DE102008007301A1 - Cover with ventilation opening - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure lid (2) made of sheet metal for attachment to an opening of a container (4), in particular for food, the container contents to be kept until the first opening of the lid (2) under a negative pressure, with a spanning the opening and against a peripheral edge (36) of the opening sealing closure part (8) and an integrally connected to the closure part (8), the peripheral edge (36) on its outer side surrounding edge part (10), wherein the closure part (8) provided with a ventilation opening (20) is, which is closed by a peelable film seal. It is proposed that the ventilation opening (20) has an opening cross section of more than three mm 2.

Description

The The invention relates to a closure lid made of sheet metal for attachment on an opening of a container, in particular a food-containing container, its contents held until the first opening of the lid under a negative pressure to be with one spanning the opening and sealing member sealing against a peripheral edge of the opening and an integrally connected to the closure part, the peripheral edge surrounding on its outer edge part, the closure part with a ventilation opening which is closed by a peelable film seal is. The invention further relates to a container, in particular a food container whose opening is through such, mounted on the peripheral edge closure cap is closed.

It is a series of metal lids in the trade, in which the edge part with an inwardly projecting circumferential or interrupted beading or flanging provided is. These lids are quite commonly used with one Foods such as mustard, mayonnaise or the like, stuffed To seal glass containers airtight, in which the peripheral edge surrounding the container opening does not have sufficient thickness to attach a screw thread and / or in which the container after the consumption of the container contents suitable for further use as a drinking glass. To secure the Quality of the contents of the container becomes the content of this Container normally until first opening kept under a negative pressure, which is a control of maintenance the seal between cap and opening edge allowed. However, this has the consequence that when you first open of such a lid not only the mechanical anchoring of the Lids on the container due to the engagement of the bead behind the usually thickened peripheral edge of the container but also to overcome the negative pressure in the container is. Especially with caps with larger Diameter, this is only with considerable force or under Use of technical aids possible, which is not rare leads to damage to the lid.

issues Opening often occurs in canned foods too. or jam jars with metallic screw caps on, whose content is also under a negative pressure. The screw cap such Containers have one against the peripheral edge of the container opening adjoining closure part and one connected to the closure part, the peripheral edge on its outer side surrounding edge part on, for engagement with protruding thread ribs on the outside of the peripheral edge at its free lower Front end with an inwardly protruding bead or Flare is provided. This bead or flange when tightening the lid against the bottom of the thread ribs Pressed and ensures together with the negative pressure inside the Container for a secure hold of the lid and a gas-tight closure of the container. To open must the screw cap are turned off, but in particular older and weaker people are often quite difficult.

To solve these problems, a number of caps of the type mentioned has already been proposed, such as in the DE 297 11 363 U1 or the US 6,194,011 disclosed. In these lids, the foil seal can be withdrawn prior to the first opening of the container to let ambient air through the vent into the container. As a result, the negative pressure in the container is eliminated, whereupon the lid can be opened most easily.

In addition, by the applicants themselves in the DE 20 2004 007 079 U1 as well as in the WO 2005/108233 A1 some further closure cap of the aforementioned type proposed in which the closed by the sealing foil ventilation opening is arranged outside of a molded in the middle of the closure cap click bubble.

Click bubbles, which are also referred to as a flip or button, have long been used on a large scale on metallic screw caps of glass preserves with preserves, jam or the like glass containers. These click-bubbles are circular cambers that have been formed in the center of their closure parts under specific stress conditions during the manufacture of the screw caps and which are forced downwards from the ambient pressure into the container interior when the pressure difference between the ambient pressure and the negative pressure in the Containers exceeds a predetermined level. When the screw caps have been loosened the first time the container is opened so that ambient air between a formed on the bottom of the lid seal and the peripheral edge of the container can enter through the latter, the click bubbles with an audible clicking sound back up to its unloaded position , However, the already mentioned, required to open these screw caps not inconsiderable effort to many consumers to screw the lid put her palm on the top of the lid, so that the click sound generated when the click bubble bursting cushioned or no audible click sound is generated. In addition, many consumers focus on the necessary energy expenditure open the container so much on the opening process itself that the click sound is not perceived. This is also helped by the noise produced when unscrewing the cover, which may overlap or even drown out the click sound. In addition, the snap-up of the click bubble for the consumer is not visually verifiable, since there is hardly a way to take the lid to screw on so that the click bubble remains visible.

