Tube closure assembly and tube comprising the same

Abstract

An assembly for closing a tube is described. The assembly includes a tube head provided with a neck and a lid closing the neck. The assembly further includes a cap (30) including a punch adapted to perforate the lid. The neck and the cap being configured to guide the cap to a closing position in which the punch has perforated the lid. The cap includes a lateral skirt provided with at least one notch opening radially. The neck includes a protrusion configured to cooperate angularly with the notch to block a withdrawal of the cap, once the cap is in the closing position.

Claims

1. An assembly for closing a tube, said assembly comprising: a tube head provided with a neck and a lid closing said neck; a cap comprising a punch adapted to perforate said lid, said neck and said cap being configured to guide the cap to a closing position in which said punch has perforated said lid, said cap comprising a lateral skirt provided with at least one notch opening radially, said neck comprising a protrusion configured to cooperate angularly with said notch by fitting into said notch to block withdrawal of the cap, once said cap is in said closing position, and the assembly further comprising a thread and at least one thread portion configured to cooperate with said thread for screwing the cap into said closing position; wherein said protrusion extends axially from a terminal end of a lower thread of the thread.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said notch is open to a free edge of said skirt so as to impart radial resilience to the cap in the vicinity of said notch.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion is configured to radially spread said skirt prior to arrival of the cap in the closing position.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion has an edge provided with an inclined portion and a straight portion, said inclined portion being configured to radially spread said cap and said straight portion being located at the level of a part of the protrusion forming a non-return stop for the cap once in the closing position.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said thread portion reaches said closing position by passing away from said protrusion.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an end stop for the cap, in the closing position.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the end stop is configured to cooperate with said thread portion, once said protrusion is engaged in one of said notches.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said notches and a plurality of said thread portions, each of the thread portions being angularly located between two adjacent ones of said notches.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cap comprises a service cap.

10. A tube comprising a closure assembly comprising: a tube head provided with a neck and a lid closing said neck; a cap comprising a punch adapted to perforate said lid, said neck and said cap being configured to guide the cap to a closing position in which said punch has perforated said lid, said cap comprising a lateral skirt provided with at least one notch opening radially, said neck comprising a protrusion configured to cooperate angularly with said notch by fitting into said notch to block withdrawal of the cap, once said cap is in said closing position, and the assembly further comprising a thread and at least one thread portion configured to cooperate with said thread for screwing the cap into said closing position; wherein said protrusion extends axially from a terminal end of a lower thread of the thread.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features, purposes and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which should be read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tube head for a tube closure assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention, from a first viewing angle,

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tube head of FIG. 1 from another view angle,

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of the tube head of FIG. 1 from the first viewing angle

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the tube head of FIG. 1 from the other view angle

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view of an assembly according to the invention comprising the head of FIG. 1 and a cap illustrated in transparency, according to the first angle of view, in a first position of the cap,

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 5 from the other viewing angle, in the first position of the cap

(8) FIG. 7 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the first viewing angle, in a second position of the cap,

(9) FIG. 8 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the other view angle, in the second position of the cap,

(10) FIG. 9 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the first viewing angle, in a third position of the cap,

(11) FIG. 10 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the other view angle, in the third position of the cap,

(12) FIG. 11 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the first viewing angle, in a fourth position of the cap,

(13) FIG. 12 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the other view angle, in the fourth position of the cap,

(14) FIG. 13 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the first viewing angle, in a fifth position of the cap,

(15) FIG. 14 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the other angle of view, in the fifth position of the cap,

(16) FIG. 15 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the first viewing angle, in a sixth position of the cap,

(17) FIG. 16 is a side view of the assembly according to FIG. 5, from the other angle of view, in the sixth position of the cap,

(18) FIG. 17 is a diametrical cross-sectional view of the assembly according to FIG. 5 in the fourth position of the cap,

(19) FIG. 18 is a diametrical cross-sectional view of the assembly according to FIG. 5 in the fifth position of the cap,

(20) FIG. 19 is a diametrical cross-sectional view of the assembly according to FIG. 5 in the fifth position of the cap,

(21) FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a distal edge of a punch of the cap of the assembly of FIG. 5, the orientation of the cap having been reversed from the previous figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(22) As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 19, the invention relates to an assembly for closing a tube, in particular a flexible tube.

