Container lid with closure

Abstract

The invention relates to a lid for a container, in particular for a can, comprising: a lid surface (110) with a first opening (115) passing through the lid surface; an inner element (120), which is arranged on an inner side of the lid surface and has a ventilating opening (125), which passes through the inner element and is aligned with the first opening; an actuating element (130), which is arranged on an outer side of the lid surface and is formed preferably from plastics material, wherein the actuating element has a first (141) and a second (142) articulation region, said regions subdividing the actuating element into a first (131), a second (132) and a third (133) portion, and the second portion is arranged between the first and the third portions; wherein the first portion of the actuating element is arranged in abutment against the lid surface; the second portion of the actuating element can be pivoted relative to the first portion about the first articulation region and the second portion has a closing element, in particular a bung (135), for closing the ventilating opening; the third portion of the actuating element can be pivoted relative to the second portion about the second articulation region and the third portion has a first coupling element (161); and the inner element has a second coupling element (162), which can be coupled to the first coupling element.

Claims

1. A lid for a container, in particular for a can, comprising: a lid surface with a first opening passing through the lid surface; an inner element which is arranged on an inner side of the lid surface and has a ventilating opening which passes through the inner element and is aligned with the first opening; an actuating element which is arranged on an outer side of the lid surface and is formed preferably from plastics material, wherein the actuating element has a first and a second articulation region, said regions subdividing the actuating element into a first, a second and a third portion, and the second portion is arranged between the first and the third portions; wherein the first portion of the actuating element is arranged in abutment against the lid surface; the second portion of the actuating element can be pivoted relative to the first portion about the first articulation region and the second portion has a closing element, in particular a pin, for closing the ventilating opening; the third portion of the actuating element can be pivoted relative to the second portion about the second articulation region and the third portion has a first coupling element; and the inner element has a second coupling element which can be coupled to the first coupling element.

2. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the first and second coupling elements provide a retention force in the coupled state upon exertion of a pressure on the closing element, starting from an interior of the container, particularly a retention force perpendicular to the lid surface that prevents the closing element from being pushed out of the ventilating opening.

3. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second coupling element are configured to be complementary to and engageable with each other.

4. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling element is configured as one or plural eyelets and the second coupling element as one or plural snap-in noses, or vice versa, and wherein respective snap-in noses are engageable with respective eyelets.

5. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the coupling between first and second coupling element is self-locking, particularly such that a compressive force on the closing element is transmitted to the first coupling element such that it acts against a decoupling direction of the coupling elements.

6. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the articulation regions are configured to be straight, particularly parallel to one another.

7. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the articulation regions are configured as regions of the actuating element with reduced material thickness, particularly as notches that are preferably provided at a side facing away from the lid surface.

8. The lid according to claim 7, wherein in the second articulation region one or plural struts are provided between the second and third portion, which, starting from a planar orientation of the second and third portion, allow pivotability into a first direction, particularly by compressibility or bendability of the struts, and aggravate pivotability into a second direction opposite to the first direction, particularly in that the force application is greater upon pivoting into the second direction in relation to the force application upon pivoting into the first direction.

9. The lid according to claim 8, wherein the first direction is oriented away from the lid surface, particularly wherein the first direction is an unfolding direction of the third portion upon opening of the container.

10. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the first and second coupling elements can be coupled with each other repeatedly one after the other and can be decoupled again and thereby provide reclosability of the ventilating opening.

11. The lid according to claim 1, wherein a second opening is provided in the lid surface and a fluid connection can be established between the second opening and a container interior by folding away the inner element from the inner side of the lid surface.

12. The lid according to claim 11, wherein the first portion of the actuating element is connected to or contactable with the inner element, particularly allowing a sliding movement relative to one another, and the inner element can be folded away by shifting the first portion of the actuating element.

13. The lid according to claim 11, further comprising an inner slide element which is arranged on the inner side of the lid surface, wherein the first portion of the actuating element is connected to the inner slide element, and a unit consisting of the first portion of the actuating element and the inner slide element is shiftable along the lid surface, wherein further the inner slide element is connected to or contactable with the inner element, particularly allowing a sliding movement relative to each other, and the inner element can be folded away by shifting the unit.

14. The lid according to claim 12, wherein a shifting of the first portion is only possible after an unfolding of the third portion and a subsequent unfolding of the second portion, particularly after the first and second coupling elements are decoupled thereby and the closing element is subsequently removed from the ventilating opening and the first opening.