Due to the eccentric arrangement of the ventilation opening and the foil seal at the by the applicants in the DE 20 2004 007 079 U1 and in the WO 2005/108233 A1 suggested lids, the flash-up of the provided in the center of the lid click bubble visually and acoustically well perceived differently than in the other known lids, because the process of the snap-up of the click bubble by the attacking on the foil seal fingers of the consumer is neither obscured nor hindered and because unlike a bubble seal that completely or partially overlaps the click bubble, the click click does not produce any cushioning by the seal.

Even though this concept for every kind of food container with a cap of the type mentioned very well suited is to facilitate the opening of the lid and at the same time one excellent visibility and audibility of the high-speed To ensure the click bubble has been implemented of the concept into practice yet showed that there are still some problems to be solved.

One These problems is that the ventilation opening on the one hand should be as small as possible to get an entry of impurities and germs through the ventilation opening into the container as much as possible to prevent if the container open after first opening for the final consumption of the contents of the container is kept for some time. Surprisingly however, in experiments found that the entry of air through the ventilation opening after removing the foil seal especially with small vents not was always guaranteed.

One Another problem is that the use of an outside the click bubble arranged eccentrically on the closure part of a screw cap Foil seal with a sealed part and one piece Grip bottle connected to the sealing part, which is to the relief Do not stick to the fastener, easily lead to it can that the grip tab when screwing the screw cap on a container of those used for tightening Means, such as friction belt or the like, is detected. this could under unfavorable circumstances to a demolition lead the foil seal from the cap, which in turn to Consequence would be that loaded with impurities and germs Air through the ventilation opening into the interior of the Penetrate container and there to a spoilage of food could result in whatever circumstances must be avoided.

outgoing It is the object of the invention to provide a closure lid and a container of the type mentioned above to improve that avoids the occurrence of the aforementioned problems can be.

This object is achieved according to a first alternative of the invention in that the ventilation opening has an opening cross section of more than 3 mm ² . For this purpose, a round ventilation opening with an inner diameter of 2 mm or more is preferably introduced into the closure part of the lid. In experiments, it has been found that such an opening cross section or diameter is sufficient to ensure release of the film seal a release of the ventilation opening safely. The cause of the release opening of the film opening, which depends on the opening cross-section or diameter of the ventilation opening, is that the adhesion of an adhesive layer arranged between the film seal and the top side of the closure part of the cover to the underside of the film seal or the internal cohesion of the adhesion layer increases in the area above the ventilation opening with increasing opening cross-section or diameter of the ventilation opening. In the experiments, it has been shown that thereby a detachment of the adhesive layer from the underside of the film seal or possibly a cohesive failure within the adhesive layer are avoided immediately above the vent and thus blocking the ventilation opening when removing the film seal by remaining material of the adhesive layer due Delamination of the same can be prevented.

In order to still keep the ventilation opening as small as possible, provides a further advantageous embodiment of the invention in this case, that the adhesive layer is formed so that it adheres to the tear seal above the ventilation opening on the film seal when tearing the film seal, while they are around the ventilation opening split by cohesive failure into two sub-layers, one of which adheres to the underside of the foil seal and the other to the top of the closure lid. This embodiment has the advantages that on the one hand a large adhesion forces between the adhesive layer and the underside of the foil seal and the top of the closure cap provided be counteracted a release of the adhesive layer from the underside of the foil seal and on the other hand, the force required to rupture the adhesive layer along the edge of the ventilation opening can be reduced.

About that In addition, it has been shown that too small a ventilation opening also a rapid inflow of air into the container which may in turn slow you down Bounce the click bubble and thus to a quieter, for the user does not hear so good click sound would lead. With the aforementioned opening cross-section This problem can certainly be avoided.

The The film seal itself is preferably made of a gas-tight aluminum foil, the around the preferably circular vent opening around by the adhesive layer is connected to the lid, and indeed on a surface whose radius is a multiple of the radius the ventilation opening is.

