EP0301135A1 - Container closure with retractable turnspout - Google Patents

Abstract

A plastic closure for containers for holding and dispensing liquids or pastes. The closure has a retractable swivel spout (9). A plug (5) for closing the container mouth has an eccentrically arranged pipe socket (6) on its bottom, which rotatably carries a hat (9b). The hat forms the swivel spout together with a tube (9a) protruding transversely. A liquid channel runs through the tube and cap as well as through the pipe socket. A cock is formed between the tube and the pipe socket to shut off the liquid channel. A cap overlaps the stopper and container mouth and is rotatable relative to the stopper. By rotating the cap, the tube is guided outwards through a lateral opening (3) in the cap or pulled in again if it is turned in the opposite direction. A diaphragm (8) standing upwards from the stopper base (5a) serves on the one hand to close the lateral opening (3) of the cap in the closed position and on the other hand to seal the outer end of the swivel spout. A wall (26) seated on the cap base (2a) has driving edges (39 and 40) for pivoting the tube (9a) out or in. For further sealing, the hat (9b) can have a hollow cylinder (42) with a longitudinal slot (44) concentrically for the passage of liquid and can seal against the wall of the pipe socket (6) when the tube is swung in. A tamper-evident device can be formed by a tear-off tab (46, 50) which is located in the lateral opening (3) of the cap or just outside of this opening.

Description

The invention relates to a closure made of plastic on a container (in particular a bottle), which is used to hold and dispense liquids or pastes. The closure of this container has a retractable swivel spout, and moreover the components mentioned in the preamble of claim 1. The terms defined in the claims are also used in the following explanations.

Such a closure is known from US-A-3 847 313. The swivel nozzle mentioned there can be rotated around an eccentrically seated pipe socket. The tube of the swivel nozzle can be moved outwards or inwards as a result of the swivel movement. In one extreme position, it disappears completely within a cap used for actuation. This is the closed position. In the other extreme position, it protrudes as far as possible from a lateral opening of the cap. This is the position of use in which liquid can be dispensed (poured or sprayed) through the swivel nozzle.

A valve in the liquid passage to the swivel spout is actuated so that it is open in the use position and closed in the closed position. In the known closure, an additional movement of the swivel spout is required to actuate the valve, namely parallel to the closure axis, so that a stopper which is attached to the inside of the upper wall of the tube can engage in a pipe socket and close it and vice versa. For this additional up and down movement of the swivel spout, a helical ramp on the stopper base and guide curves projecting inwards from the cap base are required. A relatively large number of components are therefore required for actuating the swivel spout in two directions, which leads to complicated molded parts.

When actuated, in addition to the inevitable friction caused by the rotational movement of the cap and tube, there is also friction in the axial direction (tube against pipe socket) and friction on the helical ramp, so that the closure can only be actuated by frail persons with considerable effort .

The height adjustment of the components required for pushing in and screwing in becomes difficult because of the abundance of the height tolerances that occur. There are four parts to consider, namely the cap, tube, stopper and mouth.

Another container closure with swivel spout is known from US Pat. No. 3,371,827, in which the swivel spout only needs to be adjusted in the direction of rotation. In one embodiment there (FIGS. 9 to 11), the free outer end of the swivel spout can also be shut off, specifically by the actuating cap itself. In the closed position, both the outer end of the tube and its inner end are shut off. The tube itself is angled and its lower leg in the position of use is passed through the bottom of the sealing plug and can be pivoted in this bottom. A projection on the inside of the cap base is used to take the tube with the cap when the cap is rotated.

The following is disadvantageous here:

The bent tube cannot be produced in one piece by injection molding from plastic, or only with the help of a complicated shape.

The cap wall is deformed when the sealing plug is pressed in and when the cap is screwed on, and is therefore unsuitable for sealing the outer end of the tube.

The cap impedes the pivoting movement of the tube even where no seal is required, namely during the main part of the pivot Move.

A liquid riser pipe cannot be attached.

The present invention is intended to create a container closure with a retractable swivel spout, of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1, in which the various disadvantages mentioned above are avoided.

This object is achieved by the invention according to claim 1.

