CLOSURE CAP AND VESSEL WITH SUCH A CLOSURE CAP AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE CLOSURE CAP

Abstract

The invention relates to a closing cap (11) and a method for producing a closing cap for a container (10) for receiving cosmetic creams, liquids or pasty substances, such as in particular mascara, the closing cap (11) being designed as a material hybrid and having a connective area for establishing a connection realized as a screw connection, bayonet connection or the like between the closing cap (11) and the container (10), the connective area being formed on an inner side (15) of a base body (12) made of metal, plastic or ceramics. The connective area has a plastic material as a contacting material in merely a portion for forming a physical contact between the closing cap (11) and the container (10) and the remaining portions are made of the same material as the base body (12).

Claims

1. A closing cap (11, 40) for a container (10, 41) for receiving cosmetic creams, liquids or pasty substances, such as in particular mascara, the closing cap (11, 40) being designed as a material hybrid and having a connective area for establishing a connection realized as a screw connection, bayonet connection or the like between the closing cap (11, 40) and the container (10, 41), the connective area being formed on an inner side (15, 44) of a base body (12, 42) made of metal, plastic or ceramics, characterized in that the connective area has a plastic material as a contacting material (22) in merely a portion for forming a physical contact between the closing cap (11, 44) and the container (10, 41) and the remaining portions are made of the same material as the base body (12, 42).

2. The closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the volumetric or weight portion of the contacting material (22) is less than or equal to 8%.

3. The closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting material (22) consists of a thermoplastic material, such as in particular TPE, which is soft compared to the material of the closing cap (11, 40).

4. The closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting material (22) forms a thread turn (18) of a cap thread (16) formed on the inner side (15) of the base body (12).

5. The closing cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the contacting material (22) forms a cap seal (17) between the base body (12) and an opening edge (34) of a container opening of the container (10).

6. The closing cap according to claim 5, characterized in that the cap seal (17) is an annular or circular surface.

7. The closing cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the thread turn (18) and the cap seal (17) are made of a continuous contacting material unit (23).

8. The closing cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the thread turn (18) has a profile (27) having profile flanks (29) tapering off in the transition area to the surface (28) of the base body (12).

9. The closing cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the thread turn (18) is made up of thread turn segments spaced apart from each other in the direction of the thread turn (18).

10. The closing cap according to claim 4, characterized in that a depression bottom (30) of a thread depression (31) formed between axially adjacent profile flanks (29) of the thread turn (18) does not have contacting material (22).

11. The closing cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the thread turn (18) is an acme thread.

12. The closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting material (22) forms contacting protrusions on the inner side (44) of the base body (42) between thread turn segments (51) formed on the inner side (44) of the base body (42).

13. The closing cap according to claim 12, characterized in that the contacting material (22) forms a cap seal (50) between the base body (42) and an opening edge of a container opening of the container (41).

14. The closing cap according to claim 12, characterized in that the thread turn segments (51) are made of the same material as the base body (42).

15. The closing cap according to claim 12, characterized in that the contacting protrusions are realized as a plurality of contacting material strands (47) which extend in the axial direction within the connective area.

16. The closing cap according to claim 15, characterized in that the contacting material strands (47) form a contacting material unit (45), a central part combining the individual contact strands (47) serving for forming a cap seal (50).

17. The closing cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the base body (12, 42) of the closing cap (11, 40) forms an inner cap disposed in an outer cap (13, 49) of the closing cap.

18. A container (10, 41) for receiving cosmetic creams, liquids or pasty substances, such as in particular Mascara, the container comprising a closing cap (11, 40) according to one or more of the preceding claim 1.

19. A method for producing a closing cap (11, 40) according to claim 1, characterized in that the contacting material (22) is applied to the surface of the inner side (15, 44) of the base body (12, 42) in a coating process.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that the contacting material (22) is applied in a molding process.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that the contacting material (22) is applied to the surface of the inner side (15, 44) of the base body (12, 42) in an injection molding process.

Description

[0029] In the following, advantageous embodiments of the closing cap are described in further detail using the illustrations.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view and top view of a closing cap in a first embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view and bottom view of the closing cap shown in FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a container provided with the closing cap shown in FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows an individual view of the closing cap shown in FIG. 3;

[0034] FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the closing cap shown in FIGS. 1 to 4;

[0035] FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of a closing cap in another embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 7 shows an isometric view and bottom view of the closing cap shown in FIG. 6;

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of a container having the closing cap shown in FIGS. 6 and 7;

[0038] FIG. 9 shows an individual view of the closing cap shown in FIG. 8;

[0039] FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the closing cap shown in FIGS. 6 to 9.

[0040] In FIGS. 1 to 5, a first embodiment of a closing cap 11 is shown which is shown in combination with a container 10 designed as a pot in this instance. In the instance at hand, closing cap 11 has a total of four components, a cap insert 14 realized as a cap weight in this instance being received between a base body 12 realized as an inner cap and an outer cap 13, cap insert 14 contributing to the design, which essentially influences the haptic perception of closing cap 11, together with outer cap 13 and for this purpose supplementing base body 12 provided with a cap thread 16 and a cap seal 17 on an inner side 15.

