U.S. patent application number 12/090865 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-06 for closure device for containers for beverages or other liquids.
Invention is credited to Paul Son.
Application Number | 20080272122 12/090865 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36579468 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080272122 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Son; Paul |
November 6, 2008 |
Closure Device for Containers for Beverages or Other Liquids
Abstract
A device is fitted with a pouring tube which can be raised after
opening a blocking-off cover and which can then be folded back
down, as also can the cover, to close the container again
hermetically so as to preserve a remaining portion of the beverage
for consumption at a later time. A locking arrangement which breaks
when the cover is opened for the first time tells the purchaser or
consumer that the container is intact or that it has already been
opened. The present security closure device always keeps the
pouring tube in a hygienic state of a standard appropriate for
foodstuffs and keeps the contents of the container free of any
soiling or external contamination. The security closure device,
which is small in thickness, is simple to fix to the top of any
current container and, in particular to any carton made of
cardboard or a similar material.
Inventors: |
Son; Paul;
(Marche-en-Famenne, BE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YOUNG & THOMPSON
209 Madison Street, Suite 500
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
36579468 |
Appl. No.: |
12/090865 |
Filed: |
October 20, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
October 20, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/BE06/00118 |
371 Date: |
April 21, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/278 ;
215/387 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/727 20130101;
B65D 5/746 20130101; B65D 2251/0093 20130101; B65D 47/32 20130101;
B65D 2401/20 20200501; B65D 47/066 20130101; B65D 2251/0025
20130101; B65D 51/224 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/278 ;
215/387 |
International
Class: |
B65D 17/44 20060101
B65D017/44; B65D 83/00 20060101 B65D083/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 21, 2005 |
BE |
2005/0517 |
Claims
1. Closure device for a container for beverages or other liquids,
comprising a base (11) having a cavity (20) whose bottom is pierced
by an opening (21), a blocking-off cover (13) which is attached to
the base by a hinge element in such a way as to be able to pivot
between a position in which it is lowered onto the top of the base
and a position in which it is raised towards the outside of the
base, and a relatively rigid pouring tube (17) having a free end
and an end which is attached to the base by a hinge element in such
a way as to be able to pivot between a lowered position and a
position in which it is raised towards the top of the base (11),
that part of the periphery of the pouring tube (17) which is not
attached to the base (11) being connected to part of the perimeter
of the said opening (21) by a flexible sealing membrane (22),
characterised in that the top face of the base (11) has a
projecting edging (15) around the periphery of the cavity (20), and
the inside face of the cover (13) has a projecting edging (15)
around its periphery which is not attached to the base, in such a
way as to fit round at least part of the projecting edging (12) on
the base (11) when the cover is in the lowered position, above the
pouring tube (17) which is in the lowered position, the said edging
(15) being connected to the base by a security member (18) which is
secured to the base, the said locking member breaking when the free
end of the cover (13) is raised to open the cover.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the security
member (16) projects in a position outside the projecting edging
(12) on the base (11) in such a way that its end is hooked into an
orifice (19) which is formed in the edging (15) of the cover
(13).
3. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the bottom
end of the pouring tube (17) has an extension (24) which, when the
pouring tube is in the lowered position, fits into a recess (26)
which is arranged in the base (11), the end of the said extension
(24) carrying a point (25), the said extension (24) extending below
the bottom face of the base (11) when the pouring tube (17) is
brought to its raised position.
4. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that it is moulded
in one piece
5. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the flat base
(11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole within the
cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off when the
cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position.
6. Container for beverages fitted with a closure device according
to claim 1.
7. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the bottom
end of the pouring tube (17) has an extension (24) which, when the
pouring tube is in the lowered position, fits into a recess (26)
which is arranged in the base (11), the end of the said extension
(24) carrying a point (25), the said extension (24) extending below
the bottom face of the base (11) when the pouring tube (17) is
brought to its raised position.
8. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that it is moulded
in one piece
9. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that it is moulded
in one piece
10. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the flat
base (11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole
within the cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off
when the cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position.
11. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that the flat
base (11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole
within the cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off
when the cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position.
12. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that the flat
base (11) is so formed as to have at least one air-inlet hole
within the cavity (20), the said air-inlet hole being blocked off
when the cover or the pouring tube is in the lowered position.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to containers for beverages or
other liquids and it relates in particular to a closure device for
containers of this kind, such for example as cartons made of
cardboard or a similar material.