(23) Said assembly comprises a tube head 3 and a cap 30. The tube head 3 comprises a neck 10 and a lid 5 closing said neck 10, here at the bottom of the latter. In other words, the lid is disposed at the end of the neck in fluid communication with the tube reservoir. The cap 30 comprises a punch 7 adapted to perforate said lid 5. Said punch 7 is in particular configured to pierce and then cut said lid 5. Advantageously, said lid 5 is only partially cut so that it remains attached to the tube head 3 by a portion of material.

(24) The neck 10 and the cap 30 extend substantially along a longitudinal axis A (see FIG. 17) passing through their centre. In the following, the term axial is understood to be oriented parallel to the said longitudinal axis A. The cap 30 is rotatable and/or translatable relative to said neck 10 along said longitudinal axis A.

(25) Said neck 10 and said cap 30 are configured to allow the cap 30 to be guided, in particular from an initial position, illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, to a waiting position, illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, and then from said waiting position to a closing position, illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16.

(26) When the cap 30 is in its initial position, said cap 30 is not in engagement with the neck 10. Said cap 30 is in this initial position at the beginning of the movement of placing the cap 30 on the tube head 3. This placement, also known as capping, is carried out in particular on production lines. It is therefore important to allow simple, reliable and repeatable kinematics in order to limit production incidents. Advantageously, when the cap 30 is placed on the tube head 3, on production lines, the cap 30 is guided on the neck 10 along a guide path 21 along which it is simultaneously pushed towards the tube head and rotated counter-clockwise.

(27) When the cap 30 is in the waiting position on the neck 10, the punch 7 is held at a distance from the lid 5. Said cap 30 is in this standby position at the end of the initial movement of placing the cap 30 on the tube head 3. It is in this position that the assembly is sold before filling the tube. It is also in this waiting position that the assembly is sold to the consumer, after the tube has been filled. Such an assembly ensures that it is held in the standby position without the use of an additional part such as a spacer ring.

(28) As illustrated in FIGS. 15, 16 and 19, when the cap 30 is in the closed position, said punch 7 has perforated said lid 5. The cap 30 then hermetically seals the tube on which the assembly is fitted. The closed position can also be described as a position of use in that the cutting of the lid 5 determines the starting point for the use of the tube on which the closure assembly 1 according to the invention is mounted. The cap 30 may in particular be intended to remain in the closed position. This is particularly the case when the punch 7 has the shape of a hollow barrel and has an opening, not illustrated, at the upper side of the cap 30. Thus, once the cap 30 is in the closed position on the neck 10, access to the internal volume of the tube on which the assembly is fitted is possible through said opening. According to an embodiment not shown, the opening of the neck 10 is closed by a cover connected to the neck 10, the cap and the cover possibly forming a service cap. In this way, the cap 30 can be held in the closed position on the neck 10 while allowing access to the internal volume of the tube and the closure of this access.

(29) In addition to said guide path 21, said assembly comprises a thread 22 and a thread portion 11 allowing the cap 30 to be placed on the neck 10 by cooperation with the guide path 21 and the thread 22. The guide path 21 and the thread 22 are more particularly visible in FIGS. 1 to 4 while the thread portion 11 is more particularly visible, in transparency, in FIGS. 5 to 16.

(30) As more particularly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, when guiding from the initial position to the standby position, said thread portion 11 co-operates with the guide track through a front end 12 of said thread portion 11.

(31) As more particularly illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 16, said thread portion 11 is intended to cooperate with said thread 22 by screwing.

(32) Said cap comprises a lateral skirt 23 having an inner face at which said thread portion 11 is located. Said thread portion 11 has a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, intended to cooperate with the thread 22. Said thread portion 11 extends longitudinally along the axis A, radially inwardly of the cap 30 from the skirt 23 and angularly between its front end 12 and a rear end 13. The angular span of said thread portion is, for example, between 3 and 90.

(33) According to a first aspect of the invention, said assembly comprises a first stop 24 and a second stop 25 for said thread portion 11. Said stops are angularly spaced and define a passage 26 between the guide path 21 and the thread 22. Said assembly is configured to allow axial movement of the thread portion 11 through the passage 26. Furthermore, once said passage 26 is passed by said thread portion 11, at least one of said stops, here the first stop 24 is configured to prevent a return of said thread portion 11 through said passage 26. The cap 30 is then blocked on the neck 10 by snap-fit and can no longer be disengaged from the neck 10.