Around It is preferred to join the foil seal to the lid on its underside facing the lid with a plastic-containing paint coated with a corresponding, on top of the Cover applied plastic-containing paint melts and the Adhesive layer forms when the foil seal applied to the lid in the area of its sealed part briefly to a melting temperature the paint exceeds the temperature and heated it is pressed against the lid. The can Sealing film or the top of the lid over the entire surface or only partially in the areas to be sealed with the paint However, in the former case only heated the sealer and pressed against the lid may be. To fuse the paint layers on the film seal and to facilitate the top of the lid contains the the paint layer on the underside of the film seal forming paint functional as well as the paint on the top the cover polypropylene, which is molten during heat sealing becomes.

According to one Further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the film seal one on the top of the lid on the edge of the ventilation opening sealed seal part and one piece with the seal part connected grip tab on one side over the preferred survives substantially circular seal part, with its central axis expedient in essence perpendicular to one through the ventilation opening extending cover radius is aligned. This way you can the film seal are peeled off in one direction, the side runs past the click bubble, so this when pulling off not from the fingers engaged with the grip tab covered by the consumer.

Around a detection of the grip tab by the mechanical screwing a closure lid on this acting means, such as friction belt or the like, to avoid the grip tab according to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention and for opposed to the patent-pending second invention alternative the direction of rotation of the lid when screwed onto the container aligned.

Around to facilitate grasping the handle tab of the foil seal, the grip tab can be embossed which causes her from the sealing part remote rear edge something protrudes above the lid surface. Alternatively or additionally, for the same purpose as well the closure part of the lid near the ventilation opening provided with a small impressed high vault become.

A Another preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the Ventilation opening and the foil seal within a recessed annular portion of the closure lid between the outer edge of the click bubble and the Sealing edge is arranged, wherein the sealing part of the foil seal is sealed on the bottom of the recessed section and where the grip tab protrudes into the recessed section so that this not only the above the ventilation opening arranged seal part of the foil seal but also the entire Grip bottle houses, the top of which is appropriate below one of the top of the sealing edge or of the Top of the retracted click bubble is spanned plane.

Around to complicate a possible manipulation of the container, provides a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, that the foil seal after its removal is no longer on the lid liable. However, a seal variant can be used if required that will be over the vent again stick to the lid.

in the Following is the invention with reference to two shown in the drawing Embodiments explained in more detail. Show it:

1 a top view of a closure cap according to the invention;

2 : A sectional view through the entire cap along the line AA 1 ;

3 a sectional view through a part of the closure lid along the line BB 1 after lifting a grip tab of the Foli ensiegels;

4 a greatly enlarged sectional view of the section C in 3 on further stripping the foil seal;

5 a partially broken away sectional view through a container closed with the closure lid;

6 : a view accordingly 4 , but with partially opened cap;

7 a partially sectioned side view of a modified cap;

8th a partially sectioned side view of another modified closure cap;

9 a partially sectioned side view of another modified closure cap;

10 a sectional view through a cap designed as a screw cap according to the invention;

11 a partially broken away sectional view through a container closed with the screw cap;

12 : a top view of the screw cap 9 when screwing on the container.

The closure lid shown in the drawing 2 for a container 4 , for example a mustard or mayonnaise jar ( 1 to 9 ) or a jar ( 10 to 12 ), consist essentially of a lid body produced in one piece from sheet metal 6 with a locking mirror 8th and one-sided on the closing mirror 8th protruding edge part 10 , one adjacent to a transition 12 between the locking mirror 8th and the edge part 10 on the underside of a raised sealing edge 14 the locking mirror 8th annular molded sealing material 16 , as well as one on the top of the lock mirror 8th attached foil seal 18 that one the locking mirror 8th penetrating ventilation opening 20 closes.