[0002] The outer surfaces of containers for beverages are generally
contaminated with soiling and pollution of all kinds resulting from
the temporary holding in store and the various handling operations
which occur during the packaging, transport and storage of the
containers.
[0003] In distribution networks for example, containers for
beverages are handled a large number of times by different people,
and in the refrigerated cabinets in supermarkets they are often
handled by large numbers of customers, in particular to allow the
customers to see how fresh they are. Also, the containers are often
placed straight down on the ground and are thus within the reach of
animals and may come into contact with chemicals, detritus, grease,
oil, etc. All this means that the hygienic state of containers for
beverages is generally doubtful.
[0004] In another connection, it often happens in the case of a
container for beverages or other liquids which is produced in the
form of a carton that, when the carton has been opened and is
tilted by the consumer to pour its contents into a glass or other
receptacle, liquid spills onto the carton and spreads around the
receptacle.
[0005] To protect the contents of a container from soiling and
contamination when they are being consumed or poured into a
receptacle, it has already been proposed that the container for
food products be fitted with a pouring tube or a tube acting as a
spout which is able to pivot between a lowered position in which
the duct passing through it does not communicate with the inside of
the container and a raised position in which the duct passing
through it does communicate with the inside of the container.
Publication WO 03/051733 A describes a lid comprising a relatively
rigid pivoting tube which, when folded down, is protected under a
blocking-off cover and which enables the container to which it is
fixed to be closed again hermetically after it has been opened and
which thus, when the container is not emptied all in one go,
enables what is left of the food product to be preserved under
better hygienic conditions with a view to consumption at a later
time.
[0006] The present invention relates to a closure device for
containers which are produced in the form of a carton made of
cardboard or a similar material, which closure device enables the
container to be closed again hermetically after it has been opened
and gives the consumer a guarantee not only that the contents of
the container are of perfectly good quality as food but also that
the container and its contents are absolutely intact, i.e. that the
container has not been opened yet.
[0007] The closure device according to the invention is defined in
the claims. The device is flat, can be fixed to the top of a face
of the container in a simple way and is of only small thickness on
the top of the container. It also ensures that the beverage or
liquid will flow out easily, thus enabling the container to be
emptied completely without any dribbling or splashing onto the
closure device or around the receptacle into which the product is
poured. The device according to the invention can be manufactured
in a simple way all in one piece by an industrial production
process and it can be fixed to any ordinary container or carton
currently in use.
[0008] The closure device according to the invention enables
containers for food products to be produced which can emptied
easily all in one go or in stages and which always preserve the
product in hygienic conditions of a standard appropriate for
foodstuffs.
[0009] The features and advantages of the invention will be more
clearly apparent from perusal of the following description, which
is given by reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of container
closure device according to the invention, showing the blocking-off
cover closed,
[0011] FIG. 2 shows the cover of FIG. 1 with the blocking-off cover
in the raised position,
[0012] FIG. 3 shows the device of FIG. 2 with the pouring spout in
the raised position,
[0013] FIG. 4 is an elevation, to an enlarged scale, of the
security device when the cover is not completely closed,
[0014] FIG. 5 is an elevation, to an enlarged scale, of the
security device when the cover is closed,
[0015] FIG. 6 is a view partly in section on line 6-6 in FIG.
5,
[0016] FIG. 7 is a view in section of a first embodiment of closure
device according to the invention when fixed to a container,
showing the cover open and the pouring tube in the lowered
position,
[0017] FIG. 8 shows the device represented in FIG. 7 with the
pouring tube in the raised position,
[0018] FIG. 9 is a view in section of another embodiment of closure
device according to the invention, showing the cover open and the
pouring tube in the lowered position,
[0019] FIG. 10 shows the device represented in FIG. 9 with the
pouring tube in the raised position.
[0020] In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate
members which are identical or equivalent to one another.
[0021] FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of a container closure
device according to the invention. The closure device 10 comprises
a base 11 having a generally flat inside face which is intended to
be fixed to the top face of a container. The top face of the base
11 has a projecting edging 12 around the periphery of a cavity 20
which in cross-section is of a generally oblong shape. A
blocking-off cover 13 is attached to one side of the edging 12 by a
hinge element 14 in such a way as to be able to pivot between a
position where it is lowered onto the edging 14, thus closing off
the cavity 20 (FIG. 1), and a raised position (FIG. 2). The cover
13 has, on its inside face, a peripheral edging 15 which fits round
the edging 12 on three of its sides when the cover is in the
lowered position.
