CLOSURE COMPRISING A HINGED LID

Abstract

A closure for a container, including a base part, which can be fastened to a container opening in the container and has an outlet opening, and a hinged lid, which can pivot about a pivot axis towards the base part and closes the outlet opening in the base part in a closed position. The invention is wherein the base part has two opposing shoulders, the hinged lid being between the two shoulders in the closed position, and the two shoulders projecting beyond the hinged lid in a vertical direction. The hinged lid is therefore protected from impacts coming from the side and from above.

Claims

1. A closure for a container, comprising a base part, fastened to a container opening in the container having an outlet opening, and a hinged lid, that can pivot about a pivot axis towards the base part and closes the outlet opening in the base part in a closed position, characterized in that the base part has two opposing shoulders, the hinged lid being between the two shoulders in the closed position, and the two shoulders projecting beyond the hinged lid in a vertical direction.

2. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the opposing shoulders each have an upper shoulder edge, which edges extend in parallel with one another.

3. The closure according to claim 2, wherein the upper shoulder edge extends in a longitudinal direction that extends transversely to the pivot axis.

4. The closure according to claim 2, wherein the upper shoulder edge projects beyond the hinged lid substantially over the entire length thereof

5. The closure according to claim 2, wherein the base part has a rest for the hinged lid, an inner shoulder wall extending quasi perpendicularly from the rest as far as the upper shoulder edge.

6. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the hinged lid has a U-shaped cross section having two legs and a base that interconnects the legs.

7. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the closure is formed in one piece, the base part being connected to the hinged lid by means of a film hinge.

8. The closure according to claim 1, wherein the base part has a latching protrusion on an end opposite the pivot axis, which protrusion forms, on a lower face, a latching undercut for a latching lug of the hinged lid.

9. The closure according to claim 1, wherein a sloped or rounded portion for the latching lug is provided on a top face of the latching protrusion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention is described in more detail with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a cross section of a closure according to the invention; and

[0021] FIG. 2 is a cross section along the line II-II in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a closure 1 comprising a base part 10 and a hinged lid 30. The base part 10 is rigidly connected to a container 2 (shown only in part) having an upwardly directed container opening 3. The closure 1 can be fastened to the container 2 or container opening in different ways, for example by being inserted therein and secured by a catch, screwed therein, etc. The container may be a plastics bottle having a container volume of from 75 ml to 5000 ml. A liquid product such as a liquid washing agent or a cleaning agent (for example an automatic dishwasher detergent) can be stored in the plastics bottle.

[0023] The base part 10 comprises a skirt 11, the lower peripheral rim 12 of which abuts the container 2. The skirt 11 transitions into a first shoulder 13 and a second shoulder 14. Since the base part 10 is symmetrical to a central axis 4, the shoulders 13, 14 each have the same structure. Therefore, the description of the first shoulder 13 applies similarly to the second shoulder 14.

[0024] The first shoulder 13 has an upper shoulder edge 15. An inner shoulder wall 16 extends from a rest 17 of the base part 10 for the hinged lid 10 as far as the upper shoulder edge 16. In the embodiment shown, the angle between the rest 17 and the inner shoulder wall is approximately 90, meaning as defined by the invention the angle can vary from 85 to 125.

[0025] On the left-hand side of the view in FIG. 1, the hinged lid 30 is connected to the base part 10 by means of a film hinge 31. In this case, the film hinge 31 defines a pivot axis for the hinged lid 30, which axis extends perpendicularly to the drawing plane in FIG. 1. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the hinged lid 30 in a closed position.

[0026] The rest 17 extends from the film hinge 31 at a slight incline, it being noted that the rest may have regions against which the hinged lid 30 does not rest. A circular outlet opening 18 is made in the center of the rest 17, in which opening a cylindrical stopper 32 of the hinged lid 30 is located. The stopper 32 closes the outlet opening 18 such that the liquid product located in the container cannot escape to the outside through the container opening 3. As can be seen from the drawings, a downwardly directed connecting piece 19 of the base part 10 projects into the container opening 3.

[0027] The hinged lid 30 has the shape of a bent strip having a U-shaped cross section. The cross section includes two parallel legs 33 and a base 34 that is perpendicular thereto. In this case, the length of the leg 33 is smaller than the height of the inner shoulder wall 16. Accordingly, there is an offset R between the upper shoulder edge 15 and the base 34. Therefore, the first shoulder 13 projects beyond the hinged lid 30 in the vertical direction. Naturally, this also applies, mutatis mutandis, to the second shoulder 14. In the view in FIG. 2, the entire hinged lid 32 is below an imaginary connecting line (not shown) between the upper edge 15 of the first shoulder 13 and the upper edge of the second shoulder 14. In other words, the two opposite shoulders 13, 14 form a protective space for the hinged lid 30. This protective space prevents impacts on the closure coming from the side or from above having a direct effect on the hinged lid 30. This reduces the risk of the hinged lid 30 being released from the shown closed position and the liquid product being able to escape the container.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows that the shoulders 13, 14 or the upper edges 15 thereof do not necessarily project beyond the hinged lid 30 over the entire longitudinal extension thereof, proceeding from the film hinge 31 as far as an opposite end 35. But according to the present invention closure types are preferred, where the shoulders 13, 14 vertically project beyond the predominant part of the hinged lid 30, with regard to the longitudinal extension thereof.

[0029] In the vicinity of the film hinge, the offset R, i.e. the excess height of the upper edge 15 in relation to the hinged lid 30, moves away from zero at a point indicated by S or can also be of a value less than zero. However, the hinged lid 30 is protected from external impacts or the like predominantly by means of the excess height of the shoulders 13, 14.

[0030] On the opposite end 35, the hinged lid 30 has a latching lug 36 which engages with a latching protrusion 20. On a lower face, i.e. on a face facing the container 2, the latching protrusion 20 forms a latching undercut, behind which the latching lug engages when the hinged lid is in the closed position. The latching protrusion 35 is rounded on the upper face. The protrusion being rounded helps to push the hinged lid 30 into the closed position shown here.

[0031] In order to open the hinged lid 30, a finger grip 37 is provided at the end 35. Putting a finger on the finger grip 37 and pushing the end 35 upwards or deforming said end makes it possible to release the latching connection between the latching lug 36 and the latching protrusion 20, such that the hinged lid 30, in the view in FIG. 1, can be swung upwards in the anticlockwise direction. In this process, the stopper 32 is pulled out of the outlet opening 18 and clears said opening. The film hinge 31 can be designed such that the hinged lid 32 is pushed into a defined open position by resilient restoring forces (for example offset by 180 relative to the shown closed position). In order to close the hinged lid, said lid is swiveled back in the clockwise direction until the latching lug 36 abuts the upper face of the latching protrusion 20. A compressive force from above pushes the latching lug 36 outwards as a result of the rounded portion, such that it can pass over the latching protrusion 18. It is then locked in the shown position.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0032] 1 closure [0033] 2 container [0034] 3 container opening [0035] 4 central axis [0036] 10 base part [0037] 11 skirt [0038] 12 lower rim [0039] 13 shoulder (first shoulder) [0040] 14 shoulder (second shoulder) [0041] 15 upper shoulder edge [0042] 16 inner shoulder wall [0043] 17 rest [0044] 18 outlet opening [0045] 19 connecting piece [0046] 20 latching protrusion [0047] 30 hinged lid [0048] 31 film hinge [0049] 32 stopper [0050] 33 leg [0051] 34 base [0052] 35 end [0053] 36 latching lug [0054] 37 finger grip