The locking mirror 8th has in its middle a so-called click bubble 22 on, consisting of three consecutive concentric sections 24 . 26 . 28 the locking mirror 8th consists of a circular inner section 24 an annular middle section 26 and an annular outer portion 28 , From these sections 24 . 26 . 28 Aligns with unloaded lid 2 the inner section 24 essentially with one of the flat top of the sealing edge 14 spanned level E, during the middle of the two sections 26 at a shallow angle of inclination from this plane E to the outer portion 28 is inclined, in turn, at a slightly greater angle of inclination from the plane E away to the bottom 32 a flat annular groove 30 inclined, concentric to the three sections 24 . 26 . 28 is, with its inner flank of the two sections 26 . 28 is formed. How best in the 1 . 2 . 5 and 9 illustrated, the annular groove extends 30 radially outward to the sealing edge 14 , where you groove bottom 32 with unloaded lid 2 ( 2 and 10 ) approximately parallel to the plane E of the top of the sealing edge 14 is.

When the cap 2 so on a previously filled container 4 has been attached that the lock mirror 8th the flat mouth opening 34 of the container 4 spans and the sealing material 16 at the bottom of the sealing edge 14 around the container opening 34 around on its thickened peripheral edge 36 rests, and then as a result of condensation of steam in a cavity 38 below the lid 2 the pressure in the container 4 decreases until the pressure difference to the ambient pressure is about 0.2 bar to 0.3 bar, the click bubble 22 pressed from the ambient pressure to the container interior in a retracted position, as in 5 and 11 shown. In this position, the circular inner section is aligned 24 essentially with the container opening 34 while the two annular sections 26 . 28 each inclined at a slight angle in the direction of the plane E to each other. The groove bottom 32 the ring groove 30 is then inclined toward the center of the lid also at a slight angle of inclination away from the plane E. Due to the deformation of the lid 2 stands the click bubble 22 in this condition under a preload, which means that when first opening the lid 2 jumps up, producing a clearly audible click sound. Because the pressure in the container 4 but not only when opening the lid for the first time 2 but also as a result of leakage, when small amounts of ambient air between the sealing edge 14 of the lid 2 and the peripheral edge 36 of the container 4 enter into this, puts the click bubble 22 in its retracted position a visible indication of the integrity of the seal of the container 4 represents.

The one with the foil seal 18 closed ventilation opening 20 is related to the click bubble 22 eccentric about in the middle of the ground 32 the ring groove 30 arranged, that is approximately in the middle between an outer edge 40 the click bubble 22 and one to the sealing edge 14 towards rising groove flank 42 so that the foil seal 18 completely inside the ring groove 30 located, the click bubble 22 however, does not overlap.

The foil seal 18 is made of one on top with a protective coating 41 provided aluminum foil 43 made as in 4 shown. How best in 1 and 12 it consists of a seal part 44 , which is approximately circular, the edge of the ventilation opening 20 Covered on all sides and over the entire surface on the top of the lock mirror 8th is attached, as well as a square or rectangular grip tab 46 , which are integral with the seal part 44 is connected and one-sided over this. To avoid having to pull off the foil seal 18 Grip bottle held between two fingers 46 over the click bubble 22 must be moved, whereby this is covered by the fingers, which is through the seal part 44 and the pull tab 46 extending central axis 50 of the foil seal 18 substantially perpendicular to a radius R through the vent 20 aligned.

For gas- and liquid-tight attachment of the foil seal 18 this is on his lid 2 facing bottom with a layer 51 made of a finely dispersed plastic, eg. As polypropylene, coated paint, as in 4 shown. The top of the lid body 6 is with a layer 53 coated from the same paint. In this way, the two paint layers 51 . 53 before attaching the lid 2 on the container 4 to a continuous adhesive layer 55 when merged with the seal part 44 above the ventilation opening 20 positioned foil seal 18 in the area of the sealed part 44 heated over a period of 200 to 300 ms to a temperature of 200 to 250 ° C, while against the lid 2 is pressed.

This type of sealing is suitable both for hot and cold filling of the container contents, with or without thermal aftertreatment, pasteurisation up to 100 ° C and / or sterilization up to 125 ° C. For products without thermal aftertreatment could be the attachment of the film seal 18 also be done in other ways, for example by means of an adhesive, preferably a hot melt adhesive, in this case also a continuous adhesive layer 55 between the aluminum foil 43 of the foil seal 18 and the metal sheet of the closure part 8th forms.