(34) Such kinematics makes it possible to clearly identify the arrival in the waiting position by modifying the trajectory of the cap 30, which passes here from a movement including a rotation along the guide path 21 to an axial movement to cross the said passage 26, rather than kinematics according to which the arrival in the waiting position is done in the continuity of a screwing. Furthermore, the neck 10 has an outer wall 14 which remains smooth without ribs or grooves at said passage 26, the snap-in effect of said thread portion 11 being solely due to the angular span of said passage 26, which is chosen to be smaller than a span of said thread portion 11. The accuracy of such ribs is more easily controlled than a radial rib and may be less than a tenth of a millimetre, in particular in the case of injection moulding of said tube head 3 and/or said cap 30.

(35) In the illustrated embodiment, said cap is in said waiting position after passing through said passage 26. In other words, said guide path 21 allows the passage from the initial position to the waiting position and said thread 22 allows the passage from the waiting position to the closing position.

(36) Advantageously, one of the two between the guide path 21 and the thread 22 induces a screwing in a clockwise rotation direction of the cap 30, the other of the two between the guide path 21 and the thread 22 inducing a screwing in a counterclockwise rotation direction of the cap 30. Here, the guide path 21 induces a counterclockwise rotation of the cap 30 and the thread 22 induces a clockwise rotation of the cap 30.

(37) Preferably, the neck 10 comprises the guide path 21 as well as the thread 22 while the cap 30 comprises the thread portion 11.

(38) Here, the first stop 24 forms one end of said guide path 21. Said assembly further comprises a shoulder 27 connecting an origin of a first thread 28 of the thread 22 and the first stop 24. Thus, the origin of the first thread 28 and the first stop 24 are axially spaced apart. In particular, the first stop 24 forms a rounding joining said guide track 21 and said shoulder 27.

(39) The second stop 25 is formed, for example, by an axial wall. The second stop 25 forms the origin of a second thread 29 of the thread 22.

(40) Said second thread 29 advantageously forms a low axial stop when said thread portion 11 passes through said passage 26.

(41) Preferably, said assembly comprises a third stop 31 configured to block a screwing of the cap 30 after the cap 30 has been placed on the neck 10 and more precisely, here, when said cap 30 is in the waiting position.

(42) In other words, in the waiting position, the thread portion 11 is blocked axially upwards by the first stop 24 and downwards by the second thread 29, unscrewing by the second stop 25 and screwing by the third stop 31.

(43) In FIGS. 7 and 8, the thread portion 11 is passing through the passage 26, while in FIGS. 9 and 10, said thread portion 11 is positioned between the various stops mentioned in the previous paragraph.

(44) Said third stop 31 comprises, for example, a wall 32, extending transversely from a bottom wall of the thread 22. Said wall 32 has here a constant thickness. Said assembly has a sharp angle between the wall 32 and the second thread 29. Said wall 32 extends radially between a bottom of the thread 22 and a free distal edge and axially between said second thread 29 and a free radial edge. Preferably, said wall 32 extends axially partially through said thread 22. The axial extension of said wall 32 allows to adjust the torque required to pass said third stop 31.

(45) Preferably, an angular extension between the second 25 and third 31 stops is just greater than an angular extension of the thread portion 11. Said third stop 31 is here positioned under said first thread 28 being slightly angularly offset from said first stop 24 in the screwing direction.

(46) Said guide path 21 is formed, for example, by a third thread ending on the first stop 24.

(47) Once said third stop 31 is passed, said thread portion 11 is configured to slide by screwing between the first 28 and second 29 threads.

(48) In the further movement of the cap 30, said neck 10 and said cap 30 are configured to guide the cap 30 on the neck 10, here by screwing, to the closing position through an intermediate position, illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, in which the punch has finished piercing said lid 5. In the case where, as illustrated, the punch 7 comprises several teeth 50, said intermediate position is the position occupied by the punch 7 when all the teeth 50 have pierced said lid 5.

(49) Furthermore, as already mentioned, said neck 10 and said cap 30 are configured so that guiding, here screwing, the cap 30 onto the neck 10 causes a deformation of material making the closure tight.

(50) According to a second aspect of the invention, said assembly is configured so that the passage through the intermediate position takes place prior to the deformation of the material sealing the closure. Such a configuration is obtained by the choice of the axial dimensions of the punch 7 and neck 10. Such a sequencing avoids having to provide too much torque compared to a configuration in which the sealing would start before the end of the drilling. On the other hand, the seal can be made when the lid 5 is cut, after the end of the drilling. It has in fact been noted by the applicant that the torque required for cutting is much lower than that for drilling.

