EP2033906A1 - Ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement pour récipient, récipients munis d'un tel ensemble et méthode de fabrication d'un récipient rempli muni d'un ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement - Google Patents

Ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement pour récipient, récipients munis d'un tel ensemble et méthode de fabrication d'un récipient rempli muni d'un ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement Download PDF

Info

Publication number: EP2033906A1
Authority: EP; European Patent Office
Prior art keywords: skirt; choking; inner face; cap body; cap
Prior art date: 2007-09-07
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.): Granted

Application number

EP08163746A

Other languages

German (de)

English (en)

Other versions

EP2033906B1 (fr

Inventor

Laurens Last

Thomas Van Der Schoor

Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

IPN IP BV

Original Assignee

IPN IP BV

Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)

2007-09-07

Filing date

2008-09-05

Publication date

2009-03-11

2008-09-05 Application filed by IPN IP BV filed Critical IPN IP BV

2008-09-05 Priority to EP08163746A priority Critical patent/EP2033906B1/fr

2009-03-11 Publication of EP2033906A1 publication Critical patent/EP2033906A1/fr

2010-12-01 Application granted granted Critical

2010-12-01 Publication of EP2033906B1 publication Critical patent/EP2033906B1/fr

Status Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current

2028-09-05 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Images

Classifications

- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
- B65D51/24—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2213/00—Safety means