To open a closure lid 2 grasping the grip tab 46 of the foil seal 18 To facilitate, this has an over their underside protruding imprint 52 on, the the free rear end 54 the pull tab 46 at a distance from the bottom of the groove 32 holds ( 3 ).

To open the first time the gas-tight with the lid 2 sealed container 4 ( 5 and 11 ), first becomes the foil seal 18 deducted before the lid 2 from the container 4 lifted ( 6 ) or is unscrewed. To remove the foil seal 18 becomes the grip tab 46 grasped with two fingers and in the direction of the arrow P in 1 subtracted until ambient air through the opening 20 in the cavity 38 in the container 4 occurs and the negative pressure inside the container is eliminated. The click bubble in the middle of the consumer's field of vision jumps fast 22 visible to him and with a clear click sound audible upwards, so that the maintenance of the tightness of the closure is up to this time for the consumer both acoustically and visually clearly visible. Then the lid can 2 effortless from the container 4 be removed.

In order to produce a clearly audible click sound, the ambient air must flow sufficiently fast through the ventilation opening 20 inside the container 4 infuse what only succeeds when the opening 20 has a certain minimum opening cross section and when removing the foil seal 18 is completely released. For this purpose, the ventilation opening 20 a diameter d of 2 to 2.5 millimeters, as in 4 represented, which corresponds to an opening cross section of more than 3 mm ² and allows sufficient access of air.

On the other hand, through this opening cross-section in conjunction with a suitable material composition of the lacquer layer 51 on the underside of the sealed part 44 and on the top of the cap 2 applied lacquer 53 ensured that on the one hand the paint layer 51 directly above the ventilation opening 20 on the aluminum foil 43 with a sufficient, the delamination of the paint layer 51 from the slide 43 adhering adhesive force adheres, and on the other hand, the two, to the continuous adhesive layer 55 fused paint layers 51 . 53 around the ventilation opening 20 around by cohesive failure in two sublayers 55a . 55b split, as in 4 shown, one of which 55a at the top of the lid 2 and the other at the bottom of the sealed part 44 sticks. This measure reduces the risk that the paint layer 51 wholly or partly from the bottom of the aluminum foil 43 detached and thereby the ventilation opening 20 blocked.

There, where the lid 2 as in the 1 to 9 represented, for example, usable as a glass container 4 with a thickened upper opening edge 36 he closes on the container 4 from one to the inside over the edge part 10 protruding bead or imprint 56 held on to the thickened edge 36 engages behind and is pressed against its underside from the outside, like best in 5 shown.

The bead 56 can be there as a continuous, around the edge part 10 circumferential circumferential bead be formed, as in the 2 . 6 and 8th represented, or in the form of several, for example, depending on the lid diameter five to seven at equal intervals around the circumference distributed individual beads 56 as in the 7 and 9 shown, the latter lifting the lid 2 facilitated.

To reduce the risk of cuts at the free lower end of the edge part 10 to minimize, this end is either rolled inward or outward, such as in 2 and 5 respectively. 7 and 9 at 58 shown.

There, where the lid 2 as in the 10 to 11 shown, is designed as a screw cap and with several, over the outer peripheral surface of the opening edge 36 of the container 2 protruding, at a shallow angle to the plane E inclined thread ribs 60 on the outside of the edge 36 engages, it is in a known manner at the free lower front end of its edge part 10 with a radially inwardly protruding circumferential flange 62 Mistake. To the lid 2 on the container 4 to hold on is the curl 62 in its upper side also in a known manner with one of the number of thread ribs 60 of the container 2 corresponding number of angularly spaced beads or indentations 64 provided, whereby the flanging 62 Slightly flatter at these points and sticking further inwards. When fitting the screw cap 2 on the opening edge 36 of the container 2 kick these beads 64 each between two adjacent thread ribs 60 through and are the subsequent tightening the lid 2 from the outside against the underside of an overlying thread rib 60 pressed.

