Lid of a container

Abstract

The invention relates to the lid (100) of a container, in particular a beverage can having at least one pour opening (103) penetrating the lid panel (101) which is reclosable by at least one closure member (120), where the at least one closure member (120) can be moved by an actuating element (103) from a closed position, in which the at least one pour opening (103) is closed, to an open position, in which the pour opening (103) is at least partially exposed, at least one planar seal element (130) is arranged between the lid panel (101) and the closure member (120), and at least one sealing area is provided at the closure member (120) which when closing the pour opening (103) coacts with the at least one planar seal element (130), and where the at least one sealing area is formed as a seal ridge (121).

Claims

1. A lid for a container, said lid comprising: a lid panel having an upper side and an underside and defining a pour opening extending there through from the upper side to the underside, a planar seal element covering the entire underside of the lid panel except for said pour opening, and a closure member attached to the underside of the lid panel and movable toward and away from the underside of the lid panel to close and open the pour opening, said closure member having a generally flat upper surface and an endless seal ridge which extends away from the upper surface for projecting into the planar seal element a distance of 0.1 to 1 mm to close and seal the pour opening when the closure member is moved against the planar seal element.

2. The lid according to claim 1, wherein said closure member is pivotable relative to the lid panel.

3. The lid according to claim 1, wherein said planar seal element comprises a foam or rubber sheet.

4. The lid according to claim 1, wherein said closure member consists of plastic.

5. The lid according to claim 1, where said lid panel comprises a ventilation opening and said closure member is provided with a passage opening aligned with said ventilation opening, where said ventilation opening and/or said passage opening can be closed and opened with a peg in a fluid-tight manner.

6. The lid according to claim 1, where said lid panel further comprises an actuating element opening, where said planar seal element is integrally formed, and where said planar seal element encloses both said pour opening as well as said actuating element opening, and said pour opening as well as said actuating element opening are uncovered.

7. The lid according to claim 6, where a seal ridge is respectively provided for said pour opening as well as for said actuating element opening and encloses and seals the respective opening in said closed position.

8. The lid according to claim 1, wherein said seal ridge is formed integrally as part of said closure member.

9. The lid according to claim 1, wherein said seal ridge has a cross-section configured as a V-shape, a V-shape with a flattened tip, a V-shape with a rounded tip, a rounded shape, a semi-circular shape or a rectangular shape.

10. The lid according to claim 9, wherein a maximum height of said seal ridge is in the range of 0.2 mm to 1 mm and/or a maximum width of said seal ridge is in the range of 0.3 mm to 1 mm and/or in the case of a V-shaped seal ridge, the V-shape has an angle () of 30 to 120 and/or in the case of a V-shape with a flattened tip, the width of the flat area is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm and/or in the case of a V-shape with a rounded tip, the curvature radius of the rounded tip is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm.

11. The lid according to claim 1, wherein said planar seal element comprises a thickening on a peripheral edge for sealing relative to a container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of non-restricting embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the lid according to the invention in a first embodiment,

(3) FIG. 2a shows a sectional view of a lid similar to FIG. 1 but when the liner covers the entire underside of the lid panel and a closure member is in closed position,

(4) FIG. 2b shows the sectional view when the closure member is an open position,

(5) FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a further embodiment of the lid according to the invention,

(6) FIGS. 4a,b,c show a schematic representation of a peg according to the invention for tight closure of a ventilation opening, and

(7) FIGS. 5a,b show a sealed opening of the ventilation opening for receiving a peg.

(8) FIGS. 6a,b,c,d illustrate various embodiments of the seal ridge according to the invention.

(9) FIGS. 7a,b illustrate a planar seal element with a bead at its edge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1 illustrates a lid 100 according to the invention in a top view, with a lid panel 101 and an edge region 102, where a pour opening 103 is provided that allows emptying the containernot shownprovided with the lid 100 according to the invention. Furthermore, an opening 104 is in this embodiment disposed substantially at the center of the lid panel for attaching an actuating element with the aid of which exposure of the pour opening 103 is effected. On the underside of the lid panel 101, a liner 130 is arranged acting as a planar seal element whose edges are shown in dashed lines. For example, an elastic film, a foam sheet or a multilayer film can be used as a liner 130. Alternatively, the liner 130 can be produced in a forming process, for example, by injection molding or injection compression molding. A further possibility is that the liner 130 is printed. Another embodiment has the liner be provided as an insert member which is incorporated into the lid. In this, for example, a peripheral bead can be provided on the inner edge of the lid preventing the liner from dropping out.

(11) In FIGS. 2a and 2b, the lid 100 is respectively shown in a sectional view, where in FIG. 2a a closure member 120 is disposed on the underside of the lid panel 101 and closes the pour opening 103. The planar seal element 130 is disposed on the underside of the lid panel 101 where the area of the pour opening 103 is left open.