(51) Advantageously, the said cap 30 and the said neck 10 are configured so that the said intermediate position is located downstream of the waiting position according to the direction of guidance, in particular screwing, of the cap 30 towards the closure position. In other words, in the example illustrated in relation to the first aspect of the invention, said assembly is configured so that said thread portion 11 has passed said third stop 31 before the piercing of the lid begins.

(52) Taking FIGS. 11 and 12 and FIG. 17 in combination, it can be seen that the punch 7 comes into contact with the lid 5 while the thread portion 11 is still interacting with the third stop 31. However, the drilling of the lid 5 does not begin immediately after the screwing movement. The reason for this is that the lid 5 is elastic, so that it is deformed before it is pierced. Thus, drilling only begins in a position between that shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 and that shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

(53) Advantageously, as will be developed below in relation to the third aspect of the invention, said assembly further comprises a non-return stop 33 configured to prevent the cap 30 from moving out of the closed position. Even more advantageously, said assembly is configured so that said non-return stop 33 is passed by the cap 30 after passing to the intermediate position. In other words, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, said cap 30 does not yet cooperate with said non-return stop 33 when the cap 30 is in said intermediate position.

(54) The sealing of the closure may be achieved in different ways. Here, it is a seal obtained by cooperation of an inner wall of the neck 10 and an outer wall of the punch 7.

(55) As illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 19, the said punch 7 comprises a base 34 with an external cylindrical portion 35 and the said neck comprises an internal cylindrical portion 36, the said internal and external cylindrical portions 36 and 35 being intended to be crushed against each other in order to seal the said closure. In this way, a cylinder-to-cylinder seal is achieved, which has the advantage of requiring less torque than that required for the compression of a seal which would be located on an upper free edge of the neck.

(56) Said cap 30 here comprises a top 37 from which said base 34 of the punch 7 extends. Said punch 7 further comprises an external chamfer 38 extending said base 34 and connected to a distal portion 39 of the punch 7. Said neck 10 comprises at its externally open end an internal chamfer 40 axially extended by said portion 36 of the neck 10 against which the base 34 of the punch 7 is intended to be crushed.

(57) In FIG. 17, upstream of the intermediate position, according to the screwing direction of the cap 30, it can be seen that the chamfer 38 of the punch is axially at a distance from the chamfer 40 of the neck. In FIG. 18, in the said intermediate position, the chamfer 38 of the punch has just come to rest against the chamfer 40 of the neck. In FIG. 19, in the closed position, a compression of material has occurred between the base 34 of the punch and the corresponding portion 36 of the neck 10.

(58) Advantageously, in order to limit the necessary torque, said distal portion 39 of the punch has an external diameter smaller than an internal diameter of the neck 10.

(59) According to a third aspect of the invention, the lateral skirt 23 is provided with at least one notch 60 opening radially and said neck 10 comprises a protrusion 61 configured to cooperate angularly with said notch 60 to block a withdrawal of the cap 30, once said cap is in said closure position. Said protrusion 61 forms the aforementioned non-return stop 33.

(60) Such a non-return stop 33 has the advantage of not being located in the thread 22. It is therefore not likely to be damaged by the thread portion 11 when the latter moves to the closed position. In other words, in the illustrated embodiment, said thread portion 11 reaches said closing position by passing away from said protrusion 61.

(61) Preferably, said notch 60 is open at a free edge of said skirt 23 so as to give radial resilience to the cap 30 in the vicinity of said notch 60. Such resilience has many advantages. First of all, it limits the torque required to reach the closed position by overcoming said non-return stop 33. In addition, it facilitates an axial demoulding of the thread portion 11. The notch 60 is, for example, substantially rectangular.

(62) Advantageously, said protrusion 61 is configured to radially spread said skirt 23 before arrival of the cap 30 in the closed position. For this purpose, the said protrusion has an edge provided with an inclined portion 62 and a straight portion 63. Said straight portion 63 axially extends the inclined portion 62 towards a base of the neck 10. Said inclined portion 62 is configured to radially spread said cap 30 by pressing on a free edge of said skirt 23 before the cap 30 arrives in the closed position. Said straight portion 63 is located at a part of the protrusion 61 forming the non-return stop 33 for the cap 30 once in the closed position. More precisely, the notch 60 has an axial edge 64 bearing against a flank of said protrusion 61, the latter forming said non-return stop 33.