Compared to US Pat. No. 3,847,313 there are much simpler molded parts for actuating the swivel spout, since the swivel spout only needs to be taken along by the cap in the pivoting direction, while components for lifting and depressing the swivel spout are omitted. As a result, considerably less friction occurs when the closure according to the invention is actuated.

Compared to US Pat. No. 3,371,827, the diaphragm attached to the stopper according to the invention initially offers the advantage that the free end of the tube is properly sealed in the closed position, while according to this prior publication it only bears against the cap without being sealed. Another advantage is that the fit between the outer end of the tube and the diaphragm is not changed when the container is closed, so that a perfect sealing function is maintained.

Developments of the invention

result from the subclaims.

According to claim 2 can be created for additional sealing between the hat and pipe socket further valve, which is also operated during the pivoting movement of the swivel spout.

According to claim 3, the swivel spout can be actuated by a cylindrical wall provided on the cap base, which is interrupted at one point. Its two edges resulting from the interruption serve to take the swivel spout with it when opening and closing.

According to claim 4, the aperture, which serves to close the lateral opening of the cap and to seal the outer end of the tube, can also be used to limit the cap rotation in at least one direction of rotation.

In the opening direction, one edge of the diaphragm together with a projection on the inside of the cap wall can serve for this purpose.

According to claim 6, a projection, for. B. in the form of a rib on the inner wall of the diaphragm together with the free end of the tube to limit the cap rotation.

According to claim 7 tamper-evident can be created, and according to claim 8 it can be designed so that the cap required for this can be manufactured with a tear-off tab in a simply designed injection mold.

• Figur 1 zeigt perspektivisch einen Verschluß mit einziehbarer Schwenk­tülle nach der Erfindung, angebracht auf einem Behälter.
• Figur 2 zeigt vergrößert und in Explosivdarstellung den Behälter und die Bestandteile des Verschlusses.
• Figur 3 ist ein Axialschnitt durch den den in Figur 2 Mitte darge­stellten Stopfen des Verschlusses.
• Figur 4 zeigt den Stopfen in Draufsicht.
• Figur 5 zeigt, gegenüber Figur 3 und 4 verkleinert, in Seitenansicht den Stopfen mit Schwenktülle.
• Figur 6 zeigt die in Figur 2 dargestellte Kappe von unten.
• Figur 7 zeigt die Kappe in axialem Schnitt nach Ebene VII - VII in Figur 6.
• Figur 8 ist ein Teil-Axialschnitt durch die Kappe nach Ebene VIII - VIII in Figur 6.
• Figur 9 ist ein Längsschnitt durch Behältermündung, Stopfen, Kappe und die voll ausgeschwenkte Schwenktülle, zeigt also die Ge­brauchsstellung.
• Figur 10 ist ein Querschnitt nach Ebene X - X in Figur 9 also von oben auf den Stopfenboden gesehen; die Teile ebenfalls in Ge­brauchsstellung.
• Figuren 11 bis 14 zeigen in gleicher Darstellung wie Figur 10 die rela­tiven Lagen der Bestandteile bei verschiedenen Drehstellungen der Kappe und der Schwenktülle.
• Figur 15 zeigt im Längsschnitt eine abgewandelte Ausführungsform einer Schwenktülle.
• Figur 16 zeigt diese Schwenktülle in Draufsicht.
• Figur 17 ist eine Teil-Schnittdarstellung nach Ebene XVII in Figur 15.
• Figur 18 zeigt perspektivisch eine andere Ausführungsform des am Stop­fen vorgesehenen Rohrstutzens.
• Figur 19 und 20 zeigen perspektivisch bzw. im Teil-Längsschnitt durch die Kappe einen Originalitätsverschluß.
• Figur 21 und 22 zeigen in ähnlichen Darstellungen eine andere Version eines Originalitätsverschlusses.

Exemplary embodiments with further features of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings.