Definitions

a first aspect of the present invention relates to an anti-choking safety cap assembly for a container.
the first aspect of the invention also relates to a container provided with an anti-choking safety cap assembly.
a unitary plastic cap in particular a cap that is to be detached from the container.
the cap can be adapted to effect the closing of the container, or the cap can be adapted as an overcap, e.g. covering the bidon-type closure of the container.
an overcap e.g. covering the bidon-type closure of the container.
plastic caps In practice a significant percentage of all plastic caps has outer dimensions which are such that the cap forms a choke hazard, in particular for a child. In many countries objects that pass through a 3 cm inner diameter tube are consider a choke hazard, and many ordinary plastic caps fall in said category.
Plastic caps with such relatively large outer dimensions may cause one or more problems.
One of these problems lies in the manufacturing of the caps, which is commonly done in mass production by injection moulding.
a large size cap causes relatively slow injection moulding.
Another problem lies in the handling of such caps by automated container filling and capping machinery.
a further problem may be observed when aseptic filling and capping of the container is desired.
the large size cap may be difficult to clean according to aseptic standards and handling of such large size caps may be difficult in an aseptic chamber of an aseptic production line, in particular on an existing line.
the first aspect of the present invention aims to overcome one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks.
the first aspect of the present invention provides an anti-choking safety cap assembly for a container according to claim 1.
the design of the cap body as described in claim 1 is well known in many different embodiments.
the upper and lower portion of the skirt may have about equal height, but it is also envisaged that the heights of these upper and lower portions are quite different from one another, e.g. the lower portion being of a marginal height (e.g. 1-3 millimetres) so that the shoulder face is then located near the lowermost edge of the skirt.
Caps are known with a multitude of slender elongated vertical ribs, but also caps with a quite low number (e.g. eight) ribs distributed around the circumference, each ribs e.g. being relatively wide in said circumferential direction are also known.
the two parts of the assembly are manufactured preferably by injection moulding, allowing an efficient production for each part.
Assemblage of the assembly is simple as the anti-choking body can be simply lowered over the cap body from above (or the cap body inserted into the opening in the anti-choking body from below).
This simple assembly can be automated effectively by suitable machinery.
the abutting of the shoulder faces causes the correct positioning in "axial direction" of the cap body and the anti-choking body with respect to one another.
the engaging of the one or more teeth, preferably multiple teeth, between the ribs allows to prevent relative rotation and thus also allows a user to grip the anti-choking body for handling of the cap, e.g. increasing the torque when the cap is a screw cap or bayonet cap.
the two-part design of the assembly also allows for the cap body to be handled under aseptic conditions when it is desired to fill and cap the container in such conditions, whereas the anti-choking body can be handled without aseptic requirements and simply be fitted later on the already filled and capped container (e.g. at an automated station arranged downstream of the aseptic chamber in a production line for filled and capped containers).
a second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for production of a container filled with a substance and equipped with an anti-choking safety cap.
the first aspect of the invention also relates to a unitary plastic anti-choking body as specified in claim 1 for mounting on a cap body as specified in claim 1.
the second aspect of the invention aims to provide a method to overcome one or more of these problems.
the second aspect of the invention provides a method according to claim 8.
the second aspect of the invention relates to a method wherein the filling of the substance takes places in an aseptic chamber so as to allow for filling under aseptic conditions.
the second aspect of the invention also relates to a container produced according to said method.
the assembly is composed of two plastic parts, namely a unitary plastic cap body 1 and a unitary plastic anti-choking body 20. Both parts are manufactured by injection moulding from a suitable plastic materials.
the cap body 1 shown here is a screw cap with tamper-evident features.
the cap body 1 can be screwed on the neck of a container which is not shown, e.g. of a (plastic) bottle, a collapsible pouch provided with a spout having a neck, etc.
the cap body 1 has a closed top end, here formed by an substantially planar circular top wall 2, and an annular skirt 3 extending downwards from the top end to a lowermost skirt edge 4.
the skirt 3 here joins the top wall 2 at the outer periphery thereof.
the top end is dome-shaped and the skirt could e.g. be more conical or pointed towards such a dome shaped top end.
the skirt 3 has an upper skirt portion 3a and a lower skirt portion 3b, the lower skirt portion 3b generally having greater cross-sectional outer dimensions than the upper skirt portion 3a.
the skirt 3 has a shoulder face 5, here an annular extending face 5 as is preferred, between said upper and lower skirt portions 3a,b.
this region is provided with gripping ribs 7 spaced apart in circumferential direction.
gripping ribs 7 spaced apart in circumferential direction.
ribs 7 extend in axial or vertical direction of the cap body.