[0041] As FIG. 3 shows, a thread turn 18 of cap thread 16 extends over a connective area formed on inner side 15 of base body 12, thread turn 18 being engaged with a container thread 20 formed on a container neck 19 of container 10. In the closed configuration of container 10 shown in FIG. 3, cap seal 17 disposed on a cap bottom 21 of base body 12 designed as an inner cap abuts against an opening edge 34 of container 10 in a sealing manner.

[0042] In the case at hand, both thread turn 18 of cap thread 16 and cap seal 17 are made of a contacting material 22 which is formed on inner side 15 of base body 12, which consists of aluminum in consistence with outer cap 13 in the present instance, in an injection molding process. As in particular a combined view of FIGS. 4 and 5 clearly shows, thread turn 18 and cap seal 17 form a contacting material unit 23 in the present case which is disposed on inner side 15 of base body 12, base body 12 being able to serve in such a manner as part of a molding tool if contacting material unit 23 is produced in an injection molding process that base body 12 in conjunction with a mold core 32 (indicated by hatched lines in FIG. 4) inserted in base body 12 forms a mold nest for contacting material unit 23 when producing contacting material unit 23.

[0043] Contacting material 22 is inserted into the molding nest through a central bore 33 formed in cap bottom 21 of base body 12 such that, as shown in FIG. 4, contacting material unit 23 has a gate 26 formed in central bore 25 after contacting material unit 23 is produced.

[0044] As in particular FIG. 4 shows, thread turn 18 realized as an acme thread in this instance has a profile 27 having profile flanks 29 tapering off in the transition area to a surface 28 of inner side 15 of base body 12, a depression bottom 30 of a thread depression 31 formed between axially adjacent profile flanks 20 not having contacting material, meaning in the present instance that surface 28 is made of the same material as base body 12, i.e., aluminum in this instance.

[0045] As FIG. 3 clearly shows in the exemplary embodiment shown in the present case, a physical contact is obtained between closing cap 11 screwed onto container neck 19 of container 10 and container 10 exclusively via contacting material 22 used for producing thread turn 18 and cap seal 17, whereby no metallic contacting takes place between closing cap 11 and container 10 when screwing and unscrewing the closing cap despite base body 12 being made of aluminum and a possibly consistent design of container 10 being made of aluminum. Indeed, the user's haptic perception is determined by the contacting and friction behavior of contacting material 22 with respect to the material of container 10 during the opening and closing process, a snug fit of closing cap 11 in conjunction with a friction resistance perceived as pleasant when screwing and unscrewing container 10 being achieved in particular when using TPE as a plastic material, in particular for a friction pairing consisting of TPE as a contacting material and aluminum or a comparatively hard plastic material for container 10.

[0046] In any case, the material pairing can be chosen such that on the one hand, a good bond of contacting material 22 to, for example, metal, plastic, glass or ceramics and on the other hand good friction and sliding properties can be set in order to also attenuate in particular sound when closing or opening container 10.

[0047] The connective area, i.e., the area on inner side 15 of base body 12, via which thread turn 18 extends, can be designed in such a manner that the entire forces and torques are carried by contacting material 22, as is the case in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

[0048] To minimize sound and secure closing cap 11 against becoming loose, a pre-tensioned form of the closing cap can be used which is modeled after the Reuleaux triangle. The flexibility of base body 12 serves as a spring and compensates tolerances in the gaps between closing cap 11 and container 10, meaning a qualitative haptic feel can be attained in particular independently of the environmental temperature.

[0049] In FIGS. 6 to 10, another embodiment of closing cap 40 is shown which is shown in combination with a container 41 in FIG. 8. As in particular FIG. 9 shows, closing cap 40 has a base body 42 which is designed as an inner cap of closing cap 40 in concordance with closing cap 11 shown in referenced FIGS. 1 to 5, a cap insert 43 also realized as a cap weight being provided between base body 42 and an outer cap 49 also made of aluminum in concordance with base body 42.

[0050] As in particular a combined view of FIGS. 9 and 10 clearly shows, base body 42 is provided with a contacting material unit 45 on its inner side 44, contacting material unit 45 also preferably being applied on inner side 45 of base body 42 in an injection molding process and having a plurality of contacting material strands 47 which axially extend across a connective area formed on inner side 44 and are connected to a central part of contacting material unit 45 disposed on a cap bottom 48 of base body 42, the central part forming a cap seal 48.

[0051] As previously described with reference to the exemplary embodiment of closing cap 11 shown in particular in FIG. 5, contacting material unit 45 is also applied on inner side 44 of base body 42 in an injection molding process in the present case.

[0052] Contacting material strands 47 extend between thread turn segments 51 which are formed on inner side 44 of base body 42 and are made of the same material as base body 42, i.e., aluminum, in the case at hand, meaning the forces in the screw connection are essentially transmitted via the thread turn segments 51 made of the material of base body 42 in the case of the exemplary embodiment of closing cap 40 shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, contacting material strands 47 ensuring a radial support and enabling an elastically resilient reduction of the forces acting in the screw connection owing to their material quality and thus contributing to increasing the haptic quality during the screwing process.