REFILLABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER

Abstract

The invention relates to a refillable plastic container (100) which comprises a neck (10) having a neck opening (11) and a container body enclosing a filling volume which are separated from one another by a substantially radially protruding support ring (30). The neck of the plastic container has an axial length (L) equal to or less than 17.25 mm, measured from a mouth rim (12) of the neck opening to an underside of the support ring.

Claims

1. A refillable plastic container (100)-comprising PET or PEF-with a substantially cylindrical neck (10) having a neck opening (11) and a container body (20) enclosing a filling volume which are separated from each other by a substantially radially-protruding support ring (30), characterized in that wherein the neck (10) has an axial length (L), which is equal to or less than 17.25 mm, measured from an underside of the support ring (30) up to a mouth rim (12) bordering the neck opening (11), and that the neck (10), at least in a section between the underside of the support ring (30) up to the mouth rim (12) bordering the neck opening (11), has a minimum wall thickness (S) that does not fall below 1.9 mm.

2. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 1, wherein the neck (10) is formed with interlocking engagement elements (13)—in particular, thread sections—which, in a neck section, which lies between the mouth rim (12) and a support ring (30), protrude as radial protrusions from an outer wall (14) of the neck (10) and extend over at least 85% of a circumference of the neck (10).

3. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 2, wherein, on a section of the neck (10), which lies between the support ring (30) and the end of the interlocking engagement elements (13) which is closer to the support ring (30), an abutment (15) is formed that extends circumferentially at least in regions and protrudes substantially radially from the outer wall of the neck.

4. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 2, wherein, in a region between the interlocking engagement elements (13) and the support ring (30), the neck (10) has an inner wall formed as a conical sealing surface (16).

5. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter (I), measured at the neck opening (11), of the neck (10) is less than 21.6 mm, wherein the inner diameter (I) in the region of the neck opening (11) is greater than the inner diameter of the neck (10) in the region of the support ring (30).

6. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 1, wherein the support ring (30) has, measured over its largest radial extension, an outer diameter (R) which is equal to or less than 35 mm.

7. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 1, wherein the support ring (30) has an axial thickness, measured at the transition to an outer wall (14) of the neck, of 1.9 mm to 2.5 mm.

8. The refillable plastic container (100) according to one claim 1, wherein the neck (10) has a wall thickness, measured at the mouth rim (12), which is 1.4 mm to 1.8 mm.

9. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 1, wherein, between support ring (30) and mouth rim (12), the neck (10) has a uniformly thick wall thickness.

10. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material is a polymer which contains, at least in the region of the neck, fractions from the group consisting of terephthalic acid (PTA), isophthalic acid (IPA), monoethylene glycol (MEG), diethylene glycol (DEG), isosorbide, spiroglycol, and naphthalene dicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester (NDC).

11. The refillable plastic container (100) according to one claim 1, wherein it is formed as a plastic container (100) manufactured in a blow-molding process from a preform produced in an injection-molding process or in a flow-molding process.

12. The refillable plastic container according to claim 11, wherein it is formed as a stretch blow-molded plastic container (100).

13. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 1, wherein the neck (10) is designed for the fitting of a closure cap (40) formed in one or more parts.

14. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 13, wherein the closure cap (40) is designed as a screw cap or as a bayonet cap.

15. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 13, wherein the closure cap (40) is made of a plastic from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), copolymers thereof, and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE).

16. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 9, wherein the closure cap (40) has a cover plate (41) and, formed thereon, a substantially cylindrical barrel (42) with interlocking engagement elements (43)—in particular, threaded elements—which interact with correspondingly-formed, interlocking engagement elements (13)—in particular, thread sections—on the neck (10) of the plastic container (100), wherein, within a space enclosed by the barrel (42), a ring-shaped spacer (44) arranged concentrically to the barrel (42) is arranged, which protrudes from the cover plate (41) and on whose free end a sealing lip (45) is arranged.

17. The refillable plastic container (100) according to one claim 1, wherein the closure cap (40) has a cover plate (41) and, formed thereon, a substantially cylindrical barrel (42) with interlocking engagement elements,(43)—in particular, threaded elements—which interact with correspondingly-formed, interlocking engagement elements (13)—in particular, thread sections—on the neck (10) of the plastic container (100), wherein, within a space enclosed by the barrel (42), a ring-shaped spacer (44) arranged concentrically to the barrel (42) is arranged, which protrudes from the cover plate (41) and on whose free end a sealing lip (45) is arranged, wherein the spacer (44) and the sealing lip (45) have a maximum axial extension which is equal to or greater than the height of the cylindrical barrel (42).

18. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 16, wherein the sealing lip (45) is formed circumferentially and has an axial cross-section extending approximately in the shape of a trumpet.

19. The refillable plastic container according to claim 18, wherein, on its free end, the sealing lip (45) has a peripheral sealing bead, which is preferably designed in the shape of an olive and extends in the direction of the barrel (42).

20. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 16, wherein, in the assembled state, the sealing lip (45) rests in a sealed manner against a sealing cone (16) formed in the neck (10).

21. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 16, wherein, in an annular space delimited by the spacer (44) and the barrel (42), one or more concentric sealing lips (46) are arranged which protrude from the cover plate (41) and, in the assembled state, rest in a sealed manner against the mouth rim (12) bordering the neck opening (11).