cap body 1 shown here is a screw cap the interior of the skirt 3 is provided with a screw thread 11.
the cap body 1 also includes an integral tamper-evident feature, here formed by a tamper-evident band 12 connected to the skirt via one or more breakable bridges as is known in the art.
the anti-choking body 20 has an upper side 20a and a lower side 20b.
the body 20 has a portion 21, here annular as is preferred, with an inner face 22 delimiting an opening 23 which extends throughout the anti-choking body 20.
the inner face 22 has an upper inner face portion 22a, a lower inner face portion 22b, and a shoulder face 22c between said upper and lower inner face portions 22a,b.
the lower inner face portion 22b is substantially complementary to the cross-sectional outer dimensions of the lower skirt portion 3b near the shoulder face 5 of the skirt 3 of the cap body 1.
the upper inner face portion 22a has one or more teeth 25 each adapted to be received between neighbouring gripping ribs 7 on the upper skirt portion 3a of the cap body 1.
the anti- choking body 20 further has one or more outer portions 28 integral with the inner portion 22 and of greater cross-sectional dimensions than said inner portion 22 so as to prevent choking when the assembly is swallowed, preferably rendering the assembly unable to pass through a 3 cm inner diameter tube.
multiple outer portions 28 are arranged around the inner portion 21, here of triangular shape so as to obtain a star shape outer contour.
the one or more outer portions 28 can have widely differing shapes, e.g. flower petals, a cross, an annular portion, etc.
the one or more outer portions 28 preferably define breathing passages at the outer contour of the body (as in this example) and/or a provided with breathing passages.
the one or more outer portions 28 are of planar design, but other shapes (more three-dimensional shapes) are possible as well.
cap body 1 extends with its skirt 3 through the opening 23 of the anti-choking body 20, such that the shoulder face 7 of said cap body 1 and the shoulder face 22c of the anti-choking body 20 abut one another.
the lower skirt portion 3b fits in the lower inner face portion 22b.
the lower skirt portion and the lower inner face portion are designed to provide a retaining of the one body with respect to the other.
the retaining force is at least 50N when it is attempted to pull the bodies apart.
the lower skirt portion 3b and corresponding inner face portion 22b are configured to obtain a snap-fit as is preferred.
the lower skirt portion has one or more snap members, e.g. tabs or an inwardly direction snap rim, snapping under the lowermost edge of said inner face portion 22c.
the lower skirt portion could also be provided with a groove or recess to receive such a snap member or the configuration could be the reverse wherein the skirt has one or more snap members and the portion 22b a corresponding recess or groove.
a press-fit could be envisaged between the bodies 1, 20. Less advantageous are connections that require an adhesive, welding, or the like fastening techniques.
the one or more teeth 25 of the anti-choking body 20 are received between neighbouring gripping ribs 7. As explained this e.g. allows the user to exert a torque on the cap body (here for screwing and unscrewing) which is greater than when the body 20 would be absent.
the installation comprises an arrangement of one or more conveyors 30 forming a conveying path.
a station 31 is provided to feed previously manufactured containers to the conveying path.
one or more stations are adapted to create the container, e.g. by erecting a blank or creating a pouch from film material.
a container to be filled with a substance is provided.
the installation comprises a filling station 33 were each container is filled with said substance, mostly via the neck of the container or via another opening (e.g. via a seam in a pouch which is later sealed).
a cap application station 34 is positioned downstream of the filling station to effect the closing of the pouch.
a filled and closed container provided with a cap is established in the installation.
the cap it is quite common for the cap to have a unitary plastic cap body on said container, said unitary plastic cap body having a closed top end and an annular skirt extending downwards from the top end to a lowermost skirt edge, at least a circumferentially extending region of the exterior of the skirt being provided with gripping ribs spaced apart in circumferential direction.
FIG. 3 now shows that in the installation a further station 35 is provided along the conveyors 30, where a unitary plastic anti-choking body (such as body 20) is placed on said cap body, said anti-choking body having an upper side and a lower side, the body having inner portion with an inner face delimiting an opening, said inner face having an inner face portion being substantially complementary to the cross-sectional outer dimensions of a skirt portion of the skirt of the cap body, the inner face having one or more teeth each adapted to be received between neighbouring gripping ribs on the skirt of the cap body, the anti-choking body further having one or more outer portions integral with the inner portion and of greater cross-sectional dimensions than said inner portion so as to prevent choking, the cap body extending with its skirt in said opening of the anti-choking body, such that the one or more teeth of the anti-choking body being each received between neighbouring gripping ribs.
a unitary plastic anti-choking body such as body 20
Figure 3 shows with dotted lines the contour of an aseptic chamber 36 wherein the steps of filling of the container and application of the cap body is performed.
the station 35 is placed outside said chamber 36 so that the application of the anti-choking body on the cap body is performed after said steps and outside of said aseptic chamber.