[0022] When in the raised position, the cover 13 exposes a pouring
tube 17 which is housed in the cavity 20 and which is attached to
the edging 12 by a hinge element 16 in such a way as to be able to
pivot between a lowered position and a raised position in which it
extends towards the outside of the base 11 (FIG. 3). The pouring
tube is preferably formed by a relatively rigid tube which has for
example a plane face and whose cross-section is adequate to ensure
that the liquid can flow out satisfactorily and that the container
to which the closure device according to the invention is fixed can
be fully emptied.
[0023] The blocking-off cover is locked in its lowered position by
a locking arrangement which is intended to give the purchaser or
consumer a guarantee that the closure device has not been opened
and that the contents of the container to which it is fixed are
intact or, on the other hand, to indicate that the closure device
has already been opened. The said locking arrangement is formed by
a member which is secured to the cover and which co-operates with a
member which is secured to the base in such a way as to be situated
in a first state in which locking is ensured, or in a second state
which indicates that the cover has already been opened. In the
embodiment which is shown in the drawings, the locking arrangement
comprises a security member 18 which projects from the top face of
the base 11, outside the peripheral edging 12, and whose end is
hooked into an orifice 19 which is formed in the edging 15 of the
cover 13 and into which the end of the member 18 fits when the
cover is placed in the lowered position for the first time. The
locking arrangement is shown to an enlarged scale in FIGS. 4 to
6.
[0024] In FIG. 4 there can be seen, before locking, the security
member 18 in the form of a punch-like member which is formed on the
top face of the base 11, and the orifice 19 in the edging 15 of the
cover 13. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the locking arrangement when the cover
13 is locked. The end of the punch-like member 18, which is in the
form of an arrowhead, is then held against the edge of the orifice
19 by its barbs and is thus unable to escape therefrom, which locks
the cover 13 to the closure device. When the cover is opened for
the first time, the thinned stem of the punch-like member 18 breaks
and the cover 18 can then pivot and be raised. In this way, the
consumer can see immediately whether or not the cover has already
been opened. When the end of the punch-like safety member 18 is
free in the orifice 19, it means that the cover has already been
opened. When on the other hand the punch-like security member is
intact and is holding the cover down, the consumer is sure that the
closure device has not been opened. It is understood that the
projecting member could equally well be secured to the cover and
could hook onto an edge of an orifice which was provided in the
base. A plurality of security arrangements may be provided in a
loop around the cover. The raising of the cover 13 is facilitated
by a suitable cavity 12a which is formed at one or more than one
point in the edging 12.
[0025] The closure device according to the invention is intended to
be fixed to the top face of a container such for example as a
carton, made of cardboard or a similar material, which contains a
beverage or some other liquid foodstuff, the flat bottom face of
the base 11 being fixed to a face of the container by, for example,
welding. When the blocking-off cover 13 is unlocked and open, the
consumer raises the pouring tube 17, the duct within which is thus
placed in direct communication with the inside of the carton via a
clear passage which is formed in the way which will be described
below by reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, which are views in section of
the closure device 10 when fixed to the top of a carton 30 which
has an orifice 31. The fixing is performed in such a way that, in
the raised position, the duct within the pouring tube 17 is in
direct communication with the orifice 31 in the carton by way of a
clear passage. FIG. 7 shows the closure device 10 with the cover
open and the pouring tube in the lowered position, and FIG. 8 shows
the closure device 10 with the cover open and the pouring tube in
the raised position.
[0026] One end of the pouring tube 17 is attached for a certain
distance, at its periphery, to the edging 12 on the base 11 by a
hinge element 16 which enables the tube 17 to be pivoted between
its lowered position and a raised position in which its extends
towards the outside of the cavity. In the embodiment which is shown
by way of example in the drawings, the hinge element 16 is situated
at that end of the cavity 20 which is opposite from the end at
which the hinge element 14 by which the cover 13 is attached to the
base is situated, A flexible sealing membrane 22 connects that part
of the periphery of the pouring tube 17 which is not attached to
the edging 12 of the cavity to a part of the periphery of an
opening 21 which is formed in the bottom of the cavity 20 in the
base 11.
