 2opening for emptying the container [0057] 2alongitudinal walls of the opening [0058] 2btransverse edge of the opening [0059] 3, 103guides [0060] 4top surface of the panel [0061] 5bottom surface of the panel [0062] 6outflow lip [0063] 7recess on the slide piece [0064] 8slide piece [0065] 9sop surface of the slide piece [0066] 10bottom surface of the slide piece [0067] 11pull tab [0068] 11aopposite side walls of the pull tab [0069] 12, 12a, 112, 112acatches [0070] 13openings in the panel, ensuring the flow of air [0071] 14openings in the slide piece, ensuring the flow of air [0072] 15spikes of the slide piece [0073] 16foil [0074] 17 foil perforation [0075] 18locking element of the panel [0076] 19locking element of the slide piece [0077] 20groove [0078] 20agroove bottom [0079] 21energy director [0080] 22catches on the bottom surface of the panel [0081] 23guides on the bottom surface of the slide piece