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Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
Closures For Containers (AREA)
Cartons (AREA)

EP08163746A 2007-09-07 2008-09-05 Ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement pour récipient, récipients munis d'un tel ensemble et méthode de fabrication d'un récipient rempli muni d'un ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement Not-in-force EP2033906B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number	Priority Date	Filing Date	Title
EP08163746A EP2033906B1 (fr)	2007-09-07	2008-09-05	Ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement pour récipient, récipients munis d'un tel ensemble et méthode de fabrication d'un récipient rempli muni d'un ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number	Priority Date	Filing Date	Title
EP07075771		2007-09-07
EP08163746A EP2033906B1 (fr)	2007-09-07	2008-09-05	Ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement pour récipient, récipients munis d'un tel ensemble et méthode de fabrication d'un récipient rempli muni d'un ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement

Publications (2)

Publication Number	Publication Date
EP2033906A1 true EP2033906A1 (fr)	2009-03-11
EP2033906B1 EP2033906B1 (fr)	2010-12-01

Family

ID=40032878

Family Applications (1)

Application Number	Title	Priority Date	Filing Date
EP08163746A Not-in-force EP2033906B1 (fr)	2007-09-07	2008-09-05	Ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement pour récipient, récipients munis d'un tel ensemble et méthode de fabrication d'un récipient rempli muni d'un ensemble de capuchon de sécurité anti-étouffement

Country Status (3)

Country	Link
EP (1)	EP2033906B1 (fr)
AT (1)	ATE490192T1 (fr)
DE (1)	DE602008003722D1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
EP2253555A1 (fr) *	2009-05-19	2010-11-24	DEUTSCHE SISI-WERKE GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG	Capuchon anti-étouffement pour récipient
NL2007572C2 (en) *	2011-10-11	2013-04-15	Ipn Ip Bv	A collapsible pouch closure assembly.

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
DE202016100857U1 (de)	2016-02-18	2017-05-22	Pöppelmann Holding GmbH & Co. KG	Verschlusskappe

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
US5480044A (en) *	1994-07-27	1996-01-02	Nosser; Steven E.	Safety cap
US5489050A (en) *	1994-04-19	1996-02-06	Ncm International, Inc.	Insert for a bottle closure
US5738232A (en) *	1996-01-05	1998-04-14	The Cdm Company, Inc.	Clutch adapter to prevent over-tightening an end cap to a fluid reservoir
US20040238564A1 (en) *	2003-06-02	2004-12-02	Bourque Raymond Anthony	Fitment for a flexible pouch with child-safety properties
US20050165351A1 (en) *	2004-01-28	2005-07-28	Tamagni Henry A.Jr.	No choke cover cap

2008
- 2008-09-05 DE DE602008003722T patent/DE602008003722D1/de active Active
- 2008-09-05 AT AT08163746T patent/ATE490192T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2008-09-05 EP EP08163746A patent/EP2033906B1/fr not_active Not-in-force

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
US5489050A (en) *	1994-04-19	1996-02-06	Ncm International, Inc.	Insert for a bottle closure
US5480044A (en) *	1994-07-27	1996-01-02	Nosser; Steven E.	Safety cap
US5738232A (en) *	1996-01-05	1998-04-14	The Cdm Company, Inc.	Clutch adapter to prevent over-tightening an end cap to a fluid reservoir
US20040238564A1 (en) *	2003-06-02	2004-12-02	Bourque Raymond Anthony	Fitment for a flexible pouch with child-safety properties
US20050165351A1 (en) *	2004-01-28	2005-07-28	Tamagni Henry A.Jr.	No choke cover cap

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
EP2253555A1 (fr) *	2009-05-19	2010-11-24	DEUTSCHE SISI-WERKE GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG	Capuchon anti-étouffement pour récipient
EP2468658A1 (fr) *	2009-05-19	2012-06-27	Deutsche SiSi-Werke Betriebs GmbH	Clapet de fermeture protégé contre l'ingestion pour récipients, notamment récipients alimentaires et en particulier sacs à boisson
USD764915S1 (en)	2009-05-19	2016-08-30	Deutsche Sisi-Werke Betriebs Gmbh	Safety closure
US9637279B2 (en)	2009-05-19	2017-05-02	Deutsche Sisi-Werke Betriebs Gmbh	Safety closure for beverage containers
NL2007572C2 (en) *	2011-10-11	2013-04-15	Ipn Ip Bv	A collapsible pouch closure assembly.
WO2013053651A1 (fr)	2011-10-11	2013-04-18	Ipn Ip B.V.	Ensemble fermeture de poche pouvant être écrasée

Also Published As

Publication number	Publication date
EP2033906B1 (fr)	2010-12-01
ATE490192T1 (de)	2010-12-15
DE602008003722D1 (de)	2011-01-13

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