• Figure 1 shows in perspective a closure with retractable swivel spout according to the invention, mounted on a container.
• Figure 2 shows an enlarged and exploded view of the container and the components of the closure.
• Figure 3 is an axial section through the stopper of the closure shown in the center of Figure 2.
• Figure 4 shows the plug in plan view.
• Figure 5 shows, reduced in size compared to Figures 3 and 4, the plug with swivel spout in side view.
• Figure 6 shows the cap shown in Figure 2 from below.
• FIG. 7 shows the cap in axial section along plane VII-VII in FIG. 6.
• FIG. 8 is a partial axial section through the cap according to plane VIII-VIII in FIG. 6.
• Figure 9 is a longitudinal section through the container mouth, stopper, cap and the fully swiveled swivel spout, thus showing the position of use.
• Figure 10 is a cross section along the plane X - X in Figure 9 seen from above on the plug bottom; the parts also in the use position.
• Figures 11 to 14 show in the same representation as Figure 10, the relative positions of the components at different rotational positions of the cap and the swivel spout.
• Figure 15 shows in longitudinal section a modified embodiment of a swivel spout.
• Figure 16 shows this swivel spout in plan view.
• FIG. 17 is a partial sectional view according to plane XVII in FIG. 15.
• Figure 18 shows in perspective another embodiment of the pipe socket provided on the plug.
• Figures 19 and 20 show a tamper-evident closure in perspective or in partial longitudinal section through the cap.
• FIGS. 21 and 22 show another version of a tamper-evident closure in similar representations.

Terms such as "above" and "below" refer to the position of the parts in a vertical mouth of an upright container. Terms such as "axial" refer to the axes of the mouth and the plug.

All components of the container closure are made of plastic.

Figures 1 to 4 show a closure 1 with swivel spout according to the invention. A cap 2 with a cap base 2a and a cap wall 2b, in which there is a lateral opening 3, is rotatably attached to a container 4 on a container 4. The container is preferably elastically flexible.

Figures 3 and 4 and Figure 2 center show a stopper 5 with stopper bo 5a and a stopper wall 5b projecting downward from there for inserting the stopper into the container mouth 10. The stopper is injection-molded in one piece with a pipe socket 6 made of relatively hard plastic. The pipe socket sits far off-center and runs parallel to the plug axis. The lower end of the pipe socket 6 is surrounded by an annular groove 5c. The pipe socket has on its upward-facing side an axially parallel longitudinal slot 7 which merges into a liquid channel 6a in the interior of the pipe socket. The upper end of the pipe socket can also be closed, as shown in Figure 18 for a pipe socket 6 '.

FIG. 2 also shows the swivel nozzle designated as a whole as 9, which has a cap-like hat 9b, on which a tube 9a is seated radially, the liquid channel 9c of which is connected to the inside of the hat. As shown in FIG. 9, the hat sits on the pipe socket 6 after assembly. It rotatably and sealingly fits over the pipe socket. When the tube 9a is pivoted fully outwards, its liquid channel 9c is connected through the longitudinal slot 7 to the liquid channel 6a in the pipe socket 6. The longitudinal slot has the effect of a tap: when the tube 9a is pivoted inwards (FIGS. 11 to 14), this connection is blocked off, and when the tube is completely pivoted out (FIG. 10) it is open.

At the bottom of the stopper there is an aperture 8, which is designed as a part-cylindrical wall in one piece with the stopper and is concentric with the stopper axis 5d (FIG. 9). It serves to close the lateral opening 3 of the cap in the closed position according to FIG. 14. The diaphragm also has other functions: it has an axially parallel, inward-facing stop rib 8a, which in the closed position serves as a stop for the outer end of the tube (FIG. 14). In this position, the diaphragm also serves to seal the outer end of the tube 9a.

The edge of the stopper base 5a rests on a lip 11 at the top of the container mouth 10. A pipe socket 13 projects downward from the stopper base 5a. If necessary, a riser pipe for the liquid to be dispensed can be placed on it.

Figure 6 shows, enlarged, the cap 2 from below. The side opening 3 can be seen in the cap wall 2b. Lower snap cams 17 serve to hold the cap 2 on the container mouth 10. They engage under a snap ring 16 on the container mouth and fix the cap on the container so that it can rotate and secure against axial movements. Upper snap cams 18 are used to fix the stopper 5 with the swivel spout 9 fitted inside the cap 2. After the stopper has been locked, the stopper is seated in the container mouth, ie is not taken along when the cap 2 rotates. Through the wall 26, an exact height assembly of the plug 5 with the swivel spout 9 in the cap 2 is made possible. The wall 26 transmits the axial force, which is necessary for the plug to snap into the container mouth 10, from the cap 2 to the plug 5.