(12) If the pour opening 103 is now by exposed to the interior of the container by pivoting the closure member 120, as shown in FIG. 2b, then the contents of the container can be removed through the pour opening 103. Pivoting the closure member 120 using an actuating element is described, for example, in AT 505 756 B1 of the applicant. When reclosing the pour opening 103, the closure member 120 is again pivoted to the closed position shown in FIG. 2a, where a seal ridge 121 on the surface of the closure member 120 facing the lid underside is pressed into the planar seal element 130 to obtain the tightness required.

(13) The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 has the planar seal element 130 arranged as a punch out member in the area of the pour opening 103 and opening 104 for the actuating element, as indicated in FIG. 1 by dashed lines, whereas the remaining areas on the underside of the lid panel 101 remain not covered by the planar seal element 130.

(14) In the embodiment of the lid 100 according to the invention shown in FIG. 3, however, the planar seal element 130 covers the underside of the lid panel 101 substantially in its entirety, only the pour opening 103 and the opening 104 of the actuating element are free. In addition, a ventilation opening 105 is presently provided in the lid panel 101 via which pressure can be equalized between the interior and exterior area of a container provided with the lid prior to opening the pour opening 103.

(15) FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c low embodiments according to the invention of a peg 106 for closing the ventilation opening 105 in the lid panel. This peg 106 can for instance be part of the actuating element 110 for actuating the closure member according to FIGS. 2a and 2b. An elastic seal ring 107 is in FIG. 4a provided on the peg 106 which in coaction with the ventilation opening or a complementary passage opening in the closure member can close the ventilation opening or the passage opening, respectively, in a fluid-tight manner, i.e., be impermeable to liquid and gas. The seal ring can, for example, be a suitably cut-off tube portion made of rubber or an O-ring made of elastic material. In FIG. 4b, a rivet button 108 is provided at the end of the peg 106 to prevent the seal ring from slipping off, in particular when opening the ventilation opening. In FIG. 4c, the peg 106 is conically shaped, namely, tapering towards the end of the peg facing the ventilation opening.

(16) FIGS. 5a and 5b show a sealed passage opening 109 in the closure member 120 for receiving a peg. Tight closure of the ventilation opening is presently achieved by providing a seal ring 107 in the passage opening 109 of the closure member, where the passage opening 109 is aligned with the ventilation opening. Due to the coaction with a complementary peg (for example, with the peg 106 illustrated in FIGS. 4a-4c), the passage opening 109 or the ventilation opening, respectively, can be closed in a fluid-tight manner. In FIG. 5a, the seal ring 107 (or again preferably a tube portion or an O-ring) is only inserted into the opening 109. In FIG. 5b, a rivet button 108 is further provided at the closure member for securing the ring from slipping out.

(17) FIGS. 6a-6d illustrate various embodiments of the seal ridge according to FIG. 2, where the seal ridge is integrally formed with the closure member. FIG. 6a shows a V-shaped seal ridge. FIG. 6b shows a V-shaped seal ridge with a flattened tip. FIG. 6c shows a V-shaped seal ridge with a rounded tip. FIG. 6d shows a semi-circular seal ridge. The material which the seal ridge is made of is harder than the material which the flat seal element (e.g., thermoplastic elastomer) is made of, so that the seal ridge can press into the planar seal element for sealing.

(18) The size of the seal ridge is in these embodiments such that a maximum height A of the seal ridge is in the range of 0.2 mm to 1 mm and/or a maximum width B of the seal ridge is in the range of 0.3 mm to 1 mm and/or in the case of a V-shaped seal ridge, the V-shape has an angle of 30 to 120 and/or in the case of a V-shape with a flattened tip, the width C of the flat area is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm and/or in the case of a V-shape with a rounded tip, the curvature radius R of the rounded tip is in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm. In this manner, the seal ridge is in the closed position of the closure member pressed into the planar seal element by 0.1 mm to 1 mm.

(19) FIG. 7 illustrates a planar seal element 730 provided at a peripheral edge additionally comprising a thickening (a bead) 731 which is formed integrally with the planar seal element and with which an edge region (102) of the lid is sealed relative to the container/beverage can. In this embodiment, the planar seal element is annular. In the embodiment illustrated, the planar seal element is attached from below to the lid panel 101. The thickening/the bead projects beyond the edge of the closure member when the latter is in contact with the flat area of the seal element and additionally seals the edge of the closure member. The thickness/height H1 of the planar seal element can be in the range of 0.1 mm to 2 mm, where the thickening has a height H2 in the range of a factor by 1.1 to 5 of the thickness of the flat area, i.e. is larger by 10% to 400%.

(20) It is understood that the present invention is not restricted to the above embodiments. In particular, the lid can be provided with further openings, for example, ventilation openings that are likewise sealed against leakage of the contents from the beverage can by coaction of the seal ridge of the closure member with the planar seal element. It can also be provided that the pour opening and/or ventilation opening is not sealed by a single seal ridge, but by several seal ridges running parallel to each other. Finally, the closure member illustrated in the figures is to be viewed as being non-restrictive, it does not necessarily need to be pivotable, it can also be movable substantially parallel to the lid panel, for example, along an axis, in order to be brought from a closed position to an open position and again returned. The sealing area can be realized in different ways at the closure member, it can in particular be formed as an elevated area with a variety of cross-sectional geometries.