EP2111361B1

EP2111361B1 - A closure with a ring pull

Info

Publication number: EP2111361B1
Application number: EP08701930A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Bardet; Claude Benoit-Gonin
Original assignee: Obrist Closures Switzerland GmbH
Current assignee: Obrist Closures Switzerland GmbH
Priority date: 2007-02-13
Filing date: 2008-01-24
Publication date: 2012-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 2028-01-24
Also published as: WO2008099135A1; ATE548288T1; GB0702720D0; EP2111361A1

Abstract

A ring pull sub-assembly (10) for a closure (50) is provided. The sub-assembly comprises a body (30) which is attachable to a closure (50); and a ring pull member (20) comprising a base (24) which is connected to the body and a ring pull (22) which extends from the base.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a closure, such as a plastics flip-top closure comprising a ring pull and sub-assembly.
It is known to provide containers with ring pull arrangements in which a ring is connected to a part which covers an aperture. The ring is pulled in order to remove the part from the aperture. When forming ring pull arrangements from plastics materials, different materials may be more or less suitable for forming ring pulls, as material must be tom when the ring pull is removed. There may therefore be a conflict between the choice of material for a closure and the choice of material for the ring pull component of that closure.
US 5 810 207 relates to a heat resistant cap for use with a container. The cap comprises an intermediate stopper and an outer lid fitted over the intermediat stopper. The intermediate stopper is held in a pressure fit over a mouth of a container by the outer lid. This document discloses a closure comprising means for attachment to a container and a ring pull sub-assembly, said ring pull sub-assembly comprising:

a body which is removably attached to receiving means of said closure; and a ring pull member comprising a base which is connected to the body and a ring pull which extends from the base. According to the present invention said body includes a deformable section which, in use, deforms to assist with complete removal of the sub-assembly from said closure, said ring pull member being operable to apply a force to said deformable section to assist with said complete removal from said closure.