A flat stop web 25 (FIGS. 6 and 8) protruding from the base of the cap and running along a radial plane limits the rotary movement of the cap 2 in the position of use by a stop on the diaphragm 8 and thus the pivoting movement of the swivel spout when its tube 9a is fully extended. (Figure 10). In this position, the tube runs approximately in the direction of a radial plane. At the bottom of the cap there is an inwardly directed cylindrical wall 26, which, however, is not completely closed, but, somewhat offset from the lateral opening 3 of the cap, has an opening which is delimited by two edges, the "driving edges" 39 and 40 . The wall 26 serves to carry the tube 9a in one or the other direction of rotation and thus to pivot the tube outwards in the use position (FIG. 10) and to pivot inwards into the closed position (FIG. 14), provided that the rotary movement is not limited by stops.

Provided on the inside of the cap wall 2b is a flat positioning web 24 (FIG. 8) which, when the plug 5 is inserted, together with the cap serves to position the plug in the direction of rotation, namely by abutment against a rib 23 on the container mouth 10 (FIG. 2) . This allows the stopper z. B. on a bottle label or the like. Aligned. By means of a short latching web 27 (FIG. 6) provided in the cap, the cap can be in the closed position with respect to the rib 23 the mouth can be locked.

FIGS. 10 to 14 show in cross-section according to plane X-X in FIG. 9 the position of the parts in different swivel positions. FIG. 10 shows the position of use with the tube 9a fully pivoted out corresponding to FIG. 9, in which the contents of the container can be dispensed. When the cap 2 is rotated clockwise from the position according to FIG. 10 to that according to FIG. 12, the edge 35 of the lateral opening 3 of the cap takes the tube 9a with it in a clockwise direction. Thereafter, the tube is carried along into the closed position according to FIG. 14 by an edge of the cylindrical wall 26, the "second driving edge" 40 mentioned in claim 1, namely when it is completely retracted inwards from the lateral opening 3 of the cap and consequently from the Edge 35 of the opening 3 can no longer be taken. In the closed position according to FIG. 14, the outer end 9a of the tube is sealed off from the inner wall of the diaphragm 8. The stop rib 8a of the diaphragm limits the movement of the tube and thus also the rotation of the cap 2 relative to the container mouth.

When the tube is swiveled in clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 10, its liquid channel 9c is first blocked off from the longitudinal slot 7 in the pipe socket 6. This seals the inner end of the tube 9a. Only later, in the position according to FIG. 14, is its outer end, specifically with respect to the screen 8, blocked off.

The "first driving edge" 39 of the cylindrical wall 26 is used to move the tube 9a in the opposite direction from the position of FIG. 14 into that according to FIG. 10. When the cap is pivoted counterclockwise, the driving edge 39 lies against the side wall of the tube 9a, pivots the tube first out of its sealing position with respect to the diaphragm 8 and then further counterclockwise, so that after some pivoting movement it emerges from the lateral opening 3 of the cap 2 and finally comes into the position according to FIG. 10, in which it projects as far as possible and again a continuous liquid channel according to FIG. 9 is formed. The rotation of the cap 2 against Clockwise is limited by the stop web 25 of the cap on one edge of the diaphragm 8, as shown in FIG. 10.

In an embodiment according to FIGS. 15 to 17, a hollow cylinder 42 is provided concentrically for additional sealing in the closed position in the interior of the hat 9b, which engages in the liquid channel 6a of the pipe socket after sealing, with sealing. In its lower part, the hollow cylinder 42 has a longitudinal slot 44 as a liquid passage, the width of which corresponds to that of the longitudinal slot 7 in the pipe socket 6 (FIG. 4). In the use position according to FIG. 10, the longitudinal slot 44 ensures an unimpeded liquid passage between the liquid channels 6a and 9c. In the positions according to FIGS. 12 to 14, the wall of the hollow cylinder 42 blocks this liquid passage and thus serves to provide an additional seal for the inner end of the tube 9a.

To form a tamper-evident closure, the lateral opening 3 of the cap can be closed by a tear-off tab 46 integrally formed in accordance with FIGS. 19 and 20. It is connected to the edges 3a of the opening 3 via web-like predetermined breaking points 48.