[0027] When the pouring tube 17 is in the lowered position, its
bottom end is positioned against the wall of the cavity 20 and the
membrane 22 prevents any communication between the duct within the
pouring tube 17 and the opening 21, and hence any communication
between the duct within the tube 17 and the inside of the carton,
so that the liquid contained in the carton is unable to enter the
pouring tube. This being the case, no splashing or spillage of
liquid can occur when the pouring tube is then moved to its raised
position. When the tube 17 is in the raised position, the flexible
membrane 22 is clear of the opening 21 in the base 11 and defines
within the cavity 20, with a seal, a passage to the opening 21
which places the duct within the pouring tube 17 in communication
with the inside of the carton 30. When the consumer tilts the
carton to pour its contents into a receptacle, no spilling of
liquid can take place onto the top of the closure device. What is
more, the cross-section of the clear passage in the form of a
funnel facilitates the outflow of the liquid and the complete
emptying of the carton.
[0028] When the consumer does not empty the carton fitted with the
closure device according to the invention all in one go, it is
possible for him to return the pouring tube 17 to its lowered
position and then to fold the cover back down. The carton is then
again hermetically closed, which avoids the risk of having insects,
cigarette ends, particles of dust or other rubbish of any kind get
into the carton. The pouring tube, which may also serve as a spout
enabling the consumer to drink straight from the carton, and the
contents of the carton thus remain sheltered from any external
contamination.
[0029] Given that it remains protected under the cover 13 until the
securitised opening of this latter, the pouring tube 12 of the
closure device according to the invention is always hygienic to a
standard appropriate for foodstuffs and prevents there from being
any risk of contamination for the contents of the carton or for the
consumer. What is more, being made of a synthetic material, the
cover does not cut or catch on the fingers of the consumer.
[0030] A stop member 23 may advantageously be provided at the free
end of the pouring tube 17, to come to rest on an abutment which is
formed on the base 11 when the pouring tube 17 is moved to the
lowered position.
[0031] FIGS. 9 and 10 show a variant embodiment of the closure
device according to the invention. The closure device 10 is fixed
to the top of a carton 30 which has an orifice 31 which is
temporarily blocked off by a blocking-off membrane 32. The closure
device 10, which is initially locked, differs from the one which
was described above by reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 only in the form
taken by the bottom end of the pouring tube 17.
[0032] In this embodiment, the pouring tube 17 has at its bottom
end, in that part of its periphery which is opposite from the part
which is attached to the edging 12 on the base, an extension 24
which, when the pouring tube is in the lowered position, fits into
a recess 26 which is formed in the base on the side on which the
passage 21 is situated. The recess 26 in the base comes into place
above the orifice 31 in the carton which is blocked off by the
blocking-off membrane 32. The free end of the extension 24 of the
pouring tube 17 is in the form of a point which advantageously has
an element 25 which forms a cutter. When the pouring tube is in the
lowered position, the tip of the cutter 25 is not in contact with
the blocking-off membrane 32; this stops the membrane 32 from being
split accidentally when the container is being handled.
[0033] When the pouring tube 17 is moved to its raised position
(FIG. 10), the cutter 25 which the end of the extension 24 of the
pouring tube 17 has comes into contact with and presses against the
blocking-off membrane 32 in the course of the pivoting movement of
the pouring tube 17 and splits the said membrane. The orifice 31 in
the carton 30 is thus opened and places the duct within the pouring
tube 17 in direct communication with the inside of the container
30. The flexible sealing membrane 22 ensures that the passage which
is opened is sealed in the way which was described above. When the
consumer tilts the carton to pour its contents into a receptacle,
no spilling of the liquid occurs onto the top of the closure
device. What is more, the cross-section of the clear passage in the
form of a funnel facilitates the outflow of the liquid and the
complete emptying of the carton. The closure device can be closed
again to enable the remainder of the contents of the carton to be
hermetically preserved if the carton has not been completely
emptied.
[0034] The closure device according to the invention may be
produced to be of small thickness and is easy to manufacture by
moulding all in one piece. The hinge elements are for example
formed by an elastomer which is formed integrally with the base.
The device can be fixed to a container or carton of a current type
simply by adhesive-bonding it or welding it to the top of the
container, such for example as to cartons made of cardboard or a
similar material and in particular to cartons or packs which are
known by the name Tetra Pak.
[0035] It is understood that the embodiments which are shown in the
drawings and described above are merely illustrative embodiments
according to the invention and that the invention is in no way
limited to these embodiments. The closure device according to the
invention may for example be given one or more air-inlet holes
which are intended to be opened, when the cover or the pouring tube
is brought to the raised position, in such a way as to place the
liquid contained in the container under atmospheric pressure and
thus to facilitate the emptying of the container.
* * * * *