The present invention therefore provides a separate ring pull sub-assembly fitted to a closure to provide it with a ring pull system. In some senses the body could be described as a ring pull support body for holding the ring pull in the closure.
Because the sub-assembly is separate from the closure this allows the use of different materials for the ring pull as for the closure.
The ring pull arrangement can provide a tamper-evident system for a closure, with irreversible lifting of the ring pull base away from the body and/or removal of the sub-assembly from the closure.
The base may be at least partly frangibly connected to the body so that it can be partially or completely removed. In one embodiment the base is frangibly and hingedly connected to a support disc forming part of the body. When the ring pull is lifted the base is ripped away from the disc so that it is just connected by the hinge. Because the base is in a lifted position this serves as a tamper-evident feature.
The body may include snap-fit engagement means for attachment to a closure. In some embodiments the sub-assembly can be snapped into the closure from underneath. Other forms of engagement are, of course, possible.
The body is removably attachable to a closure. In other words, the sub-assembly can be removed from the closure after it has been fitted.
The entire sub-assembly is detachable from the closure in use. In embodiments at least part of the sub-assembly is retained in the closure on opening, with the ring pull component being partly or completely removable.
The sub-assembly may itself close an aperture in a container in use. Removal of the ring pull alone then allows direct access to the container contents.
The body may comprise a peripheral annulus which includes closure engagement means. In one embodiment the body comprises a support hoop with engagement means extending around its periphery.
The body and the ring pull member may be formed as a one-piece construction, for example by injection moulding.
The sub-assembly may be formed from low density polyethylene. This material has advantages for the formation of ring pull arrangements.
The closure may comprise a base and a lid which are hingedly connected together.
The closure may be formed from polypropylene. In one embodiment a polypropylene closure is combined with a low density polyethylene sub-assembly.
The present invention also provides a container with a closure as described herein.
The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a section of a ring pull sub-assembly formed according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the sub-assembly of Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sub-assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2 with a base pictured in an open position;
Figure 4 is a section of a closure ready to receive a sub-assembly of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 5 is a section of the closure and sub-assembly of Figure 4 shown fitted together;
Figure 6 is a section showing the closure of Figure 5 fitted to a container with the closure in an open position and the ring pull base in an open position;
Figure 7 shows the arrangement of Figure 6 with the ring pull further lifted so that the sub-assembly body is deformed to allow removal; and
Figure 8 shows the arrangement of Figure 7 with the sub-assembly completely removed.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a ring pull sub-assembly generally indicated 10. The sub-assembly 10 comprises a ring pull member 20 and a body 30.
The ring pull member 20 comprises a ring pull 22 and a base 24.
The body 30 comprises an annular support hoop 32 from which at one end depends an inclined annular support skirt 34. The support skirt 34 extends around the periphery of a central disc 36.
The base 24 of the ring pull member 20 is formed in the disc 36 as shown best in Figure 2. The base 24 is generally coffin-shape and effectively forms part of the disc 36. The shape of the base 24 is defined by a fixed hinge line 25 and a line of weakness 26 which is formed by any convenient means such as a thinning of material or scoring.
The ring pull 22 comprises two spaced stalks which extend from the end of the base opposite the hinge line and are joined together by a semi-circular hoop which extends perpendicular to the stalks towards the hinge 25. The body 30 comprises a flange 38 and a retaining bead 40 which define between them a recess 42.
Referring now to Figure 3 the sub-assembly 10 is shown with the base 24 tom away from the disc 36 along the line of weakening 26. The base 24 pivots along the hinge 25 as it is lifted by the ring pull 22. The base 24 cannot return to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and therefore serves as a tamper-evident feature discussed in more detail below.
Referring now to Figure 4 there is shown a closure 50 formed in accordance with the present invention together with the sub-assembly 10 of Figures 1 to 3.
The closure 50 comprises a base 52 and a lid 54 which are hingedly connected together by a hinge 56 to form a flip-top closure.
The base 52 comprises a central cylindrical body 58 which is open at both ends. One end of the body 58 is angled and includes an outwardly flared flange 60 to produce a spout. The other end of the body 58 terminates with a radially inwardly extending retention flange 62. Radially outwardly of the body 58 towards the end with the retention flange 62 an intermediate cylindrical wall 64 extends and terminates with a retention bead 66. A further outer cylindrical wall 68 extends radially outwardly of the intermediate wall 64.
The lid 54 comprises a generally circular top plate 70 from which depends a cylindrical outer wall 72. Radially inwardly of the outer wall 73 a sealing cylinder 74 depends from the top plate 70 and is sized and shaped to fit into the cylindrical body 58 of the base 52. The sealing cylinder 74 and the cylindrical body 58 have cooperating beads which allow the lid 54 to be clipped onto the base (best seen in Figure 5) to hold the lid in position in the closed position.
Referring now to Figure 5 the sub-assembly 10 is shown fitted into the closure 50. The sub-assembly 10 is fitted from beneath the closure 50 by pushing the retaining bead 40 against the retention flange 62. The bead 40 and flange 62 deform to allow the bead 40 to pass over the flange 62 so that the flange 62 is seated in the recess 42. The ring pull 22 extends into the space defined by the sealing wall 74 and the cylindrical body 58.
Referring now to Figure 6 the closure 50 fitted with the sub-assembly 10 is shown fitted to a container 80. The container 80 includes an orifice defined by a bead 82. The container bead 82 is received between the intermediate wall 64 and the central wall 58 of the closure 50 so that the retention bead 66 clips underneath to retain the closure firmly in position. In Figure 6 the lid 54 is shown hinged to the open position to expose the ring pull 22. The ring pull 22 has been pulled to lift the base 24 to the raised position also shown in Figure 3.
In order to remove the sub-assembly 10 completely from the closure 50 the ring pull 22 is pulled further, which applies force to the hinge line 25. This in tum causes the support skirt 34 in this region to buckle and for the body flange 38 to be forced against the closure flange 62 so that the wall 41 defining the channel 42 deforms by pivoting between the flange 38 and the bead 40. Continued pulling of the ring pull 22 pulls the flange 38 from underneath the flange 62 in this deformed region and allows the sub-assembly 10 to be removed as shown in Figure 8. The deformed regions of the sub-assembly 10 remain deformed and the base 24 remains lifted away from the central disc 38 as evidence that the sub-assembly has been removed at least once from the closure 50. This provides visual evidence that the sub-assembly has been removed from the closure to prevent re-insertion. Furthermore, the body flange 32 cannot be pushed down over the closure flange 62 so that the sub-assembly 10 cannot be introduced into the closure 50 from above, which prevents re-insertion of the sub-assembly with the closure fitted to the container.

Claims

A closure (50) comprising means for attachment (66) to a container and a ring pull sub-assembly (10), said ring pull sub-assembly comprising:
a body (30) which is removably attached to receiving means of said closure (50); and a ring pull member (20) comprising a base (24) which is connected to the body and a ring pull (22) which extends from the base, said body (30) including a deformable section (41) which, in use, deforms to assist with complete removal of the sub-assembly (10) from said closure, said ring pull member being operable to apply a force to said deformable section to assist with said complete removal from said closure.
A closure according to claim 1, in which the ring pull base (24) of said ring pull assembly (10) is at least partly frangibly connected to the body (30).
A closure according to any one of claims 1 to 2, in which said ring pull assembly body comprises a peripheral annulus (32) which includes closure engagement means (38, 40).
A closure according to any preceding claim, in which said ring pull assembly body (30) and ring pull member (20) are formed as a one-piece construction.
A closure according to any preceding claim, in which the ring pull sub-assembly is formed from low density polyethylene.
A closure according to any preceding claim, in which the ring pull sub-assembly body includes snap-fit engagement means (38, 40) for attachment to said closure (50).
A closure according to any preceding claim, in which the closure comprises a base (52) and a lid (54) which are hingedly connected together.
A closure according to any preceding claim, in which the closure is formed from polypropylene.
A container provided with a closure as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8.