(63) The protrusion 61 is formed, for example, by a wall extending radially from the outer wall 14 of the neck. Said wall has an upper free edge 65 terminating the second thread 29. Said protrusion 61 extends axially from the terminal end 65 of said second thread 29, here forming a lower thread of the thread 22, to the base of the neck 10. Said non-return stop 33 is intended to cooperate with the rear end 13 of the thread portion 11.

(64) Advantageously, said assembly further comprises an end stop 70, in particular an angular stop, for the cap 30, in the closed position. Said end stop 70 is configured to cooperate with said thread portion 11, once said protrusion 61 is engaged in said notch 60. Said end stop 70 is intended to cooperate with the front end 12 of the thread portion 11. Said end stop 70 extends here axially between the first thread 28 and the base of the neck.

(65) In the illustrated embodiment, said assembly comprises a plurality of said thread portions 11 and a corresponding plurality of said threads 22, in this case three, spaced at 120. Said assembly further comprises a plurality of said notches 60 and a corresponding plurality of said protrusions 61, in this case three, each of said thread portions 11 being angularly located between two neighbours of said protrusions 61. Said side skirt 23 thereby has flaps having good radial flexibility between said notches 60, said thread portions being located at said flaps.

(66) In this configuration with several threads 22, the first thread 28 of one of the threads forms the second thread 29 of the adjacent thread 22.

(67) At the top, the second stops 25 extend axially between an origin of the third thread forming the guide path 21 associated with one of the threads 22 and the second thread 29 of the adjacent thread 22 in a clockwise direction.

(68) At the bottom, the end stop 70 of one of the threads 22 is located angularly, clockwise, just upstream of the protrusion 61 of the counterclockwise adjacent thread 22. The first thread 28 of one of the threads 22 continues into an end portion of the second thread 29 of the counterclockwise adjacent thread 22.

(69) As illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 20, said tooth or teeth 50 are advantageously configured to pierce and then cut said lid 5. Said tooth or teeth 50 extend from a free edge 80 of the punch 7.

(70) According to a fourth aspect of the invention, at least one angular portion of said free edge 80, referred to as the passage portion 81, is configured to remain in the neck 10 in said closing position as is more particularly apparent from FIG. 19. Such a configuration improves the rate of restitution of the product contained in the tube by allowing a fraction of the product located in the vicinity of a shoulder 4 of the tube head 3 to flow into the neck 10 at the level of said passage portion 81. Advantageously, said passage portion 81 is flush with a lower end of the neck 10 opening into the interior volume of the tube.

(71) Here, the said teeth 50 are distributed over an angular portion of the punch 7, known as the cutting portion 82, delimited by two of the said teeth 50 located angularly on either side of the said cutting portion 82. Said passage portion 81 is formed by an angular portion of the punch complementary to said cutting portion 82.

(72) As is better illustrated in FIG. 20 where a fictitious plane P extending orthogonally to said longitudinal axis A has been shown, said teeth 50 have vertices 51 axially offset from each other. Such a configuration makes it possible to limit the screwing torque by ensuring that the teeth 50 pierce the lid 5 successively. The axial offset of the tops of the teeth 50 increases, in particular regularly, and even more particularly linearly, in a direction of displacement of the cap 30 towards the said closed position, in other words, here, according to the screwing direction or clockwise direction (which corresponds to an anti-clockwise direction in FIG. 20 since the latter is reversed). Thus, the tooth 50 located at a terminal end of the cutting portion 82 in the clockwise direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 20) has the most protruding apex and meets the lid 5 first.

(73) According to a fifth aspect of the invention, said teeth 50 have a substantially identical height and extend axially from an angular portion of the free edge of the punch 7 having an axial offset from one tooth 50 to the other. For this purpose, here, said free edge, in said cutting portion 82, is in the form of a ramp of increasing height in a clockwise direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 20). Such an identical height of the teeth makes it possible to limit their risk of breakage compared to a configuration in which teeth of too small a size would be encountered.

(74) As illustrated, said teeth 50 preferably have a substantially identical profile. This is, for example, a profile with a leading edge 52 extending substantially axially between said free edge 80 and each apex 51 and a return edge 53 extending at an angle between each apex 51 and said free edge 80. Said peaks 51 are here formed at the junction of the leading edge 52, the return edge 53, an outer flank 54 of the tooth and an inclined surface 55 formed in the thickness of the teeth 50.

(75) In addition to the assembly shown in the preceding figures, said tube according to the invention comprises a skirt 102, partially illustrated, connected to said tube head 3.