22. The refillable plastic container (100) according to claim 16, wherein a free end of the barrel (42) is connected to a guarantee ring (47) by a number of breakable webs.

23. The refillable plastic container of claim 3 wherein a region of the neck (10) lying between the abutment (15) and the support ring (30) does not fall below the minimum wall thickness of 1.9 mm.

Description

[0035] Further advantages and features become apparent from the following description with reference to the schematic drawings. Shown, in a representation not true-to-scale, are:

[0036] FIG. 1a: A partial axial-section representation of a neck of a plastic container according to a first embodiment;

[0037] FIG. 1b: A partial axial-section representation of a neck of a plastic container according to a second embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 2: A closure cap;

[0039] FIG. 3: A partial axial-section representation of the neck according to FIG. 1a with a screwed-on closure cap; and

[0040] FIG. 4: A partial axial-section representation of the neck according to FIG. 1b with a screwed-on closure cap.

[0041] FIG. 1a shows a partial axial-section representation of a neck 10 of a plastic container 100. For the sake of greater clarity, only an upper region of the plastic container 100 is shown. Adjoining this region is a shoulder region of the container 100 and also a container body with a container bottom. The neck 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The plastic container 100 has a dispensing opening. The dispensing opening adjoins the shoulder region (not shown here) and comprises a support ring 30; arranged next thereto a neck 10 having a neck opening 11 which is bordered by a mouth rim 12. The neck 10 has an outer wall 14 on which engagement elements 13 are arranged which in the present case take the form of a thread. The thread is interrupted, but extends overall over 85% of the circumference of the neck 10. In the axial direction, i.e., in the direction towards the neck opening 11, the support ring 30 has a thickness D of up to 2.5 mm. To measure this thickness, the radii are not taken into account, but, rather, the theoretical intersections at which the surfaces meet are used as reference. In the axial direction, an axial length L between the underside of the support ring 30 and the mouth rim 12 is 17 mm. The neck 10 has a wall thickness S, which is larger in the region of the support ring 30 than in the region of the mouth rim 12. In the present case, the wall thickness S in the region of the support ring 30 is 2.5 mm and, in the region of the mouth rim 12, is 1.5 mm. Due to this difference, a conical sealing surface 16 forms inside the neck 10. The inner diameter I in the region of the mouth rim 12 is 20.6 mm. On the outer wall 14, an abutment 15 is arranged below the engagement elements 13.

[0042] FIG. 1b shows a partial axial-section representation of a neck 10 of a plastic container 100 in a second embodiment. This substantially corresponds to the embodiment according to FIG. 1a, with the difference that the wall thickness S of the neck 10 is shaped differently. In the present case, this has a constant thickness of 1.9 mm over the whole length L. The remaining elements are identical to the corresponding elements of the embodiment from FIG. 1 and are therefore not described again.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a closure cap 40. The closure cap 40 has a cover plate 41. A barrel 42 is arranged on the cover plate 41, wherein engagement elements 43 are arranged within the barrel 42 on an inner wall. The engagement elements 43 take the form of an interrupted thread. The thread extends over 85% of the inner wall of the barrel 42. Arranged concentrically to the barrel 42 is a spacer 44, which protrudes from the cover plate 41 and extends in the direction of a guarantee ring 47. The guarantee ring 47 is arranged opposite the cover plate 41 at a lower opening of the closure cap 40. In generic use, the spacer 44 thus extends in the direction of the container. A sealing lip which extends in the direction of the barrel 42 is arranged on the spacer 44. Concentric sealing lips 46 are arranged in an annular space between the barrel 42 and the spacer 44. The concentric sealing lips 46 are designed to be in operative connection with a mouth rim 12 of a neck 10 (see FIG. 1). The sealing lip 45 is designed to be in operative connection with a sealing surface of a neck 10.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a partial axial-section representation of the neck 10 according to FIG. 1a, with a screwed-on closure cap 40. In contrast to the closure cap 40 according to FIG. 2, the closure cap 40 according to FIG. 3 has a sealing bead extending radially outwards as sealing lips 45. When the closure cap 40 is being screwed onto the neck 10, the sealing bead is pressed over the conical sealing surface 16 and slides onto a sealing surface arranged below the conical sealing surface 16, which sealing surface is formed on the inner wall of the neck 10. For the screwing-on process, the engagement elements 43 of the closure cap 40 engage in engagement elements 13 of the neck 10. By rotation of the closure cap, it moves in the axial direction in the direction of the container until the concentric sealing lips 46 of the closure cap 40 rest on the mouth rim 12 of the neck 10 and thus seal the interior of the container from its surroundings.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a partial axial-section representation of the neck 10 according to FIG. 1b, with a screwed-on closure cap 40. The closure cap 40 is formed substantially in accordance with the closure cap 40 from FIG. 2. When the closure cap 40 is being screwed onto the neck 10, the outwardly-directed sealing lip 45 comes into contact with the mouth rim 12 and is bent over against it, and thus extends counter to the direction in which the spacer 44 (see FIG. 2) extends. When the closure cap 40 is being screwed further onto the neck 10, the sealing lips 45 bent in this way are pulled over an inner wall of the neck 10, which provides a sealing surface. The further process corresponds to that described in FIG. 3. When the closure cap 40 is being screwed on, concentric sealing lips 46 are arranged which, in an annular space between the spacer 44 and the casing 42 (see FIG. 2), come into contact with the mouth rim 12 and seal it from its surroundings.