To prevent the pull tab 46 of the foil seal 18 when mechanically tightening the in 10 shown screw cap 2 on the in 11 illustrated container 4 from the tightening means, such as friction belt or the like, from the closure part 8th of the lid 2 bent-out plane is bent up, which could lead under unfavorable circumstances, the grip tab 46 is captured by the funds and thereby the foil seal 18 undesirably from the cap 2 is pulled off, is the grip tab 46 aligned so that it is opposite to the direction of rotation D of the lid 2 when tightening over the seal part 44 of the foil seal 18 survives, as in 12 shown.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• - DE 29711363 U1 [0004]
• US 6194011 [0004]
• - DE 202004007079 U1 [0005, 0007]
• WO 2005/108233 A1 [0005, 0007]

Claims (16)

Metal sheet closure cap for attachment to an opening of a container, in particular for foodstuffs, whose container contents are to be kept under negative pressure until the lid is opened for the first time, with a closure part spanning the opening and sealing against a peripheral edge of the opening, and integrally with the closure part connected, the peripheral edge on its outer side surrounding edge part, wherein the closure part is provided with a ventilation opening, which is closed by a peelable film seal, characterized in that the ventilation opening ( 20 ) has an opening cross section of more than 3 mm ² . Closure lid according to claim 1, characterized in that the ventilation opening ( 20 ) is round and has an inner diameter of 2 mm or more. Closure lid according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a between at least one part ( 44 ) of the foil seal ( 18 ) and the closure part ( 18 ) adhesive layer ( 55 ). Closure lid according to claim 3, characterized in that the adhesive layer ( 55 ) when removing the foil seal ( 18 ) around the ventilation opening ( 20 ) splits around by cohesive failure. Closure lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closure part ( 8th ) on its upper side at least partially with a plastic-containing paint ( 53 ) is coated, that the sealing part ( 44 ) of the foil seal ( 18 ) on its underside with a plastic-containing paint ( 51 ) and that the two paint layers ( 53 . 51 ) in the area of the sealed part ( 44 ) are fused together. Closure lid according to claim 5, characterized in that both lacquer layers ( 53 . 51 ) Polypropylene. Metal sheet closure cap for attachment to an opening of a container, in particular for foodstuffs, whose container contents are to be kept under negative pressure until the lid is opened for the first time, with a closure part spanning the opening and sealing against a peripheral edge of the opening, and integrally with the closure part connected to the peripheral edge on its outer side edge portion, wherein the closure part is provided with an off-center ventilation opening which is closed by a film seal, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the film seal ( 18 ) one around the ventilation opening ( 20 ) around with the lid ( 2 ) associated seal part ( 44 ) and one-sided on the seal part ( 44 ) protruding grip tab ( 46 ), which counter to the direction of rotation (D) of the lid formed as a screw cap ( 2 ) when screwing onto the container ( 4 ) is aligned. Closure lid according to claim 7, characterized in that the ventilation opening ( 20 ) and the foil seal ( 18 ) within a recessed annular section ( 30 ) between one in the middle of the closure part ( 8th ) arranged click bubble ( 22 ) and one on its underside with a sealing material ( 12 ) provided sealing edge ( 14 ) of the closure part ( 8th ) are arranged. Closure lid according to claim 8, characterized in that the sealing part ( 44 ) on the ground ( 32 ) of the recessed annular portion ( 30 ) is sealed. Closure lid according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the foil seal ( 18 ) up to not over one from the top of the sealing edge ( 14 ) layer (E). Closure lid according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the grip tab ( 46 ) on one side over the substantially circular sealing part ( 44 ) with its central axis ( 50 ) substantially perpendicular to a radius (R) through the ventilation opening ( 20 ) is aligned. Closure lid according to one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that the gripping tab ( 46 ) and / or the closure part ( 8th ) of the lid ( 2 ) is locally elevated, so that one of the sealing part ( 44 ) facing away from the edge ( 54 ) of the grip tab ( 46 ) at a distance from the top of the lid ( 2 ) is held. Closure lid according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foil seal ( 18 ) an aluminum foil ( 43 ). Closure lid according to claim 13, characterized in that the aluminum foil ( 43 ) on its upper side with a protective coating ( 41 ) is provided. Closure lid according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the aluminum foil ( 43 ) has a thickness between 50 and 100 microns. Container, in particular containing a food, with one of a circulating Um limited edge, characterized by a peripheral edge ( 36 ) attached cap ( 2 ) according to one of the preceding claims.