Figures 21 and 22 show another embodiment of a tamper-evident closure. The tear-off tab shown there runs parallel to the axis of the cap 2 and is wider than the opening 3. It is connected to the cap wall 2b via predetermined breaking points. This embodiment has the advantage that the cap and tear-off tab can be removed from the mold without additional movement.

REFERENCES

• 1 closure
• 2 cap
• 2a cap base
• 2b cap wall
• 3 opening on the side
• 3a edge of this opening
• 4 containers
• 5 plugs
• 5a stopper bottom
• 5b plug wall
• 5c ring groove
• 5d plug axis
• 6 pipe sockets
• 6a liquid channel
• 7 longitudinal slot
• 8 aperture
• 8a stop rib
• 9 swivel spout
• 9a tube
• 9b hat
• 9c fluid channel
• 10 container mouth
• 11 lip
• 13 pipe sockets, lower
• 16 snap ring
• 17 snap cams, below
• 18 snap cams, top
• 23 rib
• 24 positioning web
• 25 stop bar
• 26 wall, cylindrical
• 27 rest bridge
• 35 rand
• 39 1. Driving edge
• 40 2. Driving edge
• 42 hollow cylinders
• 44 longitudinal slot
• 46 tear-off tab
• 48 predetermined breaking point
• 50 tear-off tab
• 52 predetermined breaking point

Claims (8)

1. Plastic container closure with retractable swivel spout (9) and the following components: a) a stopper (5) for closing the mouth of the container, b) an eccentrically arranged, upwardly projecting pipe socket (6) on the stopper bottom, the inner channel of which penetrates the stopper bottom, c) a hat (9b) which overlaps the pipe socket under sealing and rotates on it, which together with a tube (9a) projecting from it transversely to its axis of rotation forms the swivel spout, d) a continuous liquid channel in the hat and tube, e) a sealing device between pipe socket (6) and hat (9b), f) a cap (2) which engages over the stopper and the container mouth, is rotatable relative to the stopper and has a lateral opening (3) for the passage of the tube (9a), g) a diaphragm (8) standing upwards from the stopper base (5a) for closing the lateral opening when the swivel spout (9) is pivoted in, h) a wall (26) seated on the cap base (2a) and projecting against the stopper base (5a) with a first driving edge (39) for pivoting the tube (9a) out,
characterized by the following features: i) a longitudinal slot (7) in the wall of the pipe socket (6) forms, together with the inward end of the liquid channel (9c) of the tube (9a), a tap, j) the diaphragm (8) also serves to seal the pivoted-in free end of the tube (9a), k) a second driving edge (40) provided on the wall (26) is used for swiveling in from the tube up to behind the screen. Container closure according to claim 1, characterized in that a hollow cylinder (42) is attached to the bottom of the hat (9b) for additional sealing of the inner end of the tube (9a) when the swivel spout is fully pivoted in, concentrically and liquid-tight into a liquid channel inside the Pipe socket (6) fits and has a longitudinal slot (44) which faces that of the tube (9a). (Figures 15 to 17) 3. Container closure according to claim 1, characterized by the following features: a) the wall (26) projecting from the cap bottom against the stopper bottom is arranged concentrically to the cap axis and has the shape of a cylinder wall which is closed except for an interruption, the outside diameter of which is somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the diaphragm (8), which is also partially cylindrical, b) the interruption is between the two driving edges (39, 40) and approximately opposite the lateral opening (3) of the cap wall (2b).
(Figures 6 and 7) 4. Container closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the diaphragm (8) serves to limit the cap rotation at least when the use position is reached. (Figure 10) 5. A container closure according to claim 4, characterized in that an inside the cap wall (2b) arranged projection (stop rib 25) together with the one edge of the diaphragm (8) forms a stop for ending the cap rotation after the tube (9a) has been swung out . (Figure 10) 6. Container closure according to claim 4, characterized in that on the inner wall of the diaphragm (8) a projection (stop rib 8a) serves as a stop for the free end of the tube and thus to limit the pivoting movement of the tube. (Figure 14) 7. A container closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral opening (3) of the cap (2) is closed before use for tamper-evident by a one-piece tear-off tab (46, 50). (Figures 19 to 22) 8. Container closure according to claim 7, characterized in that the tear-off tab extends parallel to the cap axis. (Figures 21 and 22)

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