15. A container, particularly a can, comprising: a basic body; and a lid according to claim 1.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of a lid 100 according to the invention.

(7) In this first embodiment, the lid 100 according to the invention comprises a lid surface 110 with a first opening 115 passing through the lid surface; an inner element 120 arranged on an inner side of the lid surface 110 with a ventilating opening (pressure equalization opening) 125 which passes through the inner element 120 and is aligned with the first opening 115; an actuating element 130 which is arranged on an outer side of the lid surface and which is for instance made from plastics material, wherein the actuating element 130 comprises a first articulation region 141 and a second articulation region 142 which subdivide the actuating element 130 into a first portion 131, a second portion 132 and a third portion 133, and the second portion 132 is arranged between the first portion 131 and the third portion 133, wherein the first portion 131 of the actuating element 130 is arranged in abutment against the lid surface 110; the second portion 132 of the actuating element 130 can be pivoted relative to the first portion 131 about the first articulation region 141, and the second portion 132 comprises a pin 135 for closing the ventilating opening 125; the third portion 133 of the actuating element 130 can be pivoted relative to the second portion 132 about the second articulation region 142, and the third portion 133 has a first coupling element 161; and the inner element 120 has a second coupling element 162, which can be coupled to the first coupling element 161.

(8) The actuating element 130 is connected to the inner element 120 for instance by a riveting 150 of the first portion 131 by the lid surface 110 with the inner element 120. In this first embodiment of the lid 100, the first coupling element 161 is formed on the actuating element 130 exemplarily as an eyelet 161 and the second coupling element 162 is formed on the inner element 120 as a nose that can engage into the eyelet. When a force is exerted from the inside (in FIG. 1 below the lid surface 120) on the pin 135, the second portion 132 of the actuating element 130 can slightly bulge outwards. This has the consequence that the eyelet 161 is pressed onto the inner element 120 and the nose 162, i.e. in a direction opposite to the decoupling direction. The ventilating opening is therefore self-lockingly closed. For opening purposes the left-side end of the actuating element in FIG. 1 is gripped and lifted, whereby the coupling connection between eyelet 161 and nose 162 is uncoupled and a folding movement of the third portion 133 around the second articulation region 142 is carried out at the same time.

(9) FIGS. 2A, B, C schematically show a second embodiment of a lid 200 according to the invention. The elements comparable to FIG. 1 are provided with a reference numeral increased by the number 100.

(10) For the purpose of simplifying the illustration, the lid surface has here been omitted. In this embodiment the first coupling element comprises two eyelets 261 and the second coupling element comprises two locking noses 262. Each of FIGS. 2A, B, C shows a different perspective view, a closed state being illustrated in FIG. 2C.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment. The elements comparable to FIG. 1 are provided with a reference numeral increased by the number 200.

(12) In this embodiment, bridges 370 are provided (only one side is illustrated in FIG. 3) between the second portion 332 and the third portion 333. Said bridges 370 will buckle upon opening, thereby providing a tamper-evident feature as an already performed opening operation is thereby recognizable. Furthermore, the bridges 370 prevent a folding of the third portion 333 about the second articulation region 342 in the direction of the lid surface.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment. The elements comparable to FIG. 1 are provided with a reference numeral increased by the number 300.

(14) In this fourth embodiment, the inner element 420 can be folded inwards to thereby release a pour opening (not shown). After unfolding the third portion 433 and the second portion 432 of the actuating element 430 said element can be shifted along the lid panel surface, whereby a folding away of the inner element 420 from the lid surface 410 is caused by way of slide noses 480 of the actuating element 430, said slide noses 480 running on inclined surfaces of the inner element 420. A sealing action of the inner element that is present in the closed state and acts against the lid surface is thereby reversed, and a fluid connection is established between interior and exterior.

(15) FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment. The elements comparable to FIG. 1 are provided with a reference numeral increased by the number 400.

(16) In this fifth embodiment the actuating element 530 is connected in the area of the first portion 531 to an inner slide element 590, e.g. by way of riveting, which abuts on the inside of the lid surface 510. The connecting elements 550 (e.g. rivets) are movable in slit-shaped recesses of the lid surface 510, so that the unit consisting of actuating element 530 and inner slide element 590 can be shifted (after unfolding of the third and second portion of the actuating element) along the lid surface 510. The inner slide element 590 can moreover comprise slide noses 580 which upon shifting will abut onto inclined surfaces 521 of the inner element 520 and can fold away said element inwards, according to the mode of operation in the fourth embodiment with the slide noses 480 of the actuating element 430.